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.”
Great suggestion for anyone, especially if you get little or no coaching.
I would add one other thought: Every 3 or 4 months, just put away a random aircheck of yourself. Then once a year, pluck one out and compare it to your work today.
Invariably, you’ll hear something that you’ve improved on. Doing this regularly will sort of “chart” your progress. It may also surprise you, in that just the WAY you do things has matured. Not just what you do, but how you do it.
And the thought process from that exercise could very well be “Yes, I can still get better – because I’ve done that, too.”
If you’re not moving forward, you’re standing still.