Wednesday, April 1, 2009

It's not bad to cry

I’d like to thank my friend Suzie in Montreal who inspired this posting.

You know, it’s really not a bad thing to cry – and unfortunately, we are all so concerned with putting on stoic facades, that all too often we hide behind these tough masks. From a young age, we seem to be groomed that it’s not cool to cry. Make no mistake, I am not advocating walking around like an overgrown “cry-baby” – but one has to be an emotional being to be human.

Everytime I hear “Do They Know It’s Christmas” – a classic song from 1984, I cry. I have watched “An Officer and A Gentleman”, umpteen times and I cry every time. I also cried watching “The Lion King” as I did when Andre Agassi retired.

So what’s the connection between crying and PR? Simple!

To many PR people lack emotion. They just go through the motions, grinding away at news releases and pitches – all without passion. They never laugh. They never cry. They never excel. They simply do. They simply exist – hardly a recipe for success

We’re not that type of firm. I am not that kind of guy. We laugh. We cry. We get emotional and we succeed.

Thanks Suzie again for underscoring the importance of being emotional. Oh, by the way, pass the Kleenex please.

1 comment:

sherone said...

I like this train of thought. Dare I say, it's not just PR people who lack emotional expression. It's pervasive in the business world. But when you really think about it, suppressing emotional responses kills innovation. Emotions provide meanings and values to our lives and it's emotions that force us, or provoke us into facing the deep, central questions of our circumstances.

Intuition and creativity are built on a foundation of emotional honesty. If anyone needs convincing, just take a moment and think about several people who have made the greatest difference to you in your life and work. Think about what made them exceptional. Chances are it wasn't their intellect or academic record that inspired you.