Do Unto Others
agent, or even by the best intentioned
program of “good works outside of
fice hours. I t must be met on the job
in. dUf daily contacts with the public,
(E d ito r’s N o te: H ere is a n artic le f u ll of
at. which time we are, each of us, serv
suggestions th a t we, as public em
ing asv a public relations representative
ployees, should read and endeavor to
p ra c tic e a t all tim es. C ourtesy is one of
of. the' state. I
o u r d u ties a n d sh o u ld n e v e r b e f o r - 1
g otten, fo r w h ile it costs no th in g i t /
“Such a situation is not a figment of
p ay s h ig h divid en d s in p u b lic -a p p re c ia -
,tid n a n d resp ect.)
the imagination created for the pur
pose of discussion: It is a fact which
’'Every working day of our Jives the we must all face. The public will base
majority of uS participate in instances^
its Judgment off state service primarily
where we, as public servants are called upon individual experiences with state
upon to do business with our fellow-
employees. If these experiences ;haye
citizens of the state who are in- a situ been pleasanXT the public, is. then
ation that to them is unfamiliar* From ceptive to favorable publicity regard
each of these encounters, people , carry ing state employees; they will ,have
to their families and their, neighbors a every reason tp believe, and will want
definite impression of ¿¿até? service and to believe in the ideals and objectives
the people whose salaries are being paid which we hold as part of. our organiza
from their taxes. Whether their reac tion, and which are being so ably ex
tion to sf ate service as a whole is fav-1 pressed by so many CSEA chapters in
orable of not often depends largely up their ciyic and war-service programs.
on how you or I greeted them, whether
"The challenge of individual respon
we were helpful or indifferent, whether
sibility.‘;fs
obvious. How best can we
we went out of our way to explain a
routine procedure, or left them, con- meet it as individuals? W hat are the
fused as to what to do or where/tp go fundamental 'Dp’s’ and 'Don’ts’ which
will help us all in our daily relation
next;
ships with the public which we ,sehv'e;b\'
“Courtesy in our eyery-day contacts Do— Remember that pleasant, friendly
wit^i the public is an all-important
I mannerisms, —I a well-modulated
foundation for public relations. The -ob
I .voice, a smile, an unhurried atti
jective of any publicity programáis to
tude—-can be acquired, and are
create a favorable impression in the
the first things to I ifnpress the
minds ? of the public in relation to our
person with whom you are deal-
organization. But the I best program
I ing-
can be .nullified as. far as an individual
Po—
Make an effort to become genu
is concerned,
that person has; had
inely interested in the problems of
Unpleasant relationships with an em
the person yp,u are serving. In ad
ployee in state service. Multiply this by
dition, yoUr work becomes - more
a number of similar experiences of other
interesting to you, if you are in
individuals; add the friends and fami
terested in the “other fellow.”
lies of these people, and sooner or later
we are faced -with a problem of unfav Do— Familiarize yourself- with the
working departments other than
orable public relations that has grow n'
your own, to the extent that gPn/
in size and importance as rapidly as* a
eral questions of location, juris-
foiling snow-ball. Such a situation can
(Continued on page 27)'
not be counteracted by a good press-
A n A rticle b y MARYBETH GREEN, D irec
to r of P u b lic R elations pf th e C alifornia
S ta te E m ployees A ssociation an d P u b lish ed
in th e J u ly Issue of T he C alifornia S ta te
E m ployee.