Why is it hard for some of us to ask for help?
The Google Psychologist will say it’s fear of judgment, pride, self-doubt, blind spots, and independence.
With the Paris Olympiad saturating our tablets and TVs, it’s a great time to point out collaborations among teammates.
Swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte had a strong mutual respect for each other, often pushing each other to stretch their boundaries and goals.
In the gym, Simone Biles and Aly Raisman often exchanged tips while the older Raisman offered advice to the emerging star Biles before and after gymnastic competitions.
Sisters Serena and Venus Williams discussed tennis strategy before tournaments, even though it was likely they would face each other somewhere in the bracket.
All these World Champions were also competitors.
A professional life story follows.
At 31 years young, I was enlisted to program the third biggest Oldies Brand on the planet – WJMK/Chicago.
Not because I was an expert on The Beach Boys, Buckinghams, and Bobby Darin. Far from it.
Infinity Broadcasting selected me because our teams created winning brands that had great momentum (see last week’s article) and mentored big-name, star talent.
Big market – big group – unfamiliar format?
I asked for help.
The first call for help was to Mike Phillips, the brilliant Program Director of the award-studded and highly-rated Oldies behemoth K-Earth in Los Angeles.
Mike took the time to school me on everything from musical styles to BIG promotions for the brand. He was a huge mentor. Success followed.
While anyone can read an Arbitron Ratings Book (yes, they used to publish rating books), it was common knowledge that Legendary Chicago programmer John Gehron—who was a competing General Manager—was wildly known as a savant at pulling granular detail out of the four-a-year rating books.
Strength of audience by Zip Code – in tab distribution – extrapolation of monthly data, etc. (long before we had digital tools to do it).
Lost in the piles of numbers, I asked John for help!
John then spent a summer afternoon pouring over details of the spring book with this skinny-tie kid.
Collaboration (asking for help) between Infinity’s Oldies brands included in-market visits from other company programmers to ‘attack’ our brands.
Example: Brian Thomas, a successful programmer from Oldies KFRC/San Francisco, would fly into Chicago, stay in a hotel room for three days, listen to my station, and take pages of notes.
What would follow was an extensive White Paper on what he heard, what he recommends, and a tactical plan for course correction.
This happened in Philadelphia, Detroit, Los Angeles, Washington, and Dallas—wherever we had an Oldies brand.
One time, fantastic free-thinker and extraordinary leader Weezie Kramer – my General Manager – suggested that all the Chicago Program directors switch stations for a week and program another brand in our cluster.
Brilliant!
Here’s why I hope you’re still reading this.
You don’t know, and you want to learn?
Ask for help.
Asking for help – is a strength.
If you’re new to Christian Radio, ask someone who’s been there and is successful to mentor you.
Country Radio has master programmers in its format. Ring one of the dozens of successful programmers and ask for their advice.
In the spring of this year, the phone rang, and on the other end was a guy named Jason Barrett. He and I were cluster mates – two doors down – in St. Louis.
Jason had boldly built two robust digital and event brands – Barrett Sports Media and Barrett News Media.
Jason said, “Dude, I’ve got a sports brand which I know like the back of my hand and a newer news platform, but I need help putting together a MUSIC brand! Can you help?”
See where asking for help can get you?
Kevin Robinson is a passionate award-winning programmer, consultant and coach – with multi-formats success all over the country. He has advised numerous companies including Audacy (formerly Entercom Communications), Beasley Broadcast Group, Westwood One, Midwest Communications, Townsquare Media, Midwest Family Broadcasting Group, EG Media Group, Federated Media, Kensington Media, mediaBrew Communications, Starved Rock Media, and more. He specializes in strategic radio cluster alignment, building lean-forward tactics and talent coaching – legacy and entry-level – personalities.
Known largely as a trusted talent coach, Kevin is the only personality mentor who’s coached three different morning shows on three different brands in the same major market to the #1 position. His efforts have been recognized by The World Wide Radio Summit, Radio & Records, NAB’s Marconi, and he has coached CMA, ACM and Marconi Award-winning talent. He is also in The Zionsville High School Hall of Fame as part of the 2008 inaugural class. Kevin is an Indiana native – living near Zionsville with his wife of 39 years, Monica and can be reached at kevin@robinsonmedia.fm.
