Changing Roles
By Julie Dawn Cole

Changing Roles
By Julie Dawn Cole

Chapter 1
I entered the Boardroom to meet my boss, our Managing Director, who had just attended a Board Meeting followed by a meeting with the Group CEO. He looked stone faced and pale and was clearly worried. He had expected a tough meeting after shareholders had been heavily critical because of the company losses and lack of an annual dividend. They had enjoyed several over the years and business seemed to be falling through the floor.

We were all concerned about the business downturn and we hadn’t exactly sat on our hands. We’d worked night and day to find solutions and address the most urgent ones but these were difficult times with so much competition and them sourcing equipment from overseas. We were fearing the worst and expecting changes and our families were worried too. Would there be another round of cost cuts with staff redundancies high on the agenda?

I sat down as George paced up and down looking out of the window. We’d worked together a long time so I knew his moods and his more serious expressions. Something bad had happened.

‘Julian I’m afraid it’s not good news. We had a tough meeting today and I was a loan voice in there. These people don’t seem to understand our business and I’m beginning to regret following Group directives to appoint more female staff into key positions. They turned against me. Our Company identity is being lost so goodness knows what the founder would think. I bet he’s turning in his grave.’

‘Is it so bad? What’s happened? Is the Company going to fold?’

‘No, it’s not that bad but my power has been seriously diminished and I’ve been asked to go on garden leave for 6 months whilst restructuring takes place that will be led by Emily Waterton from Head Office. You know what I think of her and her opinions. She is a strong feminist and I’ve mentioned before that I think she has a severe case of penis envy.’

‘Yes, even though we’ve never met she’s not popular, especially amongst the guys who came across ger, very outspoken and anti-men. Isn’t she related to the Chairman? What do you mean garden leave?’

‘Yes, she is actually the Chairmans niece. She’s visited us as a shareholder a couple of times and whilst you didn’t actually meet her she watched one of our meetings when we had a video link to our overseas office. She wasn’t very complementary about both you and me in the meeting. She didn’t think we were strong leaders and she felt you were a ‘yes man’. She even said to her uncle that she suspected we slept together we were so close. She told him that we were jointly responsible for the company missing its targets set by the board. She is the main reason I had to remove some board members and hire female executives to balance the board of our division equally between men and women. That has resulted in novices in key positions and errors that is the root cause of our bad performance.’

‘What does she know about our business. She has had a life of privilege as I know with attendance at an exclusive all girls school then to Oxford then straight into a job in the City.’

‘ I don’t know much more than you but wherever she worked she must have been a pain in the neck. She did enough to impress her uncle. She certainly has his ear. We’ve always had lots of talented men in the company who performed well and we were profitable. Those who I had to hold back to give the talented women a chance in management have left and joined competitors. They had better experience and just as much talent. Our competitors have benefited and taken business on some large long-term contracts as you know. Garden leave means I’m paid to stay at home and available as and when required until my future role is established. Presumably by her.’

‘Oh my God never. She is one of the new generation of out spoken female executives who believe that women have been downtrodden and under-valued and they could do a far better job than men. She thinks men are becoming extinct because of the practices of the older generation and younger men have had it all too easy.’

‘That’s her. Most of all she thinks men ought to have their penises removed so women can compete on equal terms. She thinks that’s where our brains are so I don’t think she realises what she was saying. Men without brains equal women? She’s bright and has been privately educated at the best schools. She is talented but sadly she doesn’t listen. The Chairman seems taken with her and she obviously convinced him that the Company has been going in the wrong direction and that there have been too many jobs for the boys under my watch.’

‘But we are in a male dominated industry and most women opted for different career paths in the media or advertising. Nowadays they dominate that business so isn’t it just a case of horses for courses? You don’t see men complaining they were left behind they find other opportunities rather than demanding equal rights.’

‘Not according to Emily. Based on her presentation today she puts our lack of performance down to our laziness and incompetence.’

‘So when is she taking over?’

‘With immediate effect. She wants a meeting with all senior staff tomorrow morning at 10 am and I’m to clear my desk tonight. She wants to see you at 8am in her office that is my office at the moment. All my stuff is going into packing cases as we speak and then to store.’

‘So what about me? Did she say?’’

