What question is coming up within companies of all types in the midst of this crisis?
What will your company look like in the future?
More importantly, what SHOULD your company look like in the future?
At a time of incredible stress is there a way to manage this thought process into decisive and effective action?
Here are some thoughts on how you can approach these crucial questions in a deliberate and strategic manner.
Step One
Learn
Your first step in the process should be to learn and gather as much information as possible that enables you to develop insights that help guide you towards the most informed strategic decision.
Take a fresh start, beginners mindset approach.
In thinking about your station, cluster or company ask yourself what do you specifically need 
to learn about regarding what your customers or listeners are feeling and thinking today.
Most importantly, what are the specific qualities of your future customers and how can you be poised to identify and capture them?
Don't go into this process thinking your current customer hasn't changed as a result of this crisis because that will produce failure mode.
What industry dynamics do you need to be factoring in?
What dynamics of your competitors do you need to learn about and consider in your process as well?
By putting learning as your first step you:
Gather information
Understand implications and develop insights
Identify strategic alternatives for consideration.
Step Two
Focus
​Your second step on your road-map to strategic choices and a winning proposition is focus.
Identify what priorities that need consideration for your competitive focus.
Spend time making sure you aren't tempted by shiny objects that can distract your mission.
More importantly, to form your winning proposition ask yourself "what will we do differently or better than our competitors."?
As a part of your focus process your key priorities should be:
Perform a financial analysis of all options and alternatives
Make strategic choices and develop your winning proposition.
Document your strategy.
Step Three
Coordination
Step three in your process is the task of alignment with your people, your internal structure and your culture.
How can you effectively and efficiently coordinate all of your efforts?
How can you identify and prioritize any operational gaps?
What are the financial plans that should be documented so you can evaluate losses and potential gains after investment?
Step Four
Execution
Now that you have gone through the road-map process it's time to put your plan into place and execute.
Time to implement the strategy!
The necessity exists to create a time bound action plan and maximize participation within your organization.
What is working?
You'll need to track progress so you can modify if needed.
In a nutshell your execution plan is to:
Implement operational plans
Track initiative performance
Manage the portfolio.
Hopefully, this thought process increases your company's ability to adapt and respond to an environment that now more than ever includes rapid change.
​By taking a step by step approach, rather than looking at the challenge from an overwhelmed perspective you stand a better chance to have an organization built for the future.   

Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities and this crisis has left a toll that has a yet to be determined outcome.
Pick just about any small business local category and you can see that their new normal will be a complicated puzzle.
SomeSmall businesses are the lifeblood of our communities and this crisis has left a toll that has a yet to be determined outcome.
Pick just about any small business local category and you can see that their new normal will be a complicated puzzle.
Some will be able to think of innovative ways to get their business on track and some will struggle with the proper business plan that will get them back to some normalcy.
As Radio tries to navigate this unseen territory it would be wise for station clusters to consider new ways to super-serve the small business owners in their community.
One idea worth considering is to appoint someone in your cluster to be the “Small Local Business Liaison” who is your point of contact for the outside world in your market.
This person would be your Ambassador on the front line that could systematically engage with the small business community to help them jumpstart their business and give it a much needed push with market awareness.
If they were an advertiser at any point before this crisis they would quickly realize how committed you are to your community and the long term growth of these businesses.
Try putting short term revenue gains aside and think of this person as your bridge to enhancing your future relationships.
This liaison will also be able to organize important messaging for cities, towns and the many non-profit organizations that have been so hard hit during this pandemic.
This has been uncharted territory and it will continue to be a rough road ahead and Radio will continue to be an important force for good.
Considering new deployment for your staff is one way to meet these challenges head on.
will be able to think of innovative ways to get their business on track and some will struggle with the proper business plan that will get them back to some normalcy.

As Radio tries to navigate this unseen territory it would be wise for station clusters to consider new ways to super-serve the small business owners in their community.
One idea worth considering is to appoint someone in your cluster to be the “Small Local Business Liaison” who is your point of contact for the outside world in your market.
This person would be your Ambassador on the front line that could systematically engage with the small business community to help them jumpstart their business and give it a much needed push with market awareness.
If they were an advertiser at any point before this crisis they would quickly realize how committed you are to your community and the long term growth of these businesses.
Try putting short term revenue gains aside and think of this person as your bridge to enhancing your future relationships.
This liaison will also be able to organize important messaging for cities, towns and the many non-profit organizations that have been so hard hit during this pandemic.
This has been uncharted territory and it will continue to be a rough road ahead and Radio will continue to be an important force for good.
Considering new deployment for your staff is one way to meet these challenges head on.

