The biggest concern Nike should have is that their most passionate people have now become quiet. They were the magic and spirit behind the brand that drove it to do great things. We once honored and rewarded the 60+ hour a week workers that loved what they did, and believed in the vision. That is now gone and not likely to ever return. Nike will carry on, but as a false front of its former self. Look in the mirror you highly paid leaders of Brand, Design and Innovation, this has happened on your watch.
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So true
Nike confuses youthful exuberance for passion. They are pushing out anyone over 40 or with more than 20 years tenure. Younger, cheaper, and easier to indoctrinate...that is the preferred employee. Nike instituted a cultural jihad against anyone who fails the litmus test of its contrived liberal philosophy. The purge continues...
I was at Nike for over 15 years. I was let go in August and did not see it coming. Prior to being let go my ratings for past 5 years were 3 highly successful and 2 successful. The last role I was in was split into 4 New roles. My friends tell me that they are basically writing me out of the history. As if the work my team did never happened. I am also informed that everyone is at least a decade younger and make jokes about me being “the old woman” before us. I am in my late 40’s!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The post above re the drama is 100. Tee shirts and campaigns about equality while ageism and s-xism is the underbelly of the cu!ture. Only a matter of time.
There is an executive-only gym? Where? Is that S bands and above? Or higher?
How about that thread on the unlimited PTO? That's crazy. Take your sabbatical now I'd say.
Here's what I don't miss...I don't miss the drama. I don't miss the 'idea' people without actual willingness to be a team player and get something done. I don't miss the difficult personalities operating on their own agenda to satisfy their own career goals. I don't miss the Millennials who are Snapchatting and IG-ing there way to the top. I don't miss the family members who have better jobs than those with actual experience. I don't miss the double standard of punishing those with demotions for being open and honest about past struggles while promoting drinking 'on the clock'. I don't miss the thousand dollar expense reports that get pushed through for hotel and bar bills for the brass, but that $60 taxi ride without a receipt needs to be investigated. I don't miss the bossman who requests free product, but the 'free product' in the hallway is grounds for termination if you touch it. I don't miss the brass who can insult and demean designers on Instagram with no issue of getting fired, but if you post about the Olympics...you could be fired. I don't miss the manager who's 'looking out for you', but takes credit for all of your work behind your back. I don't miss the dirty look for going to work-out...when it used to be the norm and now it's frowned upon. I don't miss the $20 'subsided' lunch or the $50 hold your place in line for the childcare center. Remember when employees tried to organize around the elimination of benefits to employee children at the centers and HR got involved to squash the whole thing? 'The budget was cut'...oh, but the 'executive only' gym is totally worth it. Have you heard about this? Executive only gym. Nike's gone Elitist! Now, the brass can give each other dirty looks for going to work out during the day. Yah right. /s
Nike...get your f-ing sh!t together. Get your f-ing head out of your a$$. Nike used to be a place you could be proud of, b/c of what they were doing for their employees. Ever since Nike made the Dow 100...things have gone down hill. It's now about shareholder value. It's about payouts for the fat cats. (I'm sure it sounds bitter...it's not completely). Before you could count on Nike to 'do the right thing'. Now it is an email from MP about how we're gonna stand up against Trump, Hate, blah blah blah...it's an email now to distract while MP f's you in the arse. While MP makes you focus on how Nike is changing the world with Equality tee-shirts that just go to the bottom line. Oh the BHM footwear line? Oh yea...Nike makes a killing on this...lining the pockets of it's white brass. MP and Nike are slowly taking away the best things that got Nike to be great in the first place. Remember Thirsty Thursday? Remember Athlete Visits. Remember product swag. Remember when tenured employees were celebrated for their experience. Remember the Beer Mile. Remember when new employees were giving special treatment to learn the culture. MP is just as bad as Trump....hey look over here...we're gonna make these great shoes and tee shirts that say Equality. We all look. Meanwhile...with a swipe of his pen...he eliminates your sabbatical (sorry... 'gives you unlimited PTO') or eliminates employees b/c we need to build more buildings or that free pair of shoes you got for doing a good job. MP, "We're going to make our work space more collaborative and conducive to teamwork and productivity". We all look. Meanwhile...Nike skirts the law and packs 4 people to a desk and eliminates your workspace...where you can't get d!ck done, b/c its so damn loud and distracting. It's just the sign of the times folks...rather than 'running from the front'... Nike is running in the back, but hey at least they look really cool with their $300 shoes that fall apart in 6 weeks. Posers.
Nike used to be the rebel. The...'I'm not a role model.' Now, they are the conformist. Stale....forgetting what's important. Doing what is right despite the pressure of wall street. Doing what is right, b/c they used to care about the people who worked for them. I used to be proud that nike was doing employee focused perks, but now I just think the berm is to keep people in...not keep people out.
Nike is just a shell of what it once was...did you see that last commercial? 'Want it all' with LBJ and some kid who wants it all. That sh!t is stale. Done before. Told a trillion times. Boring and uninspired. What a waste of money. Nothing new. Drab. You wonder why adidas is kicking your arse, b/c you've got your head up you a$$. ...you own a$$.
WHQ is not the only place where older employees are being pushed out. It's all about age.
I'm glad people are seeing Nike for what it has become... a once-great, money-grubbing, consultant-beholden, soul-less pretender. "Do the right thing", as the maxim goes. Yeah, right. I'm not surprised they axed their most experienced employees. It's because they're generally better compensated. However, I AM surprised Nike hasn't been hit with a class-action lawsuit yet. This is totally age-related. Cut the cr*p about getting closer to the consumer. The aging managers who thought their loyalty would be rewarded, will be replaced with cheaper, naive, juiced up foot-soldiers drinking the Kool-Aid served up within the berm. In the end, there is no noble reason, no higher calling. It's the money, stupid. Hey Mark, Trevor, Eric and the rest of you in your corner offices responsible for this. May you wake up at night and ponder the consequences of your ineptitude. And get what you deserve someday.
Nike's preoccupation with its contrived culture and social justice causes is alienating employees, investors and customers alike. Just as the NFL's numbers are plummeting, so is Nike's once dominant position in the market. Adidas and Under Armor focused on product and marketing and are now resurging, while Nike limps along creating tribute shoes for cop killers and applauding those who spit in the face of our veterans. Take a knee Nike, you'll be closer to the ground when you fall.
In tech we have a group of people in a team they call labx. The members of this team called themselves intrepreneurs. I always thought this was funny because I can't see any of the members being capable of 'making it rain' in terms of revenue generation. They appear to be bureaucratic puppets who have no idea what it takes to start and run a business.
Oh, they did get a group of college interns to develop an app to let you reserve a spot at a sample sale so you wouldn't have to stand in line. Pure genius! Too bad no one uses such a magnificent creation. It really showcased the possibilities!
I don't like working for tech for a lot of good reasons but used to hold hope that all of nike wasn't like that. I guess my hopes were unfounded. It's a damn shame. I used to pride myself on working for such a powerful global brand. Any pride has long since vanished.
It's just a paycheck.
The only way to reach the out of site revenue numbers is the purchase revenue. Look out Columbia... here we come.
I was in Product innovation and the once famous Innovation Kitchen. It turned into staff working on personal and social justice projects, with no regard for consumer, retail or profitability. "Just do anything cool and show it to Mark". There are approximately 400 people in innovation, 1 President, 3 very senior VP, and 18 other VP's, many acting as individual contributors. All those VS's are still there, but haven't been able to accomplish much of anything, and for the most part don't care. Business as usual, were cool and untouchable. So if your hoping Nike Innovation is going lead the company out of its business challenges, better come up with a different plan.