cgardener's blog

I have received a follow-up letter to one of my columns from early last year. It reads: Dear Chauncey, Sorry to bother you again about this, but we are still having a problem. I don’t know if you remember my letter. I sent it nearly a year ago. It was about a board member who was repeatedly being abusive toward one of our loyal employees. Just the other week the board member was once again repeatedly being very difficult with that same employee. It was so bad that some of the other board members really lost their patience with him.

I received a letter the other day.

It reads:

Dear Chauncey,

I am trying to figure out what to do. I have a member on my board who has become quite a problem. You see we have a capable, long-term, valued employee who is present at all of our board meetings. Unfortunately, this board member in public board sessions repeatedly talks disparagingly of the employee’s education and abilities.

The employee has to sit there, mum, unable to respond. Apparently that is what the board member expects as the board member acts as if the employee is not even there.