#culture

Note on LinkedIn from new exploration VP on BBG1 lease sale results - lots of congratulations and kudos for a BU which hasn't discovered a thing in a decade, suddenly transformed into "strong outcome", "leadership position", and "great teamwork". The hilarious part is reading the comments by the Chevron sycophants trying to impress the new VP. Oh, and if you take a look at the bidding, it's all high-risk or fringe acreage and leases previously held then dropped. Don't expect anything better than maybe a tie-back or two, if indeed we can actually discover something.

where do you sit and what department are you working out of? …..trying to see if what we’ve been complaining about is a company wise issue or a department issue….

A long, boring MyLearning about email etiquette incoming in 3, 2, 1…

I'm told I will get an offer next week. It will be at MD level, in audit. Would I regret it? I have a pretty good setup where I am. Pay would jump a good bit but I would lose my comfort and I don't want to come over if the place is in constant layoff fear. I know how that poisons the culture from a past employer.

Does anyone know if the reviews being leveled to everyone being rated as “on track” something across the firm, or just in specific areas?

Forty hours feels like a fantasy. Everyone I know is logging fifty plus, and that is treated as normal. At what point did this become the expectation?

To all the managers that are giving bogus reviews and letting people go before Christmas, rest well... You could be next! Your job can be moved offshore at any time too. Keep drinking the Kool-aid they are serving. They are NOT for the employees. It's all about GREED! Merry Christmas!!!

Caroline (SVP) is visiting Lake Mary today. Anyone know the purpose of their visit a day prior to the last day of the folks affected by the layoffs? The leaders already look like they are putting on fake smiles and fake energy.

I’ve never before worked at a company where people who mess up majorly get rewarded. Why is this happening?

These mo--ns are working among us. Let that sink in.

Dell is just moving the deck chairs around in the titanic for 2026. We’ve got the same leaders in ISG and CSG but in new positions because they’ve either laid off or the other good leaders quit or moved into different roles. Now we are stuck with the ignorant and arrogant. We are going to go through the same ideas but they’ll be “new” because they came from new, unqualified people who just have no business being in their roles. They way they got to them wasn’t by earning them but because people left or moved. Now we all have to deal with the “new” but not “new” ideas.

The realities are simple. We need better leadership. Leadership that’s not going to think they’re amazing but industry leaders with a real perspective on the industry.

Right now we’ve got a bunch of kids a$$ leaders who all have their own agenda. If you can leave in 2026 you should. It’s going to be a frustrating year.

BTW - hammer them on the eNPS.

This place operates like a spreadsheet with badges. If you are not part of the small group steering decisions, you are just a cost line waiting to be adjusted. There are companies that still treat people like long-term investments. T is not one of them.

The strategy is simple, keep making $500 - $750 million a year profit. Make the employees and other assets sweat to enable the Execs to make millions and enjoy other perks. Employ weak Exec froends who are not capable, Come up with fantasy themes like Cloud Right, Technical Debt, AI, Rebranding, musical chairs to keep employees and investors on board. Rinse and repeat for years.

There are many, many fun and frolicky events taking place and planned for January and February, sponsored by senior leaders, who have zero concern about spending money. Pretend meetings with special team building events costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Can the Board know? Company is crying poor mouth and yet leaders seem to have no concern dropping company money on ski chalets and wine tasting.

Need to shut this down! As human beings how can we accept this from a company? How can we be apart of a blood money scheme like this? CLOSE THIS DOWN!!!! I used to work there…. This is 100% factual!

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/dec/17/unitedhealth-nursing-homes

Can’t wait to see the hypocratic face of VZ by sending the pulse review in a few months?!?!?

Did everyone get a “special message” invite on Friday 12/29 in Ambetter?? Kind of freaking out!

I guess if you don’t ask a question he likes, he will tell you to fxxx off, very arrogant. Truist will be the #1 AI financial institutions and the lower task agents will not be needed, what a way to bust morale. Wow?

The strategy is not working so well to delight the customers. Don't CEOs realize that word of mouth via your worker bees is crucial to company success. Anyone else have friends jumping ship? I am not even bad mouthing VZ, this is all being done based on their own intentions from all the news about the RIF and knowing I was a casualty.

and jump on one of those little rafts way down below

staying at Dell in 2026 makes no sense at this point, time of change is here....

How are we hiring leaders in a regular basis in tech while we’re laying off people? And they all seem to come from the same few companies- bunch of leaders poaching their buddies from BoNY etc. what a joke.

I guess they’re cleaning house and giving buddies higher paying jobs. They aren’t going to fix anything tho.

Can anyone else confirm the 60% bonus pool target funding number mentioned in another thread? All we hear is how amazing our quarterly results were, so one would assume that the funding is much higher than 60%.

Sure would be nice to see some transparency around how the bonus pool funding is calculated (like they used to do many years ago). Seems like they just pull a number out of their a** these days. Or maybe they use the monkey dart theory/approach.

The Indification of a once great company is officially complete with the appointment of new CEO of Indian origin. With no meaningful experience in bringing a public company to new heights, he was hired for reasons that won't help the companies long term valuation.

