A philosopher from the turn of the twentieth century, Thomas Troward, once said, “The science of floatation was not discovered by contemplating the sinking of things.” Similarly, contemplating today’s failures will not lead to the discovery of new successful ideas and strategies. Radio 3D is about realizing a vision for our industry’s future. Every week, we will share a perspective of prosperity for radio and the people it serves. I hope you’ll walk away with a new idea or a thought about approaching your role differently. If you’re not personally pleased today with your position, I hope Radio3D will expand the possibilities of how you can bring value to the industry and find a position in our transforming business that fits your passion and unique gifts.

Our transformation as an industry depends on how each one of us individually approaches our role. We must each take responsibility for our personal outlook—and the affect it has on the future of this business.

Our collective success also depends on what we are each willing to invest. And “invest” doesn’t just mean money. I mean, time, attention, focus, and passion. Investment is not limited to the money you and/or your radio station spends. Your time and focus is just as valuable an investment as any dollar you will ever spend on your development and growth—or that of your station.

What is earning the investment of your time and focus today?

Are you focused on “putting out fires” and making it through one more day? If you’re not happy with the performance of your company today, consider where you and your colleagues are investing your time, attention, and focus. In sales, are you locked into campaigning for the same old business from the same old buyers? In programming, are you finding new and different ways to earn the audience’s attention and respect? If you are spending your day as a firefighter, it’s your fault. Put down the extinguisher, and leave the building. Spend 15 minutes today contemplating new ways to exercise your talents. It will pay dividends.

If we monitored and cared as much about our personal time budgets as we care about our company’s expense-lines, I would suggest that our industry would be more prosperous and progressive.

This is the time for us to embrace change, restructure our strategies and staffs, and prepare for our prosperous future. You don’t need “VP” in your title to be the boss of your position and future.

In the coming weeks, I’ll share new ideas on how to set performance benchmarks and goals, restructure your personal job description and role, and expand on new possibilities for radio and media. I hope you’ll join me in an exciting conversation about our future together in the audience business.

Daniel Anstandig is President of McVay New Media Consulting (www.mcvaynewmedia.com) and Co-Founder of Listener Driven Radio (www.listenerdrivenradio.com). Reach him at dan@daer.com.