The PR guy’s MBA, so far

By on July 21st, 2009 In Advice, Professional Development

Hi.

A lot of you have been wondering where I’ve been — why I haven’t been on the blog in awhile.

For those who don’t know, for the past year, in addition to raising two high-energy toddlers and learning things daily in a literally high-energy job, I have been pursuing a Masters of Business Administration in the evening program at ASU.

I haven’t had a lot of spare time.

Some things in my life had to give. Blogging was right behind Sunday soccer games, reading novels, writing the starts of novels, and attempts to out-mix Len Gutman or the Genius function on iTunes. (Quick Tweets and comments survived, however).

Interestingly, though, that I’m pursuing an MBA surprises most PR people I tell. They inevitably ask: why? Then, the follow-up is usually: why not a PR, Communications or Journalism degree?

Okay, second question first: For one, I have a Comm. degree. I also feel like I’ve earned the equivalent of a PhD in PR from 18-plus years of daily practice. To me, despite the excellent programs at ASU and elsewhere, any higher learning pursuit in PR would be purely academic and probably not as challenging. That’s just not very me.

So why pursue an MBA as a PR person? Here are some of my reasons, so far:

Credibility. Do you need an MBA to be a credible PR person? No. However, the language of business is numbers not words. There’s no way around it.

A story: Several years ago, I wrote a business plan for my wife’s company. I spent a couple weeks creating a meticulous 10 page document. It was so well written. Then, I did the spreadsheet. The numbers could never match our original concept and lofty goals. Nor were they correctly forecasted once we dialed the concept back. Cold hard facts tend to start and end with the numbers.

In addition, understanding business operations is the lifeblood of PR. I say this all the time. In our role, you must become part of the business. Like many PR pros though, I’ve only talked the talk. My business knowledge, while strong, was nonetheless intuitive. My entire career, I’ve had to rely on others to break down and understand the more complex business issues that came my way.

Business school deals in how to operate companies and their many facets. I am developing a clear framework for re-orienting my PR GPS. (In fact, I had no idea what I didn’t know – even in my marketing class!) Perhaps shockingly, Finance and Accounting have been my favorite courses so far – I “get it” now and in great depth. I know the true impacts of various operational issues – not just communication or PR impacts. (On the flip side, I’ve been known to take apart an impractical business-y argument or two because of PR impact!)

Moreover, I know how to identify root causes, not just how to treat symptoms. I can ask better questions because I am closer to what the executives are really thinking. To the extent I can have this direct knowledge at-the-ready to complement my years of strategic PR experience enhances my value and makes me a better business consultant. Which is what PR people ultimately are: business consultants.

Management skills. People make or break companies, but management skills make or break the people. Management skills, I’ve found, are learned not absorbed. The “people side” of business has been the biggest learning for me. I have both loved and hated managing people. It’s a very hard thing to be good at. Few ever are.

We are blessed with a racially and culturally diverse class. In addition, most of my classmates are about ten years younger and many have far less intense corporate experience. I’ve had to learn how to navigate personalities and group dynamics — when to work harder to assert my knowledge and when to hang back and listen — in the interest of getting ‘A’ work done as a team. Many of these strategies are explicitly addressed in class. Learning indeed.

Also, the MBA experience provides a more global way of thinking about an organization, even when you’re thinking as “small” as your department or interpersonally. I look back on situations where I’ve managed others and know I would have approached many of these much differently.

Long-term flexibility. I love my job and see myself as a corporate communications and PR pro for the rest of my career. However, I have no idea what the future holds. I do know though I’m better equipped with an MBA to branch out in business if I’m ever called upon to do so, or if I want to start something on my own. I am learning to conceptualize and build — the knowledge of those two things together is incredibly powerful.

Comments

Marketing Sociologist Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:25 am

Dan:

Great to see you took the tremendous effort it takes to get an M.B.A. I did it before my children were born, so I know how hard it was for you. Congrats.

Recently a friend completed her M.B.A. at the University of Chicago. She tapped me as a resource since I got mine YEARS ago (first University of Phoenix graduating class in Colorado – McKinley was president, I think).

I watched this friend’s entire thinking process change. You said it yourself, “a more global way of thinking.” An M.B.A. is a total transformation of your mind. Its equivalent is the body builder who takes years to perfect their physique; yet you have about two years to do it to your mind in an M.B.A. program – and it stays that way, unlike body builders.

I remember the day when it was Dr. Francine Hardaway and myself with advanced degrees in Phoenix’s public relations market. I was at the Heart Association where revenue increased 50 percent my first year and 25 percent my second. That’s another byproduct of an M.B.A.; you become “bottom line” focused.

