A buzzword, like the word ‘key’ — meaning something is very important — often precedes various words used in describing one’s achievements… as in a ‘key measure’ or ‘measurement,’ or a ‘key performance metric.’
A ‘measure of success,’ for instance, in business, might refer to someone reaching, or exceeding, a sales goal. The same, with the word ‘metric.’ The better they are — measurements, metrics, and so on — the more workers will be feeling pretty good about their achievements.
And, of course, conversely, if metrics are subpar, workers won’t be feeling so good.
Throughout the PR industry, when I was in corporate PR, there was much thinking and wondering about ‘metrics,’ which were just coming into play back then.
Measuring PR could be challenging.
If there’s ground fog, at times, where you live, picture PR as that… as ground fog, misty and hovering a few feet off the ground, sort of wispy, delicate and faint.
Great PR could seem to be within reach, sometimes, until a sudden blast of ill wind, seemingly coming from out of nowhere, could turn nice, positive PR into a less positive metric.
Recalling that, got me thinking about some fascinating current events. Like the midterm elections, just recently… with a whole lot of people, as reported in the news, choosing to vote for democracy, and hoping politics might somehow change from being a ‘blood sport,’ in the opinion of many voters, to something far better than that.
The substantial number of people opting for democracy also got me thinking about this adventure, of sorts, I’ve been on, attempting to shape opinion, differently, in the aftermath of my PR career. Like, when I’m writing, in the Daily Post, about freedom and democracy, and comparing democracy with autocracy.
Thinking about the midterm election results, and wondering if, in some way, I’ve been playing some role, in some giant scheme of things, the word, ‘consequential,’ came to me.
And then thinking about various issues and concerns Daily Post editor Bill Hudson has been discussing in his editorials, and the issues others writing in the Daily Post, have been bringing to readers’ attention, the question — ‘Are we consequential, yet?’ — came to me.
Which, then, considering the substantial vote, out your way, in opposition to the proposed sales tax increase, for example… after Mr. Hudson had discussed concerns about the potential tax hike in his editorials… got me thinking… he just might have chalked up a consequential outcome.
For me, something remaining to be seen — the final outcome of your 3rd congressional district representative, Lauren Boebert’s, tight reelection race against former Aspen City Councilman Adam Frisch — might have a bearing on my metrics, since I’ve been weighing in on the controversial congressional representative, in some of my columns.
So… if she should happen to lose… if she’s not reelected… would that, consequentially, boost my metric… my measurement of success?
We’ll have to wait and see.
Harvey Radin is former senior vice president in charge of corporate communications and media relations, Bank of America Western Region. He makes his home in Redwood City, CA.