How public relations personnel can use symmetric
communication to help their organizations
The public relations profession has been a reputable one
since the time of Ivy Lee and the other fathers of public relations. Even
though this is a professional term, many people know this to be P.R.O. in short.
Some think public relations officers only protect the image of their
organizations before the public, others too think public relations officers only
send out information targeted at a specific audience to the people.
 |
| How public relations personnel can use symmetric communication to help their organizations by quikcounsel.com |
Well, all
these may be true but it largely depends on the organization’s approach to
public relations and what they intend to achieve with that role in their firm.
There are many approaches that organizations use in the office of public
relations to achieve specific goals. For the purpose of this article, we will
discuss how public relations professionals can use symmetric communication
to help their organizations in the face of the public.
Symmetric communication in layman’s language simply
means two-way communication. It is antonymous to asymmetric communication. (This
will be discussed in a subsequent article). Some organizations believe that
public relations officers must only be responsible for releasing press
statements, engaging with stakeholders, and representing the organization
outside its walls. But organizations that go with the symmetric approach of
public relations, do more than this.
If you are a public relations officer and your organization
is fortunate to give your office a managerial role, you are equally eligible to
propose approaches that would help the organization to have a good name in the
eyes of the public. With symmetrical communication, public relations professionals of organizations not only disseminate information but also actively listen to feedback and engage in a conversation with the public.
This is the ideal way every organization that uses the symmetrical
communication approach should function. Now, let us consider some practical
instances where symmetrical communication becomes very useful and effective for
public relations officers.
As a PR professional, I believe you are aware that the
public has a huge say when it comes to the reputation of your organization
right? It becomes worse when your organization is a manufacturing company.
Whenever a product goes out there and the public spots a mistake with it, there
is a probability that people can base on that tiny mistake to bring the company
down, and in such instances, public relations officers are deployed to make sure
the public is calm. What do you do then now that you know about symmetrical
communication? Do you only release press statements to refute the claims from
the public or do you engage in a dialogue with the public? For symmetrical
communication, the ideal choice is to engage the public. The problem began with them and you should solve it through them. This is where you don’t have to only
disseminate information (press statements and other formal communiqué) but you
listen attentively to the grievances of the public as well.
But you just imagine, if you do not listen to the people,
how would you get to the bottom of the problem and address it? This is what
symmetrical communication would ask. The public may be furious but these are
the people who keep your organization growing, must you also be furious with
them even if their claims are false? Of course, no! If you are a public
relations officer, there are a lot of responsibilities on you when it comes to
matters like these because the continuity of the organization will depend on
you and if the organization falls, it also depends on the result you
achieve with the public.
Let us use another scenario here. Let’s assume you are the
public relations officer of a mining company and unfortunately for the company,
an accident occurs and a nearby town has to suffer the consequences of the
accident (explosion for example but no one dies). The news goes all over and
the media frames the stories that the mining company has made life difficult
for the people in that town as a result of the explosion. This will get people
talking and if you don’t take care, the government can even close down the
mining company even if it is legally registered. Symmetrical communication in
this case will urge you the public relations officer to hold on with just
disseminating information and listen to the public too.
You need to listen to
the grievances of the victims, address them to the management, and then the
necessary steps should be taken. After that, the press statements and releases
can follow that the problem has been solved and victims have been attended to.
But if you use the other way around (asymmetrical communication), the public
might think you don’t care about their miseries. This doesn’t mean that
asymmetrical communication is not useful, but in cases like these, it is not
and can damage the reputation of your organization.
Public relations is not just about representing the
organization thus only sending out information and not listening to the public,
but you must listen attentively to the public, and through that, your organization
can implement strategies that would favor both the organization and the public.
This is why symmetric communication is very useful for public relations officers. However, it can change in different situations but with the situational
examples given above and other similar ones, this is how symmetrical
communication can help public relations professionals to assist their
organizations effectively.
Image made with canva.com