5 ms·

> There is a core group annointed by someone legendary who doesn't really participate much, a senate of old guard who run things in the background, some quirky

by pan69 5y ago

> There is a core group annointed by someone legendary who doesn't really participate much, a senate of old guard who run things in the background, some quirky legacies who are tolerated but marginal, a few social queen bee types who gatekeep and police the tone, and then a lot of social butterflies who promote and attract people into the gateway funnel. It's the model of leader/essentials/influentials/interchangeables model. I recently started a new role at a large Enterprise after having worked in startups for the past 10 years and have been annoyed by the culture in the company. What you describe seems to fit more or less my feelings about the business. There is the typical clique around the CEO of bonus collectors, they want to hire loads of people "to go faster" and do things "different" but at the same time people who have been there for a while (often a long time) want to keep people out so they can keep working in sleepy town and have business as usual. etc. A similar dynamic. Interesting.

nunez 5y ago
I think that's a combination of "I want to lose weight without really changing anything" and "We want to reward loyalty by tying promotions to tenure...until you're no longer useful and we can sack you at a moments notice in an unfortunate cost-reduction exercsie."
JALTU 5y ago
I have thought, in my experience, that the c-suite would be smart enough and savvy enough to see this, and even be incentivized to do something about it, but...maybe not. It's kind of the water we swim in, after all. I recall once having the elevator door open as I was about to rush out, only to be blocked an entourage of peeps surrounding one of the founders about to step in...
- KingOfCoders 5y ago
  From my experience in large companies the c-level is highly political, below even more so, as the ways to be promoted is limited.
  - conductr 5y ago
    Promotions are typically group decisions making politics a requirement.
    - KingOfCoders 5y ago
      Yes. And if the promotion possibilities are limited, every competitor you knock out, increases the chance for you to be promoted. On the c-level it's more about budgets, reorgs and getting ownership over more topics (power) - every competitor you make look bad will not get more budget, will not get new responsibilites, will not get the new department. Many people at the top of large organizations got there by knocking out many others, the most political are able to rise to the top over time. Luckily I came into c-level positions by startup growth, byouts and acquisitions, not by going through the ranks.
- conductr 5y ago
  > that the c-suite would be smart enough and savvy enough to see this, and even be incentivized to do something about it Some do better than others. But ultimately it’s the same behaviors in different packaging. Everyone is competing for face time with the chiefs. Everyone is trying to sound the smartest and most insightful. Everyone has to critique or ask for follow up action items; otherwise the meeting was a waste of time. The chiefs like to be around people the relate with. Let’s bond on our shared interest in watches, sports, travels, homes, cars, etc. and it adds pressure to the rising class of veeps to like all of those things as well. After all, what else are you going to do with your bonus?

by pan69 5y ago

nunez 5y ago

I think that's a combination of "I want to lose weight without really changing anything" and "We want to reward loyalty by tying promotions to tenure...until you're no longer useful and we can sack you at a moments notice in an unfortunate cost-reduction exercsie."

JALTU 5y ago

I have thought, in my experience, that the c-suite would be smart enough and savvy enough to see this, and even be incentivized to do something about it, but...maybe not. It's kind of the water we swim in, after all. I recall once having the elevator door open as I was about to rush out, only to be blocked an entourage of peeps surrounding one of the founders about to step in...

KingOfCoders 5y ago
From my experience in large companies the c-level is highly political, below even more so, as the ways to be promoted is limited.
- conductr 5y ago
  Promotions are typically group decisions making politics a requirement.
  - KingOfCoders 5y ago
    Yes. And if the promotion possibilities are limited, every competitor you knock out, increases the chance for you to be promoted. On the c-level it's more about budgets, reorgs and getting ownership over more topics (power) - every competitor you make look bad will not get more budget, will not get new responsibilites, will not get the new department. Many people at the top of large organizations got there by knocking out many others, the most political are able to rise to the top over time. Luckily I came into c-level positions by startup growth, byouts and acquisitions, not by going through the ranks.
conductr 5y ago
> that the c-suite would be smart enough and savvy enough to see this, and even be incentivized to do something about it Some do better than others. But ultimately it’s the same behaviors in different packaging. Everyone is competing for face time with the chiefs. Everyone is trying to sound the smartest and most insightful. Everyone has to critique or ask for follow up action items; otherwise the meeting was a waste of time. The chiefs like to be around people the relate with. Let’s bond on our shared interest in watches, sports, travels, homes, cars, etc. and it adds pressure to the rising class of veeps to like all of those things as well. After all, what else are you going to do with your bonus?