-
The Self-Appointed Spokesperson ...
May 7, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
I can still hear an air talent who used to work for me, "We used to have more fun." This was a dig at me and his attempt to rally the troops as their self-appointed leader. He would predictably do this if our ratings were flat, down, or he did not want to follow a programming directive.
Reality check: Prior to my reign, the station had never been in the top 10 of any demos; the other air personalities privately complained about him, and he had a problem with authority. The GM told me before I took the job that this personality had always stirred things up around the station.
I Learned ...
A self-absorbed air talent was not new for me; as an air personality I had been on several staffs with someone like that. The first time I faced the situation, I would openly disagree with them. Unfortunately, he got his wish; the station fired the PD and made him the new boss. Within a week, I was moved to overnights. Lesson learned ... from then on, I never again voiced my opinion about a fellow personality.
Then I Became A PD ...
Over the years as a professional transient air talent, I came to the opinion that every station had a narcissist self-appointed air staffer with delusions of speaking for everyone. The lesson of not sharing my opinion openly about someone like that was even more important as a manager. However, I also knew I had to get a handle on a "problem child" air personality or I could never lead my staff into a ratings battle. At one station, I stumbled upon way to isolate an on-air malcontent.
Let's Call A Meeting ....
The self-appointed spokesperson approached me about holding a meeting to fix a non-issue; how to approach talk-sets. He was the only one having a problem with the open mic moniker of "Your Station," used immediately after saying the station call letters. My MD asked me why I was going to hold an air staff meeting about something no one else had a problem with. I told him, "Sometimes it's best to isolate one person and let them think they are in charge."
Open Mouth ... Insert Foot
I held the air staff meeting and right off the bat let him have the floor. He proceeded to say he and the other personalities needed more time to express themselves on open mic talk-sets. He said, "We sound like robots with the new open mic line, and this town is used to us sounding real. We don't want to say 'Your Station' because we think it interferes with our flow."
I let him finish and asked the group, "Does #### speak for everyone?" Not one person raised a hand. I had to stop myself from laughing before I said to him, "Always make sure you are speaking for others before you appoint yourself as their leader." Several personalities were chucking, but the MD was into full blown laughter. The results of the meeting quieted him down for about three months until his ego came forward again. Some asked why I put up with him, the answer was simple -- he got good ratings and helped me hit my bonus targets.
Conclusion ...
Working with or around the egotistical can be a challenge, but you can't let them run over you. Find ways to kept them in check and if you're their boss, let them occasionally have their way in areas not all that important.
-
-