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 cle...

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 p...

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...

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...

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 preside...

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. Lik...

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 you...

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 unco...

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...

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 yo...