A Secret Directive

• Workplace Unfairness
• Female
• Heterosexual
• Health Care
• Left & Joined Another Industry
• Information Technology/Internet
• Bad Boss
• Exclusion
• Inappropriate Behavior
• Socializing
• Unwelcoming Environment

As the Director of a community health clinic part of my job was to change the clinic culture and bring it in line with corporate culture. The community was supposedly a progressive, liberal inclusive community. The corporation located in a different city, was a conservative, white woman dominated reproductive health care company.

My management team consisted of MDs and nurses. I was the youngest, newest, non-clinician, only black woman on staff. I was instantly an outsider. This team had been together for years. I had no one "on my side". The Managing Team never got behind my appointment. They managed the staff without my input. There was no way I could make change as they undermined everything I did. They vacationed together, had flirtacious affairs, hot tubbed, had private clinician meetings, joined clubs together. I was not part of the group. Their notion of inclusiveness did not include having me around.

Eventually, my Regional Director, told the Management Team members that I was given a secret directive. That I was going to change the clinic they built. This was a no win situation. They no longer trusted me.

There is much more....