The Invisible Mentor

Interview With Sandra Miller

In an effort to provide you with information to help you to become the best YOU, I have been revisiting work that I had done previously for my newsletter to allow new readers to benefit from that premium content. We can learn from the people around us. For the interview below, which I conducted over two years ago, I interviewed Sandra Miller, my neighbour at the time. I remember we were having dinner in a Greek restaurant, and Toronto Mayor, David Miller (no relation to Sandra) was having a quick meal before he went to an event. After his meal, he went to every table and greeted everyone. I thought that was quite nice. It is interesting that I should remember that encounter now, though it has nothing to do with the interview below.

I particularly liked this interview because it is so human. Many times we try to do the right thing, we do our homework, yet things do not always work out the way we intended. Instead of beating up ourselves, let’s view the experience as lessons learned.

Avil: Describe a challenge that you had and how you resolved it.

Sandra: I finished my Masters degree in leadership and training and wanted to use my education in the workplace. I had worked for a government agency for a very long time and now wanted to experience another work environment in the not-for-profit sector.

I accepted an offer within a company that I thought I knew, one I thought would be a good fit for me. Not too long into the process I realized that I had misjudged some of the attributes of that company. And what’s interesting is that specializing in leadership and training should have made me more aware of what was presented to me. Some of your other needs often cloud your perceptions no matter how diligent you are when making a decision. My new employer had financial security, and appeared to have opportunities for me, and they came looking for me, which made me feel good.

Previously, I had worked with the company on various projects, but in that context I was an outsider. The CEO said all the right things; we talked about opportunities and my education, and how I could be a change agent, which was what I was really looking for. I had important networks within the sector that the organization was aligned with, and in the public sector where they would receive funding, and I thought that I could leverage those alliances. I made assumptions about the organization’s culture based on my prior interactions with them.

After I joined the organization, I realized that a number of their practices were contrary to my values. It was a company managed by fear and retribution, and not the place I thought; I thought they ran like a “well oiled machine Because of confident empowered employees and found out that it ran that way because of fear and punishment. People were not given the opportunity to learn and grow in the organization. My leadership style and values give people opportunities to learn and grow, and be comfortable in their work environment, which reaps higher productivity and loyalty to a company, and allows a more joyful day-to-day experience.

As you grow older, you start to realize what you really value, what you are willing to, and not willing to tolerate, what you will not sign your name to and what action you are not willing to take. The staff was paralyzed by fear of the leadership, yet the staff actually had all sorts of new ideas. I didn’t realize before coming into the job that I was the fourth person to sit in that chair in about five years so it really didn’t make any difference what I tried to do.

Resolution: After four to five months, I knew that I had made an error in judgment. In planning my go forward position, my first resolution was to continue to perform in my style. I ran the risk of not fitting in with the leadership team, not being successful, and being performance managed. To me, being true to myself was my sole purpose the entire time. And, being true to myself, I decided to perform at a certain level and treat my staff in a way that I believed to be positive, provided them with opportunities, and listened to their suggestions for change and where possible implement them.

As I continued to become stronger and more comfortable with myself in what I believed to be true, my staff started to perform at a higher level and also liked me as a boss. They were more forthcoming with their thoughts and concerns. At the same time I was alienating myself from the leadership, which was a very tight knit group, and the sole decision-makers within the organization. My team was functioning a lot better and was happier, which was perceived as causing grief within the organization. The leadership team sabotaged my success, and the situation started to have a personal impact on me.

A year into the experience I realized that everything I was hired to do I wasn’t allowed to do, and the general management and philosophy around the treatment of people were contrary to my own beliefs, and contrary to an environment where I could personally excel, make a tangible difference, and come in to work every day with a smile on my face.

In a situation like this, you have to be reflective and think about your well-being, your mental and physical health, and you have to make a personal decision even though you’d like to stay for the team. I don’t like to quit or fail. I knew that I still had a number of years to work, and I didn’t see myself here in this environment, so either they were going to pull the plug, or I was going to pull the plug. How do I prepare to protect myself, to look for a new role, and how do you I protect my staff so they are not damaged after I leave?

I started to talk with other CEOs within the system where I was most known in, looking for somewhere else to land, looking for a role that would be more in keeping with the education and the passion and the interests that I have. A place where I would continue to learn and grow, and be able to execute my ideas. Before I completed that process I was released from the company.

I was fortunate, within a short time after my release one of my contacts had a position that was a good fit for my skills. Other corporate contacts provided tremendous support and all my friends and family were extremely supportive. I say I was fortunate because I believe many of life experiences are timing, they come to us to teach us more about ourselves and the company that we keep.

My new role and the organization that I work for is a very good fit for my style, skills, passion and personal need to continue to learn and grow. Within the same short four months that it took previously to identify an untenable situation, I can say that within a much shorter period of time I recognized that this company lives its values, has the respect of individuals and delivers on its hiring promises. It is a place where I can live my values.

Avil: What lessons did you learn in the process?

Sandra: Lessons Learned

1. Ask precise questions during the process because you should be interviewing your prospective employers just as much as they are interviewing you; listen for responses that go “clang” with your values: challenge your assumptions
2. It’s important so see if the culture that the organization is selling is actually the culture that exists within
3. I learned the importance at looking at the turnover rate for the position that I am interviewing for – had I done this, I would have seen the red flag
4. I learned about the importance of looking at the longevity of the leadership, how many years they’ve been leading the company, and with that how they remain familiar with the educational and research environment that’s out there
5. I have always kept my networks strong, building and nurturing my relationships, and while going through this difficult process, I realized just how important my actions were. Because my networks were so strong, my reputation stood apart from the company that I was working for

Avil: In your opinion, what is the formula for success?

Sandra: The formula for success when looking for a job is to research your prospective employer extensively and not act too quickly when making a decision. You need to really understand yourself because the more you understand yourself, the more likely you’ll make a better match between you and your future employer. Question why you are going to make a move in your career, and what you want out of it. Look at not just financial security, but also at how the experience you’ll acquire will be beneficial to you.

Invest in your network and alliances. True connections are based on individual relationships that transcend employer relationships.

If you were in Sandra’s situation, what would you have done differently

Excerpt April/May 2007 Ambeck Edge

Photo credit: Creative Commons Lincense, Photo of Toronto Mayor David Miller by Bahman via Flickr

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