Ex-Tyco Execs Convicted in Second Trial

Ex-Tyco Execs Convicted in Second TrialNEW YORK (AP) -- L. Dennis Kozlowski, accused of looting hundreds of millions of dollars from Tyco International Ltd. to fund a lavish lifestyle of parties and extravagant purchases, was convicted Friday of grand larceny and other charges.

Sarbane-Oxley Resources: A Collection of Helpful Tools - Deloitte & Touche USA LLP

Sarbane-Oxley Resources: A Collection of Helpful Tools - Deloitte & Touche USA LLP: "The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 changed the way we conduct business in the United States for the better—but the law is complex and can be confusing. Find below articles, publications and tools to help you understand the law's requirements."

Ethics: The Next Generation

Ethics: The Next Generation Excerpts from a Sunday Address, October 3, 2004, Kate Lovelady

A Culture of Cheating.....
Now back to Generation Y, the youth of today. Some data say they’re taking fewer drugs than the previous generation and waiting longer to become sexually active. I suspect that, rather than being less interested in sex and drugs, they just don’t leave their computers long enough to indulge in nondigital vices.

Another book that’s come out recently is called The Culture of Cheating, and it details the context in which these kids are growing up: whatever you have to do to get rich you’d better do if you don’t want to be a “chump.” Everyone cheats: Martha Stewart, Ken Lay, the president lied about weapons in Iraq, priests are creepy, reporters make things up, executives fire people while giving themselves raises, and so on and so forth. Two million Americans now have offshore bank accounts to avoid paying taxes. So if ethics are contextual, and America has become a cheating culture, we are in trouble. If we want a more ethical culture, we have to take very seriously the challenge of creating a new context for the coming generations.

This cynical theme of Looking Out for Number One seems to run through the split between private and public ethics in our culture. We even sell our moral messages by appealing to enlightened self-interest: don’t do illegal drugs because they’ll hurt you and get you in trouble, practice moderation for your own good. What about other people’s good? What if I got up here and said, “Sure, taking care of your health has benefits for you, but the main reason you should take better care of yourselves is so that the community won’t have to spend its resources on your bypass surgeries and instead can wipe out poverty.” Would you be more motivated to eat your greens and take the stairs? That’s not how we think as Americans. We probably don’t even believe that any human beings think that way, since our individualism is so woven into the fabric of our personalities and our culture.

Three Factors that Lead to Ethical Behavior
There is a now famous study done in the 1980s by Samuel and Pearl Oliner. Samuel was a Polish Jew whose life was saved by a Christian who hid him from the Nazis. Samuel became a sociologist, and 40 years later, with his wife Pearl, he undertook the Altruistic Personality Project. Over 700 people who lived in Poland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy during the Nazi occupation were interviewed. The interviewees included those who did and those who did not rescue Jews during the Holocaust. The Oliners wanted to know what it was that had compelled some people to become rescuers—for no money (usually) and in the face of death if caught.

They found that those who became rescuers didn’t share any particular philosophy, religion, or belief or nonbelief in god or an afterlife. Rather, the Oliners found that most rescuers had been raised in a certain kind of family and community context. Part of the context included some basic values, primarily to care for and commit to actively protect and enhance the well-being of everyone, reaching far outside the individual’s family. The Oliners called these “extensive” values, and they contrasted them with what they called “constricted” values of detachment and exclusivity. Today we might say that these were not “family values,” but rather “humanity values.”

Learning to Empathize with Others
Based on their research of rescuers during the Holocaust, the Oliners described the social context that is likely to teach these humanity values and to create an altruistic person. I want to share three with you. The first is learning to empathize with others. There’s a nice summary of the Oliner rescuer study in the book Ethical People and How They Get To Be That Way by Ethical Leader Arthur Dobrin. Dobrin explains that ethical people were raised by caretakers who gave empathic reasons for rules. Their parents said don’t hit other people, not simply because it’s bad or because that’s the rule, but because hitting people causes pain and fear and unhappiness—and treating others kindly makes them happy. Several studies have shown that ethics are emotional before they are rational; that is, if the ability to empathize with others isn’t there, a million facts won’t make someone care. Ethical Societies are communities and not simply lecture series because ethics are more than words, ethics develop in a caring community that nurtures and feeds empathy as well as presenting information.

