Welcome to autumn: A time when public relations professionals and their clients return to their work-a-day worlds and business-not-so-casual apparel, all lamenting the return to “cube-ville” and the noticeable lack of sand beneath their collective flip flops.

But what if the flip-flops became career-chic? What if client meetings at the beach – or at least in a setting absent stuffy corporate culture – was the norm? What if you never went back to the office again?

It’s not that outlandish of a theory. Mobile technology has empowered employees with the ability to hold meetings and prepare documents using little more than a smartphone. Today’s technology increasingly promises to reduce or eliminate tomorrow’s commute.

Some PR agencies gather only a few times per week in the office for meetings while working from home for the rest of the time. Future generations in the communications field might not even set foot in a physical office if they can complete all work virtually.

Think about it. The virtual workplace would save on time, gas, coffee — and the priceless frustration of traffic or crowded subways.

Moreover, working remotely could actually increase employee engagement. That’s what Edinger Consulting Group founder, Scott Edinger, recently discovered. In his blog, Edinger wrote of feedback from an investment firm with which his firm worked that said employees were actually more engaged and committed while working outside their workplace than when they spent eight or more hours per day in the office.

While office employees are just doorways apart, remote employees who are motivated must work harder to reach out to and connect with their co-workers. This typically yields better results in terms of efficiency and focus. The email and phone encounters of remote workers tend to be more brief and direct, maximizing their time spent together.

Although working remotely might look good on paper as a time and money saver, there can be downsides. Entrepreneur Magazine points out in an article that a business’ valuable information, literally held in employees’ hands, can be hacked, stolen or lost in a moment.

However, as both personal and business matters increasingly move into the cloud, it’s reasonable to conclude employees working remotely will not significantly tip the scales of data security for businesses already operating in this space. Technical issues aside, the social aspect of office environments must not be overlooked. Beyond just getting out of the house (and your pajamas), it’s also about the interaction with co-workers and collaboration that can sometimes only result from face-to-face meetings and hallway conversations.

All that being said, if there is a sector of the workforce best positioned to lead the charge of remote workspaces it is public relations. Our work is defined by relationships, and we’ve been trained to overcome a wide range of barriers to forming those relationships. Whether we work to bridge the distance between cultures, generations, work environments or geography, public relations professionals are always striving to build relationships untethered from the barriers that might separate many others.

As we look ahead to 2010, how can public relations help a business grow? It is an interesting time as PR agencies and departments have slimmed down and limped through the recession. We’re now looking forward to an economic recovery and the massive changes that social media has made in how we do business.

With that in mind, here are five predictions, wishes and thoughts on how public relations will look in 2010.

1. Social media will further blur lines between PR and marketing, as advertising agencies, PR agencies, brand consultancies and other marketing agencies all recommend and implement social media strategies. As a result, we may see in-house PR departments combine with marketing functions and their job responsibilities may become broader. More PR agencies may merge with ad agencies or form strategic partnerships with digital experts. Lines will keep blurring.
2. As social media grows as part of public relations strategies, the focus will be on measuring return on investment. By 2009, most PR pros had jumped in with both feet, so 2010 will be the year to understand the impact of social media on sales, brands and image. I think PR pros will have to answer those questions or there will be backlash from company leaders who want to see ROI.
3. Relationships will still matter. Relationships give PR pros the best chance of success in the industries where they have expertise. Online networking is a great way to broaden existing and develop new relationships, but lets not forget the personal (phone calls, meetings) relationships we have developed, cultivated and maintained for years. They still work.
4. PR will grow in importance as the economy recovers. Just as consumers are being more careful with where they spend their dollars, businesses will look for the most cost-effective way to communicate their brand, improve their image and reach their audiences. PR is cost effective and I can see it taking budget dollars once spent on advertising. But the dollars will only go to those PR agencies and in-house staff who are industry experts, can adapt to new communications realities (social media) and demonstrate ROI.
5. I saved the obvious for last: Social media will continue to be an increasingly important part of public relations. As tired as I am with seeing and hearing “social media” in every article, presentation, plan and conversation. PR pros need to keep learning and finding way to use it more effectively.

Happy New Year.