RAP 21: Could you give an example of very good personnel management at an African newspaper?

Crosbey Mwanza: Unfortunately good personnel practice is non-existent in the majority of the newspaper establishments across the sub-Saharan region, unless I have been unlucky to visit those that did not have it. In the majority of newsrooms I have visited there is no clear personnel management policy. A personnel management policy, especially if it is proactive, clearly spells out and puts in place a mechanism to high quality productivity and develops highly motivated employees as well as carries out mentoring, teambuilding, communication, conflict resolution and coaching programs. This aspect and practice are missing in the majority of newspaper establishments in sub-Saharan Africa. If these programs were in place, the resulting consequence would achieve the following: build trust, pride and respect among staff; enhance the awareness of employees about what horizons the organization would like to reach and how they would contribute; enable employees to understand critical personnel issues and above all develop high performance teams. Presently in the majority of newspaper establishments across the sub-Saharan region, the opposite is more the case.

RAP 21: What importance would you give to personnel management at a newspaper?

Crosbey Mwanza: Good personnel management is one that puts team members in the organization as people first, and employees second. It also has a mechanism of connecting all team members on a regular basis to inspire them. Good management has to offer employees appreciation. Unfortunately this is a far cry in the majority of newspaper organizations. Many still practice the "militaristic" structure where the gulf between the bosses is forever widening. They do not talk to each other as team members. The instrument of fear is used to keep every one in check. As a result, the full potential of each member is not allowed to blossom. It is not all gloom. Some newspapers are realizing the importance of good management. A few that come to mind immediately are The Namibian (Namibia), Mmegi (Botswana), Sowetan (South Africa), Business Times (Tanzania), The Nation (Kenya), Mail and Guardian (South Africa), The Post (Zambia) Daily News (Zimbabwe) and The Nation (Malawi). Some are reengineering such as New Era (Namibia), Times of Swaziland and Swazi Observer (Swaziland) and Demos (Mozambique).

RAP 21: What does good personnel management give the newspaper in return?

Crosbey Mwanza: Good personnel management offers a newspaper high productivity through highly motivated staff. Good personnel management goes a long way to provide maximized satisfaction of both staff and customers. Good personnel management carries out regular staff appraisal that serves as an instrument to find the problems and apply appropriate remedy. Good personnel management strives to know the employee’s personal values. And most importantly good personnel management institutes clear, specific and timely communication. All of these translate into a high quality product that will meet high customer satisfaction and do very well on the market.

RAP 21: Which advice would you give to a newspaper with small means wanting to develop its personnel management?

Crosbey Mwanza: The basic advice is to invest in "people ware". The common tendency is to invest in hardware. This is fine, as long as more effort is put on those to use the software. Newspapers should look hard and practice what has been stated in my answers above. But whether small, big, gigantic or whatever size if they want to succeed where others do not, they should do the following: set clear expectations and performance measurements; give feedback and create challenges and growth opportunities for staff and organization. They can only do this if they are able to do the following: take time, listen and receive feedback from staff; recognize and reward good work; set measurable performance standards; communicate clear performance expectations and find opportunities and challenges for staff producing results.

RAP 21: Do you believe that there is minimum number of staff needed for implementing personnel management, or can it be beneficial even for a newspaper employing, for example, three people?

Crosbey Mwanza: Whether a newspaper employs one or two, twenty or a hundred and more staff, there is no shortcuts or substitute for good management. The maxim is really simple: follow good personnel management practices and swim, or ignore them and sink. It is that simple.

RAP 21: What are the negative effects of ignoring personnel management?

Crosbey Mwanza: The effects of ignoring good personnel management can only be summed up in three magic words: CLOSURE OF BUSINESS.

RAP 21: Are there some models of personnel management that you would like to share with the members of RAP 21?

Crosbey Mwanza: That a majority of newspaper bosses, especially editors, are not given to good management practices is quite understandable. Many of them are graduates of journalism schools and in the minds of these schools, management skills are rarely taught if at all. There are basically two types of models that management gurus brag about. One is the Japanese model whose emphasis focuses on the individual and his relationship with the group and organization. The other is the western model, sometimes referred to as the scientific model. Put simply, it practices conveyor belt relay where one person focuses on one aspect of the problem and passes the rest to others. I find the western model seriously flawed. So I prefer the Japanese model which focuses on the holistic development of the individual and there is reciprocal loyalty between the individual and organization. It is also time for journalism schools to train managers who do more. But newspaper managers themselves should also invest their times in good personnel management training.