Brad Domitrovich - pr zealot

When worlds collide!

2010-06-12T22:42:00.000-05:00

What is a crisis? By definition, it is a crucial or decisive situation, a turning point. For those of us in the PR business, it is better defined as any event that causes us to stop what we are doing and react. Personally, I define a crisis as any situation that makes me reach into my desk drawer for my favorite bottle of headache relief!

Last month, I presented a workshop on crisis communication management to Superintendents and Principals attending a leadership conference sponsored by the Education Service Center Region 12 in Waco. (See my June 15th blog for more information) What a breeze it was lecturing people about what to do in a crisis when there wasn’t a crisis going on. It sure was easy being “the expert” on stage answering questions about managing the media when there wasn’t a line of reporters at my door. Life is so easy when you’re operating in “theory” mode rather than “reality” mode.

So what happens when, as George Costanza in Seinfeld stated, “worlds collide”? Just a few weeks ago, we had a crisis situation at work. A big one.

Instead of getting myself worked up into frenzy mode, I opted to close my office door, sit in the quiet for a few minutes, and jot down some notes as a plan of action. When I finished penning my third bullet point, I realized that what I was jotting down, was a parroting of what I presented as “theory” just a few weeks earlier. How interesting.

Although each crisis is different and should be weighed on its own merit, preparation is paramount. What does being prepared mean? Being prepared for me in this case was reviewing our crisis communications with key individuals in the district. We made sure that everyone knew what to do and what to say during and after the crisis period. We had at least three positives we wanted to share, and all people authorized to speak to the media spoke the same message. Be prepared.

Everyone knows that you should never say “no comment”. I always try to view the crisis from the eye of the public. Do they want to hear you say “no comment”? Anytime you ignore a crisis situation, it only makes things worse. If we provided no comment, we would have lost our greatest opportunity to control the crisis. Never say “no comment”.

It is always good practice to confront the situation immediately and take charge. If you’re hoping that the radar doesn’t find you because you’re lying low, that just doesn’t work. Embracing the crisis, being prepared, and having our statement ready allowed us to get on with business as usual after only one day of controlled chaos. Bleed for a day, not a week.

So those were the three bullet points I jotted down. As I look back, worlds can collide! Managing a crisis can be accomplished as long as you allow “reality” to meet with “theory”.

20 PR Tips for Superintendents …

2010-04-14T20:34:00.000-05:00

This morning I had the opportunity to present “20 PR Tips for Superintendents” at the Texas Association of School Administrators First Time Superintendents Academy in Round Rock. This is the third year in a row that I have presented a public relations/communications session at this academy, and just like the past two years it was really fun to do. I met a few familiar faces and hopefully made some brand new acquaintances that I can keep in contact with over the years.

Here are the 20 PR Tips for Superintendents as presented today:

It’s not always easy to communicate.
Define your communication needs.
Communication is a planned effort.
It’s not easy getting others to follow your lead.
Know what it takes to communicate well.
Develop your communication goals.
Keep your board members in the know.
Always stay calm in a crisis.
Communicate with your community.
Communicate with all employees.
You can’t fix stupid.
The media knows that “juicy stuff” sells.
Always prepare before talking to the media.
Never lie to the media.
Never say “no comment”.
Never talk down to your public.
Cute kids make a cute story.
If it’s good for the kids, it’s probably good for the district.
Change your communications strategy when it’s not working.
Spelling is always important.

To view the slide deck from the presentation, go to my SlideShare account.

Farewell Bandera ISD …

2010-02-25T09:32:00.000-06:00

It really is hard to believe that today is my last day working for the Bandera Independent School District. Fifteen years is a long time to stay in one place. As I sit here feeling excited about the new opportunities that wait for me at Georgetown ISD, I can’t help but feel rather nostalgic about this place that I have called home.

Why is it when you’re working at one place for a long time, little things tend to agitate you and dominate your thoughts all the time. As I sit here for only a few more hours, I am not thinking about those little things, but some really outstanding people that touched my lives.

