The Octopus in the Control Room: Multitasking, Crisis, and Calm

The Starship Enterprise of Anxiety

I’ve always told people that in my years as a newscast director at WTVR CBS 6 in Richmond, VA, I was simply the person who put the things on air. In lay terms, that meant sitting behind a colossal computer console—a literal “motherboard of the Starship Enterprise,” covered in lights and buttons —managing every visual, audio, and physical element of the show.

But in reality, it was high-stakes crisis leadership, but I didn’t know that at the time.

One night, getting ready for our 10 PM DCW newscast broadcasted in the DC area, we had a major problem: the transmission was down. We had to call an engineer from home to run the satellite truck just so the audience could see the show. Panic was brewing, but as the person in the captain’s chair, it was up to me to keep the show free of mistakes and maintain order.

Collaboration Under Fire

My crew was vast: a floor director, jib operator, audio operator, teleprompter operator, both the anchor and meteorologist, and my producer. We kept the technical drama completely hidden from our on-air talent—their job was to focus on the news, not the panic backstage.

I knew my producer suffered from high anxiety, and her calm was always a reflection of mine. So, I prepared the rest of the crew for a rollercoaster, then flipped the switch to absolute composure.

For the next 30 minutes, this was my “multitasking” list:

• Crew Management: Maintaining command of my staff (floor, jib, audio) to ensure every technical hit was on point.
• Talent Comfort: Making sure my anchor was comfortable, correctly positioned in the studio, and tracking the script perfectly.
• External Communication: I was on the phone the entire show with master control in Indianapolis because it was the only way to communicate to them when to take our breaks (the commercials for those not in news). (Shout out to that master control guy; we had a great time!)
• Internal Crisis: My assistant production manager, Brandon (who taught me to direct both in college and on the job), was running back and forth behind me, testing anything and everything to see if anything had come back online or was working like it was supposed to.

A Flawless Finish

We finished the show with zero hiccups. The people in D.C. saw a flawless newscast, and the talent never knew the control room was holding its breath.

This experience wasn’t about being fast; it was about process control.

The Calm in Your Chaos

As a consultant, this is the operational mindset I bring to your team:

1. Process Over Panic: I build systems robust enough that they can be run perfectly even when the infrastructure (or technology) is crumbling.
2. Calm at the Center: I understand that leadership’s composure is a prerequisite for the team’s ability to execute. I maintain clarity so your team can focus.
3. Minimum Necessary Information (MNI): I know who needs to know the drama (the crew) and who needs to be shielded from it (the talent/mission-critical output). I ensure communication is always focused on the successful outcome.

I help clients establish the operational structure and communication discipline needed to run complex, high-stakes projects flawlessly—whether the issue is a downed satellite or a stalled budget approval. 

What is the highest-pressure situation you’ve navigated where your calm exterior was the only thing holding the process together?

#Multitasking #CrisisLeadership #ProcessControl #OperationalEfficiency #JennuineRaydiance