The Little Things

There’s a thin line that separates Good to Great.
We see it in business, sports, entertainment and leadership.
As Jim Collins in his legendary book “Good to Great put it “Good is the enemy of Great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great.”
When thinking of the key components to a great radio station and great programming it’s important to note the little things that add up to separate good to great.
A perfect segue
Beautiful imaging matching the mood of the day
Artful teasing of content by the air talent
The right song for the right moment
Entertaining commercial production
On air audio processing that creates a great listener experience
In car dashboard messaging that actually is accurate and meaningful
Social media posts that are purposeful, timely and brand centric
Community involvement that is more than a collection of random PSA’s
Localism that is so spot on that it puts a smile on your face
Hitting stop set placement perfectly
Talent that understands topicality, brevity, audience engagement and connection
A radio station that feels like a living, breathing entity rather than just a recorded loop
These are some of the hallmarks of great radio
Great radio that executes brilliantly in the moment
You can tell right away when you hear it
It’s like the beauty of a swiss watch
We all know of the adage that “the little things all add up” but is this notion part of the lost art of brilliant programming?
Are Programmers so in the mode of just trying to survive and get thru a day that the little things are slipping thru the cracks?
Great programmers have always been the ones who obsess over the little things and get them right every time
For them the little things are a badge of honor
By them instilling that in their teams it leads them to success from every department right up to their top air talent
Make the little things be infectious in your organization and you will win!
If we let the little things gradually slip away we will be left with nothing.