I came to WF from other large banks. I've been a Product Owner for over a decade. I accepted a position as a Product Owner at WF. The role only very modestly resembles a product owner. I am:
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A glorified secretary.
I am expected to get on calls and edit Power Points. I have not used PP in any
appreciable capacity for over 15 years.
I am expected to create roadmaps in PP. Roadmaps are a product manager
function. Not a Product Owner function. Also, who uses PP?
I am expected to shuffle around Kanban/Scrum boards and update
extensive information because "teams" that should be one team got into a fight
over a decade ago and cannot be asked to work together now or join the same
call. -
I am a glorified agile coach. Except WF hasn't implemented anything approaching standard agile. And no team wants to implement agile or is concerned with agile principals. They want to pass the agile maturity test.
I am asked to schedule meetings so we can talk about what meetings we need to
schedule and how no one wants the meetings but needs the meetings to pass
the test.
I am asked to create documentation so people can fill out forms/tickets as
desired. When challenged with if a ticket needs a how to form to fill out it has
become too complex and no one will fill it out, I am met with ridicule. -
De facto Product/Project Manager
I am expected to fill out roadmaps. This is not a PO function.
I am expected to attend meetings, with no explanation, last minute, to go in front
of a firing squad of 6-8 managers about what is the roadmap, why are we
delayed? What are you doing? -
I just took a Product Owner test, that asked nothing about being a PO. It was a quiz of the bank's overwhelming amount of acronyms.
The bank uses so many acronyms and WF specific jargon as to render any
communication nearly unreadable. -
Information is hoarded and not disseminated.
Upon hire it was assumed I learned by osmosis. No job responsibilities were
detailed. No policies or procedures relayed. No documentation provided. No
transfer of knowledge given. Everything is assumed. And when I am missing that
assumed knowledge It is assumed I am an id--t and "everyone knows that".
When I asked why I received the ranking I did I was told "I do not know". When I
asked what was expected to improve I was told, "I do not know." When I asked
what the job expectations were I was told, "they are being written". When I asked
by what measure are employees ranked, I was told "oh those people keep me
happy". -
Glorified therapist. I swear someday I do more mediation and interpersonal conflict management at WF than I do in my private practice.
Speaking of the mental health space. I work for a charity. I help counsel those in
the midst of mental health breakdowns. I've spoken to more than one WF
employee.
Ahh, I am not shocked fraud is rampant here. What is shocking is it is not more rampant.
We are being set up to fail, so those who are failing at the top can feel like they are not the failures.
IDGAF. I'm put.