Children's Participation in Altruistic Activities
The second and perhaps most important context in creating altruistic people was participating as a child in altruistic activities with family and community. It was not specific beliefs that were taught, but actions by relatives, friends, and community groups that made the difference. Deeds above creeds. These deeds were not necessarily big. Simply watching out for neighbors, taking food to an elderly relative, pitching in with community projects, was enough to create in the children a habit of altruistic activity. It’s usually not enough to want to act ethically; humans are creatures of habit and it can be uncomfortable to try something new. At the Riverdale-Yonkers Society where I was the Leader Intern last year, they host homeless men overnight once a week. As the folks who run the shelter here know, it can be difficult to find volunteers; most people feel nervous or awkward around people who seem different, they don’t know what to expect. One of the families in Riverdale that cooks and stays over with the men once a month includes six-year-old Nicolas. And when you see Nick helping to inflate the mattresses and sitting down at the table to eat with the men, you just know how confident he’ll be as an adult in reaching out and making connections with people. He’s very inspiring. Sierra is also part of an ethically engaged family; she and her sisters take part in doing good deeds for neighbors. Sierra recently read her poetry at an antiwar rally in their hometown, and no doubt she’s going to help her dad with his next project, to build an Ethical Culture meetinghouse on their property.

Nick and Sierra have fun with their activities, but one of my favorite findings about altruistic people was that although they took part in ethical projects as children, they didn’t necessarily like it. We tend to think that requiring our kids to do things will make them hate those things, but in fact requiring altruistic behavior, as part of family and community projects, creates habits that resurface later. I emphasize family and community because children learn a lot more from watching than they do from listening. “Do as I say, not as I do” has never worked. Several Ethical Societies recently decided to accept kids into their Sunday ethics program only if the parents also agree to be an active part of the community. Of course, every once in a while there’s an emergency, and some parents work Sundays, but the point is that caretakers need to understand that children learn what we value from what we do. Some parents would rather be home reading the Times while the next generation supposedly learns to value ethical community. But kids aren’t stupid, they’ll know that to their parents ethical community isn’t really as valuable as staying home alone reading the Times. And more than likely that’s what they’ll value too when they grow up.

Values Education
The third and final context I want to mention in creating ethical people is values education. Although participation by caretakers and community in action is vital, rules and principles do have an effect, particularly if they are expressed in a variety of ways. Values are transmitted to the next generation if they’re a part of the varied fabric of a community, part of not only lessons and lectures, but also songs, plays, stories, traditions, and rituals. All the research says that if you want your values to be passed on, you have to do more than talk about them. You have to explore and celebrate them in as many ways as you can think of. And you have to act on them, visibly and continually, inside as well as outside... as a form of ethical action, building a context of a strong, vibrant, diverse ethical community.

Will the Next Generation Create an Ethical Culture?
Over the last few decades there’s been a move away from traditional religion, certainly in Europe, to a lesser extent in America. But many “unchurched” people eventually find that the lack of real community in their lives makes it harder to hang onto their ideals, and especially difficult to pass them on to their kids.

Is the Offshore Sun Setting?

Is the Offshore Sun Setting?: "According to a survey just out from consulting firm DiamondCluster International (Nasdaq: DTPI - News), several trends have begun to gain strength, merge, and push back at that famous 2004 election-year bugaboo: offshore outsourcing, or 'offshoring.' Collecting the results of interviews with more than 450 tech and outsourcing company executives, DiamondCluster's 2005 global IT outsourcing study arrives at some startling suggestions on where the offshoring trend may be heading."

Senate may be ready to help airlines on Yahoo! News

Print Story: Senate may be ready to help airlines on Yahoo! NewsA key Senate lawmaker said on Tuesday he was ready to help airlines close pension gaps, as chiefs of two carriers warned that legislative action is needed soon for their companies to avert possible bankruptcy.

Sen. Charles Grassley (news, bio, voting record), the Iowa Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said he was willing to let airlines stretch out pension payments, but airlines should freeze plans so no more benefits are promised that they cannot pay.

