How to become a "persona non grata"?

I'm sure you'll agree that it's not easy to live or work with this label. You can often work your way through it in a simple way. In my case, I got the first one sometime around 2012. I worked on the others in the following years and I got this definitive "award" at the turn of 2019 and 2020. Would you believe that I didn't know about it?

On 31.12.2012, Steve Korn decided to leave the ranks of "Radia ГA / ГA" definitively. In his resignation letter here, addressed "to all stations" , announced at the time that he was quitting and going "beyond the puddle" to his family. It's funny that he gave the same reason even when he was leaving CNN and also his previous employer. As in the mythical "Odyssey", he kept coming back to go to his family again. After all, everyone left here (if they had to) wants to see their family and each time at their own request - it's probably some kind of cultural phenomenon.

This likeable gray-haired gentleman with massive sideburns and gold-rimmed glasses joined more than a year ago, and with the reputation of a crisis manager, he set about downsizing, moving people and buildings, and breaking established stereotypes. The goal was to save at all costs, and as usual, there was no looking left or right. In the end, his campaign against the Russians, more precisely against the Moscow branch of Radio, broke his neck, causing an international conflict that had to be calmed down by many famous former political figures from both sides of the "curtain" and the BBG (Broadcasting Board of Governors), the founder and sponsor at the time, of course it didn't forget to count.

As "BBG Watch" wrote at the time on my website here and under which I can easily sign:

“Korn's departure was necessary for the survival of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Most of the staff feared and hated him. His personal resignation letter sets a new standard for arrogance and deceit. Hiring him was a terrible mistake that will take us years to recover from.”

Then Victor Ashe of BBG wrote:

“His work here was a nightmare for many in RFERL, especially in Moscow, but also in Prague. I look forward to working to restore fairness and respect for dissent in the RFE/RL family," added Ashe, per BBG.

Actually, I originally wanted to devote only two sentences to this "superman".

I'm sorry. It didn't work.

If I continued to develop the line from BBG Watch that "most of the staff feared and hated him", I would surely end up in several pages. So I'd rather continue with the lyrics from the song - as he came, he left and no one hung himself for it...

Unfortunately, however, I cannot give credit to Mr. Ash in his belief in establishing fairness and respect in this institution. The events of New Year's Eve 2012, which I then celebrated in the hope of better times by opening another bottle of "bubbles", only led to the upgrade of Radio ГA / ГA to "version 2.0" and ultimately to my firing.

About how this person could be loved by everyone, let my personal story serve.

One of his ideas on how to save money it was the decision to withdraw the vacation allowance for Czech employees (the so-called "Summer Allowance"), which was regularly paid before the summer holidays and most of the "natives" used it to pay for their well-deserved summer rest . It was not a small amount at all - it represented almost half of the monthly salary. This entitlement was specified in the collective agreement concluded by both the unions and the management of the company many years ago and was bound only by the fact that the necessary funds must be available to pay it.

Here, so "the one at the top of the local food chain" came up with the idea that the natives would get nothing and their money would be used for something else. For example, to buy bulletproof vests for journalists in risky countries. After all, it was an "allowance", so understand - the natives are not entitled! You can read more in the open letter of the anonymous employee(s), addressed to BBG Watch here.

It goes without saying that this highly humane idea of his was not met with enthusiasm by those concerned. First the union protested, then their union bosses at headquarters, and finally they threatened to sue management. In the corridors, in the smoking areas, in the canteen and in the restaurant during meals there was a "unison" sentence - I don't agree, I won't give in and later - I won't sign!

This is also where Vice President Dale Cohen came up with former head of HR Donna Black - they both came with the idea that all Czech employees, meaning natives, would sign their agreement that they did not want the money and that they would provide it to their foreign colleagues, for example on their private Life Insurance. That they did not have it themselves it was not important in their really high humane idea. Many people remember the tragic not-so-forgotten era, when 100% of the population in elections voted for a single party every time and when an "anti-charter 77" campaign was signed, or consent to the stay of Soviet troops on their territory, both these humanists were drawn into a persuasive campaign that would gave a brief title - You have to sign, or...!

