When Leaders Torment

Anonymous,

You speak a language unfamiliar to me, that of business.  Nevertheless, I am grateful for the things you pointed out regarding the shallowness of your company.  It's been a difficult week at Generic Hospice, only two days in and it feels like thirty.

Our local site leader has been on a tear.  People worked hard while this person was away, some business, some travel.  Several compelling hospice stories occurred in their absence.  This seemed to refuel the tanks of our team, regularly depleted by seemingly arbitrary corporate and local dictum(s). 

However, our local leader was unable to appreciate the incredible team work displayed while they were gone. Their first staff meeting back was a scolding.  A scolding, when it should've been a pat on the back, a hearty laugh and a round of ale (ginger) for toasting.  My take?  If they weren't here to make it right, it had to be wrong.  Complete morale killer.

There is no one to tell.  Corporate goons regularly play "good cop/bad cop" on us.  They show up saying, "Tell us what's wrong, we want to hear it."  Halfway through spilling our beans, the bad cop comes up behind and slams our face into the table.  Bam!  "Sucker!  You think we care about your crybaby asses."

So we're alone, watching a severely damaged person wreak havoc, repeatedly.  Turnover is 50% since I joined the company.  They sell it as 12%.

I am told I work for an exemplary leader.  I believe this person is outstandingly destructive and manipulative.  This leader picks several victims at a time.  Over a period of months, this leader targets, torments and emotionally tortures their victims.  Most quit.  A few have been fired and escorted out.

There is never a period when the list has no targets.  Staff fear their name will rise to the top.  A pattern exists, one which Generic Hospice corporate cannot see.  If they cared then they might've done an employee survey the last two years.  .

Our site has the best hospice doctors in town and no nurses want to work for us.  They know what corporate can't figure out, our local leader is toxic.  It makes me think corporate leaders are like ours, concerned about image, surface items, and whatever is needed in the moment to make them look good. 

Orange-skinned, white-toothed marketing people produce binders about selling, without one mention of a hospice heart.  Corporate people talk about "sales strategy" and "game plan," but they fail to recognize the importance of relationships in a community.  They berate staff with "Close hard," cajole us with "Way to go", as if staff would not do a good job without their summary comment/evaluation. 

Our site ran better with our manager away and no corporate visitors.  That's a sad commentary, when "leadership" causes more harm.  Thanks for listening,

StrangeTony