I am referring to someone’s post which says that many choose to be silent so as not to be punished.
I know a man who was shown the door very quickly because of the opinions he expressed. These were not some controversial opinions that contradicted the opinions of superiors, but rather constructive opinions that he gave with the best of intentions to make this company as good as possible.
Somehow it seems to me that at Chevron it has never been harder to voice your opinion?
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If you are naïve enough to believe when told "All responses remain anonymous", "Feel free to provide your input without fear of repercussions", "We value your opinion please speak your mind" etc., then you get what you deserve.
Wake up. This is the way it has always been and will always be. Why should it be any different at Chevron?
@4fkr, yeah that trick worked well enough for Pascal the mathematician, until everyone caught onto his “1 + 1” no longer added up to 2. He liked playing both sides of the fence, but people got wise to his BS.
Pascal, the brilliant French mathematician, was accused of vacillating on his political stances. When one party was in power he aligned with their views and when another party was in power he favored them. He defended himself by saying that his primary interest was mathematics and politics was only a secondary interest.
If you're skilled at the art of the kiss a$$ you could give any opinion you want. A soft spoken bobble headed stroke works wonders.
@2ayr, that "open door" policy that managers say they embrace is really a code word for “open back door” if you know what I mean. Need a hint? Just bend over and you’ll get what open door they’re referring to. Bottom line (no pun intended), Keep all opinions to yourself.
Chevron management has a long history of being thin-skinned. Virtually all Chevron management got into their positions either through cronyism, nepotism, or being a yes-person. They are completely unskilled at handling dissent, just as we've seen in the last year they're completely incapable of handling turbulent times. The knee-jerk reaction the last few years is to bring in 'consultants', lean sigma advisors, Agile advisors, scrum masters, change managers, etc., goodness don't EVER ask your team how things could improve. The most dangerous is any manager (especially middle management) who embraces an "open door" policy. No, they do NOT want to hear any opinion, constructive or not, that challenges their house-of-cards policy and strategy. If you get along well with your immediate manager, bounce an ideal off of them for their reaction. If they suggest 'keeping it to yourself', do so. If you're unhappy with that, seek a transfer, or another job. Otherwise, draw your paycheck while you can (the Green clock is ticking...). The Chevron Way empowering diversity of opinion, thinking 'outside the box', and innovation died with MW bringing in his low-margin, nose-to-the-grindstone, social trendiness superficial management style.
The problem is not people expressing their opinions, but how they go about it. You need to take your LT’s personalities and personal ambitions into account so that you can be strategic about proposing changes. They are regular people and will get defensive and hostile if they feel they are being negatively criticized. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary.
I work in a large BU and all those who would be seen to challenge the narrative have been laid off.This is without exception
The OP is 100% correct we ( those that can't hang their hat on a hussel LGBT etc)
avoid any large meetings stay on the page at all times and do our jobs...This is not just CVX all oil majors are the same now
Keep low zip up draw the pay cheque
Easy game to play
I know plenty of people who expressed their opinions quite strongly and challenged management quite consistently. They were not polite but intelligent and correct. No repercussions.
The best policy is to keep your personal opinions to yourself at work. That doesn’t mean you need to support the things the company pushes that go against your own values, just do not express your opinions in favor or against. Stay clear of these things and put your hours in working your job. Personally, I always stayed clear of opinions, politics, or supporting company initiatives of any kind. I stayed clear of presentations in auditoriums where the company or a spokesperson were pushing any new WOKE agenda, even the mandatory ones. I would do to the auditorium, sign the roster and sneak back to the desk to continue my work or I would go outside the building for a walk during the presentation. I survived Chevron for 31 years and retired on my own terms.