Last week, I introduced the idea of a blog focused on the sexy topic of news management. Most major corporations outside of the industry will send internal management promotions to some kind of training or boot camp. There they learn their company’s best practices for managers, legal requirements for hiring and discipline, how to coach employees, etc. In college, I had a friend who was a shift leader at Applebee’s. When he was promoted to manager, he attended Applebee’s management boot camp, which I can only imagine is a lot of learning about how the 2 for $20 menu works.
Currently, most new managers find themselves in a relentless game of trial and error. I’m here in hopes of helping you avoid some of those first-time manager mistakes. We start with the very first hard lesson I learned, just a few weeks into my new management role: Everyday is festivus in a newsroom and everyone will air their grievances on the daily.
While you’re not walking around with an unadorned aluminum Festivus pole, you have to listen to all of those grievances. Most of them will be about other employees. But, what do you do when the grievances start filtering into your office.
Listening and asking questions is the key, which you should know how to do since…well…you’re a journalist.
Let’s give an example. I was on top of the world after my promotion. I was going to be a manager of the people, like a sort of socialist Executive Producer. I just came from the people. I knew what the people wanted and needed. The first few problems that trickled across my desk were pretty easy, which gave me an even bigger boost of confidence. It’s roughly the same time the train started to slip off the rails.
This is the very generic scenario that played out, as to protect all those involved since most are still in the industry.
Employee A came into my office to complain that Employee B was doing ‘x.’ Employee A had legitimate complaints. Employee B’s actions were not discipline worthy but were no doubt causing friction. I validated Employee A’s concerns and said something along the lines of, “Thanks for letting me know.”
The next time I saw Employee B, I asked them to swing by my office. I told Employee B I had gotten some feedback they were doing ‘x’ and it would really help all involved if they stopped doing ‘x.’ Employee B admitted to doing ‘x,’ agreed it wasn’t the right thing to do and would stop doing ‘x.’ Problem solved. Mic dropped. I am a fixer. I am the Olivia Pope of newsrooms. “This management thing is not that hard,” I thought to myself. “No idea why all those other managers stress out so much.” And I rode that high for roughly 30 hours.
That is until Employee A came into my office guns blazing demanding to know why I told Employee B about ‘x.’
“Because you complained about it. And, it was a legitimate complaint,” I said.
“I didn’t say I wanted you to make him stop,” Employee A pointed out.
“I’m so confused,” I said.
“I was just venting. I didn’t need you to do anything about it. It wasn’t that big of a deal. But now Employee B knows I said something and it’s awkward.”
“But I never told Employee B you said anything,” I said desperately trying to save the situation.
“It would have been obvious,” Employee A said before storming out of my office.
I wish I could say this was the only time I made this mistake but it took a few more instances before it finally hit me. I soon realized employees complaining about other employees only want you to get involved maybe half of the time. The next time a complaining employee came into my office, I again, validated their concerns. But then asked, “What would you like to happen in this scenario?” The employee said, “Oh nothing. I’m just venting.” Sometimes you are therapist.
That doesn’t mean your employees get to decide outcomes, even if they are just venting. Sometimes, you have to intervene. Sometimes, what an employee is doing is breaking important company policies and making an unhappy, unsafe or hostile work environment. At that point, you need to be transparent with the complaining employee that you’re going to have to get involved.
Not every complaint that comes in your office is about other employees. Next week, we’ll talk about what to do with all those other grievances you’ll be receiving in ‘Part II: Everyday is Festivus in a newsroom and grievances need to be aired.’
Amanda Palumbo 