Why do people enjoy WAER? Award-winning news coverage from NPR and WAER News? Unique music programming from Jazz to Folk, blues to gospel, Grateful Dead to World Music? Maybe they tune in for SU sports coverage? But whatever they enjoy, whether they realize it or not, is the passionate product of WAER’s dedicated team. Improving the experience of employees, students and volunteers will improve the product and by extension the experience of the audience
WAER MISSION: ENLIGHTEN, ENGAGE, ENTERTAIN
Engagement is right in the mission statement of WAER Syracuse Public Media. That focus is directed at audience and community, but efforts to create a more engaged staff pave the way to realizing the entire mission.
In the newsroom, in the community, in the studio: Opportunities to increase engagement
A WAER student reporter finishes an interview with an expert on Lyme disease and its increase due to changing climate. A professional reporter returns from a news event. A producer prepares news coverage for the following day. Audio editing, writing, recording voices, preparing files for broadcast all have to be accomplished, amid logistics and planning necessary for the department’s operation. What leadership practices can improve this multi-faceted operation?
A group of WAER student volunteers prepares the main studio for broadcast of a Syracuse University Lacrosse game. Two others have traveled to North Carolina to call the game from the press area beside the field. Another group sits ready to assist the broadcast on social media, during halftime and post-game reports. Are there ways a leader makes sure each of these volunteers is successful and fulfilled?
A top county health official responds to factors that impact the health of local residents, speaking with a WAER producer. The assignment supports the station’s community education mission, while forging more of a bond with an essential local health entity. Did a leader do everything necessary to prepare the staff member and station practices to maximize impact?
WHAT DO RESEARCHERS SAY ABOUT LEADERSHIP, ENGAGEMENT, AND ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENT?
Authors Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves identify emotional intelligence practices that can improve individuals’ performance, as well as communication, which can improve organizational effectiveness by making people more productive and efficient. Daniel Coyle’s idea of deep practice connects growth on small tasks with the larger goal, explained in The Talent Code. The book The Good Jobs Strategy by Zeynep Ton suggests empowering people and not overburdening them to support excellence. Each of these can be strategies for improvement, applied to the right team members and related to specific functions.
PERSONAL TO ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENT @ WAER SYRACUSE PUBLIC MEDIA
- Emotional Intelligence: Watching body language and practicing the art of listening are social awareness strategies useful in many WAER training and collaboration activities; Building trust and direct, constructive feedback are relationship management practices that can support our training.
- The Talent Code: Practicing, recognizing and fostering success can serve as ignition for others to spark their drive to find a unique, interesting story or to exercise creativity; The deep practice technique of identifying small tasks but not losing the big picture is a good model for the talent and technical aspects of broadcasting.
- The Good Jobs Strategy: The idea to operate with slack matches well with many creative endeavors at WAER, on air and online, to allow for depth, review and excellence; Standardize and empower also can be useful to make things accessible, but also show faith in people to pursue projects and support their own development.
Positives & Negatives can forge better media organization for Audience, Staff, Students
The key strategy in utilizing personal growth to lead organizational growth is to make the most of traits, habits and strengths. That means finding ways to curb negative tendencies, while applying positive ones in the right way.
USE COMMUNICATION SKILLS, OPTIMISM, ENTHUSIASM FOR PERSUASION & MOTIVATION
In his Harvard Business Review article "What Makes A Leader", Daniel Goleman suggests a leader can:
- Set an example with actions
- Point out achievement
- Share optimism
- Use self-regulation to set example
INCREASE EMPATHY AND LISTENING
Combining Goleman's work with the DISC identified traits:
- Continue let feelings matter in decisions
- Show empathy in coaching
- Social exchange in mentoring can improve performance
- Improved interaction an enhance job satisfaction
- Supports Authentic Leadership.
