...And Thats When the Fight Started

Today is Thursday and does this really mean anything to you? Not sure but if today is your so called Friday then you and I are kindred spirits. I received an email from Connor’s teacher on Monday to inform parents that my son Connor will be getting an award. One of my goals for 2010 was to spend more time with Connor and this was an opportunity I did not want to miss. Since just before Christmas I have been advised from the company I work for that they will do what ever it takes to see me tossed off the project I am currently on and will never work for them ever again. What could I have done to get such a response not only from a VP of the company but the threatening phone call from the owner herself? I am ashamed to admit this however as you might know I put a lot of my personal stuff out there to help us both grow. Please sit down for this since I can not be there to administer CPR or inform the fire department. Ok here is the terrible most out of line any employee can do to the company they work for ever do, and I warned you. I asked to for an earlier flight so I could do what? That is correct so I could spend time with my son. Well I was told no and to top it off the weather heading into the East coast was to be bad around that time.

While going to school at Columbia College in Chicago I had a news writing class with one of the classiest ladies who in turned offered me an internship. Her name is Karen Hand and while growing up and listening to the radio in the 80’s Karen was the news person for B96. When she asked me if I wanted to be her intern (Hey now this is not like former President Clinton) I said yes and it did mean that I had to be at the radio station around oh 3 AM. Yes in the morning. I went to the gentleman who was in charge of the radio department’s internship process. Well let’s just call him “Chuck” and Chuck informed me that in his class I was not one of his favorite students (shock since most of us in his class were not fans of him) and internship will be denied. I told this to Karen and she asked me if I really wanted the position to find a way to go around the road block. Long story short I did not only find ways around the road block but with her help and a few others that internship helped me launch my 10 year radio career.

I now have a road block and I was either going to go through it or around it. I decided the safe way (so I thought) was to go around and speak to the project manager for the company we are working with. I explained to her that I wanted to leave early so I can get home to see my son. WOW she understood and said what ever flight I needed to get home in time she will approve. I sent the email to the travel coordinator to inform her of wanting a early flight. Well as a running joke (will explain some other time) our training class had “That’s when the fight started.” The VP called to not only to yell at me about going behind his back but in the process he hung up on me. I tried to explain that I did not go behind his back and not only did I speak to him about it he had the same information in an email (part of the reason he hung up). Then later on that day the owner of the company left me a very “UN-professional” voice mail. I have been asked by several of my co-workers to see about making the voice mail my ring tone. What I did to some might have been a wrong way to of handled the situation, however dealing with the current company I work for and knowing that they do not have ethics I did was I felt was right for my situation.

In my wacky opinion the day the Boston Red Sox’s traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees is when sports became a business. I can not tell you in all of my years as an adult working not only in the radio business but in other jobs I have had that the there is no current company (yes I am aware of these economic times) that treats employees like, oh what is the word I am thinking of, yes the word is “PEOPLE.” That is why if you have read my goals for this year I will write up a business plan so I can be my own boss and who knows maybe next time I ask my boss to fly home early he will say yes and I am 100% sure of it. Happy Thursday, have a great weekend and if you have Monday off enjoy I know I will because I got to go home early to see Connor get an award.