Gerald Grinstein, chief executive of Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL - news), and Douglas Steenland, chief executive of Northwest Airlines, earlier told Grassley's committee that pensions covering more than 150,000 workers and retirees are unmanageable and could push each into court protection.

sbc's incredible marketing plan

sbc's incredible marketing planOf course, SBC announced in late January its intent to buy AT&T, but how that will affect SBC’s marketing remains to be seen. For the short term, that effort appears to be focused primarily on the business side.

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Uncovering a Company's Corporate Culture is a Critical Task for Job-Seekers

Uncovering a Company's Corporate Culture is a Critical Task for Job-Seekers

by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

Why should job-seekers care about a potential employer's corporate culture? Aren't there more important factors to consider, such as the job itself, salary and bonuses, and fringe benefits? These factors are indeed important, but increasingly career experts are talking about the importance of employee-employer fit in terms of culture, with the idea that how well the employee "fits" the culture can make the difference between job-search success and failure.

One Company's Spin on Corporate Culture Would you like to work in a hostile, high-pressure, cubicle-laden dot-com labor camp with lousy benefits, bitter, talentless managers, and buzzing, green-tinted fluorescent lights? Oh wait. That's someplace else. Would you like to work in an open, airy, truly stylish converted warehouse with relaxed, competent coworkers and managers that not only care about your well-being and job satisfaction, but work continuously to improve it? Would you like to set your own hours, banish your suit and tie in the deepest corner of your closet, and bask in the creativity of well-humored individuals who actually come to work (and leave) in a good mood? Do you want to work for a company that encourages Nerf launcher fights, a llows total freedom in decorating your workspace, and provides solid health, dental, and financial benefits? Would you like to never, ever see another cubicle again? From Auragen Communications, Inc.

What is corporate culture? At its most basic, it's described as the personality of an organization, or simply as "how things are done around here." It guides how employees think, act, and feel. Corporate culture is a broad term used to define the unique personality or character of a particular company or organization, and includes such elements as core values and beliefs, corporate ethics, and rules of behavior. Corporate culture can be expressed in the company's mission statement and other communications, in the architectural style or interior décor of offices, by what people wear to work, by how people address each other, and in the titles given to various employees.

How does a company's culture affect you? In many, many ways. For instance:

• The hours you work per day, per week, including options such as flextime and telecommuting.
• The work environment, including how employees interact, the degree of competition, and whether it's a fun or hostile environment - or something in between.
• The dress code, including the accepted styles of attire and things such as casual days.
• The office space you get, including things such as cubicles, window offices, and rules regarding display of personal items.
• The training and skills development you receive, which you need both on the job and to keep yourself marketable for future jobs and employers.
• Onsite perks, such as break rooms, gyms and play rooms, daycare facilities, and more.
• The amount of time outside the office you're expected to spend with co-workers.
• Interaction with other employees, including managers and top management.

How do you uncover the corporate culture of a potential employer? The truth is that you will never really know the corporate culture until you have worked at the company for a number of months, but you can get close to it through research and observation. Understanding culture is a two-step process, starting with research before the interview and ending with observation at the interview.

Before the Interview
Before you've even been invited for an interview, you might consider doing an informational interview with the company. Informational interviewing is a great research and networking tool. Read more about this tool in our Informational Interviewing Tutorial.

Once you've been invited for an interview, while you are researching the company for the interview, spend some time searching for clues about the company's culture. Review the company's annual report, Website, and other materials. Some companies even discuss their corporate culture on their Website -- and we list a few of them at the end of this article.

Other Websites, such as WetFeet.com, provide key information and feedback from company employees. WetFeet offers “expanded coverage” for certain companies, which describes the company's culture and lifestyle. Find other sources of company research in our Guide to Researching Companies.

At the Interview
Experts suggest arriving early to the interview -- unannounced if possible -- and spend the time observing how current employees interact with each other, how they are dressed, and their level of courtesy and professionalism.

During the interview, you should consider asking one or more of these questions to get a feel for the corporate culture -- as well as gain key information you'll need to make a decision if a job offer is made to you:

• How are decisions made - and how are those decisions communicated to the staff?
• What role does the person who gets this position play in decision-making?
• Does the organization emphasize working in teams?
• What are the organization's priorities for the next few years?
• Are there established career paths for employees in this position?

