Monday, February 2, 2009

Traditional Radio: Communicating


http://www.radiocoach.biz. Sam Weaver is a radio talent coach (traditional radio,podcasting, and Internet radio. He is also an Internet radio consultant. Sam
is the most affordable radio talent coach and the best at helping personalities maximize their abilities. 1 888 680 7234.

During these tumultuous times in traditional radio, the most obvious overlooked area is communications. With all the downsizing, rumors of more change, and salary reductions, employees need more personal attention than ever. It takes little effort to briefly interact with co-workers.

Program Directors and the Workplace
One of the most important things for a program director is to understand the duties of other departments in a station. It's a process, but casual lunches work well. These situations help people understand the job duties of others and open doors to mutual exchanges of information.

Always be careful not to expose personal information, as it could be used for gossip. Do not speak ill of other office workers or station policies. Listen, and the other person will teach and inform. It is one of the best ways to form a business relationship with co-workers. Increased knowledge is a valuable work tool, providing clarity to how all departments are connected to numerous problems and solutions.

Organizing
Program directors and operations managers need to be aware of the pulse of a radio station. The trick is to do it in a timely fashion without letting anything interfere with daily duties. It is very important to get as much work done as possible before walking the halls.

During business hours, encourage co-workers to place memos or proposals in a slot outside your door. If such a slot does not exist, have engineering construct something. After business hours, instruct employees to slide information underneath your door. Keep the slot emptied for security reasons and so employees can see their communications have not been ignored.

Acknowledge interoffice e-mails with a thank you or some sort of response indicating awareness. Have a system for returning phone calls and prioritize daily chores. Select a portion of the day to keep your door open. On an unconscious level, it suggests availability.

Walking the Hallways
Make a to-do list handy or utilize an Internet calendar. In either case, get a handle on everything before walking the hallways in search of information. Casually check in briefly with each department and get a sense of the employees' day. Snapshots can provide glimpses into pitfalls, who's sick, which sales persons never meet deadlines, why the midday personality is tired, and many little things requiring attention.

These office strolls should not take more than thirty minutes. Consider them akin to political tracking polls and the workplace as the candidate. For the most part, it lets employees see a thoughtful human being. Set the tone and do not allow these encounters to gravitate towards gossip. The more one knows, the easier it is to lead.