#culture

Why? When's the last time you can truly say we got something useful from a town hall? I can't even remember.

How interesting. People in LinkedIn who don’t even know what the energy cube is are using it now as a meme for people leaving their jobs.

https://lnkd.in/p/gnaw3VNj

I knew to expect some chaos after half the company was let go, but apparently the solution was simply to hand everyone else three or four additional jobs and call it “opportunity.”

Everything is now urgent. Entire roles are being absorbed by people who are already overloaded, priorities change by the hour, and somehow the expectation is that we’ll just keep smiling and “do more with less.”

Leadership also seems to have forgotten that they can actually help with some of the work. Not every responsibility needs to be delegated down just because there’s someone below you to give it to.

I recently asked one of the "leaders" if they knew what a particular responsibility actually involved specifically, the steps required and how long the investigation can take. The response?

“No, but it can be done.”

Okay. 😂

So I gave them control of my screen and asked them to show me how it’s done.

You guys already know the rest.

Suddenly, they needed to jump on another call.

And that pretty much sums up the current environment. It’s very easy to say something “can be done” when you aren’t the one actually doing it, investigating it, documenting it, following up on it, and answering for it when something goes wrong.

And then there was yesterday’s town hall. We got to hear about favorite vacation spots.
Maybe next time, let’s talk about the employees whose entire summers were ruined because of decisions made above them. The people who were supposed to be enjoying their lives , spending time with their kids away from this place but instead spent their summer worrying about their jobs, their finances, and what was coming next. Some people didn’t exactly get a vacation this year.They got a one way trip to therapy.

But hey, at least we got to hear about everyone’s favorite vacation destination and how s-xi things were. 🙃

As for me, I’ll continue looking for my next opportunity while doing what I reasonably can with the workload I already have. I’m no longer interested in sacrificing my sanity to compensate for staffing decisions I didn’t make.

After yesterday’s town hall? Let’s just say the message was loud enough without actually being said: start preparing. If they can eliminate this many roles once, there’s no reason to believe anyone is permanently safe.
But hey… do more with less.
Until there’s nobody left and AI will do it all.

Dear Cisconians, this is the first time in my long career that I have left the company without having secured another job. The moral decline is inevitable. I was part of it; I started doing the absolute minimum and found that I could still deliver the same or better results than 90% of my colleagues. One day a manager will blabber about "Cisco Values," only to completely disregard them the next day. Good people are leaving, while the mediocre ones stay and play politics and produce AI slop. With every fu--ing layoff, more and more people start to pretending activities, commenting on tickets, pushing spreadsheets, and organizing meetings... Only a minimum number of people are getting promoted; it is a complete career disaster, and the longer you stay, the more your salary is behind the actual labor market. Good luck to you!

Cummins keeps pushing this whole diversity-and-mental-health thing, the "let's all sit around the hot tub, hold hands and make sure everyone's feeling good" vibe.

But is that actually true? Is the culture really as "inclusive" as they claim? Every manager ending every meeting with the company's favorite buzzword—"Cummins values"—sure makes it sound that way.

The reality is a different story. As a white, Christian, straight guy, I get the short end of the stick constantly. Go ahead and apply for internal openings all you want—nobody's listening. They'll pass you over for someone with way less experience, sometimes none at all.

In any technical discussion, no matter how much evidence I bring to the table, management sides with the women in the room every time. My director actually told me, "You're right 99% of the time, but you're going to hurt her feelings and she'll get emotional." So the company shelled out $500k to a law firm just to confirm what I'd already proven for free.

Working here is flat-out he-l for me. The problem is I can't afford to walk away, and job-hunting in this economy is brutal.

As a God-fearing Christian, I used to dread the day I'd have to face my Maker. But four years at this company taught me something—and it's honestly the one good thing I've gotten out of it: I'm not scared of that day anymore. Turns out he-l on earth is real, and Judgment Day will feel like a relief by comparison. Funny enough, I heard Elon Musk say almost the same thing recently. Didn't realize he worked at Cummins too.

Seems like ba--s, and glass ba--s at that, are dropping every day. People getting hurt, process safety near miss, and unplanned shutdowns. Is this the beginning of a long downward spiral. Investors run, run like the wind

Why does XOM make everything so difficult across the board. Even the simplest and most efficient processes have built in ‘tension points’ which add no value apart from extra work and more stress. What is wrong with our leaders that they want to do this each and every day and make people’s life’s miserable

i really dont have anything to report but i can tell you that the amount of stress my team is going thru is tremendous.

i've never seen anything like this and i've been around 10+ years. i think the uncertainty is the biggest culprit here and on top of this everyone wants things to be done yesterday and we've lost people and the amount of work went up.

i dont think this can be sustained.

Or did we really reach the bottom? It feels like we cannot sink any further.

