A Common Denominator of Country Radio Hall of Famers

The Country Radio Hall of Fame added six new members last week (6/19)/19. As is customary, each inductee made remarks after being introduced. And while the “M” word wasn’t specifically used, a common theme across the speeches was mentoring.

Saying Thanks

There was grateful acknowledgement to those who took the time to teach radio-fundamentals – things like formatics, promotions and marketing, how to connect with listeners – as well as life skills beyond radio. 

Each speech added more and more evidence of the positive outcome when those of us who (to borrow from those Farmers Insurance ads) “know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two” share our knowledge and experiences with others.

Keep Things Informal

Some companies have formal mentoring programs, but none of our HOF class of 2019 mentioned them. Instead, the mentoring relationships they described were more casual. It’s likely that these learning moments weren’t even considered mentoring in either party’s eyes as they were happening.

An Academy of Management Journal study found informal mentoring – coaching, role modeling, “friend-toring” – to be long-lasting and more beneficial than something more formalized.

Author Nathan Tanner agrees. “…the best mentoring relationships develop organically. Informal mentoring…is almost always more rewarding to both the mentee and mentor.”

Starting the Process

From the mentees side – those seeking to learn – Tanner suggests simply identifying someone you respect and asking for advice. If it goes well, say thanks and ask if he or she would be open to future conversations. 

“There’s no need to explicitly ask whether they’ll be your mentor, and doing so can be awkward, adding unnecessary pressure to the relationship,” he adds. “Take things one meeting at a time and don’t force it.”

For a would-be mentor, a post from social media ghost writer Bruce Kasanoff offer this recommendation: keep three words in mind when encountering others: “help this person.”

He suggests, “Before you do anything else, you should be thinking, how can I help this other person? What can I do for them? If you put those three words in your head, it changes everything. It changes your impact, it changes how you interact with other people and it changes how they perceive you.”

But, Kasanoff adds, “But don’t do it because you ought to, or because it’s the “right” thing to do. Do it because it is the single best way to use your talents and to maximize the impact you have on the world.”

Trust Me On This – Mentoring is So Worth Your Time

Mentoring is a passion of mine. In fact, the subject made up nearly my entire induction speech when I entered the Country Radio Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2018.

It takes a village to build an industry. And the heart of our industry is people – people who have been influenced for the better by those around them. These people have demonstrated their love for our business and the people in it by giving of themselves. Theirs is a living legacy – a family tree of creatives, strategists, communicators, and sharers of the mysteries and joys of radio.

Ready?

There are about as many ways to share as there are topics worth sharing. And for those who want to make contributions to “willing prospects,” here are three ways to be proactive and share what you know:

• Answer questions and add a brief explanation or quick philosophy. Be prepared to continue the conversation if prompted. Invite the prospect to be part of the thinking or doing the next time you’re involved with a task that’s related to the original question.

• Mistakes and performances provide great teaching moments. Use those opportunities to coach in the present as well as in the future. Then share related topics as you encounter them in the upcoming weeks and months.

• Use successes as opportunities not only for encouragement but to layer deep-thinking and “in what other ways can this be applicable” as next steps.

And here’s more good news: you are the perfect mentor and you can start making a difference today.

An interesting thing happens when you selflessly share: you and the recipient(s) of your attention each come away with far more than what you started with.

Heartiest congratulations …

…to the 2019 Country Radio Hall of Fame (left to right): Mac Daniels, Gregg Lindahl, Kyle Cantrell, Jeff Garrison, andCharlie Monk. Bobby Denton, was inducted posthumously.

And a special shout out and congratulations to the CRB’s outgoing President Bill Mayne who is the recipient of the 2019 President’s Award.

“Over four decades, Bill Mayne has been a fixture on Music Row. He’s had success in country radio, promotion, label management, artist management and, for the past 10 years, leading Country Radio Broadcasters and Country Radio Seminar,” CRB board president Kurt Johnson said in a release. “When you consider the breathtaking span of Bill’s influence on country, he’s the obvious choice for this year’s President’s Award.”

Related: Country Radio Hall of Fame 2017 Inductees: Passion, Peers, Perspectives The Country Radio Hall of Fame: Congrats to the class of 2018!
The Country Music Hall of Fame and the Power of a Performance