Understaffed Heres How to Deal with One of the Most Stressful Situations for a Manager

Understaffed Heres How to Deal with One of the Most Stressful Situations for a Manager Without a doubt, one of the most stressful times for a leader is being tasked to deliver on a high-priority project, to turn around a situation like dropping revenue, or deliver for a high-profile client and to do so with an understaffed gruppe. Maybe the kollektiv is understaffed because of recent departures that havent yet been filled. Or because the demand for work grew before the size of the gruppe could catch up. Or maybe there was a reorganization and now there are fewer people to do the same amount or more work.Whatever the reason for the understaffed situation, its a unique and challenging experience in the career of a team leader. It complicates everything, creates space for excuses if not managed properly, and can be a breeding ground for burnout and ultimately, resentment. But with the right approach and style, it can build camaraderie, offer opportunity, and set the stage for personal and professional growth.Below are 6 ways leaders can help their teams avoid burnout and set everyone up for success in a stressful time of being understaffed.1. Create Space for Open, Effective CommunicationThe first step I encourage my clients to do when their team is understaffed and they have a lot to deliver is to open communication lines. Now, pay attention because this next part is crucial This cannot be lip service. To make it real the leader must address that she also feels the pressure and is not loving this situation. The leader must establish that this is not an ideal work environment that can and should be talked about. The leader must actually believe this approach and commit to it. If youre not ready to do that, dont make this statement yet, but rather work on how you can really offer this to your team.2. Ask How You Can Help (and Actually Help)Now that you have open communication lines you have a clear next step You need to learn where your associates are feeling espe cially taxed and (and this one is also important) how you can specifically help. As a leader, you will need to dig in and possible work beyond your scope--including down--when your team is understaffed. This is not a desperate times call for desperate measures angle, but rather something you simply need to be prepared for and not too good for. At the same time, you shouldnt just insert yourself into everything. You lead a team of competent, resourceful humans ask them what they need from you during this time and then as a leader find and implement ways to offer that support.Tip Sometimes highly effective, top performers will simply tell you they can do it all. This might be true, but if an associate tells you theres nothing you can do to help, dont consider your management of this person done. Sometimes a worker can be so overwhelmed that its actually more taxing to come up with ways to relieve stress. Dont force your team members hand but observe her, and over time consider offeri ng something you can do to ease her workload. See how she reacts and take your cue from there.3. Dont Expect the Team to Do it AllYour team is competent and resourceful, but they are humans with limits. Part of being a leader is tuning into your team their abilities, their needs, their realities and managing the expectations others have of them. Doing so will help you grow a successful leaders skills.Tip If you are signing your team up for endless work you might be the harte nuss and should explore that.4. Create and Prioritize Time for General Check-InsIt may feel counter-intuitive but making space for abfertigungs, even if that means taking from 20 minutes of time to email clients, is essential to avoid burning your team out. If you cant offer this then try to tap resources for your teams like in-house or external coaches and mentors.5. Make Goal Setting FunYour company likely has an annual goal-writing process and some smart goals you want to tackle. This is a performance manag ement requirement that is anything but real, true career development goal writing. Make goal setting useful by encouraging your team to help set team goals as well as personal goals for manageable periods of time.Tip You can then use these time-periods as a leader to check-in with your team to see how things are going.6. Clarify That the Understaffed Situation is Not the NormThis depends on that open communication you established and is a key part of sustaining your team through a heavy workload while being understaffed. This is because a major concern of your team during this time of situation is likely, Is this the new normal? It is essential that you establish that it is not or if it is that you work with your leadership to make it more sustainable. Otherwise, your team may dwindle to only you or become full of burnt out, resentful former top performers--Jane Scudder is a certified leadership, personal development, and career growth coach she helps individuals and groups get uns tuck. In addition to one-on-one coaching, she builds and leads original workshops and training programs and consults with organizations of various sizes. Find out more at janescudder.com

