There's plenty to like about being a news manager. Some of my favorites:
- Helping people do their best work: coaching and mentoring
- Developing internal strategies and systems for success
- Building and sustaining a healthy organizational culture
- Keeping promises to the people you serve -- readers, viewers, users -- through quality and innovation
On a good day, you feel like you've done at least one of those things, and on a great day you've done them all.
But let's be honest. There are days when you lose sight of the good stuff, courtesy of bosses who do you wrong, staffers who let you down or colleagues who tick you off.
That's when you want to let off some steam. You want to validate your victimhood and confirm that your indignation is righteous. Your anger craves allies, doesn't it?
That's why every manager needs what I call a Safe Venting Zone. Used properly, your Safe Venting Zone provides you with ideas, solutions and a little therapy. In the Zone, you are away from your staff and in the company of a highly qualified partner. To measure up to the task, your "Official Safe Venting Zone Partner" should be:
- A smart manager who understands the responsibilities of leadership
- A person who knows your strengths and weakness and still likes you
- A person who keeps confidences
- A person who knows when you simply need to complain -- or when you should turn that talk into action
- A person who is equally willing to hold your hand or kick your butt -- and who knows when either option is warranted
- A good coach who helps you plan your next steps
What if you don't have a partner like this in your workplace? I'd advise you to reach out to a former boss, mentor or colleague. The disadvantage is that these folks won't know the nuances of your organization and may be
too biased in your favor to challenge your perceptions. But if that's the best you have, go for it. At the same time, I'd encourage you to look inward. What could you be doing to build a Safe Venting Zone relationship at work -- one in which YOU are the manager another turns to for talk and trust?
Great bosses know that even blowing off steam needs to be done strategically or it can be self-defeating. That's especially the case when bosses choose to vent to their employees. I'll explain in today's three-minute podcast, "What Great Bosses Know about Safe Venting Zones."
By the way, let me add a plug for the
Poynter Leadership Academy, Oct. 11-16. It's a wonderful seminar that brings journalism leaders from all media and from around the world to Poynter, where they hone their skills. People tell us it is a life-changing experience. And it's the mother of all Safe Venting Zones, too. The application deadline is Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Poynter's "What Great Bosses Know" podcast is sponsored by
The City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. Poynter's leadership and management expert Jill Geisler shares practical information on leadership and management that's valuable for bosses in newsrooms and all walks of life.
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