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Always Check Before You Say Yes ...
April 20, 2021
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There is an old saying, "I can get in trouble on my own; I don’t need somebody else to help me." Well, that’s exactly the case with this air personality. One of his colleagues decided to not follow procedures and tricked him into filling in for him on the air. It still doesn't excuse the air talent who fell for the deception, but he never should have been put in that situation. Whenever you involve someone else in your mess, it's just not okay.
Air Talent: I work in a top-25 market and I thought I left the sneaky stuff behind me in smaller markets. I'm working part-time, and there's a good chance I'll work full-time for one of the stations in this cluster. I got a call the other day from the midday person and he asked me if I could work for him next Friday. I was half-asleep when I agreed to do it.
Coach: What’s your situation?
Air Talent: Until something opens up and I can go full-time at the station, I've been scrambling for non-radio part-time work. I had a great part-time job as a bartender at a restaurant, but then came COVID-19 and that went by the wayside. So, I don't need station management thinking I'm a screw up. This person I filled in for is one of the air personalities who's chosen to still work from home because of the pandemic.
Coach: He called you directly?
Air Talent: Yeah. He was slick, he made it sound as if he got the okay from the OM.
Coach: I know the type. I've worked with and had personalities like that work for me. I assumed you filled in or why else would you be contacting me, right?
Air Talent: Yes, you're right. I filled in for him and the OM heard me on the air. He sent me a text to ask why I was on and where the f##k was such-and-such. I called and told him I was under the impression it was okay for me to fill-in for ####. During the show, he sent me another text and told me to check my e-mail. He had sent me a copy of paperwork I'd signed off on before I ever started working here. He highlighted a passage that said, "unless it comes directly from me, or a designated person in charge, no one else can assign a shift."
Coach: Out of curiosity, why didn’t you check with him?
Air Talent: I was caught off guard and I made a wrong assumption. Things have been off since the pandemic started, a lot of the staff and on air personalities are working mostly from home. The OM only goes to the station a couple of times a week. Even our meetings are zoomed. I think if everything was like it was before COVID-19, I would have checked. I just wasn't thinking.
Coach: It’s really about the chain of command and following directions, even with what's been going on during the pandemic. Some people take advantage in chaos. And it sounds like that's what happened in your case. And by the way, this has nothing to do with market size. Right now, with all the craziness still going on and people finally getting vaccinated, most are bending over backwards to be sympathetic. Especially with those still working from home.
Air Talent: Yeah, and in the case of the guy I filled in for, I think his wife is working from home too. His kids just did start going back to school for part of the school week. Everyone has been so flexible. I don't know why he needed to be sneaky and involve me.
Coach: Well, you made a mistake, I'm sure the OM knows you didn't intentionally go against the rules. How long have you worked there?
Air Talent: Just about a year.
Coach: Wow, you started just before COVID-19 began to escalate. This is about you and not the personality that tricked you into working for him. I doubt this one incident will hurt your chances of going full time when a spot is open.
Air Talent: I hope not, they seemed to be happy with my air work. I can't wait until things open up again and I can hang with some of folks at the station.
Coach: There will always be somebody trying to circumvent the dictate of management, but if you stick to the chain of command and do your work, you’ll stay clear of the BS.
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