I have to start in 1995. My dear wife Gina was talking with our neighbor Sherryl Jewett about me needing to find a new job since the consulting gig I was doing was really sucking wind. Sherryl was going to be the campus secretary at Hill Country Elementary School, a brand new school being opening up in the Pipe Creek/Lakehills area. Since I was pretty tech savvy, she introduced me to Andy Kline. Andy was the Principal of the school and he needed to hire someone to oversee the computer lab. We hit it off and I was hired. I never had so much fun in my life as the three years I spent at Hill Country. It was so cool working with all the kids from Kindergarten age to Fifth Grade. I also grew very found of many of the special needs children I worked with, and enjoyed seeing them grow and develop. Two that will always be very special to me are Tracy Salinas who graduated last year, and Justin Winters who will walk the stage next year. Those two kids put a warmth in my heart during that time that will never leave my spirit.

Andy fought hard to get me a promotion within the district. He encouraged the district administration to create a position called Instructional Technologist so my talents could be better utilized and I can get a better paycheck. Another person that was vital in creating this new position and helping me advance in the district was Business manager Barbara LeStourgeon. Three years of doing instructional technology was an eye opener and a lot of fun. I believe that I worked with every teacher and paraprofessional in the district because of all the training and workshops that were completed. Summers were filled with staff development and afternoons as well. During that time I got to work closely with Regina Howell and developed a wonderful working relationship with her that continues today,

The communications position that I hold today was created by Superintendent Dr. Renee Schulze. I owe a big thank you to Board Member Rand Hicks who was vital in supporting the need for a 3A district to establish a PR office. Unfortunately, Rand passed away a few months ago.

Dr. Schulze and Mrs. Howell both encouraged me to pursue a leadership role in the Texas Public Schools Association. I was extremely honored when Mrs. Howell and her husband Tim traveled to Houston to be a part of my Installation as President of TSPRA in 2008. That meant more to me than anything. Of course the humorous introduction by my current boss Dr. Kevin Dyes, provided an entertaining luncheon that people are still talking about and will never be beat.

I know that life is filled with passages, and people leave our lives as quickly as they enter it. I know that I will miss some people here and they will miss me. In a few weeks though, I am sure that whoever sits in this chair and at this desk will claim it as theirs and it will no longer be Brad’s office.

I am sure that a few emails back and forth will be shared for a while with my former co-workers, maybe a few telephone calls and text messages as well. The one thing that I do know is that as our common bond begins to shrink and the distance and time between us grows - new people and new stories will dominate my life. I also know that one day someone in Bandera ISD will reference me with “who was that guy that used to …”!

Passages. It is something that all of us live through. It is something that all of us experience in order to grow. I am glad I had this passage. It has helped me grow and it has helped me learn. I am glad that those people mentioned above were a part of my passage. I thank them one more time and will remember them always.

Being a Past-President has its privileges ...

2010-02-21T08:48:00.000-06:00

Today, the Texas School Public Relations Association’s annual conference in Austin begins. As I sit here in Pipe Creek relaxing with a cup of coffee before heading out, I started to reflect on what it was like one year ago when I was the President instead of the Immediate Past President.

One of the big responsibilities of the President is making sure the conference is awesome. Last year I felt a lot of pressure the week before the conference and spent a lot of time tossing and turning during the night. When I arrived at the hotel to begin the conference last year it was non-stop activity. There was rarely a moment when someone wasn’t whispering something to you, or asking your opinion, or letting you know there was a problem. All in all the conference went off with only a few glitches. The conference planning team we assembled needed to hold their heads high for the tremendous job that was accomplished.

This year is so much different. My responsibilities include only a couple of reports during the Executive Committee Meeting on Sunday, a presentation with Terry Morawski on Monday, and making a brief speech at the Installation Luncheon on Tuesday. So much more relaxing.

