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| Dean Baquet has replaced himself with three people. |
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| Get a life
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| Working 24/7 may seem good for companies, but it's often bad for the talent. So businesses are hatching alternatives to the punishing, productivity-sapping norm. (Main story)
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NEW YORK (FORTUNE) - At the Los Angeles Times, Dean Baquet has cloned a key position. Shortly after becoming editor, he announced that he was dividing into three jobs the managing editor position he had previously held.
Now two managing editors and an associate editor oversee the 1,000-person newsroom. Why three? Baquet cites the growing complexity of major newspapers. He felt that as a solo managing editor there were things he hadn't been able to do well, despite putting in long hours.
"If your job is gigantic, there are things you ignore," he says, citing the sports section in particular as getting short shrift. Baquet also felt so swept up by daily crises that he had little time to think strategically. "The job was just too big for one person," he says.
A saner division of labor is good for the Times's news coverage, he believes, since top editors are supposed to be in touch with the world.
"I like the idea of them getting home earlier," he says of his senior team. "I like the idea of them having lives. I like the idea of them having exposure to things other than just the newsroom and the news in the moment."
Dividing jobs is also a way to broaden the company's talent base and nurture new leaders, he says, making it possible for people to spend time with their families and climb the ladder. And while adding top managers at high salaries may seem like a costly fix, both companies say that the gain in effectiveness far outweighs the incremental expense.
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