WIN: “A leader sets the culture for the organisation; a manager leads the team” Johannesburg, 28 September: WIN participants engage in leadership training led by regional media guru Respect for deadlines, being an 'active' listener, and learning how to make decisions are key qualities of a good leader, said Paula Fray, expert trainer and Regional Director of IPS Africa, in her opening of a four-hour training session on leadership developed exclusively for participants of the WAN-IFRA Women in News (WIN) programme. "All of this links up to the culture of the organisation. If you manage your own time well and respect the time of others, this sets the pace and culture of the organisation." 18 media managers from business and editorial departments of newspapers in Botswana, Namibia and Zambia took part in the workshop, part of a three-day conference that included one-on-one coaching, multiple skills development sessions, roundtable discussions and networking activities. Fray went on to give examples of how these qualities translate into every-day management practices: Respect for deadlines - when a project leader does not respect deadlines, no-one on the team respects them either, causing backlog to build. A good leader keeps projects on track. A good manager helps keep people accountable. Active listening - even if you are able to give just 15 minutes of your time to a team member, make the most of it and be an active listener. Bill Clinton has been recognised as a very active listener - when he meets with someone, they are the only person in the room. That is powerful leadership. Time management - respect your own time as well as that of others. Bad time management sends out mixed messages on priorities. Building on the importance of Time Management Fray reminded the WIN women of the old adage that "time is money", and encouraged the women to do the math and realize just how valuable their own time is. Whenever someone wastes 30 minutes of your time, it is money wasted. Fray suggested that the women divide their annual income by the hour to determine how much their time is 'worth'. When put in those terms, you realize how important your time is. Don't let people waste your own time, and do not waste the time of others. "If you are feeling unproductive and not achieving all you want to do in a day, keep a diary - whether for one day or one week, and you'll see just where and how you use your time. It is informative," suggests Fray. Relating to time management Fray candidly discussed the concept of "African time", asking the women to consider. What is the concept of African time? Is it valid? Fray and WIN participants agreed that the concept is outdated, citing the examples set by the President of Botswana when he began shutting media out of his press conferences if they were late. The doors would shut after the appointed hour, and no-one was allowed in. This sent out a clear message and ultimately changed the behaviour of the state media, who were chronically late for press briefings until they realized they were going to miss the event altogether unless they showed up on time. Other concepts that Fray introduced in her workshop with WIN participants last week were that of issue identification and resolution; and setting guidelines in order to hold a productive meeting. The final session of the three-part management training programme led by Paul Fray will take place in Johannesburg on 12 December 2010.