Frost Advisory

Frost Advisory #651 – Can We Be Friends?

Leave a comment

In a world before computers, my classmates and I would gather by a bulletin board in the school hallway to find out our class assignment.

Did we get the good teacher or the one nobody liked? Did we get the teacher that would allow you to have some fun or the one that was strict? (My fifth grade teacher Mrs. Lay actually invited us to her house to watch the World Series. Those were different times, don’tcha know).

Seeing which teacher we got wasn’t the real goal of checking the bulletin board. No, we wanted to see if we’d be with our friends. I wanted to be with Rodney, David, Buddy, and Julian. And just maybe that pretty girl Marlene.

Continue reading →
Tommy Kramer Tip

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #504: A Good Lesson from a Bad Source

Leave a comment

This is something to learn, albeit from a bad source.  The next time you’re watching TV, turn the sound off.  Now just watch the person onscreen.

You’ll be amazed at how much “over the top” acting is evident.  Exaggerated facial expressions; flamboyant, overstated physical movements; “surprised” reactions that almost look like you’re watching some ancient silent movie.

Continue reading →

Tommy Kramer Tip

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #503: Your Greatest Hits

Leave a comment

After one of my recent tips came out, my associate and friend John Frost sent me an email saying: “When I was at KHTR in St. Louis, I hit a little slump in my on-air performance.  My Program Director suggested that I create a “best of” tape and listen to it every day on my way to work.  That way, I would have an objective reference point to what I did well, and it would help build my confidence since I was listening to my own work.”  The thought was “Yes, I can do this because I’ve done it.”

Continue reading →

Frost Advisory

Frost Advisory #649 – My Grandmother’s Couch

Leave a comment

There are sights and smells from our childhood we never forget. I grew up in the home my grandfather built.

I can still remember the sound of the grow ups talking downstairs while I was upstairs pretending to go to sleep. I remember the sound of the grandfather clock at the bottom of the staircase chiming every fifteen minutes and chiming the specific number of times on the hour.

My grandmother also lived in our hometown. The sights and smells of her home are just as vivid.

Continue reading →
Tommy Kramer Tip

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #502: Talk to the Eyes, not the Ears

Leave a comment

Konstantin Stanislavski was the father of “method” acting.  Practically every actor since Marlon Brando in the 1950s has read and/or studied his writings and techniques.

One of his main tenets is “Talk to the eyes, not the ears.”

It’s all about making things visual.  If I can visualize it, I can crawl inside it, emotionally.  But if it’s just “ad copy” or doesn’t bother to engage me visually, it just goes by unnoticed.  Or it’s noticed, but not in a good way.  It’s just noise.

“You can have a family member flown in for Christmas” is sort of generally visual, but “Imagine eating Grandma’s recipe with Grandma…” is very visual.  Then, “We’ll fly her in!” adds another visual component.

Think “what does this situation (or this behavior) look like?” and you’ll be on the right track to stand out in the sea of disc jockeys reading crap off a computer screen.

Tommy Kramer Tip

Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #501: Givers and Takers

Leave a comment

Recently, my brilliant friend and associate John Frost wrote a column that struck gold.  While he was specifically addressing Contemporary Christian Music stations, I believe his points resonate with every format.  Here’s part of what John said:

When you think about the people that have had the greatest influence on your life, I reckon you’d say they were GIVERS. Continue reading →

Frost Advisory

Frost Advisory #647 – Let’s Celebrate What We Value: A New Year’s Resolution

Leave a comment

I reckon’ the beginning of a new year is a good time to consider how we internalize the values in our organizations.

Andy Stanley suggests, “Just start celebrating what you value. People will value what you celebrate, and they will celebrate what you value.”

I’ve recently been reading “Breakfast with Fred,” the conversations and ideas of Fred Smith, Sr., a mentor for many leaders such as Zig Ziglar, Philip Yancey, John Maxwell and my friend Steve Brown.

Continue reading →