A story that hit the news this past week was that there could be a move afoot to grant baseball great Pete Rose a Presidential pardon. That topic spawned conversation on sports/talk and news/talk stations about whether the onetime Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies player would finally be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. An honor that was taken away in 1989 amid accusations that he gambled on baseball games while he played for and managed the Reds. Despite Rose’s declaration of innocence, he accepted a lifetime ban on baseball and consideration for the Hall of Fame.
When all of this was first happening decades ago, I was visiting a client radio station in Cincinnati. You can imagine how big the story was nationally, but it was even bigger in Cincinnati. The noise level in the market was so loud that it led me to engage the cab driver in conversation as he took me to the airport. My simple question was “So how ‘bout Pete Rose?” The conversation that followed was logical and understandable as it started, before it took a sharp left turn.
The older gentleman shared that he worked two jobs to be able to take care of his wife and five children. His strategy as a parent was to keep all of his kids busy with sports so that they stayed out of trouble. The man believed that the discipline that comes with organized sports would also be beneficial in helping raise his children into responsible adults. I heard about his oldest child’s skills as a pitcher and third baseman in the city league. The conversation was lovely, but he wasn’t answering my question. “What about Pete Rose?”
The story resumed. “Pete Rose donates a lot of money to youth sports in this town” the man said. “I can’t afford the gloves, bats, balls, and the teams can’t afford the batting helmets and all that goes with the game. Mr. Rose did all of that for the kids and for this city. He has done a lot of good things for people like me.” Clearly the all-time hits leader had this man’s allegiance, and he loved Pete. That thinking is what led me to say, “So you think Pete Rose shouldn’t be banned from baseball?” His response … “He absolutely should be banned and hopefully never goes into the Hall of Fame.” That’s not the response I thought I’d hear.
During the rest of the ride the driver underscored his comment by saying that he’d never want his kids to look up to someone who had so badly broken the rules. He said that when the news first started to come out, he was crushed. Pete went from being at the highest of highs in many eyes to subterranean levels. Pete Rose failed this man’s expectations. He was an American hero who shattered the hearts of millions of baseball fans worldwide. Pete Rose wasn’t who people thought he was, and he lost the respect of most of his onetime fans. He failed expectations.
When is the last time you sat in a meeting where “Expectations” were discussed? The expectations of the advertiser, the audience, those of the team members, a community’s expectations, or those of your broadcast partners? Seldom do I hear the “E Word” mentioned. Strategies are developed and directives are given without a focus on a greater picture. Seldom is there consideration of whether or not adjustments, changes, and actions will fail an expectation. The trust of the audience is important. Service and satisfaction to an advertiser is important. Meeting and exceeding expectations of your employees, coworkers, and peers is critically important.
Expectations take years to cultivate and a moment to crush. Don’t take lightly the expectations of those important to your success. The audience and advertiser owe you nothing.
Comments