Best Professional Resume Writing Services Atlanta Ga Secrets

Best Professional Resume Writing Services Atlanta Ga Secrets The One Thing to Do for Best Professional Resume Writing Services Atlanta Ga To select the very best, you have to look at the reputation and ranking of the service. Download the web Casino software today and you may play our completely free casino online, and be on your way to the fun and excitement of Vegas style internet casino gaming The service makes certain that your paper will shine over the rest. It is clear that professional services know of industry requirements. Best Professional Resume Writing Services Atlanta Ga - Is it a Scam? Writing an essay is quite an easy and very hard job, at the very same moment. The Top Rated Resume Writing Services is going to be quick to tell you finding out what success appears like in a provider is among the most critical questions that you could ask if you state that youre a goal-driven person specifically. It is a gift that comes naturally. Writing your resume is no sim ple endeavor. For their priority support, the price is $150. In case you have any questions, you can get in hauch with our friendly support team night and day and get immediate assistance. In this kind of situation, among the feasible solutions is to order your work. The service is likely to make sure to format your resume the direction you want it. Employers and recruiters wish to know if youre the ideal candidate for the position. Executive Resumes Atlanta earned its spot on the list as a result of their steady stream of decent output. Robins Resumes can help clients in nearly all career choices and if theyre not a specialist in your field they can refer you to a writer that specializes in exactly what you require. Robins Resumes can assist you The New Fuss About Best Professional Resume Writing Services Atlanta Ga You may easily buy unique college essays and dont neglect to tell friends and family about it. Today, most college students find it difficult to compose an essay on a specific topic. So should you need to employ college essay writer online, were just the people that you want to contact. While its true that there are a few excellent writers in college some find it extremely tough to write.

HECS-HELP Study now, pay later

HECS-HELP Study now, pay later HECS-HELP Study now, pay laterPosted July 10, 2015, by Career FAQs teamHECS-HELPWhat is HECS-HELP?The HECS-HELP scheme provides you with access to a loan to help you pay your student contribution amount, with the added incentive of a discount for upfront payment of your tuition fees.Am I eligible?You mustBe studying in a subsidised enrolment at university known as a Commonwealth Supported Place.Be an Australian citizen or permanent humanitarian visa holder.Enrol with an approved provider, by the census date.When do I starting paying back my loan?Youll start repaying your HELP debt once your taxable income reaches the compulsory repayment threshold. This threshold is adjusted every year. The threshold for 2019-20 is $45,881.Is there anything else I need to know?HECS-HELP debts dont incur interest, but are indexed each year in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The indexation rate is currently 1.5% (reviewed and updated annually in March)Discl aimer This information is correct at the time of publishing, but is subject to change under the current governments higher education reforms. The figures provided are applicable for the 2019-20 financial year only. For more information, visit StudyAssist www.studyassist.gov.au.2019-2020 Repayment rates2019-2020 Repayment ratesRepayment % rateBelow $45,881NIL$45,881 $52,9731.0%$52,974 $56,1512.0%$56,152 $63,0922.5%$63,093 $66,8773.0%$66,878 $70,8903.5%$70,891 $75,1444.0%$75,145 $79,6524.5%$79,653 - $84,4325.0%$84,433 - $89,4985.5%$89,499 - $94,8686.5%$94,869 - $100,5607.0%$100,561 - $106,5937.5%$106,594 - $112,9898.0%$112,990 - $119,7698.5%$119,770 - $126,9559.0%$126,956 - $134,5729.5%$134,573 and above10%How do I apply for HECS-HELP?To apply for a HECS-HELP loan you must complete the Commonwealth Assistance Form (CAF) as part of your enrolment process in your chosen course.A CAF is a Commonwealth Assistance Form and the electronic version of this form is called an eCAF. If you are in a Commonwealth Supported Place, this form is not optional. You must complete a CAF form even if you are paying your student contribution fees upfront or they are covered by a scholarship.You do not need to apply before enrolling in your course, you complete the form and make the application after you have been offered a place.Your application for HECS-HELP must be completed before the census date for your period of study.What is the census date and why is it important?The census date is when the University finalises your enrolment. Each unit of study has its own census date which means you are charged progressively for your course fees as you move through your studies, rather than one upfront payment.The census date is super important because it is the legal deadline for withdrawing from the course. Withdraw