A little more than a year ago, Jamie Tarses didn’t have much in common with John R. Walter. She was a 32-year-old programming whiz at NBC and he was the 49-year-old chairman of Chicago printing house R.R. Donnelley & Sons. But in a few short months, both would rocket to the rarest of air in their respective fields, only to take highly public stumbles amid speculation they were in over their heads. Their rise and, more important, their fall, speak volumes about getting ahead too soon.
In June 1996, Tarses became ABC’s youngest entertainment division president ever, charged with revitalizing the network’s lineup. This fall’s schedule hasn’t even hit the air, however, and the network already has named ABC executive Stuart Bloomberg chairman of the division, overseeing Tarses. A lengthy New York Times piece recently characterized Tarses’ short tenure at the top as rife with both political and managerial mistakes. Though she remains at ABC, her power and influence have been cut drastically and industry insiders are wondering how long she will stay.
Walter, meanwhile, left a stable career in Chicago last fall for arguably the most powerful job in the rapidly changing telecommunications industry. Hired as AT&T Corp.’s president, Walter was to replace Chairman Robert E. Allen by Jan. 1, 1998. But analysts panned Walter from the start because he lacked industry experience at a time when the telephone giant needed a leader who could hit the ground running. In July, Walter quit after AT&T’s directors told him he wouldn’t take the helm by Jan. 1.
Tarses and Walter were both outsiders charged with leading substantial change in their companies. She was the first woman to run a major network entertainment division, but her expertise was in the development of shows, not in the management aspect of the job. He was a Midwestern printer brought in when others were calling for a technological visionary.
Hiring very young talent or a manager from outside a company’s industry can be risky for the company and the employee involved, says Barbara Provus, a Chicago executive recruiter with Shepherd Bueschel & Provus Inc. “The host body often rejects the transplant,” she says.
Cindy Chupack, co-executive producer and writer for CBS’ “Everybody Loves Raymond,” says she can understand how the entertainment industry chews up young talent.
“Part of (Tarses’) attraction was that she understood what young people wanted (to watch). The industry wants to (tap) that creativity, but the younger people don’t have the life experience” required to develop corporate survival skills.
And sometimes, “golden” opportunities are fool’s gold. “People have their own reasons for helping you, so the key is to evaluate each opportunity on the basis of whether it helps you advance to your dream,” says Patti Felker, a Los Angeles entertainment attorney.
If what looked like a dream opportunity has turned nightmarish, it’s time for some damage control.
“If you’ve committed a major tactical error and too many people know, you’re never going to recover,” says Provus. “If it’s more subtle and you just feel overwhelmed, you may be able to go to your boss or a co-worker and figure out what you need to do to get the job done.”
That approach is better than trying to bluff your way through, says Tom Welch, a Florida career coach and author of “Work Happy, Live Healthy” (Rhode & Easton, $14.95).
He adds that managers shouldn’t beat themselves up if they realize a job isn’t a good match for their skills. Indeed, says Provus, there are times when taking on a new challenge is worth the risk.
“I sometimes tell people who’ve had very stable careers they can afford to make a mistake. If you have to move on, people will look at your earlier career and then view the mistake as a learning experience. You need to think two jobs ahead of where you are now.”
There are some ways to avoid disaster. First, speak up early if conditions of your job differ substantially from what you were promised, experts say. And if it’s a risky endeavor, have a plan ready for another job if the new assignment doesn’t pan out.
Finally, remember that style can be more important than substance. If you’re moving to a new industry, don’t get defensive about your lack of knowledge because it can come off as arrogance, says Provus. Instead, meet as many people as you can and ask lots of questions.
“Don’t put the Superwoman cloak on in the first 60 days,” she says. “Keep it in the closet until you build some credibility.”
