The Shared Opportunity to Impact Our Well-Being
By Mark Mohammadpour, APR, Fellow PRSA
June 2022
Every year, I look forward to this issue. The mere fact PRSA dedicates an entire issue of Strategies & Tactics to the health and well-being of the professional shows how important this topic is for our industry.
I’m inspired to see so many of my colleagues sharing their perspectives on the topic.
Serving as the publications “Workplace Wellness” columnist allows me to reflect on my career and think about the moments when I needed some outside advice on prioritizing my well-being.
Ensuring our profession is thriving is dependent on each of us to stay emotionally, financially, mentally and physically healthy. Every member of our profession must play a role.
Creating a support system
I remember as a college graduate just being excited to land a job! I didn’t worry about how much work I’d take on or about the possibility of burning out. I was just happy to start my career!
If you’re a recent college graduate starting your career, think about ensuring you have the right support system as you’re transitioning from student to professional.
Find a small group of mentors (literally thousands of PRSA members will raise their hand to be yours) to support you through this process. They have been where you are and would love to share their learnings.
Once I became a people manager, I went through several personal transitions. Buying a house, getting married, and other major life decisions coupled with new professional responsibilities were a lot to tackle!
If you’re a newly minted people manager, consider how these added responsibilities require a new approach to working every day. It’s essential to adjust your approach to continue to focus on yourself.
Finding a balance
Finding the balance between managing your personal growth with the responsibility of mentoring your team members’ growth can be tricky. One thing to think about: How will you build trust and delegate activities to others so they can grow and reduce your workload?
As I grew in my career and started to lead multi-matrix, global PR account teams, I realized how much people modeled how I showed up every day. The energy I brought and the tone I set impacted every team member, from interns on up.
If you’re an executive, examine the perspectives laid out in this issue and look to apply them given your role as an influencer.
I encourage you to read the piece my esteemed colleague, Dr. Elizabeth Candello, and I co-authored: “Designing Common Language Around Well-Being,” examining how we cultivate an environment where your team members can openly talk about mental health and well-being.
We all need to play a role no matter what stage in our career we’re at.
It’s an honor to play a role in this profession as well. Thank you for the opportunity.
Be safe. Be kind. Be well. Have a fantastic summer!
Mark Mohammadpour, APR, Fellow PRSA
Mark Mohammadpour, APR, Fellow PRSA, is a senior communications executive and employee well-being consultant. His company, Chasing the Sun, empowers PR professionals to prioritize their well-being so they can shine in the family room and the board room. Before launching Chasing the Sun, Mark was an executive at Weber Shandwick and Edelman, leading award-winning campaigns for Adobe, Microsoft, Samsung and the U.S. Army. Visit chasingthesunpdx.com or email him at mark@chasingthesunpdx.com.
