Online Public Relations Thoughts

This article is a reminder that behavior changes take time in organizations, especially if the organization takes on a new mission. Fighter pilots actively resisted flying drones when they were first put into service. They fly them today remotely, but many still don't like them. They want to be in the cockpit of a jet and putting it through the sound barrier. The Air Force's mission with drones is critical to the support of ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, so pilots are coming around slowly. Changes like this take years to accomplish with unrelenting persuasion and pressure. That is why so many mergers and acquisitions fail. Neither the acquirer nor the acquired are ready to change. The role of internal PR with a new mission is essential, but it isn't enough. It takes time to convert minds to new realities, and some never do.