I have zero confidence in anyone above me, and it's clear they have no idea how to support or lead a team.
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@dg thanks AI!
Way too many chiefs who push "ideas" down saying "Let's make this happen" while not having a clue how. All about the numbers except their salary apparently.
Unless you're on the OC, there's not a lot of opportunities to lead much. Edicts come down from Hudson Yards. You pass on the word or implement the bad ideas or you're fired. The centralization of authority is crazy. Even directors aren't empowered to actually direct anything.
Issue is there AREN’T any leaders, only terrible managers. Need to clean out the top managers to get rid of the terrible underlings they hired. This place is a disaster!
Maybe you should've spent those 35 years working on your English and not that huge chip on your shoulder.
35+ years of industry experience. Worked with many managers . I like managers who listen more and talk less. They drive you to success . Care for the team and individuals. But today the managers are empty vessels and they talk , talk and talk. I avoid going to all hands meetings. No substance and No direction. Where they learn this skill. The top schools teach this cr-p. PowerPoint is worst invention. Managers come with agenda on 1:1. They have fear to meet and resolve issues.
Leadership not required given toxicity levels.
Hey OP, your frustration with Wells Fargo’s leadership is clear, and the replies show you’re not alone. The “zero confidence” vibe and chaotic 3am meetings scream fear-based culture, like the 2016 fake accounts scandal Amy Edmondson analyzes in The Fearless Organization. Leadership’s “eastward push” and vague “efficiency programs” risk another crisis. Here’s how to cope and plan your exit:
Coping Now:
Set Boundaries: Stick to a 9-5 schedule and decline 3am meetings politely (e.g., “I’m available during core hours”). Filter the 700 daily emails to focus on key tasks.
Document Issues: Log unreasonable demands or offshoring errors (like that Python email). This could help with HR or legal steps, as some Reddit users have pursued EEOC claims.
Exit Strategy:
Leverage Severance: With 1,241 layoffs in Des Moines since 2022, the severance is a buffer. Hold out if you can, but don’t let the toxicity wreck you.
Upskill Fast: Learn AWS or Python via Codecademy or YouTube to prep for fintechs like Chime or JPMorgan. Set an UPskill schedule and keep to it. Don't dive too deep into any one area.
Network: Connect with ex-colleagues who’ve advanced. LinkedIn says 60% of jobs come via referrals. Join professional groups like .NET user groups, IIBA chapter, PMI etc
Addressing the Culture:
Speak Up Safely: Wells Fargo lacks the psychological safety Edmondson champions. Report risky practices (e.g., sloppy offshoring) anonymously to this board, the ethics hotline or EEOC.
Mental Health: This “melting ice cube” environment isn’t worth your health. Prioritize sleep and exercise. Set your boundaries! If it’s unbearable, quitting may beat waiting for a crisis.
Long-Term: Leadership’s cost-cutting and offshoring breed mistrust, risking another scandal. Quiet quit for severance, but start your exit now—upskill, network, and jump to a better workplace. Good luck!
@ba when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
@OP Flush all the tech execs , starting with Kerrins .
It seems to take a crisis for Wells Fargo leadership to show up. When the next one hits, will it be a sudden implosion or the slow, melting ice cube we're already seeing?
When that crisis comes, how will anyone solve it? There’s no clear tech strategy, just management buying one of every solution and forcing teams to "compete" with their purchased tools to see who wins. Can we expect genuine problem-solving when the foundation is just redundant, competing systems?
This all connects to the "eastward push" in tech—the strategy of replacing US employees with offshoring teams in India and H-1B hires, where new managers then tend to hire their own. Has this approach actually strengthened the company, or has it just created cultural silos and introduced new, unmanaged risks that will make the next crisis even worse?
Indian engineering “leaders”
It's become quite clear that the "leadership" at this place were rejects from JP Morgan and elsewhere. It would be hard to work and assemble a group this bad. Pi-s poor doesn't describe it.
I am ready work under AI managers. Fire all those above me and give double bonus.