Of course the week is still filled with excitement as I begin my new job on Friday as Director of School and Community Relations for Georgetown ISD. Unfortunately because of the weeks time constraints, I have to leave the TSPRA Conference right after the Installation Luncheon to return home. Wednesday and Thursday will be busy at Bandera ISD wrapping things up, training a few people on some of the things I do, and saying farewell. The evenings at home will be just as busy making sure loose ends are taken care of and everything is packed for my new adventure.

Gina gave me a wooden cross with a scripture from Jeremiah engraved on it as a present three years ago when we discussed looking for a new position and moving to the Austin area. I had it hanging in my office and have read it every morning when I arrived and every afternoon when I left. The cross reads “For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future”.

I am sure glad that God waited until this year to put this tremendous new opportunity into my hands. He always knows the right time for us and picks the right place so we can prosper and have a wonderful future.

Change is a beautiful thing …

2010-02-06T08:05:00.000-06:00

Change is a beautiful thing. Not the change you have in your pocket, although that can be pretty cool especially when you’re a kid. But a life change.

After fifteen years of a comfortable life with a good job living in the Texas Hill Country, we made the decision to uproot and re-locate to Central Texas. I have had several people ask me “why at your age do you want to move?”.

Now I take offense to anytime someone (especially my doctor) uses the term “your age”! Hey, I’m only 53. I still have a lot of years to go, thank you very much. My brain still works, my creativity level is at its highest, I keep up with the latest trends in my industry. Sure I use a little Just for Men on my graying beard, but I really don’t think its time to update my obituary. So the question still remains, “why move?”.

In the past few years, Gina and I have been discussing that if the right opportunity came along, we would really like to move to the Austin area. Well the right opportunity has come along. On Tuesday, we were blessed by the official news that I will become the first Director of School and Community Relations for the Georgetown Independent School District. What a tremendous opportunity this is going to be.

Georgetown ISD is a vibrant, growing school district deep in tradition with a great history of success. They have excellent leadership and a supportive community. The City of Georgetown is a wonderful, quaint community poised for the growth that the experts anticipate. What a combination.

Although it will be hard to let go of familiar faces and routine places, what an experience it’s going to be. Gina and I are so at peace with this decision, we are not letting the thought of packing up everything we own impede our happiness. We are focusing on our goal and not the path. We are not listening to naysayers talk about a slow real estate market. We are firm believers that when the good Lord blesses you with opportunities, he will not allow obstacles to impede you from enjoying them.

A life change is a beautiful thing, and what a wonderful ride into the future its going to be.

No resolutions for 2010, but ten "to do's" I will accomplish ...

2010-01-07T08:58:00.002-06:00

I’m not a resolution person. Never have been. I am a “to do” person though. But this year, I decided to embrace the second decade of the 2000’s with an official list of ten things I will accomplish in 2010. Some are business related, some are personal, and some are just plain selfish in nature. Here they are:

1. I want to present and speak more in twenty ten.

For the past few years I have been presenting and speaking at about six conferences each year. I really enjoy sharing my knowledge and learning from others. My goal is to promote my offerings more this year so I have more opportunities to speak.

2. Schedule a date with my wife once a month.

It seems that we both get so caught up in every day life that we tend to forget that we need time by ourselves to just go out and have fun together. This year that will end.

3. Write a minimum of twenty meaningful blogs in 2010.

I got lazy in the last quarter of 2009. Writing is enjoyable for me and a great outlet. I am visualizing a minimum of twenty meaningful blogs being posted this year. Does this one count as the first?

4. Enjoy two good cigars every week.

This is a selfish indulgence. Sitting down for an hour and letting my brain empty with a good cigar is a great way to relax.

5. Overhaul my domain www.domitrovich.com.

It’s time.

6. Learn how to roll sushi correctly.

I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I know I can do this. Maybe first I need to concentrate on how to make the rice, but one step at a time.

7. Read at least twelve books.

I read ten books last year without thinking about it. I can probably get twelve finished if I tried.

8. Redesign our back yard.

Three years of drought, oak wilt, and deer have taken it’s toll on everything green. I have a few designs in mind that can transform ugly into nice.

