So with 15 people standing for seven seats on the CIPR Council, the majority of the candidates are going to be disappointed after the election results are announced.
In a nice note to all candidates today, Phil Morgan from the CIPR thanked everyone for standing and made an early plea for those who end up disappointed to stay engaged and try again.
I'd like to take that idea a little further and ask the incoming CIPR President, Stephen Waddington, and the rest of the Board and senior management to give some thought to the unlucky eight and consider whether there are any roles within the agenda for 2014 that could do with some more volunteers. I don't know exactly what initiatives and programmes Stephen has in mind, but I am sure his year in office will not simply be business as usual.
My request therefore - on behalf of myself and I hope my 14 fellow-candidates - is that when you are in post Stephen, don't forget the eight. And if there is way to involve non-Board and non-Council members in an initiative or working party; I think you will find some very willing volunteers in the eight.
Of course I very much hope to be one of the seven; but if I'm not - you know where to find me and I'm happy to help.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Statistics and the CIPR election
We all know that statistics can often be twisted to make an argument. It's usually as much about what you don't say as it is about what you report. So what to make of the 2013 CIPR elections? Unless there are any last-minute hitches, the President-elect will be Sarah Pinch; the Treasurer, Dave Sanders. Both are standing for election unopposed. Does that mean the Institute is losing its relevancy and appeal to members? I think not - though I expect some critics might seize upon that statistic.
That debate will ignore the fact that the officer positions demand a lot of time - I should know, I've done them both. Standing for those is a big decision, but in recent years we have seen two and even three-way battles for the Presidential position so the appeal remains. Sarah and Dave are also great candidates - both would have had my vote and had already received my nomination. What's more, others with ambition for those posts might have held back; preferring to support and not stand against a candidate they respected. It is not a black and white argument.
Elections are of course good for the Institute - but so is having good candidates in the post and the CIPR will be well served by both Sarah and Dave.
So in terms of the level of interest and support for the CIPR, I prefer therefore to look at the candidates putting themselves forward for election to the Institute's Council, myself included. Many of them are looking to get involved at a national level for the first time - others are looking to remain engaged or, like me, are seeking to return to the table.
There are seven available seats in this year's CIPR Council election, and I am one of no fewer than 15 people to have put their hat in the ring for a three-year term. That is an impressive level of commitment and strong evidence that there is no shortage of people who hold the CIPR in high enough regard to want to get involved.
That is the statistic I find more illuminating than the unopposed elections for the two officers.
What's more - the list of candidates is impressive and members face a very difficult choice selecting their seven picks. I know many of those standing, but others are new to me so I invite them to get in touch via this blog or by twitter using @telecomtails.
As I said, elections are good and we have one for seven important seats on the Institute's Council. If you have a vote; please use it. And if you'd like to vote for me, I'd be most grateful.
That debate will ignore the fact that the officer positions demand a lot of time - I should know, I've done them both. Standing for those is a big decision, but in recent years we have seen two and even three-way battles for the Presidential position so the appeal remains. Sarah and Dave are also great candidates - both would have had my vote and had already received my nomination. What's more, others with ambition for those posts might have held back; preferring to support and not stand against a candidate they respected. It is not a black and white argument.
Elections are of course good for the Institute - but so is having good candidates in the post and the CIPR will be well served by both Sarah and Dave.
So in terms of the level of interest and support for the CIPR, I prefer therefore to look at the candidates putting themselves forward for election to the Institute's Council, myself included. Many of them are looking to get involved at a national level for the first time - others are looking to remain engaged or, like me, are seeking to return to the table.
There are seven available seats in this year's CIPR Council election, and I am one of no fewer than 15 people to have put their hat in the ring for a three-year term. That is an impressive level of commitment and strong evidence that there is no shortage of people who hold the CIPR in high enough regard to want to get involved.
That is the statistic I find more illuminating than the unopposed elections for the two officers.
What's more - the list of candidates is impressive and members face a very difficult choice selecting their seven picks. I know many of those standing, but others are new to me so I invite them to get in touch via this blog or by twitter using @telecomtails.
