Punishing Performers

Ten bucks says very few top-tier radio talents were asked to come to the boss' office last week to be told how much they were appreciated. "Performance Punishment" knows no boundaries across American business ... including broadcasting. Performance punishment-defined manifests in the mistaken belief that "the best among us already know they're good, so why spend much time reinforcing it?" This process is silent, unspoken and usually unconscious.

It's the equivalent of the 'C' student getting paid for getting an 'A' while the honor student is overlooked by a parent, assumed to be on autopilot and beyond the need for periodic praise or reinforcement. This obsolescent thinking is a myth. Overlooking your top-tier performers on the air or in the sales department undermines the true potential of your organization. People usually don't leave companies; they leave bosses, creating a vacant space recently occupied by a winner.

And it only takes one or two departures to change the game. Once the elan and dash have passed from your side -- regardless of your market size or competitive level -- it's almost impossible to get it back.

The problem with performance punishment is that it happens in positive-but-passive environments a day at a time, leaving a stunned department head or manager to remark, "I had no idea he or she was thinking about leaving..."

If you feel as we do that everyone thrives on positive reinforcement and coaching, but that twenty percent of your staff produce seventy-five percent of your results be it ratings or sales, then consider the passive-but-harmful impact of taking winners for granted (and no, the money's not their most valued benefit). Take a look at your 'A' team; have you quietly but consistently expressed your respect and admiration? Ask yourself:

1. Are you an accidental practitioner of "performance punishment?"
2. Which of your top performers have you assessed and/or reviewed so far this year?
3. Have you set time aside to meet with any of them this month?
4. When appropriating time, what percentage of your efforts do you afford your less skilled or marginal performers?
5. And, this difficult-but-necessary exercise: What percentage of your results can be attributed to each group?

While turnover is a part of life, a company or a radio cluster should never lose a key performer in the subtle wake of inattention or neglect.