Need advice

[RUBIXCUBE23]

I'm the chief at a smaller market station who is looking for any advice I can get. I know alot of these problems occur in alot of newsrooms but I'm growing more frustrated as the days go by. First of all the biggest problem I run into with the news director is he deals with photgrapher issues without consulting with me or getting my opinion about certain issues. I have complete hiring power but when it comes to getting rid of a problem photog it's like pulling teeth and it's not just about firing someone it's also about reprimanding a person who clearly needs to be written up. I hope I'm not coming across as power hungry but I do feel a chief should have some authority when it comes to the photog staff. My thing is I have worked at the station for 6 1/2 years I've been a shooter for 4 1/2 and the chief for 1 yr. In that time I've earned my co-workers respect but for some reason that power struggle is just there. Any advice or does this sound like a lost cause and should I just start sending out the tapes.

 

[exassignedphotog]

Does this station change ND's as offen as underwear? If so sit tight, and wait till the next suit shows up.

If not, then have a meeting with him. Let him know your concerns, and ask him to define what his impression of a chief should be. Maybe his idea of what a chief does is different than yours and knowing clearly what level of control he wants will get you both on the same page.

If your ideas are so far apart then maybe it's time to start looking for a new shop.

You can wrestle with this power struggle, but until both know what the other expects don't beat yourself up about it.

Of course if you like the station, and his idea is different, then maybe you should just say, "Here is what I thought a chief should be, however your vision is different and I respect that, however I feel I cannot faithfully fullfil that vision and would like to step down as chief and go back to being just a photographer which I do with your and my peers respect, because I'm a team player and it's your team."

If he is a good guy he'll be thankfull to hear from that from you. You'll no longer be chief, but you will still be respected, and he can find someone that has the same vision as himself.

I've worked with some excellent photogs that became chiefs and weren't worth 2cents as chief. A couple of them bounced to other stations and you know what, they had had problems there. A couple bit the bullet and resigned as chief and went back to being excellent photogs again.

In the end it's about doing what's best for you first and the station second.

 

[LongTimePhotog]

Keep in mind that he's a small market news director. He may not know how it is done either. He may think he has to be responsible for everything, which he is in the end. Get together now before it explodes later and he's making decisions on you.

 

[EYE EDIT]

I'm in a simmilar position. I too am annoyed and frustrated by this. I'm fortunate in that my ND has just been removed from his position. No new ND yet, I look forward to anyone besides the old ND at this point.
As for you, i don't mean to be unhelpful or cynical...but I tried to talk it out with my old ND a while back...it got me no where. He continued acting a fool. He also claimed to NOT REMEMBER our old conversations when i would bring them up for a second or third time.
Probably not a shocker that he got fired.
Anyhow, your ND might not be as DYSFUNCTIONAL as mine. Talk to him...it's about all you can do, other than to wait it out.

 

[SpotNews]

My suggestion is to approach your ND with the idea that he get more involved with what's going on in photo. Tell him that you'd like to meet with him on a weekly basis (or monthly depending on what you think is necessary)to discuss what the photo staff can do to improve the news product and ultimately increase viewership. This is a way of getting his support without being confrontational. During these meetings let him know about candidates for photo positions and why you think they would make a good addition to the staff. Discuss the people on your staff that have excelled since the last meeting. Also bring up the problems and the problem children. Make your suggestions on how you think the situation(s) should be handled and solicit his input on what he thinks. Before you end your meeting, always ask if there's anything that he feels the photographers need to know -- any policy changes, any overall suggestions, any "don't do this agains", so that you can make sure all of the staff is informed.

Some ND's are micro managers and have to be involved in every detail. This approach allows him to still do this, but gets you involved too. It would help solve your problem photographer issue because he would constantly be reminded that it's a problem, and it would create a dialogue for him to voice his concerns to you before the rest of the staff.

I think that sometimes we don't communicate as well as we should. A short meeting to discuss things can sometimes help. By offering your solutions first, it tells the ND that you are trying to lead your staff and not trying to "pass the buck" to him. But it also leaves the conversation open for him to give guidance.

Be confident about your suggestions, but remember that he's the boss.

If this doesn't work, meet with him again and have the ND define your role in the newsroom. If his view of your responsibilities and your views differ, then maybe it's time to move on.

 

[JOE TEPOSTE]

Rubixcube23,
I've been there, when I first made Chief, I had full support of my N.D. meaning anything corresponding to my crew went through me, and if someone slacked off, I did what was best for the product. Soon the nature of our business took it's turn, one N.D. left one came soon we got one which I thought would make our team elite, sadly I was wrong the N.D. felt that Photogs shouldn't govern themselves, sadly he stripped me of any control, the word "Chief" was more like a pet name. Communication is key, try not to make it look like your against him, in the end the main issue is the quality of the product.

Chiefphotdog,Yuma, Az

[ July 28, 2005, 10:33 PM: Message edited by: JOE TEPOSTE ]

 

[Julio]

I would like to say that there is alot of Great suggestions here, however, I can relate to Rubixcube23 cause I worked in that shop. The ND there was given alot of power without direction. In the begining he relied heavily on veterian employee's to handle day to day operations. Over the past few years the ND has matured in his abilities to do his job, but he never gained the ability to micro manage. Instead of letting the Chief do what needs to be done to make their show look great he feels it necessary to control all aspects of the newsroom first hand. All I can say is Buddy your doing a great job over there, so have a cold one and hang in there.