Nervous...

[countrigal]

I’m getting ready to go into the Director’s office (2 steps up the chain of command from my position) and have to discuss with him, an Associate Director (AD) (1/2 a step below the Director), and the Chief of HR a case that we had an Administrative Investigation (AI) going on, which was halted Monday (against my judgment) and which now should be re-instituted due to some factors we became aware of just yesterday.  I’m the “expert” on AI’s, so I’m going by myself, with none of the between managers as a buffer.  I’ve been in consultation with Regional Counsel (our lawyers and the lead attorney for the VA in Washington DC) and have been told what needs to happen to protect us, and that the Associate Director and HR should not be involved at this time.  So can you see me being very popular when I go in and tell them that basically they shouldn’t be involved in the discussion?  And our Director is not one to stand up and back me up really when these ladies want something, they can generally get it.  So… I’m in a tough situation and can only do what I can do.  I'm going to let them know what Regional Counsel has said we need to do, which is what I did yesterday when I briefed the Director on the new information we received.  I'm hoping that he'll take me a bit more seriously today than yesterday.  Yesterday he basically said that what I and the attorneys thought needed to occur (restart the AI) was not accurate and that as long as some action has been taken we're protected.  What the attorneys and I see is that only the AI will be discoverable and thereby provide us documentation that we can produce upon demand to back us up and keep us from looking like we're lying or covering up something.  And I can foresee this going to such a level as needing to be able to provide unprotected documentation to back up our "side".  Add to that the fact that HR and the AD should not be involved in this decision, as the AI may include them or someone in their chain of command, and therefore they may have a personal interest in the outcome of the AI, and you can see how this is going to be touchy.  They want to discuss the AI, (whether or not to do one, what allegations to put on it, etc.) with the Director but really it's a conflict of interest and they should be willing to pull themselves out of it.  But they won't.  They're both a major part of why the original AI was halted on Monday.  They took offense at some of the allegations that the AI was looking into.  So... now we're goiong to be on a touchy subject, no one here takes me seriously in my role since I'm younger than any of them and they haven't had to deal with me in my current role very often, and I'm getting ready to make friends of them all by sticking to what will best protect this facility.  Wish me luck, y'all.  Let's see if I make it out of the meeting with my head still attached to my body.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

[officeguru]

Unfortunately, I'm not understanding what exactly you're having to do - but I get the gist that it's not going to be easy.  Good luck and I've got my fingers crossed for you.

[whitesatin]

Sending positive vibes your way.  Let us know how it turns out.

WhiteSatin

[diamondlady]

Positive vibes indeed.  Not always a good thing when you have to be the bad guy but having it be for their own good is what it sounds like.  Not a good position to be put in, but if anyone can handle it I know CG can.  She's got a good level head on her shoulders.

If you need an ear, I'm here.  Let us know how things go.

Diamondlady
Peer Moderator

[misslynn]

Sounds like you're in a difficult situation but are acting in everyone's best interest.  I hope for all the best for you and that it turns out well.

[nickless]

It doesn't sound easy, but you know what you are talking about, and got your lawyer's backup. The directors won't bite your head off; they're probably just as nervous about the whole thing as you are, and showing it by being especially difficult.

I'm sure that you will handle this situation perfectly well; and at the end of it there will be some recognition of your skills - one way or the other. Professionally, and as far as experience is concerned, you can only gain from this exercise.

Remain professional, and people will value you even more for this long term!

Good luck, and keep us posted.

nickless

[raindance]

This IS a difficult one, CG, and I'm joining with the others in sending positive vibes to you.

The only thing you can do is to go in and say your piece, calmly and firmly. If your Director may very well be hostile, but if he doesn't take your company lawyers' advice and this thing goes pear-shaped, then he is liable.  The other thing you can do is keep meticulous notes on what you have done and said - just to protect yourself if the need arises and YOU are investigated.

