Al Golin, Founder and Chairman of Golin speaks during the 2016 Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium at Wallis Annenberg Hall. Photo courtesy of USC Annenberg / Brett Van Ort.
Team AG recently attended an amazing event at the University of Southern California featuring public relations legend Al Golin, founder of Golin International. Organized by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the event focused on the future of the PR and communications industries and we were incredibly inspired by Mr. Golin’s words of wisdom.
Like all genius things in life, Mr. Golin’s speech was simple yet so wise and inspiring. Among other things, Mr. Golin shared the rules he followed in his professional life—some of which can apply to one’s personal life—and gave pointers to young specialists entering the PR & marketing field.
Without further ado, here are Al Golin’s 5 Tips for a Successful PR Career (which can really apply to all areas of life):
“Fix it before it breaks. Because waiting until it’s broken might be too late.”
Willow Bay, veteran TV journalist and director of the Annenberg School of Journalism at USC, in conversation with Al Golin.
- Never take anyone for granted: Whether it is your client, colleague or life partner, always treat the people around you as if you’ve just met.
- Trust is everything. Brands (and people) must create a “Trust Bank” a concept that Mr. Golin defines as “building a deposit of good will, in case you ever need it in the future.”
- Learn to listen. Ask questions, get to know your client—getting involved is the key. All successful CEO’s have one common trait: curiosity.
- “Fix it before it breaks.” Because waiting until it’s broken might be too late. Changing our perspective to approach a problem before it’s a problem can lead to innovation, and this FastCompany article shows how being open to change can create corporate culture that is about passion, authenticity and collaboration.
- Stay current and relevant. The PR world is seeing the fastest change in its history and PR & marketing professionals need to be aware of the future—if only to be able to predict it for their clients.
“If something feels right, take the risk and follow your intuition.”
Mr Golin finished his speech with advice for young professionals to have the courage to follow your guts. "If something feels right, take the risk and follow your intuition.”
Like his comments? What would you add? Tell us in the comments!
-Mila // Team AG