-
Week of April 13, 2009
April 13, 2009
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
Friday 4/17, 2009
Here's an easy exercise that might pay off: On your way home tonight, daydream about being on a panel at a convention. The panel is about anything you want -- sales contests, research on a tight budget, great management techniques you know will work, budgeting for bottom line, etc. Pick anything, especially something you think you'd like to talk about in front of your peers.
Do your "mind prep" all the way home. When you are in the house, get a piece of paper and write down your great, insightful advice. Then ... and here is the key ... check off how much of your counsel you are actually taking. Oops! I can't count the number of times I have been on really great panels and after they were over, realized that none of us on the panel were completely taking our own advice. Let's just call it "Self-Mentoring."
Thursday 4/16, 2009If you haven't already done it, it is time to take a look at what you have available for incentives. Go through the prize closet, look at restaurant trade; can you do some extra days off? Get creative and always remember, it's not always the value of the incentive that pushes the happy button; it's just that it's there. These are very hard times and people are scared they may be the next to be downsized. A perk here and there will do a lot to diffuse some of the anxiety. Remember the front line troops when you are doing these small incentive plans/contests. Everyone from the part-time promotion people to the Traffic Director and the receptionist sometimes deserve a pat on the back.
The incentives don't always have to be planned or goal-oriented. Sometimes it's nice if the boss pulls a person aside and says, "I want you to know you're doing a great job and I appreciate it." Then, hand the person a restaurant certificate. This kind of "feel good" gesture will pay off far beyond the value of the certificate.
Wednesday 4/15, 2009As radio station managers we need to always keep in mind that our job is not to "run" the stations by ourselves. We are in charge of making sure the stations operate efficiently and return the expected profit using the abilities of all our employees. Too often we try to narrowly define jobs and insist our employees operate within those definitions. We must be observant of our employees' strengths ... and encourage them to use those strengths effectively. Conversely, we must not try to make them perform duties that don't fit their strengths. Usually you can find someone else on the staff who has the skill set and can get it done efficiently.
If you have never read the 1992 book "Soar With Your Strengths" by Donald O. Clifton and Paula Nelson, you should pick it up. It is an easy read and was an early work that helped spawn Gallup's strengths program.
Tuesday 4/14, 2009I just read an article in AdAge by Anne-Marie Fink, a VP at J. P. Morgan Asset and Wealth Management, titled "The Customer Doesn't Know Best; You Do." The thrust of the article is that discounting in tough times is frequently not the right thing to do. She points out that "customers always want lower prices." She and her fellow investors studied what works and have frequently seen the pitfalls of being a "customer fanatic."
Taking short-term, high-volume sales at a discount may feel good in the moment, but damages the perception of the product and in the end, lowers total profit. She says, "Too much listening is likely to cause more harm than good." She cites several examples; the lesson is we should always consider the consequences of discounting. Always look at the bigger picture. Often the better decision is to take the more difficult road and let the other guy discount (and cheapen) his product. Show your customer that $2 buys more ROI than $1. Your job is to balance the quality of your station's product against the realities of today's economy. Remember the old saying, "If it were easy, anyone could do it."
Monday 4/13, 2009Are your stations ready for disasters? Most stations along the Southeast and Gulf Coasts have the obligatory disaster plan put together in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Midwestern stations have tornado plans. Stations in the West have earthquake plans. I could go on, but most areas are prone to some sort of natural disaster; hopefully you have a plan that the staff reviews periodically so they know their duties and can swing into action with a measured response. The entire staff should regularly review the plan and do dry runs to make sure they know their duties.
From experience I can tell you the real thing never goes according to plan, but the plan gives your staff something clear from which to work. It's easier to modify for changing issues than to start from scratch in the middle of the disaster. I suggest you consider another disaster plan; one that responds to an intrusion by a crazed listener ready to do harm to anyone on the premises. After the killing of 13 people at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, the latest in a series of senseless mass shootings, it should be apparent that no one is truly safe from these people. I suggest you put together a plan because you are in a high-profile business that could be targeted. A few bucks spent on a good security company to help you put together an escape plan will be money well spent.
-
-