by Liz Green
Two months later, just four weeks after Dorothy had formally been appointed to her new role, Catherine Lyons called Dorothy.
“Dorothy, it’s Catherine Lyons. Just to let you know, I have you on speakerphone,” said Catherine.
“Sure, no problem, Catherine. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Dorothy bounced back.
Catherine was in a meeting with members of the planning committee. They were working on the final arrangements for the executive conference and collectively had come up with the idea to hold a forum session on ‘Women in The Organisation’. The group had been bouncing around ideas as to which women to include on the panel, and Catherine had suggested Dorothy as an ideal candidate.
“I’m here with the executive conference planning committee, and we would like to talk to you about possibly being involved with a forum session we would like to hold,” announced Catherine.
Here’s her chance, thought Dorothy, to get herself to that conference. “It would be an honour, Catherine. What would the session be about?” Dorothy replied calmly.
“The title of the session would be ‘Women in The Organisation’. We’re considering you for the panel,” explained Catherine. She then waited for what she hoped would be the ideal response from Dorothy to convince the group she would be suitable for the panel.
Dorothy did not respond immediately. Her career had required much effort to ensure her gender did not come into play, and she thought this theme was a dangerous topic. Did she really now want to expose her true thoughts on the topic to the very people she wanted to impress and keep on her side for future career opportunities?
Catherine got nervous. “Are you still there, Dorothy?”
“Yes, of course. I’m just thinking it through. It is definitely an interesting topic,” replied Dorothy.
“It’s not something we’ve covered before, and we think it would definitely spark some discussion,” a man on Catherine’s team responded.
Dorothy then asked, “Tell me then, what are your objectives for the forum session? How do you think The Organisation, or women for that matter, will benefit?”
Catherine Lyons watched the group, most of whom were men, glance at each other with raised eyebrows. If she did not step in now, she could see that Dorothy would miss the opportunity to share her story for the benefit of others.
“Dorothy, I think you have a powerful story to tell that would benefit not only women, but men,” Catherine said, “and ultimately positively influence the culture of this organisation for the future.” Catherine flicked back her mane of hair proudly.
Dorothy thought very carefully. Politically, this could be a foolish move. Could she live with herself if she was to selfishly protect her own career, at the expense of being a positive influence and making the path easier for other women to follow in the future?
Still not convinced accepting was the right move, but led by her need to do the right thing and the chance to attend the executive conference Dorothy said, “It does sound like a good opportunity. Who else is on the panel?”
The men in the room relaxed, and, breathing a sigh of relief, Catherine replied, “We have a few people on the list, but we need to contact them all first to gain their acceptance of the invitation before we can disclose that information.”
“Of course, I understand. Please let me know if there is anything I need to do in advance of the session,” Dorothy said, with increasing confidence in her decision.
“Of course,” said someone else from Catherine’s group. “If you are selected to form part of the panel of women, we will aim to get the discussion questions to you with plenty of advance notice to allow you to prepare your thoughts.”
“Bloody gatekeepers!” Dorothy thought. Arrogating themselves the power to decide on her involvement regardless of what they led her to believe throughout the discussion.
Two weeks later, Dorothy received a cream envelope embossed with The Organisation’s logo and her name written in calligraphy on the front. The envelope was impressively sealed with wax. Inside was Dorothy’s invitation to the executive conference forum session. To her delight, the envelope also included an invitation to the evening harbour cruise.
Six weeks later…
CHAPTER 11
The View of Success
Dorothy arrived at the conference venue with plenty of time to spare. She had wanted to go back over her notes to ensure she clearly had in her mind the message she wanted to deliver to the audience. It was not as though Dorothy had not been in a five-star hotel before, but today this particular hotel exuded an opulence and sophistication that astounded her: the highly polished marble floors, the rich tones of mahogany wood, the heavy cream and gold drapes adorning the windows, and the beautiful ornate Victorian furniture all just in the foyer.
The concierge directed her to the function room, where she was not scheduled to arrive for another twenty minutes.
The break-out area outside of the room was empty of people, except for a waiter who was quietly arranging teacups on a side table in preparation for afternoon
tea.
The large doors leading into the room muffled the sound of the speaker’s voice behind them, but they were ajar just enough for Dorothy to sneak a peek. Dorothy could not help herself. She wanted to preview the room full of people that she admired. There on the stage was the chief executive officer of The Organisation. Exuding confidence and a slight air of arrogance, he captivated the audience with his charisma and his talk of a future for The Organisation that would motivate and inspire even the greatest cynic in the room. Seated at the tables around the room were some familiar faces and other people Dorothy had not met. Of all the people in the room, only four were women. One was Sophia Williams, and. in the far corner Dorothy could not mistake the severe, polished look of Wendy West.
In all the years that had passed since Dorothy’s first graduate placement, she had successfully avoided working with or for Wendy West. It was an experience she wished not to repeat. Dorothy was always disappointed that Wendy continued to survive through all the turbulent times and mergers. Her cold, direct, and impersonal management style meant that, although she was liked by few co-workers, she was valued by executive management for making the tough calls without a second thought. Catherine would often relay stories of the high turnover within Wendy West’s department, which, of course, was of no surprise to Dorothy.
