JAKARTA, PRINDONESIA.CO – Raising the theme “Mapping Public Relations Capabilities in ASEAN Perspectives: Towards a Global Framework”, a routine agenda organized by ASEAN PR Network (APRN) invited the participants who were PR practitioners to be ready to address the era of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity or VUCA. The era where changes of social, economic, and political aspects happen quickly, issues are difficult to predict, disruptions are getting more complex, and situations are getting more unclear. This condition is changing the way the world works, including PR practitioners.

Professor Anne Gregory from the University of Huddersfield UK in her research titled Global Capacity Network stated that the company affected by VUCA needs to revive or redefine its unique and different identity. “Building an authentic corporate character is important in this era,” she said while speaking at the ASEAN SPOT.

In addition, new digital platforms and technologies that increasingly shape perceptions, beliefs, and actions also require investment and expertise. To increase trust from stakeholders, Anne said there needs to be reliable content, the formation of a digital future, and communication technology.

This result in PR practitioners must have various capabilities. Anne then shared those capabilities into three main points, namely communication, organizational, and professional capabilities.

To become a PR that has communication capabilities, at least there are four skills that must be possessed. First, the ability to align communication with the goals and values of the organization. Second, the ability to identify and handle communication issues proactively. Third, the ability to conduct informative and evaluative research to support strategy and communication tactics. Last, the ability to communicate effectively on various platforms and technologies.

Meanwhile, to be able to fulfill the second capability, which is organizational, PR must have these three abilities, such as facilitating relations and building trust with the internal and external stakeholders, and the public, building and increasing the organization’s reputation, and giving contextual intelligence.

For professional capabilities, there are at least four abilities that must be possessed by PR, namely giving valuable advice and being a trusted advisor, offering organizational leadership, working within an ethical framework on behalf of the organization in accordance with professionals and public expectations, and developing oneself and others, including continuing professional learning.

The Same Perception

Prita Kemal Gani, President of APRN, which is also the founder and CEO of LSPR Communication and Business Institute, did not deny the challenges of PR practitioners nowadays are extraordinarily high. “The impact of globalization makes the world more competitive. This condition requires PR to be able to embrace all public domains, both local and international,” she said. Prita hoped ASEAN SPOT can be a platform for PR practitioners in ASEAN to form the same perception.

Besides Prof. Anne Gregory, other speakers were also present such as Robert Matheus Michael Tene, Deputy-Secretary General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs, and Jaffri Amin Osman APR, VP of Institute PR of Malaysia.

Still, on the same occasion, APRN gave the Honorary Fellow Accredited PR award to Agung Laksmana, the Chairperson of the Indonesian Public Relations Association (PERHUMAS), and accreditation to participants who had been assessed. (rvh)