How to effectively manage communications contractors

Small organizations have fewer dilemmas: one business, one person responsible for communications (comms manager or the CEO themselves), one PR agency, or a freelance contractor.

But problems can occur as the size of an organization grows. More businesses mean even more products, more separate budgets, and more managers responsible for justifying those budgets with results. Each manager is likely to mind their own business and strive to spend their budgets in the most efficient ways. After all,  this is what they are held accountable for.

Many years ago, a friend was hired by an organization that had fewer than 300 employees and 4 or 5 PR agencies on retainer. While he was supposed to be responsible for communications, his predecessor also told him about the nightmare she had been living. She was trying to help all product managers do their product PR and manage their PR agencies simultaneously. Nobody was happy. The managers felt they were not getting adequate support, she was overwhelmed and extremely tired and the contractors felt like they had two masters, out of whom the product manager was more important because he or she was paying the bill.