Managing Up: The Essence of Reverse Mentorship

For the first 25 years of my career, I had the privilege of programming multiple formats, either in the News/Talk/Sports area or Contemporary Pop arena, which led me to a golden opportunity to be near the beach in Norfolk, Virginia, and oversee five stations.

The caveat? I’d also be programming one of them, 97.3 The Eagle WGH-FM. It was a Country station – a format I had never been a part of, and I really had no desire to pursue.

At the time, I was not a fan of the genre due to my own preconceived notions. I had no knowledge of the music, the artists, or the history of the format. But then, I met the station’s music director, Mark McKay, and everything changed.

Among the many things Mark taught me was the essence of managing up or, better yet, a phrase I heard mentioned in a call this past week: reverse mentorship. You’ll see how this young man, whether he knew it or not, reverse mentored me. I’ve done several columns on this topic, but this will show you, firsthand, how to do it right.

Situational Awareness

My expectations for the station were clear from the start, and Mark really worked to understand my little idiosyncrasies and style. He made sure whatever he did aligned with that. He used to joke that, if he heard a “Hey Mark” shout coming out of my office, he knew this added at least another hour to his workday crafting an idea into something tangible.

Proactivity

After perfecting the above, Mark became especially adept at knowing what I needed, and when, sometimes even before I knew I needed it. I had come from the pop world and gained a particular liking to the pop country of that time, but Mark, slowly but surely, and with all due respect, led me more to the middle between pop and traditional country. He showed me how important listening to the music in advance was in this format. He listened to everything, and I followed suit.

Emotional Intelligence

Mark let me make my mistakes, musically, so I could learn firsthand how important balance was in the format. He was always diplomatic and respectful when showing me how I was going “astray”. This is when I realized he was actually managing his supervisor.

Trust

With all the above, it was just a matter of weeks before Mark had my 100% trust, and I knew I had his. It was relatively easy for us to build a programming department culture after that. I trusted him enough to take him from Assistant Program Director to Program Director in a matter of just three years.

Flexibility with Boundaries

Mark had the ability to be absolutely honest with me, with respect, when he thought one of my ideas or programming directions would not work or would be too risky. Not once did he ever make me feel as if I were a novice with this format. He worked alongside me every day.

Mark and I developed into an excellent programming team for The Eagle, which wound up affecting the entire staff. Not only did I learn to understand the format, but became a member of the Country Radio Broadcasters’ Board of Directors 20 years ago and moved on to a bigger position for several years in Nashville, the country music capital of the world. None of that would have happened without Mark’s assistance.

I’m sad to report that Mark lost his battle with Leukemia just last week. Let this be my personal tribute to him, and, if you want to learn how to manage your “boss”, just go back and read this again (and again, if need be!). Mark McKay WAS and IS the essence of managing up. My hope is that you learn from him today.