Man your life boats, the ship is going for its last lunge down.

Make sure you take the antitrust training so you can learn how to do it right. It could be Trump is trying to milk the family for more donations, but if you have been paying attention to headlines Cargill has been caught fixing beef, turkey, wages over the past decade or so. All of these matters led to settlements, therefore never really ‘caught’, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. ($32.5M, $32.5M, $29.75M respectively) Even McDonalds brought a suit earlier this year, the pride and joy customer, I mean ‘partner’. Don’t forget the hiring discrimination settlement for $2.2M beginning of this year.

Minnesota Public Radio

November 10th, 2025

Wayzata-based Cargill is one of four meatpacking giants accused by President Donald Trump of collusion, price fixing and manipulation.

“For too long, a handful of giant meat packers have squeezed America’s cattle producers, shrunk herds, and jacked up prices at the grocery store,” a White House press release said.

President Trump previously took to social media on Friday to order an investigation into Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS and National Beef. Attorney General Pam Bondi said an investigation was underway at the Department of Justice.

Cargill did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Meat Institute, a trade group representing meat and poultry processors, said beef packers have been losing money.

“For more than a year, beef packers have been operating at a loss due to a tight cattle supply and strong demand,” Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts said in a press release.

The supply of cattle is at its lowest level in decades, while demand for beef is rising.

President Donald Trump previously announced a quadrupling of Argentine beef imports to potentially lower beef prices, a move that’s been largely denounced by American producers.

The White House press release said the investigation, though, could show that four meatpacking giants’ apparent monopoly has driven up consumer prices.

“This investigation will root out any illegal collusion, restore fair competition, and protect our food security,” the press release said.

But the Meat Institute’s Potts said the industry is already heavily regulated, and market transactions are transparent. She added that beef packers and cattle producers rely on one another.

“The entire beef value chain is strongest when supply is balanced by demand,” Potts said. “Beef packers remain committed to ensuring safe, delicious and nutrient-dense beef remains affordable to American families who rely on its nourishment.”

Tyson, Cargill, JBS and National Beef Packing Co. have often been dubbed as the “Big Four.” Together, they sla-ghter over 80 percent of U.S. cattle meant for meat cuts, according to Reuters. That amount of control has often led to discontent among ranchers.

“We agree — American ranchers aren't to blame for high beef prices,” the National Farmers Union said in a social media post. “It’s time to go after the big four meatpackers who dominate the beef industry, driving up prices for consumers and pushing family farmers and ranchers to the brink.”

However, the United States Cattlemen’s Association said on social media that while it’s appreciative of the Trump Administration’s scrutiny of the agriculture industry, there may be a different reason why beef prices are higher.

“USCA will continue to state that beef prices in the grocery store are not too high,” the association said. “Prices are a direct reflection of consumer demand — consumers want U.S. beef.”

Oracle has effectively traded innovation for acquisitions, functioning more as an M&A machine than a tech pioneer. By buying products like WebLogic and Java instead of building them, the company has gutted its R&D and triggered a massive brain drain. Visionaries cash out, and top-tier engineers end up buried in a hierarchy where they’re forced to babysit legacy products in maintenance mode rather than building the future.

The culture is currently defined by stagnation. We need a "meritocracy or exit" pipeline where upward movement is the standard; if a leader or employee isn't consistently contributing or growing, they shouldn't be occupying a seat. Instead, we see stagnant management protected while high-level individual contributors (IC 3–5) are hit by layoffs. This transactional, "cog-in-the-machine" mindset has to go. The left over managers just search talent needle in haystack with hackathons.

Even OCI feels like a reactive attempt to copy AWS, backed by massive data center spending that lacks a clear, long-term strategy. To turn this around, Oracle needs a total leadership overhaul. We must purge the non-technical bureaucracy and "people managers" to make room for visionaries who are ready to challenge the status quo and actually build something new.

Lately, it seems that every project that goes off track is suddenly my fault. I was just following the plans and deadlines THEY approved. It’s frustrating to get a bad review for problems I clearly didn’t create. This pattern is getting really old, really fast.

IT help desk has heavy accent and doesn’t resolve the problem at all.

That place has become a toxic cesspool. Shady recruiters, Every other topic political and people posting whoaaa is me. I totally get their grief but It's only going to make you more upset and angry.

And these job postings. Probably ghost postings like on job boards. They post just to stay compliant.

And these stupid brain teaser games. Nobody want to see that cr@p.

LinkedIn is useless. It has become a stepbrother of Facebook

Some thoughts on the recent letter that came out from Jen Wells (Chief People Officer, lol…). I am a former employee - I left the org to pursue a completely different career in the public sector six months ago and could not be happier.

I have been an RSR, DSL, ZBM, Change Leader among a few others during my decade+ with PepsiCo on the Frito side.

To those that know someone who, despite their great qualities, have been swept up in the layoffs: rejoice; everyone will feel a great weight lifted from their shoulders on their last day with company. The entirety of my career at PepsiCo was fraught with stress, sleepless nights, and fear of being punished for things completely out of my control.