If you get a chance to meet with other employees (or make your own chances by finding out where they hang out), you can ask one or more of these questions to try and get a handle on an organization's corporate culture:

• What 10 words would you use to describe your company?
• What's it really like to work here? Do you like it here?
• Around here what's is really important?
• How are employees valued around here?
• What skills and characteristics does the company value?
• Do you feel as though you know what is expected of you?
• How do people from different departments interact?
• Are there opportunities for further training and education?
• How do people get promoted around here?
• Around here what behaviors get rewarded?
• Do you feel as though you know what's going on?
• How effectively does the company communicate to its employees?

Concluding Thoughts
The bottom line is that you are going to spend a lot of time in the work environment -- and to be happy, successful, and productive, you'll want to be in a place where you fit the culture. A place where you can have a voice, be respected, and have opportunities for growth.

Examples of Company Statements about Corporate Culture

Amherst, a computer sales and technology solutions company.

Microsoft, a technology and software development company.

Synaptics, a worldwide developer of custom-designed user interface solutions.

Time, Inc., a division of Time Warner, Inc., and a leading magazine publisher, book publisher and leader in new media ventures.

W.L. Gore & Associates, a fluoropolymer technology company.

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.

Dr. Randall Hansen is currently Webmaster of Quintessential Careers, as well as publisher of its electronic newsletter, QuintZine. He writes a biweekly career advice column under the name, The Career Doctor. He is also a tenured, associate professor of marketing in the School of Business Administration at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. He is a published career expert -- and has been for the last ten years. He is co-author, with Katharine Hansen, of Dynamic Cover Letters. And he has been an employer and consultant dealing with hiring and firing decisions for the past fifteen years. He can be reached at randall@quintcareers.com.

Innovation Network

Innovation Network: "Mindmapping is one of the simplest, yet most powerful, tools a person can have in her creativity toolbox.It is a non-linear way of organizing information and a technique that allows you to capture the natural flow of your ideas. Here's a five minute workshop on how to use this flexible tool. Try it the next time you need to write a memo, prepare a meeting agenda or are trying to get a bird's eye view of a complex project."

Sun Microsystems: Blog Heaven

Sun Microsystems: Blog Heaven"Markets are conversations," announced the famous New Economy screed The Cluetrain Manifesto, published in 2000. The manifesto’s theme is that the Internet allows many more such conversations—but that they are only valuable if they are conducted in an authentic human voice. "In just a few more years," the mani-festo warns, "the current homogenized ‘voice’ of business—the sound of mission statements and brochures—will seem as contrived and artificial as the language of the 18th-century French court."

Verdict Weakens Ignorance Defense (washingtonpost.com)

Verdict Weakens Ignorance Defense (washingtonpost.com)Former Executives Of Enron, HealthSouth Also Blame Underlings

By Brooke A. Masters and Carrie Johnson
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, March 16, 2005; Page E01


NEW YORK, March 16 -- Former WorldCom Inc. chief executive Bernard J. Ebbers found out Tuesday what it feels like to take the ultimate gamble and lose.

Facing a criminal case in which prosecutors had no documents clearly linking him to the multibillion-dollar central fraud, Ebbers, 63, took the stand, admitted he had no clue about what was happening in his own company and endured a humiliating cross-examination. On Tuesday, 12 New Yorkers convicted him anyway.

As a result, the other corporate titans on trial and awaiting trial for equally large financial crimes -- HealthSouth Corp. founder Richard M. Scrushy and Enron Corp. leaders Kenneth L. Lay and Jeffrey K. Skilling -- should be sleeping uneasily, outside legal analysts said.

"This is a fatal blow to the 'the CEO is above it all and out of the loop' defense," said defense attorney Jacob S. Frenkel. "This goes to show that CEOs can be held accountable for false filings" to the Securities and Exchange Commission even when they do not get personally involved in the preparation. Ebbers was convicted of seven false-filing counts, even though he personally signed only two of filings.

The Ebbers verdict could serve as a bellwether for the current crop of corporate scandals because his defense -- that he was misled by trusted underlings -- is echoed in claims from the leaders of Enron and HealthSouth.

