Innholdsfortegnelse for December 11, 2023 i Radio Ink Magazine

DPARENTI@STREAMLINEPUBLISHING.COM “If you see a turtle sitting on a fence post, you know it had to have some help getting there.” I've always been especially drawn to this whimsical saying, often attributed to the writer Alex Haley, for a couple of reasons. First, imagine your confusion at finding a turtle perched four feet off the ground on a post (not to mention the turtle's undoubted surprise, as well). Second, it's a reminder that no one accomplishes great things entirely on their own. Most of us are fairly good at acknowledging those who have supported our climb up the career ladder. Listen to any awards acceptance speech from the Oscars to the Marconis and you'll hear the usual litany of thank yous. Like the turtle at the top, we have benefited…

GELLERMEDIA.COM If you're lucky, a shining star walks in your front door. Or maybe your next “big hit” Is right under your nose. But mostly, finding the right people means a search. Hiring is one of your biggest challenges, but you win when you get it right. Always Be On The Lookout Talk to everyone. Use your network. Accept that mistakes are part of the process. Successful managers take their time and their chances. The best time to find talent is not when you're desperate. Always be looking. Then, when you have an opening, you've got your “wish list” already started. The X Factor You can teach radio/audio broadcast or podcast skills and craft, but you cannot teach talent. That's the X factor. It's what stars, successful podcasters, and highly…

Comments you hear from the ranks of radio: “There are no young people to be found in radio.” “No one under 35 wants to work in radio.” “There's no talent pool or training camp for radio.” Anecdotal, and not necessarily factual. If you think overnight is the only place talent train, you're wrong. If you think there are no sellers to be found, engineers to hire, or on-air personalities who want to be heard, you're wrong. In this issue Radio Ink acknowledges “Radio's 30 and Under Superstars” – proving that the naysayers are wrong about radio failing to foster the next generation. Support for the industry's future starts with those of us who are a part of the medium's past. Mentoring, training, and giving opportunities to those interested in our…

Don't believe everything you read (or hear). Radio's future is in good hands. Every year, Radio Ink asks the industry to nominate “30 and Under Superstars,” young people who are hardworking, innovative, and have already made a positive impact in their workplace. Each year, we are blown away by the quality of the nominees. This year's honorees are no exception. From on-air talent to digital marketing professionals to sales professionals, each one of these superstars is making an impact on radio. We always ask our honorees about their professional experiences. This year, we focused on what brought them to the industry, what surprised them about their work, and what the industry needs to do to keep them (and their peers) in radio. Their answers surprised, touched, and inspired us. Many…

From the minute my youngest daughter came into my life, she's had an opinion about everything. She's 25 now and the typical Gen-Z. Look up the characteristics, and she exhibits them all, including her unfortunate indifference to radio. Fast-forward to a recent conversation we had that hit very close to home. Somehow we stumbled onto the topic of radio, and, of course, she had very little to say that was positive, especially when I heard, “Dad, radio, in its present form, will die.” (Pretty strong comment from an individual whose college education was subsidized by someone in radio.) Meredith, my daughter, has never been one to hold back but has always backed up her comments with sound reasoning (she definitely takes after her mother!). She had a list of reasons…

THE CENTER FOR SALES STRATEGY According fo Monster.com, 96% of workers are currently looking for a new position. With so many people searching, why is it still so hard to find top talent? The answer is most leaders are recruiting in the wrong places. At the Center for Sales Strategy, we conduct an annual Sales Superstar Study to better understand how our clients find top talent. Over the past eight years, we've discovered that leaders find top-performing salespeople through referrals more frequently than any other recruiting method. Nearly one third of superstar sellers come from referrals. Mindy Murphy, Senior Talent Analyst at CSS, leads the Sales Superstar Study; she says, “If managers aren't leveraging their networks to ask people for referrals, they may be missing out on great talent.” Talent…

You're reading about 30 and Under Superstars in this issue at a time when our industry seems challenged in attracting and managing this important group, so necessary for the innovation that almost always leads to renewed growth. Younger employees want to develop leadership skills. They want to learn how to be effective communicators, to be engaged and collaborative. Like all of us, they want to be heard. Your best younger workers want to learn to manage others and develop critical thinking skills. They need mentors. Once local radio clusters stop seeing the development of young talent as optional, it is critical to select the right strategies for developing talent on-air, in sales, and in other important roles. After all, our job in leadership is to make their jobs easier and…

What are your hobbies? I like to read; cook, and do anything with my family – watching football, hiking, snorkeling, anything. Who is/was your role model, and why? Chuck Sherman, former EVP of NAB's Television Department and President of NAB's Education Foundation (now Leadership Foundation). He taught me the importance of editing everything from video clips (“Kiddo, keep it to 30 seconds, and in that time, you better make the audience laugh or cry!”) to a board activity report (“If you don't use the proper grammar, you will never get anywhere in your life!”). He was hard on his staff but appreciated them. He was a proponent of balancing family and work before it was more widely acceptable. When I had my first son, Chuck gave me the option to…