Dorothy was a little unnerved to know that Wendy was in the room. So unnerved that when Gabriella Monroe, the event manager, tapped Dorothy on the shoulder from behind, she jumped.
“So sorry, Dorothy. It’s only me,” Gabriella whispered. “Can you come with me for a moment?” Dorothy followed Gabriella away from the doors.
“I just wanted to let you know there has been a slight change of plans,” Gabriella said. “The five women planned for the panel has unfortunately reduced to only three. One person has called in sick, and the other has been called back to the office.”
“Oh, OK,” said Dorothy. “How will this change the format of the panel discussion?”
“Not much,” replied Gabriella, “but it does mean you are the most senior female on the panel. The other two are only graduates.”
Before Dorothy could respond to express her concern, the two graduates ascended from the staircase. As Gabrielle moved to greet the two girls, Dorothy escaped to the bathroom to collect herself.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Dorothy said aloud, “ ‘Not much’, she says! Sure, ninety minutes of discussion between five panel participants would have meant that I was responsible for eighteen minutes, but now I’m looking down the barrel of at least thirty minutes! And the other women are just girls. How will they cope with the barrage of questions from the chauvinistic, grey-haired, executive general managers?”
Dorothy heard the outside door of the bathroom open, so she abruptly snapped quiet. The woman entering was Sophia Williams.
“Hi, Dorothy. I’m Sophia Williams,” she said. “It’s a pleasure to fi
nally have the opportunity to meet you in person. I am definitely looking forward to this afternoon’s forum session.” Sophia shook Dorothy’s hand and then gently rested her other hand on Dorothy’s shoulder. “But you better get a move on. We’ve broken for afternoon tea, so it is time to get in there and set up.”
Sophia’s reassurance gave Dorothy all she needed. She proudly took centre stage, with one graduate on either side, and led an informative, contentious, and invigorating discussion among the panel participants and the audience of executive managers. With each passing question and answer, Dorothy grew more confident in her message. She could see a shift in some of the opinions and expressions of those present. If she were to do nothing more than raise awareness, Dorothy would feel as though she had accomplished something important that day. To her relief, she barely noticed Wendy West in the room.
Immediately following the forum session was one more ‘closed door’ session, which gave Dorothy some extra time to get ready for the formal harbour cruise that evening. Running on adrenalin, she found herself almost skipping her way back home.
Dressed in an elegant, backless, floor-length silver dress, with her hair gathered softly at the nape of her neck, Dorothy looked stunning. The invitation had requested the presence of ‘Dorothy and Partner’, but as Dorothy was single she thought she would attend this one on her own. At least Catherine Lyons would be there, even though she was bringing her fiancÈ with her. Standing on the wharf, looking up at the grand cruise ship and watching the guests on board sipping champagne, laughing and mingling, Dorothy felt her anxiety express itself as butterflies.
Little did she know that the captain of the ship had been admiring Dorothy from the bridge. Her dress was billowing in the wind like a jib sail before it is filled with the ocean’s breeze, and he could sense her hesitation. Noticing she was alone, The Captain excused himself from the bridge and made his way to the wharf to accompany the beautiful woman aboard.
Dorothy had been mesmerised by the beauty of the ship, so she did not notice The Captain appear. She was also hesitant as she was concerned at her ability to walk up the boarding plank to the ship in her long dress and stiletto heels without tripping.
“My fair maiden, may I introduce myself as the captain of this ship,” said The Captain as he extended his arm to assist Dorothy on board.
Dorothy looked up at the tanned and handsome man and graciously took his strong welcoming arm. “Thank you, Captain. My name is Dorothy.”
Now standing on board, surrounded by guests, The Captain took Dorothy’s hand in his. “Pleased to meet you, Dorothy,” he said. “I have to excuse myself to the bridge, but I do hope that you have a wonderful evening and that I might see you again.” Chivalrously, he kissed her hand before disappearing into the crowd.
Catherine excitedly pounced on her. “Was that the captain? He is gorgeous! Don’t look now, but everyone is looking at you.”
Catherine was right. Everyone was looking at Dorothy. Were the men looking because she looked lovely tonight, or was it because they were still ruffled by her honesty in the forum session? And the women? Were they looking because she looked too lovely tonight or because their partners were looking at her?
“Put it this way,” Catherine said. “You look amazing, Dorothy! Come, let’s get a drink to relax.” Dorothy followed Catherine to the bar.
After a drink or two, Dorothy did relax and begin to enjoy herself. She networked with those on board and enjoyed the intelligent discussion of the other guests. She now stood outside on deck at the bow of the magnificent ship with two of the male executive general managers. They had been discussing the current government’s fiscal policy and were debating chances of the country electing a woman as head of state. Despite the in-depth discussion, Dorothy was still able to take in the spectacular views of the city, the glamorous homes perched on the water’s edge, and the sensation of the ocean breeze on her face.
