That essential difference was at the core of a recent workshop led by Jill Geisler of the Poynter Institute at the IWMF’s second annual Leadership Institute for Women Journalists in Chicago.
“Are you the kind of person someone would choose to follow?” Geisler asked the group of 25 women news managers and aspiring news managers who attended the IWMF institute. Geisler, who creates leadership and management programs at Poynter, outlined different leadership styles and ways of using power and pointed out that newsroom managers can be more effective in their jobs if they learn to lead people instead of trying to “manage” them.
One way to find how out how well a person is leading is to look at what kind of power he or she wields in the newsroom, said Geisler. She outlined the different ways that managers gain power:
Legitimate Power stems from a manager’s title and position within an organization. Having the title causes people to salute a manager and that gives a manager more power, she said. But this type of power may not be enough to sustain a manager.
Coercive Power gives a boss the ability to give an ultimatum to an employee. This is the “do this or else” approach. This may help get things done in the short-term, but it will not usually inspire employees in the long-run.
Reward Power is a manager’s ability to reward an employee in exchange for a job well done. People will not do everything their boss says just for praise, warns Geisler. Instead, a manager must know how to use this power in a meaningful and sustainable way.
Expert Power can be used when a manager has specialized knowledge in particular areas. Although people with knowledge can influence others, they may also find themselves trapped. Someone with expertise may burrow into work, as opposed to learning the skills needed to coach, lead and teach others.
A manager who holds Referent Power causes people to identify with them, identify with what they stand for and feel better when they’re around them. Geisler calls this the single most effective type of power. She said, “It causes people to say ‘I choose to follow you.’”
Another type of effective power is Information Power. When a manager has access to important information that impacts a newsroom, the ability to keep others informed and “in the loop” elevates their referent power and their position of leadership.
Another way managers can find out how well they are leading in their newsroom is to assess their strengths. Geisler has formulated Thirteen Questions for News Managers, (see below) a self-assessment tool that includes 13 qualities a strong leader should possess.
During the leadership institute, she had participants rate themselves on the 13 qualities. Then, she told them to get on the phone, call their newsrooms and find out how their self-evaluations tallied with the perceptions of their staffs.
Some of those at the IWMF leadership institute found a gap in their self-assessment and that of others back home in their newsrooms. Others were surprised that their views closely matched that of their co-workers. Learning about both the differences and similarities in perceptions can help managers become more aware of their leadership style, said Geisler.
But that is only the first step, she added. Simply recognizing a weakness is not enough. You must take steps to improve or modify behavior. In this way, managers can use the perceptions of others as tools for learning self-management and teaching themselves to become better leaders.
July 2005
Erin Henk is the communications assistant at the International Women’s Media Foundation.
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Jill Geisler's 13 Questions for News Managers
Here are Geisler’s 13 questions for news managers, and her advice about how to develop these important qualities.
Please answer the following questions, rating yourself on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most positive score. Use the small line to write your rating.
As a news media leader, to what degree do you believe you are:
1. Trusted ____
When you do something that impacts others in the workplace, make sure your employees know what’s going on and understand your intentions. Be as transparent as you can be or else they may assume the worst. They must know that you have their best interest in mind.
2. People-oriented ____
Learn how to get out of your comfort zone and find out more about the people you work with. It shows that you care about their lives.
3. An effective communicator ____
Do you rely on email or face to face conversation? Do you know how to “frame” your messages to others? Don’t hesitate to recap a conversation and ask what the person you are talking to heard you say, said Geisler. The person may have a different impression of what you said. Recapping gives you the chance to make it clear that you both understand each other. Otherwise, “your best intentions in those conversations can end up being something else entirely,” said Geisler.
4. Empathetic ____
Think about how your decisions as a manager impact other people in the newsroom. Listen to people. When you speak with them, it doesn’t hurt to restate things and repeat what you heard them say to you.
5. Cool under pressure ____
The way a manager handles a newsroom crisis or the stress of a breaking news story can inspire or discourage their employees. When all eyes are on you, your words and actions become the style book for the organization, said Geisler. “People watch you and your competence inspires them.”
6. An effective motivator ____
Do you help people see their own potential? Do you help people enjoy their work and help them want to do more? Citing the book Intrinsic Motivation at Work by Kenneth Thomas, Geisler said that good managers should aim to build internal motivation in their employees by inspiring a sense of competence, a sense of choice, a sense of meaningfulness and a sense of progress in their work. Any one of these factors can help people to get more excited about the work they do, said Geisler.
7. Good at providing feedback ____
It’s important that people know where they stand with you. It inspires competence, said Geisler. She stressed the importance of giving people frequent positive and negative feedback throughout the year, rather than just during their annual review. “If we don’t have the integrity to talk to people about underperformance” then we won’t help them succeed, she said. And when giving positive feedback, be specific. For example, if you tell someone that you liked their story, explain why – tell them what about it caught your attention.
8. Optimistic ____
Do not underestimate the power of inspiration. Keeping the faith and “reminding people the importance of what [journalists] do helps them come to work everyday,” said Geisler.
Do You:
9. Effectively manage performers of all kinds ____
Geisler emphasized the platinum rule, “Do unto others as they would like done unto them.” It’s important for a manager to be able to deal with different personalities and to have an eye for diversity in their newsroom, she said.
10. Work well with other leaders ____
Do you initiate collaboration with or between others? Try to communicate with others who are not directly involved with you on a regular workday basis.
11. Exercise self-control ____
Even if you recognize that you have a quality such as a short temper, are you able to control it? Do you understand when acting assertive or aggressive is the right or wrong thing to do, depending on the situation? If you can manage yourself, you can lead other people, said Geisler.
12. Cope with frustration ____
You could be scared, but do not let it show, warned Geisler. When you are frustrated with a situation, don’t just focus on the problems. Look for solutions.
13. Share a vision of success ____
Do you dare to dream out loud? Geisler emphasized that it’s not embarrassing to be optimistic or to share your vision with others. It can help people inspire one another.