I don't know how others from my tribe did, but I gradually went through the "massage" of all levels of HR workers, from a friend having a cigarette on the terrace, through their "secret" eminence Petr Slavík, who tried to explain politically to me under the pretext of fixing a bug on his PC , that if I don't sign it, the other employees won't get any money next time, that money will be "bagged" in the next few days, and that he's surprised I don't want it. After all, it's not about anything. To the argument that I do not want to sign it and ask him to send it to charity, he simply replied - "well, OK, what do you think". On the way to my office, I had mixed feelings - on the one hand, I was glad that I resisted, and on the other hand, a worm of fear and doubt about my future existence here began to gnaw at me.

Within an hour I was "summoned to the carpet" to my superior #RC (aka "Remotely Controlled"). In his office, which he closed it just in case, and when he sent his representative somewhere "to arrange something necessary", he began to persuade me. He apparently failed to understand that a "subspecies" like me could have an opinion, or God forbid a conscience. What is it?

When I told him that if I signed it, I would have to throw up every morning when I looked in the mirror. He clearly did not understand this argument, even though I tried to articulate it correctly in English. The result of this effort of mine was the uncomprehending smile of the "retard". So I pressed on and started telling him things like "it's been here before" and "and they're behaving like communists" and "there's no difference between them" which made his goofy smile gradually disappear from the face. I was surprised at how much vocabulary I had accumulated over the years here and how it fell off me.

This was followed by a question that completely disarmed me and convinced me that he didn't understand anything. Wasn't it my eastern accented English? It was simply a fact that "they are completely different".

Are you going to sue Radio?

When I caught my breath and understood that he was really serious about his question, I answered him that of course not. This calmed him down and there was an awkward silence, which I ended this time with a question. Actually, it was the kind of question you ask just to keep the conversation going on and when you know the answer in advance. How deeply wrong I was…

Don't tell me I'm the only one who hasn't signed it yet?

He nodded and I didn't believe him at that moment. I remembered the dozens of my colleagues who were worried that they would never sign it, their arguments and their honest annoyance.

What game is he playing with me here?

Then I realised that he, who was always led by someone, tasked, without his own opinion and afraid to make any important managerial decision, is actually cornered by his own "tribe". And so, for the sake of peace in the workplace and in the department, I made that compromise, which in the end didn't help me anyway years later.

I suddenly became someone who thinks a lot and has a backbone, and that is not forgiven at Radio ГA / ГA.

A quick sequence of events took place - I called #RC ("Remotely Controlled") to hand me the "shity paper". It was also handed to me with a pen to sign. I signed it and ignominiously headed to the office of the senior HR manager. Before I closed the door to his office, I heard a stone drop from his heart. I didn't hear his phone call to the HR manager later, but her fervent sacrifice of a few seconds spoke volumes. This was followed by her assurance that I had done well and the best for me. A long handshake followed.

The subsequent report to Dale Cohen about 100% participation and pamphlet signing was just a guess - I was too low on the Radio ГA / ГA food chain to know about it.

What I know for sure today that that day, somewhere in my personal file, that important black dot with the sign "persona non grata" appeared for the first time

The next day, I met the union president at the entrance to the building, who from a distance tried to congratulate me on my bravery. When I told him that there was no reason to congratulate me, he said that he did too, just like everyone else. He argued he is close to retirement, he has grandchildren, so every crown and a good "long life" here is important to him. And that they need more people like me in the unions!

I thanked him and felt sorry for him as well as myself. I was entering the building and I felt my stomach slowly rising. I have stayed here for the last 7 years in my "tobacconist" and the upgrade of Radio ГA / ГA to version 2.0 was successfully completed these days.

Radio ГA / ГA has successfully completed the first point in the template which had lead to my termination.

Believe it or not, but the anonymous letter to BBG Watch I really didn't send!

Honorable pioneer!