"I Was There"
Eighty-Ninth of a series ...

 So you have a new GM’s job????  Here are some tips on how to keep it in this consolidated world. 

• As you are being hired your boss will give you parameters of your job.  You should definitely follow his instructions. ( I remember well a friend of mine who decided to make some changes beyond the parameters without permission from his boss.  He was fired, even though he was an excellent GM who produced fabulous results.)
• Do not hire a GSM or PD without running their qualifications by your boss. Protect yourself if they turn out to be duds…not dudes.
• E-mail is fabulous…but voice contact with your boss twice a week will give him a comfortable feeling.  Call him/her with a concrete idea…and remember that very special word during your call…. SPECIFICITY. 
• Do not oversell yourself to your boss in your weekly phone conversations.  Keep the conversations brief…less than two minutes.  He/She is a busy person.
• Never change the format of a station without SPECIFICITY of what it will do to the top and bottom line.
• Learn what EBITDA means….your boss lives with it.
• At company meetings NEVER interrupt your boss when he is describing the next phase of building the company.  If he/she asks for comments just sit, smile and nod if you are in agreement.  If you are not in agreement and want to speak up be certain you have a GREAT addition to his/her presentation.
• At conventions hang out with your boss if possible.  If he wants to talk business…then talk it.  Other than that just smile, laugh at his jokes, smile and shake hands with his friends and enjoy. 
• If you are having dinner with your boss be careful not to become too smart (so to speak) because of alcohol. 
• Always say nice things about your boss…especially to your fellow company GM’s…and particularly to your wife who may talk to the other GM’s wives.
• No matter how angry you get at a staff member do not scream, rant, and rave. Instead, smile and work with them to solve the problem/issue.  The staff member may be golfing partners with your boss (this is a small world)…and you do not want any negative statements said about you. (And if you play golf with your boss don’t snicker when he/she fades one out of the fairway).
• Never ask for a raise…or an adjustment in your bonus package.  Earn them by being a great GM.
• Know your P and L budget and LINE ITEM expenses by MEMORY.  Your boss will certainly ask about them from time to time…when you do not have your P and L in front of you…like at lunch.
• Prioritize your annual CAPEX expenses.   Your boss will only approve a few in all probability.
• Take your boss to lunch with a FRIEND/CLIENT/ADVERTISER…because chances are the friend will say good things about you.

I know about all the above because I have been both a boss and an employee.

I WAS THERE.