‘No but expect the worse because you were my right hand man.’
‘But I can’t lose my job at the moment. I’m deep in debt after moving to my new home and I’ve two aging parents and an aunt in care that is really expensive.’

‘I doubt that will matter to Emily. She is young, single and ambitious and she doesn’t seem much like a people person. She is arrogant and rude.’

‘Well, you will always be my boss and I hope this isn’t too upsetting. I suppose that 6 months garden leave is chance to be home more since you travelled a lot. At least it is a chance for you to find something else and you are well respected by our customers and suppliers. 6 months on full pay before they decide if you fit in and if not, I suppose you can leave with a big pay off.’

‘Yes, but it’s not as rosy as you might think. I can tell you that I’ll be looking for another job, but it can’t be a job in competition according to the terms of our contracts.’

‘I would check that with a lawyer. Surely, they can’t stop you working in your profession. I hope you find something, Rest assured I’m at the end of a phone anytime you want me to up sticks and follow you.’

‘Thanks, I think we are a good team whatever they think. We grew this company from nothing, The key staff were loyal until the change in policy to have more of our female staff in management positions.’

That was the end of our discussion and I returned to my office somewhat dejected.
There was no sign of our two female Directors for the rest of the afternoon and according to my secretary rumours were flying about what had happened and they had supposedly left the building with Emily soon after the Board Meeting ended. According to the secretarial grapevine at least. Sally told me that rumour had it that my boss, George Garside, had been sacked and that the Company was going to be restructured. It was assumed that I’d be taking the role of Managing Director as next in-line with experience of the company. I just shook my head.

Nothing much seemed to get done for the rest of the afternoon and I looked for my office supervisor to talk with her but she was nowhere to be seen. The rest of my staff seemed busy enough but at 5pm they started to head for the exit. That was unusual since most employees were hard working and motivated and rarely watched the clock. I hung around for a while but my supervisor never came back to the office so I headed home.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

I had an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach. I tried to eat that was a waste of time. I couldn’t concentrate on TV and I had heard nothing from anyone since leaving the office. Finally, I turned to what always calmed me down and I showered and then dressed in some of my more feminine clothes and put on some make-up and let my hair down and sat and brushed it through until it shone. It always seemed to take my mind away from the afternoons events and it was working. I even had a short walk outside my apartment building to get some night air. I knew that I was taking a chance since women rarely walk out at night alone in town and I was taking the risk of being approached or mugged. I looked like I felt inside and since I wasn’t the biggest guy on the block it was easy for me to be convincing. Even in daylight I’d visited malls shopping and in the street under strong light I was usually safe. However, on more than one occasion, even dressed in my normal casual clothes I had been mistaken for a young woman and approached. It was scary but exciting at the same time.
My femininity had always been a problem through school and college that I couldn’t overcome because it was in my genes according to my mother. Her brother had the same problems and as he grew older he looked more and more like mum. All through college I’d liked the androgenous look that was popular. Most students had long hair and wore gender neutral clothing. By the time I qualified and started looking for work I’d started wearing my hair in a pony-tail that was difficult to hide. In some of my interviews I was mistaken for female that meant I was being rejected without looking at my qualifications and technical ability. By the time I found a job it was in a junior position but then I met George and he became my mentor.
Under his guidance I responded and was given more and more responsibility. He was my hero and I would do anything I could to please him. As he moved up the ladder he looked after me and so out of respect I adopted a more conventional masculine style. My hair was shorter but still over my collar and very full with lots of body and I wore business suits. I had my hair treated and conditioned regularly and could curl and style it when I wanted to relax as Julie. Living alone had its advantages but it was a lonely life with few friends or opportunities to socialise except through work. However I liked it.
At 4 am that first night after the devastating news George gave me I tried to sleep but it was impossible. He didn’t deserve to be cast aside, Eventually I took a long soak in the bath and dozed a little bit until the water dropped too low in temperature that woke me. My body was soft and smooth and hairless as a result of regular trips to a beautician for waxing. I didn’t need to shave regularly and no wonder I was sometimes mistaken for female. I tried to do some work by checking my e-mails. I had a few messages from overseas but nothing related to the discussion I’d had with George. Eventually I had a coffee and some toast and then picked out something appropriate to wear to meet Emily. I drove to the office arriving at 7am to an empty car park. Usually a few security staff would be knocking about and some IT staff if they were carrying out system upgrades or maintenance. I used my security pass to open the staff door. At least that still worked. No doubt George’s would have been cancelled. Even though he was MD. I felt guilty for not calling him at home the night before, but I guess I just felt he needed some family time.

