By Guest Author Hank Gilman
I came up with the idea while driving my young son back from the mall. We had just seen a “mall cop” movie and for some reason I was thinking that’s what my future held for me. The media business was going through a series of layoffs and I wasn’t dumb enough to think I was immune. So, what was my exit strategy? What about a book? What the hell did I know that anyone would interested in? By the time I was home, I had it figured out. I was a manager in a very volatile industry. There were (and still are) a lot of stories I could tell about leadership in a business that was in turmoil. And simply, that’s my story.
Here’s an executive summary, in no particular order of importance, of a few of the lessons I learned during my more than two decades being a boss in the media business:
--GET THE CASTING RIGHT. This has always been a big one for me. Most of the time I’ve screwed up as a manager, I’ve screwed up the casting. A lot of bosses ignore this part of the job. They keep asking the short guy to dunk instead of asking the short guy to shoot three-point shots.
--YOUR FRIENDS ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES. TREAT THEM THAT WAY. When I became a manager at the Boston Globe many, many years ago, my biggest adjustment was going from friend-to-boss. My friends were happy. I think they were expecting their jobs to become working vacations. But I soon realized the interests of my bosses and the newspaper came first. When it was time to come down on them for sub-standard work, I came down on them. I may have sacrificed a few party invitations, but I earned the respect of my supervisors— and the rest of the employees I wasn’t particularly friendly with. (They were watching, as it turned out.)
--GIVING FEEDBACK THE RIGHT WAY. I have never been keen on formal feedback sessions. They’re awkward and can result in hard feelings. Many bosses are afraid of giving feedback because, well, we’re basically cowards. I much rather give feedback after each project. It can be as simple as “Nice job, but next time maybe you can work a little more on your writing.” That way, the annual reviews are never a surprise.
--FIRING: BE KIND. This isn’t as silly as it sounds. Make sure the employee gets the severance they deserve. But you can do more than that, if your HR people agree. I have tried over the years to give people a head-start on finding a new job when things looked like they wouldn’t end well. It not only helps them out, but it sends a good message to the people you still have to manage.
Hank Gilman is the deputy managing editor of Fortune. This article is inspired by his book, “You Can’t Fire Everyone: And Other Lessons from an Accidental Manager.” (Portfolio / Penguin). It’s on-sale March 17, if you’re wondering, online or at bookstores near you.
Hank Gilman: You Can't Fire Everyone: And Other Lessons from an Accidental Manager