3 Things That Have Made Me a Better Programmer…
Programming is so much more than clocks and imaging and music meetings.
Below are three things I’ve learned over the past few years that have made me a better Programmer and one I’m still working on because it is hard. ☺
1. React Less…Process More
When you get into radio, there is this sense that every decision has to be made in a split second. Lives depend on it. Every once in a while that is 100% true…and It’s one of the reasons I LOVE radio…but it also helped shape some bad behaviors. I was always in “fix-it mode” I never took an extra second or hour or day to process the possible outcomes of my decision. One of the best things I’ve learned as a leader is to pause my reactions. For the most part, if I put off my decision until the morning, I’m going to make a better decision. This one helps at home too…ask my kids ☺
2. Take a Risk!
When I was a kid, I’d play cards every summer at my grandma and grandpa’s house. We played a game called Pinochle and I LOVED taking risks…much to my grandma’s (who was my partner) dismay. When my risks would pay off…she would cheer for us and dance around the kitchen. When they didn’t, she would tell me that there’s a lesson to be learned and then ask me what I planned to do different next time.
Risks in Programming carry more weight than a game of Pinochle…I realize that. I also believe that we are at a time in our industry that trying new things can give us new life. Your peers may not agree with your risks…that’s ok. They may talk about you in forums ☺ …that’s ok. The risk you need to take may seem counter intuitive to how radio has worked for years…that’s ok… If the risk doesn’t work, you find the lesson to be learned and plan what to do differently the next time. It’s the Grandma Katie way.
3. Decision Making over People Pleasing
This one is hard for me. If there’s a people pleasing convention…I’m hosting it. I’ve always wanted people to like what I do and NEVER be mad at me. I’m not sure I’ll ever get completely away from that, but I heard something at the beginning of summer that has changed everything for me. I was talking with a friend who said her father-in-law (a Pastor) recently learned that his team needed for him to be a decision maker and not just a people pleaser. Trying to make everyone happy is rarely attainable and when you make that your top priority, you often lose the respect you’re so desperately trying to gain. Your team needs you to make hard decisions, and I totally believe you can be a decision maker and still be kind. Here’s the hard truth: I learned that the root of my people pleasing was selfishness. I was more concerned about me feeling comfortable than going through hard things for the good of my team. That one hurt and changing hasn’t been easy…but I’m doing it because my team deserves it.
