Are you a manager in TV and online services for your region?
Do you need support in how best to lead people during these uncertain times?

Webinar, 28th April 2020 12:30 - 13:30 (CET)

It’s what everyone is asking right now. ‘How are you?’ And if you happen to be leading a news team in regional TV during the Coronavirus crisis, the answer may well be, ‘It’s tough!” The way we organise ourselves and how we report on stories has changed overnight. But as the one having to implement that change, how do you stay resilient yourself and how do you make sure your team does too?

On 28 April, CIRCOM Regional brought 14 regional television editors from 11 different countries together on a webinar to share experiences and to learn the tools and techniques of building resilience. CIRCOM leadership trainer Mia Costello and Warsaw based resilience expert, Zusanna Ziomecka led an hour-long workshop.

They reminded editors of the main pillars of effective leadership: giving clarity, making time for feedback and empowering people in the way you lead. And they showed how each of these was more important than ever because of the crisis. Clarity is under attack when there’s so much uncertainty. So set short term goals just for the day perhaps and celebrate achieving them. Make time for feedback. This makes sure people don’t feel isolated if homeworking and helps them discuss how they’re doing themselves. And empower people in the way you lead. As leader, you don’t need to know all the answers. How can you? You need to ask open questions of those you work with and allow everyone to contribute.

Responding to some of the editors’ experiences, resilience expert Zusanna Ziomeka focussed on the effects of stress. It can enable people to work quickly with focus, but it can also take away from their skills, making it more difficult for them to be creative or analytical. It’s important that as leaders we recognise how people can be affected and that we make allowances.

And finally, almost counter-intuitively, the session finished with the idea of ‘Go slowly when the path ahead is unclear’. In regional television right now, audiences are at their highest, staff are being asked to deliver in the most trying of circumstances. But this is not a time to rush decisions. Good leadership has never been more important.

27-29/04/2020 Brussels, Belgium