Corporate Culture

by **steveschneider** 2019-04-24, 12:57

Been working a corporate job for 20+ years now. Is it just me or is corporate culture getting worse? Find I'm on more bs team calls, more bullshit training assignments that have to be completed by a certain date, more team emails where you have to go over shit like 'pain points', 'creating efficiencies' or sharing 'anecdotes about situations where you worked late or solved last minute problems'. For the 2018 year end review had to come up with all these 'smart goals' for 2019 that have all these measurable results that I have to provide on quarterly.

When I started out in 1999 we all worked in cubes, now everyone including my boss works in open floor plans that are out in the open with no dividers. The only thing that I can say that has improved is I'm allowed to work from home and can 'telecommute'. I got completely lucky and negotiated that about 5 years ago but if I started out today no way they'd allow it. I'd be stuck on the 19th floor on a big open floor plan with about 300 people. Just awful. Also, I used to have an expense accounts - gone. Corporate parties where you'd booze on the company dime - gone. Special events like a Mets or Yankees game or boozing at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller- gone. All the perks gone. Just show up work 9-5:30 do the work with more bullshit than ever.

by **Robert J Sakimano** 2019-04-24, 13:05

steveschneider wrote:Been working a corporate job for 20+ years now. Is it just me or is corporate culture getting worse? Find I'm on more bs team calls, more bullshit training assignments that have to be completed by a certain date, more team emails where you have to go over shit like 'pain points', 'creating efficiencies' or sharing 'anecdotes about situations where you worked late or solved last minute problems'. For the 2018 year end review had to come up with all these 'smart goals' for 2019 that have all these measurable due dates that I have to maintain.

When I started out in 1999 we all worked in cubes, now everyone including my boss works in open floor plans that are out in the open with no dividers. The only thing that I can say that has improved is I'm allowed to work from home and can 'telecommute'. I got completely lucky and negotiated that about 5 years ago but if I started out today no way they'd allow it. I'd be stuck on the 19th floor on a big open floor plan with about 300 people. Just awful. Also, I used to have an expense accounts - gone. Corporate parties where you'd booze on the company dime - gone. Special events like a Mets or Yankees game or boozing at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller- gone. All the perks gone. Just show up work 9-5:30 do the work with more bullshit than ever.

sounds like absolute hell.

I think my wife works in more of a traditional corporate setting, though she's done a good job setting the sort of boundaries where she just kind of does her job and goes home at 4:30. In more than 20 years in various state, government, legal positions, she's earned the right to recuse herself from as many aspects of this culture that she can.

by **Rocinante** 2019-04-24, 13:10

Who doesn't LOVE a good Journey Board, though, steve??

by **steveschneider** 2019-04-24, 13:15

Robert J Sakimano wrote:
steveschneider wrote:Been working a corporate job for 20+ years now. Is it just me or is corporate culture getting worse? Find I'm on more bs team calls, more bullshit training assignments that have to be completed by a certain date, more team emails where you have to go over shit like 'pain points', 'creating efficiencies' or sharing 'anecdotes about situations where you worked late or solved last minute problems'. For the 2018 year end review had to come up with all these 'smart goals' for 2019 that have all these measurable due dates that I have to maintain.

When I started out in 1999 we all worked in cubes, now everyone including my boss works in open floor plans that are out in the open with no dividers. The only thing that I can say that has improved is I'm allowed to work from home and can 'telecommute'. I got completely lucky and negotiated that about 5 years ago but if I started out today no way they'd allow it. I'd be stuck on the 19th floor on a big open floor plan with about 300 people. Just awful. Also, I used to have an expense accounts - gone. Corporate parties where you'd booze on the company dime - gone. Special events like a Mets or Yankees game or boozing at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller- gone. All the perks gone. Just show up work 9-5:30 do the work with more bullshit than ever.
sounds like absolute hell.

I think my wife works in more of a traditional corporate setting, though she's done a good job setting the sort of boundaries where she just kind of does her job and goes home at 4:30. In more than 20 years in various state, government, legal positions, she's earned the right to recuse herself from as many aspects of this culture that she can.

Yeah, I feel like my 15 year victory was being able to work from home. I'm still tethered to the desk though. I sit at the computer all day meeting my deadlines. I did turn down a promotion a few years ago to avoid being the director of the department. I think the best years of corporate work I've had are when I'm for the most part left alone, maintain the status quo and can keep it to an 8 hour day.

by **Robert J Sakimano** 2019-04-24, 13:21

steveschneider wrote:
Robert J Sakimano wrote:
sounds like absolute hell.

