By Michelle Lyng, Founder & CEO, Novitas Communications
More than a quarter century ago, I stumbled into my first PR gig at my university as part of my work study job. Fast-forward through literally cutting out newspaper articles (why they’re called clips) and faxing them to a distribution list, Blackberries, flip-flops in the boardroom, and the birth of social media, and I’ve learned one unshakable truth: the communication industry changes faster than a trending hashtag, but human nature? That never budges.
Our work is far deeper, and far more complex than most outside the industry understand. The reality – people still decide with their guts before their heads, they trust neighbors more than press releases, and they can smell spin from a mile away. The public may picture PR as glossy events or “fixing” a scandal on TV, but the real work is profound – messier, more human, and infinitely more rewarding.
I’ve lectured at universities and shared much of what I’ve learned over the years – lessons that rarely show up in textbooks, if at all. Here are my top ten:
Lesson 1: Narrative Vacuums…Suck If you don’t tell your story first, someone else will—and they’ll probably get it wrong. Every crisis, every big announcement, every awkward silence creates a vacuum. Fill it fast with clarity, humility, and candor. Speed beats perfection every single time (but aim for both, if possible).
Lesson 2: Trust Outweighs Data Facts are great—until they’re not. People (except my CFO) don’t fall in love with spreadsheets; they fall in love with messengers they trust with messages they like. A heartfelt quote from the local business owner next door will cut through noise faster than any perfectly polished corporate statement. Peer-to-peer trust is still the most powerful amplifier in the room.
Lesson 3: Complexity Is the Enemy of Persuasion Big projects, regulations, infrastructure—most of what we tackle is genuinely complicated. The second an explanation feels like a tax form, you’ve lost the audience. Your job isn’t to dumb it down; it’s to make it intuitive and interesting. Answer the “what’s in it for me?” question before the skeptics even ask. Simple beats sophisticated nearly every time.
Lesson 4: Loudest Voices Aren’t Always the Most Important I said what I said. Social media and packed public meetings too often amplify the loudest, angriest voices. They’re real, they matter, but they’re rarely the whole story. The quiet majority—the folks who show up at the grocery store, not the podium—have opinions too. Map every stakeholder, understand what keeps each of them up at night, and speak to all of them. And remember: nothing beats an authentic neighbor vouching for you.
Lesson 5: Transparency Is King In the age of AI screenshots and viral leaks, withholding information is like trying to hide a bonfire with a beach towel. You might buy a few hours, but when the truth surfaces (and it almost always does), you now have two problems: the original issue plus “they tried to hide it.” Radical transparency may sting in the moment, but it pays valuable dividends for years. Rip that band-aid off.
Lesson 6: (Lack of) Speed Kills The first 24 hours of any crisis are make-or-break. Waiting for every fact to line up perfectly is how you hand the narrative to your critics. Say what you know, admit what you don’t, and tell people exactly what you’re doing next. Action + honesty = control. Silence + delay = disaster.
Lesson 7: Relationships Can Make This Tough Job Enjoyable The best part of this work? The people. Journalists you’ve grabbed coffee with for a decade. Civic leaders who text you at 7 a.m. because they trust you. Community partners who become friends. When tough moments hit, those relationships don’t just help—they make the long hours worth it. Life’s too short to work with people you don’t genuinely like.
Lesson 8: Build Your Reputation Before You Need It Reputation is like compound interest: it grows quietly until you need to cash in. Organizations that show up with integrity day after day get the benefit of the doubt when trouble comes. Those who don’t? Every new issue just piles on the skepticism. Start building goodwill now—future you will thank you.
Lesson 9: Step One Is Listening Too many campaigns skip straight to the megaphone. Big mistake. The real issue keeping people up at night is often NOT the one leadership assumes. Sit down, shut up, and actually listen. The insights you uncover may flip your entire strategy—and usually for the better.
Lesson 10: PR Can’t Fix Everything Here’s the toughest truth I can share: communications is a megaphone, not a magic wand. You can clarify, translate, and build bridges, but you cannot spin bad behavior into good. Credibility is earned in the conference room and the community, not in the press release. If your actions don’t match your words, no amount of clever messaging will save you.
After a quarter-century in this wild, wonderful profession, the single biggest lesson is this: public relations is not about “spin.” It’s about stewardship of trust. Organizations that understand this, treat communication as a mirror of how they operate—honest, human, and accountable.
And that? That never goes out of style.
