I hired on with Phillips in 2000. There was a colleague on my work team who was also a new-hire, he had hired on with Phillips in 1999. He was/is a rabid Republican (nothing inherently wrong with that) who continually sent and forwarded extremely corrosive propaganda emails about the Democratic party and Bill Clinton. I’m 100% in favor of individualism and freedom of expression, but also believe that the workplace is an inappropriate forum to espouse these highly personal beliefs. Not to mention that propagation of political emails in a format that are inflammatory is prohibited by policy. Being a new-hire, I wanted to respectfully ask him to cease and desist with his behaviors, but also, as a new employee was acutely aware that it was important for me to become a part of the team and not rock the boat during my first few years of employment. I found it amusing that several people, regardless of their political positions, found his behavior unacceptable. Interestingly, although he was eventually formally reported, management failed to ever put it to a stop to his behavior. In short, his behavior was accepted (this was after the merger). In addition to being extremely opinionated from a political perspective, this individual was also very blatantly verbal regarding his beliefs that females did not belong in the oil business, homosexuals should all be killed, anyone who holds a green card should be deported with prejudice, anyone who is overweight is a loser at life in all respects, our department manager was an embicile, etc. You get the picture. I, and my team mates, were appalled to see him harass our one female team mate to the point that she occasionally broke down and cried. Again (I’m ashamed to admit now) did not make a formal complaint to management, but I believe you’ll see that it would not have mattered anyhow. Thankfully, he moved on to another assignment (this time as a supervisor no less) and was relocated.
Along the way on his second assignment, he managed to recruit a strong (politically connected) champion on the basis of their mutual fundamental and conservative political and Christian beliefs. From here is where the story becomes egregiously concerning: After gaining a strong champion, he was progressively recognized and promoted to higher levels of responsibility and pay grades. To be fair, yes, he is an extremely intelligent individual, he just lacked/lacks any semblance of emotional maturity or leadership strengths that COP has always insisted are requisites for leadership positions.
I ran into this guy a few years ago at a function in Bartlesville. Being generally an optimistic and trusting sort of person, I hoped that he had changed and “grown up” a bit in light of his progression into the management ranks. Wow! I recognized no changes at all, as I had a conversation with him on the front porch of Frank Phillip’s old home. Not only had he not recognizably matured in any manner, but he seemed to have become more emotionally immature.....and was proud to continue to espouse his corrosive ideals, and actually laughed that "he was a winner”, and everyone else “was a loser”.
He is still employed, working in Canada in a managerial position. I guess the point to my entire litany is that I personally have known and followed the career progression of an individual who I, and several others, have always believed could not, and should not, be recognized as leadership material.
Lesson imparted: For at least some individuals, working against the COP model for growth and progression is exactly the key to “making it”. It has/had nothing to do with what you know, but who you know.
Thoughts anyone? Similar experiences or disagreement with my thesis?