No industry is exempt from challenging times – who would have guessed the change that has come to the American automotive and financial sectors? Not many companies see their business plans so dramatically upended, but even small changes can be difficult for organizations and their people. It is the responsibility of the organization’s leader to continually foresee and prepare for change, and be ready to navigate through turbulent times.

Most recently lied the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in Washington, D.C. – the trade association representing America’s television and radio broadcasters. Upon joining the group in 2005, it was clear that emerging technologies, new competitors

and rapidly changing economic and regulatory climates were presenting real challenges for the industry.

I ascribe to the view that with all challenges come immense opportunities - as veteran media, radio and television broadcasters were losing the perception battle, but they were also making incredible advancements in the digital age, opening new revenue streams and reaching more consumers than ever. Nonetheless, competitors in the media marketplace were aggressively working to position broadcasters as a dying medium. Broadcasters were looking to their ~onal trade association for transformational ideas for their future.

Business as usual was not working. So with the leadership of an engaged Board of Directors, we confronted change and managed it. These are five lessons we learned along the way:

1 – Define your mission Our board leadership and senior staff spent a great deal of time refining the real mission of the organization. In times of change, you must focus on your core business. For us, we had to determine what our members really needed from us that could not be replicated easily. In the end, it came down to three words — advocacy, education and innovation. Our main mission was to advocate before the government to ensure broadcasters could operate in a fair regulatory environment; we also had a duty to educate all audiences – broadcasters, policymakers and the public on the power of our business; and we knew that the industry must continue to innovate and accelerate technology – their business models were changing and whether they embraced that change would determine their long term survival.

2 – Abandon non-essential programs Once you have determined your real mission and core business, you must take a hard look at the programs and services you offer to be sure they are serving your needs. With an association or company that has been around for decades, there are programs and events that continue to happen “because they always have.” But in times of change, you can’t afford to expend resources on activities that don’t feed your core business. Determine an evaluation scale, review your programs against it carefully, and discontinue anything that isn’t living up to its potential. This will free up financial resources and human capital which can be invested in the real mission.

3 – Motivate your troops Change is hard for your team. It creates anxiety and frustration. Your staff must embrace a new way of doing business, and they must be on board with the refined mission and vision of the organization. The great writer John Maxwell said, “people do what people see.” The leader must be passionate,

enthusiastic and 100 percent committed to the positive benefits of change, and you must communicate this regularly to your troops. Meet with your staff often and ensure they understand the changes that are happening both outside and inside the organization. A passionate leader who reinforces with staff that there is a clear, defined plan for the future, even if it requires change, will go a long way in easing staff anxiety.

4 – Promote your change At NAB, we looked for every opportunity to talk about change and the positive future for broadcasting. We never deviated from the

message. In internal and external communications, speeches, paid advertising and testimony before Congress, we talked about the transformation occurring in the business and the resulting positive benefits – both for broadcasters and our key audiences. As our competitors were trying to paint us as dinosaurs, we took our message directly to the public to dispel these myths.

In fact, there was more innovation occurring in radio and television than America had seen in decades. TV is now broadcasting in all digital format, which gives viewers more channels, clearer pictures and the most pure HD signal all free of charge. It also opens the door for mobile TV – on your handheld, in your car or on the bus. We led a $1.2 billion dollar marketing campaign to get the message out. (www.nab.orgfdtv)

On the radio side, we began an industry-wide effort called “Radio Heard Here” to remind listeners why they love free, local radio, and how they can now get it in HD, on their phones, on their computers and take it everywhere they go. (www.radioheardhere.com)

By never missing an opportunity to tell our story, and creating our own opportunities to speak directly to the public, we continued to create

‘momentum that accelerated our transformation.

5 – Continue to inspire If you are in a mature business or industry, veterans may dismiss, question, or ignore your attempts to embrace change. No matter how hard you try, there will be some outliers that may never be convinced. But as the transformation takes place, you will notice more supporters flocking to help – even those who may have begun the process with a negative viewpoint. Ultimately, the vast majority of people in the business want to know there is a bright future and want to believe. They just need to be inspired. As a leader, you must continue to do this throughout the transformation by showing them that you are sincerely enthusiastic about your bright future and the vision you have to get there.

NAB and its radio and television broadcasters continue to manage change in a turbulent time, but now they do so with a laser focus and an eye on the future.

Challenging times build excitement, uncover opportunities and create leaders that not only inspire, but get results.

