|
|
Mae Cheng
Executive Editor
amNewYork
ELP was the skills and network development, psychological and emotional boost I needed to set up a roadmap that would lead me to achieving many of my career goals.
I was stuck in a mid-career funk, unable to articulate to my employers what I wanted to do next, uneasy at promoting my qualifications for the positions I was seeking and in need of sharpening management skills not taught at journalism schools or in newsrooms.
ELP taught me how to develop and manage effective professional relationships and provided helpful practical lessons on becoming a leader in whatever setting I found myself in. Over the years, the program has encouraged me to explore career opportunities and has consistently made sure that I had a support network to guide me through each step of the way.
ELP was an integral part of the foundation that has propelled me to become a leader in my newsroom as well as in the industry.
|
|
|
Paul Cheung
Interactives and Graphics Editor
The Associated Press
In these challenging times in our industry, many journalists are confused, lost and even doubting the future of journalism. AAJA’s Executive Leadership Program helped me to focus on my strengths and showed me how to maximize my assets to be a part of a solution and not a problem.
One of the most valuable components of AAJA’s ELP was the mentoring program. My mentor -- Mark Lukasiewicz, NBC News’ VP of Digital Media — worked with me on expanding my scope and understanding of the industry and the digital landscape.
In addition to the mentoring, the advanced seminars and workshops also added to my professional growth. The program taught me how my cultural values influence and shape my decisions in the newsroom. Because of programs like ELP, I’m now a much more active participant in my newsroom and in our industry. |
|
|
Katharine Fong
Editor and Publisher, Scene Magazine
San Jose Mercury News
The Executive Leadership Program has been critical in helping shape who I am. For me, ELP has been ongoing process, an evolution, that started with the first session in 1995 and continued through various advanced seminars and informal relationships right up to my current participation in the ELP Mentor Program.
ELP has taught me to think big, both for myself and for my company, to set a vision and articulate it. My first ELP experience coincided with my moving from independent magazines to a corporate newspaper company. The program made me understand how my culture and background influenced my leadership potential and skills as a manager. It revealed how organizations are structured and how I could fit in. I credit ELP with giving me a personal and professional foundation from which I could further build a career.
As I changed jobs, learned new skills, moved up, and balanced (often with difficulty) family and work, the friends and connections I made through ELP were always supportive and ready sounding boards. Whether I was dealing with a particularly challenging coworker or considering a job offer, ELP-ers were resourceful and sage advisors. I tried to give back in similar fashion; I also pushed others into ELP, and was gratified when "resistors" came back bubbling with enthusiasm and ideas.
With changes in the industry recently, my company has been sold twice, and had numerous management changes, layoffs and cutbacks. My cumulative ELP learnings have helped me navigate these increasingly tough times, and I appreciate more than ever the network ELP provides. In the end, ELP goes way beyond work, journalism and even leadership. It is family - a deep, rich community that, like family, is an essential part of me.
|
|
|
Tran Ha
Associate Managing Editor, RedEye/Metromix
Chicago Tribune/TheMash
AAJA's Executive Leadership Program helped me recognize the strengths I didn't know I had. And that's just the beginning. The experience -- and the support of my fellow ELPers -- has made me more confident, helped me take smart risks in my career, and made me realize just how important it is to establish and nurture professional relationships. This didn't happen overnight, but over the past five years, I've built on the lessons I learned from ELP. I couldn't have done this without the support of the ELP network.
|