I've had several interviews for different roles within humana and my experience so far have varied quite a bit. Some conversations were extremely positive while others raised concerns about the leadership style and team dynamics. I was recently offered a position but decided not to move forward because of the nature of the role and it didn't feel like a good fit for me and some of the initial interactions I had during the interviewing process with some of the leadership. Some of the negative comments actually came from a few of the direct reports regarding their leader!
The last things I need is to leave a somewhat stable situation only to find out that I've stepped into a toxic environment I would regret. I would appreciate advice from anyone who have experience or insight across different areas of the company.Are there particular departments, teams, managers that you would recommend approaching cautiously? Conversely, are there areas known for strong leadership and healthy team culture?

India memebers have literally spoiled the work culture. Some managers are so rude.

I spent the best part of 20 years working for AT&T. Started before SBC bought it. Throughout that time I worked with some amazingly talented people. It's sad to see it's decline. It's global presence in network was stripped to the bone. I keep seeing LinkedIn posts from people trying to promote what is now once again a US centric dead duck.

To my former colleagues, I wish you well. It still amazes me how sh1t managers survive, who call themselves leaders when everything else says the opposite.

I've seen really good, technically super savvy people get pushed out in favour of continual cost savings on an ever declining customer base.

AT&T really need to get back into what they do well and kick everything else into the long grass.

I miss the people and talent. I don't miss the nonsense.

I’ve seen a couple of people in Boston post holding back to school signs - so cringe.

Today I am 47 years old. When I grow up, I want to spend 2½ hours commuting so executives can see me on Teams from a different building.

Then the HR talent acq people chiming in “how clever”

They should dress us in orange and have us hold up our A numbers instead like a mug shot.

I walked away from Verizon two years ago. The internal dynamics were exhausting, and I couldn't see a path to grow there. From what I read today, those same patterns are still around. My own career took off in a much better direction after I left, so I have no second thoughts.

Being forced into offices that are noisy, inefficient, and uncomfortable has made everybody nervous and short-tempered. Even a small ask can get an over-the-top reaction - and I don't even blame people for being like that. Those who are calling it the "great leap backward" are right.

What's he even yapping about?

I know it's to micromanage us to death but the fact that we need a dozen apps to put cookies on the shelf is hysterical. This isn't some fancy job it's a simple physical job. Order cookies. Put cookies on shelf. It's ridiculous.

Just when you think it couldn’t get worse

Another survey they're going to ignore.

well BDX is at 178 today......christ almighty when will TP be held accountable??? Guess more layoffs coming soon........

So for the past month, I have started wearing "blue" glasses - I can see but you can't see my eyes.

It allows me to go into the office and never have to look at anyone while appearing that I am and when I am on camera I can do the same - why you say - your eyes are the mirror to your soul and I don't want to give away an ounce of what I am thinking.

When asked about it I use various reasons, my eyes were just dilated, the screen glare is really a problem, lights keep flashing in the office, etc. Rinse and repeat. I nod, slightly smile when appropriate. Put my headphones on nod my head. Say out loud "sounds good, I agree, good point...when I am NOT HOOKED UP TO ANY CALL - it just looks that way.
When on camera I do the same thing and if asked about the glasses I pretend this was the first time I had to use them. If challenged I say oh that was probably my reading glasses or sunglasses. Sound childish maybe - but I keep my sanity - quiet quitting

I have never worked under an executive leadership team that has generated this level of distrust among its own employees and leaders.

What makes the situation particularly difficult to understand is that we are watching major strategic decisions fail in real time—many of them shaped or implemented with significant involvement from McKinsey and Cognizant. Rather than acknowledging the mounting evidence, reassessing the strategy, and holding the appropriate people accountable, the response appears to be doubling down on the same thinking and the same ecosystem of advisors. The decision to add another SVP whose professional background includes both McKinsey and Cognizant only reinforces the perception that leadership is becoming increasingly insulated from the realities experienced by the people actually responsible for delivering the work. There is also growing perception that internal advancement has become a thing of the past—that developing and promoting proven talent from within is no longer a meaningful part of the company’s leadership strategy.

The experience with Cognizant has been especially troubling. Reports of investigations involving the company only heighten concerns that many employees already have based on their direct interactions. Communications have too often been characterized by shifting narratives, questionable representations, a lack of transparency, and an extraordinary level of confidence by Cognizant staff who claim they can perform the work better and faster—despite operational results and historical experience that repeatedly call that assertion into question.
The people closest to the work are then left trying to manage the consequences: declining confidence, knowledge loss, execution risk, service concerns, employee disruption, and the enormous amount of effort required simply to keep these initiatives functioning.

At some point, this stops being a problem with execution and becomes a problem with executive judgment.

Perhaps the most damaging aspect is the apparent unwillingness of senior leadership to reconsider the direction when the evidence no longer supports it. Good leadership is not demonstrated by continuing to defend a strategy simply because significant time, money, and executive credibility have already been invested in it. Good leadership is demonstrated by recognizing when assumptions were wrong, changing course, and holding decision-makers accountable.

