Ronn Torossian, CEO, 5WPR 

There existed for many years a wide disparity between the general management and the workers on the front lines. In general management today, the role of public relations at the executive level has opened up a variety of ways to meet the needs of those who work for the company or institution. 

Although rarely advertised, many corporate heads are making themselves available to the common worker and patron alike. These companies are not only offering their profiles on company websites they are also offering ways to contact them directly. 

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a large corporate body, offers contact information for many of it executives, as does Cambridge University Press and McGraw Hill Higher Education. 

While the highest offices are still insulated from the general public, many of the senior management positions have an open door policy. This kind of access is becoming more prevalent as time goes on and the average worker requires transparency of their management officers. 

Those companies that are not opening their contact information, even if it is a dedicated line meant for anyone to call, are seeing trouble in hiring and retaining staff at the basic level. 

The role of social media directly affects the general management of any company. Many influencers on social platforms are in general management positions, which are also heavily connected to their immediate senior staff, which is connected directly to lower management and then to the worker. 

The person who is running the daily operations, handling the menial and tedious tasks, are getting more of a say in how the companies are being run. Although they may not directly and individually have the ear of the CEO, that level of management is listening and responding to combined voice of the worker. 

Those companies who ignore the worker, only offer the most basic benefits and compensation, are likely to find themselves boycotted by the customers they need to stay functional. The way a company speaks to its employees, online and off, matters. The role of the marketer is now two fold, make the workers happy so the customers who care about them keep coming back. 

General Management must catch up to the rest of the world, or the company is no longer relevant, even if they make a trillion dollars. Most of the spin is being recognized, and influencers on social media are working hard to be careful what they say, or don’t say online. 

A recent incident on YouTube is a prime example. A YouTuber with a subscriber base of over a million people, advertising revenue in the millions, a staff of 100, who gave advice and sagacious commentary, photographed himself in Japan next to a poor soul who had committed suicide. The YouTuber had thought this was funny, he was smiling and making fun of the person. 

When the video clip was released this YouTuber was instantly denounced. There was nothing he could say or do, as his subscribers left him by the thousands.  The video went viral and was condemned throughout the world. 

The plight of this YouTuber is not unique, many of those in positions of authority and power don’t feel that the needs and desires of others matter, just like the general manager who doesn’t find out what his workers are feeling and thinking. 

The CEO of Costco, who is fairly new, had taken over for his predecessor, who had an office, but was hardly ever there. He traveled from store to store making sure his workers were being cared for in a way that was effective. In fact that business model is being used more often in general management, as it comes into the forefront that a satisfied worker creates an environment where conversions flourish. That is a way of doing business that works.

About the Author: Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a leading American PR Agency.