I think my wife works in more of a traditional corporate setting, though she's done a good job setting the sort of boundaries where she just kind of does her job and goes home at 4:30. In more than 20 years in various state, government, legal positions, she's earned the right to recuse herself from as many aspects of this culture that she can.

Yeah, I feel like my 15 year victory was being able to work from home. I'm still tethered to the desk though. I sit at the computer all day meeting my deadlines. I did turn down a promotion a few years ago to avoid being the director of the department. I think the best years of corporate work I've had are when I'm for the most part left alone, maintain the status quo and can keep it to an 8 hour day.

I hear ya.

I'm thankful that my family and I are in a place where I can say this, but the three most important things to me at a job are:

1. autonomy
2. flexibility
3. dress code

by **Other Teams Pursuing That** 2019-04-24, 13:25

Get a job at a start up? Corporate Culture 2599972566

there may be the same amount of bullshit but at least it’s challenging and fun

by **Watch Out Pylon!** 2019-04-24, 13:54

The bigger the company you work for the more bullshit meetings there are. Typically you have more stability with a larger company, but more corporate bullshit to deal with. I'll take stability with a side of mundane administrative meetings over a job at a small company where you can get shitcanned without a moment's notice at any time.

I'm painting with a pretty broad brush but hopefully you get where I'm coming from.

by **steveschneider** 2019-04-24, 13:56

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:Get a job at a start up? there may be the same amount of bullshit but at least it’s challenging and fun

Yeah, that's not a bad suggestion. I've got a few friends that have jobs at start up jobs and there's definitely more perks and some foreward thinking policies regarding work. Two things working against me.

1) ageism - it's a young persons gig these days but it's still do able.

2) location - I moved out of the city when I negotiated my work from home perk. It opened it up for me to buy a house and live some where more affordable.

I think my best bet is to work towards consulting/free lance at what I do.

by **Robert J Sakimano** 2019-04-24, 14:06

steveschneider wrote:
Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:Get a job at a start up? there may be the same amount of bullshit but at least it’s challenging and fun

Yeah, that's not a bad suggestion. I've got a few friends that have jobs at start up jobs and there's definitely more perks and some foreward thinking policies regarding work. Two things working against me.

1) ageism - it's a young persons gig these days but it's still do able.

2) location - I moved out of the city when I negotiated my work from home perk. It opened it up for me to buy a house and live some where more affordable.

I think my best bet is to work towards consulting/free lance at what I do.

so how is Mio this time of year??

by **steveschneider** 2019-04-24, 14:07

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:The bigger the company you work for the more bullshit meetings there are. Typically you have more stability with a larger company, but more corporate bullshit to deal with. I'll take stability with a side of mundane administrative meetings over a job at a small company where you can get shitcanned without a moment's notice at any time.

I'm painting with a pretty broad brush but hopefully you get where I'm coming from.

I hear you. Another down side I thought of with start ups, those places can get borderline cultish.

by **steveschneider** 2019-04-24, 14:07

Robert J Sakimano wrote:
steveschneider wrote:

Yeah, that's not a bad suggestion. I've got a few friends that have jobs at start up jobs and there's definitely more perks and some foreward thinking policies regarding work. Two things working against me.

1) ageism - it's a young persons gig these days but it's still do able.

2) location - I moved out of the city when I negotiated my work from home perk. It opened it up for me to buy a house and live some where more affordable.

I think my best bet is to work towards consulting/free lance at what I do.
so how is Mio this time of year??

Ha! I'm probably in the 'Mio' of New York. It's stunning. The trees are blooming right now and the blossoms are out.

by **Robert J Sakimano** 2019-04-24, 14:09

steveschneider wrote:
Robert J Sakimano wrote:
so how is Mio this time of year??

Ha! I'm probably in the 'Mio' of New York. It's stunning. The trees are blooming right now and the blossoms are out.

well if you can get a hair cut at the same place you pay your phone bill, you're definitely in the Mio of New York.

(that said, East Lansing is quite nice right now... campus is leafing out, flowering trees are flowering).

by **Other Teams Pursuing That** 2019-04-24, 14:58

Life is no place for stability.

by **Travis of the Cosmos** 2019-04-24, 15:00

I’m the only person in my corporation that does what I do so I just have to talk to my boss once a week to let him know what I’m up to. Which is nice.

by **Rocinante** 2019-04-24, 15:08

Travis of the Cosmos wrote:I’m the only person in my corporation that does what I do so I just have to talk to my boss once a week to let him know what I’m up to. Which is nice.

Did you keep your Swingline stapler when they switched to Boston? You know Swinglines don't bind up as much.

by **Watch Out Pylon!** 2019-04-24, 15:11

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:Life is no place for stability.

