New work trend = Power to the people

Prior to the internet Corporate America ruled the worker. They had the power, the attorneys, the money and the intimidation factor to squash any uprising among the workers. Even with our constitutional rights there was little, if anything, people could do to fight back.

Then came the internet. Free speech. An audience. Affordable access to the people. THIS then, was the world America's Founding fathers imagined. A world where people could speak out.

In the scheme of things you might not think this is a big deal. If you don't, you're failing to see the significance. What happens to a corporation the size of Media General when employees start speaking up? What happens when truth wins? What happens when managers are forced to manage and to treat people with respect for fear of being "outed" in a public venue? What happens when bullies are videotaped or recorded and their actions posted to the web? Victims arise!! If you are being bullied, find a way to document it and then post it to the internet. We can win. Check your state's laws regarding tape recorders and cameras. You can now buy cameras so small they fit inside an ordinary inkpen, a baseball cap....know the laws of YOUR state. I am not a lawyer and this is NOT legal advice. I am saying that the criminals, the stupid and incompetent managers, the bullies and the jerks have ruled for too long by lying and deceiving.

The time has come to expose them. If you don't speak up - out of fear - then you can't change much. If you speak the truth, and others speak the truth...we can change things. I know FOR A FACT that there are at least a DOZEN former Media General employees who feel and were treated as poorly or worse than I was. They have agreed to testify if we end up in court even though they told Media General they were leaving for other jobs when they left. Some were fired. Some were laid off. But the bitter taste remains.

Where do you work? Is your manager a jerk? According to all the studies at least 60% of us leave our jobs not because of the company but because of our managers.

I challenge you. Start a blog. If you're an entrepreneur - start an internet site called "WorkTube.com" and start encouraging people to post videos about their jobs - good and and bad. That's a free idea. Anyone out there is welcome to take it. Consider it open source and make a million. The world of work - as we know it. Is about to change...

Managers? Take note. Within a year there will be a list of 100 of the most horrible places to work....and Media General, I'm sure, will be on that list. Because that's where I'm casting my vote.