Radio People Hide Behind Microphones

I didn't invent the thought nor do I feel a need to stay away from promoting its end result potential. Lower your standards... Wait! Isn't that how the United States hap heartedly sacrificed its world productivity domination? Lowering your standard is like your parents demanding, "Your curfew time is 11:00 but if you can't make it until 11:45 that's ok." We have to break this thought up to better understand why bread rises. Optimism keeps us from lowering our expectations. A pessimist pouts out their injuries before the idea slips from the lips of the one putting air into motion. The problem in every corner of the American workplace is living up to unheard levels of expectations. Micro-management is what we did in the 1980's and 90's. Three decades into the painting the art of survival is based on companies accepting extremely small while still finding faith in pleasing pyramid leadership with even tinier playing fields. Michael Jordon didn't win six National NBA Championship rings by being a one man team. Or did he? Can baseball become a better game with six rather than nine guys kicking up dust on the diamond? Radio has proved announcer's/jocks/on-air talent don't have to paste their tails to control room studio chairs to savor the flavor of gathering gobs of listeners. Radio has lowered its standards. The decision to do so has shot multitudes of broadcast outlets toward success rates once thought to be long gone and dead to the wind. Dr. Richard Carlson sits on both sides of the well catered fence claiming workplaces with too much expectation find themselves alienating the cream of the crop. The drive to strive is too much for hardworking deeply dedicated souls chained to a society that guarantees only 29 hours with no hope of making overtime. That's not who we're focusing on. It's the perfectionist that beats up their body internally. Absolutely I'm this mo-fo! I refuse to bang out a radio commercial or dry read for a national television spot. The choice is to rip my vocal threads giving no hope for any at home conversation because it's too painful. My expectations as an individual player is to harness control of what other's have let go of. In doing so the closing chapters of a thirty plus year Broadcast career wouldn't last three minutes in a closed door meeting with a 1980's radio station program director's air check session. For radio outsider's, this is when the boss listens to every break over and over, searching for something to shape and I pitty the fool that skipped a beat when being perfect is what they paid for. I often wonder what would've happened if I had leaned over and whispered to Bill Conway, Andrew Ashwood, Neal Sharpe and Nick Allen, "Heyyyy how about lowering your standard?" Dr. David points out another fixture on the wall that needs to be covered: rude crude leader's or insensitive players not accustom to understanding life isn't neat and trouble free. Computers have made monsters out of calm cool collected men and women of American business. Mention Adobe Audition 3.0 to a radio person and poof! Biff! Bam! Pow! Everybody has a story to share about how incredibly cool, best ever pieces of creativity have vanished without explanation. Lowering your standards is sitting back, realizing you've got to pee. Get up, walk away and start over with fewer levels of fluid in the juice maker. Employ the idea of taking the job out of your job. Understand that what you were hired to do is affect another person's life. Commercials invite listeners to further their education at community colleges. Producing commercials put your fingertips on the steering wheel of a hot new car with cool air conditioning. My newest goal is to help NASCAR connect with fans to get their gear guts back in the seats. If doing radio production is a job then where's the fun in helping a listener feel incredible? Dr. Richard believes we get confused about the difference between expectation and standards of excellence. "Don't lower your standards by accepting poor performance. Make room in your heart for bad days, horrid coworkers, out of tune musical notes and extra work on Fridays." Stop spending so much time being annoyed and find adventure in stride. I'll always believe in you first... arroe.net