Here are some simple steps to take and some phrases to use for improving quality and behavior in a small newsroom
This is the fifth in a series about leadership. This skill is difficult to teach. Some of it relies on talent, but some of it can be learned. Leaders aren’t necessarily extroverts. Parents, teachers, bosses all are put into positions of leadership. What can help you become a better leader? Let’s explore.
When we see shoddy work or bad behavior we have to decide: is this a pattern or just a momentary slip?
Under deadline pressure, people make mistakes. Newsrooms are being forced to do more with less — fewer people, less time to do the work. So we might sometimes forgive something that doesn’t quite meet our standards.
But that would be a mistake, especially with bad behavior. A manager’s failure to confront someone can lead to a poisonous atmosphere with ever worsening behavior and performance. I know this from experience and learned the hard way. You don’t want to let things get out of hand.
Dumping a sack of mistakes
Why do we sometimes let things get by? In my case, it was partly a lack of experience — not knowing what to say to the person or how to say it. Another element was fear. I didn’t want to create a confrontation with a person who might have a big ego and a short fuse.
Here are some tips from my own experience mixed with ideas from the 1982 book The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson.
Six Do’s and three Don’ts
- Do. When you see a mistake or unacceptable behavior, give your criticism immediately, calmly, and privately.
- Don’t. Do not wait until you have accumulated a whole sackful of examples so that you can feel justified. You are more likely to show anger, and the employee will remember only your emotion and not the message. Waiting to accumulate enough examples also means you have tolerated unacceptable work or behavior for too long.
- Don’t. Never give criticism by email or voice mail. It is too impersonal and creates misunderstandings. It is also cowardly.
- Do. You need to have a face-to-face exchange for the person to understand the problem clearly. If a face-to-face meeting is impossible, try a video call. The next option is by telephone — again, NOT by voice mail.
- Do. Be specific about the problem. The goal is to change a practice or habit, and the employee should understand precisely what the problem is.
- Do. Explain how the problem affects the organization and work environment.
- Do. Leave the person in silence for a minute. If they want to explain, listen well. Repeat it back to them to show you heard.
- Do. Shake the person’s hand and say how much you appreciate them.
- Don’t. Do not repeatedly bring up the particular event or issue. Remember that this is the end of the story. (This was a mistake I made several times before learning to move on.)
The practices above emphasize the values and standards of the organization. They also treat the employee fairly. It’s much better than the awful practice of waiting until the annual review to bring up problems.
In the long run, taking the time to give your people critical feedback regularly will save you time. It will prevent you from having to correct the same problems or put out the same fires over and over. It will also establish you as an effective leader and earn the respect of your employees.
I think giving timely criticism is good for morale. Employees know what the expectations are, what their role is and their importance in the company. If employees do not receive any feedback from the boss, they might conclude that it does not matter to anyone whether they do a good job or not.
Final thought
Here are three useful phrases that I have used during employee critiques. Just say them and be silent. Wait for the employee to respond.
- “This work does not meet our standards.” (If the employee asks what the standards are, you need to be able to explain them. For example, every article should be grammar- and spell-checked before publication.)
- “This behavior is not acceptable in our organization.” (You might need to explain why it’s not acceptable to bad-mouth fellow employees behind their back. I have had to make such explanations.)
- “Your daily goal is for everyone here to say that you are a pleasure to work with.” (The burden is on the employee to take others into account — to ask and to listen.)