I sacrificed a great deal for the organization at great personal cost - I know I’m not alone in this experience. Many times I felt I had to choose work over family, and for what? Chips? Ridiculous.

Even the minutia of missing a price tag in the market resulted a full blown 1:1 with a senior leader and a reprimanding.

The perspective of these spineless leaders to crack down on meaningless metrics is simply an admission that they do not know why the company continues to fall flat on its face. At the end of the day, when THEIR boss comes knocking, they can say “well look! I did X 1:1’s and sent all of these emails to make sure we executed in the market! It can’t be my fault!”

All this to say, leverage your resumes, don’t burn bridges with people you enjoyed working with, and support each other through the changes - they’re coming one way or another.

Best of luck - you’re better off without this place.

A few clueless dolts crash the ship into an iceberg. They grab the lifeboats and you and I have to jump into the water.

Vz leaders….do better and be better. Thousands of people’s lives are affected by your decisions.

Haven’t they heard that this particular phrase went out of fashion? They can’t even keep up with corporate fluff.

I was am employee from VMware. After in BC, I find managers always fight with other manager.

They make every source code, KB and discuss meeting notes only available inside the group, ask engineer do not do any task comes from other manager, and even ask engineer do not help customer just because the team is busy on a new version release.

Today my manager ask me to fight with a team member, pushing them to do something.

How does this phenomenon occur?

It’s so frustrating when leadership throws our team under the bus. Our manager just nods along in meetings and never defends our work or pushes back on unrealistic demands. You start to wonder what the point of having a manager is if they won’t support you. It makes the whole team feel completely unprotected.

Ah yes, the latest RTO decree—marketed as “structure,” experienced as punishment with better lighting. It’s the corporate equivalent of saying “We care deeply about your well-being” while handing you a cage and a feathered costume.

Associates now shuffle back like coal-mine canaries, expected to chirp cheerfully while inhaling the fumes of hollow empathy. Leadership insists this is about “connection” and “culture,” but the only culture anyone feels is the petri dish of distrust spreading across every floor.

The irony? The very employees they’re chasing—the masters of remote camouflage—will simply relocate their hiding skills to cubicles. Instead of dodging Teams calls, they’ll dodge eye contact in open-plan seating. Mission accomplished, Executive Committee.

Meanwhile, the rest of us lose the flexibility that actually fueled productivity. Remember that quaint concept? It thrived when associates weren’t commuting two hours to sit in meetings that could have been emails. But optics matter more than outcomes. Nothing screams “strategic leadership” like forcing everyone to show up for the illusion of collaboration while trust remains missing in action—buried alongside the latest batch of layoff casualties.

And empathy? It rings so hollow it could double as an empty Christmas stocking. Every memo drips with “we understand” and “we value your contributions,” yet translates to “we don’t trust you unless we can watch you suffer in person.” Associates have cracked the code: empathy here is garnish, sprinkled on punishment to make it LinkedIn-ready.
BNY Mellon has perfected optics-as-strategy. The Executive Committee beams about “rebuilding culture,” while associates quietly wonder if culture is just another word for surveillance—or HR justification for not paying severance. HR and PR polish the fantasy, posting glossy updates about “thriving together,” while employees mutter, “thriving where, exactly?”

So yes, structure without trust is punishment. Punishment dressed up as empathy is satire. The Executive Committee may think they’re leading a renaissance, but associates know the truth: they’re just the canaries, feathers ruffled, waiting for the next puff of corporate smoke.

And now, the holiday “grace period.” The EC retreats to lavish resorts and second homes while commoners aka associates are told to recharge, believe the theater, and stop chirping about RTO.

Spoiler alert: the canaries aren’t fooled.

So my store was safe from those agent weirdos or whatever and that made me happy BUT Just found out we’re getting passed to another DM. That’s literally the fifth one in six months. Is this place actually a joke??
And of course, it’s her. She’s actually a total NPC. She acts like a robot and thinks leading by fear is a flex. It’s so so bad. She cares about nobody but herself.. I’ve  dealt with her before and it’s a nightmare.

To make All this even worse daily I hear is 'layoffs this' and more closures that.' Honestly? I hope this new whole giant district exposes these incompetent “leaders” so they can finally see what it feels like to be just a number. Thought about spamming Dan’s stupid feedback thing  but like he actually cares? Yeah right. Whatever. 2026 here we come

Then I’ll just put in less effort. I’ve always been responsible and usually gone the extra mile, including being available well beyond official hours. I’ve helped resolve plenty of crises and messy situations. But if this is how it’s going to be, I’ll simply stop being available after hours. I’ll coast until they lay me off. That’s probably coming anyway, for all of us, so why bother anymore?

HC had a meeting to talk about feedback on the new policy and out of our 7 wealthy white SLT GP's FIVE were working from home, one was even taking the call from the car??? It's Tuesday, isn't Tuesday a required in office day? So for you marginalized peons with four kids working a part-time job because we don't even pay you enough, be in your seat from 8-5, we will do whatever we want.