Article April 22, 2002 Issue

A MEMO-WAR ENDS

By Paul Condylis

AN UNFAIR ATTACK. Nasty and childish memos flying back and forth. Years of silent hostility. That was the situation I found myself in, and I didn't like it. A young man who worked near me at a broadcasting network in Los Angeles was so aggravated with me (over some issue I can't even recall now) that he sent me a furious memo and copied our superior.

I was irritated not only over what I felt was an unjust attack, but also by his attempt to make me look bad with my boss. My anger caused me to shoot off my own irate memo back to him with, yes, a copy to our boss. It all resulted in our not speaking to each other. The animosity went on long after he and I left the company.

I had never experienced such a long stretch of bad feelings with anyone. As time went on, I was increasingly haunted by the injured relationship. For me it was painful. I didn't like carrying the negative feelings around year after year. I wanted peace for myself—and my colleague.

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