9. Learn how to use GarageBand better.

This is one program on the Mac that I have not spent much time with. Looking forward to spending some creative time exploring its full capabilities.

10. Plan a fun family vacation.

The last major trip was to Washington DC a few years back. Thinking about doing something historical. Maybe back to my birthplace Philadelphia. Hmmmmm, a cheese steak does sound good right now. Why not have fun this year too?

If only people were like refrigerators ...

2009-10-22T21:41:00.000-05:00

About a year ago, my dear wife and I started the process of replacing the major appliances in our house. Since we’ve lived where we do for more than a decade, we decided to be pro-active and replace appliances while they were still working, instead of waiting for them to die.

Our new refrigerator/freezer is really cool (no pun intended). Besides its stainless steel finish and modish good looks, it has a number of gizmos and gadgets that separates it from our preceding cooling device.

The other day I was standing by the kitchen counter prepping something on the cutting board for dinner. I forget what it was. All of a sudden I heard this piercing alarm sound. It wasn’t loud enough to be the smoke alarm, so a brief sigh of relief left my body. Our dogs weren’t making a fuss barking, so I knew it wasn’t a car alarm going off in the driveway.

As I turned around to see what it was, I realized that it was our new refrigerator. Evidently, the last time I got something out of it I left one of the doors open just a fraction. When enough cold air gets out of the refrigerator and the temperature starts to rise, an alarm goes off to tell you it is time to close the door.

As I closed the door I thought “wouldn’t it be great if people were like refrigerators?”. How many times have I said way more than I should have? If I had a built in alarm, I would know when it was time to shut my trap and listen to others instead of babbling on and on.

How many times have I listened to someone launch into a diatribe or lengthy criticism of the industry I work in? If they had a built in alarm, they too would know that it was time to start dialoging instead of endlessly shooting the messenger.

If only people were like refrigerators. Sure we’d have a few more alarms going off during the day, but then again - we might also have the opportunity to enjoy some real conversation for a change.

Is it the art of war, or just the art of good PR?

2009-09-27T23:47:00.004-05:00

Many of us who work in the PR business, occasionally face those times that no matter what you do, you just can’t seem to win everyone over to your way of thinking. Earlier this week, I was discussing this quandary with a colleague of mine who is more than twenty years my junior.

Being the elder statesman in the conversation, I was reminiscing about how different things are today then they were when my corporate career began. Probably the most obvious difference is the speed in which we can now release messages to our intended audience. When I started in the business, it would take us days and weeks to prepare simple presentations or produce even the most elementary of ads.

It was also more difficult to find out what our audience thought of our message and what their opinions were of our product or service. Having to wait on the results of complex surveys delivered by mail, or analyzing data generated by focus groups … sometimes months went by before you would know the results of your marketing efforts.

Today we have so many tools that can be used to monitor the pulse of our intended audience quickly and efficiently. As PR professionals, its important for us to know what our market is thinking, but it is also important not to be too concerned with only a minor amount of negative chatter and clutter. That’s a normal phenomenon. The old adage “you can’t please all the people all the time” is certainly true.

So if there is some negative chatter, how do you separate what you do well with what you are not doing well? PR professionals are some of the most unappreciated employees in many organizations. If you asked the average top executive what does your PR person really do all day, they probably couldn’t tell you. Many of us are in the background promoting others while rarely promoting ourselves. We observe our industries from a different perspective than others. We look at trends and analyze what does well for others. We focus on our media contacts and try to pitch them stories they will sink their teeth into. We listen to our customers and our constituents and look at how we can best explain our message to them. We learn how to do things better, faster, and less expensive. And while we are engaged in all this deep thought, let’s also remember that most of us do a lot of everyday grunt work to keep our brand in a positive spotlight.

PR offices do a lot. When the sky is blue and everything is humming along like it should, rarely is there a line of people outside your door waiting to give you the thumbs up. But if there happens to be even the smallest amount of contrary noise, the lines then begin to form. This time it is filled with folks who want to know why your not doing more or recommending ways for you do your job better. Such is the life we lead.

