Leadership and management lack alignment, structure, and clear communication, which creates confusion and frustration across teams.
As a K12 Sales Manager (AE/BDM), I was never given clearly defined job duties, success metrics, or proper onboarding. I was frequently told I was “doing great” and to “keep doing what I was doing,” while receiving contradictory direction from different managers. There was no single source of truth regarding priorities or expectations, making it difficult to feel confident or successful in the role.
Training and support were minimal. I often felt like I was guessing at how to do my job correctly, which led to disengagement and a lack of motivation, not due to lack of effort, but lack of structure.
The team culture was also deeply problematic. Despite there being no formally assigned territories, some team members were extremely territorial and hostile. In one instance, a colleague cussed me out before even properly introducing herself. In others, I was aggressively called out for messaging a contact who had not been contacted in over a year; instead of speaking to me directly, the individual escalated the situation by copying senior leadership, including the CEO.
This type of behavior was not isolated and appeared to be tolerated, if not enabled, by leadership. Rather than collaboration, the environment fostered defensiveness, fear of stepping on toes, and unnecessary internal conflict.
Many employees seemed quietly frustrated but disengaged, which made it clear these issues were systemic rather than individual. Some even reached out to me after I separated from RCM to vent about how unhappy they’ve been and that they understood completely why I wouldn’t want to work there anymore. They also mentioned that this role, specifically, had extremely low retention rates (everyone left).
Overall, I was not supported, developed, or set up to succeed, and I regret the time I spent in this role. I would strongly caution others who value clear leadership, collaboration, and a healthy work culture.