after this time and youll still incur a debt, even if you dont finish or get your qualification.Make sure you confirm with your course provider when your census date it as mark it IMPORTANT in big red letters in your calendarCan I make voluntary payments?Yes, you can make a voluntary repayment on your HECS-HELP loan to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) at any time.As of 2017, there is no longer a discount on any voluntary debt repayments you choose to make.How can I check how much I owe?You can find out the current balance of your HECS-HELP debt at any stage throughout your studies either verbunden using the ATO service on MyGov, or by giving the ATO a call.Can my HECS-HELP debt ever be wiped out?There are certain circumstances, like facing serious financial hardship, where you may be eligible to have part of your HECS-HELP debt cancelled, or the payments placed on hold.You need to apply to the ATO to defer your payments or reduce them.If you didnt finish your course or failed a subject due to special circumstances - like serious illness - it is possible to apply to your course provider to have the debt for that unit of study cancelled.To get st arted with your HECS-HELP application, or for more information, you can head to the StudyAssist website.Browse through our range of online courses that are covered by HECS-HELP. ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searcheshighest paid jobs in australia 2015highest paying graduate jobs australiahighest paying jobs in australia without a degreehigh paying jobs in demand for the futuretop 100 highest paying jobs in australia CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire angeschlossen Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCareer FAQs teamRelated ArticlesBrowse moreTESOLHot opportunities to teach English overseasKeen to get going to see the world? Now you can complete your TESOL training overseas.Online studyCompare your favourite coursesIf youre researching various courses you may be interested in, it can get a little difficult to keep track of all the information. It can all become a blur, but our new Compare Favourites feature will take the confusion out of your course search.UniversityGuide to tertiary qualifications which one is for you?To get your foot in the door you often need one important thing a formal tertiary qualification.

The numbers behind 2 decades of sex-based discrimination

The numbers behind 2 decades of sex-based discriminationThe numbers behind 2 decades of sex-based discriminationLadders recently reported on the steady rise of women CEOs occurring over the last five years. In companion with the study that tracked female presence in the corporate world, there were also statistics advertising a disproportionate number of unlawful dismissals staffed by sex-based discrimination.The numbers come courtesy of a study conducted by InsuranceQuotes using data compiled over two decades by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.Sex-based prejudice accounts for about 25% of discrimination complaints additionally, the majority of percentages regarding paternity complaints belong to gender biases.Reports of sexual discrimination were found to be particularly prevalent in Mississippi and Alabama, with each averaging 18 complaints per 100,000 residents though Washington D.C had the most instances of sexual discrimination complaints overall.Its worse in s ome statesNeither Mississippi nor Alabama have any kind of equal pay laws, which means employers can lawfully compensate laborers after their own discretion for the saatkorn work.While it should be noted that all but eight states saw a decline in complaints in the last few years, some states fostered a substantial increase. Mississippi experienced a surge of 20% and Marylands total rose by 17%.Increases in sex-based complaints coincide with an increase in the number of women being hired in varying fields. The years between 2005 and 2009 saw a major spike in the phenomenon (note 2005 houses the Supreme Court ruling in Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co. v. White).Conversely, 2013 and 2014 saw a sharp drop (8.8% and 6% respectively.)In recent years, more and more cases are closed on the account of a lack of a reasonable cause (two-thirds of complaints ended with this verdict in 2017.) In the instances wherein discrimination allegations are deemed conclusive, the settlement the v ictim receives has increased gradually. In 1997 for instance, a collective settlement was determined at around $73 million, which breaks down to $19,000 per complaint. In 2017, the number soared to $135 million ($28,000 per complaint.)Policy has hasted the pace of progress. In 2015, accommodation charges in response to gender complaints surged past $2,500. In 2012, charges alleging discrimination reached 90 and 75% respectively.A distinction must be considered between the alteration of numbers and progress. An increase in gender-based complaints is not as a rule indicative of ethical misbehavior. In some instances, its a portent of burgeoning encouragement for those who feel victimize by unfair promotion and wage stipulations to speak up.

