Serious question: after all the cuts and chaos, does anyone actually work for a manager who knows what they're doing? Feels like all the good ones left, and the ones left are either checked out or clueless.
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Michael Scott was the last one. Bacon feet and all.
I heard JM got fired from his first job at a sandwich joint for putting his finger in the pickle slicer.
She got fired too.
I haven't had the good luck of having good direct reporting managers at Nike. My current experience is that my direct manager is micromanaging, minimizing me, and definitely not evaluating me correctly. Plus, they insulted me terribly many times in the past, and they are so biased, and I can feel the deep jealousy as well. On top of it, I am walking on eggshells around them, and I fear them, that if I don't give them the power they desperately want, they would ruin my career. This is very, very bad management. My director is so much better, but I don't report directly to them. I am hanging on to this job until I can find something better in this awful market, as I need the paycheck. This has definitely been one of the worst direct managers I have had in my career, but there is nothing I can do to change it. Nike has decided they are a good manager, and it's either I find something else, or I put up with this very, very poor way of managing.
@y8 I bet JM gave the shirt off his back to BJ who is his HRBP on one of their “business trips.” Haha. I bet it was in exchange for a small favor. He’s a man with no morals and a past that’s disgusting!
Some VPs and Sr directors do but most directors and especially Nike lifers are completely worthless in my experience . Better at politics that leading team delivering strategy or helping this ship turn around.
@gy or maybe….just maybe….not every team is as bad as yours and you hate your own life to the point you need therapy? Let people who are good be good. The comment in this thread said it best. Celebrate the good so we get more. Don’t hate because you can’t stand your own reflection in the mirror.
@f0 It’s people like her who are su-king this company dry. Unbelievable these people get promoted to VP.
I once saw a geo tech vp disregard all her teams recommendations, instead she just over promised to her leaders and said things can be done with way less resources than what the team told her.
She is now global VP. Her unfulfilled promises didn’t matter. She made leaders happy at some point by committing to things that never got delivered.
That’s how it works. Manage up, not down.
Good managers don’t just manage up. They balance managing up and down, with more focus on the down. They believe in the company’s mission and are committed to doing the right thing.
The issue is that senior leaders reward people who manage impressions and say the right things, not those who actually lead. Their teams aren’t inspired, they just do enough to get by.
There are still strong leaders here, but they don’t stand out because they focus on their teams and the business, not self-promotion. It’s hard to tell real leadership from people just playing the role for the next promotion.
@a2 rare....thats good you have that env, they do exist in pockets, but that does not mean immune from layoffs, which are every year and will continue for the foreseeable future. Big divestiture in whq (phk) for itc, not sure why atl is still open, mine as well can that in lieu of the new itc #2 giant campus
Brownnosers
What senior leader consider good managers seem to be different than what the teams think.
I’ve had good and bad here. Every company has that everywhere. It’s short-sided and whiney to claim 100% of all people managers and leaders are bad. That sounds more like a bitter reflection upon your own individual career success.
Celebrate the good ones so we get more of them…:don’t hate because yours isn’t one of the good ones.
It all ends with 45
All the good leaders are not in manager roles here. They have been pushed down and overworked. Nike is no place for true leaders to shine and win.
The previous comment drank the Kool-aid.
There are barely any left in tech and none that are influential, seasoned and been at NIke longer than a couple years. I always felt comfortable and protected until one day my Sr. Leader decided to leave. I am starting to look external myself to make sure I am not impacted by another upcoming layoff soon.
I believe our small organization is fantastic. The leader and their direct reports all appear to genuinely care about their teams and individuals. They are always present and visible, actively engaging with everyone. People seem to enjoy each other’s company, and there are even nerf darts placed around desks for fun. This environment doesn’t feel hierarchical, unlike the one I came from, which was quite rigid and intimidating to talk to leaders.
While I can’t speak for everyone, I believe this culture is great and plays a role in why I’m not looking for something else right now.