Pros
There are many dedicated, capable people across the business who genuinely care about the culture and work hard to support their teams. Front line employees and leaders remain committed despite increasingly difficult expectations and working conditions.
Cons
At the senior leadership level, the company is operating through fear and intimidation. The messaging directly from top leadership is for the expectation of success at all costs, but with no support, guidance, resources or steady direction. While the ELT is large, it appears divided between those who comply without question, and those who, understandably concerned for their own positions or those of their teams, are unwilling to challenge decisions - even when those decisions are damaging. Repeated requests for open feedback and transparency by the CEO are directly contradicted by actions that appear punitive toward those known for speaking candidly, as we have seen the repeated exits of those who were known for sharing differing opinions, especially senior female leaders. This inconsistency of messaging, coupled with constant firing of both senior leaders and large groups of employees, has significantly eroded trust across many areas of the business. We no longer believe that these decisions are from a ‘restructure’ – they seem targeted and we are all worried we are next. We are under immense pressure to meet goals that are widely perceived as unrealistic. Even when targets are achieved, the bar is continually raised, leaving little sense of accomplishment or recognition. It is becoming impossible to motivate teams in this environment.