How many times have you watched an NFL wide-out drop an easy catch, just before turning upfield for a long gain? And, there's the NHL all-star positioned right in front of the net for an easy one-timer, instead fanning on the shot. It happens because even talented athletes, not to mention actors or CFOs who take their eye off the object, sometimes with disastrous results. But it only explains what happens, not why. The cause, of course, is that momentary gap in concentration; a fraction of a second and the connection is lost. The player is already thinking about running with the ball or ramming the puck home, completely forgetting about gaining control. You see it every Sunday, or on Monday morning during an intense planning meeting.

Audiences in the U.S. today are more divided than ever. Many media hosts struggle with how to discuss certain controversial stories, and wonder if they should discuss them at all. Some radio shows avoid the polarizing topics of the day. Seven out of 10 people in the ...

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in Life. It comes into us clean at midnight, and it's perfect when it arrives. It puts itself in our hands and wonders if we've learned anything from yesterday." --John Wayne It's said that The Duke offered that thought not on a ...

Marketing case studies offer frightening evidence -- proceed with caution. Consider Mennen's campaign for "Mennen E." Millions later, the company's focus group autopsies revealed consumer confusion. "Why would we put vitamins under our arms?" Recently, Burger King's ...

Radio will remain vital as the #1 reach medium by fostering a creative culture in its radio stations. People seek out great content regardless of the platform. We've visited too many radio stations that look like you're walking into a staid law office. Developing and ...

Raytheon CEO Bill Swanson had an epiphany about human behavior. He was dining with an associate who became completely obnoxious to a server because the restaurant failed to stock a particular wine. Swanson said, "Suddenly it dawned on me that some people work from ...

Ten bucks says very few top-tier radio talents were asked to come to the boss' office last week to be told how much they were appreciated. "Performance Punishment" knows no boundaries across American business ... including broadcasting. Performance punishment-defined ...

Contributing producers: Little Tommy Sablan & Steve Harmon Last week, renowned producer Little Tommy Sablan stressed the importance of callers and call screeners to successful radio shows. This weekwe'll take a deep dive into the specific guidelines of effective phone ...

With unemployment less than 5%, it seems that advertisers can buy spots on any platform and reach people with jobs and money, but that's simply not true. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, 40% of adults in the U.S. don't go to work, What do people without jobs ...

I knew Donna Brake, which is to say we were on a few panels together and exchanged ideas in rare conversations. But if you were anywhere near her, somehow, you did know her. Donna was gifted in so many ways. Mostly, she was a world-class human being. Early in her ...