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By Fraser P. Seitel
Chapter 12
Voice of Authority
An Interview with Mike Paul
Mike Paul
Mike Paul is an 18-year veteran of strategic public relations, corporate communications, and reputation management. He is president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (MGP) www.mgppr.com. MGP was founded by Paul in 1994 and is a leading boutique public relations and reputation management firm based in New York, providing senior counseling services to top corporate, government, nonprofit, sports and entertainment clients. In 2004, PR Week Magazine named Paul one of the top crisis communications and reputation management counselors in the world.
How important is an organization’s or individual’s reputation?
Reputations of all types are so important, I made it our firm’s tag line: “Because Your Reputation Is Everything!™ A reputation is the greatest asset we have, for both a public company and an individual. It must be built, maintained, and repaired to thrive for a lifetime. Sadly, many corporations, organizations, and individuals talk the talk of the importance of reputation, but don’t walk the walk.
How can reputation be managed?
The big “bricks” of managing an excellent reputation include truth, humility, transparency, accountability and consistency. Honesty and humility are the biggest tools in the reputation management tool belt. Like any disease, a reputation in crisis is a disease that can be cured or can grow out of control and cause severe damage in other areas. Admitting mistakes, lies and deceit is the first step in reputation management.
What is the state of community relations among organizations today?
Community relations among U.S. organizations are becoming better, but there is still much work to be done and further commitment and accountability from senior management is necessary to achieve excellence. For example, many community organizations are not teaming up with similar organizations in their arena to achieve community goals. Many are islands among themselves and believe partnering with other community organizations is not part of their mission. One goal of any community relations campaign should be to mirror the population in which you serve.
What is the state of social responsibility among corporations?
Corporate social responsibility has become a key communications and business tool for most corporations today. However, corporations must realize social responsibility has both a community responsibility and a business obligation. For example, a successful social responsibility campaign – local, national, or global – cannot be just a pet project of a CEO or senior management. It must include social and community responsibility interests important to many key audiences, including employees, investors, customers, and the communities in which the corporation operates.
How important is it for an organization to focus on dealing with minorities?
Minorities have become the majority in many communities across the U.S. and around the world. As a result, minority is not an accurate word to use any more for communities or people of color. People, employees, or executives of color are now the appropriate terms to use because of the huge demographic shift in the world. As a result, corporate America and other organizations have begun to truly embrace diversity, but there is much work to be done. The executive ranks are still void of many people of color, and sadly, racism is still alive in many corporations, organizations, and communities in the U.S. and around the world.
What is the state of African Americans in the public relations business?
Two words: in crisis. There are still few African Americans in public relations overall and even fewer executives of color in leadership positions. Most work in community organizations and in government. There still has not been an African American CEO within any of the top global PR firms and very few top global corporate communications executives. Until CEOs of PR firms and corporate America embrace the problem with the same intensity from both the bottom and the top levels, diversity in PR will continue to be in crisis. Accountability and transparency are both necessary to develop lasting change.
What advice would you give young minority members interested in a public relations career?
First, for young people of color, there are not many executives of color in our business. As a result, seeking a career in our business is a tougher road. The numbers don’t lie.
Second, seek employment at a top global PR firm to best learn the business and work in as many different divisions as possible. The training programs at these firms are superior to others, and the types of clients you will work with are top notch and best for building skills and an excellent resume.
Third, seek out an excellent mentor, and a mentor does not have to be an executive of color. For example, I have the best mentor in the business, Harold Burson of Burson-Marsteller. He gave me excellent advice years ago when I was at Burson-Marsteller, and he still gives me excellent advice today. Many young professionals of color make the mistake of only seeking executives of color. This is a big mistake.
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