Week 4

Public relations do play a vital role in an organisation such that it has to be involved in the top decision making process! Isn't it great to have an influence in the decision-making process of any organisation?


I didn't realise how important the role of public relations practitioners is until after I have read this chapter. However, with this key role comes along greater responsibility. An effective PR personnel must not only be equipped good communication skills, he or she must also be familiar with the way a business operates; its aims, objectives and its reason for existence. Thus PR practitioners must not be narrow-minded in insisting that they just have to be good at their specific area of expertise.


The key points to bring home are the stages involved in the public relations process. They are firstly, the creation of organisational vision and mission statements, followed by the creation of public relations vision and mission statements, the establishment of performance indicators, budgeting, writing of a public relations plan and finally scheduling of public relations plan activities. It seems to be a long and tedious process, but each step is necessary.


After reading this chapter, I realise that public relations isn't just for business entities. The way churches are run are also increasingly similar to that of a business organisation, especially mega-churches where publicity and image management seem increasingly important. Church vision and mission statements have also to be discussed and laid down, although the difference is that church leaders have to pray through and about it. The lessons taught through this chapter about vision and mission planning have also helped me understand better how to go about doing so and the difference between the two.