Great stations, like great football teams, have this buzz about them – a vibe that everyone is pumped about working there. Not-so-great stations feel like a widget factory, populated by people waiting for their shifts to end so they can go home.
NFL wizard Bill Walsh, who coached the San Francisco 49ers to multiple championships in the eighties, said “If you can get everyone to laugh together, you can get everyone to get serious together.”
I do think that’s true, and years ago, we used to do a lot of things as a unit, whether it was going to a concert, or just hanging out together.
That’s not always possible in the 21st century, but I believe you can turn Walsh’s lesson around, too: If you can get everyone to be serious together, then you can get everyone to laugh together.
No matter how bad the day has been – say there’s no coffee in the coffee maker, the computers are glitchy, or the candy machine ate your dollar bill and spat out a Zagnut with an expiration date of November 3rd, 1998 – take a moment to relax. Gather your thoughts, clear your mind, and get ready for your show. By being serious about your job, you play your part in being a team leader. And if enough people do this, something magical happens. The mood lightens when everyone is purposeful.
I know this sounds simplistic, but frankly, that’s what losing stations always think – and then pay the price for thinking that way. Do your part to make your station the one where everyone wants to work. You’ll find that there’s a lot of laughter that grows out of being really good together.
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Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (iPhone)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2017 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.