I wouldn’t necessarily call myself an avid TV watcher, but there are some shows I have enjoyed over the years and I do try to catch up over the summer with some of these shows. One show that I have been really enjoying has been The Blacklist starring James Spader.
There are a lot of great lessons we can take away from Raymond Reddington and even apply it to our work in PR and crisis communications. No, I am not suggesting doing what Reddington does in the show that is illegal. However, there are several lessons we can take away already from PR professionals about The Blacklist.
Here are my lessons from The Blacklist show:
- Being the ultimate connector: Reddington knows someone that can help in one way or another. He is the ultimate connector – that’s his strength. He has a person to help out in any type of situation. This is where the power of networking and building your team comes into play. We can’t always excel in everything, but if we need to have certain skills that are out of our own range, we need to build our network to tap into those resources.
- Walking the walk: We have to be confident in our own actions and not always relying on others to help us out. Reddington can take care of business as well on his own. So, as PR and crisis communicators, we have to always make sure our skills (whether it is practicing our work or conducting simulations) are always sharp.
- Dealing with adversity: Life can throw a lot of challenges to us, but what makes us grow as professionals and people is how we deal with these challenges. When you think any of the characters are down, they always come back stronger from the experience.
- Preparation and strategy is key: You have to be prepared for Plan B, C, and sometimes go down the list until you hit Z. Always think a few steps ahead to be successful. Along with being a successful connector, Reddington is the master of preparation and strategy. When you think you have him figured out, he goes somewhere completely different. Never be predictable in your work is the lesson here.
- Loyalty and team work are tied to survival: You have to have a team that is loyal to you in good times and bad. It’s not always thinking about having the biggest team there, but to focus on the quality of the parties involved and be able to count on them in any situation. This is of course key to crisis communications, but we also see this in the show.
If you haven’t seen this show, I would strongly recommend it. Not only is it quite entertaining, but it also provides PR and crisis communication professionals some valuable lessons we could possibly integrate into our work – the ones that are legal of course.
Hope you all are having a great day.
Best Wishes,
