Much to my chagrin, I have witnessed several local television reporters over the past six months throw out this less-than-professional instruction to their source during live interviews: “Talk about…” As in, “talk about this” or “talk about that.” To interpret more clearly, the reporters really mean, “please explain…” Broadcast journalism professors throughout the nation must be cringing! In most cases the reporter’s instructions are pretty broad, not specific. For example: “

Don’t use terminology your subordinates do not understand: Sadly, the following is a true story. A company holds an annual retreat for its managers and executives. They attend training sessions about management styles and new ways to prioritize their assignments. They play a few role playing games and team building activities to build camaraderie and become familiar with the new concepts they have been taught. The managers are all encouraged to utilize these new techniques as

Treat employees fairly, but not necessarily the same: U.S. General H. Norman Schwarzkopf is best known for leading coalition forces as they liberated Kuwait from Iraq during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. While his incredible military career was epic, I often remember him for a few lines from his autobiography “It Doesn't Take a Hero.” He recounts how he had graduated from West Point and for one of his first assignments he was put in charge of a platoon of paratroopers who w

I recently heard a story about a departmental meeting in which an attendee was asked a question by his boss, but did not reply. He wasn’t asleep; he was looking at his smart phone. Fortunately for the employee, his manager was a patient man and took the time to explain what the group had been discussing. We might expect a young intern to make this mistake, but it happens that this employee was a veteran of the department. Ignorance of office etiquette The fact that the employ

Donald Trump’s parents didn’t create Donald Trump, the media created Donald Trump: Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has declared war on the media and that’s a hard fact to ignore as journalists go about their business of covering the 2016 presidential election with both parties’ national conventions just a few weeks away. Just one year ago most of us simply chuckled at the notion that Trump was considering another run for the White House. But that ver

Journalists often become celebrities Readers, listeners and viewers often feel they have a personal relationship with reporters. They like the way a reporter presents the news, that reporter becomes their favorite and the reader begins to follow their news reports. Like it or not, your reporters soon become the face of your news organization. They become celebrities. When we think of news media celebrities, we probably think of TV people. We might assume TV reporters and anch

Recruit and recruit often Q: Why should you recruit your own staff members? A: You want to recruit your own staff members because you are the one who will be stuck with them if things don’t work out. If at all possible, put in the time and effort to recruit and hire your own staff, always. It’s worth the effort. First of all, you are uniquely qualified to know exactly the type of person who will fit in with your team, and the kind of talent and skills the position requires. I

The path to effective, successful management is a long and confusing route. There are many traps to be avoided along the way, especially for someone with little management experience. Surprisingly, even experienced managers fall into these traps blindly. It’s not uncommon, just human nature. Here is a list of typical bad management behaviors to avoid: Don't act like you know everything. Instead, act human. Show an interest in learning new things; it will spark similar interes

Learning is based on experience and education. I know this but I still can't seem to accept it. For example, I get so frustrated when my young children don't know something that seems like basic knowledge to me. I've been known to ask my children, "Why don't you know things?" Of course I should understand that kids haven't been taught everything, and it's my job to teach them. The same is true of management. Don't expect your employees to know how to do things if you didn't t

I’ve learned one thing about human nature: people will surprise you. No matter how much you think you know about human nature, someone will come along with a character trait you would never have imagined. That person, of course, will be one of your journalists who you must direct and utilize as a productive member of your team. That’s your job. In addition, there are pressures coming from other departments. Everyone is trying to influence the news and its presentation. Furthe