Get Out Of the Rut

Many personalities and programmers know they need to grow, evolve and re-invent their shows or stations to stay relevant to an ever-changing audience.  The problem is they get stuck in the starting gates.  It’s hard to get out of your routine and move forward.

This is one of the things we cover in the Total Personality Makeover curriculum (shameless plug).  Here’s how to break out of the rut:  Pruning.  Gardeners know that carefully, regularly cutting out dead and nonproductive material is necessary for growth.

Strip away all preconceived notions, and imagine that your show/station does not exist.  There is no history, no legacy, no equity, and no audience expectation. Now, examine everything on your show.  The bumper music, the production elements, regular features, jingles, stop set placement, promos, traffic, weather, music.  Every detail.  Be objective.  Don’t protect your content because you are attached to them. Evaluate through your audience’s prism.   If you can’t justify a good reason for it to exist, prune it.  If you can’t defend how each element is performed, get rid of it or update it.  And when you decide that something needs to go, don’t wait for a replacement.  Get rid of the dead wood to clear the way for your new growth.  This step alone will give you a fresh perspective.  You’ll hear it with fresh ears, and creativity will be unleashed.