I had a strange feeling deep in my stomach as I took the lift to my floor. Normally I took the stairs to keep in shape but today I had no energy and it was as if I was entering another building and I had never worked there. I had no idea what might be said to me and if I’d be leaving if I said the wrong things in my meeting. I’d dressed as smartly as possible as if I was attending a job interview and tied my hair back and tucked it into my shirt collar. My tie wasn’t as loud as I would normally wear since I was trying to appear as conservative as possible.

It was quiet as I walked through the main office apart from a few of the staff from our IT department who were moving things around. They didn’t acknowledge me and I sensed some embarrassment. Before I reached my office I could see that it was closed with the blinds closed and as I tried the handle it was locked. My key didn’t seem to work and as I struggled a voice called out.

‘Ah Jules you’re here at last. Can you step through to my office please. I know it’s not 8 am yet but we can start straight away since I have a lot of things scheduled.’

I turned to face the voice. It was Emily. She was a very attractive young woman dressed in a dark blue business suit with trousers rather than a skirt. She was wearing high stiletto heels that emphasised her dominance and she was a good 6 inches or more taller than me. I guessed she’d be at least 5 ten in her bare feet against my 5 six. I followed her into ‘her’ office that had been totally transformed overnight.
‘What do you think Jules? Looks much better don’t you think? More welcoming with a feminine touch. I’ll have it upgraded properly when I am away on a business trip. Hopefully you can supervise on my behalf. Please take a seat.’ I had never ever spoken to her yet she called me Jules. My name is Julian and Jules is a name that only a few close friends use. What made her use that name? I let it slip by.

She sat back in her new executive chair and beckoned me the chair across the large executive desk. Her desk was clear other than my personnel file and clearly this was to be a one to one meeting.

‘Now Jules if you’ll excuse the informality let me bring you up to speed with the changes that are taking place. I’ve been asked to take complete control of the business and George has gone. No doubt he told you last night?’
‘Yes he said he’s been placed on garden leave and the Chairman has appointed you to take over his role. But that’s as much as I know. He went home to his family.’

‘Yes he has been offered an escape route that was quite generous in the circumstances. We have a lot of work to do to turn this business around and he resisted change that was recommended based on my reports. There isn’t room for him anymore and there is no other position that is vacant. He’ll be a fool to fight the decisions if that’s what he decides.’

‘But he knows the business backwards and he built it from nothing.’

‘Look Jules we know what he did but times have changed and he didn’t accept that we have a lot more competition now. He wouldn’t embrace younger ideas and so finally I recommended to hire some fresh blood. Look around you. Hardly any female staff in key positions yet some of the best new talent around are women. The days of women staying at home have gone. Life has moved on and maybe you know better than George that we live in a new world where young men have been raised by strong women many of whom have become the main breadwinners. Lots of husbands take on the domestic role that they were trained to do.’
‘I get that argument, but I don’t fully agree. George and I hired based on the best person for the job not on gender or race. Anyway we do have a lot of women in the company.’
‘Yes, in the administration and general duties roles not as leaders. How did you rise to your position? You aren’t very masculine but as usual in this male dominated world that thing between your legs gives you a head start.’
I was dumfounded. What sort of talk was that? I managed to fire back.
‘That’s nothing to do with it. I know the business and I worked hard to get to a top management position in support of George.’
‘If you were a woman Jules, I have no doubt that you’d have been accused of sleeping your way to the top. Did anybody ever say that to you?’
‘No never and anyway we are both men. You don’t even know me and all my annual appraisals were good.’
‘Adequate I’d say. I’ve read your file and done my research and for your information I’ve watched how you perform in meetings. Nothing spectacular and I think you fitted the image that George set for the company and you weren’t a threat. Think about it. You were his lapdog. In your file there are lots of references to your appearance and my researchers found out about some of your outside hobbies.’
‘What do you mean? Outside hobbies?’
‘You’re not exactly an alpha male are you? You like to go out in feminine clothes to certain venues and you don’t have a serious relationship with men or women. A complete loner.’