Let’s get back to my colleague who is more than twenty years my junior. Her organization is vibrant, and I give her and her office great credit for that. The majority of stories that appear in the media about her organization are positive, and I give her and her office great credit for that as well. The things she has tried to promote her organization have been gutsy. She is what Sun Tzu referred to as ”hence his victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom nor credit for courage” for she like me is a background person.

I loaned her my copy of the “Art of War” to read since she wasn’t a part of the corporate raider mentality of the 1980’s like I was. When she returned it a few weeks later we got to talking about the book and how much it relates to public relations. As we talked about how those PR bumps in the road can sometimes consume our thoughts more than we need them to, we both agreed that Sun Tzu said it best. “Amid the turmoil and tumult of battle, there may be seeming disorder and yet no real disorder at all”.

So in the career of any PR person, we are going to have our share of accomplishments. We are also going to have our share of failure. We have got to take them both in stride. The public will be on your side one day, and against you the next. This is the life we lead. If we do our job well, than the message we send will be a strong one. Those are the message we need to remember when there is the appearance of disorder yet no disorder at all. So ... is it the art of war, or just the art of good PR?

Mr. President, can you check with some School PR people before announcing another speech to students?

2009-09-07T20:05:00.003-05:00

This past week, many of us who work in school PR lost quite a few hours from our normal tasks to deal with the issue of the President of the United States making a live speech to the students of America on September 8th. When I first heard that this was going to occur, I thought how cool. Whether you voted for the President or not, the message of staying in school and doing your best seems like a noble message that would be worth listening to.

Boy, was I wrong. Once the White House announced the speech, my telephone and in-box were inundated with messages from concerned parents. As a parent myself I found it hard to believe that a Presidential message could cause such a fury of criticism, tears, jeers, and fears. The e-mails were pretty calm. Most of them requesting information on what my school district was going to do - show the speech or not show the speech. We developed a statement, printed it out and posted it on-line. Directing people to the link became as easy as a couple of clicks and a "thank you for your comments" message.

The phone calls were a different matter and started to become a little exhausting after a while. There were a few that were easy to handle. Once people knew the position of the district, they were pretty content. Some people were overly polite when this disagreed with the district's position. Some people even began their conversations with "I'm sorry to be shooting the messenger but ...", and that was OK.

I also received a lot of phone calls from people who were committed to their beliefs. I heard from conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, people with kids in school and people who did not have kids in school. I heard from bigots, sectarians, and people who were in my opinion just plain "interesting". But no matter what side of the fence they were on, they were very committed to their beliefs.

My father spent a lot of time traveling the world in his career and was exposed to many different cultures. He always told me "It's easy to change an attitude but its hard to change a belief". I kept trying to remember that as I listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. Beliefs, beliefs.

Today the White House posted the speech that will be read tomorrow and from all accounts it looked pretty harmless and mildly inspirational. My wife and I read it and let my 6th grade daughter read it. Now we are pretty non-political in my house, so we really didn't discuss or analyze it too much. A couple hours later I asked my daughter did she remember anything about the President's speech. She said when it comes to school "I should try my hardest". That's pretty good for an 11 year old isn't it?

Quoting from the President's speech:

"Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed. And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself. Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide."

Being a school PR person, my focus is to tell our community about the good stuff our students and teachers are doing in school every day. Every school district has a million success stories to tell every day. When teachers, parents, and students take the responsibility for education - we will have more success stories to tell. We will have an opulence of success because children will be discovering the opportunities that education can provide to them. Hard work, commitment, and desire. What can be better than that?

No wonder I'm getting old ...

2009-07-01T21:33:00.002-05:00

One of the things about being a year round employee for a school district is that you get to have three new years. Of course there is January 1st, the new year that everyone celebrates. Secondly, there is the first day of school which parents, students, and teachers look forward to.