Foliage Gets the Blood Pumping

Foliage Gets the Blood Pumping Foliage Gets the Blood Pumping Foliage Gets the Blood PumpingPeople and spinach share a few things in common, one of which is a vast, branching, vascular system.For the human, that system carries blood for the spinach, water. But, as researchers from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute have demonstrated, that doesnt mean we cant take the fluidic passageways of the leafy green and put them to use in our own venous network. Indeed, tomorrows artificial heart may be cruciferous.Glenn Gaudette, a professor of biomedical engineering at the university, is an expert inmyocardial decellularization. His lab routinely injects hearts with a detergent that breaks down cell membranes and welcheshes out all cellular material. Whats left is a limp, gel-like heart, free of DNApure vascular structure.After visiting the Arkansas Biosciences Institute at Arkansas State University and binnenseeing how they were manipulating plant tissue, Gaudette and his team started wonde ring if plants could be similarlydecellularized. Gaudette and graduate studentJoshua Gershlak were having lunch one day when they noticed that another student had some spinach on his plate. Gershlak asked to have a look at it.Removing plant cells from spinach leaves by flowing or perfusing a detergent solution through the leaves veins. Image Worcester Polytechnic InstituteIf you look at the leaf where it comes off the stem of the plant, theres a little hole there, says Gaudette. We said, Gee, can you stick a needle in and wash detergent in there?It turns out that you can, and they did. The process they used was almost identical to the one used with hearts. Only the strength of the detergent was lessened. At first glance it might seem that the leaf and the human heart are wildly different beasts. Where the spinach tears at the slightest nibble, the heart is more, hearty. But once stripped of all cellular material, the two are a lot alike.The mechanics of a decellularized human heart are similar to the mechanics of a decellularized spinach leaf, says Gaudette. Theyre both compliant and stretch a lot.Gaudette and Gershlak were able to seed the now-translucent spinach with beating heart cells. The result was a leaf with enough contractive power to actually move red dye through its vascular system.Drained of DNA, the vegetable is unlikely to be rejected by a patient in need of a vascular implant. And plant cellulose comes preapproved for other medical applications. It will be some time before sufferers of heart disease swap their hearts for a well-seeded bundle of spinach.Before we start thinking about creating an artificial heart, were thinking about using the leaf structure as a patch, says Gaudette. After a heart attack, part of the heart wall no longer works. If we can fix just that region, hopefully those patients going into heart failure wont need a new organ.Such a patch would be made by stacking leaves on top of each other. Unlike mammals, who need to push and pull the blood in their veins, the flow in leaves is one way. Some leaves may need to pump blood one direction, while other leaves push it back.Needless to say, spinach is not the only plant with a potentially implantable vascular system. But, for the time being, it suits most of the labs needs.Id like to see bigger veins, says Gaudette. My graduate student puts the needle in and hes OK with it. Im a little older and cant see as well anymore. Still, the research has changed how he sees the vegetation around him.When I eat a salad and I look at iceberg lettuce and see a big hole down the middle, I tell my wife Wow that would be good in a lab. Not the best dinner conversation.Though the beating spinach heart may seem strange and futuristic, Gaudette is quick to point out that none of the techniques used to make it happen are new.Spinach has been there, he says. Its been right there in front of us. The decellularization process has been there. Seeding and growing cells too. What we did is bring all these things together. Id really like our students to use this as an example when building a new submarine or designing a new car, whatever it is. Developing that entrepreneurial mindsetbeing curious about other things.Michael Abrams is an independent writer.Spinach has been there. Its been right there in front of us. The decellularization process has been there. Seeding and growing cells too. What we did is bring all these things together.Prof. Glenn Gaudette, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Can You Facebook Your Way to a New Job

