(By Buzz Knight) Someone has to make the cake. It doesn’t just magically appear as a finished product out of nowhere. The “front of house” gets more attention than the “back of house,” and some leaders often forget about the contributions of their entire team.
The great TV series The Bear truly illustrated this brilliantly about a high-end restaurant in Chicago, showcasing the tension, intricacies, and teamwork responsible for a finished product. There were moments when it broke down, and the culprit was often a person in leadership on the team forgetting about the importance of gratitude.
When we saw the workflow operating effectively there was a code of gratitude leadership that was the backbone of the organization.
If you are in a role equivalent to the “Head Chef,” take an inventory of the “who” of your entire team. Look at your team from top to bottom and give everyone a shout-out of thanks this Thanksgiving season, either publically or one-on-one.
Even though radio station staffs have been thinned over the recent years, there are still many people integral to the operation that shouldn’t be taken for granted ever, no less during the season of Thanksgiving.
Take your own necessary inventory and take time to acknowledge what their work truly means.
I myself want to take this moment to say “Thank You” to a group of people integral to the work I’m fortunate to do with my Takin’ a Walk and Music Saved Me podcasts. Thank you to Bob Malatesta, Harry Jacobs, Emily Cagan, DeeDee Kearney, Lynn Hoffman, and Julie Talbott from Premiere and iHeartMedia.
Also, Thank You to Radio Ink for continuing to publish my thoughts. I would be remiss if I didn’t say Thanks to an endless list of supporters that would take me forever to acknowledge one by one. Happy Thanksgiving and cherish your time with friends and family.
Buzz Knight can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. Read Buzz’ Radio Ink archives here.
