Kudos to Bob McAlister – from Mick Mixon
By: Jan Bolick
In preparation for and celebration of National Boss Day, here’s a great boss story, shared during a Business Class interview with Mick Mixon, Voice of the Carolina Panthers.
It’s about Bob McAlister, the boss at the radio station where Mick worked in the early 1980′s.
Mr. McAlister, whose nickname was Blood & Guts McAlister, was an intimidating man.
He asked Mick to cover The Heritage Golf Tournament, gave him the news car, $500 in petty cash and an assignment to send in seven reports each day, Wednesday through Sunday.
When Mick returned, he felt good about what he had done, and went fishing for feedback – hopefully of a complimentary nature.
Mr. Mcalister told Mick he had done a good job. But not a great job.
His definition of a good job: Mick didn’t the wreck news car, brought back most of the petty cash money, wrote his reports well and sent them in on time.
A great job would have included extras for the stations listeners. Extras like snippets about where caddies come from; the environmental effects of a golf tournament, what the locals thought about hosting the tournament.
The next week, Mr. McAlister sent Mick to cover the Masters. Mick says he interviewed everyone that moved, was constantly on the phone sending reports to the station, creating an “electronic blizzard” of programming.
When he returned to the station, Mick didn’t dare fish for feedback.
He didn’t have to.
Blood and Guts McAlister came to Mick and said, “Great job.” A highly valued compliment!
Mick wasn’t so thrilled about it the day he received the lesson. But has been grateful ever since. And about twenty years later, wrote McAlister a thank you note for it.
Managers often tell me they are reluctant to make the distinction between good and great. They are afraid they will hurt feelings. Afraid they will disappoint.
A good manager might not push through that reluctance and fear. A great manager will.
******
Listen to Mick tell the story right here – it’s a great one!
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Excerpt from Interview with Mick Mixon – 7 minutes long
Click above to listen now!
copyright 2009 – Business Class Inc
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