Some People Gripe Even When They’re Winning ...

Leadership needs to display a clear path in its decision-making process. Good leaders get as much input as possible from everyone on staff. In situations that are considered successful, there's most likely been a consistent approach to planning and clarity in communication.

If management becomes inconsistent in its ramp-up to decisions, it causes chaos and confusion. It makes me wonder if the chain of command is more worried about their role in the process. Hey, it happens, especially after a regime adjustment.

Dysfunctional History At Best ...
Programming by committee doesn't work. Look no further than Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs in 1961 and 1962. Team owner, P.K Wrigley put into place "The College of Coaches." Instead of a manager, eight coaches rotated as “head coach” for the day. Wrigley said, "Managers are expendable, I believe there should be relief managers just like relief pitchers." The experiment was a disaster. The '61 club was 64-90 and in 62, 59-103, in last place.

Insanity Radio ...
Years ago, as an air talent, I experienced radio's version of the Caine Mutiny at a station. The ratings came out and were flat across the board. The previous two rating periods the station had climbed into 5th place in the 18-34 target demo. The General Manager called an emergency meeting. Every employee, including the janitor, was allowed to voice an opinion on programming. The Program Director and my fellow air personalities had to sit through this ordeal. The station had grown under this Program Director in less than a year. He was an experienced professional who had begun to turn the station around, but some people hate change even when things are improving.

When The Inmates Take Over ...
The morning guy and I were recent additions to the air staff, and we voiced a show of support for what the Program Director was doing, but it fell on deaf ears. It was as if we were speaking a foreign language. The morning air personality and I looked at each other and realized the inmates were about to take over and we'd better act as if we were on board. The General Manager had a strange way of running the station. He would reverse unpopular programming decisions amongst the staff without checking with the Program Director first.

Backseat Programmers ...
The General Manager's disregard for an organized programming agenda legitimized the malcontents on staff. It undermined the Program Director's authority and all that he had accomplished. As I looked back, I realized it was a ploy by the GM to get the PD to quit .

Bogus Reasons ...
For a short period of time "mob rule" existed as "Programming by Committee." The Program Director wouldn't leave voluntarily and eventually was fired. The committee went away when one of the disgruntled was promoted to Program Director. He was terrible at the job, but a shrewd strategist. He systematically got rid of most of his co-saboteurs through trumped up non-performance issues. Those who remained became loyal to him out of fear of losing their jobs.

How To Survive …
If you find yourself in a “Programming by Committee" situation, don't fight it and play along. Cheerlead and implement the idea as if it were your own. You’ll be seen as an ally. Don’t worry, when the newness wears off and things begin to fall apart, your superiors will rely on you to restore order. Sometimes you need to strategically fall back before you can move forward. And of course, give all the credit to upper management for everything getting back on track. You never want to be viewed as an enemy to progress. Even if the progress is a momentary step backwards. Always remember the key to a job, is having one.