Coaches Corner
Got It Right Or Just Assumed? …
At one time all of us were regular citizens, actual listeners. When you were a child, didn’t you think the air personalities lived at the stations? Come on, admit it, don’t feel bad. I can remember when I was 9 years old, and I called KMOX and asked to speak to Jack Buck after a baseball game. That was an assumption that obviously changed as I grew older.
He Assumed…
I remember a situation when other air personalities were coming to me for an explanation of what our Program Director was saying in the memos he was sending out. These were smart people, but I had worked elsewhere with the PD 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 break.” That PD assumed the air staff understood his memos. The majority did not.
This Assumption Makes Me Laugh…
When asked, “What business are you in?” I say, “Radio. Often the comeback is, “Cool, so what else do you do?” People say it as if radio is my hobby. Many still can’t conceptualize that radio is a business and assume it’s something someone would do on the side.
It’s Not Always About Ratings…
Early on in my career I assumed ratings were the reason you either kept or lost a job. However, I learned just how subjective the process really was. I was involved in a situation where I was the good guy and my friend who did mornings was viewed as the anti-Christ by the General Manager. His ratings were better than mine, yet he always got the short end of the stick. For example, I over-stayed my new hire hotel privileges for over a month. The PD eventually told me I needed to find a place. Surprisingly the General Manager defended me and said, “Sam has come here and hit the ground running. He can stay a little longer if he needs to.”
The Client Could Care Less About You…
This is an assumption that an air talent finds to be true when a salesperson isn’t present at a paid remote to handle their clients’ concerns. My advice every time, don’t offer a solution for anything out of your control. If you say something and can’t back it up, you’ll find out the friendly client was just that, a client. But you won’t find out until you’re blind-sided at an impromptu one-on-one meeting with your boss.
My Favorite Non-Radio Assumption Story…
Assumptions can lead to misinterpretation. Author Mike Schinkel gave one of the funniest examples of assuming I’ve ever read:
“Your granddaughter’s mother told me you taught her to cut an inch off each end of a pot roast before cooking. She swore it was a requirement, but I’m dying to know why? Is there any sane reason to throw away two inches of perfectly good meat in order to cook a pot roast?”
Laughing, the grandmother said, “Oh, heaven’s no! You see in those days we were very poor and didn’t own much cookware. I cut the ends off the pot roast so it would fit in my only pan!”
Cooking Up Clarity…
In the end, assumptions are a part of human nature, but they can lead to some unexpected—and often funny —misunderstandings. Whether in radio or daily life, taking a step back to question our assumptions can save us from plenty of surprises. After all, sometimes a pot roast just needs a bigger pan.
And if you need some friendly advice, drop me an email; samweaver@samweavermedia.com or text me, (972) 672-4812.