[cma-l] imaging and the announcement

Tue Jan 20 19:21:25 GMT 2015

Dear All

Dunno about Blogs?   and reading between the lines here it appears as if I
have become some kind of Chairman  :-)   LOL      I don’t think I’m quite at
that level to be honest, I am but a mere insect     :-)

I have to say though, all the comments over the past week or so from Pippa,
Ian, Glyn, Alex, Neil and Uncle Tom Cobbley have been good reading and good
debate, and to be honest, none of us are a million miles away from each
other. Obviously approach can be slightly different, but in the main
circumstances of each individual Station dictate the odds.

Never ever wishing to be derogatory or disrespectful to volunteers, but we
all know that volunteers come in two categories and Glyn hits the nail right
plonk on the head.

Some have their own agendas and they are in the game because they want to
further their career (and that’s fine) and/or just want to be on the Radio
driven by that huge person pushing them from behind 

 Mr Herbert Ego 

.. a
nice chap, but can be a bit awkward when he wants to be. Can be rather
touchy as well if you say something wrong 
 :-)

Other volunteers are the ones who do not want to go on-air and just beaver
away. However, we do have some who go on-air and do the other stuff as well,
so it really is mix and match.

But alas 
.there are difficult volunteers. We actually don’t have any, all
of our chaps and ladies are very nice 
 the ones we had who were difficult,
were not difficult for very long. Courses on how to deal with difficult
volunteers / volunteers was not really our remit 
.. I don’t think you need
an awards ceremony, a ball and a certificate to learn how to tell someone to
go forth and play with the traffic !   :-)              we’ve had about 5
problematics over the 11 years 
. They were swiftly dealt with.

A difficult volunteer with an ego is like holding a stick of dynamite and
not a good situation to be in.

But, back to the point 

 good volunteers are few and far between, those
that you do have on-board must be treated with respect and the odd reward
and tickle (or two)                   constant delegating to the ones who
already graft can backfire 

. It’s all about trying to encourage people,
friendly persuade or failing that buy a big club     :-)      LOL

Yup    rewarding indeed 

. We wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t. It is
challenging because wherever you look there are holes 
 you might be flush
in some areas (even money £££) but bereft or have short fall in others.

We started off talking about ‘’delegation’’’ and sadly as usual I went off
around the Trees and through the Woods again, but alas, we’re back on track
now 
.. delegation is difficult .. especially if you look around and there’s
no one there.

I have often wondered if some of these Stations which have closed, I’m
trying to visualise the last day ??????   would it be down to the last three
dedicated burnt out mugs standing there whilst surrounded by Indians, one
leaves coz they’ve lost the will to live, then the other so that nothing
comes back on them and then there’s one guy / gal left ..usually the one who
had the idea originally ‘eureka’  ‘’let’s start a Radio Station’’

Headline in the local Rag 

 General Custer finally falls, goodnight sleep
well Radio Custer

Regards

Nick

  _____  

From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
[mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Associated
Broadcast Consultants
Sent: 20 January 2015 09:49
To: The Community Media Association Discussion List
Subject: Re: [cma-l] imaging and the announcement

Re: Community Radio Station Management

Delegation is particularly difficult in community radio.  I know from
experience managing in both worlds that it is an awful lot more difficult
and subtle to manage volunteers (who have their own agendas and can choose
whether or not to work) versus employees (who pay their mortgage by doing a
job).

To anyone doing it already (whether in radio or other voluntary
organisations) that must be an obvious statement.  To anyone who has not
tried it, believe me it is challenging - but rewarding when you get it
right!

Nick - have you ever thought of running a blog?  It would be essential
reading for many of us who enjoy your heart on sleeve observations!

Glyn

Principal Consultant

Associated Broadcast Consultants <http://a-bc.co.uk> 

On 19 January 2015 at 14:26, Canalside's The Thread
<office at thethread.org.uk> wrote:

Dear All

The Station Manager conversation is always a corker I reckon. Station
Managers in Community Radio are NOT really like Managers in other businesses

. We tend to be more of General Dogs Bodies and Gophers 

. Has anyone
else experienced this ??   when we set out on this venture in 2004 I was
prepared to do whatever was needed to get the project up and running and
then tootling along. I aimed at doing about 20 hours a week and receiving
nothing but a few expenses. The 20 hours then became 25 and then very
quickly became 35 and then 40. A slight re-think was needed and it was
decided that I was to receive a little tickle £££ or 2 

.. obviously, at
40 hours one or two of the other thing that I do had to be pushed slightly
to one side (ie   my job) 

.. 

In 2007 just before launching full-time we needed another serious re-think
as without realising it  I was now doing 50 hours !
obviously the great question appeared from nowhere which was ‘’a good
Manager delegates’’ 
. All well and good,if, you have folk around you to
delegate to. We had lots of volunteers, but they were merely doing the shows
and then goodnight Vienna see ya next week. You end up with the same five
running the whole process, and therefore they are the five who receive a
little tickle £££      the situation in a roundabout way answered itself.

Are there any other Stations who are where they are today of course through
deliberate actions but also and element of fate and luck and basic HARD
GRAFT from a few people. Those people may also define their job description
as General Dogs Bodies and Gophers.

I say all of this without being derogatory to anyone 

. My hours are now
averaging at 70 whilst receiving Part-Time pay. I’m not complaining, I am
merely making a point and giving you all the facts.

I reckon others are in the same Boat 

..if they ain’t, then we’re doing
something wrong. But alas, we’ve been running for 12 years next year !  we
must surely be doing something right and our / my approach as you can see is
most definitely not Blue Chip big Management, it’s hard graft on the
treadmill. 

Regards

Nick

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