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You make good point, but it can be extraordinarily difficult to change a company's toxic management culture from the inside. You speak out, you lead by example,

You make good point, but it can be extraordinarily difficult to change a company's toxic management culture from the inside. You speak out, you lead by example, you ask tough questions... Then you start getting bad reviews. Colleagues speak of you as being "difficult." You are passed over for involvement in important initiatives. You quit in disgust, but now they leak that you are a poor performer who is no longer relevant, and your speaking out about worker conditions is just a poor performer trying to distract everyone from their inability to get things done. It is very, very difficult to win some battles from the inside. Toxic cultures are ruthless when defending themselves from change. Ask any woman about challenging inappropriate sexual behaviour. I believe we'll hear the same thing.

lazyjones 6y ago
> You quit in disgust, but now they leak that you are a poor performer who is no longer relevant, and your speaking out about worker conditions is just a poor performer trying to distract everyone from their inability to get things done. I'm not sure this is worse than quitting in disgust and then publishing drama and negative opinions about your past employer. At least the poor performance claim can be countered with actual past reviews. > It is very, very difficult to win some battles from the inside It's even more difficult if you don't even try and when everyone who wants to and could do it just leaves.
- AlexandrB 6y ago
  I suspect Tim has a pretty good understanding of his ability to influence Amazon's corporate culture: > At that point I snapped. VPs shouldn’t go publicly rogue, so I escalated through the proper channels and by the book. I’m not at liberty to disclose those discussions, but I made many of the arguments appearing in this essay. I think I made them to the appropriate people. And it seems that failed. What's left to do at that point? You can "sabotage" - in the sense of refusing to do your job. You can participate in a system you think is heading in the wrong direction (and with the knowledge you can't really change it). Or you can quit.

lazyjones 6y ago

> You quit in disgust, but now they leak that you are a poor performer who is no longer relevant, and your speaking out about worker conditions is just a poor performer trying to distract everyone from their inability to get things done. I'm not sure this is worse than quitting in disgust and then publishing drama and negative opinions about your past employer. At least the poor performance claim can be countered with actual past reviews. > It is very, very difficult to win some battles from the inside It's even more difficult if you don't even try and when everyone who wants to and could do it just leaves.

AlexandrB 6y ago
I suspect Tim has a pretty good understanding of his ability to influence Amazon's corporate culture: > At that point I snapped. VPs shouldn’t go publicly rogue, so I escalated through the proper channels and by the book. I’m not at liberty to disclose those discussions, but I made many of the arguments appearing in this essay. I think I made them to the appropriate people. And it seems that failed. What's left to do at that point? You can "sabotage" - in the sense of refusing to do your job. You can participate in a system you think is heading in the wrong direction (and with the knowledge you can't really change it). Or you can quit.