The Committee

The place where ideas go to die.

 

You need to understand something: the committee is not evil. The committee doesn’t want you to fail. The committee has nothing but good intentions.

But the committee can’t innovate. More than anything, the committee wants to look good to the rest of the committee. The committee is afraid of looking stupid…

The committee can only spot problems, downsides, possible pitfalls…

So don’t be surprised that when you present a really, really great idea to a committee, the only thing you’re gonna get is a reason why that idea won’t work, one reason for every member of the committee.

The committee will always pull you to the center.

The committee will help you avoid risk, but risk and reward are two sides of the same coin. If you avoid risk, then huge success is now out of the question.

Are you okay with that?

~

That’s from The Monday Morning Memo and the brain of Mick Torbay. If you’re not already a subscriber, it’s worth the 2 minutes once a week.

I believe one of the reasons Radio today is so lacking in creativity and individuality is because today no Program Director is allowed to shape his/her station all alone.

There’s always a VP of Programming, a Regional Executive, a Director of Research, a Format Captain, and others who have to sign off on any new ideas.

The average person is afraid of criticism. But the person who has no fear of criticism is more likely to succeed. This lack of fear is what keeps them from being average.”

That’s Roy Williams, who pens The Monday Morning Memo each week.

I’m not saying your paint by number art can’t look good.

I am saying no committee of artists, no matter how talented, can produce a masterpiece.

That requires the talent and vision of one great artist.

If you don’t think you have a great artist in charge of your station I will challenge you to find one, and then step back and protect him or her from interference and the opinions and criticisms about what s/he’s creating until the masterpiece is finished.

And if you believe great artists for Radio no longer exist, call me. I have a brilliant female programming artist for you, and I have a brilliant male programming artist for you too.

Spend half an hour talking to either or both and you will know I’m right.

Now, you may not be able to pry them from their current stations, but isn’t it worth a try?

The thing about the most brilliant programming artists is that the joy for them is in the creation, never about maintenance of the masterpiece they’ve already finished.