As I said, elections are good and we have one for seven important seats on the Institute's Council. If you have a vote; please use it. And if you'd like to vote for me, I'd be most grateful.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Time to stand up again
I cannot claim to be a frequent blogger. The opposite in fact and I have tremendous admiration for those that can find both the time and the inspiration. But I do enjoy the process and I resolve to try harder and be a better blogger. For starters - I have found a cause.
The last time I blogged - it was in support of a CIPR election candidate. This time,I am supporting myself. After a four-year absence from the CIPR's affairs, I have elected to stand for a seat on the council. Why? I feel I have unfinished business. Let me be clear about one thing - I have no individual leadership ambitions. I served my time as treasurer and then President and the baton has been firmly passed from that point of view.
But I do still have ambitions when it comes to industry leadership - and that's where the unfinished business lies.
When it came to my turn in the Presidential (very) hot seat; the CIPR was about to begin an almost two-year period of crisis, cutbacks, re-structuring and re-building. I'm proud of what we did during that period and the strong CIPR that emerged. I was part of a great team of elected officers that rolled their sleeves up and got on with the job of regenerating the Institute - myself, Sally Sykes, Paul Mylrea and, especially, Jay O'Connor gave up enormous amounts of time and did what needed to be done.
But becoming involved in a corporate governance and re-structuring process was not exactly what I had in mind for my tenure as President. I wanted to the Institute to prove its worth and relevance to its members across the country and for the profession to be much more vocal about its achievements than had been the case. I wanted organisations large and small - whether commercial, public or not-for-profit - to respect and take advantage of the power of PR.
I wanted to help resurrect old PR values in a modern world - after all who could possibly object to "a planned and consistent programme of communication between an organisation and its publics" - why should that be dismissed as "spin" or "fluff".
This year's CIPR President, Sue Wolstenholme, has sought to bring academic rigour and discipline to the profession's image and the practice of PR. The groundwork has been done and the Chartered Practitioner status is a hard won accolade. Now we need to get even more vocal.
Next year, Stephen Waddington takes the chair and will hit a different audience with his strong social media following. Now, we are in the position to take much better advantage of that ground work and I want to be part of that campaign from the inside.
I feel I still have something to offer. And now it will be up to the membership to decide whether to give me that chance. Here's hoping, and also asking, for your vote.
The last time I blogged - it was in support of a CIPR election candidate. This time,I am supporting myself. After a four-year absence from the CIPR's affairs, I have elected to stand for a seat on the council. Why? I feel I have unfinished business. Let me be clear about one thing - I have no individual leadership ambitions. I served my time as treasurer and then President and the baton has been firmly passed from that point of view.
But I do still have ambitions when it comes to industry leadership - and that's where the unfinished business lies.
When it came to my turn in the Presidential (very) hot seat; the CIPR was about to begin an almost two-year period of crisis, cutbacks, re-structuring and re-building. I'm proud of what we did during that period and the strong CIPR that emerged. I was part of a great team of elected officers that rolled their sleeves up and got on with the job of regenerating the Institute - myself, Sally Sykes, Paul Mylrea and, especially, Jay O'Connor gave up enormous amounts of time and did what needed to be done.
But becoming involved in a corporate governance and re-structuring process was not exactly what I had in mind for my tenure as President. I wanted to the Institute to prove its worth and relevance to its members across the country and for the profession to be much more vocal about its achievements than had been the case. I wanted organisations large and small - whether commercial, public or not-for-profit - to respect and take advantage of the power of PR.
I wanted to help resurrect old PR values in a modern world - after all who could possibly object to "a planned and consistent programme of communication between an organisation and its publics" - why should that be dismissed as "spin" or "fluff".
This year's CIPR President, Sue Wolstenholme, has sought to bring academic rigour and discipline to the profession's image and the practice of PR. The groundwork has been done and the Chartered Practitioner status is a hard won accolade. Now we need to get even more vocal.
Next year, Stephen Waddington takes the chair and will hit a different audience with his strong social media following. Now, we are in the position to take much better advantage of that ground work and I want to be part of that campaign from the inside.
I feel I still have something to offer. And now it will be up to the membership to decide whether to give me that chance. Here's hoping, and also asking, for your vote.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)