Activity vs Accomplishment

"How are you - Busy?"

Telling each other how Busy we all are seems to have become a mantra for greetings today. It's true, we are busy. I phone people and they are never there - they are always in a meeting or on the road. BUT, are you getting us to the moon in 10 years?

What are you getting done? Are you making real headway in renewing Public Radio? 

Here is this morning's Mason Minute that got me started on this rant:

Activity vs. Accomplishment

"Accomplishment is easiest when we work the hardest, and it is hardest when we work the easiest." - Unknown

I don’t know about you, but I was really busy yesterday.  I was flying through details, attending meetings, having conferences and working on tasks.

The problem was that at the end of the day I hadn’t really accomplished much.  I’d fallen into that old trap of confusing activity with accomplishment.  I hadn’t prioritized well, and I lost sight of the big picture.

That’s true for radio stations too.  I know of a lot who are very active, tons of promotions, all kinds of marketing, and liners galore. The problem is all that activity doesn’t accomplish anything either. Only when you have a plan can you know how to apply your resources – time and money.

Otherwise we’re just jumping up and down and waving our arms just to make ourselves feel better.  I promise, I’ll do better today.

I fear that Public Radio will die a lingering but sure death if it cannot break out of its habit of confusing activity with accomplishment.

From my outsider's perspective, in 2007 you have to have laid the foundation for a participative relationship with your listeners that allows them to have "It their way" - so you also have to have overcome the Bypass issues and decided on a local strategy that will fill the gap - some of you are going to have bury the hatchet between you and work for the larger issue.

Please tell me that I am out of touch and that you can show me that you can pull this off in 2007.

I ask this because we are running out of time. The real new media will be fully in place I think by 2008. Public radio will be a leader or it will wither. That's why 2007 is so important. The pace of change is even faster than we thought.

Please prove me wrong.