Archive for August, 2010

73.- Rule for coping with PR Executives

For Alcides León, Mauricio Romero, John Harorld Rodríguez, and the rest of the L.A. colleagues

Because of my job, I get to travel often as an invited reporter. It’s not the best way to travel, because everybody knows there is no such thing as a free lunch. But the inviting company executives’ also know that there is a limit to what you are committed to in exchange. Well, not all of them: there are the PR ones. Most of them think your attention span is infinite, your working hours are at least 12 and you are excited to learn even the tiniest detail of the company strategy.

That’s not the worst part. Some of them behave as nannies. Not happy with being behind you all day long, looking over your shoulder, they even call  in the morning to wake you up!

When I stumble upon one of this cute PR Executives, I immediately straight things out the best way I can possibly handle. But to avoid unnecessary trouble and hard feelings, my advice is to ask for the personalized agenda well before you accept the trip invitation. If there will be no free time, no social activities and just intense business meetings in a two day trip that requires a 12 hour flight (one way), you are better off not accepting.