Thread regarding Chevron Corp. layoffs

In the long term? A good hard look at how we determine management capability and effectiveness, and an even harder look at what work we actually expect of each position.

Right now, I see that the most important quality for selection to management is the ability to project confidence, whether or not it's warranted, and the ability to make connections above and around one's current manager. It shouldn't need to be said that those are suboptimal criteria. We'd do better selecting for people who give honest assessments (i.e., "This is unlikely to succeed because of XYZ"), have the ability to say "I don't know, but I will find out" (and then actually do it), and who have the good opinion of peers and their direct reports (if any).

Because once someone is promoted? Nothing. No support for learning to do the people-management aspect of the job, minimal support for the administrivia parts. We pick the wrong people, and we don't even teach them how to do the job.

Potentially relatedly, no one seems clear on what that job actually is. I literally have no idea what my boss does other than attend useless meetings (which are then 'summarized' innsuch a way as to leave no time for context or questions), issue contradictory demands (and occasional self-congratulatory statements), and generally create an atmosphere of paranoia over who will be the next sacrifice to be presented as someone who Boss was able to help "turn their career around". This boss has, admittedly, done a great job bringing the team together- through what amounts to collective disgust.

There are two broad categories of management at Chevron, it's a constant battle to maintain a good balance here, I think we have moved too far in one direction.

Technical and Leadership Experts - These managers are exceptional, respected by their teams, and tend to have a low tolerance for inefficiency, embodying a pragmatic approach that’s essential for the company's operation. With years of experience in operational or core business functions, they are the backbone that keeps the organization running smoothly.

Promotion-Focused Managers - These individuals are notably charismatic and excel at navigating corporate hierarchies, often moving up the ladder quickly. While they may bring a fresh perspective to each role, their frequent transitions can disrupt continuity and long-term planning. Such managers, who may also often hold MBAs, can be challenging for the stability of any organization, requiring careful oversight to harness their talents effectively.

@1egf: Yes it would be very difficult to “bring back some of the technical expertise we threw away in 2020”. Most all have moved on, either to employment elsewhere or to the links (or whatever their preferred retirement activity). Probably more to the point, it was not really specific individuals but rather the whole chain of technological advancement that has been lost. Technology leaders, advanced followers, and the focused and enthusiastic new hires that together built thriving community of practices. This is what our short sighted management lost in their ill conceived cost savings in the last few layoff rounds, and it will be much harder to rebuild than just pulling a few old dogs out of retirement or searching for magic external technology consultants. Needless to say an army of third world minons is not going to be a replacement either. “What would I have Chevron do? That becomes harder to answer with each misguided reorg. Let’s start by not digging the hole even deeper.

trading is taking away too much of the profits for their bonuses

I would add to @1sfk cuts and try to bring back some of the technical expertise we threw away in 2020. Would be hard but I'd we could get some back for a couple of years to right the ship and mentor the few youngsters who actually want to be technical and execution experts. For each oldtimer brought back three of the PowerPoint "engineers " should be shown the door. Would more than cover the cost in thw ahoet term and probably save the company from the terminal decline we are currently in.

Sinple

Cut three fu actions by 90% abd two functions by 50%

Big cuts

• HR
• Legal
• Security

They just help each other to stay employed with very little value added to the bottom line. They run their own business that has nothing to do with oil and gas at Chevron. They are grown out of Control

The remaining 10% to be focused on cyber security and to be internationally sourced. The American ones are damaging and expensive.

The ones to cut by 50% are

• Supply Chain
• IT

Both are needed but bloated with non talent

Increase by 25%

• Poper Engjneers and Field Operatiors from Small and MidSize. The ones that were raised at CVX specially in the last 10 to 15 years are useless, entitled and they were trained to play corporate politics than to do or say what the business really need. I would cut who we have since 2012 by 75% and replace them with expeineced hires from Small ans MidSize.

Also I would cut 50% of the flashy leaders who never delivered any meaningful results

The truth is that layoffs ARE needed, and orgs need to be flattened much further than they are now. Leaders need to be technical experts in their fields with an understanding of operations and what their teams do, not political or diversity appointees or external hires with fancy b-school degrees.

This ENGINE idea is going to be a disaster, but one that will never be acknowledged or reversed because that would be admitting failure.

Cut management salaries as they are extremely over paid. Like others have said we are way too top heavy. They have already gutted the company of average workers to were areas are cut to the bone. I'd also urge them to show some loyalty to the United States and the people who have made this company by not shipping jobs overseas. Wall Street is wrecking this country.

Gut middle management. By at least 70%

We are pouring money, like drunken sailors, into CNE and exploration with zero results all while frantically changing performance metrics, Agile, DEI etc. We are doing everything but finding and producing. Our MCPs are worst in industry. Permian is hitting the wall. HESS is a catastrophe as was Anadarko.

The company is top heavy. The org is an upside down triangle. MW needs to cut at the top.

I would agree that the lack of organic growth has been a real pain point for CVX as relates to staffing and associated cost structure.

I would support the view that Worth could have done more. However, the lack of operated development queue is to ane extent out of his hands. He didn't drill a decade's worth of dry holes in the US GOM. And, he didn't make the call to lock up CVX Permian acreage in Nonop JVs.

The Hess deal appears directed at solving this issue long term. However, it does come with the near term downside of organizational duplication.

While you’re not wrong, I think you’re missing a larger point. I think we need to be asking what decisions in the last 5 years have brought us to this point, where did we go wrong with those decisions, and who should be held accountable. The rank and file are responsible for executing the vision of upper management, but when their vision is investments that don’t pay out, it’s the bottom tier than gets the axe. MW still makes an unreasonable amount of money and has a job; why? Why did the board approve him to work beyond mandatory retirement? Why is employee pay and benefits being squeezed when executive compensation is at all-time highs?

Layoffs happen, but we did this four years ago. It shouldn’t be this frequent if we had leadership making good investments and being held accountable.