The Key Skills of a Public Relations Practitioner.

The skills involved with practicing public relations are centered on building relationships.  All of the public relations skills require the continuous professional development gained from a membership with a professional body.  The Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) has adopted internationally recognized criteria.   Therefore, the function of a public relations practitioner is building human relationships with clients and their stakeholders.  When it comes to building relationships, there are some skills involved.

Communication skills as being critical for those practicing public relations.  They cannot get away with not having good written and oral communication skills, as well as the ability to be an effective listener and researcher.  Public relations practitioners have to embrace excellent, persuasive and correct written and oral skills if they are to succeed.  Written communication skills are essential for writing media releases and reports.  Oral communication skills are required for building relationships and communication with clients. By listening as someone speaks, the public relations practitioner can avoid misunderstandings.  Research is a key factor in helping an organization better understand their environment.

Ethical thinking is an important requirement of practicing public relations.  This is the result of three factors. 

First, public relations are responsible for the organizations compliance to ethics. For example, corporate responsibility to ethics often requires a cultural change.  Public relations practitioners often influence organizational culture with bureaucratic rules and procedures like a code of ethics.

Second, because public relations have a poor history of ethical conduct, ethics must be upheld for the greater good of the profession (Page 205).  For example, Public relations practitioners and marketers for blackcurrant drink Ribena overstated the vitamin c content in the drink.  They were caught by two teenagers who analysed the contents for a school project. 

And finally, public relations practitioners are in a position to influence their clients and employers ethical views and standpoint.  For example, they can set an example to clients and employers by constant ethic thinking.  This will provide a positive influence.

Managing relationships is another core skill needed by the public relations practitioner.  This makes management a key function.  Coordination is involved because the adjustment of action in relation to others actions is required.  Complex problem solving and the implementation of solutions are two further functions of management required when practicing public relations.  Judgement and decision making are also required because the benefits and cost must be weighed and the most appropriate action chosen.  The management of personal resources like time are essential to meet deadlines.  Both, the public relations practitioner’s own time and the time of others must be managed to ensure the public relations program goes to plan.