I'm Okay With That!

I know that I am not the only one who has ever observed a situation and wanted to dive head first into it because I knew how to help and perhaps even solve the issues at hand.   You know that you have the skills and experience but you were either not asked, or doing so might put something else (a job, a relationship) in jeopardy.

I recently began working for a rather large company that programs several radio stations headquartered   in the Portland area yet with offices in other cities around the U.S.  And, by all accounts, they seem to be successful at selling their ideas and making money.  And that is where the problem is rooted.

I have previously worked for a company where the Owner said that you could “fart” on the radio and he could sell it!  Meaning that he was not concerned with the content of his broadcasts, only that he could sell anything so why invest in quality help to get it done. – That was my take on it!  Evidenced by my paycheck.

Now that was a blatant arrogance.  There is another more subtle.  The company that seemingly has it together financially and generally employs skilled people and yet is still struggling and they may not even be aware.  But, being who I am, I watch my surroundings, listen to the product they put on the air, and talk to the people they employ (of which I am one).

The general consensus from the underlings (non-management) is that they are not happy -  mainly because the want to be more impactful - and it is reflected in the end results.  Stations are retooling by letting long-time staff go and replacing them with new blood (or sometimes not at all), hoping that they will find the right combination.  Listen to any one of their stations, however, and you will hear the same thing: two or three people trying to sound relevant yet completely disconnected from each other and their audience.  The flow being interrupted by seemingly scripted repartee.  It all sounds very disingenuous.   

So I wring my hands!  I want to interject my opinion!  And in the communication business, it will be all about the way I choose my words and the attitude with which I express them.  Still, it may all fall upon deaf ears.  I say this because often times people that make large salaries in a company with a good bottom line don’t notice their feet are wet until the water is chin high.

So the question I must first ask myself is: If it all goes sideways (sharing my opinion) am I ok with looking for another job?  Yeah, I’m Okay with that!