Instead, employees are watching leadership repeatedly double down while the organization absorbs the consequences. That is why trust has deteriorated so significantly. Employees can tolerate difficult decisions. They can tolerate restructuring. They can even tolerate strategies that ultimately prove unsuccessful. What is much harder to tolerate is leadership that appears unwilling to acknowledge failure, learn from it, or accept accountability for the results.

The de facto strategy increasingly appears to be: outsource all strategic thinking to McKinsey, outsource the work itself to Cognizant, and eliminate the institutional knowledge, experience, and proven talent that built and sustained the organization in the first place.

If senior leadership wants to understand why confidence in the executive team has eroded, it should start there.

Allegiance is a TPA thats been owned by Cigna for some time now and up until last year handled its own hiring/ firing process, benefits for employees and totally independent CEO. We were fully integrated with Cigna’s HR structure 1/1/2026. Our entire hr department was let go during this change. We were promised nothing would change except our benefits and we’d have access to apply to cigna internal positions. This hasnt been the case. Our entire reimbursement account department was just let go. This used to be such a nice small company to work for and now we are being run into the ground

Is it possible that leaders get worse and worse? I thought we’d reached the bottom of the barrel but this was a new low for webcasts.

Remember….key message….you should look forward to being sold as you may get more money in your business…and….

I’m in charge of safety…….but I care about money….i care about money….save money…..

A sad day.

Was talking to a HR consultant yesterday. Was absolutely blown away when she told me every 2nd CV she is seeing is either current or ex PayPal employee. And they are coming from junior, middle and senior level employees. What in the world is happening. It seems except Enrique and his cronies, everyone is jumping the ship.

MBTA abject failure day 2 for the ft rto
Pike bumper to bumper
It’s all good really productive
Nothing to see here folks
Get a limo service so you can sit in it with your laptop don’t ya know.
That’s the answer.

People that cant do, instead work in risk telling everyone how to fill out paperwork. Because there is no communication in risk either, you wont get the same answer twice. The org is rotten from the head down.

In a series of last minute team meetings members of Marriott Customer Engagement Centers teams , Office of Consumer Affairs, Case Resolution Team, and Social Media were told their entire team is being eliminated. In the openings remarks of the meeting the Sr. Executive leading the meeting referred to Marriott's 2026 "Growing Forward" initiative. A complete insult to the intelligence, dedication, hard work, of the Customer Engagement Centers "best of the best". Options to apply for new roles under the restructured organization were discussed. The job openings will be opened to the public. There will be fewer openings than the positions being eliminated. All roles for these teams will officially end on November 23, 2026.

Well Jack-Attack's lock up period for bringing in Accenture grifters is just about at event horizon... So which positions are on the chopping block to make room for the buddies about to come in and save the day? Well, just think about which leaders have suddenly disappeared (quite a few) and you might be able to connect the dots. Someone else will appear magically in their stead with a "different title" as to not warrant lawsuits when someone's role was "eliminated". (Thanks legal eagles you guys are so smart.. LOL). These roles will not be posted publicly as there is a "candidate" waiting in the wings that was already "interviewed".

Cisco has not fired a poaching shot against Buffy-Duffy which is a tale tell sign that they are not concerned about bringing in D- sellers. He's bringing in more Cisco dudes than Bob bringing in IBM dudes. Guess who's getting NA pole position? An Accenture dude! Of course, makes sense now does it not?

Let me get this right, as a reward for busting your a-s off all year round, closing multi-million dollar deals and rising to the top 1% of all sales reps, you get a 4 day Hawaii 'vacation' which you spend locked up in a resort 'networking' with your corporate programmed coworkers? Sounds like a dream

Why do we keep hiring from the outside instead of promoting people who've been here for years and earned it many times over?

Yes yes look over there and ignore the shell game. Bethpage and Plano will be sold and leased back by the opposite orgs and when the planned bankruptcy stops being the worst kept secret in business, both successor orgs will default on their obligations. But make sure to bring your a-s to work to a desk you had to request with no trash can because that would be too many hours in the cleaning contract. Badge swipes above all. What is anyone even doing here anymore?

And why

...which leaders seemed connected to our reality during difficult moments - and which did not. That's the post.

Has anyone else noticed the ominous new Big Brother messaging on the PulsePoint telescreens? The message is to report other associates to the corporate authorities if they display any of several listed behaviors, including withdrawing and decreasing work performance. Creepy!

The team are trying to sell an image that doesn't exist

To XOM managers: I do not care who put you in those positions or how you got them. Just follow three basic rules, keep three zippers closed: your pocket, your mouth, your pants. Simple.

I'm sure some of us are thinking that VGS is coming back soon, and it would be a validation of sort. Maybe some newer folks can chime in that think otherwise. I'm not looking forward to big changes with the holiday coming soon.

#2 Kyndryl

https://insights.economistenterprise.com/projects/2026-top-100-global-most-loved-workplaces

No raises for anyone and still near the top of the list. Amazing.

Coming soon to a garage near you for 35 happy v teamers!