-
Stop Whining …It’s Not About You
September 29, 2020
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
Some of the most irritating people in any business are the “let me tell you how we should do it” people. They know everything and are quick to point out what they would have done differently or how the station used to do things.
Staff elders usually ignore their complaints, but new hires sometimes get swept up into their BS.
I’ll share my exchange with an air personality who’s on a staff with an air talent similar to what I just described.
Air Talent: My station is doing well but our afternoon guy keeps telling me how much better it used to be. I don’t understand and he says our PD does not know this market. I’ve just started doing do weekends and parttime and don’t understand where he’s coming from?
Coach: It seems like every station has one or two folks like him. I’m guessing, but it sounds as if he doesn’t like it when everything's not centered around him.
Air Talent: He has only worked at this station and he says he was once offered the programming job here but turned it down. He got good ratings --our PD was just quoted in the paper on how well he did on his show.
Coach: Ah, that’s the problem, he thinks the paper should have gotten a quote from him. Are you the youngest on staff?
Air Talent: Yes
Coach: And because of that, he thinks he can use you to repeat what he says around the station. Don’t fall for it. The best thing to do is to politely let whatever he says go in one ear and out the other. I have worked around many personalities like that. They usually start mixing innuendo with half-truths when they don’t get their way.
Air Talent: He is always talking about how much better radio used to be around here.
Coach: Give me an example?
Air Talent: He said when he first started here at the station, he and the other jocks were allowed to talk more on the air.
Coach: Do you have a way of finding out what the ratings were like during the period he is talking about?
Air Talent: I do, and I did. Back in the day this place was not even in the top 15 and now, we are #4.
Coach: There you go, he is romanticizing and not dealing with reality. That and I bet the PD is getting a lot of credit. Your PM drive guy thinks his show is the only reason your station is doing well
Air Talent: All the shows are doing well, so you really think that’s what the problem is?
Coach: Yes, I’d bet money on it. I have never understood it, but some would rather be the captain on a sinking ship than be a part of something collectively successful. I used to have a guy who worked for me who was like that.
Air Talent: Is it like this everywhere?
Coach: Unfortunately, it is, to different degrees, at every station and in all formats. Let me share a memo an air personality once sent to the COO of the company about me:
“Dear ####,
This is what your PD calls a normal 4 hour-show from yesterday
- A liner for a Valentine’ s promotion every hour. (This takes from my talk time)
- I have to give away 2 pairs of concert tickets during my show
- I am to read a live liner twice a show to push a Morning show promotion, now remember there is a recorded promo about it that airs during my show too.
- There is a $1,000.00 song contest that he says I am not adequately promoting. (He calls me every time if I miss anything with this)
“How can I effectively do my show with all of this going on? I have never in all of my embryonic years in this business have I ever encountered anything like this. Creatively I am being stifled. And musically, I question what is being played. How can this person take us to the next level?”
Air Talent: OMG, how did you deal with him?
Coach: Like water off a duck’s back. The COO shared the memo with me, and we laughed our butts off. Together we had a meeting with him. We showed him the ratings under the previous PD, shared music research, reiterated to follow directions, and that it was okay to disagree off the air, but not on the air. We explained there were some procedures and methods he had never been exposed to. The COO pointed out that I would guide him through it.
Air Talent: Did he finally get it?
Coach: No, two nights later he wigged out on the air and skipped over giving away two pairs of concert tickets. I wrote him up. He immediately wanted another meeting, but I purposely put him off for several days until our usual weekly aircheck-critique session. He never brought it up and I ended the meeting with, “Did you get my memo the other day?” He answered yes and that was it.
Air Talent: Why did you put up with him?
Coach: I could overlook his narcissism because of his talent and based on our perceptual research study, the audience liked him. I figured as long as he played the music and followed procedures most of the time, I could put up with him.
Air Talent: Was he that good?
Coach: When it came to creativity, he was great and rarely did I have to redirect him in this area. It is important to understand, I contained, but did not try and control him, I saw no reason not to put up with his insanity to get full use of his talents.
Air Talent: He really sounds a lot like our afternoon jock.
Coach: You should use this time as a learning opportunity, lay back and watch how your PD handles him. You sound like you’ve got your head on straight, you’ll do fine.
The Learning Process Never Stops …
No matter where you work in this or any other business, there are usually one or two narcissists complaining to anyone who will listen. It is a no-win situation. In their mind, everything is about them.My Advice …
Never repeat anything they say, because someone might misinterpret your intentions. The last thing you want to do is to unintentionally become part of the problem. Ignore this afternoon guy and listen to your PD. He sounds like he knows what he’s doing. -
-