Believe Me

4/18/1997

What makes you so different?

It is’ a question I’ve had to answer a lot in my life, but sometimes the answer is more important than others.  It isn’t the question, but who’s asking that makes the difference.  For example, if Scott Shannon asks me, my answer will be full of bravado, backed up by appropriate stories and accompanied with a pirate’s grin.  If my daughter asks the same question, it stops me in my tracks.

What makes you different?  What do you believe in?  If you had to define yourself, how would you do it?

We work in a tough business.  In defining the radio and record industries, five words come to mind:  Anger, criticism, cynicism, negativity and egotism.  In this environment, it’s easy to know what we’re against.  We are quick to voice opinions on what we don’t like.  (Particularly in my case!)  Not so easy is defining what we like.

Why do we have the tendency to be so negative?  In a business founded on creativity, why are we so quick to accentuate the negative?  Why are so many voices raised with reasons why something won’t work rather than to sing the praises of the innovations that do work?

I got some great advice early on.  Hired to program WRKO in Boston, one of the most influential stations in the country, I was too young…too eager…and too hungry.  I wasn’t grounded in my programming beliefs and I certainly wasn’t sure of myself.  I had great promotional ideas, but before I put them into place, I discussed them with others in the company, seeking their input.  Needless to say, none made it on the air.  The others were quick to point out all the negative things that could result with a particular promotion.

Paul Drew, head of programming for the RKO Chain, told me, “If you have a great idea…put it on the air immediately.  Don’t talk with others about it.  They can’t see the positives…it isn’t in their interest.”

How much better could we be if we didn’t have to overcome so much negativity?  More importantly, how much better could our employees be if they didn’t have to overcome so much of our negativity?

With negativity comes criticism.  Don’t misunderstand. There is nothing wrong with being vocal when disagreeing.  It is important to define your position by discussing…as loudly as you wish…your opposition to those things with which you don’t agree.  Am I not the loudest protester?

I speak of the petty criticism we hear daily about almost everything and everybody.  I’ve said before that we should applaud every measure of success.  If anyone is doing really well anywhere…let’s stand up and cheer.

But we’re quick to criticize.  A PD has an up book?  No competition.  A record is getting a lot of adds?  Yeah, but it’s not selling.  A guy gets a promotion?  He’s just a brown-noser.

Stop it!

And let’s not forget the egos that run rampant in our business.  In the great business of life, what we do doesn’t give us the right to be disrespectful to others, to demand attention, to believe that our jobs actually make us more important than others.

Give me break.  The only reason our neighbors pretend to show interest in our jobs is for the free concert tickets or CDs that we occasionally hand out to impress.

Because of the nature of this Editorial, it’s not appropriate for me to point out the problems without offering solutions.

If you want to be different…you must act different.  It’s hard.  It’s easier to join the cynical crowd and criticize everything.  But if you really want to be different, let me offer five positive moves that you can make:

First, change your attitude.  You’ve got a great job…and the more positive your attitude, the better it…and you…will. Be.  In life and in business, “Attitude equals Altitude.”  How high do you wish to go?

Second, identify what you’re for…not just what you’re against.

Third, use words to make positive statements, not just negative judgments.  Take the time to compliment others on jobs well done.  Don’t you feel better when it’s done to you?

Fourth, use your works.  Kind words are nice…but what you do is important.  Go out of your way to show intentionality…do some thing intentionally to alter a potentially negative situation.

And fifth, be solution-minded.  It’s easy to find fault…how about providing an answer?  Anyone who works with me knows my motto is, “Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions.”

What makes us different?  What do we believe in?  Let me start you on the road to recovery with one simple answer:  Music.  Shouldn’t that be one of the big reasons we’re different?

We spend more time on things surrounding music than listening.  Scheduling meetings, budget meetings, department meetings, etc.  We have become an industry of meetings.  We don’t have a choice.  We don’t make those decisions.  But we can decide not to make those parts of our jobs the hot topics of our conversations.  It’s the music that matters.

We all have excuses.  There are a thousand reasons why we don’t accept excuses from others, why should we use them ourselves?

A song painter and current Callaway golfer once sang, “Music is the universal language and love is the key.  People who believe in music are the happiest people I’ve ever seen.”

The next time someone asks me, “What makes you different?  What do you believe in?”  I’ve got the answer.

I believe in music.

How about you?