You Don't Have To Like Co-Workers ... But

A question that pops up a lot is how to work with someone you don't like. It's a continuous issue in our industry and others.

In a perfect world, air personalities and support staff would work towards the common goal of ratings and revenue. However, envy and mistrust can lead to hurt feelings, bitterness, and sometimes hate.

Radio can become a daytime soap opera with internal problems contributing to gossip and ugliness in the workplace. Here's an issue recently brought to my attention that occurred at a station.

Jock: It is hard to believe someone I work with would do this to me. I work with him. I can't work with him anymore; I hate him.

Coach: What's going on?

Jock: You sure you want to hear this?

Coach: It's fine; it's hard to shock me.

Jock: I was dating this woman and we got an apartment together. I thought I knew her. One of the other jocks here got an appendicitis and wound up in the hospital. That's how I met Claudia; she was one of his nurses. She did not know anything about our station. She was separated and was in the process of getting a divorce. I thought things were going great until I came home one day and she broke up with me. Sam, we had been inseparable, I took her to station parties and events; I thought we had something. Her breaking up with me came out of nowhere.

Coach: Okay, and then what?

Jock: On the day after the breakup, I am heading into the station and coming out of the door it is her and the midday guy. I could not believe it; you should have seen the look on her their faces ... both looked surprised. Usually I did not come in until an hour before my night show. The first thing out of his mouth "I can explain." I just kept walking to the elevator and headed upstairs. As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, the Production Director pulled me into the production room. He could see I was mad. He told me that he knew the midday guy had been seeing Claudia before she broke up with me. He told me to be cool and don't let it f**k up my job.

Coach, I was so upset, I had to look at this guy at staff meetings. Even if he was attracted, how could he do this to a fellow employee? How the hell can I work with this guy? Every time I see him, I want to kick his ass.

Coach: Do you like working there?

Jock: Until this, it had been a great place to be at.

Coach: Your Production Director gave you good advice; don't let this mess up your job. You don't have to like someone to work with them. I can relate to how you feel. I once had a PD who constantly tried to set me up, so the GM would let him fire me.

Jock: What did you do?

Coach: Ironically I did not know he was out to get me. It took a fellow air talent to make me to realize there was a problem and I did everything asked of me to avoid unemployment. It was "Office Politics 101."

Jock: That is why I got in touch with you, based on some of the things I have read, you know about stuff like this.

Coach: Thanks for the compliment. Dealing with office politics is a game within a game. Keep your emotions at work under control; concentrate on your show and working with fellow personalities -- including the guy you hate. Act as if nothing has happened and from now on keep your personal life outside the station. Don't ever again put yourself in a situation that might cause you to want to kick someone's butt.

Jock: It's hard coming to work every day and wondering what people are thinking.

Coach: When those who know what's going on, see you concentrating on your work, you'll get much respect. If it makes you feel any better, your actions will probably make the midday personality and your ex-girlfriend paranoid.

Conclusion

In this business we are paid to perform. Treat everyone the same regardless of your feelings towards them. Put on a show just like you do on the air, genuine is based on real or how good of an actor you are. Also, learn to separate your personal life from station business interactions; the only exceptions would be some company social functions. Sometimes it takes strategy and patience to work with some co-workers. In the end, "You control you."