THE SECRET TO KEEPING GOOD EMPLOYEES, HOW TO HANDLE BEING YELLED AT & DAVID SCHIFF!

Welcome to Potentially Focused! Somehow it's ALREADY the very first day of October. Hope this month treats you well! Today we... Share the secret to keeping your best employees and learn the best things to do after being yelled at!

Plus, we’ve got another great interviewee, David Schiff !

David Schiff is an accomplished storyteller who has been successful on all sides of the TV business. He’s developed, bought, sold, created, produced, and overseen over 1,200 hours of television. That’s a lot. He’s held leadership roles at great production companies like World of Wonder and A. Smith & Co. And he had a long run as a platform executive at GSN, where he oversaw original programming and tallied up breakout hits like Skin Wars and The American Bible Challenge with his fantastic team.  Beyond game shows, his projects have encompassed many different genres including arced competition, field-based formats, documentaries, dating, docusoaps, live events, e-gaming, and sports. These days, he’s a freelance format expert lending his talents to a vibrant roster of clients as well as developing his own projects.

David, who always has a lot going on (did I mention he hosts a podcast too), has recently become an entrepreneur using his storytelling skills outside of traditional media. Oh, and he remains a proud alum and passionate fan of USC (see picture below).

I’m proud to call him a friend and excited for David to share his insights with us all today.

Potentially Focused is a newsletter for busy people in the TV business (or not) who are curious. Everyone looking for a change. Anyone interested in new possibilities and potential. The stories we tell ourselves, the stories we tell others, and what makes us tick. Each edition shares at least one great piece of content on professional development and one centered on personal growth. It's useful information just a few paragraphs away.

Please like, subscribe, and in the spirit of October...share with someone who needs a trick or a treat. This newsletter is for everyone!

Deeply appreciate the continued support and kind comments!

Marco 

And so we begin...

THE SECRET TO KEEPING GOOD WORKERS

Good employees are the key to making and keeping a company successful. Retaining your best performers is critical. So, understanding what your employees want and what drives them is a very good idea.

A recent study detailed here found one often overlooked key to keeping your best workers is simple.

Recognize them.

Across several industries, employees who received high-quality recognition on the job were 45% less likely to have left that job between 2022 and 2024, the results showed.

"It is about catching good behavior as it happens," says Meisha-ann Martin, senior director of people analytics and research at HR software firm Workhuman, which conducted the survey with Gallup. "Imagine if you're doing things at work that nobody sees and you feel like nobody cares about. You can imagine how that would be demoralizing."

Also key is recognizing people not just for the work they do, but for who they are, she says. "You're sending a signal that I see you. I see your special sauce. Your special sauce belongs here."

A few more nuggets (and special sauce for retaining your best employees) to pass along from the study:

• People feel less lonely when their contributions are recognized and praise of their efforts lowers your employee's stress levels. "While recognition doesn't change the objective reality, it does change the subjective perception of what is happening," says Martin.
• High-quality feedback can fuel professional development. Take Andy Hernandez’s example recounted in the article. He was working in car financing, trying to figure out how to get ahead, when he decided to learn Excel on his own time so he could use it at work. His managers liked what he was doing and told him so. It motivated him to know that the extra work he was doing was getting recognized and that his supervisors could see he was ready for the next step in his professional growth.
• There are big generational differences when it comes to the desire for feedback. Younger workers, who feel less attached to their workplaces than their parents, have a higher expectation of appreciation from those they work for.

So, the takeaway is if you're a boss and have some great people working for you, let them know today.

You are welcome!

Now, let's talk about handling something unwelcomed...

WHAT TO DO WHEN SOMEONE YELLS AT YOU

There's nothing quite as jarring as someone yelling at you out of the blue. It puts you into immediate fight or flight mode and often results in you handling things in a way you later regret.

With the massive caveats that no one should be yelling at people regularly in their work or personal lives for no good reason AND that, however rare, there sometimes are good reasons to yell at someone (IE - if someone was putting someone else in immediate danger), here's a good article to help you deal better with unfairly being the brunt of someone's anger.

After being yelled at, make sure to do these things:

Take a Breath and Pause

When someone yells at you, your body immediately kicks into fight-or-flight mode. The first thing you need to do is take a pause.

Literally.

Take a deep breath. Inhale through your nose, hold it for a few seconds, and then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this a few times. This simple action tells your body it’s time to calm down and signals your brain that you’re no longer in an immediate threat, helping you regain clarity.

Acknowledge Your Feelings

It’s okay to feel rattled. After someone yells at you, whether it’s justified or not, you’re bound to feel a mix of emotions—anger, sadness, confusion, even guilt. Don’t try to brush it off or suppress how you feel. Instead, acknowledge those emotions. Naming what you’re feeling helps you process the situation.

Giving your emotions a name helps you gain control over them.

