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DIVIDE TO CONQUER

I spent ten of my 19 years with VZ Corporate Television starting as a producer, then staff manager and finally I managed Philadelphia - this final phase of my TV work needs explanation.  My boss Austin asked me to start reporting at the Corporate Studio at #1 Parkway instead of Newark NJ.  This wasn’t a problem commuting because I live about half-way between the two cities and actually Philly was a much easier commute.  No the downside - I was given this assignment because the Philadelphia staff was in trouble.  The PTV employees reported to my boss but were managed and evaluated by the director from the public relations department who was a writer and knew nothing about production and she and her superior weren’t happy.  None of the personnel except received their annual performance bonus - this was rare in the company.  Austin reported that the studio was considered unresponsive, missed deadlines and, expensive and not easy to work with by other “customers” in the headquarters.  I said, I would see what I could do to change that.

So I made my way to the City of Brotherly Love and took over the corner office.  I was not greeted warmly by the producers or chief engineer.  I was an interloper and they were worried about what I would see.  So what do I do first?

Nothing!

For one month I just walked around and listened to the office and talked individually with each person about their work.  After this investigation I found that all the senior producers accepted only the incoming work that they wanted to do - they left the more mundane to the newest person on staff.  They hadn’t had a group meeting in a year.  No one set budgets or deadlines.  The staff consisted of a former construction manager who was the newest and got the job because he “wanted” to be on TV.  The next in seniority was a TV college graduate who was very detailed in his work and with his productions - but he took a lot of time to turn a project around.  The senior guy was an “artist” - a broadcast wanna-be who settled for a corporate job.  He dressed and acted like his “hollywood” image of The Director, including wearing a film framing lens on a cord around his neck.  All the staff were hiring their friends and spending budget to “play” with the newest toys rather than managing a reasonable budget.

I called a full staff meeting.  Explained that we were making some dynamic changes and asked each member to make an appointment to see me about their new functions.

Here’s what I finally did.  The chief engineering (who worked in the facility) would handle all the contractor hiring and paperwork.  I would assign all projects and budgets must be in writing and get approval from me.  Fred the detail one was appointed “production manager” and would supervise scheduling of facilities rather than the engineering chief.  As for the newest and inexperienced member I assured him that he would not have to do all the small and boring programs and that we would work together on his scripts and approach until he was up to speed.

So how did this work?   The upstairs enemy was now a promoter and sending us twice as many projects.  Matter of fact I helped our biggest detractor earn a national award for the program “Geese” which is still seen on YouTube after two decades.  And the best achievement the Philadelphia Studio was one of the most awarded production facilities in the industry.  In less than a year our office wall was filled with awards and plaques.  Matter of fact I won a Telly Award corporate TV's “emmy” for best “dramatic” program of the year for the International Television Associate and was invited to a white tie reception to accept this award at the British Embassy in Washington.

Was I a management genius - No.  I just used logic and brought twenty years of broadcast experience to corporate TV - and a bit of dividing to conquer our problems. 

  

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