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Does Radio Have a Management Problem?

Von David Kidd, BPR

Radio spends plenty of time talking about its content problem, its talent problem and its battle with Spotify, podcasts and YouTube.

Perhaps we should talk more about its management problem.

Gartner research paints a fairly uncomfortable picture of corporate management generally. In one study, only 35% of HR leaders were satisfied with the effectiveness of mid-level managers and just 27% with frontline managers. Another found only 38% of employees were satisfied with the quality of their manager, while just over half actually trusted them.

Radio should pay attention.

One of the industry’s longstanding habits is promoting people because they’re very good at the job they’re currently doing.

A great announcer or music director becomes a Program Director.

A great salesperson becomes a Sales Director.

A great journalist becomes a News Director.

But being good at something doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be good at managing other people doing it.

The Program Director is a perfect example.

We tend to think of the PD as a creative position….someone with great ears who understands music, talent, content and what makes a station sound great.

All important.

But a significant part of the job is actually managing people.

It’s coaching the Breakfast show after a bad morning. It’s telling a talented announcer something they don’t particularly want to hear. It’s developing younger talent, dealing with egos, resolving conflict, setting standards and somehow keeping everyone motivated while the ratings aren’t cooperating. It’s negotiating with the Sales Director about how much is too much inventory.

Those are management skills.

And they don’t magically arrive with the new title on the office door.

Gartner’s more recent research found that one in four managers would prefer nicht to manage people at all. It also found highly engaged managers were nearly four times more likely to be high contributors to their organisation.

That’s particularly important in radio because our teams are relatively small. A poor manager doesn’t just affect one corner of the organisation. A poor Program Director can affect the entire sound of a station. A poor Sales Director can affect revenue. A poor News Director can affect the newsroom.

And ultimately, all three can affect the audience.

Perhaps radio needs to spend less time asking:

“Who deserves the promotion?”

And more time asking:

“Who actually has the ability, and desire, to lead people?”

The next great Program Director will still need great ears.

But great ears aren’t enough.

They’ll also need to be a great manager.