Board Blog: Be a leader, not a critic

I’ve been a director at WMUL-FM for three years now and only one person from the original board I was a part of is still here. I’ve seen five different promotions directors, four music directors, and three news directors, along with three different station managers.

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Amanda Reesman, CBI Student Representative

WMUL-FM has had hands-on directors, hands-off directors, and everything in-between. So now approaching the end my senior year, I think about all the different directors that have been on the Board of Directors at WMUL over the years. Some I’ve thought were the best we would ever have; only to be proven wrong. I’ve seen directors who I thought would be awful and they proved me wrong. So what happens when you disagree with someone’s position on the board?

You should be confident that those selected would do their job as proficiently as you would. They were picked for a reason, support them and help them if you can. Let them grow into the position; no one is perfect.

Remember that you are a leader and what you say may influence someone or a whole staff. So even if you don’t agree with who has the leadership role, keep it to yourself. There is a reason that person was chosen for that position, even if that reason isn’t immediately obvious to you. Don’t hinder their ability to work by making a negative comment that is not constructive. If any criticism is given, make sure it is constructive. Help build that person up, instead of tearing them down. Give the person the chance they deserve, if nothing else. It is hard to do anything with a finger pointed at your back.

If after a few weeks you still feel they haven’t done their job, speak with them about your concerns and what you think they could do to improve in their role. Finally, if nothing else works and you feel the person hasn’t improved, talk to your station manager or faculty advisor to express your concerns.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]