Anyone working in tech - is there any area that is not completely and utterly dysfunctional? Seemingly everywhere I look, we are lead by absolute muppets?
23 replies (most recent on top)
If they still produce the Undercover Boss TV series, I would encourage Suren to sign up. Get your popcorn ready.
@2b0
Yes, absolutely. It worked for Suren. The man turned tech's ability to deliver into an absolute abortion and they PROMOTED him. But I honestly think Z and K are so high on the smell of their own farts that they can't look past their overblown and wholly unjustified egos to read the room and bail while the bailing's good. My bet is they'll continue to beclown themselves for a while yet. As long as they can keep fooling the board and as long as the board keeps getting bonuses, they won't give a sh-t. They never have
Wrap arrogant, out of touch leadership like this with the a-s covering, boot licking middle managers who are far more interested in protecting their turf than actually making the company competitive and you have the Allstate way: Failure begets failure, finger pointing ensues, premiums go up, service suffers, market share continues to slip away and then the whole cycles tarts over again when a new group of clueless id--ts shows up and convinces the the board to bat at their shiny metal object.
if Z & K were smart they'd jump this year with a "Look at all we achieved", the wheels are clearly coming off now and 2026 is going to be a disaster for tech.
There was enough momentum from before their ill conceived "product model" to keep the show on the road, however the MVP mindset has permeated everywhere now. They've laid off too many of the people who knew how things were actually put together and had the ability to fix things when they went wrong. Those left with any competence are so demoralised and stretched they don't care anymore.
Couple the millions they've spent on VP vanity projects with the id--ts they've made DPM/MEs means a perfect storm for an awful 2026.
Shockingly poor leadership from execs (K & Z), half-assed ideas that are pushed because speed to market is more important than quality, a culture that values sycophantism over honest, genuine feedback, it's all MVP thinking that's costing hundreds of millions of dollars for little reward, there's zero communication because all teams are siloed and no-one accepts responsibility even if their work is poor. Trying to engage with other teams ends up being a fight because everyone's too busy deflecting.
@1ae ummmmm no. We were in Northbrook until March 2020.
@18f " Is there a push to return to office". Yes onshore for now. The offices are currently being refurbed and the word is that the big dogs are actively pushing to get as--s on seats back in the office space. There have been a few conversations where my boss and my bosses boss have dropped hints that we will be expected to RTO at least a few days a week. I have not heard anything about offshore and what is happening there.
@14m I call bullsh!t for a generalized back to office plan for everyone. Directors and above have to go in 1x a week. Allstate did WFH before covid and sold most of the spaces.
OP: it's not just tech areas
@14m+1kfes81e9 Is there a push to return to office?!? Please share details because this info is not being shared in my area and would appreciate it. Your point is valid that it would justify mgmt jobs that arent needed as other posters point out. Would they really want to take hit to purchase sq footage and all other costs that go along?
Agree with the broader points. Based on a decade of observation, Kamal’s leadership style uses positional power to publicly berate, driving away significant capable talent. He and his team present well to executives, but the narrative frequently falls short of operational reality and business needs. Areas consistently perform better after his departure, and many former team members have gone on to award-winning success at other organizations. Allstate deserves better.
Nope. There is no vision, no consistent leadership. What happens is the rodeo clown of the moment (Zulfi and Kamal in the current incarnation, Suren before them) cons the board into whatever flavor of the moment delivery framework is absaitvely posolutely gonna make Allstate a payer in the online insurance space, the ignorant sycophants who comprise the middle management layer bust out the paint to put the latest color on the behaviors and mindset that built their little fiefdoms and that they haven't changed for years; and then get out the p-m poms to cheerlead what a great idea it is and how it's happening in real time. You'll hear it in every townhall and management meeting-we are getting it done, watch out competitors it's happening!
Then after all the gaslighting and nonsense when market share doesn't increase it's time to reimagine a bunch of people off the payroll, nothing is ever said about the failure and the next set of clowns come beeping their noses out of the big top to start all over again.
That's how IT works at Big Blue.
Short answer: No.
Long answer: No.
In the past, Allstate was a place where staff were treated with respect and dignity. That's all out the window these days. Now, we are all just numbers. If you are not willing, or able to run on the hamster wheel, you will be shown the door.
Management have all the metrics, the graphs, the records to know exactly how we are performing. The AI tools are so good now, it's very easy to collate data on employees. I am just glad I am closer to the end of my career than the beginning, because I am not sure I could take this stress and grind like a college grad will have for the next 40 years.
@wa "With remote work plan, I honestly dont see purpose of managers". Why do you think there is such a big push for getting everyone to return to the office full time. It helps Management to justify their existence. But it will backfire when a large number of those people leave for other companies which offer RWP and higher salaries. Allstate managers are so d-mb and so short sighted they do not see it.
@OP They don't want anyone too capable leading IT or they might notice just how much corruption and double dealing there is in the exec leadership.
@jn Well that is all led from the top. D St. C is barely capable of writing his name without poking his eye out and look where he is.
With remote work plan, I honestly dont see purpose of managers. You are directly measured by your work alone so you produce or are gone. My manager does zero personnel management/actual assistance training - she is a placeholder that reads xls sheets summarizing the work of the customer facing producers who pay for her position. There are still meaningless levels of Peter principle Fail that could be culled but it’s so incestous they just get aimlessly moved around. Of course there is need for some level of management but its still full o bloat tokenism and incompetence.
Leaders fail, make awful decision and just get moved around to other roles and its those below them that lose out.
Look at the example of MB - she ruins everything she touches and doesnt have a clue how to run a Tech area but moved around several areas with a trail of destruction.
I won’t be working here any longer after what my boss said to me
What did he say to me?
You’re fired!!
Children please, play nice now!
It's all toxic, broken, mismanaged, not strategized, and upper management/leadership are simply stupid, unintelligent people and egomaniacs and sociopaths at the same time.
Totally broken from the top down.
@a2 Shut yer pie hole, dou--e
I be make sentence, any ways I want!?
What a pompous a--hole.
The word is spelled "led," not "lead".
Muppets, indeed.