Sunday Afternoon Stories

The vibration of the phone in his pocket made Mark jump. He was sure that he’d never get used to that feeling – like a short jolt of electricity was coursing through his body – but he wouldn’t turn off the function because it was the only sure-fire way to get his attention. He finished writing the sentence on the editorial he was working on – a stirring indictment blaming the solid waste problems in Barton on incompetent management – hit control-s on his keyboard and then dug into his shirt pocket for the phone. It was a text from Sweeney, who was supposed to be covering a planning and zoning meeting but had once again gotten sidetracked. It was a maddening habit this young reporter had, she was always heading this way and that like a puppy chasing its tail. The result was usually nothing and she usually spent wasteful hours chasing down a lead. Mark was trying his best to teach her to determine was wheat and what was chafe when it came to news, but he had to admit to himself that h...

One tool smart managers use to attract and retain quality employees is the exit interview. When an employee – especially a good one – leaves, it is important to understand the reasons why. A good exit interview can reveal problems in your management team, your compensation structure, your work environment or your ability to communicate the “big picture” of your organization. Good managers want to know their failures. Sometimes the difference between keeping a quality employee and having to take on the expense of hiring and training someone new may just be simply making sure there is fresh coffee in the break room. In order for an exit interview to be an effective tool, it is essential to get honest responses. That’s why exit interviews are usually completed by a human resources professional. An exit interview in which a recently separated employee has an ax to grind usually isn’t valuable to anyone, although it does make the former employee feel better. Although burnin...