Editor & Publisher: The Corner Office - Newspaper, News Publishing Media Management Executive Advice

About Doug Phares

Managing Partner, Silverwind Enterprises & E&P Columnist

Doug Phares is passionate about finding ways for businesses to get past the hurdles that everyone stumbles on. From small-scale work like examining product bundling to helping decision-makers develop 3-year plans, Phares has seen it all over the course of his career.

Phares was most recently the CEO of the Sandusky Newspaper Group (SNG), a media holding company operating in Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. Phares joined SNG as publisher of its namesake, the Sandusky (Ohio) Register, and made such an impact in change management than he took over leadership of the entire group a short time later.

While Phares’ most recent position was focused on local media, he maintains that the rules of business are universal: Simplify your processes, keep clear lines of communication, and keep everyone engaged in meeting goals.This approach has met with many successes, and Phares now has a pool of professional contacts who are available for all Silverwind clients who may need industry-specific insight or any other form of highly targeted assistance.

More than anything, Phares understands the power of setting goals and sticking to them. Beyond ever-changing “hot tips” or new industry-generated buzzwords, Phares identifies problems and sets people on clear paths to progress. Phares will never claim to have secret shortcuts to success or any other hollow promises, but he does have the experience to help clients identify their pain points and stay on the path to fixing them.

Outside of his professional life, Phares serves on the board of directors for the local chapter of Rotary International. In the past, he's held various board positions with United Way, and has also served as President of chambers of commerce and other non-profit groups in several cities.

A University of Illinois graduate, Phares spends what free time is left sailing, scuba diving, and playing with cameras. He fails to understand the allure of Twitter but will sometimes engage in frustrated dalliances with it. Additionally, he regularly contributes to a column in Editor & Publisher.

Latest Columns from "The Corner Office"

Are you yesterday or tomorrow? Learning to take risks

A yesterday business falls back on “well this is how we’ve always done it, so this is how we should continue doing it.” And for much of American history, this strategy has been enough for plenty of businesses to succeed. But in the last 20 years, we’ve seen a growing class of disruptors who take the old model and find a way to change it for tomorrow.

Be prepared for some changes to your workplace in 2024

E&P columnist Doug Phares isn't expecting huge workplace changes during 2024. Instead, as he gazes into his crystal ball, he's predicting change will come with small, gradual steps. Read his predictions about pricing, AI and the job market.

The curious personnel case of Carla Minetti

Managing personnel can be a fraught subject even in the simplest of circumstances. Specifically, it can be hard to balance your desire to do right by the company with your desire to do right by your people. This case study from 1969 offers a lot of insight into how employers should approach managing today.

More Corner Office

What are you afraid of? Resisting the culture and confines of fear

Fear is an inherently defensive feeling. It can lead to hunkering down and weathering the storm, but staying safe and growing are two very different things. In business, these two actions may sometimes be mutually exclusive.

'What’s in it for me?' The gap between what you care about and what they care about.

Regardless of your industry, at least part of your organization’s core function is communicating information to your target audience. Whether that’s telling them how to make good dietary decisions or providing information on your latest sale, you are usually seeking a reaction. Because if you don’t understand their perspective, you will screw it up.

Become 'the other job," by creating a workplace where employees resist the temptation to leave.

Employees who are happy with their current employers aren’t likely to be tempted into another position. So, how do you ensure you don't lose your people to a new, more appealing offer? Simple. You become the other job. Instead of the boring person at home, you become the mistress.

The trend is the trend is the trend. Using momentum to gauge your business' performance.

Business momentum tends to be a more significant factor in gauging a business’ performance than many people think. Some of what is happening to you may be of your own making, but it’s important to remember that you're surrounded by outside forces that could change your trajectory.

Strategy or tactics. Is that the North Star or a train heading toward you?

We’re well into the new year, and by now, you certainly have some sense of what you want to accomplish in 2023. I know because it seems like everyone has been forced to identify some goal, direction or thought for the year. But setting up a goal, or “strategic objective,” is not the same thing as executing one.

Stop already!

