Professional Communications in the Public Sector: A Practical Guide

Ted Glenn Professional Communications in the Public Sector: A Practical Guide Toronto, Canada: Canadian Scholars' Press, 2014Bobby Siu Developing Public Policy: A Practical Guide Toronto, Canada: Canadian Scholars' Press, 2014It is axiomatic that children must learn to walk before they can run, and that we all must learn our alphabets before we can write words and whole sentences. There is even some evidence that politicians should have some experience in elected office or business executives should have spent time as managers before becoming CEOs. That doesn't mean that some people aren't quick studies and it certainly doesn't mean that vast, successful work history in one field isn't of great value and can't be seamlessly transferred to advantage when taking up a responsible position in another. Generally speaking, however, it is helpful either to have pertinent experience or, at least, to be willing to undertake a period of instruction as an apprentice in one's chosen trade. That's why lawyers must undergo a year of articling and doctors must complete an internship or a residency before qualifying as a practicing physician or a specialist. It's why bricklayers and plumbers must work as apprentices. In exceptional cases, a poet or novelist may become a fine university president and or a clerk in a patent office may become an unparalleled physicist. It just doesn't happen very often.To ensure that new recruits straight out of school or people hired from other kinds of jobs are given the best opportunities for success, most employers make sure that they are given a certain amount of the job training. Some may be assigned to a mentor. There may be orientation programs, voluntary or compulsory professional development programs. At the very least, there might be a thick manual, a thin pamphlet, a sheet of paper or an electronic list of dos and don'ts, so that a new employee who makes too many mistakes and is let go can be told on the way out the door: You should have read the instructions!For new public sector employers and employees, there is another option. At least for one set of inductees, the Canadian Scholars' Press has published two excellent introductions to the public sector: Ted Glenn's Professional Communications in the Public Sector and Bobby Siu's Developing Public Policy. They are on a list of seventeen guides that mainly address issues in education, health and social work-the helping professions. These two, however, are of broad enough scope and interest that they can be highly recommended for fledgling public sector professionals or for people changing jobs and requiring a solid practical basis in a new area of activity.Ted Glenn is Professor and Program Coordinator of Public Administration at Humber College in Toronto and a consultant in organizational learning, organizational development, and public sector capacity-building, in Canada and abroad. His Professional Communications in the Public Sector is a first-rate example of a how-to instruction guide that will be very useful for people wanting to learn public relations and corporate communications strategies, tactics and techniques. …

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