Can You Facebook Your Way to a New JobCan You Facebook Your Way to a New JobDone right, verbunden networking will support your offline network, leid replace itIn the old days, networking meant hours calling every contact in your Rolodex paging through the directories of every professional organization you could join going to breakfast seminars, lunch-time speaking events, happy hours and board meetings to press the flesh anything to make real-time, one-on-one contact with someone who might know someone who might be hiring.The tools of the networking trade are changing and moving online, wherbeie e-mail, IM and social-networking Web sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and some specific to industry and career are the means to make new contacts and interact with current ones.A social-networking Web site is essentially a fancy, online address book that allows you to see what your contacts are doing and connect to their contacts. The medium allows nutzers to quickly expand their reach, put ting them in winzigkeit with industry allies and hiring managers miles from home and in different companies and verticals. Its also an easy place to track relationships and promote yourself to a willing audience.But how much use are online social networks to an executive seeking a job, and which ones are worth the effort?LinkedIn should be part of your strategy, but not in the way you might expect a good social-networking site to be, said Robert Neelbauer, owner of StaffMagnet.com, a Washington, D.C.-based recruitment consultancy. Rather then sitting at your PC clicking your way to a new job, Neelbauer and career experts Ladders interviewed recommend a job seeker use Web sites as the launch pad for traditional social networking. Pressing the flesh and phone calls remain the most intimate way to bond with the contacts in your network.If youre only looking at LinkedIn for lead generation or hunting down candidates for jobs, its a valuable tool, he said. But if you send a message to so meone through LinkedIn, they may not respond to it for days or even weeks.Neelbauer is particularly critical of LinkedIn. Although a frequent user almost from its launch in May 2003, he complains that the site has become watered down by millions of users and thousands of recruiters who have flooded the system with resumes and job posts and fill their networks with contacts they barely know. Neelbauer said he prefers other sites, especially Facebook, which gives users much greater control over who is in their network and sees their information. Facebook therefore tends to make in-network contacts more immediate for members, he said.Dont ignore the WebWhile online networking wont replace the handshake, career experts caution anyone who discounts it entirely. Their role in job hunting specifically has become so central for recruiters and hiring managers that job seekers are severely handicapping themselves by not participating, Neelbauer said.The Executive Job Market Intelligence Repor t 2008 from ExecuNet, an online recruitment aggregator, shows executive recruiters now fill 56 percent of jobs through networking another 10 percent through their own online research and 4 percent by searching Google, social networks and other sites for possible recruits from target companies. Of the 42 million U.S. members of Facebook, the most active social network, 18 million, almost half, are over 26 years old, according to The Social Times, a Web site that reports on social-networking companies.If youre a recruiter and youre not using LinkedIn and Facebook or Twitter, I dont know what youre using, said Lindsay Olson, partner and recruiter at Paradigm Staffing. Olson said social networking plays at least some role in the hiring process for more than 60 percent of the positions she fills. LinkedIn particularly is the first place people go to look for candidates. When I get a name, thats where I look first to get a little more background on someone before I talk to them.Online soc ial networking is to networking what e-mail is to handwritten letters its just easier, faster and a lot more convenient, said Isabel Walcott Hilborn, owner of Strategic Internet Consulting, an online absatzwirtschaft consultancy, and founder of SmartGirl.com, a 200,000-member social network for teenage girls. Rather than meeting people one at a time at a conference to trade cards or calls once a year, social networks let you do something with those contacts, Hilborn said. Put those people in a social-networking list, and you have the opportunity to learn more about them and let them get to know you in a low-stress way.Social networking and marketing and job searching is all about getting yourself out there, said Paul Gillin, a social-networking consultant at Paul Gillin Communications and author of The New Influencers and Secrets of Social Media Marketing.Friends networks can show you whos changing jobs, which means a job just opened up at