And lastly there is July 1st - the official first day of the school year and the first day of a new fiscal year for our district. I love the days before July 1st as it allows me to transfer thousands of files off my MacBook into archives, and remove those papers that are no longer needed.

Hm-mm! Now I figured our why I’ve aged so much over the past few years. Every year has been counting as three!

I think I'm losing control ...

2009-06-24T05:16:00.006-05:00

I spent the last two weekends presenting communication and public relations workshops for the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). TASB's Summer Leadership Institutes held in San Antonio and Fort Worth, attract several thousand School Board Members, Superintendents, and top level Administrators from districts all over the State of Texas.

Being one of the invited presenters is always an honor, and even though I am asked to share my knowledge with the participants ... it seems that I learn so much more from just talking to the audience before and after each session that I present. At both conferences this year I had more interest in the session I led on social media than on any other more traditional school PR session.

"Managing Social Media Before It Manages You" was the topic session presented. In this workshop the audience and I examined several tools such LinkedIn, SlideShare, Tumblr, Twitter, and others. We looked at how to use these tools from a personal/professional standpoint as an individual administrator, and also how a school district can use social media to get their news out to their target market

Probably the biggest fear I heard from participants in both cities about using social media in their school districts was "losing control". Many of them felt if they released their message and allowed the public to comment or re-blog, the end of society would soon occur. I know that I shared this same fear when I started using social media tools less than a year ago. What I have found was that if your message is consistent, if you treat your audience as equals, and if you quickly respond to their needs ... social media can be a gift from the heavens.

As this time, not all of our intended audience is on Facebook or using Twitter - so we still need to utilize traditional outlets to get our message to the audience we serve. But every day more and more people are using these tools and expect us to be there with them. How can we not embrace social media? The fears must take a back seat to the benefits that await.

To access the slides for the workshops I presented for TASB, go to my personal SlideShare account and please feel free to provide some comments.

My favorite quote ...

2009-06-09T18:54:00.001-05:00

Someone asked me what my favorite quote was. It comes from President Lyndon B. Johnson.

He stated “If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read President Can’t Swim”.

Great advice for anyone in PR!

Foundations do so much more ...

2009-05-28T23:46:00.007-05:00

Last week, the Bandera ISD Education Foundation sponsored its Annual Senior Recognition Banquet. I was very honored to serve once again as the Master of Ceremonies for this event. The Foundation recognizes the top 20% of the current year's graduating class, and each of these students pays tribute to a teacher who they consider to be their most influential educator. It is an evening filled with great joy, emotion, and tears.

When the guests arrived, they were greeted by Foundation board members and nine times out of ten, these people were complete strangers. I am sure through the students eyes they were wondering just who in the world these old people were and why were they congratulating them for their academic success. I am also sure that through the parents eyes they were sure that the Foundation would have their hands out waiting for a donation by evening's end. As dinner was being served, you could tell that the atmosphere was becoming more and more relaxed as people began to interact with each other. People who were total strangers just a few minutes ago were now communicating and understanding each others purpose for being there.

As the evening progressed, it became clear to me that Education Foundation's do so much more than just raise money. It was important for the audience to know that numerous teacher grants were awarded this past year. It was also important for them to know how those grants impacted classroom achievement. And of course, it was important to know that the established endowment fund will keep the foundation alive for many years to come.

To me, what became evident was the relationships established by the Education Foundation board members with the students and parents. For the board members, it really hits home that what they do is important as they see the successful smiles of the top graduates. For the students, they have the opportunity to establish a relationship with a group of people they really don't know and an example of how to give back to their community once their careers are established. For the parents, it allows them to see the Foundation in action, providing a personal service to their child which in turn might inspire the parent to volunteer or donate during next year's annual campaign.

The Education Foundation was laying their foundation. It was a great example of paying it forward. Sure the money is important, but people relationships are the cornerstone to the success of any non-profit organization.

Communications is a planned effort ...

2009-05-23T22:10:00.008-05:00

The following blog will be provided in print to all conference attendees at next month's Texas Association of School Board's Summer Leadership Institute in San Antonio and Fort Worth.

