Deb Lincoln was an amazing guest speaker and I am extremely envious, and admirable, of the success she has obtained in her field. I think the fact that she essentially led off with advice regarding the value of tying in communications with corporate social responsibility is very indicative of the potential opportunities that can come about from it. However, her career path came as a bit of a surprise to me. I was not expecting her masters degree to come in politics, as we were prefaced with her job in communications/PR for Warner Brothers. Therefore, I was taken slightly aback when I found out her startup was for Friends of the Earth before moving to the Labour Party in their marketing and sales department. However, her ability to rise through this organization, becoming a political advisor and working with various ministers, is a testament to her work ethic, which I find to be more important than a degree.
Therefore, it is no surprise that Warner Brothers eventually called Deb hoping to fill a vacancy. At this point, she had worked in communications for Pearson as well, giving her background in the department. Accepting the role, Deb worked in the international office and was given many different tasks. Risk assessment and the ability to diminish negative association, of both people and Warner Brothers, after unevaluated risks played a large part in her career. My favorite story Deb told us was when she received a 6 am phone call which informed her that Batman (well, the actor) would not be in attendance at the press conference later that day because he was in jail. As stressful as this sounds, Deb explained how these situations made her job most fun, as it was something to figure out on the fly. It takes a certain type of person to have as effective of problem-solving skills as Deb does, and I think public relations is an enticing career to step into.
I also think that the corporate social responsibility aspect of public relations makes it an attractive career. Although this was not explicitly part of Deb’s presentation, the “Creative Talent” program she created for Warner Brothers is representative of the work she did for the company. This program helped pay for a limited number of future filmmakers' education while also giving them experience in the workplace. This put Warner Brothers into a good light because they were helping a small group by providing them with a path not otherwise financially realistic. This, in return, created positive outcomes for the organization; by supporting the community, the community supported them. This played a large role in the construction of a Warner Brothers studio near a residential area; instead of complaints from those who lived there, the prospect was encouraged because of their reputation.
One other thing I noticed about Deb’s role was her constant focus on potential negatives. Of course, this is a requirement for risk assessment; however, I think this may lead to a pessimistic view, as these are scenarios she often has to deal with. I am impressed with her dedication to a job which requires protection of both her coworkers and the organization itself. One in a PR position must always be on the lookout, keeping others’ interests at heart. I imagine this is a rewarding, but tiring, task. It does make me wonder, however, how this could potentially affect someone’s personal life as well. I think it is important to not let your career attitudes affect your life outside of the workplace.
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