First, alignment doesn't exist. Ask three managers the same question and you'll get three answers, maybe four. Then when you actually need support, when you raise your hand because you're stuck, they go blank. No ideas, no resources, and no help. Just a lot of blinking. But God forbid you make an error. Then they're everywhere. Suddenly they have all the time in the world to watch you and question every step, just to make sure you know you sc--wed up. They can't help you succeed but they'll definitely monitor your failure.
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@ps 1,000,000% correct. Arvind? Anyone? Next CEO Robbie "I look mahvelous in hoodie and sneakers" Thomas? Anyone?
IBM managers were once the golden standard of the industry. But that was a long time ago. Now it is a joke. There are still some good ones but those individuals are very rare in current days. In my area they are all friends with someone higher up. It’s not because of their talent. There are other people who are much more deserving of such roles and would be a much better fit but they were passed over for the friend. And it’s not isolate case but very common. Really it’s the internal culture that makes this happen. It is a symptom that self supports the continuation of the problem.
+1 @e6+1kkew6txs, on top of what you mention, first line managers (in software) are constantly pushed to adopt/implement/integrate our product with the pet project of the sitting VP (this VP is always too busy to learn about what the product does), these projects, 95% of the time, yield no benefits (generous estimate), these initiatives, and the scarcity of competent headcount , result in the lack of investment on areas that our current, and potential clients are interested in. Another thing is the “all hands on deck” drills to have an integration story with the new product, IBM just acquired, regardless of what that product does, and if it actually makes any sense to integrate. I have been forced to drive so many of these initiatives, just to learn that after a year or so of the completion, there is hardly any usage or revenue. The brains behind those ideas have zero accountability. As a result the team members have always the impression, that IBM is all but chaos, lack of clarity/strategy and little to no accomplishments.
IBM for decades has the best managers because they were trained very consistently and IBM actually had a culture everyone loved when they rolloed out of bed in the morning. Now IBM is simply a book of 200 different companies they have bought with NOTHING in common so it is chaos and juvenile. They have Excel files etc tracking ok this dept needs 3 women, 2 men, 4 black, 2 white, 3 asian etc. It is disgusting and illegal but here is the CEO on leaked video planning it. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0u74BDiAjN/
I was a front line manager. It's not that we're useless, at least by choice, and we're definitely not pieces of sh-t. Upper management constantly is changing goal posts, they will say one thing one week then the next the procedures and alignment has completely changed. They are temperamental. It's not that I won't help you, it's that I can't. You can see that sh-t is happening above you but nobody will really tell you why, and you get your information from the rumor mill which is always pieces of truth you have to try and piece together. Then they take away all of the tools we have to help you with your job, like evaluations, they are back to forcing managers to mark low performers even if there are none. It was good a few years ago and I felt empowered to lead my team but I stepped down because they took all of that away from us. For example, I had an employee grossly behind in pay and band and I spent a solid year trying to get him promoted up but every time, last minute, they would change the goalposts and I'd get no clarity on why he was rejected, even though I gave him good marks. The latest being that my "exceeds/meets" was not good enough for a band promotion even though he was an entire band behind people coming in entry level despite being more qualified.
We won’t hire them. They used to be great but last 10 years tremendously declined
IBM managers are useless p1eces of sh1t.
I worked in different companies, where mangers used to be developers too, then there is IBM managers.
you forgot to add , assign templated generic target and goals to everyone at same level irrespective of role they are playing. and when you try to lead and help them structure the role and targets right way they are totally not bothered.. just listen from one ear and take it out the other.. all those 1:1 have been the most useless in my career as there is zero follow-up . unfortunately these are the very type IBM promotes in hierarchy because they have been there for years willing to do all the licking and unethical manipulating to replace local experienced hires