Never Assume ...

I tell people to never assume, but there are some things you cannot anticipate. Assumptions are based on general knowledge acquired through personal experience and perceived understanding. You would be correct if you are assuming I'm about to give you an example on the subject of assumption.

My story involves the placement of a radio "Want Ad" with the customary, "No Calls Please." I always thought it was self-explanatory and not open to interpretation; wrong assumption on my part. Here's my text exchange with an air personality.

She Took It literally ...

Jock: Hi, Sam, I hope you enjoyed your weekend. I wanted to know, after applying online and e-mailing my package, when it's okay to reach out to the PD to set yourself apart? Does this help or hinder the process?

Coach: If you want to know if your package was received, there is a little trick you can use. Send an e-mail stating that you are checking to make sure they got your information and that it did not go to spam. For some reason this seems to always trigger a response. Apparently everyone has found things in spam that should not have gone there; I guess it's some sort of "I can relate" thing.

Jock: Most companies nowadays say, "No phone calls, please," so I was under the assumption that following up was an outdated practice. I never considered e-mail as an option; I assumed no phone calls meant "don't contact us at all about this position."

Coach: No, it just means no phone calls.

Jock: Gotcha. Grateful for the clarification. I will be sure to send an e-mail to the job I applied for by tomorrow. Thank you.

Not Every Assumption Is Common Knowledge ...

Whenever I get question like the one I just told you about, it reminds me of assumptions I have made. There was a time all of us were regular citizens ... actual listeners. Come on: When you were young, how many of you thought all the jocks you heard lived at the station? Come on, admit it, don't feel bad ... when I was 10, I called KMOX and asked to speak to Jack Buck right after a game. My assumption on where radio personalities live obviously changed with more life experience. I can remember listeners calling stations I worked at, asking for the hosts of syndicated shows; not realizing these air personalities recorded in advance from some studio in New York or Los Angeles.

Common Knowledge & Common Sense ... Assumptions

Regardless of age or the length of time in radio, the knowledge base varies, and it's a part of human nature for someone to say nothing rather than admit they don't know. Never be embarrassed to ask a question about something you assume others know and you don't. You assume the nodding of heads in a meeting means common knowledge of the subject matter; it's just not so.

Sam The Translator ...

I remember a situation where other air personalities were coming to me for an explanation of what our Program Director (PD) was saying in memos. These were smart people, but I had worked with the PD elsewhere and understood that his well-written directives read like great literature instead of simple explanations. I can still hear myself saying, "He meant to say, do this going into a commercial stopset." That PD assumed the entire air staff understood his memos.

Take The Pledge ...

Starting today, never again assume anything open to the slightest of interpretation. Also, when you're doing the talking, be clear and use examples to increase the possibility others will understand and not resort to assuming. Something else that is adding to confusion is what I call "the initials epidemic." I'm talking about the ongoing nuance of shortening words and labels to initials; too many of us don't know what you're trying to say. OMG, please stop.