Regional editors and content team managers from across GateHouse Media met in Downers Grove, Ill., for a two-day strategy meeting. As part of the discussion, Jill Geisler, a senior faculty member of Leadership & Management with The Poynter Institute, led a session on coaching.
Here are five newsroom coaching takeaways:
• Ask questions when someone presents you with a problem. You always need a complete picture in order to help an editor or other manager make a decision.
• Telling people what to do is less effective than guiding them into finding their own solutions. People like their own ideas best, and giving someone the tools to problem solve is better than solving the problem for them.
• It’s important to encourage the person, and to identify the positive, instead of merely pointing out the flaws in a situation or employee.
• Narrow your focus. Trying to tackle a myriad of problems is overwhelming – prioritize and start at the top.
• Acknowledge a sense of progress. If you see improvement, make sure you mention it to the editor or manager.
Regional editors and content team managers from across GateHouse Media met in Downers Grove, Ill., for a two-day strategy meeting. As part of the discussion, Jill Geisler, a senior faculty member of Leadership & Management with The Poynter Institute, led a session on coaching.
Here are five newsroom coaching takeaways:
• Ask questions when someone presents you with a problem. You always need a complete picture in order to help an editor or other manager make a decision.
• Telling people what to do is less effective than guiding them into finding their own solutions. People like their own ideas best, and giving someone the tools to problem solve is better than solving the problem for them.
• It’s important to encourage the person, and to identify the positive, instead of merely pointing out the flaws in a situation or employee.
• Narrow your focus. Trying to tackle a myriad of problems is overwhelming – prioritize and start at the top.
• Acknowledge a sense of progress. If you see improvement, make sure you mention it to the editor or manager.
