Confessions of a Whistle Blower (Part 3 of 3)

A special Executive Committee meeting was called; a committee comprised of four long time members who had hired the ED (three of whom I trusted, one I couldn't), and three newer members (one level headed individual who observed everything and said little, one who thought the ED walked on water, and one who can only be described as a loose cannon on a power trip).  The board member who directed us to write the first memo, didn't even bother to show.  But the one who had approached me the week before was present and accounted for.  He was a Board officer, as were the other two members I knew I could trust.  Two days after collecting our reports, the three of them met with the ED and gave him the opportunity to come clean.  He had been hiding many important things from the board, things they needed to know.  The outcome of that meeting resulted in the need for the Executive Committee meeting on New Year's Eve.
There were three staff not involved in our report to the officers.  They had not been heard, and the ED's supporters insisted they have their chance.  Those three worked in remote offices, and two of them were cut from the same fabric as the ED (do as little as possible, for as much money as you can get).  I was constantly at odds with them, as neither of them believed in the core value of accountability; and everything I do revolves around accountability.  One by one, the three were called into the "executive session" and questioned by the members, and the ED.  Three hours later, myself and the remaining staff were summoned.  Expecting this to be our chance to address the members in person, we all went in ready to state our case. 
First we were informed the ED had resigned.  Then, we were advised by the ED's supporters just how close we all had come to being fired.  The three of them wanted to keep the ED and fire all of us.  Thankfully, reasonable minds prevailed.  With that attack on us deflected, the three reprimanded each of us for our handling of the situation, and for not following the 'grievance procedure.'   We pointed out no written procedure existed, and we had originally acted on the advise of a board member, who unfortunately, was not present.  The stone faced three were not amused and reminded us that firing the staff was still a viable option as they tried to take over the meeting.
A half an hour later, I walked out of that meeting feeling very dazed and confused, like I had the wind knocked out of me.  Like we had done something wrong.  What is so wrong with being passionate about your work and the organization you work for?  What is so wrong with believing in the mission of the organization and wanting to be part of the fulfillment of it's purpose?  What is so wrong about wanting to do what is right?  Moments later, the three officers took me aside, thanked me for sticking it out for so long and apologized for their lack of leadership over the years.  Recruiting and selecting the next ED, they assured me, would not be taken so lightly as in the past.  They had learned a valuable lesson, and I believed them.
There is a human side to everything that happened two years ago, and my involvment took it's toll on me.  I lost over twenty pounds in three weeks, not to mention numerous hours of sleep as I struggled with my conscience.  A conscience burdened with the guilt that I was stabbing a very sick man in the back.  Months before, the ED had been diagnosed with cancer.  He had no family in the area, he wasn't from this region...he considered us his family.  We encouraged him to leave and be with his family, but no one else would hire him, so he stayed.  And became an unbearable burden to us.  But in business, one can not let personal feelings cloud professional judgement.  Too many business ventures have failed for that very reason.
As for the three who supported the ED, they are now gone.  The loose cannon was asked to step down from the Board, and the other two retired.  And the two staff members who emulated the ED's work ethic?  Gone, as well.  One couldn't handle the new ED's accountibility practices and quit, and the other 'worked' herself out of a job.
It took time, but the Board did find and hire the right person.  And what a difference...talk about night and day.  While it has taken the better part of the past two years for the new ED and I to clean up the mess left by the prior ED, the organization is recovering and is back on track.  So much so, that we are currently in the process of constructing a $2.5 million office building in one of our communities to bring over 40 jobs into the region.  These are not burger flipping, "do you want fries with that" jobs.  They are high tech, $40,000+ per year jobs being brought into a region where the average income is $21,700 per year.  We are helping a local company bring its jobs back to Idaho.  Several years ago, the company outgrew it's first facility in Idaho and was forced to move operations to a facility in Washington.  Now they have outgrown the Washington facility, and we are building a new facility in Idaho designed specifically to meet their growing needs.  We are going out on a limb to bring these jobs back, we are fulfilling our mission...doing the very thing the organization was created to do.

Sometimes, you have to go out on a limb in order to get the fruit.

Confessions of A Whistle Blower (Part 2 of 3)