School communications is a planned effort. Every district has a story to tell and stakeholders in your community want to hear that story told. As a school board member, what can you do to help your district share its stories of success with those who want to know? Here are five quick tips!

Know what it takes to communicate well. Not every school district has a communications department, but every school district should have a communications plan. How you communicate is equally as important as what you communicate. Effective communication goals should always reflect back to the yearly goals established for the Superintendent and the district. If change is a major part of the goal, make sure that change is communicated.

Listening is the key to great communication. As a PR person, I know how hard it is to open my ears and keep my mouth shut! Effective board members will know how to listen to administrators, teachers, and community members as they put together goals for the district. Listening also allows us the opportunity to be interconnected with the people we serve.

Never let the headlines influence your decisions. We all know how easy it is to get caught up in a whirlwind of rumors, speculations, and current events. If you subscribe to the philosophy “if It’s good for the kids, it’s probably good for the district” – don’t forget to communicate the good you are doing to make our leaders of tomorrow succeed.

It all comes down to trust. What is your district’s track record on trust? Does your community consider you trustworthy? If the answer is “no”, perhaps refining your communication goals is in order. Sometimes people mistrust what they don’t understand. Start a concerted effort to communicate more effectively so people begin to understand. Understanding leads to trust.

Enthusiasm is contagious! Negative emotions exert a more powerful effect in social situations than positive ones. Our brains are stimulating machines designed to detect and respond to a wide range of intentions on the part of other people. It is hard to stay positive at times but it is something that all of us need to do. If your positive enthusiasm about your district shows, you will be amazed at how that good feeling will spread.

School PR and social media ...

2009-05-09T09:21:00.009-05:00

This past week, I had the opportunity to present "Social Media Overview for School PR Professionals" at the TSPRA San Antonio Regional meeting. We had a great turnout for the lunch and meeting which was hosted by Jorge Topete at the Southside ISD Administrative Building.

Going into the presentation I was starting to get nervous. Although I have enjoyed using blogs and networking sites on a personal basis for a while, I am certainly not an expert. Over the past few months I have started examining and implementing ways for my school district (Bandera ISD) to incorporate social media into our marketing plans. At this point in time, we are utilizing a few tools and although it is too early to really examine their success, our followers slowly grow.

Getting back to being nervous ... when I was asked to present, I was happy to do so. I had an overview presentation on social media that I did for our Leadership Academy a few weeks back and began to edit and filter it to match the audience of PR professionals. The more I thought about it, the more nervous I got. I was going to present to people representing much larger districts and with much more school pr experience than I had. I also knew that in the audience would probably be some real tech die-hards who couldn't be snowed by anything I said.

As I developed the presentation and did my research, I was happy to see that we were using a few more social media tools than many of the other districts in the San Antonio. That raised my confidence level a little bit! As the participants and I interacted during the presentation, I realized that I was able to use more social media tools than most was because of the cooperation I received from my Technology Director and of course the support of my Superintendent.

Many of the districts I presented to had brick walls built by their tech folks and some apprehension and fear by their school leaders ... and there lies the secret to using social media in public schools.

We have to tear down the brick walls and realize that this is just one more way to market, one more way to communicate. The world is changing and interaction with our "customers" is vital. It is scary to relinquish the reins of power, but the days of one-way communication is over. Our parents and community members demand a voice, and social media is a great way to do it. If we don't provide them with an opportunity to share through district maintained blogs and tumblelogs, they will take it upon themselves to share without us.

The presentation can be viewed at domitrovichDOTcom or SlideShare.

Thoughts on being "a Dad" ...

2009-04-18T19:38:00.012-05:00

This morning I had another wonderful opportunity to spend time with my youngest daughter. I needed to go into the office for a couple of hours and play catch up since I was in Austin all day yesterday attending some PR meetings. Cati loves to go to the office with me on a Saturday. She sets up a table next to my desk and usually spends the time discovering new things with our laptop. Of course before checking in at the office we always try to go to her favorite Mexican restaurant for a couple of breakfast tacos.

