Who is Greg Smith, and why do we care? He was an employee who quit Goldman Sachs in a public way and posted it in a New York Times op-ed. The better question is why should we care? After all, Goldman Sachs probably has had staff quit before for a whole host of reasons, from better opportunities to being disillusioned, to just not meeting the expectations or needs. Gee, I have had some really good people quit the firm where I work, and quit on me for that matter. It’s not news; it’s life.

Work is just that, work. Some love it, some hate it, and some find it a calling; others just work because they need to pay the bills. I work because I enjoy what I do, but also because I get bored doing nothing, and I can certainly use the money. So what is Greg Smith’s deal that so many are now paying attention?

He quit one of the biggest financial institutions and lambasted it in perhaps the single most influential media venue still in print. Yet, it’s not news. Goldman has some 30,000 people working for it, and what are the odds that Greg Smith was not the only employee to walk out that door the same week? It begs the question as to why the New York Times printed it in the first place.

I am employed at a public relations agency; I know that top-tier media like the Times is the crown jewel for clients and their op-eds. I can attest, and few will disagree, to the fact that for a regular Joe (or Greg) to land an opinion piece in its vaunted section is almost like waiting for Halley’s Comet. It may take 76 years to get it done, or you may just miss the opportunity. So who again is Greg Smith?

Ah, he is the guy who did not just quit Goldman Sachs, but parted with a very public and scathing indictment of its internal practices and culture. Still, the term “disgruntled employee” was not just dubbed as Smith’s letter ran, so what was it that caused the New York Times to pick it up? The Times, as sought after and as widely read as it is, has lost some of its objectivity over the years. Its coverage of politics leans left, its coverage of  big business, banking and finance, tends to show the so-called darker side of industry. It often juxtaposes the very real plight of the working class and the unemployed, and the rich life of corporate America. The newspaper is sending a message rather than reporting the news.

Goldman Sachs is the biggest big business in the banking world today. Before the bubble burst many firms were here, now there are but a few, and Goldman is at the top. It makes for a good target when the economy, which tanked largely due to financial schemes and games played by such institutions, has yet to recover. Unemployment is still high, jobs are still few, and people are still losing their homes. The 2012 presidential election is likely going to be about the economy, and businesses such as Goldman are the enemy according to the thousands of people who gather in open spaces, set up camp and protest firms that employ 30 thousand people.

It makes for good headlines, imbues certain sectors of the public with anger, and motivates action; in this case that action is probably votes for the incumbent President.

Then there is the matter of Goldman’s CEO Lloyd Blankfein, who is portrayed as some cross between the Simpson’s Montgomery Burns and Mitt Romney; a big business advocate, evil in nature, who believes companies are people. If we accept that we are made in God’s image, and a company is a person, than by extension, when Blankfein commented in a London Times interview in 2009, amidst a huge worldwide financial crisis, that he’s doing ‘God’s Work,” he left himself open to all kinds of megalomaniacal bourgeoisie focused criticism. That made it even easier for the New York Times to print Smith’s letter – the so-called worker sticking it to the rich guy.

One thing is sure. If Blankfein was a crisis PR client of mine, I might advise him to soften his image a bit. It may have made the difference between the Times Op-ed running or not. Here’s a true story that might set a different tone. In the gym where he works out, Blankfein was sitting clothed in little else than his towel reading a newspaper. Another gym rat, riled up about some financial news ran toward him ranting and yelling, “do they know who I am?” – Apparently having something to do with the news he was referring to. The two men did not know one another, yet angry guy persisted to explain himself to Blankfein saying, “Do you know who the (expletive) I am?” Lloyd Blankfein did not ask who he was, nor did he tell the towel-clad yeller who he was – just the head of the biggest financial institution in the world. No, the Goldman CEO just let the guy rant and vent and then he continued to read his newspaper.

There was no ego buildup, no retort or even unwarranted advice. Just quiet contemplation while the guy made everyone else in that room uncomfortable. That is the story the Times would not report, because it flies in the face of the opinion they hoped to convey. It seems that may linger for a while to come.