The Captain, standing in the bridge, watched Dorothy engaged in lively debate, as she elegantly tossed her hands and arms in animated gestures. He was entranced. He was also impressed that she had the undivided attention of these obviously very powerful and serious men, who were drawn by not only her beauty but also her brains. The Captain watched another woman approach the group. She had dark hair and eyes and was dressed in a black satin pants suit. She appeared to strut with an aggressiveness that he imagined was likely to be leaving high-heel indentations in the beautiful polished timber of the deck.
As the woman joined the group at the bow, he saw the group dynamic shift, and Dorothy’s body language go from free and confident to restrained and self-conscious. How could a person yield that much power and influence over another simply with their presence?
As Wendy West approached the group at the bow, she interrupted Dorothy, who had been saying, “I think it’s important for women to stay true to their female sensitivities even in positions of power. For instance, take Sophia Williams. She is a perfect example of a woman that has been successful while maintaining her femininity.”
Catching Dorothy’s remarks, Wendy responded, “Ah, yes, but like you, Dorothy, she too is here single tonight and without children to talk of.”
Wendy’s direct attack caught Dorothy off guard. Rather than say something she would regret, Dorothy excused herself from the group and walked inside. She could feel tears begin to emerge from a place she did not know existed. She suddenly felt trapped on this ship with nowhere to hide. Walking aimlessly, she found herself at the bottom of a narrow flight of stairs that led to a door in the ceiling above. The door at the top opened, and the man that welcomed her aboard the ship earlier in the evening was waving for her to climb the stairs and join him.
Now sitting together in the bridge, Dorothy found herself unloading her story to The Captain. She started right from the beginning of her career, explaining the journey and how important her career and success were to her, how she had kept her destination in clear view and made her way through even the most difficult of times. She also described how horrible Wendy West had been to her all those years ago, and what Wendy had just said to her outside.
The Captain looked at her with his generous and caring blue eyes and said, “Dorothy, no one should tell you what you want or what you have sacrificed. That is for you to discover and decide for yourself. If this Wendy West is all you say she is, then you need to figure out a way to get past that. On the sea,” he continued, “if you spend time trying to travel around the storm but ultimately find there is no way to avoid it, you just have to face the waves head-on.”
Later that year…
CHAPTER 12
The Battle with Wendy West
In her new job role as senior finance manager, Dorothy had to see and spend much more time with Wendy West. Although Wendy was more senior than Dorothy, they were often required to work together on projects and attend many of the same internal meetings. Most of the time, Dorothy successfully stayed out of her way, but at times, she felt like a slave to her resentment and fear of the woman. Dorothy had said nothing about the comment Wendy made to her that night on the harbour cruise. Dorothy’s hope was that one day karma would deliver its revenge.
Tonight, however, Wendy was the last thing on Dorothy’s mind. Tonight was the annual staff Christmas party, which was being held in the convention centre not far from the office. The large space enabled people like the Events Manager Gabriella Monroe, to weave their magic and create an imaginative and exciting party atmosphere. The theme was “Fairy Tales, Old and New.” The centre was full of people dressed in a myriad of fairy-tale costumes. Celebrating the year were Hansel and Gretel, the three little pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf, Cinderella, and Snow White. More modern characters, like Ariel, Simba and Mufasa, Shrek and Fiona, and Harry Potter were also enjoying each other’s company.
Dorothy and her friends had decided to dress up as the characters in The Wizard of Oz, as a play on Dorothy’s name. Trent was Toto, Scott Crow was the Scarecrow
, Tim Woods was the Tin Man, and Catherine Lyons was the Cowardly Lion. All of them were flying solo tonight: Catherine left her husband at home to look after their new baby; Tim’s Fiona was away on a business trip; Scott’s partner, Brian, was home sick in bed; Trent was between girlfriends; and Dorothy was still single.
The friends danced together until their feet grew tired. Then they found a bar table and huddled around it. They began to reminisce about the past. Between the few serious stories, they erupted with laughter at some of the more humorous and embarrassing ones. The camaraderie of the friends was a picture of pure friendship and support.
Wendy West watched them. How pathetic, she thought, that Dorothy and her friends would come to the party all wearing costumes in matching theme. Dorothy in her cutesy little dress, hair in braids, with her posse boosting her up, she thought. At that moment and with that thought, Wendy identified exactly how she was going to bring Dorothy down.
During the Christmas break, many of Dorothy’s friends took days off from work to spend time with their families. Dorothy, however, was working through the holiday period this year, which suited her just fine. She often found it so quiet in the office that she was able to get twice her workload done in the same amount of time. With the office on skeleton staff, however, coffee breaks were lonely.
Late one afternoon, Dorothy forced herself away from her desk to make coffee in the kitchen. On the way, she passed three members of Wendy West’s team. They were waiting for the elevator with wallets and bags in hand, clearly heading out to buy a real coffee. Dorothy had deliberately not socialised with these three in the past. They were thick as thieves and an integral part of Wendy’s senior team, but, to be fair, none of them had done anything to Dorothy to warrant her wariness of them.
As though they were reading her mind, one of the three said to Dorothy, “Forget the coffee in the kitchen. Why not join us downstairs for a real coffee?”
Because they seemed so genuine, Dorothy gave them the benefit of the doubt. She ditched the coffee cup she was carrying and went with them downstairs for coffee.