I’ve learned so much from Sergeant First Class Deb Richardson. Good news, you will learn too – she’s recently become an editor and regular contributor to MaxDis. Deb is an Army Reserve Public Affairs NCO who most recently led US and NATO communications in Afghanistan. As a civilian, she is the product marketing and public relations manager for Nisos, a boutique cybersecurity company in DC. – Dave Butler
My public affairs officer left theater before me and I felt lost. I didn’t expect to have the feeling and it took me months to truly identify it. We had a special connection — we stayed in sync. We didn’t always agree but we shared a mutual trust that ensured our joint decision-making moved our team, and more importantly the mission, forward.
I transition really well. Different places, new team, several leaders — they don’t phase me. But I really struggled with the new public affairs officer. I couldn’t read him. I frequently felt uneasy about making decisions that were previously second nature and I often wondered if I was more of a hindrance than helpful.
My team noticed my lack of confidence and gradual withdrawal. I was slow to respond to queries, failed miserably at training a new team and lost my passion for the job.
If you’re currently in this mindset — don’t stay there. I made a few changes to get out of the funk, give my public affairs officer the attention he deserved and recommit to the mission.
- Fail early, fast and cheap. Ask for frequent feedback in the early days. They might be annoyed or think you’re needy but you need to know how to support them. Get specifics. Learn what they do and do not care about. Take notes and immediately action what you can.
- Dedicate a set time for the two of you to talk. Discuss your working relationship, workflow and emotions. Yes, emotions! You have to take care of each other whether you’re operating OCONUS or back home. Being at the top can be incredibly lonely and stressful. Remember that.
- Take charge when and where you can. Your public affairs officer has a lot on their plate. Things you know and a lot you’re not privy to. Don’t let them get in the weeds when they don’t need to be. Work together, make joint decisions, understand each others’ schedules and divide the workload.
- Celebrate wins, acknowledge failures and discuss openly when you suck. I’m brazen and am all about open-forums but do what works for you, your public affairs officer and the entire team.
- Be a dynamic duo that models what true leadership looks like. Wear your culture like a shirt.
I wasted too much time fretting about a misunderstood relationship and I am so grateful for the mentoring and friendship the transition made possible. I applied relationship-building exercises learned from a great mentor and my relationship with that new public affairs officer was better for it.
Photo by Seaman Kelsey Trinh
