"Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together." -- A quote on my calendar -- ascribed to Woodrow Wilson -- that has special meaning in our changing workforce
I have written in the past about the importance of networking. Today, I want to note the importance of friendship, helping make sense of this daily chaos in our work lives. Venting to someone you trust has enormous value.
As the industry cuts people and jobs -- 900 journalists and colleagues in the media have been laid off recently -- I am reminded that many of those co-workers are friends. A couple of weeks ago I discovered:
- A committed journalist, who was working with me on his next career steps, had received his notice.
- A broadcast journalist visiting my office lamented the loss of the "good journalists" in the industry, those who were in their jobs to make a difference.
- A dear friend lost two of her colleagues to jobs outside the industry. We shared our sadness, embracing friendship in the face of these challenges.
Regardless of where I have worked, people made the experience worthwhile and provided knowledge beyond the basic day-to-day operations. Each friend enhanced my life through the challenges we met together. While we all have titles, the friendships trumped the titles.
- At The Hartford Courant, I learned the importance of investigative reporting and editing from Claude Albert, now the managing editor who has accepted a buyout. When I write, I still hear him say with a smile, "What the hell does that mean?" He helped me cut the B.S. my English degree added to writing.
- John Long, the retired chief photographer at the Courant, forewarned me in '89 of the trouble imaging could cause photojournalism by doctoring the integrity of the visual story.
- Kathleen Hallion, one of the best leaders I reported to in my advertising years in newspapers, lived the belief: "Focus on the people, not the numbers. Work with your employees to support them doing their best. The revenue will follow. Once you know you have gotten their best, look to fix the processes, not to blame the people."
- I called Jeremiah Clifford the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle's "guardian angel" (he's better known as the paper's production manager). He modeled teamwork impeccably. In the e-mail, high-tech communication era, he would walk, shillelagh in hand, from one manager to another to clarify and confirm in person what his production teams were ready to print.
- Charlie Hoag, now a consultant, consistently demonstrated the importance of relationship building with customers when he was a vice president at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Avoiding the politics, he reminds us that the customer pays our paycheck and that business is built on how well we serve our advertisers. "Keep it simple: know your customer, understand their organization and their business, help them meet their goals and find ways to overcome their obstacles."
All of us in journalism can be encouraged by knowing that what we do helps preserve our democracy. Some of us do it directly, reporting the news. Others contribute by printing the paper, selling the advertising, accounting for revenue, and caring for employees through human resources.
In these jobs, I have found people of integrity, of great passion, of great talent and of great heart. In these news organizations, folks share thoughts and worries, expectations and disappointments. There is a celebration of friendship that reaches beyond layoffs, cutbacks and daily struggles. It would be impossible to survive without these colleagues.
The industry is changing, but some things in the business are lasting.
Appreciate your trusted friends. Recognize how your friendship supports one another. It will hold us together.