Did we ever imagine we’d be grateful for a haircut?
For a grocery worker?
For a delivery service(UPS,FED EX,USPS)?
For a mechanic on duty?
For a waiter, busboy or bartender?
The list can go on and on.
And can any of us imagine what it would be like without WIFI?
Or your ZOOM account crashing from too much traffic?
Then of course first responders  of all types and anyone and everyone associated with the medical field from back office to technicians to doctors and nurses, maintainence and cleaning, supply chain to local pharmacies.
I'm certain we had some appreciation for some of these folks but now if we stop and think we really understand the depth of critical need they all provide and how selfless they all are.
We are living in extraordinary times and we can't get lost in the morass and lose site of gratitude and acknowledgement for all that is good.
I'm very grateful for Seth Godin and his daily take on the world and how we might consider all of life's possibilities and challenges.
Seth motivated this post from some weeks back with his blog called "Acknowledgements 2020" which I can't stop thinking about for what he was prodding us to never forget.
Among other comments that resonated: "I'm grateful for the unseen but not anonymous people who are delivering packages, maintaining web servers, fixing things that break and showing up every single day."
When you stop and think within your own organization today and prior to this crisis who are your "unseen but anonymous people" who play a vital role that deserve acknowledgement?
Certainly Market Managers are unseen in the pivotal role they play in keeping their team together motivated and operating.
The pressure they are under in these stressful business conditions is overwhelming to think about.
Their business teams led by Business Managers/Controllers and their accounting teams keep the business flow moving with both clients and employees without missing a beat.
Certainly, everyone who is part of the sales work flow plays a vital role in the day to day operation that must keep running even if an organization is on skeleton staff from sales management, sales staff, sales assistants, commercial continuity and the masters of a production staff.
Of course as an ex-programmer we can't forget about what program directors and their team bring to the table with the air talent tirelessly keeping all of the proverbial plates spinning.
They are our heart and soul.
The National Rep folks within Katz continue to fight for our advertising share as this crisis lingers.
Those involved with everything digital from content to client related are a lifeline to our audience and customers.
HR plays an important role in keeping a company/employee relationship as productive as can be in these harrowing times. 
Those responsible for internal infrastructure whether it be engineering, IT or the safety of your physical plant quietly do their job and keep the operation on track.
We also have to acknowledge the producers and board operators who play such an important role keeping the operation moving.
With so many great stories coming out of the work of so many great staff members from our front line on air talent we also have to acknowledge our internal press/PR teams for spreading the good word and we thank all trade publications for carrying that word as well.
We can't forget how the consulting thought leaders of our business inspire us to greater heights in the work they provide.
I'm sure I left someone out and for that I apologize but I think former VP/Alternative Programming from IHeart John Allers put it best when he said: " The people of our planet have a long list of Thank You notes to send out once we emerge from this crisis. So many people have risen to the occassion to make sure our society continues to get everything from healthcare to groceries to media coverage and entertainment while we are stuck in our homes."
​Thank you to all for your seen and unseen greatness.
 

As we scramble to adjust and create new norms amidst the current crisis, The Daily Standup has taken on a new and important meaning when it comes to maximizing leadership in the new universe.
What is it?
Known also as: The Daily Scrum-which is a fifteen minute time boxed event for development teams to synchronize activities and create a plan for the next 24 hours, The Daily Standup is the equivalent routine to meet up with your team and update on the day past and the day ahead.
The intent on the attendees standing up is so the meeting is short and to the point.
As we all consider ways to be a stronger leader during times of crisis let's reconsider the importance of the Daily Standup and redefine what it means in today's Zoom world as we practice social distancing.
Structure and routine have flown out the door for all of us in this crisis.
As creatures of habit we crave structure and routine for what it means to discipline, focus and prioritization in the workforce.
Isolation has also been a byproduct of this crisis and we have to be aware of the negative impact that can exist for your team.
Add in the already inherent gaps in communication that can exist in organizations and you have a mounting concern.
The water cooler conversation has disappeared and the opportunity to manage by walking around has also vanished for the time being.
The Standup takes on new importance.
The agenda of The Standup can be quite simple.
What was accomplished yesterday?
What is the goal for today?
What obstacles are impeding progress?
The energy of the meeting should be high and the purpose of it is well beyond the quick update that it accomplishes.
As teams have had to adjust to remote work The Daily Standup provides the necessary structure and support on an emotional level to make sure the troops are in sync.
It's the equivalent to a military leader calling for roll call at the start of the day.
It's also the equivalent of the leader having an opportunity to look in everyone's eyes to see if they are healthy and OK.
Connecting and reconnecting with people is important during this time of chaos and it would be wise to add into the structure of your calendar The Daily Standup.