April 1, 2019
What do you feel are the top qualities a company culture should possess to allow for a productive and enjoyable work environment?
 Zac Davis, WRVQ: Trust, empowerment and making your team feel like they’re part of the process from inception.
Erik Bradley, B96: A fun, open, and collaborative environment with a positive energy are a few that come to mind that work best for me. Jon Zellner, iHeartMedia: Collaboration, transparency, quick decisions, precise communication, respect for everyone, constant innovation and experimentation. Mike McVay, Cumulus Media: Focus, Collaboration, Responsible, Empowered.
Rick Vaughn, KENZ: Free donuts on Fridays! Sassy, WKXJ: Autonomy and freedom to make decisions at the local levels. Availability up and down the chain of command, the ability to readily access higher levels of upper management to collaborate in the decision-making process when necessary.
Mase, CD1025: Have two bars at the station like we have. Rob Roberts, Cumulus Media: To know your ideas and opinions are heard. Also, that it’s okay to fail if the cause is righteous and the concept is agreed upon. |
Java Joel, WAKS: Hire good people and let them do what you hired them to do.
Todd Shannon, WAPE: Transparency, candor, weekly facetime with employees, ongoing leadership development through “Lunch & Learns.” Toby Knapp, WASH: Embrace and encourage chaos because chaos is the playground of creativity. Understand what comes with managing creatives. Keep anything which distracts content creators/influencers/creatives from doing what they do off their radar. Encourage regularly. Understand mistakes are part of progress. Embrace passion and encourage the passionate. Create an unparalleled space to create… and when the time comes, encourage those content creators / influencers / artists to take the time they need to recharge, take care of themselves, and to take care of their families.
Matt Talluto, WBYR: Honesty and creative freedom. Kevin Kash, WIYY: Top qualities include recognizing and rewarding valuable employees through promotion, increases and other perks. This can help grow a productive and positive team that displays loyalty. |
 Jonathan Shuford, WRVW: An open forum with the leadership, and the freedom to create.
Raphael Opida, WIOQ: Teamwork is always a major piece of the puzzle to have an enjoyable and productive work environment. The feeling of “inclusiveness” will spark more creativity and willingness to get it done to the best of each employee’s ability. That’s how we get the best product on-air, online, and on the streets! Mike “OD” O’Donnell, WKRZ: Definitely synergy and respect between departments, camaraderie should be encouraged among employees, and there should be a true sense that the company appreciates their employees. No matter how large the company is, people want to know that their company and the executives running the company, care about them…that they’re just not a number.
Kobe, WWHT: Vision to know where they’re going, acknowledgement to know where they’ve been, and empathy to know where they are. Fish, WKRZ: A willingness to accept ideas from the staff and be open-minded about decisions at all levels, and most importantly listen to their people like it matters. Rod Phillips, iHeartMedia: The ability to always celebrate the WINS. |
Dom Theodore, Radio Animal Media Strategies: Autonomy, transparency, accountability, flexibility, a clear vision, and lots of passion.
Max Volume, KOZZ: A “code of civility,” a workplace free of targeting, harassment, bullying and retaliation. In order to manage talent, you must encourage free thought and creativity.
R Dub! Z90: Excellent communication, transparency and honesty, clear goals and vision.
Matt Johnson, KSLZ: Honesty up and down the chain of command. It can be back-channel, but there has to be some kind of channel for honesty, and it has to flow both ways. It’s the foundation by which everything else is created.
Buzz Knight, Beasley Media Group: A spirit of collaboration with the ability for creativity and communication all aligned with the same focused goals.Next Week’s Question Of The Week:
Aside from radio and music, what other professional field would you like to have expertise in and why?
e-Mail your responses to: jodorisio@fmqb.com or bburke@fmqb.com
