Show Up, Follow Up
Filmmaker Woody Allen once noted that, in Hollywood at least, “80 percent of success is showing up.” In public relations and leadership communications, 80 percent of success comes from following up and following through. It’s not enough to stake the claim; you also have to deliver on it.
Several months ago, we blogged about Saturday Night Live’s deft handling of complaints directed at the show’s poor track record in recruiting and keeping black female comedians. When attacked in the media and blogosphere, the SNL team lampooned themselves for their mistakes, then in press reports promised that things would change. Now, SNL has demonstrated both follow-up and follow-through by making good on its promise. The show’s newest cast member, Sasheer Zamata, made her debut last week.
The next months and years will be a proving ground for the storied show, but the actions of SNL decision-makers roll in the right direction and reinforce the message that the show is committed to change. It’s a great example of follow through.
Follow Up, Follow Through
In communications practice, follow-up and follow-through come in the form of sending the information you said you would send, getting back to reporters within their deadlines, appropriately checking in on a media pitch, and re-delivering a request to your boss—or the appropriate spokesperson—when you haven’t received a response. (By the way, follow-up is not berating people for not getting back to you, nor harassing them until you get an answer). There are perfectly courteous and respectful ways of making yourself top of mind without beating people over the head. And the mastery of those methods is becoming a lost art.
Following up, checking in, and keeping promises—that’s not just good communications practice; that’s good leadership.