their old company that you can go for that hasnt been posted yet. And (it) can help you get introduced to people closer to that job than you might have gotten otherwise.Three degrees of separationJob seeker Jim Nash used LinkedIn not only to get a new job but to do it in a foreign field where he had relatively few direct contacts.Nash has been a writer and editor at news, business and technology publications. He was the editorial director of NBC Universals Sci-Fi Channel Web site and a former u-bahn editor at the Chicago Tribune. But he wanted to follow his core interests into medical or science publishing, preferably with a nonprofit.I did know a few people at science publications, and that was helpful, Nash said. The good thing about social networking was that if I knew nobody in an industry, I could still look at all the people who were related to me and the people they knew to find people in the area I wanted so I could call them. I was casual about it but it was clear that I was looking, and almost everybody I approache d was happy either to talk to me or introduce me to someone else.Nash landed his current job Web managing editor at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York through three degrees of separation. One of his contacts had introduced him to another contact, who introduced him to his boss. The employer educated Nash on how and where medical organizations might be able to use Web-publishing savvy and eventually hired Nash himself.Once we made that contact, it seemed like things moved really quickly, said Nash, who started the new job in October. I contacted my current boss as the friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend, and it just worked out.But not everyone is comfortable introducing themselves to strangers, even when the strangers are online and the job seeker has a lot of experience at marketing and selling. Susan, an UpLadder member who asked Ladders not to publish her full name, has a profile on LinkedIn but is reluctant to use it aggressively.The majority of people I know are not on it, she said. So the people that would be contacting me on it are not likely to be close colleagues. None of my friends are really using LinkedIn to find jobs, and people who want me to use it seem to want to use my contacts. It seems more a way for business building than for networking.Dont ignore the real worldDoing it properly means marrying your offline network to your online network, said Hilborn.Hilborn recommends a job seeker use the contacts he makes offline to build out his social network, but then return to the offline sources when it comes time to make a job connection. For instance, when you find a job, online or off, dont just e-mail your resume or apply online, she said. If youve taken the time to develop your network and keep those connections live, you can type in a keyword and find you have three friends who work there or know someone who does, she said. Then you can write to your contact, ask if theyd forward this to their friend and ask her to submit your resume. Its almo st impossible for HR to ignore a resume thats submitted from someone inside, and they usually get paid if they refer someone who gets hired, so it works out really well.Even an interview that doesnt work out can extend your network and lead to opportunities you might not have had otherwise, Nash said.Id always try to talk on the phone or meet people I made contact with, he said. If they didnt have a job available, or it wasnt a match for some reason, Id ask if I could link to them on LinkedIn and look through their contacts so I could write back in a week or two and say, Thanks for meeting with me it was really great, and would you mind recommending me or introducing me to this other person? And they were almost always fine with that.It requires the same attention and interest in relationship building as traditional networking, Hillborn concluded.When someone changes their picture, you can comment on it, or when they put up a note about having had a hard day, you can commiserate or offer suggestions, Hilborn said. And if in the past youve sent three e-mails to Maria, you are on her radar screen, so when you send an e-mail to all your contacts saying your company is doing a round of layoffs and youre on the list, shes going to respond, where if you just had her business card, she wouldnt even know.Half an hour on Facebook once a week is all youd need to keep that social network totally thriving, she said. You have to pick and choose the things (to which) you respond to make them personal. But tiny little outreaches are quick they take time over the long term, but one at a time, theyre pretty quick. And it lets you stay in touch with a much larger community than you otherwise could.

