As the late Michael Jackson instructed us to “Heal the world—make it a better place,” he may not have realized how complicated that task could be—for consumers and businesses alike.

With jargon like greening, energy efficiency, energy conservation, eco-friendly, sustainable, carbon-footprint and greenwashing (just to name a few), it’s no wonder most folks aren’t sure where to start when it comes to saving Mother Earth.

With the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, every social media site and Internet browser was chock-full of articles related to these very topics.

Some of the most intriguing articles I read included: “What Companies Need to Know Before Launching a Green PR Campaign,” “The History of Earth Day Plus How You Can Get Involved” and “Public Relations and Green.”  

As is sometimes the case with annual events, monthly holidays or days of the year devoted to anything under the sun, core messages can get lost in the mix. 

Consulting clients on how to keep their messages clear and their business objectives transparent, including sustainability efforts, are just some of the ways public relations practitioners guide their clients on how to be visibly and honestly impactful—not just in the interim, but for a long time to come.

Of course, Kermit the frog said it best when he sang, “It’s not easy being green.” But then again, everyone must start somewhere—professionally and personally.

To read more “In the Profession” blogs posts regarding environmental fodder, check out: Mary Beth West’s discussion on the “PR Impact of Externalities,” – whether environmental or not, and how the voice of public relations can enable organizations to balance their business objectives with serving the public good.

Similarly, last December I wrote about how corporate social responsibility makes a difference and included thoughts from Scripps Networks President John Lansing during a recent PRSA meeting. His message still rings true today—keeping the community around you healthy is the true return on investment.

Until then, here’s to wading through the green waters of environmental responsibility.

Several members of our team attended the February PRSA Volunteer Chapter meeting, where Gary McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA – this year’s national PRSA chair / CEO and Knoxville-based Scripps communications exec – shared insights on the 2010 outlook shaping the public relations profession.

Among his recommendations on navigating social media relationship management, Gary urged the audience to consider developing “listening points,” not just talking points, in order to manage dialogue with diverse audiences who undoubtedly are calling the shots like never before.

To us, the idea of listening points draws upon an oldie but a goodie – the issues management playbook – whereby the PR team identifies and constantly monitors outside issues impacting, or potentially impacting, an organization’s world and that of its stakeholders. 

The process involves taking those issues and helping an organization stay one or more steps ahead, not just via messages, but via policies, procedures and behaviors that stakeholder groups view as the only legitimate evidence of where an organization really stands. 

Hence, the role of listening . . . after all, you can’t effectively advocate for an organization’s position if you’re deaf to the voices and points of view around you.  In equal measure, you can’t help guide an organization’s decision-making toward the best business decisions if management can’t (or won’t) hear, comprehend and hold some level of empathy for how stakeholder groups absorb the impact of those decisions.

Great case in point: the apparent lack of effective listening going on in much of the financial sector regarding executive compensation. 

Chapter President Susanne Dupes, APR, closed the meeting by announcing a $1,000 gift given to the UT College of Communication & Information’s public relations program in Gary’s honor, a gift in which our firm was proud to take part.  A terrific leader like Gary, who is keeping our profession’s best practices front-and-center, couldn’t be more deserving.