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Posted at 11:26 AM in Romenesko | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
By Jill Geisler
Buyouts and layoffs have altered the management ranks of many newsrooms (as well as other businesses in this country). Veteran managers depart; fresh faces are tapped for leadership roles. New managers are stepping up at the most challenging of times, when resources are tight and change seems constant. Bosses must be at their best. 1. Doing your old job. It's hard to give up what you're good at, especially in times of short-staffing. Keeping your hand in the daily work is comforting to you and helpful in the short-term approach to the team's workload. But it can keep you from teaching others how to do the work and from learning and practicing other aspects of management -- from strategy to scheduling to coaching -- that are vital. What Great Bosses Know about New Manager Mistakes
That said, old and new managers have one thing in common: very few had training for management. They were promoted because of their good performance in their craft, and perhaps for some demonstrated ability or interest in helping others. In these days of shrinking staffs, some folks who don't even aspire to management are being drafted to help fill holes.
Lacking training, new managers just plunge into the job. They often lack confidence. They always learn by trial and error. To help build confidence and minimize errors, let's identify some common traps that await the newly-promoted.
Here are five new manager mistakes:
2. Fearing "I don't know." Don't bluff. It reduces your credibility. If you don't have the answer to a question, acknowledge it, promise you'll find the information or answer and then follow up. People don't expect you to be an expert on all aspects of the operation when you're new. They'll cut you slack if you're honest and committed to learning and helping them.
3. Avoiding experienced employees. New managers often assume veteran employees resent or resist bosses with less work or life experience than their own. It's better to assume thatexperienced staffers want to know what everyone else does: What are going to do for me -- or to me? Employees of all experience levels hope their managers will be good advocates for their work and agents of their success.
4. Mismanaging old friends. Your relationship with former colleagues changes when your first loyalty is now to the whole team, not just those with whom you shared a social life. But that doesn't mean you can't be friendly. You just need to be forthright about boundaries. As a boss, you can't unfairly favor old friends, or appear to. You can't traffic in the great gossip or diss the idiots in management as before. You're sometimes the bearer of bad tidings, from criticism to crummy work shifts or worse. If folks were true friends and you lead with integrity, they'll understand and adapt to the new relationship.
5. Mismanaging your boss. Know your boss well enough to have a solid fix on the span of your authority and autonomy. Understand your supervisor's values, goals, pressures and preferences when it comes to communication and decision-making. Your boss may not be perfect, but it's your job to make the relationship work, and in so doing, increase your effectiveness for your team.
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Boston.com
Daniel Totten was ousted after a jury of five union members found him guilty of signing a check in violation of union bylaws, improperly using the union credit card for personal expenses and failing to produce receipts in a timely fashion. Totten says he's contesting the decision.
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By Mallary Jean Tenore
Many people are used to getting their photos taken and seeing their images in a frame, scrapbook or album. But some people have never been in front of a camera, have never posed for a picture with their child, or have only had one type of photo taken -- a criminal mugshot.
Photographers worldwide are hoping to change that this holiday season. As part of a project called "Help-Portrait," they plan to take portraits of the homeless, low-income senior citizens, victims of domestic violence and others who might struggle to find reason to smile.
The process is simple for photographers who want to participate in the Dec. 12 event: Locate people in need, take their portrait, print it and find a way to deliver it. Help-Portrait's founder, Jeremy Cowart, has asked that photographers not use the photos for their portfolios or personal blogs or Web sites. The one-day event, he said, is all about giving -- not taking -- photos.
"It's kind of a photographer's mentality that as soon as we take pictures we post them on Flickr, get comments on them and feed our egos," said Cowart, a celebrity entertainment photographer. "I wanted to make this truly about simply giving back."
The idea was inspired by Advent Conspiracy, a site that encourages people to spend less and give more during the holidays. Cowart shared his idea on Twitter and eventually it went viral.
HelpPortrait.com |
HelpPortrait.com A portrait of Melissa, a woman who was featured in a video explaining what Help-Portrait is. |
By Mallary Jean Tenore
Many people are used to getting their photos taken and seeing their images in a frame, scrapbook or album. But some people have never been in front of a camera, have never posed for a picture with their child, or have only had one type of photo taken -- a criminal mugshot.
Photographers worldwide are hoping to change that this holiday season. As part of a project called "Help-Portrait," they plan to take portraits of the homeless, low-income senior citizens, victims of domestic violence and others who might struggle to find reason to smile.
The process is simple for photographers who want to participate in the Dec. 12 event: Locate people in need, take their portrait, print it and find a way to deliver it. Help-Portrait's founder, Jeremy Cowart, has asked that photographers not use the photos for their portfolios or personal blogs or Web sites. The one-day event, he said, is all about giving -- not taking -- photos.
"It's kind of a photographer's mentality that as soon as we take pictures we post them on Flickr, get comments on them and feed our egos," said Cowart, a celebrity entertainment photographer. "I wanted to make this truly about simply giving back."
The idea was inspired by Advent Conspiracy, a site that encourages people to spend less and give more during the holidays. Cowart shared his idea on Twitter and eventually it went viral.
HelpPortrait.com |
HelpPortrait.com A portrait of Melissa, a woman who was featured in a video explaining what Help-Portrait is. |
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