I was in a similar situation once.  My boss and the Chairman of the company I worked for had decided on a particular course of action in response to a certain situation.  Their decision might very well have resulted in both of them having to resign from their posts with consequent loss of reputation.  One of them was a magistrate, and so would have had to resign from that too.  And our company would have suffered too.  I intervened because I was leading the project about which they had made their decision.  It wasn't easy.  They were about my age (just a little older) so age didn't come into it, but I was aware that the opinion of a relatively junior member of staff is not always welcome. The bottom line for me was that I knew I couldn't live with a lie, or with anything illegal, and I was prepared to resign over this matter and - possibly - blow the whistle.  It was a hard thing to do, and I felt most awkward.  However, having certain principles is not for when times are easy; principles supported you when things are tough.

I apologize for this long and tedious story, but I just want you to know that I appreciate something of what you are going through.  

I wish you success in your meeting.

Best wishes,

Raindance

[countrigal]

Well, I survived the meeting.  The Director, from the onset, was not out to help me in any way.  In fact, of all the communications he read (I had forwarded him all the e-mails I had on this subject, of which all 3 of those involved in the meeting were originally recipients of too) and everyone acted like this was the first time they had heard anything about this, that they had never seen what initiated the whole investigation, and the Director even had the gall to say he didn't know where I had come up with the allegations, since HR hadn't been involved.  (Ummm, in that e-mail you didn't read, where you stated this needed to be done, ASAP, and the allegations should be x, y, and z.)  I kept quiet, after initially stating that the attorneys did not feel that it was appropriate for the AD and HR to be included in this discussion, to which I had several cold seconds of hatred sent my way by those 2 individuals and then everyone disreagarded that.  After the AD made her suggestions on what should be done, I agreed with her, stated that those actions would be sufficient normally, but that in this instance, because of the official note in the medical record (which set this whole thing off the 2nd time), our attorneys and I agreed that we needed to do the investigation simply to protect ourselves in the long run.  I detailed out the reasoning, explained it in simple terms that they should understand, and then was told that they didn't agree, didn't believe it, and felt that this other way of handling it was acceptable.  THEN, they started harping in on my handling of the case, how these types of problems could arise if I had provided proper training to the team, etc.  I handled it all diplomatically and professionally, and when the meeting was over, walked out confident in my handling of the situation.  I returned to my desk, documented the meeting for my records (so they can't come back later and say that I was the one who recommended this other course of action and play 'stupid' all over again like they did this time) and contacted the attorneys and told them of the outcome.  All in all, there are folks in areas above my Director (highest person locally, but answers to at least 3 more folks over him up to the National Head Office) who all agree with me and my recommendations and can't believe that these folks aren't listening to me.

And to top it all off... when I was leaving last night, I saw the AD in the hallway, said hello, and was snubbed.  Oh well, guess her nose is out of joint.  Wonder how it'll feel when this comes back to bite the facility (and I know it will) and I can show documentation of what I recommended in the meeting and who was against that action.  Oh, and my supervisor decided to act childish about not being included in the meeting originally and is in high dander because she wasn't originally invited to attend the meeting, had not been notified of what had occurred (ummm, several phone calls and voice mails were placed, of which none were returned, including a call at home), and that she was tasked with an action from the meeting.  Oh well, perhaps from now on she'll support me AND return my calls.  But I won't  hold my breath on that, either.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

[raindance]

You really seem to be truly picking your way through a minefield, CG!  

Your post reads as though you handled the meeting with consummate professionalism, for which you receive my Gold Star award.  And another Gold Star for keeping notes.  

I know that where you are is not a comfortable place to be right now, but directors quite often don't like to be "told" and even when someone has saved their bacon, they don't like that it was a "junior" colleague. At least you can draw comfort from the fact that your director's directors agree with you.  Hang in there!

Best wishes,

Raindance

Edited by raindance on 20/10/05 04:55 PM.

[misslynn]

I'll echo what raindance said and more Gold Stars from me  
Sounds like you handled the best way possible and they'll just have to learn the hard way.