Nike used to be all about excellence. We used to take pride in that. Now, the highest goal is mediocrity in the service of cost savings. Then the leadership is shocked when the results are not what they were expecting. It would be funny if it wasn't sad how incompetent all of them are.
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It really is sad how far we've fallen. I joined Nike 10 years ago, and it is night and day in so many ways. I also believe that, in the areas we should have made so much outsized progress, we've gone backwards - I feel less comfortable speaking up (as I know many of my colleagues do) for fear of repercussion; I feel less heard (or even shut out) when I do speak up; nepotism is rampant; performance is evaluated more on the perception of someone or someone's work vs. the actual integrity of the work itself; and most disappointingly, I now see incredible talent being shown the door or, in true representation of how far we've fallen, unshackling themselves and leaving on their own. I used to be so proud to tell my family and friends that I worked at one of the greatest, most inclusive brands in the world. I just can't bring myself to say those words now.
In the last year-and-a-half, I have supported a VP who has routinely discriminated against individuals due to race, s-x, and even socioeconomic status. I've spoken up about this in group settings or, more pointedly and specifically, in meetings with only this individual and HR representative(s), but no action has ever been taken, or concerns even been captured. Many teammates under this VP have come to me in confidence with their experiences, and it pains me to see so many people suffering without any action being taken. While I can do my best to support them as a peer or friend, I do not have the ability to make their overall sense of self at work free of the bigotry they walk into, every day.
I hope that - whatever this next wave change brings - Nike above all else values its employees for who they wholly are. Then, and only then, will Nike truly attract the talent pool with diversity of experiences, thought, and background necessary to propel the company forward. Without solving this, we can forget about standing as a monolithic team behind a long-term vision For Nike, and we will continue to be chained to short-term Wall Street expectations. I think our senior leadership should own up to the poor decisions they have made, bow out, and create space for true leaders to guide this once-beautiful brand back to its meaningful place in the world.
We? No, just Nike!
good old times when Nike was about the people, vibe and enjoying sports!
Amen