Working in the USA TODAY NETWORK has educated me in many
ways over the past two years: the value of great journalism; the importance of
clear and concise communication; the power of the written word; the power of
social media; the impact of a great story; the impact of a great headline; the
impact of opinion vs fact; the value in communicating openly; and the lessons
continue. Communication has always been the bedrock of great
leadership. Working at the USA TODAY NETWORK just reinforces the value of great
communication – for our personal lives, for our work lives, and for our daily
lives.
The importance of
communication continues to be at the top of most lists when we talk about
effective leadership. The platforms are changing in HOW we communicate,
but the intent remains fairly focused. Open, honest, candid, timely, and
relevant all still matter. Connecting with your team.
Often in the world we live in
today, social media can be viewed through a negative lens. The trolls,
the nay-Sayers, the rants, the debates, the viral explosion of the smallest
mistake. They exist, but they are a small percentage compared to the all
the benefits social media can offer. It allows us to keep up with growing
families, arrange reunions, share life’s anecdotes, communicate births and
marriages (and divorces and deaths). Connecting with your friends.
Also, with the four plus generations in the workforce today – they all require
different kinds of communication on different platforms. We need to be
able to take the same message and distribute it in different formats on
different platforms.
I still remain connected to
my core high school buddies and my core college buddies because of social
media. We have grown together, our families have grown together, and we
have lived life together – albeit from across the country and virtually.
Chicago, Montreal, NYC, Palm Beach, Virginia Beach, Cincinnati and Saratoga
Springs all seem a bit closer when viewed through the lens of social
media. My current work team likes in-person meetings, video chats,
snap chats, tweets, and good old-fashioned email. As a leader, we need to
understand what works most effectively with whom an adjust our ways.
We are all programmed to be
social to some extent. Some much more than others. We have old
school “just call me” folks all the way up to folks on social media like Katy
Perry, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tayor Swift with more than 200 million followers
each. Being a great communicator is relevant in our personal lives as
well as at work - and it does not just mean social media.
It means understanding how all of the platforms we use help us move
forward. Our digital footprint, our presence, our information power, our
oratory skills, our storytelling skills, our ability to engage and influence.
Connecting.
Alas, not all of social media
is purely personal. At the USA TODAY NETWORK, it is integral to our
business There are many business reasons for us to utilize social
platforms and embrace social media:
- Sharing our great journalism
- Eliciting feedback and opinions
- Speaking about our great culture
- Networking with others
- Encouraging community involvement
- Sharing anecdotal stories about the fun we have at work or with our coworkers
- Educating new readers about how we help communities to connect, act and thrive
- Heck, we even can form new business relationships online
Also, for all of our
employees at the USA TODAY NETWORK there are other avenues we encourage open communication:
- We take pride in hearing from our employees through various channels like engagement surveys, Yammer, focus groups, online surveys, roundtables, etc.
- We utilize recently reinvigorated Employee Resource Groups to help educate and build awareness
- We expect open debate to help us “see the whole picture, not just the parts” or “take on the big and bold” or “helping others rise to their best selves” (a few of our USA TODAY NETWORK behaviors)
- We have direct feedback mechanisms with our CEO, Bob Dickey – Conversations with Bob group meetings, AskBob emails, open questions at Town Halls, etc.
I feel that communication –
being a great communicator - is becoming more and more important in the world
we live in today. And being a great communicator involves both listening
and sharing. Cultural fit and communication skills are two qualities
which play a large role in somebody being selected to work at Gannett. We
are continually expanding and evolving what media means. We are
proactively seeking out new possibilities for our audiences and
customers. We want our media to drive action – not passive
consumption. We help people and businesses make meaningful change.
We connect.
Media is the ultimate
equalizer. It gives a voice and a platform to anyone willing to engage. It
allows us to take action with purpose. To make progress through passion.
To make the personal more scale-able, to make the national more personal.
Working in the USA TODAY
NETWORK had enhanced my view of the importance of strong comunication.
The importance of transparency. The need for passion. The
importance of fairness. The focus on facts. The power of media. The
impact of human interest. The impact of opinion vs fact. The value
in communicating accurately. I am amazed daily working in a great media
organization. The one constant over my career is that it takes a
village. Together. We. Win.
While this is great in theory, I have dedicated years to the Gannett organization and experienced not only gender discrimination, but an enormous lack of transparency and staff treatment that has at times bordered on abusive. At one time we had a fantastic group of engaged reporters and staff that were vital to delivering our message to the community, but that is no longer the case. While I no longer work for Gannett, it was an enormous piece of my life for many years. I was proud to work for this organization until it became clear that it was no longer interested in human interests in our market and most importantly, their employees. "We expect open debate to help us “see the whole picture, not just the parts” or “take on the big and bold” or “helping others rise to their best selves” (a few of our USA TODAY NETWORK behaviors)" is simply not the case in the local markets. Having an engaged community starts at home. If you lose employee engagement, reaching the communities becomes more difficult. I hope that they can see that information, especially in these times, is vital to our communities and our nation and begin to make the changes needed to become an engaging part of our days moving forward.
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