Author: admin

Radio is very different from TV. For a start, from what I’ve heard from my producer friends, people can be much more different on camera to how they are in real life. Whereas radio people are the same. I think it’s because on radio you are engaged in a conversation and as such your personality always shows through. If you’re sparky, or dull, or kind, or witty, or fed up or anything else it will be noticed. Luckily, everyone who has been on my show has shone in some way and that’s because we set up a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

I love radio because it really allows people to find their voice and it’s a great way to promote your business and get your story out and working for you. (If you would like to be a guest, do get in touch).

The other thing about radio, which links back to our personality, is that radio prizes consistency. I felt very sad to hear of Terry Wogan’s death and he was clearly much loved by millions of people. In all the tributes the thing that shines out is that he was consistent. You knew what you were getting and he delivered it everyday without missing a beat. Well, ok, sometimes he crashed the pips, but who wouldn’t, just for the devilment of it!

And so it is with business – consistency counts. Even if you’re not fortunate enough to have your own radio show you can have fun by finding your voice in business and by building on your current success simply by being consistent. Easy!

That’s perhaps why I really love radio. Despite the simple set up of microphone and mixing desk and having 7,200 seconds to fill each week (yes, every second is my responsibility) the need to be consistent has really taught me a lot about myself and what underpins our success. Consistency requires discipline and I’m much more focussed than when I started.

So, what do you need to be more consistent with in your business?

Tune in to Business Life,  every Thursday lunchtime, 12.00 – 2.00 at www.futureradio.co.uk (107.8FM in Norwich and online for the rest of the world) and enjoy being part of our consistent seconds of fun!

Next week: Relational Coaching

So here’s a puzzle. You’re on the beach with a client, going for a coaching walk. You’ve walked for two hours and although the sea is officially out, the tide has started to turn and now on the broad expanse of beach you have a small river in front of you. It’s almost deep enough to wade through…

Do you:

A) Take big strides and ignore the depth? You will get soaked shoes doing this.

B) Walk back along the beach away from your direction of travel, in order to see if there is a low crossing point? You might get caught by the rising tide if you do this.

What would you do in a moment of haste?

I was all for option A and then my client had a bright idea. Let’s take off our shoes, she suggested, and we could wade through and keep them dry.

It was a cold day. We were wrapped up against the chill, so the thought of unwrapping my feet and subjecting them to cold water did seem a little harsh.

However, ‘shoes off’ was the best option and we waded the through the water and then carried on barefoot. In doing so I learned three things:

1) It’s not as cold as you think going barefoot. As long as you can put up with the sidelong stares from booted dog walkers, it’s really rather pleasant.

2) No shoes created an opportunity. We sauntered back towards the car park through soft sand and then, spotting a seal bobbing playfully in the central channel, turned left and squidged through sticky mud. As we lacked shoes we discovered an immense off-road ability and were able to get closer to the seal than all the boot wearers, who liked to keep their wellies spotless.

(Walking barefoot is a great ‘Natural Child’ activity that puts us in touch with our daring and fun focussed inner six year old. We can spend too much time being a grown up and not enough time with muddy toes, enjoying ourselves and giggling at the impromptu adventure of it all).

This is a real story (all my stories are real) and my feet were really very muddy, but luckily I come equipped with standard-issue washable skin, so it was no bother to clean up and shoe up ready for the drive home.

3) Two options can be very limiting. Faced with a river, we created a third option and avoided the binary disaster that traps so many people when faced with a decision under pressure. We enjoyed our new found toe-freedom so much we kept on with the fun to see where it would take us.

Sometimes in life we have to go barefoot and feel the sand. Otherwise we are just a tourist passing through. We need to fully experience our environment and take time to enjoy what is around us.

So it is with business. Take time this week to sit back and notice your environment. Savour it. Kick off your shoes, wiggle your toes and make your ‘third option’ something fun! Go on, your inner child wants you to!

Next week: Radio Love