5 rock solid talent management tips from BBC Radio 2's Helen Thomas

Helen Thomas speaking at the Next Radio 2015 Conference

Source: Next Radio

If you aspire to be a producer or indeed a programme director, you should be polishing your communication and listening skills at every available opportunity. To expand on the "Talent management 101" episode, I bring you the wise words of Helen Thomas. Thomas joined BBC Radio 2 in 2003 and produced 'The Chris Evan's Breakfast Show'. She's picked up six Sony Radio Academy Gold Awards and now works as an editor overseeing much of the station's daily output and key programming. She also leads the station's production to maximise Radio 2's digital output.

In 2015 she made a brief but extremely effective presentation at the Next Radio conference on how to manage your talent, or as she likes to call it: common sense. I love her no-nonsense quick fire presentation style. If you haven't the time to watch the presentation in full I've summarised it here for you but if possible, bookmark the link and watch it when you've the time.

1. Teamwork

“You all need to work together to create the best possible radio. The minute you adopt an ‘us and them’ approach, you’re heading for disaster. It's your responsibility to make sure your presenter sounds great." as producer you must be diligent in nurturing a culture of teamwork; conflicts behind the mic will soon damage your quality in front of it.

2. Never give a flat "No" straight away

A flat "No" significantly damages the sense of open idea-generating dialogue within your team and could hamper further brainstorming sessions. Thomas wisely advises that unless the idea is irresponsible, illegal or libelous then it's an idea with potential. Take your presenter's idea seriously, discuss it, and mull it over together.

If an idea is any of the aforementioned forbidden things even then, go back to it with alternative options. You might be a bit hesitant to do this at first but your presenter will appreciate your constructive feedback and crucially, always feel comfortable with voicing ideas to you. Avoid the flat "No" as often as possible.

3. Support and react

Thomas advises producers to “always listen intently to what your presenter is saying, and react accordingly”. Presenting is a performance after all and you as producer is the only visible audience in the room. Be sure to acknowledge everything your talent says and openly show them that you are entirely focused on what's happening on air.

4. Bring your own ideas

You should bring your ideas to the table as well. Thomas encourages producers to constantly be on the look out for creative inspiration and jot down anything that could be the germ/or seed of a new idea that could work on the air. She warns that some presenters you work with will have no interest in any ideas that don't originate from them. If that's the case she advises producers to "Figure out the psychology" of your talent to work out how to feed them your ideas. How ever you discuss ideas Thomas assures the audience that a presenter will always be impressed to see that you've been thinking about the show out of hours.

5. Enjoy it!

You work in a creative industry after all, not some monotonous and predictable industry. Yes, organisation is key, good professional practice is essential but remember to have fun! As Thomas reminds producers “[...] if you’re not having a good time, then your presenter certainly will not be having a good time, and no-one listening will be either.”

Hear Helen Thomas' presentation in full here, courtesy of Next Radio: