Survived a number of LRs and seeing smart, dedicated and very competent co-workers effected by the last LR really bring reality home to what is Cisco is like today. Morale is very low and everyone is just keeping busy or attach themselves to projects, but not really being effective to ensure they survive the next LR. Managers with no direct reports and joining calls so it looks like they are participating and engaging. Not sure what values they provide at all. Meetings with many participants whereas a few can be more effective. Lots of big talks almost to the point of downright lying by a lot of folks particularly the curry kind. Thought that they would be more honest, but hitting way too many of these lying curries. Hard to to spot them unless you know and then the impression is like "what?". Managers hiring and managing these folks are clueless since they just eat up the big talk from these folks, and have no idea that these folks just lie to them and provide no benefit to the company. They just talk great in front of their managers, but that's it. Overall, just a big bloated organization. Please bring back the good old Cisco where skill is king and politics are shun upon. Trim the fat with these "no subordinate managers", big talkers that provides no values, and do not the awesome ppt creators!
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OP made a good point. The grammar police can crawl back under the rocks the reside under.
Referring to people as "curry kind" and "curries" is racism. End of.
@K1Ou63c-5jxl. Not racism! Try reality. Who cares about the poor grammar. The OP got his point across.
I agree about sjc being center of universe but tis a multi layer patronage network. take rtp, bxb or blr..the big bosses there might be tier2 in the whole totem pole but do have enough to promote and feed their own packs of loyalists. often its the opportunity that people need to excel and deliver...such opportunity is given to the chosen few and denied to some equally motivated and talented. the success accruing from this opportunity moves the person up naturally.
Not sure what you mean by "other sites." The SJC cabal has such a tight grip on this company (at least in engineering) that they don't let any autonomy exist at "other sites." Everything reports through the center of the universe in SJC. The challenge at other sites is getting into the cabal in SJC if you want to go anywhere. You have to sell your soul and move. Patronage may exist at other sites, but it is a microcosm of SJC.
But overall, you raise a good point.
reality is whether in sjc or blr or rtp, the de/pe/tl2/director system has been totally subverted by political jockeying. unless you are part of the "in crowd" with the director/VPs you wont get in....and its not possible to gain entry into the favoured circle just by hard clean work and not taking an interest in politics...those who cannot or will not play this game continue to suffer years of indignity and efforts for little reward. those who are able to manipulate things to their advantage make out like bandits whether on the tech or managerial ladders.
to his credit I believe our CEO did dismantle some of this cozy patronage system in this round (while causing lot of collateral damage too) but only in sjc. it continues as is in other sites.
--> You might be making a valid point but it's a pity that you spoiled it with racism and poor grammar. Just saying.
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OP. You might be making a valid point but it's a pity that you spoiled it with racism and poor grammar. Just saying.
It's very interesting what the recent RSU awards, promos and payrises have done. People who got low or no adjusments think they are next to go because the didn't get them, but the people who did get them also feel like time might be running out for them as a bunch of people who got promoted and payrises last year are now gone.
With the quantity of RSU's, promotions, and pay increases, the morale appears to be very high among the middle management like Directors, Sr. Directors, VP's, and SVP's. They are definitely rewarded so they can deliver more bullsh*t.
Morale is shot, but how would you realistically expect anything else? Blue badge employees now find themselves feeling like contractors wondering when it's going to be their turn to walk the plank. If you are earning around the median or above for your grade (particularly mid to high grades) then you should feel the target on your back. It's sadly nothing to do with your performance, it's to do with how much can be saved by "eliminating" your position I.e. give it to a lower grade or offshore.
We got raises! Everything is fine!
Uh, not really... 2% every 5 years isn't a raise, especially since they fragged the bonus during that time. Still a reduction in wage. Morale still in the sh--.
Can't respect a manager who pretends to know what we are talking about in a meeting when it's clear the manager has no clue or does not attempt to make an effort. Upper management please start evaluating these pretenders.
Managers are those trying to get away from doing technical/skilled works so that can just do the talking and call that team building or leadership. I have worked in a team of 7 highly technical folks with no manager for 1 years and 8 months just fine! Everyone trying above their fair share so they do not look like slacker. Only problem is, getting towards the performance review, Sr director has to deal with us individually. Managers are speed bumps. Constantly, giving useless opinions that they have no clue about the subject matter. Then, everyone has to pretend to listen and agreed upon. If the managers have so many valuable opinions then get a piece of the project and rollup up the sleeves and work on it. That is true leadership.
Get used to tons of internal meetings, managers with no report, yearly or quarterly contract renewal as an employee, the buddy system, focus not on your job, but on not getting fired, looks engaged in all activities, etc.
Get used to "being smart as the pretty power point that you create or as smart as how rosy a picture you paint of yourself doing great things".
Managers should be evaluated if the team is not running smoothly it's always a management issue. Buddy system is a milk train.
Doesn't matter. The ELT is doing everything that keeps Wall Street happy (e.g. increased dividend, layoffs, silly acquisitions, etc.) and they continue to give themselves raises: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSFWN1CU11J
Building a solid business is not what gets them rewarded. It's good to be the king.
I am one of the laid of PSS, as said before good luck to any AT that wants to do my job. My gut feel is Chuck sees the writing on the wall and will just try and shift as much tin as he can . The saying you can not teach old dogs new tricks is very appropriate. He does not have the skills to change the direction of the company , so back to basic's he goes. As for layoff's get use to it , this is a downward spiral.
Managers are the dumbest workers in corporate world particularly those that call themselves technical managers with absolutely no technical aptitude. Should have renamed them to People Managers. All they deal with is performance reviews, yes maam, yes sir, do this and do that. A lot of time, they think they sounded smart but looks like a clown. Aside of these, what exactly managers do ? Run meetings and to look busy. There might good ones but extremely rare.
Now that the layoffs come quarterly and not early...what is left is a culture of people distracted with when the next shoe will drop and if they will be collateral damage some time in the next 90 days.
Now the employees are starting to feel like contractors who's contract is, or is not, renewed every quarter. Job security is now a thing of the past, along with loyalty and a sense of "family" that John kept talking about.
I can deal with the poor management, tons of meetings, and little productivity, but at this point there's no point in going back. I'll require my old salary, or better, to go back, but then I'll probably be above the median wage for my pay grade again and I'll be at the top of the list for elimination the next time my department or BU has to cut x% of people. The benefits don't out-weigh the negatives anymore.
Now that the layoffs come quarterly and not early, and now that the people being layed off are often strong employees not sh1tty ones, what is left is a culture of people distracted with when the next shoe will drop and if they will be collateral damage some time in the next 90 days.
It is sad and it steals away energy that can be dedicated to something productive. It is IBM all over again.
The old Cisco was gone long time ago. Sales is also full of layers on top of AM who don't know how to sell. This round lots of PSS were affected (Smart ones).
Forget managers how about peers that schedule tons of meetings that are meaningless that those issues can be resolved at most 3 meetings. I get it job security and the managers eat it up.