It's going to be sad to watch you inevitably conform to the corporate lifestyle. Corporate Culture 502811600

by **Watch Out Pylon!** 2019-04-24, 15:12

Rocinante wrote:
Travis of the Cosmos wrote:I’m the only person in my corporation that does what I do so I just have to talk to my boss once a week to let him know what I’m up to. Which is nice.

Did you keep your Swingline stapler when they switched to Boston? You know Swinglines don't bind up as much.

by **Rocinante** 2019-04-24, 15:29

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:
Rocinante wrote:

Did you keep your Swingline stapler when they switched to Boston? You know Swinglines don't bind up as much.

Travis actually got laid off 5 years ago but through some accounting glitch he keeps getting a paycheck.

by **Watch Out Pylon!** 2019-04-24, 15:58

Rocinante wrote:
Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

Travis actually got laid off 5 years ago but through some accounting glitch he keeps getting a paycheck.

I hope the glitch was fixed.

by **WhiteBoyHatcher** 2019-04-24, 16:24

I don't really have to deal with much of that, and neither does anyone who works in our office. I think it all depends on the company.

When I hired in it was like a 50-60 person company and it was honestly like a family. We would all fly in every so often for company and team sessions and we'd party it up. There were some pretty funny/awkward moments.

Then, we got bought out by a ~ 600 person company, and they moved us into their nice office in Tampa. They were a little cult-y. There were more town halls and things of that nature but the CEO was a pretty cool guy. And our original team/company stayed pretty tight like a family.

By far the worst of it was that the CEO 'rewarded' his employees by springing for an annual corporate retreat, somewhere nice, in Florida. One year it was Amelia Island. The only problem with this corporate retreat was that it was "mandatory", it was ON THE WEEKEND, and you had to HAVE A ROOMMATE. I've done a ton of traveling for work and I've never had to have a roommate. You could opt out of the roommate, but then you had to spring for your own room at a 'discounted' rate of like 250/night or whatever. I did go one year, sprung for my own room, and there were a lot of rah rah sessions during the day but at night it was a big party.

The mandatory/weekend/roommate thing really bothered me, though. Especially since my kids were younger at the time and my wife works FT.

Now we got bought out again by a ~ 100k people company, and I kind of miss that excuse to escape for a weekend to be honest. But I'm sure I'd still bitch about.

by **steveschneider** 2019-04-24, 16:40

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:I don't really have to deal with much of that, and neither does anyone who works in our office. I think it all depends on the company.

When I hired in it was like a 50-60 person company and it was honestly like a family. We would all fly in every so often for company and team sessions and we'd party it up. There were some pretty funny/awkward moments.

Then, we got bought out by a ~ 600 person company, and they moved us into their nice office in Tampa. They were a little cult-y. There were more town halls and things of that nature but the CEO was a pretty cool guy. And our original team/company stayed pretty tight like a family.

By far the worst of it was that the CEO 'rewarded' his employees by springing for an annual corporate retreat, somewhere nice, in Florida. One year it was Amelia Island. The only problem with this corporate retreat was that it was "mandatory", it was ON THE WEEKEND, and you had to HAVE A ROOMMATE. I've done a ton of traveling for work and I've never had to have a roommate. You could opt out of the roommate, but then you had to spring for your own room at a 'discounted' rate of like 250/night or whatever. I did go one year, sprung for my own room, and there were a lot of rah rah sessions during the day but at night it was a big party.

The mandatory/weekend/roommate thing really bothered me, though. Especially since my kids were younger at the time and my wife works FT.

Now we got bought out again by a ~ 100k people company, and I kind of miss that excuse to escape for a weekend to be honest. But I'm sure I'd still bitch about.

Yeah, I went to a 'retreat' outside of Boston and it was very cult like. Pretty much spent the entire day together, ate all our meals together and for the team building event went out and played bar trivia at night which was super lame. It last two days and it was brutal to be honest. Just sat in a hotel conference room with no windows all day talking about the company vision and goals. I felt like they were doing cult tactics to brainwash us by just repeating the same message over and over and it went on all day. On the bright side I've made a lot of good friends in the companies I've worked in and met some great people so that's the upside. Used to go to Mets game with the colleagues and get completely bombed. Good times!

by **tGreenWay** 2019-04-24, 16:41

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:
Rocinante wrote:

Did you keep your Swingline stapler when they switched to Boston? You know Swinglines don't bind up as much.

