A Lost Art: Critiquing your Air Talent
By Gary Begin/Identity Programming
As a consultant, I’ve found effectively managing creative people often differs from those in task-oriented positions. People hired to perform physical labor or clerical services need only understand the specific tasks at hand and carry them out competently.
Creative types such as radio personalities must place a part of themselves at risk every time they open the microphone, in order to succeed.
Successful air talent use personal experience and perspective as a stimulus for their creative process. This blending of the person into the profession makes instructing on-air performance a complex process. Air personalities acknowledge and respect managers who are honest, fair and consistent. To strike the greatest creative potential from your talent, you must first improve the quality of the creative support environment.
Here are examples of how to coach an effective air check session, enhancing the air talent performance at your radio station.
Dos and Don’ts
Numerous personalities are managed exclusively by a daily dose of don’ts! Don’t talk too much. Don’t dominate conversations with callers. Don’t! Don’t! Don’t! It’s a wonder anyone stays in our business. While talent needs to understand boundaries, they also require direction. What to do within those boundaries. Constantly give your air talent alternatives as to how something might be performed more effectively in the future.
Disconnect the Air Talent from the Performance
Focus on the behavior you wish to change. If you want the personality to better edit themselves, address only the process of editing. Stay clear of language and issues that can be interpreted as a personal attack by the air talent.
It’s Never Personnel
Personalities behave the way they do on-the-air because they believe it’s the right thing to do at the time. They don’t spend time contemplating on air antics guaranteed to annoy you. When approaching a problem, ask questions before making accusations. For example: “I listened to you put a caller on-the-air this afternoon. Since we don’t place callers’ on-the-air at this station, I’m curious as to why it happened?”