Getting anything approved these days requires jumping through five layers of management. By the time someone finally signs off, the situation has already changed. Progress moves at a snail's pace because of all this red tape. When did we go from efficient to a red tape nightmare?
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@bd @bd kind of. IBM is now made up of some odd and weird and according to US laws, illegal DEI and WOKE hires (CHEERLEADERS) who are hired because" 1. they are not white. 2. they are not male. 3 they are young under 30 and work for cheap. Don't believe me? Watch this leaked internal video of IBM CEO Arvind and Red Hat Chairman discussing "IBM employee populations based on a caste system and skin color and race". This is ILLEGAL in the US but not India his homeland. https://x.com/i/status/1734374423124176944
Meetings never had a pre published or compelling agenda. They are boring and repetitive. Wish I had a $ for every time you hear "excited" on an IBM meeting. That is all they have; cheerleaders trying to spread excitement.
IBM for decades now has suffered from THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES (Robbie Thomas in hoodies and sneakers does not count) and THE PETER PRINCIPLE: The Peter Principle is a management theory formulated by Dr. Laurence J. Peter in 1968, which states that employees in a hierarchical organization tend to be promoted based on their performance in their current role rather than their suitability for the next level. Consequently, individuals continue to be promoted until they reach a position for which they are incompetent, at which point they no longer demonstrate the required skills for further advancement. This leads to the "final placement" or "Peter's Plateau," where the employee remains stuck, often lowering team productivity and morale due to their inability to effectively perform their new duties.
The principle is a critique of conventional promotion practices that equate technical skill in one role with leadership capability in another—such as promoting a stellar technician to a managerial role requiring interpersonal skills they lack. While initially written as a satire, research has validated the principle, showing that companies often promote based on past success, leading to poor management performance after promotion. To mitigate this, organizations are advised to provide targeted training for new roles, create non-management career paths for high performers, or promote based on potential rather than just past achievements.
"When did we go from efficient to a red tape nightmare?"
I can only speak from my own situation (IBM Global Services, GTS, Division 07, 1993-2010). I'd say that it started in 2005, if you want a timestamp. In all divisions, anything that might cost money is approved or disapproved by one or more financial analysts in addition to division management. Anything that might affect a schedule is approved or disapproved by one or more project managers plus one or more department managers. The bigger the issue, the more people get involved for making a decision.
I imagine it's the same in all divisions, but when I was working for GTS there were a lot of "council" or "board" meetings. You'd get a bunch of band 8s, band 9s and maybe even some band 10s. There was a lot of talk, and a LOT of kissing "a" if you know what I mean. Lots of egos, lots of feelings to be massaged, etc. I hated these sorts of meetings, and was grateful that I didn't have to attend many of them. For some people, attending such meetings was their entire job. I imagine that for some people who remain it is still that way.
@at they told me at a band 7 I should be directing rather than being directed and put me on a coaching plan and labeled me a low performer for it twice.
They are actively holding a lot of people at band 7 right now
lol! You can in at Band 6 when? It will take you a lifetime to get to Band 10 and DE, if you ever get there... which I guarantee you, you won't! IBM will do anything it can to keep you at Band 7. Good luck!
A lot of negativity here. IBM is a great place to work I came in as a Band 6 and I am on my way to a band 7. I did Think 85 Last year and I have already done over 45 hours of learning. Why is everyone so mad?
I like how "IBM sellers" with 0-6 months experience take selfies of themselves looking into their phones and post on LinkedIn:
Women post pictures looking at their phone (often mirror selfies) for a mix of vanity, validation, and curation. These photos are typically used to highlight an outfit, hairstyle, or makeup (showcasing appearance) while appearing casual, "candid," or mysterious. This trend also stems from a desire for social validation ("likes") or to show a curated, aesthetic lifestyle.
I also like when they post about "an event" they are running at a local bar and grill or golf place in Atlanta or San Fran and they randomly tell 2B LinkedIn users about it and say feel free to drop by. WTF?!?!?! Invite random strangers to an IBM event costing $10,000? WTF!?!?!?!