Old photo. Travis’ desk is now in the basement.

by **steveschneider** 2019-04-24, 16:45

Just had a memory from that retreat. We did some exercises where everyone had to come up with a sentence for the new company vision and we spent an hour creating it. It was such bullshit.

by **tGreenWay** 2019-04-24, 16:58

steveschneider wrote:Been working a corporate job for 20+ years now. Is it just me or is corporate culture getting worse? Find I'm on more bs team calls, more bullshit training assignments that have to be completed by a certain date, more team emails where you have to go over shit like 'pain points', 'creating efficiencies' or sharing 'anecdotes about situations where you worked late or solved last minute problems'. For the 2018 year end review had to come up with all these 'smart goals' for 2019 that have all these measurable results that I have to provide on quarterly.

When I started out in 1999 we all worked in cubes, now everyone including my boss works in open floor plans that are out in the open with no dividers. The only thing that I can say that has improved is I'm allowed to work from home and can 'telecommute'. I got completely lucky and negotiated that about 5 years ago but if I started out today no way they'd allow it. I'd be stuck on the 19th floor on a big open floor plan with about 300 people. Just awful. Also, I used to have an expense accounts - gone. Corporate parties where you'd booze on the company dime - gone. Special events like a Mets or Yankees game or boozing at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller- gone. All the perks gone. Just show up work 9-5:30 do the work with more bullshit than ever.

Your post makes me sad, Steve. Do I get pain points?

by **steveschneider** 2019-04-24, 17:03

tGreenWay wrote:
steveschneider wrote:Been working a corporate job for 20+ years now. Is it just me or is corporate culture getting worse? Find I'm on more bs team calls, more bullshit training assignments that have to be completed by a certain date, more team emails where you have to go over shit like 'pain points', 'creating efficiencies' or sharing 'anecdotes about situations where you worked late or solved last minute problems'. For the 2018 year end review had to come up with all these 'smart goals' for 2019 that have all these measurable results that I have to provide on quarterly.

When I started out in 1999 we all worked in cubes, now everyone including my boss works in open floor plans that are out in the open with no dividers. The only thing that I can say that has improved is I'm allowed to work from home and can 'telecommute'. I got completely lucky and negotiated that about 5 years ago but if I started out today no way they'd allow it. I'd be stuck on the 19th floor on a big open floor plan with about 300 people. Just awful. Also, I used to have an expense accounts - gone. Corporate parties where you'd booze on the company dime - gone. Special events like a Mets or Yankees game or boozing at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller- gone. All the perks gone. Just show up work 9-5:30 do the work with more bullshit than ever.

Your post makes me sad, Steve. Do I get pain points?

Ha. Gotta say I like the work. Just hate the bullshit.

by **tGreenWay** 2019-04-24, 17:11

steveschneider wrote:
tGreenWay wrote:

Your post makes me sad, Steve. Do I get pain points?

Ha. Gotta say I like the work. Just hate the bullshit.

That counts for something.

The judges award Steve 10 pain points.

by **steveschneider** 2019-04-24, 22:24

tGreenWay wrote:
steveschneider wrote:

Ha. Gotta say I like the work. Just hate the bullshit.

That counts for something.

The judges award Steve 10 pain points.

You ever have to discuss pain points at work? Are you a corporate employee?

by **Tim Wakefield** 2019-04-24, 23:05

Sign me up for some stability

by **tGreenWay** 2019-04-24, 23:42

steveschneider wrote:
tGreenWay wrote:

That counts for something.

The judges award Steve 10 pain points.

You ever have to discuss pain points at work? Are you a corporate employee?

I’ve worked for large broadcasting companies, but on the news side there was never such a corporate climate like you and others have described. Prior to those jobs, I worked for a few family O&Os. Now, I don’t have to, because I’m my own boss with my own financial streams.

by **InTenSity** 2019-04-25, 10:07

We still have the cubicles. Somewhat open, but then Directors and Managers have offices with window's.
Everything is more about CYA, than fix the problem, but whatever. I'll bitch about it later. Benefits aren't bad though, and since I carry over 5 days of vacation every year, I can use between 22-27 days a year. Most places I think are only giving around 10 days vacation now.
Right now though, it almost feels like a soft takeover. New President, although with the company for 15 years, was in Europe and Middle East. In the last 6 months, the following have 'retired', CFO, Sr. VP Operations, Sr VP Sales and Product Management, Sr VP HR, SR VP R&D. I think a couple of others. HR, Operations and CFO were all replaced from outside the organization.
Its weird, we'll see how it goes. They slashed bonuses this year and because of that a few of the Sr. Sales managers, with huge accounts and years of experience have put in their resignations.

by **tGreenWay** 2019-04-25, 10:26

InTenSity wrote:We still have the cubicles. Somewhat open, but then Directors and Managers have offices with window's.
Everything is more about CYA, than fix the problem, but whatever. I'll bitch about it later. Benefits aren't bad though, and since I carry over 5 days of vacation every year, I can use between 22-27 days a year. Most places I think are only giving around 10 days vacation now.
Right now though, it almost feels like a soft takeover. New President, although with the company for 15 years, was in Europe and Middle East. In the last 6 months, the following have 'retired', CFO, Sr. VP Operations, Sr VP Sales and Product Management, Sr VP HR, SR VP R&D. I think a couple of others. HR, Operations and CFO were all replaced from outside the organization.
Its weird, we'll see how it goes. They slashed bonuses this year and because of that a few of the Sr. Sales managers, with huge accounts and years of experience have put in their resignations.