Don't Internalize The Anger

When someone is yelling, it’s easy to think, “What did I do wrong?” or “Why are they so mad at me?” While it’s important to reflect on the conversation to see whether there’s something you need to take responsibility for, remember that their anger is THEIR responsibility. People often lash out because they are overwhelmed, stressed, or dealing with their own problems—not because of something you’ve done.

Reflect

After you’ve calmed down, it can be helpful to reflect on the content of what was said (minus the yelling). Is there anything valid in their concerns? Even when emotions run high, there may be constructive feedback hidden beneath the outburst.

Set Boundaries

If being yelled at happens more than once—or if it’s a pattern with any person—it’s time to set boundaries. Let them know that while you’re open to discussing problems, you will not tolerate being spoken to in that manner.

You might say something like, “I understand you’re upset, but I’d appreciate it if we could talk without raising our voices.” Or, if you need to, you can end the conversation and revisit it later saying something along the lines of: “I don’t think we’re going to resolve this right now. Let’s continue this discussion when we’re both calmer.”

Setting boundaries is good for your emotional state while also teaching others how they should treat you.

Talk to Someone You Trust

Sharing your experience with a trusted friend, family member, or therapist can help you process what happened. Sometimes, just talking about it out loud gives you perspective and validation. They might even offer helpful insights or suggestions on handling future interactions with the person who yelled at you.

Take Care of Yourself

After a stressful interaction, don’t forget to practice self-care. Do something that brings you peace or joy. Taking care of yourself reminds you that your well-being is a priority, even when others don’t treat you kindly.

Let It Go

This one can be hard, but once you’ve processed the event, set boundaries, and reflected on the situation, it’s important to let it go. Holding onto the anger or frustration only keeps you stuck in the moment. By letting it go, you reclaim your peace and power.

Remember, you’re not responsible for how others behave—you’re responsible only for how you respond.

In the end, it’s about prioritizing your peace. And that’s something worth defending.

Moving on to someone very worth talking to...

POTENTIALLY FOCUSED WITH DAVID SCHIFF 

I first met David Schiff when he was at World of Wonder and oversaw production on a project I was the network exec-ing (if that’s a word). David was a great partner from minute one – smart, grounded, and determined to deliver something great. Due to David’s efforts and the creative genius of the entire WOW team, the project turned out exceedingly well. As the next few years went by, David and I were in touch from time to time, mostly when I’d drop him a note to congratulate him on his latest well-deserved promotion or new job. PS, it was always good to see someone talented, hard-working, and a good person to boot advance.

When David was at GSN, a mutual friend (Eliot Goldberg) invited me to an informal Realscreen dinner with David and a few other people. For several years, it turned into an annual occurrence. We’d get together, catch up, and compare notes on business, our careers and most importantly, our lives. Those dinners were always great conversations and it’s at those dinners where I really got to know David. And the more I got to know David, the more I admired him. Beyond all the TV success, he’s an open-minded person, a lifelong learner, and a great and loving father dedicated to his family.  It’s easy to root for someone like that and it’s wonderful to call them your friend. So, please join me in welcoming him.

Welcome, David!

What's one thing you're currently excited about? 

Although some would say it has contributed to the demise of traditional television -- which it has -- I am excited about the Democratization of media.  Have something you want to say?  Create a podcast.  Have a story you want to tell?  Start a YouTube channel.  Technology has lowered the barriers for connecting directly with the consumer which I believe has exciting potential.  As an example, I consider myself a passionate football fan and, for the past two years, a former work colleague and I created the WON A BET podcast.  We analyzed games and made mock bets each week and then tracked our progress throughout the year.  Did we engage millions of listeners and become rich?  Of course not.  But we had a blast, and I learned valuable new skills in terms of audio recording, editing, and engineering.  If you have something to say today, the world is your oyster. 

I love that perspective and thank you for sharing it. In all the (largely rightful) doom and gloom, that point often gets lost. Most of us got into this business to tell stories that mean something to us and to reach people who care about those stories. Monetization challenges aside, it is an amazing thing to be able to so quickly get your content directly to audiences.

Your career has been marked by your capacity to excel at so many different jobs, from heading production to heading development. And whether as a network or production company executive, you've been able to master so many different genres. What's enabled you to do so many different things well?

Some of it was admitting what I didn't know and making a concerted effort to improve my deficiencies.  Watch.  Listen.  Learn.  Ask.  After I had been a producer for several years, I had the opportunity to become a head of production. This was uncharted territory for me and frankly, I made the move sort of begrudgingly.  But I quickly realized how good it would be for my career.  Learning how to craft a budget was equally as creative as writing a script.  What I didn’t expect is that learning production made me a better developer.  Sure, I can come up with ideas that cost millions of dollars per episode, require massive company moves, have outlandish set pieces, etc. but it’s unlikely they will sell.  And I’m not saying that expensive shows don’t get made, but when you go into a network to pitch and you have a clear sense about how production works and weave in suggestions to streamline the process while you’re pitching, that gives a network comfort. 