"He is one of the most prominent CEO defendants, and, in deciding whether to settle criminal cases, lawyers are going to be looking to see what happens in other cases," said Robert J. Giuffra Jr., a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York.

Earlier high-profile defendants such as Martha Stewart and Frank P. Quattrone were tried for personal misdeeds, and the heads of Tyco International Ltd. and Adelphia Communications Corp. simply argued that their actions were not criminal.

By contrast, Ebbers's defense lawyers conceded fraud had occurred but sought to distance their client from it.

Lead attorney Reid H. Weingarten argued that the government's star witness -- former finance chief Scott D. Sullivan -- was falsely accusing Ebbers of crimes to cut his own prison time.

But that strategy set the case up as a "he said-he said" case and put strong pressure on Ebbers to testify and contradict Sullivan's assertion that he repeatedly told Ebbers in private meetings that he was making improper expense and revenue adjustments.

Once on the stand, Ebbers was put into the position of repeatedly having to explain how he could have missed $800 million swings in a key expense area at a time he was canceling the company coffee service to save $4 million.

In the end, according to one of the jurors, some panel members decided not to believe either Ebbers or Sullivan, preferring instead to seek corroborating evidence from documents and witnesses they perceived to be honest.

After the verdict, Weingarten defended his decision to put Ebbers on the stand. "I thought it was an easy decision, and I thought he did fine. . . . I would do it again today," Weingarten said.

Outside lawyers agreed the decision made sense, but they noted that the defense team was fighting a difficult battle. "It wasn't as if Ebbers was testifying against a very appealing witness" in Sullivan, said Angela C. Agrusa, a litigator who specializes in complex financial fraud cases. "What you can't overcome is that the company lost a lot of money, and he is the boss."

Still, the analysts cautioned, every jury is independent, and there are enough differences between Ebbers's case and those of the Enron and HealthSouth bigwigs that Tuesday's win for the government does not automatically translate into a defeat for the other defendants.

Lay, like Ebbers, claims to have been kept in the dark by subordinates, but he may do better because of the role he played at Enron and the complexity of the fraudulent partnerships that ultimately brought it down, they said.

Lay served as the outside face of the company for years, dealing with investors and hobnobbing with politicians and international leaders, rather than running day-to-day operations. Unlike Ebbers, who was convicted of participating in WorldCom's fraud from its beginning, Lay is charged mainly for optimistic statements he made to investors and employees in the weeks before Enron filed for bankruptcy protection.

"Lay will have to consider that the Ebbers jury didn't buy the out-of-the-loop defense, but what else can he do? He can't argue there wasn't a fraud," said former federal prosecutor David M. Rosenfield. A spokeswoman for Lay declined to comment.

For his part, Scrushy's attorney Donald V. Watkins took pains to distinguish his client's case from that of Ebbers. For one thing, Watkins said, Scrushy, 52, is on trial in Birmingham, a city he has lavished with charitable contributions. For another, HealthSouth never filed for bankruptcy protection, unlike Enron and WorldCom.

"As we have consistently stated throughout the course of the trial . . . unlike Enron and WorldCom, HealthSouth was, and continues to be, a solid and real company," Watkins said. "This fine company was inspired and developed by Richard Scrushy, and we expect full vindication at the conclusion of the trial."

Lay, 62, may also think pleading guilty is not an option, the outside lawyers said.

"I don't know that a conviction is going to put pressure on people to plead guilty, particularly if you're 60 years old and looking at a guideline sentence of 15 or 20 years," said Lawrence Byrne, a partner at White & Case LLP. "That's effectively a life sentence, so what choice do you have but to go to trial?"

Still, Ebbers's conviction sends a strong warning that jurors will be skeptical of business executives who pocketed hundreds of millions of dollars yet claim they were simply functioning as a "coach" rather than running the show.

"The message to others awaiting like trials as well as those running other corporate giants is clear: If you play in big leagues, but only intend to coach, expect to get benched to the nearest federal prison," said Charna E. Sherman, a defense attorney.

Masters reported from New York. Johnson reported from Washington. Staff writer Ben White also contributed to this report.

