(By John Shomby) Every NFL season brings speculation about which coaches are on the “hot seat” for falling short of expectations. This annual discussion highlights the striking similarities between pro football Head Coaches and radio station Program Directors.
- A head coach establishes the overall identity, direction, and culture of the team. A program director establishes the overall brand identity, format direction and culture of the airstaff.
- A head coach is directly responsible for assembling and managing a group of athletes with specific skills to field a unit that works together as a team. A program director assembles a group of on-air personalities and support personnel to create a radio station that reflects the community working together as a team.
- A head coach is a master strategist devising game plans, analyzing opponents, and working with the players in carrying out a specific strategy. A program director is the main architect of the format direction who works with his/her staff in creating content to support that direction while continuously analyzing the station’s competitors.
- A head coach’s success or failure is determined by his/her team’s wins and losses. A program director’s success or failure is determined by ratings wins and losses in his/her market. Success for both is always good. Failure for both is pretty much the same!
When I was a PD, I constantly studied the habits and philosophies of successful coaches in all sports. Probably the most influential for me was the man who put the Green Bay Packers on the map with the first real NFL dynasty in the 60’s, Vince Lombardi. He had a set of rules (The Lombardi Rules) that are still applicable to today’s leader/PD:
- Ask Yourself Tough Questions – Am I going to let my life be controlled by the crush of daily activities or will my purpose prevail over the demands that never cease to cry for attention?
- Expect to be Observed – Whether you like it or not, you’re being watched 24/7. People will know who you are by what you do more than by what you say.
- Write Your Character – Character means seeking truth, finding, and keeping faith, practicing humility and showing respect and compassion for others. Learn from hardship. Identify your heroes/mentors.
- Total Commitment – The Latin root for commitment is “to cut away from”. When you commit to something you are cutting away all your other options. 100% effort, 100% of the time, is what it takes to succeed.
- Work Harder than Everybody – Do more than somebody else is willing to do and you’ll end up succeeding. “‘Run it again’ wasn’t just something I said to the team, during practice, it was the way I lived my life”.
- Be Prepared to Sacrifice – Without pain, turmoil, commotion, anxiety, stress, and tension, there is no growth, no change. You’ve got to pay a price for anything that’s worthwhile.
- Be Mentally Tough – Be willing to hold to your goals in the face of pressure and stress. It’s not the ability to survive a failure; it’s the ability to come back stronger from failure.
- Explain the Whys – Always start with why, not how. “I never tell a player this is my way, now do it. Instead, I say, this is the way we do it, and this is why we do it.”
- Act, Don’t React – Study the past, live in the present. Continue Learning. Seize the moment.
These are still on a wall here in my home office. Not a week goes by that I don’t go over them at least once. Programming a radio station is not easy. As they say, if it were, everyone would be doing it. Embrace your position. Study, learn, and apply.
Based in Nashville, TN, John Shomby is the owner and CEO of Country’s Radio Coach. He is focused on coaching and mentoring artists, radio programmers, and on-air talent to help them grow and develop inside the radio station and the industry. Reach John at [email protected] and 757-323-1460. Read John’s Radio Ink archives here.