I will never understand companies that squeeze all the life out of their employees and give so little in reward. Pay a better than competitive salary, offer bonuses throughout the year when things are going well, and be generous with vacation and personal days. Staff will be happier and healthier, and companies will be rewarded with a higher degree of employee loyalty.

by **steveschneider** 2019-04-25, 10:33

tGreenWay wrote:
steveschneider wrote:

You ever have to discuss pain points at work? Are you a corporate employee?

I’ve worked for large broadcasting companies, but on the news side there was never such a corporate climate like you and others have described. Prior to those jobs, I worked for a few family O&Os. Now, I don’t have to, because I’m my own boss with my own financial streams.

Yeah, looking back being a tv camera man at a local news station or an editor would be a pretty good gig. Those guys are union right? Steady work, and it seems like there's a lot of down time where everyone is there early waiting for the broadcast to start. I remember going to a taping of the Letterman show and thinking those camera guys have a great gig. I had a friend that worked fresh out of college for ABC News (national) and it sounded terrible. Long hours, lots of shouting at eachother, big egos and tons of pressure meeting deadlines.

by **Heat Miser** 2019-04-25, 12:45

tGreenWay wrote:
InTenSity wrote:We still have the cubicles. Somewhat open, but then Directors and Managers have offices with window's.
Everything is more about CYA, than fix the problem, but whatever. I'll bitch about it later. Benefits aren't bad though, and since I carry over 5 days of vacation every year, I can use between 22-27 days a year. Most places I think are only giving around 10 days vacation now.
Right now though, it almost feels like a soft takeover. New President, although with the company for 15 years, was in Europe and Middle East. In the last 6 months, the following have 'retired', CFO, Sr. VP Operations, Sr VP Sales and Product Management, Sr VP HR, SR VP R&D. I think a couple of others. HR, Operations and CFO were all replaced from outside the organization.
Its weird, we'll see how it goes. They slashed bonuses this year and because of that a few of the Sr. Sales managers, with huge accounts and years of experience have put in their resignations.

I will never understand companies that squeeze all the life out of their employees and give so little in reward. Pay a better than competitive salary, offer bonuses throughout the year when things are going well, and be generous with vacation and personal days. Staff will be happier and healthier, and companies will be rewarded with a higher degree of employee loyalty.

Gotta get that margin up .25% year over year. God forbid we don't hit our margin target! And that giant corporate tax break we got from the US govt. doesn't count. It's "below the line".

by **steveschneider** 2019-10-30, 11:58

Shit that needs to go away in corporate culture -

'Happy Humpday'....most played out joke ever.

by **Other Teams Pursuing That** 2019-10-30, 12:22

by **WhiteBoyHatcher** 2019-10-30, 12:27

steve with all respect your place of employment sounds terrible.

by **steveschneider** 2019-10-30, 12:30

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:steve with all respect your place of employment sounds terrible.

It really is. The only upside is being able to work from home and I get to work with awesome clients externally. Internally the place is a shit show. Good news is I'm making moves for a new job so fingers crossed. Have two prospects forming.

by **steveschneider** 2019-10-30, 12:43

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:

Top 5 satire of all time. I'm living that nightmare.

Another phrase I hate is in emails when some one writes 'Nice to e-meet you!'.

It's like how about you go e-fuck yourself asshole!

by **Other Teams Pursuing That** 2019-10-30, 12:53

steveschneider wrote:
Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:

Top 5 satire of all time. I'm living that nightmare.

Another phrase I hate is in emails when some one writes 'Nice to e-meet you!'.

It's like how about you go e-fuck yourself asshole!

Steve, just find a new job, man. There are plenty out there that are not the nightmare that corporate america is.

by **kingstonlake** 2019-10-30, 13:21

The last time I talked to my boss he called me to say one of my accounts complained that I was expanding our product line to much.

He congratulated me on my aggressive sales techniques and fully supported what I did, lol.

It’s one of the perks of living in Mio lite. Nobody wants to drive up here and see me. They just call.

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