How to Use PR to Climb The Corporate Ladder!
When working for a new company, it's important to understand the organizational structure of your workplace. Understanding who your organization’s most influential people are in your organization, will help you as a PR pro to effectively network and bring up new ideas to the right people. Getting a better understanding of the C Suite will help you get ahead of the curve when you start working at a new company.
What is a C Suite?
The C Suite includes the most influential people in an organization. The C stands for chief, so C Suite positions include CEO, COO, CMO, and more. The C Suite includes high-level management and executives. These individuals make key decisions and get the last say in everything a company does. Being a C Suite Exec involves having years of experience, a high-quality work ethic, and outstanding leadership skills. These top executives are making daily choices to ensure growth and success within the company. Being adaptable while simultaneously meeting key stakeholders' needs is the most important skill in the C Suite position. We’ll be going over a few C Suite positions and explaining what responsibilities they hold.
CEO
The Chief Executive Officer is the top executive of an organization and holds the most responsibilities of any other position. People in these positions are driving significant, often radical, transformation agendas in their organizations. CEOs have the final say in all major business decisions. They are simultaneously changing their business models, operations, and talent base to meet the changing expectations of customers, employees, investors, and society. CEOs are usually the face of an organization, so all accomplishments and failures will be directed toward that person. CEOs are also the head of leadership, if a CEO lacks management skills, the rest of the organization will fail both internally and externally. This is a position that all PR professionals should aim for. If you have a strong knowledge of how an organization functions, understand key stakeholders and have strong leadership and management skills, then you are one step closer to becoming a CEO!
CMO
The Chief Marketing Officer is the highest management position a person in marketing, public relations, and sales can reach other than the CEO position. The CMO oversees all marketing and sales operations and ensures that an organization makes the proper investments to reach its main objectives. If you are in a PR role at an organization then you would usually report to the CMO. The CMO will give the final green light for all marketing/sales projects within the organization. According to Deloitte, there are four major roles of the CMO and this includes being a brand storyteller, a growth driver, innovative, and the capability to build. Personally, I believe the most important goal for a CMO is to create maximum sales and growth for an organization. People that work in public relations are great candidates for the CMO role. Having strong communication skills, being creative, and understanding the public needs are critical skills a CMO needs.
COO
The Chief Operating Officer is the human resource C-level executive. The COO ensures all aspects of a company's operations run smoothly and that all company goals and objectives are being met. The COO is usually seen as the second-highest-ranking executive. They oversee the day-to-day operations of an organization. Some of the tasks that the COO handles include reviewing profits, and losses, allocation of tasks, customer satisfaction, and ensuring efficiency. It is up to the COO to make sure the CEO gets all the critical information, and that the organization is functioning efficiently. The main skill needed for this position is being well organized and having experienced management skills. If you can be organized and manage 100+ people daily, this is a great role to pursue.
The Skills You Need
These are examples of only a few C Suite positions, but I believe these three positions are the best to pursue for all public relations professionals. A C Suite position requires strong business acumen, communication skills, management experience, and over-business knowledge. People with strong business acumen have a deep understanding of how businesses operate and are able to make informed, strategic decisions that help organizations achieve their goals. This typically involves a combination of technical knowledge, such as an understanding of finance and marketing, as well as soft skills, such as leadership and communication. People with business acumen are valuable assets to organizations because they are able to help drive business success. These are skills that public relations professionals use every day. It's important to research and understand what each manager and executive does at a company to position yourself where one day you could be a part of the C Suite. More organizations need PR pros at the decision table, public relation is about telling the truth and proving it with action. Remember that public relations is not just a marketing tactic, but a philosophy and a management function!
Desmond Ray is a senior at GVSU majoring in ad/pr with a minor in marketing. He is currently an inside sales intern at the Grand Rapids Griffins. He would like to pursue a career in marketing, sales, or community relations. Desmond is a member of PRSSA and a part of the 22-23 NSAC team.