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Beijing’s Olympic flame has been doused and now London is on the planning horizon for 2012. Our Olympic competitors are back on home soil. Our awareness of every facet of sport from badminton to judo and synchronised swimming has been heightened.
And the winner was ? – China with the most number of medals awarded during the two weeks of competition. Looking back over recent summer Olympic Games, countries who have hosted the world’s greatest sporting event have experienced a perhaps not surprising phenomenon. Almost without exception host countries attain the highest ever medal count in the history of their participation in the modern Olympic Games.
Home crowd advantage is clearly something to be reckoned with, as I’m sure most members of the Great Britain team are hoping for in 2012.
Competitors in other sports will also tell you the advantage of the home crowd and ground. Nothing beats the home ground advantage with their supporters cheering them on and encouraging them to squeeze that extra ounce of performance to attain the ultimate goal of beating their opposition. Just ask any football team whether they’d prefer to play a final on their home ground or on the opposition’s?
It got me to thinking – if as PDs, station managers, owners and executives we took a similar “home crowd” stance by cheering on and encouraging those around us for their achievements, imagine how powerful that positive re-enforcement would be on the workplace environment.
Most people just want to be appreciated. If you're a PD, that's something to seriously think about as you set the tone for maximum productivity. On air personalities in particular tend to be driven by the need for positive feedback. It’s what gives them that extra lift to go in a four walled, glassed studio every day and entertain in what must be one of the most un natural environments for any entertainer – performing and providing a show to an audience you cannot see !
For many, getting any feedback on a daily basis from their PD is as much a challenge as turning up each day and making today’s show better than the day before’s, and even better than the one before that. Show your on air personalities as well as others on the product team a little respect and gratitude, and watch your productivity and creativity soar to new heights
This positive encouragement is one of the core basics of being a Program Director in 2008. It still remains one of the key attributes PD’s should exhibit as part of their leadership strength.
PD’s are “in charge” people. As leaders, you can use your sources of power in sensitive but effective ways. When you assume your role as leader who can motivate, you have three sources of power to tap
- Firstly you have “knowledge” because of what you know about the department you lead. When you share your experience with those who work with you, you make the best use of your “knowledge” power
- Second, you gain power from the role you occupy. Being the Program Director gives you the authority which you must use gently and wisely
- Third, you have “personality power”. You can persuade or motivate others through your positive attitude, friendly manner, patience and other personal characteristics.
Although you must be sensitive in the way you use your power, (don’t let your position go to your head) properly used, the three sources of power can help you become the type of Program Director you want to be.
It is important that “new” and even existing Program Directors learn to communicate a “take charge” and motivating image. She or he must let everyone know (co-workers and your superiors included) that things are under control, that decisions are being made and that the role of Program Director is a comfortable one for you. All of this must be accomplished without giving an impression that your desire to motivate them is just paying lip service to something you think you should do.
Why is a stronger leader image necessary? Among other reasons, your on air people want you to be a leader. They will produce more if they know that they are part of a cohesive group with established standards and a set of goals to achieve. In contrast, a weak Program Director will cause the on air staff and others who work with you to be confused and unproductive.
Use the station’s internal home crowd advantage to achieve the same result that Olympic competitors do. Enable your on air and product team to draw on the positive feedback from you and those inside the station. After all, it’s one of the many great advantages of becoming a Program Director in the first place.
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