LEDE class of 2011 offers top 3 lessons learned in training

1] One of the most important parts of being a manager is to set clear, concise expectations about what you expect from an employee. It is better to have too much detail than not enough when giving instructions.

2] When faced with a difficult situation, it is best to talk it through with someone higher in the company than you, not with the people you are managing. People at your level at other newspapers are good resources as well.

3] When implementing a new project or idea, consult everyone that will be involved in the change, including people that may initially be opposed to the change.

1] I really liked how Michael Roberts defined the role of a manager and had us evaluate ourselves from the point of view of our employees. I believe in the future I will be much more mindful of the directions, praise and critiques I give in my newsroom.

2] I realized I'm not always an "active listener," and am making a point to stop whatever I'm working on and give my full attention to people who want to talk to me.

3] I came into this training viewing the role of a managing editor as someone who is juggling a million things at once and who is constantly having to put out fires in the newsroom. Hearing from Michael Roberts and Linda Cunningham changed my viewpoint quite a bit; I now believe that my primary goal as a manager is to cultivate good communication and a healthy, positive work environment, which in turn will help my employees create an excellent product. My view became more focused on the people I lead instead of tasks I have to complete.

1] Michael Roberts' active listening session was useful, as it helped me identify some bad habits to break.

2] Linda Cunningham's discussion of the "What if we ..." approach was helpful, as was her description of the process she uses for those brainstorming sessions.

3] The idea of a primary goal of management being to move people along toward increasing levels of independent operation was useful -- I'd never heard it put in those words before.

1] The active learning skills presented by Michael Roberts was very beneficial to me. Working in a one person newsroom there is so much to do all of the time. By being in this position it has made me a person on the go who  onstantly has thoughts runnning through my head of the 'next project'. This caused me to hear but really listen to people at work when they communicate with me. I have utilized the tools provided to me in this project, and feel that I have become a much better listener to my co-workers.

2] News Planning on multiple platforms presented by Chris Biondi helped me with realizing different ways to reach and communicate with readers. It taught me how to keep up with technology and to use it to the benefit of my publication. It has opened my eyes to the people we can obtain as our readers, by using today's technology.

3] Linda Cunnigham's presentation of staff development and construction culture taught me how to effectively develop the staff within my office. She taught me it was ok to ask for help and to utilize the people within my office for ideas and assistance on various projects.

1] Managers must be fearless when it comes to changing current systems. A manager's ability to evolve and implement change will be directly reflected in his team's ability to adapt to an ever-changing work environment.

2] When establishing expectations for employees, a manager cannot be too specific.

3] Communication is crucial to creating an environment in which employees feel valued. Managers must be able to listen effectively to employees' opinions and concerns while also providing constructive feedback.

1] Give specific instructions: Everyone learns a bit differently, but if you break down a job into specific parts — and check for understanding —  efficiency will increase and many aggravations in the workplace can be curbed.

2] Focus on outcome: Established tasks and habits of a workplace culture might be outdated. It is important to make sure job duties and structure are evaluated and tweaked to match the goal of the newsroom.

3] Optimism: It’s uplifting to meet capable people from all parts of the country — and all kinds of newsrooms. It’s nice to see how others make it work in a changing media landscape.

1] You can be an introvert at home, but it won't work at work.
2] Taking more time to plan a change than execute it will ensure it's longevity. Don't be shy about ironing out details and defining expectations.
3] The most significant challenge to newsrooms will be their willingness to disrupt and adapt their own systems to account for change.

1] Communication: Any newsroom project begins and ends with this. The more specific you can be in your directions to those having to execute it, the better. Poor communication at any juncture of a process can derail an entire project.

2] Compassion: When managing others, always try to put yourself in their shoes, and get to the root of the problem if their work is suffering. If an employee is thriving, be sure to praise them, as this hopefully will keep them motivated.

3] The future: More and more, storytelling is moving away from the traditional to the alternative. Mastery of these new ways to tell a story will be key moving forward.

1] More than 60 percent of doing anything should be planning. Without planning, any new plan will fail.

2] Think of ways to expand coverage — it's not just one print story and one Web posting anymore. It's graphics and maps and photo galleries and Twitter and Facebook and...

3] It's OK to ask "What if we...", it's OK to not know something, and it's OK to admit you're wrong.