Also, Dan, you’ll have less disdain for those who just get by. Since you’ve reached the pinnacle of “mind building” (unless you have a D.B.A. but in communications there’s no R.O.I. on that process – I’ve looked into it), you have little tolerance for those in the field who feel public relations is about “going to parties and events.” Since you are now bottom line focused, you won’t be hanging out with those types; or the type who misuse ROI meaning getting a mention in a publication. You’ve probably changed your belief in measurement tools, too. I learned in my M.B.A., “if you can’t measure it, it doesn’t mean…”

Again, congrats. Lots of HARD work.

Richard Kelleher, M.B.A.
Marketing Sociologist
Friendfeed and Twitter: PhoenixRichard
MediaRelationsExpert.com

Liam Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:51 am

Dan,

Good to hear from you. Well scripted. I totally agree on the management/people skills and flexibility aspects. These are all the reasons I finally went back to school, focusing primarily on PR can only go so far in our multi-disciplinary business landscape.

One more grueling year and we’ll have a toast to that new MBA parchment in May!

Liam

Linda VandeVrede Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:43 am

I second Dan’s choice to get an MBA. I earned my master’s degree in communications, and that served me well to a point. In business, however, the MBA reigns supreme. It gives you crediblity, and it provides a solid foundation of business acumen from which to draw. Additionally, I found out that if you want to teach at some of the business schools here in AZ, you need an MBA, and the years of experience don’t matter a whit.

Dan Wool Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:44 am

Thanks Richard!

Liam: like you, I can’t wait!

ScribeDevil Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:50 am

Might be piling on a bit here, but couldn’t agree more on the value of formal business training to communicators. I finished my MBA program last summer. My education smoothed my transition from journalism to marketing and continues to enable me to support the businesses that hire me.

So, congrats on your commitment to self-improvement. Your clients will thank you in the years to come!

Pat Elliott Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 12:11 pm

Good to hear from you Dan. Glad you’re joining the ranks of those of us who added an MBA to our bag of tools. When you complete the degree and have more time I hope you will help educate the Phoenix business community on the value of PR people who help build business as well as buzz.

Christine Marek Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 1:23 pm

Dan,
Congratulations Dan on earning and receiving your MBA. I received my MBA this May and agree the continued learning has made me a more insightful public relations practioner.

Owning my own businesses over the years has been an even greater learning environment to take to the clients boardroom. There’s no hypothetical academia guess work when it’s your own bottom line and knowing how that feels in different industries over again. This non-accredited classroom can be your clients biggest gift. That’s IF they truly want your reality based thinking.
Enjoy your new Alphabets and let them know it so often takes more than good PR to get the seeds to grow correctly.

Christine Marek, MBA

Dan Wool Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 4:29 pm

Thanks Pat – it’s been weird to go from blogging on PR’s role in building businesses almost every day to just trying to get my studies completed before midnight every night! I do my best to stay out there and look forweard to resuming when I finish next May.

Christine – thank you! Alas, I still have a year to go. :)

David Kaye Says:
July 23rd, 2009 at 7:24 am

Having run a PR firm for 31 years, I will tell you that my most valuable employees have been those with a marketing degree and background rather than a PR degree. I wholly recommend going for an MBA, with a marketing emphasis.

Beth Wilkinson Says:
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:24 am

Congrats Dan!

As a new PR pro and fairly recent recipient of my undergraduate degree (in PR), I’ve started thinking about my next step, education-wise. I always knew I wanted to go back to school, but couldn’t quite determine what would be the best degree option. I’ve heard from a few who went on to get a master’s in communications, but I’m thinking that an MBA in marketing is the way to go.

It’s good to hear about the MBA from a PR professional’s point of view. Thank you for your insight and, again, congratulations!

Davina Brewer Says:
July 23rd, 2009 at 11:08 am

Congrats on going for your MBA. PR is as much a business function as communications (I minored in B.A. in J School).

Management skills, flexibility are valuable tools for a PR practitioner, plus a business education adds practicality. I’m sure your degree will serve you and your clients well.

Lisa E. Says:
July 23rd, 2009 at 3:38 pm

Hey Dan. I have undergrad J-School degree from ASU, went into PR, and then pursued an MBA at Santa Clara U. I find that my degree brings a level of credibility to the table when I’m meeting clients for the first time. They know that I understand their language and see the business through their eyes. SCU was a part-time program, so we all worked FT during the day and growth in my networking circles has paid off dividends… from securing new business for my agency to getting inside scoop on partner companies that my clients sign agreements with. I love my decision to get an MBA. Thanks for writing this post in support of PR peeps enhancing their careers with this degree!

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