Like all staff sections, military Public Affairs Offices exist to help their organization get resources, approvals and support. For simplicity’s sake, let’s call these RAO.
RAO are granted by our senior decision makers and partners when they know they’ll be used responsibly, to protect America.
People used to come my way seeking to go public with a perceived insufficiency in RAO.
“Show Congress we need more funding.”
“Tell the Pentagon we need a clearer policy.”
“Demonstrate how this mission is wrong.”
By their logic, senior decision makers could see the bad news and realize their error. Perhaps through clearer understanding, mounting guilt or public embarrassment, they’d give the organization new and better RAO.
When teammates come to you with these ideas, remember the kid who brings the best basketball to the park. Like him or not, he makes the rules.
Want to join that kid’s game? You’re not getting an invite by telling everyone the kid’s ball isn’t good enough, or his rules suck. Instead, show how you understand and adopt their rules. Prove you can play fair and make it fun. Maybe even thank him for the ball; help make “providing RAO” a rewarding experience worth repeating.
Your military organization is playing with someone else’s RAO. Want more? Show the positive effects stemming from your current RAO. When you talk in public, talk about this. The public credibility will reinforce your commander’s non-public requests for changes.
Show the world, and your leaders, why people rely on your organization, and the things you do to maintain that trust.
(Photo by Lance Cpl. Brain Domzalski, DVIDS)
