Internal Relations

• Companies with strong communication networks benefit from engaged, productive and loyal employees. One of the greatest needs for organizational leadership is in internal relations, a discipline of public relations that focuses on building, maintaining and enhancing relationships throughout an organization. Public relations practitioners supply the communications knowledge and skill to facilitate these networks and build trust between employer and employees. However, management must be involved so employees don't perceive these efforts as window dressing. Specifically, organizational leaders must be willing to share information, respond to feedback from employees and communicate openly and honestly with both the internal relations practitioner and members of the organization.
  
  

Crisis Communication

• Effective crisis management can protect a company's reputation and its chances of long-term survival. Crisis management starts with crisis-planning, which needs both communication professionals and organizational leaders to spot potential problems, develop response plans and supply training or resources. An organization's leader should be prepared to work closely with the public relations professional and speak immediately to internal and external audiences if a crisis occurs. In addition, top management must also instruct employees to follow the practitioner's guidance on handling media inquiries.
  
  

Media Relations

• Regardless if the news is positive or negative, journalists will not be content for long to speak only with the public relations representative. Management participation in media interviews helps build trust both with reporters and with those who read, watch or listen to the story. However, a media relations practitioner can train executives to get their message across during an interview, handle hostile questions and weave organizational messages into a news story.
  
  

Government Relations

• Government relations, a branch of public relations that works with local, state and federal governments and involves communication, advocacy, research and political know-how, also depends on leadership involvement for its success. While government relations specialists build the framework and handle the day-to-day needs of information gathering and distribution, analysis and lobbying, ultimately the company's leadership must participate to garner support from both voters and lawmakers for an advocacy campaign. Executives, working with the government affairs representatives, should be prepared to participate in meetings with government officials, testify before committees and attend rallies and fundraisers.