Blog 21: Exit Interview

1. EQ: What is the most effective method of managing a yearbook staff, while promoting morale and the success of the book?
1. Answer 1: A successful editor-in-chief establishes a shared vision with his or her staff, using the philosophy of employee engagement.
2. Answer 2: A successful editor-in-chief organizes his or her staff using various media and a hierarchical staff structure.
3. Answer 3: A successful editor-in-chief implements a consistent system of training in journalistic skills.
4. My best answer is Answer 1, Because a shared vision gets people involved in the publication on a psychological level, creating a sense of duty to the publication and an intrinsic desire to make the publication perfect, therefore motivating them to put their best effort into their work. It's the perfect combination of staff morale and book success.

2. I arrived at this answer by researching the best methods of increasing staff morale, because I know that morale is vital to the success of any organization. When I came across the concept of “shared vision” in several articles, I knew that it was something many professionals find to be effective. I applied the lessons I learned in articles to the yearbook elective, and my staff has been much more engaged than they have been in three years. They showed more interest in the decision making process for the book, spent more time actually doing work, and in general were more dedicated to the yearbook. As a result, I dare say that we’ve created the best yearbook since my freshman year.

3. Although I technically did have a mentor, whom I used only for interviews, I couldn’t actually get service learning hours at her place of work (she’s the Yearbook advisor for Walnut High School, and they held Yearbook during the regular school day). For the entirety of first semester, I had zero mentorship hours. This was a major source of stress for me, because I had no Idea where I could’ve gotten these hours. I suppose I could have put in extra effort into getting a mentorship with the CalPoly student newspaper, or a local newspaper closer to where I live, but these would’ve been added (and highly unnecessary) sources of stress. After pleading my case to the senior teachers, I managed to make an arrangement for Mr. Strand to become my mentor, and yearbook elective time to be my mentorship. Gaining yearbook class time as my mentorship is probably one of the turning points in me maintaining my sanity.

4. Most Important Sources
1. Kruse, Kevin. "What Is Employee Engagement." Forbes.com. Forbes Media LLC, 22 Sep 2012. Web.
1. This was the article where the concept of employee engagement was first introduced to me. It’s been the foundation  for my first answer, and its importance has held up after dozens and dozens of articles.
2. Branson, Richard. "Richard Branson on Increasing Employee Engagement." entrepreneur.com. Entrepreneur Media Inc., 11 Aug 2014. Web.
1. Richard Branson offered a plethora of useful tips on how to increase employee engagement, but this article didn’t just support my first answer. It provided methods of implementing all three of my answers in a business, and had them intertwined in a way, because you need all three of my answers to truly succeed.
3. Lam, Krystal. Personal Interview. 19 Feb., 2015.
1. I had to throw in this interview with last year’s EIC, because she was such a valuable resource throughout this whole year. Whenever I had a question about yearbook or senior project or anything, she was available to answer them. Much appreciation.