No industry is exempt from challenging times – who would have guessed the change that has come to the American automotive and financial sectors? Not many companies see their business plans so dramatically upended, but even small changes can be difficult for organizations and their people. It is the responsibility of the organization’s leader to continually foresee and prepare for change, and be ready to navigate through turbulent times.

Most recently I led the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in Washington, D.C. – the trade association representing America’s television and radio broadcasters. Upon joining the group in 2005, it was clear that emerging technologies, new competitors and rapidly changing economic and regulatory climates were presenting real challenges for the industry.

I ascribe to the view that with all challenges come immense opportunities – as veteran media, radio and television broadcasters were losing the perception battle, but they were also making incredible advancements in the digital age, opening new revenue streams and reaching more consumers than ever. Nonetheless, competitors in the media marketplace were aggressively working to position broadcasters as a dying medium. Broadcasters were looking to their national trade association for transformational ideas for their future.

Business as usual was not working. So with the leadership of an engaged Board of Directors, we confronted change and managed it. These are five lessons we learned along the way:

1 – Define your mission

Our board leadership and senior staff spent a great deal of time refining the real mission of the organization. In times of change, you must focus on your core business. For us, we had to determine what our members really needed from us that could not be replicated easily. In the end, it came down to three words — advocacy, education and innovation. Our main mission was to advocate before the government to ensure broadcasters could operate in a fair regulatory environment; we also had a duty to educate all audiences – broadcasters, policymakers and the public on the power of our business; and we knew that the industry must continue to innovate and accelerate technology – their business models were changing and whether they embraced that change would determine their long term survival.

2 – Abandon non-essential programs

Once you have determined your real mission and core business, you must take a hard look at the programs and services you offer to be sure they are serving your needs. With an association or company that has been around for decades, there are programs and events that continue to happen “because they always have.” But in times of change, you can’t afford to expend resources on activities that don’t feed your core business. Determine an evaluation scale, review your programs against it carefully, and discontinue anything that isn’t living up to its potential. This will free up financial resources and human capital which can be invested in the real mission.

3 – Motivate your troops

Change is hard for your team. It creates anxiety and frustration. Your staff must embrace a new way of doing business, and they must be on board with the refined mission and vision of the organization. The great writer John Maxwell said, “people do what people see.”  The leader must be passionate, enthusiastic and 100 percent committed to the positive benefits of change, and you must communicate this regularly to your troops. Meet with your staff often and ensure they understand the changes that are happening both outside and inside the organization. A passionate leader who reinforces with staff that there is a clear, defined plan for the future, even if it requires change, will go a long way in easing staff anxiety.

4 – Promote your change

At NAB, we looked for every opportunity to talk about change and the positive future for broadcasting. We never deviated from the message. In internal and external communications, speeches, paid advertising and testimony before Congress, we talked about the transformation occurring in the business and the resulting positive benefits – both for broadcasters and our key audiences. As our competitors were trying to paint us as dinosaurs, we took our message directly to the public to dispel these myths.

In fact, there was more innovation occurring in radio and television than America had seen in decades. TV is now broadcasting in all digital format, which gives viewers more channels, clearer pictures and the most pure HD signal all free of charge. It also opens the door for mobile TV – on your handheld, in your car or on the bus. We led a $1.2 billion dollar marketing campaign to get the message out. (www.nab.org/dtv)

On the radio side, we began an industry-wide effort called “Radio Heard Here” to remind listeners why they love free, local radio, and how they can now get it in HD, on their phones, on their computers and take it everywhere they go. (www.radioheardhere.com)

By never missing an opportunity to tell our story, and creating our own opportunities to speak directly to the public, we continued to create momentum that accelerated our transformation.

5 – Continue to inspire

If you are in a mature business or industry, veterans may dismiss, question, or ignore your attempts to embrace change. No matter how hard you try, there will be some outliers that may never be convinced. But as the transformation takes place, you will notice more supporters flocking to help – even those who may have begun the process with a negative viewpoint. Ultimately, the vast majority of people in the business want to know there is a bright future and want to believe. They just need to be inspired. As a leader, you must continue to do this throughout the transformation by showing them that you are sincerely enthusiastic about your bright future and the vision you have to get there.

NAB and its radio and television broadcasters continue to manage change in a turbulent time, but now they do so with a laser focus and an eye on the future.

Challenging times build excitement, uncover opportunities and create leaders that not only inspire, but get results.

(This article originally appeared in International Performance magazine, Volume 17, No. 3.)