Reference no: EM133376494

Case Study: Helen became even cooler toward Trish as the days went on. Work-wise, Helen stopped including Trish on calls or emails relevant to her own airline deal. Helen also started to leave Trish out from informal coffees that happened regularly but on an impromptu basis. Three times in one week, Trish realized that Helen had grabbed coffee with two other female associates-"her ladies" -only after she saw them walking together down the hall. Trish, of course, was in one of Jake's conference rooms. What could she do? By Friday of that week, Trish-emboldened-jogged to catch up with the coffee group, awkwardly asking if she could tag along. This felt bad. Was she back in high school, trying to impress the varsity girls? She was a professional now. It seemed trivial to dwell on something like this. But, then again, if Trish wanted to be part of the team, why not show that? Helen's attitude really troubled Trish; she just couldn't understand what changed. After two more weeks of this, Adam stopped by Trish's desk. "Helen's deal died. We just couldn't find a way to make it work," Adam said. "Helen is pissed. It was her first solo deal since becoming Managing Director. She pitched the deal hard to the Management Committee and they just didn't buy into it. They said the flex on the deal didn't appropriately cover them for the market risk to syndicate the loan." Trish was relieved. "OK, Helen's mood isn't personal, then" she thought. "There just wasn't any more work and things weren't going well for her." Trish still couldn't figure the coffee trip digs, but figured it was just her perception. Adam didn't get coffee either. She wanted to ignore it. Trish threw herself into the National Air pitch after that. Trish went to California, and the pitch went beautifully. Jake was happy with Trish, and Trish felt back on professional track. Jake even told her that he wanted to get lunch and hear how things were going. A few days after Trish returned from California, Adam stopped by her desk. "Hey, got a sec?" They walked together to the coffee bar. "I wanted to tell you that I'm leaving," Adam said. "My wife just got her residency assignment and we're moving to Boston. But I gotta tell you something before I go. I don't know how to say it, except just to say it. Helen-that deal fell through and she was not happy. She doesn't think the firm trusts her judgment. She said they would have given Ron [another MD] the green light in a second, but she has to meet a higher standard. I don't know. This is an old-fashioned place. Maybe they're not used to a woman dealmaker. But look, Helen was not happy that you were working with Jake. I have to tell you: She said you were a token hire-or, rather, that Jake took you to National Air because the firm needs to look more diverse for the big corporate boards. I'm not sure exactly what words she used. She was angry and venting. I don't even think she was mad at you. She was really mad at Jake. But . . . I don't know. I'm sorry. It was total bullshit of Helen to say that. I thought you should know. This place has problems." "Token?" This was supposed to be a first-class firm, Trish thought. "How could Helen say that?" Trish wonders if it's time to take Jake up on his offer to lunch. Or is it time to look for a new job?

Questions: Does Trish have a mentor?
• What is Norland's responsibility to create mentoring opportunities for Trish? And what is Jake's responsibility in this regard?
• Did Adam do the right thing by speaking with Trish? What else might he have done?
• Put yourself in Adam's shoes when speaking with Helen. He is an associate. Helen is a Managing Director. What would you have done when Helen described Trish as "token" or used words to that effect? Does it make a difference what words were used?
• Put yourself in Trish's shoes. What factors should she consider as a new hire at a prestigious firm?
• Let's say Trish takes up Jake's offer for lunch and tells Jake what Adam said. What are Jake's professional and ethical responsibilities in this situation?
• What is Norland's responsibility in improving the culture for Black female employees? How might Norland include Trish in a solution