Dan, this message is for you.
Restructuring is a strategic necessity, but the way it was executed has exposed a serious problem inside the organization. Many leaders protected low performers simply because they were friends or favorites, while top talent — the people who carried teams, drove results, and supported customers — were the ones eliminated.
We saw the same pattern during the last VSP: some of the strongest minds and most committed employees walked out the door. It’s happening again, and the impact is real. When the people who actually make the company successful are gone, the company doesn’t get stronger — it gets weaker.
Verizon cannot grow if it keeps losing its best people while keeping those who contribute the least. Our customers feel it, our teams feel it, and the culture feels it. Favoritism is not leadership, and it’s not how you build a high-performance organization.
If we want to restore trust, retain talent, and win in the market, we need accountability for how these decisions were made. And we need to start investing in and protecting the hardworking employees who truly move this company forward.