While we were sitting at our table, I wondered if these were the times she would remember when she was older as "quality time with Dad"? It's kinda nice just being with her and finding out more about school, her friends, and other thoughts she may have. I also wonder what kind of influence I am having on her as she grows up. By her somewhat jaded sense of humor, I know that is one area in which I have influenced her!

The reason why I began thinking about my influence on my children came from what I was overhearing at the table behind me at the restaurant. A rather loud voiced father was talking with his rather loud voiced son who was probably 14 or 15. By their appearance, you could tell they did not give much thought to their outfits before their Father-Son day started. The dad was wearing a hat with a rather strong statement about how he felt about our new President and a t-shirt that had a famous country singer flipping the finger. The son was wearing his trucker's hat backwards which was advertising a popular beer. His t-shirt was filled with numerous obscenities and pictures that should not have been worn in public.

As they were talking, the "f" word was used almost in every sentence by both of them. Even though I could hear them, I don't think my daughter did as her back was to the restaurant's kitchen which of course had the usual noise that one would expect. The boy was discussing his date last night in a rather raucous and callous way, and the dad was commenting on women in a very demeaning manner. The unusual part was that the man's wife was sitting at the table also, just sort of sheepishly staring along while eating her breakfast and never saying a word. The son and dad continued on with their crude and humiliating conversation. Wow, I thought. The old acorn certainly doesn't fall to far from the tree. It looks like this man had succeeded in raising a bigoted, prejudiced, and chauvinistic son in his own image. Imaging how this boy will treat others when he has fully matured? How will he treat his own wife?

I know I am not the perfect Dad. I know I don't always make the time to spend with my family like I should. I know that even though I do have several coffee cups and tiny trophies that say "Worlds Greatest Dad" on it ... if there was a nationally run contest I wouldn't win.

But I do hope that I have at least influenced my children to treat all living things with respect and give to others with the heart of a servant. I think my life's success could be measured by my kids having those two qualities.

Enthusiasm is contagious ...

2009-04-03T00:14:00.003-05:00

In addition to being a proud Texas School Public Relations Association member, I am also a card carrying member of AARP. Don’t laugh! I get great discounts on my house and car insurance! In that vein, I am certainly considered old by those twenty and thirty something’s who have embraced the many forms of social media that is available today.

In order to better understand the strategies that I will need to communicate with that next era of parents and community members, I have been doing a lot of reading and studying on the subject of the new media, synaptic connections, and the stimuli that will influence the ongoing evolution between people and technology.

A couple of weeks back, I finished a book on the new brain and how the modern age is rewiring your mind. Although this book was full of intriguing concepts such as modern imaging techniques, brain plasticity, and genetic mapping - it was the review of emotional contagion that really struck gold with me. As PR people, it is a concept that many of us deal with on a daily basis.

Emotional contagion is when negative emotions exert a more powerful effect in social situations than positive ones. Our brains are powerful tools. They are stimulating machines designed to detect and respond to a wide range of intentions on the part of other people. Make sense? PR folks deal with negative emotions from irate taxpayers, disgruntled employees, and overzealous reporters pretty much every day. Our quest for keeping a positive perspective or putting the right spin on an issue is what makes our job fulfilling and keeps our bosses happy. It is hard to stay positive at times but it is something that all of us do. With negativity sometimes flying at us at the speed of light, we all need to work overtime to control and monitor our own behavior or else we will simply respond and react to the behavior of others.

So why did emotional contagion strike gold with me? It reminded me of a fortune cookie I got eating lunch at my favorite restaurant in Bandera (Yes Virginia, there is Chinese food in the Cowboy Capital). The fortune said three simple words: “Enthusiasm is contagious”. Doesn’t that explain it all so simply? The more enthusiastic we are, the better we are at our jobs. The more enthusiastic we are, the easier it is to discount negativity. The more enthusiastic we are, the easier it is to get along with others. It is all so complex, yet it is all so simple.