Conducting a Good Television Interview

Conducting a Good Television InterviewConducting a Good Television InterviewA TV vorstellungsgesprch can be as simple as asking questions of people on the street, or it can be as involved as a one-on-one, sit-down discussion with the president. Getting good answers in a TV interview can make a news story come to life and build your reputation as a probing journalist. Build your skills so that you can lead the people you interview into giving you the information you want with simple TV interview tips every news media professional can use. Decide What You Want From a TV Interview Sometimes, all you want from an interview are some facts. If youre talking to the fire chief on the scene of a huge fire, you want to know the typical who, what, when, where, why and how. As long as you get answers to these basic questions, your needs are satisfied. But thats not the kind of TV interview that can help you win media awards or help you build a job-winning resume tape or DVD. You need to demo nstrate that your skills go beyond asking simple questions. If you are interviewing a man whose wife was killed in a tornado, you want to prepare your questioning to draw out as much emotion as possible. Instead of asking something like, What time did the tornado hit?, youll get more by asking, What will your life be like without your wife by your side? Notice thats an open-ended question that will give you a meatier answer than something like, Are you sad your wife is gone? which could only produce a simple, Yes. For investigative work, you may need to ask preliminary questions to get your subject to relax before you hit her with the question you really want to ask. Its tough to start an interview with a highly-charged question such as, Do you feel your boss sexually harassed you? unless the person has already filed a lawsuit. Learn Something About the Topic of the TV Interview If youre assigned to cover the Libertarian Partys presidential candidate, asking the candidate Whats the Libertarian Party? is a give-away that you didnt come to the interview prepared. If you find yourself in that situation, its better to camouflage your lack of knowledge by asking, For people who dont understand what the Libertarian Party is all about, how would you put it into words? Better still is to know that answer before the interview so that you can ask smarter questions. The goal is to find out answers to questions that viewers would want to know. Some interviewers go overboard to ask the fruchtwein complicated, technical question they can find to demonstrate their own personal grasp of a subject. While that may inflate their ego, its wasted effort if the answer doesnt interest the people watching the news report. Listen Closely During the TV Interview Amazingly, this is one of the most common mistakes interviewers make. They are so wrapped up in planning their next question that its obvious that theyre not even listening to the conversation. Heres an example of that The mayor says, I have failed my city and have decided that I must resign from office. I apologize for my poor performance in office and ask all residents to forgive me. The interviewer So whens the next city council meeting? An interview is a conversation you just happen to have a microphone, camera, and notepad. Concentrating too much on the mechanics will prevent you from getting the most out of the discussion. One aspect of listening is to not immediately jump in with your next question the moment the person stops talking. If you wait for a second or two, while maintaining eye contact, often the person will keep talking. That is useful if you are asking a question that is difficult to answer. The person will sense that the pause means youre not satisfied with what youve heard and are waiting for more. If you seek to get the person to admit to something, that pause can be the trick that throws the person off-balance enough to get him to say what you want. Ask Follow-up Questio ns in the TV Interview If youre listening during the interview and are not content with the answers youre getting, ask follow-up questions to get the information you want. Otherwise, youll return to the newsroom and discover that while you recorded a ten-minute interview with your U.S. senator, you didnt get any information. Politicians are masters of what some call the non-answer answer. You ask, Will you support raising taxes? and the answer you get is that the economy is bad, people dont like paying taxes, yet thats the money required to build schools and roads. You need to follow that idle chatter with, But are you voting for a tax increase? to let the senator know that you expect a direct answer and will keep asking until you get it. Asking follow-up questions requires not just listening, but flexibility. You may have your list of ten questions on your notepad, but if the conversation veers into an unplanned direction, you need to have something to ask. While planning is impor tant, so is reacting to what you are hearing. Sometimes follow-up questions have to challenge someones answer. Other times, you may find follow-ups help you better understand a complicated answer. If youre not sure what someone means, its better to say, Explain it to me, than it is to get back to the newsroom and realize you cant write your story because you didnt understand what the person was talking about. End the TV Interview by Allowing the Person to Speak Freely Another useful technique when wrapping up an interview is to ask, Is there anything else youd like to say? Sometimes, youve simply forgotten to ask the most basic question. This is the persons opportunity to answer it or say something else of value. A person who might have been afraid of being interviewed and gave you nothing but timid answers could use this time to open up. Id just like to add that if it werent for the firefighters who saved my life, I wouldnt be here. Ill be forever grateful for their bravery, is a comment that could go into your story even though you didnt ask for it directly. Barbara Walters and Larry King are two people who made careers of mastering the TV interview. While you may be interested in other aspects of television that just conducting interviews, sharpening your skills will set you apart from the masses in the industry.