Hiring Stars for Re-imagination
Sometimes you gotta go back to the well. This note below is from years ago, but it completely applies to 2023, and is part of the mission of EXECUTING, re-thinking and generating compelling originality. The skills are different in places like video information, but other than that, it's really the same thing in any effort to redesign media.
I was going through some notes...old notes…scribbled stuff on legal pads. I wrote out the "notes" seen below in 1998 in preparation for joining XM. (I had to transcribe these from scribbles--I think I got most of it):
WE ARE NOT BRINGING IN A STAFF....WE ARE SIGNING UP A CAST. Once You have the blueprints, the company support of the Vision. You have the makings of the ultimate Operations team that has a prayer to execute some crazy ideas.
People running the creative have to have a great mind. More mind than track record. Then the tools to REVOLUTIONIZE Broadcasting are secondary.
What could possibly screw things up???
HIRING AVERAGE PEOPLE! OR—creating an environment not conducive to creativity, imagination, freedom and passion.
Look at it like a movie. XM should sound like a soundtrack to life...not "radio".... there's already radio and it's free.
Fabulous Script. Studio Support. Critics tensed and ready. Great Directors & Producers.
Everything is in place.
What could screw that up???
THE WRONG ACTORS.....Average casting. With the right Actors, ya got an Oscar coming.
Look at any GREAT movie. It's got the Story.....It's got the Sound.....It's got the RIGHT ACTORS. Great casting
..Broadcasting is the same thing. We gotta hire AMAZING individuals.
That means:
*Brilliant dreamers
*The right person for the plot. The wrong DJ on an XM channel is like casting Woody Allen for the Rocky part.
*People that have "it"
*Eccentrics......all the way to the bank
*Warriors. Ready to accept and complete the mission of revolutionizing. In XM's case, we preached: Liberating Radio listeners with the same Moxie as a motivated group of Rangers freeing up a village. XM IS NOT THE PLACE FOR THE MEEK OR FOR THE "K-109 PLAYS THE HITS” CROWD......its war out there. WE HAVE THE THANKS. WE HAVE THE STRATEGY AND TACTICS...WE JUST NEED THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO CAN WIN THIS DAMN THING!
Nothing will sabotage the mission more than an "average" hire to execute. Nothing will speed up total creative victory than a great hire.
Gotta keep a place runnin' on eccentric energy....hyper creativity...otherworldly brilliance.......it's the spirit that's going to take a place through the stratosphere...it's an energy...an intensity...a cleverness...a "way of thinking" that separates you from the rest of the pack.
I have nightmares about Joe Radios, aka pukers, Joe Radios and average types polluting an inventive environment. Innovative turf is sacred....hiring is an art....as we recruit, you must maintain the standards, high values and”it" radar that got YOU hired in the first place.
At XM, and I'd think with most inventive media companies:
BE CAREFUL WITH CONVENIENCE HIRES
Out Of Work....pretty average, but "available...cheap, and can come quickly." NO!
A friend of yours who is a nice, reliable guy but not amazing NO!
A friend of yours that happens to be amazing... (you know that's rare) YES!
...the point is we'll raise a big red flag with out of work or personal friends who's merit is your friendship.......I worry about convenience over brilliance.
*LOOK FOR "IT"...MORE SPECIFICALLY;
Natural voices. No Pukers...No forced "Big Voices"...we're all about reality not big ballsy voices.
Format Passion. Livers of the format lifestyle. Not "Generalists".....but guys & gals who live and breathe your formats. Never: "Hey, I can do AC, Country,Rap,Rock...passion what's that?...I'm a "radio guy" and can do anything.
Eccentricity. “Getting” the things that aren’t so obvious. Most don't...we don't want them if they don't.
*New Ideas. Already doing a call without "10th Caller" cliché?? Hmmm.thats good.
*Unhireables...weirdos.....Bring 'em on! 85% may be TOO weird...but 15% might be BRILLIANTLY weird.
*Smart People...real smart people. Not necessarily “educated" smart....but life smart. High IQ
*Experienced pros? 90% might be tired even burn outs. Experience is often Bullshit. It's where your mind is now and where it can GO. (Now—as far as a Doctor or Airline Pilot—I’ll take experience every time…but in our world, experience can mean baggage)
*Strange Accents? Yes! What’s with this thing radio has about hiring nice clear voices? Let’s get some street in there.
THINK!....Does the candidate:
A) REALLY AND TRULY show potential for greatness...or is their tape and mind maxed out. BE HONEST!
We need people who CAN HOLD UP, JOIN IN and CONTRIBUTE. This is the "creative" majors. No creative minor leaguers in this camp, pal! This is not the place for the creatively weak, suit n tie, normal Americans. Bring us your brilliance...not your average.
c) Live in the same space we do? Most people don't.
We can't pollute XM or the Airwaves with anything less than brilliant people.....
*Whiners, Boring or Negative people will not last here. Grumpy is OK....Goofy is OK.....Out There is OK...Boring or Negative are unacceptable.
Seek people who can stand up to the intensity of "The Mission" and help take it higher and further. Working at creative places is hard, challenging, insane, tiring...but there is no other gig in the World as cool as a place that's REALLY re-inventing.