In any corporation, when a Big Boss says he wants something done “that way”, underlings execute. But at EM there’s more: the underlings immediately commission a comprehensive study that will show that “that way” is the best possible way, then they tell the Boss: “Boss, you’re a genius! It is scientifically proven now that your intuition was the best possible answer !”
10 replies (most recent on top)
@1acy+1dF39Fn7
You are absolutely right.
I see the leads and management and some of them actually seem like they had integrity and intelligent in their past lives. They are all now totally insincere and are objects of great dislike. Honestly only sp-t worthy.
Th only competent way to conduct a study at ExxonMobil is to determine, by consulting the Executive sponsor of the project, what the final answer is before you begin the study. This method allows for the study to be completed on time, with no recycle, and makes the team great in the eyes of the Executive sponsor and for their careers. By no means should the study team make any recommendations or suggestions that differ from the beginning, final answer. If you do then your doomed to failure, endless recycle, and the beginning/final answer will be your team's product anyway, bit with a lot more pain and PIPS. Always get the answer to the question before you begin the study. This is the ExxonMobil way past, present and future because we all work for the beat and brightest Executives on the planet. This is how we got Kearl, XTO, stock buybacks, Black Sea, Value Added Chain, Lean Into, GSV, offshoring, etc. Etc. Etc.
It has not disappeared as of today. And careers were made anyway.
Sorry. Auto-correct error.
It should be Gary, not Larry.
It sure sounds like the “Algae Project”. Larry was repatriated from Singapore, back to EMRE Fairfax, to head the study/project back in 2007/8.
More than a decade later, media advertisements on EM Algae (that will revolutionise the GHG world) start to deplete and finally, disappear into oblivion. Hehe
Have you ever heard of a “Periscope”? Projects are supposed to be evaluated objectively and those deemed worthy go up the ladder. But management gets promoted for projects that the local boss likes and approves easily, not for projects that will turn to be very successful many years from now.
When the lower management thinks they have a project that the boss will like, they take it out of the line and show it to the boss in what’s called a “Periscope”. The boss likes it because it fits his/hers preconceived ideas, so the real deal is done. The project will continue to be heavily worked by the technical people for another few months, only to provide cover for a premature choice already made, and then will be presented as the fake “winner” among other contestants.
The lower manager collects their promotion and moves on. A couple of years later the project turns out to be a dud with tens on millions $ wasted or more. Everybody shrugs it off and looks for the new project that fits the boss’ preconceived ans outdated ideas.
That’s how we’re winning.
@cvd+1dF39Fn7 it’s also well-documented that “sunflower management” is a pervasive issue at EM, and it’s one of the worst examples ever seen
“We are as excited as you are to return back to the office!”
- XOM, May 2020. For context, schools and daycares were closed, hospitals were at capacity, pandemic was raging and the scientists had no clue of how it was spreading.
Pathetic bunch of spineless managers.
@gof+1dF39Fn7 This “sunflower management” behavior is exactly what led to the Great Famine in China under Mao.
Example: when the decision to move everybody in a campus was taken, it was clear that open space was the only way to cram 10K+ people there. Instead of just announcing “that’s how it’s going to be”, they made a campus open space replica on a floor at Greenspoint and put a group there for a year, supposedly to test how people like it.
In reality, all what they tested were slightly different versions of open space. The feedback from the test group was overwhelmingly negative, but only the few positive comments were recorded. I was then announce that “EM workers love the new workspace !”.