I planned to send this newsletter last week, but after attending a PR Daily event with other like-minded folks, I scrapped my original idea. We’ll get to that other topic eventually, but for now, there are more pressing matters (pun intended).
It will surprise no one that when you get a bunch of PR, marketing, and comms people together, a lot of talking takes place. Though it might surprise you that there was very little mention of AI (how refreshing). Rather, the issues that kept coming up were the human ones. The ones technology can’t solve. And one issue in particular stood out, because it’s been gnawing at me a lot lately, and that’s how we show up for each other professionally.
In my world, how we show up for each other takes on many different forms, but I’ll use media opportunities as an example. Everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame. People are clamoring for the chance to talk to [insert writer, podcaster, analyst] here, and yet, when the meeting gets set, the demands start to roll in. All of a sudden, the person who was so hot to appear in that article or on that show wants to know about readership or listenership, or to move the call time to another day, even after accepting the invite. And look, life happens. I’m not suggesting that you don’t get a pass when something significant gets in the way.
However.
You wouldn’t show up at a dinner party, breeze past the other guests, walk into the kitchen, and start recooking the host’s meal. So, when an earned opportunity arises, such as an interview (media or job, for that matter), it’s on you to rise to the occasion. The other person already committed to you. They’ve already taken the chance on your story. They’ve already offered you a stage.
I have said this one before, but I will reiterate, the connection between HR and PR is human relations. Prioritizing yourself and your needs over someone offering you an opportunity isn’t just bad manners; it’s a one-way ticket to a burned bridge and a damaged reputation that goes beyond the individual, depending on the circumstances.
It’s so much easier to start on the right foot than it is to work backward.
To quote the iconic designer Rick Owens, “I want to live the life I want to live, but when I go to somebody’s house, I respect their vibe. Being polite is more important than being defiant.”
Food, the great unifier.
Dear Laura,
I’m currently coaching a few candidates through the hiring process, and each is uniquely qualified for the position. On the one hand, I know exactly what the client thinks of each candidate, but on the other, feedback isn’t always welcome or helpful in these situations. How do you approach these situations? What type of advice do you think lands?
Appreciate the insight,
Looking for the right words
Dear Looking for the right words,
Ah, feedback! Such a good question. So often, everyone SAYS they want it. But more often than not, it’s a sticky scenario that can backfire and make the situation very uncomfortable for recruiters (as someone who trains recruiters, I can’t count the number of times they’ve cried to me about how mean a candidate was after they tried to deliver gentle, kind, clear feedback).
So my advice is: ask the candidate at the start of the process: If I get feedback from the hiring team about your candidacy, do you want me to share it with you?” If so, do you want me to give it to you by email or on the phone? In my experience, I ask this again when I want to give feedback: “Are you sure you want to receive feedback that may be constructive for you going forward?” Frankly, some say no! And, I respect their self-knowledge that they aren’t equipped to hear it. Others will say, “Yes, I welcome improvement and want to hear it so I can learn.”
Respect what they say. No judgment here. And if they do snap at you, don’t take it personally and know that you have to protect your own energy too.
Your friend,
From tokenmaxxing to tokenminning, the AI buzzwords keep coming, and boy, do I wish they would stop. Of course, in the context of this article, the major players declined to comment as costs are still being calculated.
Claude Tag is now embedded in Slack. This update gives Claude an “agent identity” within each Slack channel, so you can tag Claude in as needed or trigger “ambient” behavior to have Claude operate continuously.
I recently expressed my concern about Oracle building a single government-wide HR platform, given OPM’s history of breaches. This week, Anthropic’s Mythos model confirmed that cybersecurity isn’t exactly a strong suit.
The Workday lawsuit is heating up. Earlier this week, Judge Rita Lin got serious about the company’s claim that California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act shouldn’t apply because, despite its AI tools being “designed, developed, maintained, and controlled” there, the hiring decisions get made elsewhere.
William Tincup dropped the brilliant piece “Stop Selling Work Tech to HR,” which breaks down how economics and buying behaviors are changing as a result of AI. What’s great about William (always) is that he doesn’t sugarcoat anything, so his arguments are clear and concise and hard to punch holes in.
Kat Kibben (or Kibbon) did a video overview of the recent Stanford University research on bias in AI hiring tools. Or, if you can’t click through to watch Kat’s two-minute take on the report, one article I saw led with the headline, “AI hiring tools can be biased, new study finds.” Shocking, I know.
dotCOMM Awards (deadline July 16)
Ragan AI Excellence Awards (deadline September 10)
2026 CODiE Leadership & Impact Awards (deadline October 30)
Reading: “Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism” by Sarah Wynn-Williams.
Watching: The occasional World Cup game (thanks, Tubi). Lots of nostalgic collisions are happening at once.
Listening: Olivia Rodrigo + Robert Smith - “what’s wrong with me.” The juxtaposition of eras and voices is lovely.
Exploring: Atoms.dev because there are a whole lot of ideas that need to see the light of day.
I often muse over where I intended to take this newsletter and where it’s going, but honestly, the faster we adopt AI, the faster we seem to be losing all sense of humanity, so The How is here as a reminder of how to be in today’s world. For me, in this moment, that includes being present with my new puppy, because after losing my BFF, Ruby, this spring, I needed to bring joy back into my day-to-day. I wish you the same, and until next time, keep unlocking the how behind the hype.
- Katie
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