During class, we had guest speakers Joe Hanley and Anne Kristine Janson, from IBM’s UK External Relations department. Thus far, this is my favorite class we’ve had. Immediately, Mr. Hanley had my attention when he entered our classroom and said, “I like to do these speeches for students because I know I’m sitting in front of my future boss.” He went on to tell us about his background—he began as a high school math teacher. He said one day, he was teaching the angles of a triangle, and thought to himself, ‘I’m going to teach this exact lesson every year in September for the next however many years.’ Then and there, he decided to go back to school, and after he graduated, he entered the field of public relations.
For our class, he explained the importance of understanding culture (a set of attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize an institution, organization, or group) in global public relations and external relations. IBM operates in the 170 countries, and is the number two most recognized brand in the world. Cultural issues related to how public relations is viewed and how journalists operate in different countries are important to understand. For example, some countries pay journalists to attend an event and write a story about it. In other countries, this practice is extremely unacceptable and unprofessional. Mr. Hanley and Ms. Janson spoke about the important of deciding a policy, and applying it to all countries.
Mr. Hanley also discussed off-the-record and on-background reporting. His advice: Never tell a reporter something that you would not be able to stand to see in print. He said at some point in our careers, someone will publish something you asked them not to. He stressed the importance of clarifying with a reporter how they are going to attribute your quotes and information, such as “a source close to negotiations,” or “a source close to the matter.” He also said emailing does not create a relationship. It is important to only do off-the-record or on-background reporting with key reporters that you know you can trust. Ms. Janson said when she first began at IBM, she did absolutely no off-the-record information. Even now, she only does one or two a month.
He ended the informative talk with some great advice:
1) Never stop learning, whether formal or informally.
2) Invest in yourself—if you don’t, why should anyone else?
3) Differentiate yourself.
4) Get a job at an ethical company, otherwise you will live in torment.
5) Do something you’re interested in and enjoy.
6) Take advantages of opportunities to travel.
7) Develop a personal brand.
8) Work hard, talk straight, and make time for everyone.
Pretty good advice just for life in general, huh? The IBM talk was by far my favorite. Mark my words—I’ll work for IBM someday. It’s an awesome company, and in terms of public relations, they work business to business so the audience is a little different. Conveniently, the company I’m working for this summer also has to do business to business communication. See you in the future, IBM!
After the talk, we went to Harrod’s. I’ve heard all about Harrod’s from my sister, so I had high expectations. It was awesome! It is literally Macy’s, Nordstrom, Von Maur, and any other department store you can think of… all put into one. It was four floors, and each floor had the most high-end, expensive items I had ever seen. One room was chandeliers made from crystals that cost more than my college tuition (and that was in pounds, so with the exchange rate, the price was disgustingly high in America). Another room had movie posters, signed magazine covers, and framed costumes worn by the Beatles. (Sorry Dad, I would buy you that as a souvenir—unfortunately they were juuuust slightly out of my price range.) The whole experience was really cool, but the only thing in my budget was a cupcake from the bakery. They also have a complete restaurant inside and you can have a sit down meal. It’s like being in an entire mall, but it’s just one store.
I decided to head to the Imperial War Museum after Harrod’s. No one else in my group was interested, so I went by myself. There’s something kind of peaceful yet challenging about spending an afternoon by yourself. I enjoyed being able to walk at my own pace, and just explore the area and take it all in. I wandered through the museum, and really enjoyed learning more about historical events. The exhibit that interested me the most was about the Holocaust. The set up of the exhibit was very chilling—the lighting was dark, and soft, subtle music was playing. As I looked at the items displayed and read about the horrible events, I realized that not one single person in the exhibit was speaking. Silence resounded throughout the entire exhibit. It was a very unsettling atmosphere, and I felt slightly on edge the whole time. As the exhibit went on, the lighting grew darker as I read about the concentration camps, and before the ending, the lights were brighter and music was louder. The exhibit was designed in a very effective way, and I definitely felt the intended impact. The museum overall was very interesting, and I enjoyed spending the afternoon by myself. The whole time I’ve been here, we’ve mostly hung out in a big group. The only way to truly immerse yourself in a new city is to just get out there and explore, and that’s exactly what I did. I knew what Tube stop the museum was at, but other than that I had to find my own way. It’s refreshing to leave the world of GPS and Internet and get back to following street signs or asking directions on the street. I ended up feeling much more accomplished after figuring it out on my own.
Up next: Hampton Court Palace, and ROME!
