Coaches Corner by Sam Weaver
The ‘HR’ Playbook Never Mentioned This …
The longer you’re in this business, the more you’ll see the same confusing behaviors repeat. I always tell radio newcomers, don’t let your ego be the elephant in the room. It’ll cost you more than you think.
When Egos Collide…
At one point in my career, I was an on-air colleague of two air personalities at each other’s throats in a full-scale war. Since I wasn’t in management, I had the luxury of sitting back and watching the chaos unfold. It wasn’t just petty rivalry, these two were trying to get each other fired.
Sorry, No Visitors Allowed…
Things got so bad that upper management suspended its open-door policy with the air staff. To restore peace, they urged the Program Director (PD) to organize a team-building activity. Someone, probably trying to justify their paycheck, came up with the idea of joining a media softball league. The thinking was that playing together would force us to bond. The problem? The only real issue was between those two knuckleheads. The rest of us had to go along for the ride. At one point, I even suggested they put on gloves, fight it out, and let the loser resign. But no, softball it was.
The Softball Game That Went Foul…
We had a couple of practices, and surprisingly, everyone got along, including our two malcontents. Everything was going well until our first official league game. Long story short, all was fine until our two narcissists got into a fight in the dugout over an upcoming paid remote. Their disagreement spilled out onto the field.
Hey, Who Bit Me…
On a fly ball to the outfield, the bickering personalities didn’t communicate, and the ball dropped in between them for a two-run double. It cost us the game. Well, that’s when all hell broke loose. Their yelling at each other became contagious, and several of us started yelling at them. Things escalated to the point that one of us (take a wild guess who) decided a baseball bat should be the deciding factor in eliminating both of our problems. However, cooler heads prevailed.
Enough Is Enough…
Nobody left the field with serious injuries, but the next day at work, the PD had finally had enough. The upper management agreed that it was time for one of them to go. The afternoon drive personality had stronger ratings and kept his job. His rival? Fired. On the bright side, at least the rest of us got something out of it, the softball team brought us closer together.
Not Every Conflict Needs A Group Hug…
Team building is great for morale, but it’s no substitute for being the adult in the room. When two people have a problem, deal with them directly, don’t drag everyone else into it. I learned early on that not every conflict needs a group solution. Sometimes, the best fix is the simplest one. Sit them down, hash it out, and move on.
And if you need some friendly advice, drop me an email; samweaver@samweavermedia.com or text me, (972) 672-4812.