work vs social life

[yellowbeta]

How do you, as a Chief, deal with the constant calls and demands from the staff. I work at a small market station and find myself getting calls 7 days a week. I understand people have issues that need addressing, but I need time away from work now and then. I suppose it doesn't help that I work with a young staff and use not-so-reliable Avid Newscutters.

Any suggestions on how to keep my sanity

[Brad]

I find its important for the guys to know if they have questions I will always make time for them. When they call on weekends that never bothers me either.

We had one issue where the Producer was going to make my junior shooter knock on the door of a mom who 6 hours prior just lost her 15yr old son under difficult circumstances during a weekend shift (if this is news or not is another story - reporter wasn’t available as well). I got that phone call from the distressed shooter who didn’t want to do it, and after consulting the Producer and the News Director who were hard core still about this….I decided to come in and help my guy knock on that door.

[Currentchief]

Some would say, "That's part of the job". i would agree...to a point.

Part of your job is helping your staff to exist without your constant handholding. Just like children, sometimes you have to say, "What do you think you should do?" then hang up. Make a call to you a last ditch manuever and not the first step to any problem. Don't make it impossible to get ahold of you, just hard.

Like kids, they'll learn how to care for themselves and rely less on you for everything.

good luck!

[yellowbeta]

Thanks for the help so far. I've just been getting a little stressed as of late. You know, the things you hate but have no control over (ie things controlled by the budget and other departments). Nothing like walking in to start your shift and having someone waiting to yell at you because someone took a air check tape, hahahahaha.

I think it's time for a vacation :)

[amp]

Social life? What's that? My station just switched to P2, Avid, and a server all in the last 3 months. I knew I was spending too much time at the station when my mind started organizing my dreams in projects, bins, and sequences. :rolleyes:

[micaelb]

I agree with Currentchief in that your staff needs know they are expected to solve some problem themselves. Yes, ask them what they think they should do and if it's the right answer you're one step closer to being left alone.

Always be there to deal with 'people' problems and handle the 'thing' problems on company time.

We just had what we lovingly call "our favorite upgrade" to our Newscutters. We've uninstalled 6.1.7 because even Avid admits it's "buggy". I don't know if that helps you or not.

I'm so lucky to have an experianced staff that takes a lot of pride in their gear and their work. When I get a call it's usually pretty important. Those calls don't come often.

[Run 'n' Get 'em]

Not a chief, but as a staffer with a fairly hands off chief, I'd say just tell them... "Ok, Busy between x o'clock and y o'clock. Other than that call me if you got any problems." Yea, be there for your guys but you've also gotta have your own life.

Now if I get more than a few calls from a producer or someone on my night off... I'll just hang up on them. Same as the chief deserves, I need time off too!

I've gotten to where I start looking for places that I can get a shot out of when I go out...10ft from power lines, no obstructions b/w there and the tower, etc :eek:

[yellowbeta]

Hahaha, Avid is now a dirty word here. I spent most of my day yesterday fixing a Newscutter XP.

I made it home only to get called about the other cutter acting up.

I think if we drop them in the river my life will get better :)

[Phuque]

There should be some sort of compensation for being called on for help at home.

One phone call on ocassion is part of the jig.

However living with the phone stuck to your ear is not acceptable.

However you'll be fed a line by the folks upstairs how you part of management and that's just part of the job.

Let the BS continue

[Mr MoOz]

Having done the chief trick for 7+ in a small market, I would definitely agree with currentchief and michealb.

Solving this is going to take a bit of time, but you are going to have to ween them off you as an answer book. You are going to need this if you go on vacation, you may come back to mess.

Tell us how you have things setup, what shift you do, staff size, average experiance level, churn rate, source of hires, etc. What kind of ND, producers, do you have, who runs the shop, and do you have any standards.

This way we can toss out ideas that may fit you better than the general bandaid thoughts.

[yellowbeta]

I know my biggest problem is working with mostly new people. Toss into that some new equipment that doesn't want to work.

It's getting better. I've started showing people how to solve their problems, instead of just solving it and walking away. Just doing that has helped cut down on the calls and at the same time makes the staff feel more comfortable/confident.

Thanks again for your help.

[Brian P]

One option may be to get an assistant.
Take one of your reliable shooters, guarantee him/her a few hours of OT a week and put them in charge of trucks, beepers, phones, gear inventory, tape stock, or whatever you think appropriate.
If that works, make up an "on call" schedule for weekends like doctors do.

[aught1]

okay,
here it goes.
first, establish your most loyal photogs.
pledge your loyalty to them and ask them to return the vow.
second, stay true to your word.
third, give all your staff your tricks, save one or two.
fourth, tell your loyal ones to spread the word.
if you are a union shop, offer an additional layer of protection.
if you are not a union shop, offer them the only layer of protection they have.
fifth, watch they're stories.
sixth, when you critique them, tell them all the good things about their story. "back door" into the things they should think about on the next story, gently.
seventh, go out of your way to show loyalty to them.
eighth, when you must put them out, make a deal and stick to the deal
ninth, have a system and process to your actions.
tenth, and most important, protect them. they are fragile artists in the making. they will follow you wherever you go if they trust you.
eleventh, lead by example. you have to be the baddest motherf@cker on the block. if you are not, use the one nearest you to prove your point (he or she should be on the first list.)
everyone craves leadership.
glad to help.
-aught1

[ November 10, 2005, 05:03 AM: Message edited by: aught1 ]

[aught1]

oh yeah,
if they step out of line, remind them of steps one througn 11 and tell them to get back to work.
-aught1

[Mr MoOz]

And if they step out of line again, take them out back behind the dishes and deal with them. Use a rubber hose it leaves no long term marks!

Seriously, he brings up some good points. Try to get them to see/say what they needed to do better, you will be able to bring this out by pointing out the good that you like.

I was in your shoes in a training market, what I found that worked well was creating a realist set of standards, and creating a basic gear kit that everyone had. The standards gave everyone a good guidleine as what was expected. But you have to be proactive, watch those stories and the RAW tapes. It is a juggle of life and time.

Anything that needed to be replaced within the latter was done asap, not by who's gear it was. Anything extra that the station allowed me to buy, went to the person who would, could, and did use it. That gave me a carrot to work within the "strech a penny to wire" attitude my station had.

You want loyalty/respect/etc, you have to give it too. Then you can demand it. Just rememeber you are the boss, nothing more untill you earn it; and in the end you have to be the boss.