What Goes Around Comes Around

Karma. Yin and Yang. Payback. Whatever you want to call it, in this industry, it is very real. There is almost a spiritual side to broadcasting when you look at things in the big picture. Maybe it's because of the opportunity you are given to connect with others on a daily basis. Maybe it's because you have the opportunity to make a difference in the community by holding an event or bringing some issue to light. Maybe it's because you can affect the moods of those listening - bringing either joy, sadness, or comfort to their day.

Being in radio is a special gift, no matter how you look at it. What goes on inside the studio when done right, is artwork at it's very best. Many in upper management seem to have forgotten that, and this includes Program Directors and Operations Directors too. One of the big ways that this magic, this artwork can be killed is by how the air staff is treated OUTSIDE the studio door. Sure, there are lots of stresses; make sure the logs are done, the promos are cut, the affidavits are done right, that sales is happy, that plans are underway in plenty of time for the "next big promotion." However, there is no excuse not to treat your people well.

An acquaintance of mine just lost her job this past week. From first impressions, she was a very likable person. Always had a smile on her face, and always seemed to have an open door. It turns out that most of that was a sham. Instead of taking care of business, she was shopping online. Instead of planning the next big thing, she was looking for others to blame. Most of all, instead of treating her people like the professionals they were, she treated them worse than a dog at the city pound.

Always be kind to the part time kid, to the afternoon guy going through a divorce, to the mid day woman whose son is walking the line trying to stay out of jail. These professionals have their own lives too, and they deal with and do their best to put on a good show for the audience. If you're not careful, Karma will come back and bite you square in the ass someday. Who knows, one day that part time kid you pissed off because you didn't like the t-shirt he was wearing might just be the GM you're interviewing for a job with. Treat your people well, and most of the other headaches will solve themselves.