I’ll give you some business advice you probably don’t get a lot: Stop. Stop already! Your business is trying to do too much at once; you’re trying to do too much. Stopping is often viewed as a failure or, at the very least, a lack of success. But “not winning right this second” and “losing” are very different things. But how do you tell what’s worth your time?

The next job market phenomenon: The Big Regret?

Just a couple of months ago, everyone was talking about the Great Resignation or the Big Quit. Whatever industry you were in, whether you were hiring a barista or a senior sales executive, suddenly everyone was desperate and hiring much more generously. Better salaries, better benefits, better everything. And hopefully, you got yourself into a stable position, because we’re entering a new era on the job market — the Big Regret.

Are you managing or doing?

It's important for managers to take stock of what percentage of their time they spend leading versus doing. By leading, this means managerial tasks like project management and enabling your team to do the work. By doing, it means completing the vital functions that keep revenue flowing.

Put away the COVID business plan — find the one you used in 2008

If you’re reading this and your organization is still standing — congratulations! The worst of the pandemic, physically speaking, is behind you, and you’ve managed to navigate an unforeseeable global crisis for over two years. And your reward is an oncoming recession.

Expert advice only works if you listen

The timeless pursuit of contracting experts to give new insights is a fairly standard practice in the business world. And whether it’s a consultant, a subject matter expert or anyone else, it’s vital in these situations to think of why you brought someone in to look at the situation and give their assessment. And, once you have someone you’re confident can help you, you have to listen to them!

Making your financials work better in your managing process

When sharing your financials with your team, try to not give people more information they need to perform their jobs. Isolate the things that are high-impact and they can control. For example, instead of issuing that 47-line sheet, offer routine updates with three items that they have the most control over on the revenue side and four items that they have the most control over on the expense side.

Smarter matchmaking

Businesses used to pay newspapers obscene amounts of money to run help-wanted ads; then, job seekers paid for access to where the employers were. But monopolies rarely last forever, and like with every other facet of life, the internet came in and disrupted the traditional dynamic. So, what’s the alternative to a dating app culture becoming the way we hire people?

Getting to 'no'

Sales can get a bad rap, but there are fundamental elements of selling that can be useful at any level in an organization. In fact, I'd argue that many of the core tenets of sales are really just good management skills. And the higher up the corporate ladder you are, the more essential sales skills could be for you.

The problem with the 'Go Big or Go Home' mindset

If you’ve received any business advice in the past, say, 50 years, I’m willing to bet that it came with the assumption that you wanted to expand. We hear that advice all the time — make it bigger and better, scale this area, try these new strategies for growth and similar ideas. But should growing always be the ultimate goal of every business venture?

23 things to do in the next 12.5 days to quintuple your productivity in 2022

Here are a few ideas of ways you can work on yourself and, by extension, your organization in 2022.

Setting priorities for 2022

There is something to be said for one particular philosophy from 1991’s “City Slickers.” The grizzled old ranch hand, Curly, relays the secret to life — to focus on “one thing. Just one thing.” As you're starting 2022, pick one single thing to focus on. If you can't pick one big thing, try to find four things you can give your attention to in 2022. Then, rank them in order of when you think you could reasonably roll them out during the year.

Managing is not binary

Managing is a constant juggling act, where you’re trying to get your organization, your team and yourself to the place you want them to be. And as you work on getting to that place, you’ll often find that that goal you’ve been working toward isn’t actually what you want.

Looking at Your Management Options

We’re well past the halfway point for the year, and in many ways, it’s starting to feel like the new normal is setting in. It’s not quite what most of us were used to, but as new buying habits, new patterns, new products, and new services have changed everyone’s lives, we’re starting to see groves form as the baseline for “normal” shifts.

Are Your Customers Seeing You As You Intend?

When was the last time you called your own phone system? If you don’t remember, now is the time to make that call. Literally, stop reading right now and call your own main number—not somebody’s office, call the one that rings to your auto attendant.

Changing Work Culture

While managing different companies over the years, I learned a few tricks with onboarding new employees. One of my favorites could help a lot of people in the coming months.

As Normalcy Returns, So Should Your Staffing Decisions

It may seem impossible after dealing with the pandemic for so long, but we are finally on the cusp of the world reopening. There’s some variance depending on where you are, your vaccination rates, and other important factors, but the overall trend is that we're certainly inching closer to a post-pandemic world.