Vertex - The Online Journal of Adult and Workforce Education

Vertex - The Online Journal of Adult and Workforce EducationEthical Choices Today
by Dr. Marlene Caroselli It's easy to influence. It's much harder to influence with integrity. Adult education professionals, in particular, face difficult integrity-choices, for their sphere of influence extends so far beyond the immediate. Their choices affect more than those whom they teach. The choices involve both the content and the context of the knowledge they share.

In the simplest sense, "integrity" means living according to specified values. But, of course, simplicity is usually deceptively complex. Living by specified values involves complex ramifications and interpretations. The definition of integrity that we endorse has ever-widening circles. The more integrity you demonstrate, the more widespread the benefits to others. And thus, adult education professionals hold a special place in the hierarchy of influencers: their opportunities to benefits others are both immediately intensive and indirectly extensive.

When you act with integrity, you are widening the sphere of influence, you are using power tools to achieve powerful benefits for those who "buy" your concepts or your commodities. And, like it or not, you are indeed "selling" your beliefs. First, by your choice regarding which concepts to include in your curriculum, and second, by your choice to share your views or biases regarding those concepts. (It was Soren Kierkegaard who noted that "education without bias is like love without passion.")

The New York Times > A Different Kind of Chief Executive at Walt Disney

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But while Mr. Iger seemed almost casual in an interview on Monday, the day after getting the top job at Disney - which he has coveted for years - it is apparent he has been thinking for a long time about what he would do if he took over the corporate suite. "In this world you have to provide leadership and direction in some form," Mr. Iger said. His goal, he said, is "creating transformation from within."

The New York Times > Business > Ex-Chief of WorldCom Convicted of Fraud Charges

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Mr. Ebbers, 63, was convicted of securities fraud, conspiracy and seven counts of filing false reports with regulators. He now faces up to life in prison, with the convictions collectively carrying a maximum penalty of 85 years in prison. Sentencing was set for June 13. He remains free on bail.

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LOS ANGELES, March 13 - The Walt Disney Company announced Sunday that its president, Robert A. Iger, who began his career as a studio supervisor 30 years ago at ABC, will succeed Michael D. Eisner as chief executive, ending Mr. Eisner's storied but tumultuous two-decade reign a year earlier than expected.

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Poynter Online - Morale, Motivation and Balance: Messages for Managers

Poynter Online - Morale, Motivation and Balance: Messages for Managers

Posted, Mar. 7, 2005
By Jill Geisler
(more by author)

I've been hearing voices. I can't get them out of my head.

The words come from journalists, talking about work-life balance. The voices sound like this:

True journalists will happily drop whatever they're doing when news breaks or crisis hits. I think we too often exploit that and take it for granted. We come to rely on dedicated people to consistently go the extra mile, even just to get us through our daily business. Every routine thing becomes a crisis and requires extra time and energy from key people... People are better journalists and managers when they have a life outside of work.

And this:

We should bring our whole life experiences to our jobs as editors and reporters trying to reflect our communities in our coverage. Instead, we're asked to leave our lives at the front door when we walk in the building. I feel at times that I have to pretend that I don't have kids...

These voices are among the hundreds who responded to Poynter's recent survey on work-life balance. Messages from that survey of journalists and media leaders are:

• Staff cuts have added work and stress to newsrooms. (Long hours, missed vacations.)


• Work-life imbalance takes a toll on health and relationships.


• Young journalists, racial and ethnic minorities and women are most likely to leave journalism because of work-life balance issues. (But don't assume men or single employees don't want balance. They do.)


• Supervisors play a key role in making things better -- or worse.

That last message is why I want to focus on the role of the supervisor and offer some advice, drawn from the voices in our survey. I'm not suggesting managers are responsible for cutbacks ordered by the corporate offices above them. But they are the people whose daily decisions and interactions have a direct impact on journalists and journalism.

We invited journalists to write about supervisors who had a positive or negative influence on their work and lives. I read hundreds of those comments and can only try to capture the depth of feeling they express.

Let me offer blessings to the supervisors who are doing things right. The journalists who work for you speak with praise and loyalty. Listen:

I'm the caretaker for a seriously ill family member. My supervisor is fully supportive in helping me juggle my schedule to meet the needs created by the illness. He lets me know that family is the No. 1 priority and does not make me feel guilty. That relieves me of additional pressures. I make sure I give back in return.

