Dear Madeleine,
I work for a mid-sized global accessories brand. I was head of PR for many years but wanted to scale back when I had a kids. Now I serve as brand ambassador and influencer.
The organization has been growing rapidly. About a year ago, it was sold and a new president was hired. In the last year I have watched this person edge out longtime senior people, replace them with her people, and make decisions that are inconsistent with the brand.
The culture used to be all about hard work but also fun and caring, and now it has devolved into one of fear, competition, and power grabbing. I know this because I still have a lot of good friends working full-time in the company.
This change has affected me personally, but that isn’t my immediate problem. Here it is: I am longtime friends with many board members and am closest with the chairman of the board. I think the new president is making serious mistakes—and that if it hasn’t already started to affect profitability, it will soon. I am worried she is doing irreparable damage to the brand we all worked so hard to build.
Should I approach the chairman? Talk with a couple of board members first? Or keep my mouth shut until someone asks me?
The whole thing makes me so sad. I want to do something but I don’t know what makes sense.
Sad Bystander
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Dear Sad Bystander,
I am sorry. Change is hard. New leaders are often seen as interlopers and their methods, to the extent that they differ from past ones, are automatically suspect. I am not saying you aren’t right, but you might consider taking everything you hear with a grain of salt and giving things a little time before you raise the alarm.
I hate to say it, but it is normal for new leaders to bring in people they know and trust, as difficult as it may be for those of the old guard that remain. I hear that you and many others have a strong emotional attachment to the way things were in the past, and that your sense of loss is painful. You are right to put considerable thought into what you choose to do about it.
Here are some questions to consider:
- What do you stand to lose or gain by sharing with board members what you are experiencing and hearing? If you do have something important at risk, that is telling; and if you have something to gain, it may affect your credibility.
- Have you heard enough damning things to be considered a whistleblower? Are you ready and willing to deal with the consequences of ending up with that reputation?
- If you are challenged to share your sources, do you have permission to name names from people who have spoken to you?
- Are you 100% clear about what you would share, and do you have the documentation to back it up?
- Do you have enough of a relationship with the new leaders to influence them? There might be some value in talking to some of them and sharing that people are suffering from a lack of being included. Here is a blog you might share if you feel there is an opening: 3 Pitfalls Along the Journey to Change and How to Avoid Them.
- You might consider sharing this article with people who complain to you: Four Practices for Adapting to Change.
Here is the thing. Most chairs and board members tend to trust the leaders they have hired. They pay attention to the numbers and aren’t that open to what might be perceived as gossip or just (expected) griping.
Based on the little you have told me, here is what I would suggest: start documenting everything you see and hear. Excellent records of your observations and the effect of decisions in the marketplace will make anything you want to share much more convincing.
I like the option of speaking to board members you have a relationship with. It will help you to get the lay of land and to decide if there is any possibility that you will be taken seriously. That is probably the safest way to go for now.
In the meantime, continue to do your job to the best of your ability and encourage your friends to do the same. With any luck, the ship will right itself and all the worry will have been for nothing. On the other hand, you may be dead right and your bringing your concerns forward will avert disaster. Take careful notes, keep your ear to ground to listen for an opening, hope for the best, and be ready for the worst.
Good luck.
Love, Madeleine
About Madeleine
Madeleine Homan Blanchard is a master certified coach, author, speaker, and cofounder of Blanchard Coaching Services as well as a key facilitator of Blanchard’s Leadership Coach Certification course. Madeleine’s Advice for the Well Intentioned Manager is a regular Saturday feature for a very select group: well intentioned managers. Leadership is hard—and the more you care, the harder it gets. Join us here each week for insight, resources, and conversation.
Got a question for Madeleine? Email Madeleine and look for your response soon. Please be advised that although she will do her best, Madeleine cannot respond to each letter personally. Letters will be edited for clarity and length.
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