Children are
brutally honest, filled with joy, open with their emotions and
extremely creative — so there must be a few things PR pros (and the rest of the world) can learn from them. Beyonce asks, "Who runs the world?" and subsequently answers, "Girls" ... but it has become more evident that the answer might
actually be kids.
In fact, the way that they get away with things just proves that they might be on the success train of life.
Ready to start playing and see what you can learn? Let’s do it:
1. Always ask questions
Children always want to know the
who's,
what's and
why's. They are
always asking questions to figure out how the world works. And this is a
huge lesson that PR pros (
and the rest of the world) can learn from them. Being curious and asking questions allows you to constantly learn new things, have open communication and understand situations, crises or opportunities better.
Have you ever found yourself at an event, meeting or social gathering where the latest trends are up on the screen or being talked about and all you hear and see are words that you have
never even heard of before? In moments like these, just remember to
always ask questions — and there is no such thing as a dumb question!
2. Use your imagination
To a kid,
anything is a toy. A stick is a magic wand and a flower is a crown that allows you to rule the seven kingdoms (
whatever — you get the idea). PR professionals need to start looking at everything around them the same way children do. Now you may be thinking, "Erm, how is imagining my work PC to be the latest Xbox going to help me at all?"
And here's the answer at the very heart of it: When given the chance, the possibilities present are
endless!
Everything and
anything can be an opportunity for publicity — all you have to do is look for it.
For example, if you are a great PR pro by day but an even better cook at night, consider a way to link your outside passions with work. This will allow you to be more creative with your PR efforts — allowing you to reach new audiences and
smash those objectives you have set out to meet. Bringing passion into your work is like finding magic in that twig — the ideal becomes
real!
3. Learn by doing
Children never fail to stick their hands in the mud (or sometimes even on a hot stovetop) before figuring out how things work. Children learn by
doing and by trying and retrying until they understand how it works or until they get it right.
As a PR pro, a lot of things might sound like they will work in theory, but you will never really know until you try it. So, if you want to know if a press release is going to do well, the only way to check is by sending it to a journalist to publish. Children are never afraid of failure because they do not fail, they learn. And the same goes for you!
It's important to stick your hands in the cookie jar or paint with your hands when learning. Getting your hands sticky or full of colour is one sure way to test if something will do well or not.
4. Use a simple approach
Children love
simple solutions — sometimes, ouchies can be fixed by ice cream. And this rings true for PR pros too (
not the ice cream part though — but who doesn't love a cone?). Sometimes the answer is really that
simple. Sometimes, the best answer is the plain one.
PR pros, here's the lesson: When the going gets tough, change your perception and forget about all the complicated terms and advice from time to time. For example, let us say that you made a communicative mistake in the office. Internal communication over emails can sometimes become a
mess and leave many people feeling confused — so in this case, just walk up to them and tell them face to face or (
Zoom to Zoom) that you made a mistake.
Easy!
What other tips and tricks do you think PR pros can learn from children? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Pexels