These days, you're developing your own formats. How's that going and what advice would you give to someone thinking about developing their own projects in this current climate?

I won’t sugarcoat things, these are tough times.  Much of it is simply a math problem.  There are less buyers buying fewer projects so more projects are competing for less slots.  I would also say that, sadly, this is a terrible time for self-contained low-cost, volume formats that flourished during the peak cable era.  Shows like House-Hunters, Trading Spaces, Pawn Stars, Chopped, Behind the Music, etc.  Streamers love having these shows in their libraries, but they aren’t commissioning them because these aren’t the type of event programming that get people to switch services.  With all of that said, there is still a need for new ideas and new formats.  For example, I am a huge fan of the show The Circle on Netflix because it took a modern issue of how one presents oneself online and turned it into an entertainment format.  Love is Blind, The Traitors and E!’s House of Villains have all broken through recently.  But formats are deceptively hard.  Lots of pitches I see make the mistake of creating an environment that’s more fun to play than it is to watch.  My advice — ALWAYS put yourself in the shoes of the viewer and ask the question ‘What am I seeing right now?’  What is the hook that grabs the viewer and makes them lean forward in their chair?  It could be incredible visuals, comedic challenges, intense relationship drama, trivia play along, incredible talent, whatever.  Think like a viewer not a contestant.  And of course, celebrity talent and IP attachments always boost a pitch.   

Right now, many people in our business are contemplating stepping outside of our business to leverage their skills in some other way. Unfortunately though, lots of folks are frozen in place and not sure how to move ahead. I've been impressed by your taking the leap into entrepreneurship. Tell us about your experience with business outside of TV.

Much of it was borne out of necessity.  Pre-Covid I was starting to sense that executives of…ahem…a certain age were becoming less desirable.  I made the decision to venture outside of entertainment, but I had two caveats:  1) I wanted to do something that would still allow me to play in the content space and 2) I would only do something if I could call ALL the shots.  For me, that meant buying a beauty franchise (why beauty?  A much longer story for a different time).  Now, I am a small business owner with 5 employees and, for better or worse, I am the CEO, COO, CMO, chief hiring manager, quality control, IT specialist, and maintenance supervisor all rolled into one.  Not going to lie, it was a massive learning curve for me but one of the things about the franchise world in particular is that you’re paying for their expertise, vendors, marketing assets, etc.  They hold your hand throughout the process.  Without question, it’s been a positive move.  Am I making millions? No.  But do I have an alternative revenue stream and tremendous flexibility to come and go and do other things as I please?  Yes, I do.  

What is the best lesson a boss or mentor ever taught you? And have you learned any good lessons from a bad boss?

Never be afraid to speak up because you think you aren’t at a ‘high enough’ level to be heard.  There is a hierarchy in this business, and it can often be intimidating, but don’t let that stop you if you think you have something valuable to contribute.  Be thoughtful and measured when you speak, be prepared to defend your position, and don’t abuse the privilege, but good ideas come from everywhere and a good boss or mentor should have the security and integrity to not feel threatened by anyone's opinion.  Good lessons from a bad boss?  Mostly how NOT to manage people.  

In an alternate universe where you are happy but aren't doing any of the things you are currently doing professionally, what do you think you'd be doing professionally?

I would love to be directing live sports.  In a way, sports are the ultimate ‘format’, right?  We know how the game works, we know the rules, we know what the plays look like etc., but each individual game has unique moments, storylines, visuals, etc, that make it special.  How fun to be able to call the shots and bring those two elements together every time.  Any time I see footage from inside a production truck while a game is being broadcast I find it intoxicating.  Oh well, my next life. 

In a time when many are looking for new possibilities, any book, podcast or thought leader you find helpful?

I am a big fan of Dr. Wayne Dyer.  I found his teachings at a turbulent time in my life, and his wisdom and perspective on cognitive thinking helped adjust my mindset and approach life in a more positive way. 

So glad to hear that, David, and I’m a big fan of yours. Thanks so much for the years of friendship and for sharing your insights and experiences with us today. Wishing you continued success with all your projects inside and outside TV!

My pleasure.  It was truly an honor to be asked to contribute.

AND THAT'S IT FOR TODAY!

We learned a key to keeping our best workers happy and how to handle being yelled at by someone, not at their best.

And huge thanks to David Schiff for sharing his experiences both in and outside of the TV business! Valuable perspective for anyone thinking about their next steps right now.

Don't fret! We'll be back soon, in fact, on Thursday with our next edition. Until then, have a great couple of days!

Please let us know what you want more or less of. Please feel free to share information you’d like me to pass along to our readers. Also, always happy to feature guest contributors.

And of course, please like, subscribe, and share.

All my best,

Marco