Thread regarding Chevron Corp. layoffs

Leaders and Managers

Looking back over my career I have worked with some interesting bosses -

-one was relegated back to worker status permanently after some behavioral issues. retired.

-six were eventually sidelined to spineless staff advisor positions and then retired.

-two were blasted with low PMP ratings after technical problems. One retired, one still suffering in a staff position with minimal responsibilities.

-two had zero technical skills and left for greener pastures. Not sure where they are.

-one left the company for greener pastures and more money but was fired after two years.

-one had great skills of all sorts but a huge ego and got mad and quit

-one out of all of them has exceptionally strong technical skills and has been promoted rapidly despite marginal people/political skills. Still around!

In addition, if I expand to consider my boss's boss or lateral bosses, these include -

-one who was blasted back to a very high headquarters staff job after fighting with his boss

-one who was fired by the VP of HR after a scandal

-one who was encouraged to retire for drinking too much

-one who was not offered any job at a merger

-two very senior females who quit after being harassed by senior mgmt

-a couple have done well and been promoted to good jobs

It is quite a shocking lineup when I add it all up. Hope your experience has been better!

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Post ID: @OP+RkaKd1r

21 replies (most recent on top)

Shareholders will be pleased. Suspending or reducing the quarterly dividend is a small price to pay when advancing Chevron’s “United Nations/LGBTQIAZ” Leadership Plan.

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Post ID: @vnoa+RkaKd1r

vilp, Yes indeed. I was hired recently and I am a transgender female/male. I was hired rather quickly. I consider myself extremely fortunate as most places would not let me in the door. I consider myself highly qualified,although having just learned how to use a computer recently. What I do love about Chevron is the abundance of restrooms on each floor. I have to go a lot and I can fortunately use either one, I still have both parts as I am not quite complete with all of my gender reassignment surgeries. Good luck to all of you and I hope you enjoy your new positions as well as I do!

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Post ID: @vnem+RkaKd1r

I put “considering transition to other gender” on my PMP and ended up getting a 1 this year. I also never did any work because I was always out of my office working on my diversity training. Chevron would rather hire & promote a bunch of diverse idiots, interested in finding excuses not to work than people that actually just want to figure out how to find and produce hydrocarbons.

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Post ID: @vilp+RkaKd1r

@hvua, it’s a negative outcome from the forced ranking process. This is one reason several corporations are moving away from this antiquated form of performance evaluation. But Chevron being Chevron it will be 20 years and ten studies by Boston Consulting before they catch up.

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Post ID: @irut+RkaKd1r

Personally, I can’t figure a logical reason why any company, including Chevron, would find an advantage in maintaining fear and low performance rankings among the rank and file employees. That just doesn’t make sense. Maybe in 2015 and 2016, during the peak layoff years, it was perceived by many to be the tactic used. In limited cases, maybe it was.

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Post ID: @hvua+RkaKd1r

I have observed similar rotations of bullies and fake professionals. The smart managers have bullies working in middle management positions to keep the fear and poor PMPs going on the rank and file. After seeing this at Chevron, I have to wonder if it is the same at Exxon and Shell? Does anyone have an opinion? Are managers at other large oil and gas companies cut from the same cloth as Chevron's?

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Post ID: @hjge+RkaKd1r

Get rid of any team lead or department manager that doesn’t produce effective results. That will fix everything.

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Post ID: @6gqt+RkaKd1r

Get rid of GOM’s leadership team and a lot of problems will be fixed.

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Post ID: @6xcs+RkaKd1r

I agree with 5gvg. Chevron team leads and managers are legendary at the company, especially those at GOM, for track records of bullying, conflict and work place persecution. My question to them is why they do this without thoughts of consequence down the line. This day and age, its stupid to act like a pack of bullies in the playground picking on the kid born differently. Its just flat out stupid with the kind of consequences that go around these days. There comes a point where you no longer get to influence the situation.

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Post ID: @5jbn+RkaKd1r

Real leaders and managers are a premium at Chevron. We have but very few. All the rest have the job title, no more. Chevron must stop promoting so many from within to these positions, just the ones with very best potential to leader and manage. Chevron should start recruiting (poaching) real leaders from other companies.

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Post ID: @5gvg+RkaKd1r

Preach -tdig!

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Post ID: @2pzt+RkaKd1r

Something is wrong if you had 14 bosses... unless you had a 52 year career.

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Post ID: @2pde+RkaKd1r

What you state is probably about average for a multi-national huge organisation.

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Post ID: @2mhi+RkaKd1r

I have been a petro tech for 30 years with various companies: Last 15 with Chevron. I like working earth science and never have been interested in management. I have worked with great managers and absolutely awful ones over the years. The best ones do not necessarily have the deepest tech knowledge, but listen carefully to everyone, make sure all the deliverables are aligned to be on the table when needed, and fend off micromanaged budget and corporate nonsense from above so the worker bees can get the job gone right. The worst try to micro manage the tech work and see every little concern sent down from management above as a huge crisis (Oh my god!!!... our RSI compliance index has fallen below 95% again!). Sadly project teams commonly do not even recognize the contributions of great managers (because things just work), until they get some bozo replacement take the lead.

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Post ID: @2tig+RkaKd1r

In my 27 year career, both at GOM and in Houston, I had great managers and supervisors, except for the last 5 years before electing to EOI in 2016. I had worthless superiors who lacked in leadership skills and backbone to make quick decisions that was clearly within their paygrade. Glad I’m gone. Enjoying a long awaited and pleasant retirement.

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Post ID: @2qmj+RkaKd1r

Good topic (I'm about to retire, so I will be candid):

I went 20 years or so working for managers that I respected (sound technical skills, fair, capable of discussing topics and taking the best path forward, not threatened by subordinates, capable of making decisions). My job satisfaction spiked during those years.

Then I switched to more a HQ role and ..... 2 bad, ineffective bosses. One would not/could not make a decision hoping that all could work towards a consensus decision by belaboring arcane points ; the second was a proverbial loose cannon--- staff avoided contact & dismissed most of his rants & complaints--- my job satisfaction fell.

My hope for all is that you get bosses w/ the attributes of my first grouping (above)---- I'm glad that it wasn't until the end of my career that I had to report to the bad bosses--- otherwise I would of walked

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Post ID: @2dlq+RkaKd1r

... Sh!t also has an uncanny ability to run downhill.

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Post ID: @1ebi+RkaKd1r

I've had my fair share of "interesting" bosses as well. As the old saying goes: "Sh*t floats to the top".

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Post ID: @1kxi+RkaKd1r

Describes the leadership team of the old DWEP business unit. Some of the same supposed leaders are now a part of GOM continuous recycling of supposed leaders prohibits the inclusion of people with new ideas. As an engineer with 25 years of experience it is frustrating to see the continued ineptness.

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Post ID: @1bnc+RkaKd1r

The scholarly discipline of Bullsh!t Studies has blossomed in the last several years, fertilized by a number of critical works on the subject and the growing importance of the issue across a wide range of professions, including some management positions at Chevron.

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Post ID: @1uql+RkaKd1r

Lesson Number One: A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?" The crow answered: "Sure why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Management Lesson: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

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Post ID: @hab+RkaKd1r

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