Is “lower looping” a Chevron term? I’ve heard plenty of managers say that word and act like it’s something we shouldn’t never think about doing. It’s a stupid set of words. I like to sit around and complain, why do you think I’m on this board?
They shouldn’t put such a negative spin on being negative.
IIRC this was originally from “The Power of Personal Accountability” from 2005ish? … HR used it widely in employee training but I’m sure we had to license it so now we probably continue to use the buzz words without explaining it. Google “accountability loop” and you should find the figure 8 graphic.
Lower loopers do not make things happen. They just want to wallow in self pity and blame others. You do not understand lower loopers.
@4jmt, do you really think Jobs, Musk, and Bezos got to where they are by being 'upper loopers'? Start by reading some of the exposes on Jobs - he gave that 'upper looper' vibe in public, but was a hard-nose (I'm thinking of a more colorful expression) in his day-to-day management. Elizabeth Holmes, Mark Zuckerberg as well. About the only one I can think of who was a true 'upper looper', who didn't advance by stepping on people or cutting them off at the knees was Bill Gates.
@3asq, Why would you reference obvious Upper Loopers - Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Bezos, etc. in your discussion of pathetic butthurt, under-performing lower loopers? Do you think that because you are a lower looper that you can somehow make up a fictitious scenario that includes you with them? That's so cute(yet common, predictable). have to admire your creativity!
Chevron has always had trouble dealing with 'lower loopers', the 'diamonds in the rough'. I guess they would have ostracized or fired Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, all well-known 'lower loopers'. So much easier to deal with people who agree with everything, who compliment everything, nod their heads at everything, who embrace the flaccid LinkedIn posts and advertising promotions (remember "The Doers", that ADDY winner?).
agree with comment about this site and lower loopers. Why dont we make it easy. If you want to be negative offer a positive constructive solution to everything you criticize that is both doable and realistic. Then, maybe you are adding value and are not just a complete downer for yourself, your colleagues and the company
@2ivu, that's not the type of to the point, honest, constructive "negative commentary" that many are experiencing and referencing on this site, which is not the proper forum for it to begin with, and you know that very well.
Carry on.
Stigmatizing negative commentary- e.g. "this is broken"- merely suppresses issues until they can't be compensated for any longer. If an employee knows something is wrong but can't figure put how to phrase it sufficiently positively, they'll just shut up about it until they can't deal with it anymore, at which point they'll either just state the problem (which will label them as a malcontent) or leave. No matter what happens, it's a loss of productivity, since workarounds are less efficient than a more direct method.
There needs to be acceptance around such statements without requiring the suggestion of a solution. If something is so broken that an employee can't even begin to suggest a fix, doesn't that seem like it ought to be addressed?
Most supervisors that are engineers are lower loopers to cover their lack of people skills.
@1uzw, there are many people who are not 'negative', but genuinely would like to see Chevron improve, usually by trying something different. It's too bad these people are swept away as 'lower loopers'. It is a shame they have no forum for their concerns other than an anonymous site. I'm guessing you have lots of examples of Chevron becoming an industry leader by 'upper looping'? Oh, and you are right - creatively suffocated at Chevron, these people do leave - go through all the voluntary departures since 2014. CTC has probably had the biggest talent loss.
This site is a classic lower loping forum. Negative people are obviously unhappy and should just move which would raise the average moral of the company as a whole. Chevron is a great place to work with lots of good people and for most of us a rewarding and fun experience.
Upper loop is positive acceptance, improvement, listening, learning and advancement. Lower loop is complaining, blaming, negativity, despair and backsliding.
Each is free to choose.
Chevron is all about “buzz words”. About the time you figure one out, they’ll throw a new one out.
So the concensus is that they are referring to those who cannot accept constructive criticism at the workplace and use it to better themselves, so they instead go and pout and stagnate in their advancement. Gotcha.
This is a long-standing HR phrase used to negate those who "are not team players" or "can't see anything positive". Left to its entirety, what it does is lobotomize employees into being yes-persons, praising mediocre work, and ignoring inefficiencies and ineffective management.