1-19-2015
By Buzz Knight
With post-season football in full swing it's worth taking time to consider the work of great coaching and the influence our coaches can have on our most valuable talent assets.
When Vince Lombardi first met reporters in Green Bay in 1959 as the new coach of the Packers he proclaimed, "I'm no miracle worker." Yet in his second season he took the team to the playoffs and his legacy is well known. When Bill Belichick took over the helm of the Patriots in 2000 he told reporters, "This team is not a one-man band, I can't play all of the instruments."
Both Lombardi and Belichick, along with countless other coaches, were heavily influenced by the great Paul Brown (Lombardi coached against Brown) and his innovative philosophies still resonate today.
Brown was the first-ever coach of the Cleveland Browns and some of his tactics have a parallel for talent coaches in radio. Brown believed in short practices with his team. Do you believe in short meetings and short air-check discussions? Brown introduced the concept of the playbook. Do you have a show playbook for your show?
Brown started the study of game films and turned the Browns into a team of professionals. He insisted on a spirit of discipline, consistency, and execution. How are you applying your talents and communicating that same spirit to your host or team?
On the first night that Vince Lombardi addressed his team he said," If you're not willing to subjugate your individual needs, wishes, and wants for the benefits of the team, if you're not willing to pay the price to prepare yourself properly, if you're not willing to work hard and do things necessary to win, then get the hell out!" Belichick is known to demand the same type of commitment from his team where every player, whether they be primary lineup or reserve, is expected to make a contribution when they are called upon.
How are you aligning every member of your team to contribute in a designated role?
Just like in football our business is about execution and belief in yourself and your teammates. When the foundational belief that talent has is embedded in discipline and consistency it can take an average talent or show and turn them into a great show.
One last thought from the great Vince Lombardi: "You don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all of the time."
Buzz Knight is the Vice President of Program Development for Greater Media and he can be reached at bknight@greatermediaboston.com. Knight was named among ?Best Programmers? by Radio Ink magazine in 2007 and 2010. He has served on the programming subcommittee of the National Association of Broadcasters(NAB) and is currently a member of the Nielsen Radio Advisory Council and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) COLRAM Committee.
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