Flush The Format

In the world of radio, when a presenter informs you at the ‘top’ of their show that they’re going to “flush the format”, it means they won’t be following their normal running order.

Pretty much any show, speech or music, follows a standard flow.

Topics will last for allotted slots. Each episode, callers, guests, quizzes and features will repeat at regular times.

The circumstances that may lead to a flush are usually a seismic event in their panorama.

Popstar joined the 27 Club? Unprecedented political earthquake? Cultural phenomenon explodes?

It is an infrequent device.

One which may lead to a haphazard structure. Meandering without clarity. Muddled in delivery.

Yet it can also be a useful jolt.

Tackling a particular issue that might otherwise go relatively un-addressed.

There’s a potential link here with internal sales team meetings.

I’ve sat in on innumerable such forums within countless sales departments around the world.

The typical pattern fairly well set.

Run the numbers. Hand out the garlands. Intro the latest initiative. Kicks up the backside. Rah-rah trumpeted motivation.

Very occasionally, maybe you too as a sales manager who convenes these meetings could also benefit if you also flush the format.

The single ‘existential’ issue. A big-hitting external visitor. An on-going process improvement.

Any of these could result in their own, standalone meeting.

Yet to use the traditional window for an alternative purpose can help you shake things up to your advantage.