Board members began to take notice of his behavior, yet did nothing.  In May 2002, the ED attended a five day grant conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  I later found out he met his son on the island, and I seriously doubt he even attended the actual conference, which was paid for by grant funds (our tax dollars).  During the Beltway sniper incident, on a daily basis he made comments that were more suited for a sporting event.  He tried to engage the staff in an analytical review of the snipers activity, but no one wanted to participate.  That's when I started getting telephone calls from Board members, asking me to comment on the ED's mental health.  My response to them, "If you have to ask me, then you already know there is a problem."
Things finally came to a head in mid-December, when we received advice from one Board member who felt it was time to deal with the situation.  He advised us to prepare a memo to the Executive Committee expressing our concern about the future of the organization, but the memo had to be signed, preferably by the two senior staff members.  While my co-worker's glanced at one another and nervously shifted their weight, without hesitation I said, "I'll sign it."  Everyone just fell in after that and we executed the plan one week before the next scheduled Executive Committee meeting.
On the day of the Executive meeting, a Board member showed up at the office an hour early.  I knew why he was early; he was one Board member I could trust.  He was one Board member who had called asking me to comment on the ED's mental health.  He knew about the memo we had signed.  And now he wanted some answers.  He walked into my office, propped his arms on the filing cabinet next to my desk, looked me straight in the eye and asked, "How are things going?"
The time for silence was over.  I let out a sigh, looked at my office mate, then at him.  "There are three things you need to understand."
"Okay," he responded.
"First of all, he's my boss," I said.
"I know," he replied.
"Over the past seven years, I have worked very hard to earn the respect and trust of the Board, the staff and many others.  And I do not wish to engage in any activity that would harm, diminish or otherwise minimize what I have worked so hard to earn."
"You won't," he said.
Out came another sigh.  "This isn't easy...in fact, it sucks."
"I know, but you've got to talk to me.  Tell me what is going on."
My office mate took that as her cue to leave.  I followed her, shut the office door, faced him, and spilled the beans.  Everything came out.  I won't go into all the sordid details, but when I finished, it was clear the organization was headed for a financial train wreck.  Soon.
"Can you prove this?" he asked.
"Yes. It's all documented," I assured him.
"Put together a written report citing everything," he instructed me as he started out the door, "I'll be back in three days to pick it up.  Tell the rest of the staff to prepare one as well."
Throughout the meeting later, before and after my monthly financial report, I thought about what I had done, what I would say in my report.  I really don't remember the meeting itself, it was just a blur; all I could think of as I sat across from the ED was whether this would back-fire in my face, or if it would compel the powers that be to finally deal with the problem.
Three days later the staff reports were picked up while the ED sat at his desk, casually chatting with his daughter on the phone.  The following week, on New Year's Eve, the shit hit the fan.
(To be continued)

Confessions of a Whistle Blower (Part 1 of 3)

Something really has me bothered.  It seems everywhere I turn, especially in the press, I keep hearing the same message, over and over: the moral fabric of America is worn, faded, full of holes and just plain worthless.  Excuse me?  What self appointed schmuck decided it was their purpose in life to smear the principles and values I chose to live and work by every day?  Have we all become so diluted by our bottled water that the line between good and bad is too blurred for us to know the difference?
I for one, am tired of seeing the negative, dark side of human nature elevated for the sake of amusement.  Too much emphasis is being placed on spotlighting the personalities who would rather stomp you and I into the ground for their fifteen minutes of fame, than to lend us a helping hand.  I rarely hear about people doing the right things for the right reasons.  But I know there are stories out there about them.  I know those people exist.
So let me pose this "What would you do?" question.  You know someone at work is abusing their position of power and authority, and they are wasting scarce resources.  Would you be willing to go out on a limb, and risk losing your job, to do what is right?  What if that person was your boss?
If you are not into reading about good winning over bad, then this journal is not for you.  However, if you hunger for such proof, read on.  But I warn you, there is no way to make this "a long story short"...so get comfortable.
It was exactly two years ago.  Two years ago this week, the shit hit the fan at work and I found myself inextricably in the middle of a coup that would turn an organization upside down, yet save it from financial ruin.  All at the hands of one man, who by all outward appearances, came across as an intelligent, articulate, nice man.  But looks can be deceiving.
For over seven years, he held the position of Executive Director (ED) at the small non-profit where I work, and as the Financial Manager, I reported directly to him.  We both joined the organization as the dust of a major crises was settling.  He was hired shortly after I was.  I started as a part-time intern, and within two months was hired full-time.  During the following years, I saw his involvement and committment to the organization slowly decline, to the point where the majority of his time was spent on such important activities as balancing his checkbook and writing letters to his family.  There were many meetings between the two of us, where I found myself encouraging his participation in the organization's cash flow, budgets, and other financial matters.  But he always dropped the ball and showed no interest.  When a problem arose which I did not have the authority to resolve on my own, I brought it to him, and offered my thoughts.  When I finished, his reply, every time was, "What do you think?" even though I had just laid it all out on the table before him.  He couldn't make a decision to save his life.  Staff confidence in his leadership ability and business savy began to wain.  Pretty soon, myself and other staff members were forced to shoulder the burden of his duties, along with our own, while he collected his fat paycheck.  For the sake of the organization, we covered for him and kept things going smoothly.  You see, the ED had one heavy advantage over us, and he played it to the hilt.  He had a majority of the Board of Directors eating out of his hand.  And the last time staff members had voiced concern about the previous ED, they were all fired, without recourse.  This included my predecessor.  My boss made sure everyone knew that.
Now you might say, just find another job...but it's not that easy.  The rural area I live in has been economically distressed for many years, and I did not put myself through three years of college so I could go back to being a waitress.   Years before I had taken a 50% cut in pay when I moved back to the area from California, and I had finally got my financial legs under me again.  Quitting or walking away was the equilvalent of going backwards...and that was not an option for me.  There was only one thing to do...stay and tough it out.  On two occastions, I took my concerns to Board members I thought I could trust.  Both times I regretted it.  Both times I was assured my confidence would not be betrayed.  The last time the ED reminded me what would happen if I did it again.
As time passed by, the ED's work ethic all but disappeared.  In 2001, things got worse.  We lost some key staff members (they took jobs in another city and state), and the cash flow began to dry up because no one was out promoting the organization and securing new contracts.  Making payroll and paying the bills became a monthly challenge for me.  And a darker, unstable side of the ED emerged.  Shortly after 9/11, he changed the background on his office computer to display photos of the Twin Towers exploding from the impact of the planes, withOsama Bin Laden in the foreground.  And he placed a life size poster of Bin Laden on the door of his office. 
(To be Continued)