‘Who has told you that? My private life is my business and nothing to do with the company. Are you spying on me? This is unbelievable.’
‘Don’t get worked up I’m telling you for your own good. You need to be careful and it didn’t take much for me to find out. Your colleagues know more about you than you may think.’

‘So you’ve found people who have snitched on me out of spite or to take advantage of the situation. Who is it? ‘

‘Look Jules I said I could help if you trust me. I’m prepared to give you a chance because you know the business and the company knows how difficult it must be with family in care and the huge costs involved. I’m not your enemy.’

‘I can’t think straight at the moment. This is all too much to take in.’

‘Look I have a lot to do today and so if it is all too much then just take the day off and try to relax. I’m sure you’ll come to terms with the situation when you think it through.’

‘I’m OK thanks I just need some time to pull myself together.’

‘Look Jules it isn’t a criminal offence or a sackable offence to be a crossdresser. Just don’t get into trouble and don’t let it interfere with your job. I need you to be focused as we turn things around.’

‘So what if it is all true which it’s not? My life outside work is my business and I never let it get in the way.’

‘Look Jules, I want you to understand something. It’s in danger of getting in the way now and if it was then you’d be gone and offered the basic redundancy package like other staff.’

I was shaking by now and desperate for the bathroom, so I asked to be excused for a few minutes that was granted. Who is this woman? She first of all insulted me and made me feel small then she shows concern and wants to help me. She obviously needs help as she has no experience of our business. How did we find ourselves in a situation where George and I had lost all power and the business was being run by a stranger with no prior experience? She makes me feel inferior yet what choice do I have but to stay and do as she wants? Am I being demoted and placed on a low salary? What about my car and other benefits?’

After I calmed down a bit and freshened up. I still had some signs of last nights make-up but no cleanser and my mascara was water proof. No wonder she was so sure that I was cross dressing outside work. After a few minutes I had done what I could to look my normal self and I was ready to return. I decided to stop commenting and prolonging the meeting and should listen to what she had to say. I knocked on her door and waited for her to answer. A few staff were arriving to the office by now and I felt they were avoiding eye contact. After a few minutes the door opened, She stood aside and I went back in and waited for permission to sit back down. I felt like a new starter or a junior staff member and neither George or I were ever so rude to our employees.

‘Now then Jules let’s get straight to the point. You have a choice to make. Either you leave or you take a new position which doesn’t have the same level of responsibility, but it is a chance for you to demonstrate that you can adjust to the method of working I’ll be implementing.’
‘But you’ve already deduced that I can’t afford to leave so what’s the job and for how long? I don’t have much choice really.’
‘Well let me just say that if that’s your attitude you may as well leave. I’m sticking my neck out for you.’
‘I’m sorry. It wasn’t meant to sound like that. I was just thinking aloud and of course I need to maintain my employment as I have bills to pay and my parents deserve all the help I can get for them.’
‘Well the role I’ve accepted is going to need my best efforts and I will be using all my skills and experience but since I don’t have the business contacts and detailed knowledge of our products I need a personal assistant. I offer you that role with no management responsibility involved and you can maintain your salary package and benefits subject to a review every 3 months and a full assessment in 12 months.’
‘So I’d be helping you to implement changes and passing over my expertise?’
‘Simply put that’s it in a nutshell. You’ll be overpaid for the position but I’ll do my best to ensure we get value for money.’
‘So where do I sit and do you think my staff will accept the change.’
‘I have a space allocated and you will be set up to go later today once I give the green light. I already tested this out with Jenny Isaacs and Melanie Baxter and both are committed and are confident that there will be minimum disruption.’
‘But they both report to me and I’ve trained them. They are good at their jobs but they aren’t ready for promotion yet.’
‘Well they seem good enough to me and they both want the chance to show they are ready’
‘So decisions are made then?’
‘Yes they have both drafted their ideas and submitted to me. I told you that there is talent about and maybe you and George discounted them because of their gender.’
‘Well I will do my best and hopefully things will work out.’
‘They will work out. We’ll be busy in the next few weeks so I hope you can commit to being on call 24 hours a day. I think you’ll soon get used to my way of working.’

She stood up and held out her hand and I took it and shook it. I felt relieved to still have a job but I was unsure about whether or not I would be able to give it my full commitment and what would my staff think if I was standing down with no more management responsibility.