The secret life of Orienteering Bats

The first step to becoming a better host.

Of all the questions I was asked when I was a radio host, the most common was, "What time do you get to work?"

Is it just me, or is that a bit of a weird question? Surely there are more interesting things about the job than that?

Turns out many assumed I arrived about half an hour before the show, went on air, chatted a bit, asked a few questions, threw to the news, and then left.

It became clear that while most people experience the work of hosts, few understand the job of hosts.

I reckon it’s like being an Orienteering Bat.

Yep. Mmmhmmm. You read it right. An Orienteering Bat.

Stay with me.

Great hosts are impeccable navigators. They can find their way through cavernous minds and can follow complex maps. Plus, they’re great and connecting with their environments, sending out signals and reading subtle cues. They do this by relying on a mix of instincts and tools which helps them see the markers that will lead them to the gold. And they do it all without crashing into anything (especially the news)!

So yep - Orienteering Bats - it’s obvious, right? No? Ok. Let me continue.

Bats: While I don’t usually self-identify with the characters in David Attenborough’s work, I did in one video where he explains how bats use echolocation to navigate their surroundings in dark caves. They’re incredible. They send out high-frequency sounds that bounce back, giving them a detailed picture of their environment so they can shift direction and adapt accordingly. Similarly, great hosts send and receive signals constantly, adjusting their course based on feedback. It's about picking up on subtle nuances from guests and audiences to guide the show (or interview, or episode, or event, or meeting).

Orienteering: One of the key tools I use to help interviewers navigate through interviews is my Question Compass™️ - it helps them work out which thread to follow. A bat doesn’t need a compass nor do they study their course beforehand. But, in orienteering, it’s all about having a compass, a map, and having researched the course before turning up. This allows them to navigate unknown terrain and find the best path to their destination, all while keeping an eye on the time and the track. Great hosts always come prepared, they know many tricks and techniques to get out of tight corners or make up time so they can stay on track no matter the obstacles.

See? An Orienteering Bat.

What does it look like in action? Let me explain.

One of my favourite gigs was a radio show we broadcast each year live from The Devonport Jazz Festival. Our broadcast became a ticketed event of the festival - it was basically a two-hour concert broadcast on the radio, with some added extras.

As the host, I was speaking with the audience in the room and those listening at home, at the same time. I needed to navigate a two-hour show full of interviews and performances, while also crossing to the weather bureau, the newsroom, and talkback callers and making it work for both audiences. That was the cave and/or the course I was navigating

Like an orienteer, I’d done my prep, knew my guests, knew the audience, had a map to follow, and would be watching the clock and doing the maths to keep on track and on time.

Like a bat, I was leaning into my instincts by sending out and receiving cues from my audience/s and my guests (questions, answers, body language, laughs, tone, pauses) allowing me to confidently deviate from the path/map to find that thing that would resonate.

I was also constantly reassessing my environment. I was taking in new information from my producer as the rundown changed, while also being in tune with my technical and music producers to make sure the audio was good and the broadcast was, well, broadcasting. I was keeping a constant eye on the text messages, social media comments and news bulletins pre-reading and selecting the appropriate ones to include at the appropriate times. Full Orienteering Bat mode.

Plus, I needed to be me (take note of the emoji below). A host that my audience knew and trusted. A host that helped guests get their info out in the best way and felt safe to share it. A host who had enough knowledge and confidence to know what to do… even when she didn't know what to do (the Tony Robbins way to explain confidence).

These are just the basics, yet reading it back feels exhausting!

But it didn’t feel exhausting at the time; it felt natural and automatic.

Because I’d become an Orienteering Bat. This my friends, is who I am 🧭🦇.

(P.S. If you had to outline the steps of your job, your list would sound exhausting too.)

Over the next ten articles, I want to help you find your inner Orienteering Bat so you can be a better host.

I’ll go through the nine things to do before, nine things to do during, and nine things to do after shows, interviews, events, and meetings to make that big exhausting list of jobs feel automatic and natural.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

Echolocation: Tuning into Subtle Signals. Like a bat, you’ll become a master at listening for subtleties and nuances in your guest and audience’s responses and adapting to the environment. It’s about paying attention to body language, tone, pauses, and what is left unsaid. These signals will guide you to create trust and be able to ask deeper, more valuable, and meaningful questions and share insights that connect.

The tools: Being prepared. An orienteer never ventures out without a map or compass. You’ll learn useful frameworks to help you do your homework, plan your path, and have the tools you need to feel prepared to handle whatever comes your way.

Adjusting Course: Navigating with Intuition Both bats and orienteers are adaptable. We’ll get you to a place where you have both great instincts and handy tools that you can trust and call on without thinking. If something catches your attention, you’ll know when to go deeper and how deep to go.

Yep, we’re going full Myers Briggs on this Orienteering Bat, getting inside its mind, and helping you understand how to be a better host.

But, no matter which way I slice it, if you want to be a better host, you’ll need to turn up more than half an hour before your show.

Thank you for reading The Penny Drop. This post is public so feel free to share it with anyone who you think will make an awesome host or subscribe if you’re keen to read the rest of this series.