Betting on the Future of Your Customers' New Needs

After more than 12 months of getting by in a pandemic, I think it’s fair to say that we’ve all learned a lot. We’ve all but made it through one of the biggest business disruptions in contemporary history, and that has required a lot of adaptation and flexibility from all of us.

Setting the Right Goals in 2021

I recently had lunch with a friend of mine who’s an architect, and in our conversation about our lives, he told me that before he shows a client a first draft of his work, he gives them a disclaimer: “This is not the house you need. It’s the house you thought you wanted.”

Planning a Budget, or Planning to Succeed?

Congratulations. You’ve started your year and the 2021 budget is officially in full swing. Bet it’s going just how you planned it, right? You put time and research into crafting your budget, you make educated assumptions, and you put in the work to get ready for the new year.

The Real Cost of Collaboration

Collaboration is a buzzword that we hear a lot. To some extent, we all know why it’s important: More eyes on a project can lead to more ideas, better troubleshooting, etc. And while collaboration is all well and good, it’s important to consider the real, operational costs of bringing everyone together.

How to Approach Office Meetings Post-Pandemic

It would be a drastic understatement to say that we’re living in a time of change. In the past eight months, we have seen core improvements to the way we approach long-distance communication. So, what does that mean for the traditional office meeting?

Why Newsrooms Can’t Wait to Replace Old Tech

As we all keep going and the pandemic drags on, there’s a temptation to just “hang in there” until normal comes back around. But as many people are realizing, normal isn’t …

"Leopards don’t change their spots, they just learn to hide them."

Leading Effectively in the Most Stressful of Times

The phrase “unprecedented times” has become a platitude at this point, and while this situation is unique, I believe that we can draw from past experiences to help navigate these new …

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E&P Exclusives

Empowering journalists: Inside the legitimate platform's mission to combat disinformation

What started as a plan to combat disinformation and fake news, The Legitimate Platform has become the app that works to support journalists. Legitimate started in January 2020 and is a one-stop shop for journalists to spread information quickly. Conceived by Caoimhe and Gerard Donnelly, it acts as a conduit, offering items such as three hours of transcription service with unlimited uploads and, using artificial intelligence, creating article outlines in its free version.

Meet Star Tribune’s CEO Steve Grove: Leading the transformation of Minnesota’s 157-year-old legacy title

For the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, dabbling in new ideas is at the center of the organization’s identity as they have a new CEO and publisher at the helm. Whether the company is expanding into the greater Minnesota community, creating partnerships or investing in products, changes are happening in an effort to build on the paper's 157-year legacy.

Turning pages into profits: Success stories in news special editions

Generating revenue remains a constant challenge. Some news outlets are reinventing special sections and editions, a traditional segment of most newspapers, to attract more readers and new and loyal advertisers. Here are four examples that publications and news outlets can adopt.

Black women leaders in journalism: Breaking barriers, forging the future

Over the past year, Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, president of the Society of Professional Journalists; LaSharah Bunting, CEO and executive director of the Online News Association; and Karen Rundlet, CEO and executive director of the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), have stepped into the lead role at three of the most influential news associations, each as the first Black woman to hold the post. In interviews with E&P, they spoke about their new roles, how they got there and how they hope to advance their individual organizations and journalism writ large.

Would reinstating public editors bring back trust in media?

In the 1980s, many cash-flush news organizations employed a public editor specifically to build and foster trust between readers and journalists. These days, just two news organizations in the United States — NPR and PBS — still appear to employ a public editor. So, is it time for more news organizations to consider hiring ombudspersons to help rebuild trust in the media — one community at a time?

What does the future local website look like? Part 2

In this month's column, E&P columnist Guy Tasaka shares some thoughts on what the future local media website looks like and how local media publishers can thrive in the new environment. As you read his thoughts, consider that any local presence that has the legacy trust can take this playbook and run with it. It could be the two largest television stations in the market, the public media company, the big university or the local chamber of commerce. There are no swimlanes anymore, and local media 3.0 will be a winner-take-all race.