So MW takes a chain saw to the workforce to downsize it during Transformation to reduce cost. He and is Front Man JG preach a position that we must have a flatter organization - increase span of direct reports for each leader and reduce layers of leadership….…we must go to a flatter organization for a multitude of reasons, they yell from their castle. So the Business Units and Functions go to work and do just that. On the other side employees provide feedback that there are now less opportunities to grow into supervisory positions. Managers and GMs begin to recognize that there are too many PSG gaps up and down the line now in order to grow supervisors up into greater and greater responsibility via succession planning. Senior Leaders want to know why supervisors are not in the field more and overseeing safety more, but they clearly don’t get the conundrum this created (less supervisors b/c we are flatter and more direct reports so time is diluted more than before). And then MW our fearless Chairman and CEO does exactly the opposite of what he professes. He combines Upstream, Midstream and Downstream into one organization to reduce his direct reports from 3 to 1 for those segments and increases the number of layers down into the organization with the integration of the Business Units into the new structure. But that is not enough……he then takes Corp Planning, Corp Affairs and BD and combines all of that into 1 position reporting to him (again creating layers and reducing direct reports from 3 to 1 for those functions). I may have missed more in the consolidation and reduction of span and the increase of layers, but many I gotta tell you this is absolutely a joke to see him do this. Now probably 95% of all employees report under NH. Why - b/c he is grooming NH for CEO? We’ve never done such a thing……by default, NH is now the CEO - why do we need MW then? Talk about losing credibility with the masses and supervisors everywhere in lightening speed…….well, ya just did it MW. Wow……did you miss this one my man!
20 replies (most recent on top)
I got a bad feeling over this. They are clearly making moves for something big. My guess, we are getting ready for a merger, maybe with Exxon or ConocoPhillips. Reducing the upper management and flatten out, with combined BUs. Look at other similar companies and you will find out who it will be.
This week’s announcement will have zero effect on 99% of the dipsticks that post here. I read the announcement and was like “Who f’ing cares?”
The BUs are independent, they don’t work together. If anything, they work against one another. No changes expected. Everyone relax.
This will clearly have an impact on the BUs. They didn’t bring all this together just to get NH ready to go behind MW. We have never combined everything into one before to get a successor ready. This indicates there is about to be a lot of re-wiring on how the BU’s work together. I smell some disruption coming on how everything from capital and opex is allocated to how decision making occurs. Wait and see, there is a heck of a lot more about to come from this over the next year……
@1lnd+1gWTsRq6…..even a blind squirrel finds a nut here and there. Have you checked oil prices?? That ain’t the BOD making that happen! The whole industry is up and riding the cycle like it always does…….
The top level changes have zero impact below the BU level aside from maybe a new MD/VP as they shuffle about, grasping for positions in a flattening org.
Nothing like this happens without a lot of influence for Board of directors. They got it right on Anadarko and Noble. And they got stock to all time high. I’ll ride with them instead of the clowns on this board.
So we spend a year on Transformation only to add a completely new business, New Energies, a short time later……disruptive because of all the personnel changes it caused so quickly after Transformation. Then a short time later we completely blow up the organizational structure with this massive change. You guys at the top should be ashamed of yourselves……it is embarrassing that you can’t figure out an org structure for at least 3 or 4 years…….
Reorg reorg reorg layoff change reorg reorg……WTF, why can’t the top deck figure this out? It’s like they want to keep employees in a constant swirl……stop and let us breathe…….
Stop the constant changes at the company. The employees need time to catch our breath. The past 6 years I've been here its been un-real the layoffs and changes. Time for some calm but with our leadership team we know another layoff or something crazy has to be planned to cause more drama.
At this point, who the f*** cares...just keep changing everything everyday. I'm just filling the bank and ready for a package next time it's offered.
Last poster is clearly on the Corp Affairs payroll!! Prep for a merger is an interesting spin though. But, if it is O&G related, this logic is faulty. If it is a significant energy transition type acquisition that folds into the new transition energy group, that might make slightly more sense. But who would y’all acquire (I’m retired)? Seems more to me like a bonehead move like some of the previous posters mentioned as to getting NH ready to take over and maybe MW just wants to carry his wife’s golf clubs a lot more in his last few years…….
Seems like your letting your emotions take control of what's actually happening here. It's a game off chess and you're playing checkers.
Seems like people are being structured for success plans or a much cleaner merger opportunity. There's a bigger picture once that will come in front of you once you come up for air.
So MN is back to the same role he had before he went to DS, plus a few more toys. Seems like a demotion in many ways for MN, CP, AW, etc.
Companies that have a COO for an operating base also tend to have a large marketing organization sitting next to it along with several other functions. That is not the case here……It does look like MW went to an extreme on consolidating down the direct reports……
Oh the HR and Corp Affairs guinea pigs are coming out trying to redirect! OP has some very good points, emperor ain’t got no clothes on this “do as I say, not as I do”……
Hold off on the hyperventilating. Looks like NH is essentially Chief Operating Officer (COO). Lots of companies do this. Not the end of the world.
@OP Why don’t you go to next board meeting and explain why you should be emperor?
Why not create OPG as part of transformation, why wait till now
Sir this is a Wendy’s