Lunch is now being served in the boardroom...

The secretary’s voice rang out of the speakers throughout the office. Many employees barely flinched as the notification had become more of a routine than employee incentive.

As the boardroom slowly filled with blank-faced workers standing in their regular spots and the same old Caesar salad and finger sandwiches were placed on the table, the General Manager came in and slightly shut the two heavy wooden doors.

“I bring you all here today as we unfortunately have to say goodbye to…” he recanted for the twelfth time in two years. Twelve employees in two years, and this didn’t even include the ten other Sales Executives who came and went too.

“As a dedicated News Director, he focused on the quality of the product and improved the quality of our newscasts. Thank you, for all your hard work and good luck in the future,” the General Manager finished.

What a bunch of BS. How many meetings had I sat in where the General Manager slighted the News Director openly discussing his areas of needed improvement, often stating, “I don’t care what he thinks. He’ll tell them to do it and it WILL get done.”

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t mind seeing the News Director leave. He was an awkward man with an ego and bad news seeking skills. He had a poor relationship with local authorities and loved to pursue sensational stories. Once he even went as far as to drag a cameraman to the funeral of a girl who was murdered by her father.

This wasn’t the first time I saw someone leave the station and it wouldn’t be the last. I’d say the News Director’s departure fell somewhere in the middle of my two year dash towards a healthy work environment.

My first few months at the station were similar to most jobs. I worked hard trying to make few mistakes and learn as much as possible. Taught in my early days how critical my role was and how costly mistakes were, I was terrified of letting anyone down. At the time I held a great fear for disappointing anyone. I wasn’t the only one. I began to notice everyone worked under an umbrella of fear. Fear of mistakes, fear of discipline, fear of nasty emails from co-workers and superiors reminding and threatening you of your position.