For Greg Smith, he just went from a fairly obscure well paying job, hardly the proletariat, to the left’s Joe the Plumber. Now he’ll write a book that the Times will help him sell. Alas, damn those capitalists!

Juda Engelmayer is an executive with the NY PR agency 5WPR.

Stress and anxiety are very common when you work in public relations. As a result, here is a list of techniques that a person in public relations can use to help manage their daily stresses and anxieties.

Sometimes, we get stressed when everything happens all at once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things.

When facing a current or upcoming task at your job that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, divide the task into a series of smaller steps and then complete each of the smaller tasks one at a time. Completing these smaller tasks will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances of success.

Challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make you fearful or depressed, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense. For example, you are afraid that if you do not get that job promotion then you will be stuck at your job forever. This depresses you, however your thinking in this situation is unrealistic. The fact of the matter is that there all are kinds of jobs available and just because you don’t get this job promotion doesn’t mean that you will never get one.

Remember that no one can predict the future with one hundred percent certainty. Even if the thing that you feared does happen there are circumstances and factors that you can’t predict which can be used to your advantage. For instance, you are at your place of work and you miss the deadline for a project you have been working on for the last few months. Everything you feared is coming true. Suddenly, your boss comes to your office and tells you that the deadline is extended and that he forgot to tell you the day before. This unknown factor changes everything.

In dealing with your anxieties at your job, learn to take it one day at a time. While the consequences of a particular fear may seem real, there are usually other factors that cannot be anticipated and can affect the results of any situation. Get all of the facts of the situation and use them to your advantage. The more control you have over your stresses and anxieties, the better off you will be in the long run.

Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future. Managing your fears and anxieties takes practice. The more you practice, the better you will become.

Biography:

Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods” – an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com.

I am a student of Public Relations and Marketing in Scotland, day in and day out I work with Scottish issues and I am heavily involved in the political scene in Scotland – however something I can’t escape is the brand of America.

Now I’ll be clear, when I say “the brand of America” I’m not referring to Jersey Shore and Big Macs. What I refer to is the pull America has as a nation. A nation built on immigration and integration – eventually. Around this time last year I visited one of the top Public Relations firms in America with my Scottish college that firm was 5WPR. Now to say I was impressed is an understatement; I was overwhelmed.

I had never experienced America really in person and only had TV shows to go on, but the design of the offices, the friendly nature of the staff and the knowledge of the impressive character who showed us around. Juda Engelmayer was clearly one of the best in the Public Relations industry and he in the matter of minutes had us all open jawed at his prowess and the popularity of 5WPR as a firm.

Now whilst studying in Scotland it seems we cannot escape PR cases from the states. It seems clear to many of us, that the most exciting PR industry is present in America – now of course our home country has many different clients – but what really gets our blood pumping is America. America has such an array of sectors within PR and is at the frontier, yet again in the Public Relations industry. The key advances are being made in America, the biggest cases develop there and of course – the biggest array of skilled PR professionals is there.

I am now in my 3^rd year of study and it is clear to me, I want to work in America – to pursue that American dream, the “dream” that was surely one of the biggest PR scores for a country, ever.  Why though? Besides the fact that every day in university we are given case studies of American firms, we are told to look at firms like 5WPR and Weber Shandwick for the right way of doing things? Well to put it quite simply – it’s the brand.

Every PR expert knows about branding and attempts not to be pulled in – but America, you have pulled many of us in. In fact I can assure you almost every PR student I have spoken to looks at America in awe and aspires to make it there.

Sure there would be differences, sure it would be a challenge and sure it would be galling; but surely as someone who works in PR that is qualities that should be there anyway? The willingness to overcome challenges, that sheer passion for your industry – and of course networking and taking advice from professionals like Ronn, buying his book (which is better than most textbooks I’ve read recently) and subscribing to his videos.

Dear America, you have one student here – the most influential PR student in Scotland according to the Behind the Spin blog, run by the Chartered institute of Public Relations in the UK and he has fallen for you.

How have you fallen for the brand of America? How do you think it could be improved?

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Thanks, Kenneth Murray – @Kenny_murray