"Between the coffee station and the sink. Out of shipping pallets and packing tape. Engineering says it’s a 'fire hazard.' Linda from accounting says it’s 'the only thing keeping us from civil war.'"
The “broken window” theory of workplace culture—small, unaddressed disrespects escalate into structural dysfunction. employee relations episode 2
"Employee Relations. Yes, Linda… Slow down. The breakroom? Again?" "Between the coffee station and the sink
Janet calls a mandatory “no-meetings” meeting in the breakroom. She brings a sledgehammer. Not to smash the wall—but to offer it to Darrell. "Employee Relations
She listens, nods, hangs up.
"A literal wall?"
"You built it because you felt unheard. I get that. But walls don’t fix silence. They just give it a place to live. So here’s the deal: we take it down together, and then we build something else—a real two-way feedback process. Weekly. Anonymous. Acted upon."