Pat Kreitlow is a good writer. You’ll see that soon. You’d like this guy. He’s a TV news anchor in little Eau Claire, Wisc., where more than a few good journalists have gotten their starts. He’s been at WEAU-TV since 1996, working his way up from producer to the main anchor chair. He loves his job and his community. But sometimes he gets a little frustrated. Many of the folks he works with are young and still growing. Pat edits a lot of copy. Pat isn’t always patient.
Pat learned a lot about himself during a recent Poynter leadership seminar for anchors. And he gave me his permission to share his story and his writing with you, because he believes it can help others who are trying to become better leaders.
In feedback from his newsroom, Pat received great praise for his writing skills. But he’s also known for “fixing” news scripts, rather than coaching writers. During one seminar session on coaching, Pat had a revelation.
The anchors were asked to write a short essay and then pair off to review one another’s copy. Pat was teamed with another strong writer, Steve Irvin from WTVF-TV in Nashville. Pat was to act as the coach for Steve the writer. Pat reviewed Steve’s copy and discussed it with him. I then asked Steve to talk about what Pat said and did. What a moment of truth for Pat!
I’m going to let Pat pick up the story from here. He wrote about that moment as part of his Personal Development Plan, a final project each of the anchors presented at the end of the seminar. Pat wrote his as a letter from Camp Poynter:
My name is Pat. And I’m (sigh) a sigh-aholic.
I discovered this during one of those aha momentsŠand it’s all Steve’s fault. I sighed while I was proofing his story.
I know that I sigh. I’ve been told that a lot–at home and at work. I’ll just be sitting there and someone will ask, “What’s wrong?” And the answer will be, “Nothing, maybe its just bad posture or a faulty respiratory systemŠtoo much caffeine or not enough bourbonŠbut it’s nothing.”
But nothing is not the message that people are receiving. Or as Jill said yesterday, “People don’t know what you intend. They know what you do.” And the people who see me sigh may think that I am thinking about what’s wrong with themŠ
Here at Camp Poynter, we had to talk about one of our most admired early leaders. For me that was Melanie Sommer from my early days at WEAQ Radio. Now it’s easy for me to see how I would have felt if Melanie had merely “fixed” what I wrote instead of giving me all the feedback and attention she provided.
Now, don’t get me wrong. She didn’t coddle me.
She also didn’t sigh. I guess I’m at a point where I can try to “be like Mel” more often….
Honestly, the very first thing I learned at camp was that I need to be more thankful. I’ve always said I have the best job in town, but I can see more things for which I can be grateful. I’ve learned that I can finally admit to myself that I really do have the respect of my colleagues. I had heard it before but was too cynical to believe it.
That respect needs to be translated into action. I won’t become a superhero. I’ll still have grouchy days, especially between 4 and 5 o’clock. But instead of sighing because I’m tired or exasperated or frustrated, I want to start channeling that little nugget of physical energy into something more positive and productive. Melanie did it. My journalism professor Henry Lippold was a master of it. He didn’t sigh. He said “Oh!”
He said “Oh!” a lot. “Oh, Mr. Kreitlow, why don’t we try bringing this very big development up into the lead paragraph.” “Oh, Mr. Kreitlow, that was a great sound bite from the city manager.”
I won’t change all my sighs into “Ohs!” but I will be more aware that the moment before I first reach for Steve’s copy is a moment when I’m being watched as a leader. It’s a moment of trust, an opportunity for a better kind of feedback, and an opportunity to be a coach or a mentor.
And when I do sigh, it will be a sort of celebration when the day is over. When I find myself still happy to have the best job in town. Because if I’ve learned anything about myself at summer camp, it’s this
Sighs matter.
Indeed they do, Pat. Now start breathing a littler easier.