I've never worked anywhere where directors and above refer to themselves as "leadership." It's as if they've created their own little caste system. And nothing is ever accomplished because it's always a "journey." It would be nice for leadership to hold itself accountable rather than just re-org and call it a success. Success is measurable. It's not about how many pretty web pages you built, how many manufactured tweets you tweeted, or how many analyst white papers you paid for.
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Seagull leadership, fly in for 1 year, sh-- on everything while sending endless emails self touting what you're doing, then fly out to the next position before the project completely fails. Rinse/repeat.
I'd include VPs in that mix. Most of them are completely disconnected from the work being done in their organizations and have no idea how to create impactful change. Marketing is a great example. Basically they've replaced the former CMO with a CMO who's just another cheerleader but likes to outsource more and move headcount to regions for a more centralized marketing org. Let's get rid of the VP of web and replace him with a VP with absolutely no vision for digital except purchasing new marketing automation tools.
The company is rotten in the middle. A thick layer of useless Senior Managers and Directors more concerned with who they have to stroke to save their jobs and get the next promotion, than actually getting the job done for the company. It's a non-stop circle jerk.
If you are giving "reach arounds" and can make it to the "inside" track.....you're set. One random day in the distant future, the middle management gods will throw you a bone and you will get a modest below market raise/promotion.
If you're a heads down, get it done type that gets sh-- done and avoids full-contact politics, expect nothing more than a paycheck and the joy of languishing in mediocrity for a long time.
Cisco...the Walking Dead.
33 years of experience - 2 years with Cisco - I have never seen such a dysfunctional company in my life, yet, all of this is buy design
Hire you for a job for tasks that they are taking from another team but no one enforces that the other team is expected to give it up. Multiple people doing the same job creating extreme inefficiency yet they lay off people with experience who are needed because they happen to work out of the wrong location!
or how many visits you've made to theaters, all hands, or blogs you have ghost written for you.
very true and reflects what happens there
Good point.