It’s 2024, and here’s the reality: 99% of people simply don’t want to hear feedback anymore. I’ve been in many different settings: boardrooms, meetings with managers, and pivotal conversations with leaders in all corners of the radio industry. And what I’ve seen is that it’s a special room where people are truly open to feedback and constructive insights. It’s also rare to find managers who make time to listen deeply to the people in the field and think critically about what they’re hearing.
The Decline of Constructive Criticism
Here’s what I’ve seen: Tell a sales rep they need to work on prospecting or getting appointments with new accounts, they feel attacked. Tell a VP that they’re not delivering, they give excuses. Tell someone you need to invest for growth in certain areas, you must be a weak leader. Tell someone that we need to adopt technology or systems to make ourselves more competitive, fear and protectionism fills the air.
The reality is, most people today aren’t interested in hearing what they need to fix. Instead of welcoming feedback that can move the needle, they prefer “safe space” praise. It’s as if people believe just showing up should be enough.
Harvard Business Review says that 69% of managers say they feel uncomfortable giving direct feedback to employees, especially if they think it will be received negatively.
The 1% Still Want It
But here’s the catch: the top 1%? They crave feedback. They want the truth. These are the founders, VPs, and executives who still have that edge, the ones who aren’t afraid to ask, “How can I improve?” They don’t flinch when you tell them to step up, sell harder, or meet with more clients.
For the rest? It’s “good stuff” feedback from here on out. That’s my new line for the 99%. It’s non-threatening, vague, and easier. Because pushing someone who doesn’t want to hear it is just wasted energy.
AI can teach us something about feedback.
Okay, this is nerdy, y’all, but there’s a principle in machine learning called gradient descent. Basically, it’s how AI models learn and improve—by getting feedback on what went wrong and making tiny adjustments to get better with each pass. The name comes from the idea of ‘descending’ a slope, finding the lowest point of error, kind of like rolling a ball downhill until it hits the sweet spot. In a fun way, AI is teaching us something important about how we can evolve more efficiently as people: embrace feedback as a natural, necessary part of growth, just like algorithms do. The faster we accept and act on feedback, the quicker we reach better outcomes, as individuals and teams.
Radical Candor
At Futuri, we embrace the principles of Kim Scott’s Radical Candor as a core part of our culture.
The tenets of Radical Candor are:
Care Personally – Show genuine concern for others' well-being.
Challenge Directly – Provide clear, honest feedback without sugarcoating.
Build Trust – Create a safe space where open communication is encouraged.
Embrace Discomfort – Acknowledge that difficult conversations lead to growth.
Avoid Ruinous Empathy – Don’t withhold criticism to spare feelings.
Avoid Obnoxious Aggression – Be candid without being harsh or disrespectful.
Encourage Learning – Use feedback as a tool for improvement, not punishment.
Be Humble – Accept feedback as well as give it.
Foster Accountability – Ensure that feedback leads to actionable changes.
Maintain Relationships – Strengthen bonds while driving performance improvements.
This approach helps us push boundaries, stay innovative, and ensure that even the toughest feedback is delivered in a way that strengthens relationships and drives performance. It’s how we maintain high standards and keep our teams aligned on a path to success.
Why It’s Dangerous to Avoid Feedback
Here’s the problem: avoiding feedback leads to stagnation. The toughest feedback is often what you need to hear most, and that’s especially true for radio executives and sales leaders. Yet so many avoid it.
Some tough feedback the broadcast industry probably needs to hear but might not be ready for:
Stop Relying on Hope: Hope is not a strategy. If you're waiting for a better outcome without changing your approach, you're planning to fail. Incremental tweaks won’t cut it—bold changes are necessary.
Expand or Get Left Behind: If you’re not actively increasing the size of your sales team, you're losing ground. Fewer reps mean fewer accounts, which directly leads to shrinking revenue. The competition is outpacing you.
AI Isn’t Optional Anymore: If you’re not using AI to drive efficiency and deliver insights, you’re behind. AI can cut down time-wasting tasks and free up your team for high-value activities. Not adopting it is a brazen choice to be less efficient and slower than competitors.
Client Relationships Are Your Lifeline: Your team should be spending the majority of their time building relationships, not on administrative work. If they’re not in front of clients solving problems, you’re wasting resources.
Digital Alone Won’t Drive Margin: Radio should be part of a broader, integrated campaign. Leveraging radio’s strengths as part of a comprehensive media strategy will lead to better results and more profitable campaigns.
We Need to Hear the Tough Stuff
As an industry, we need to hear the tough stuff too. It’s not just individual performers who need feedback. The radio business as a whole can’t afford to shy away from hard truths, especially in a time of disruption and competition. We’re facing new challenges daily—whether it’s digital competition, changing audience behaviors, or economic pressures—and the last thing we can do is pretend incremental change will save us.
The reality is that tough feedback is what pushes industries forward. We have to be honest about what’s not working and make bold, necessary changes. Just like we expect individuals to take ownership of their performance, the media industry needs to own its future by embracing the feedback we’ve been avoiding:
Meet our audience where they are. If we’re not evolving with them, we’re losing them.
Stop holding onto the past. It’s time to reinvent, not rely on legacy formats or strategies.
Make bold moves in sales and technology. Waiting for a change in results without changing our approach is a losing strategy.
Mentors, leaders, and even competitors often hold up a mirror, showing us where we fall short. It’s uncomfortable, but without that discomfort, we don’t grow. Radio has always been an industry of innovation when it’s been willing to listen and act on the tough stuff. Now, more than ever, we need to step up.
The “Nice Job” (until you’re surprise-fired) Era
So, for the majority, it’s “”nice job” (until you’re surprise-fired). No hard truths, no deep dives into what’s going wrong. But for the 1%, the ones who still hunger for real improvement? Keep giving it to them straight. Because those are the people who actually grow, who use feedback as fuel to get better, not as a reason to shut down.
If you’re reading this and wondering which category you fall into—here’s some feedback: the very fact that you’re asking probably means you’re still part of that 1%. Keep looking for the tough stuff. You’ll be glad you did.
Daniel Anstandig is Founder and CEO of Futuri, whose AI-driven technology solutions are used by thousands of broadcasters worldwide to grow their content, audience, and revenue. He holds 20 published or pending patents in 151 countries worldwide. Reach him at linkedin.com/in/anstandig/.
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