My supervisor checks in to make sure that I am not approaching burn out. He encourages me to take my vacations and to balance all my roles. He is the first supervisor I have had in nearly 10 years who takes that time to check in.

I work in an unusual newsroom. My news director is a working mother and understands the pressures and extra responsibilities. That is one of the main reasons I have stayed at this medium market station and have decided not to pursue work in a larger market.

When I work an extraordinary amount or come in on a vacation (which happened at Christmas) she encourages me to take another day off. But she is in the minority and the culture of the newsroom is that the long hours are expected and you're a wimp if you take off.

That last voice is an important reminder: Only 50 percent of our respondents described their supervisors as actively supportive of work-life balance -- not just talking about it, but acting.

What about the unsupportive?

• Some unsupportive supervisors may believe their approach is simply good management: getting maximum productivity. But our survey demonstrates the fallacy and risk of that logic.


• Some unsupportive supervisors may not realize that they are seen so negatively by their staff. Theirs may be sins of "omission" rather than "commission." Balance may not be in their lives and therefore not among their priorities.


• They may assume it is out of bounds to inquire about peoples' personal lives. They may assume if people don't complain, all is well.


• They may feel powerless to change company policies about flex time or job sharing or fear that any accommodations they provide might be perceived as playing favorites, or worse, illegal.

But there are things that front line managers can do to build a better workplace. From the voices of the many journalists in our survey, I offer these 10 tips. I sincerely believe they lead to better motivation and morale.

Ten Keys to Morale and Motivation: The News Manager's Role in Work-Life Balance

1. Aim high in your journalism. Know enough about your journalists to help them do their best work. Know them as people, not just producers.

2. You might love your job so much you could live in the newsroom. Many wonderful journalists do. Just remember that your staff isn't abandoning you -- or journalism -- when they leave at the end of their shifts.

3. Journalists expect to work extraordinary hours on big stories, but... They resent extra work that grows from management's faulty systems, planning or communication around news of the day. Your failure to plan should not create their emergency.

4. Journalists know that stress and overtime come with the job, but... They resent enduring it because of chronic understaffing. Be an advocate for realistic resources. Managers have to "manage up" (communicate, not whine) to their bosses to keep them informed about real challenges.

5. Distribute work equitably. Don't punish your most skilled staff by asking them to carry additional loads for chronic underachievers. That's where your rigorous work of performance management comes in and helps everyone.

6. The manager's praise defines the team's priorities. Never stop praising good work, sincerely and specifically. Just remember that people read things into your words. Your praise defines the expected "work ethic" of your group. Be specific about what standards you apply when evaluating the work ethic of your staff.

7. Be your best when people face their worst challenges. When your staffers tell stories of a critical moment in their lives -- illness, childbirth, divorce, bereavement -- how will they describe your role in the saga? Hero? Uninterested bystander? Villain?

8. Support people's celebrations of life's happiest rites and rituals. Remember the importance of childbirth, adoption, nuptials, family and academic achievements. Acknowledge that recently acquired black belt, softball trophy, or even the goofy vacation photo. People shouldn't have to check the joys of their personal lives at the newsroom door.

9. Don't pit the single against the married, or the childless against the parents. Work-life balance is important to all employees. Don't assume that the young, single or childless on your staff aren't as deserving of work-life consideration. Get to know your staff so well that you can make decisions that are fair for all and good for your organization.

10. Create a climate where people look out for each other. When people know what's expected of them, when they feel people share the work, when they are cross-trained and can cover for each other, and when they believe you trust them, they will solve many of the scheduling issues that often end up on your desk. You can then spend less time managing the process, and more time leading the people and the journalism.

I leave you with one last voice from our survey that stays with me: a journalist who requested an accommodation for work-life balance issues, and who said the manager "pulled out all the stops to keep me":

The message I would like to share with other leaders of journalism organizations is this: I would do ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING for that boss.

Hundreds of journalists told us about the joys and challenges of their daily work. Are there people in your newsroom who hope you'll hear their voices, too?

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http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=79346