Thread regarding U.S. Bank layoffs

Technical portfolio managers. They manage the rosters, clarity, and finances for Digital teams. Big reshuffle for them too. I hope OP sees now that this has nothing to do with his agile manager. This is part of a much bigger resource strategy that is hitting every org.

@25g Toilet Paper Men?

Even the TPMs are getting all swapped around!

Can’t reorganize that which does not exist.

There is no one left in Agile due to constant cuts and offshoring.

LOL! We’ve gotten new emails every few days from Engineering, Product, and now UX about team assignment changes up and down the org and you think Agile is the problem? If you think this is all being driven by the Agile team you are living under a rock.

@1hk I love this. Well said. If anyone is getting bloated pay it's C-suite and leadership. If they aren't willing to make their own sacrifices, then what's the point?

@10m

Budget pressure is real, no argument there. What’s harder to buy is the idea that middle management somehow has no agency while still collecting a paycheck specifically for judgment, prioritization, and decision-making.

“Tough spot” doesn’t mean “exempt from using expertise.” If the solution to every constraint is indiscriminate reshuffling and vibes-based motivation, that’s not creativity, that’s abdication with a status meeting.

You don’t get to claim leadership when things are calm and then suddenly become a helpless conduit when decisions land poorly. Middle managers are literally paid to translate constraints into logical actions, not to pass chaos downstream and call it morale management.

So sure, budgets are tight. That’s exactly when experience, context, and judgment should matter most, not least.

@zf

Appreciate the Agile TED Talk. I’m aware rotational models exist. Awareness wasn’t the issue. Execution is.

Rotating people can surface anti-patterns. It can also destroy team trust, context, and momentum when done as a drive-by reorg with zero conversation. Both things can be true at once.

Also interesting leap from “I’m frustrated with how this was handled” to “you were comfy cozy / maybe this saved your job.” Olympic-level projection with zero evidence.

I’ve moved teams plenty of times and helped plenty of them succeed. I just don’t pretend every leadership decision is automatically strategic because layoffs exist. Not every disagreement is a personal failing, and not every leadership decision deserves a gold star because people are scared of the market.

But hey, thanks for the career coaching and economic forecast. I’ll file it right next to “good luck!

@zf what color is the sky in your world?

Kudos. This was very well written.

SVP starts at GL-18, not 17…

This doesn't apply to just Agile. Departments all over the bank are needing to be creative as budgets are reduced. Promos aren't easy to come by and managers might be moving people around to keep them motivated and productive, or even to save headcount.

It's easy to blame some leadership, but I don't think those in Middle Management are to blame. Most want to keep employees happy and are in a tough spot.

@vr I blame the CEO, President and Chairman of the Board. The buck stops with that person and that person only. Enough with this "do more with less" nonsense.

@zf You are only looking at the tree and have completely missed the forest. It is not that we don't understand how it works but that it has been normalized. Would "leaders" be okay if we moved CxO's or even L3 or L4 at the bank "where there is a need" as you put it? Of course, not! So why is that okay for individual contributors? We aren't consultants. We are FTE's. Moving to a new team, gaining their confidence and ramping them up to be productive is extremely hard work. It can be done but the reward is slow and stable time after the goal has been achieved. Not move on to the next fire. Yes, I get it that it's the new way at the bank for everyone but it's a sh---y way that leads to burn out. It is a symptom of poor leadership which is the root cause.

----- Not a scrum master

lol you realize a ton of other companies have a rotational model for scrum masters? They stay on teams for a year max. The idea being that the longer you stay in one team, the more blind you become to anti-patterns. A lot of companies are even moving towards just a “pull” model for Agile and program/project mngrs. You join whatever team has a need. Get them up and running and sustainable and then move on to the next team.
Sounds like you were comfy cozy in your old team, my friend. And I understand that changing teams can be a challenge. But leaders are going to put people where there is a need. Maybe your skills can help your new team succeed? Maybe your old team asked for a new scrum master? Maybe you got moved to literally save your job? (Idk if you realize this but there were tons of layoffs in January with more to come as the year progresses)

Can confirm what a previous poster said. I am a product manager who was moved to a new group a few weeks ago.

If you are this unhappy joining a new team, maybe it’s time for you to look at roles outside the bank. Sounds like this is about way more than just a new team assignment. Good luck!

I think the bigger issue is leadership asking agile, and every role, to do more with less every year… we haven’t gone a half year without layoffs in how long?? All of digital has been squeezed down to the bones. If you want to blame anyone, blame DV and his directs… you can even blame SP and her directs… lower level managers get zero say in any of these decisions.

No one is forcing you to stay at US Bank. If you don’t like where they moved you, look for a new job… this isn’t just happening in Agile. Did you miss all of the product and engineering people who were moved to new teams too?

@en This is the way. One caveat, this will immediately make you a threat and you will most likely be terminated before being able to out the leader. Nonetheless, the entire process is gratifying however far you're able to carry it. In my experience, most managers are not prepared for being held accountable by their subordinates and they crumble quickly.

@OP Bravo!

Can the Agile Coach over Document Management please get laid off?

@pp

That su-ks, it sounds like that should have been a performance discussion. It sounds you’re getting someone who won’t even know how to take notes or on what. In our area, SMs do all the heavy lifting. GL 16-17 agile coaches and agile leaders do NOTHING except build mural boards and coaching plans, hahaha.

@p2

Exactly. These parasites will ruin your career trying to save themselves. The only option is to fight.

The scrum masters in my area waste the time of the team with endless, useless meetings. They are official note takers. They blame workers for failure and take the credit for success. This was a gift position for failed managers.

Do NOT let your leader make it seem like this was mandatory. Entirely optional. Not EVERY scrum master was rotated. Some agile leaders were more judicious than others and only did it in situations that made sense.

If your leader went all in, they’re trying to justify their value and keep their jobs.

Make it hurt.

@en you should see how my leadership thrives on ambiguity and vague responses. They don’t know what they want but want it done yesterday at the lowest cost. I continue to irritate them with my questions. They may fire me but not before I su-k all the energy and meaning out of them. It is a fun game to play.

Honestly I think they do this so they have a reason to put people on PIPs or give them Needs Imorovement ratings so they have a reason to let people go, OR they do this so people will self attrite. I really believe this shuffling people around sh-t they do is a form of constructive dismissal à la the McKinsey playbook. They want you to hate your job. They tell you it’s because it’s where you’re needed or where you’ll make an impact, but it’s really just a way to shut you up and force you out.

@OP are you in my org because this definitely describes changes in mine. It's absolutely insane and I also question why because this is only going to cause delays in all the things we had going on while 90% of us get used to new teams/products. It's very frustrating. I worry about the work life balance I had before this change being completely gone now.

Leaving the agile org was one of the best things for my career and mental health. I hope you can find a different role. You clearly belong in leadership.

Congratulations, it’s rebellion o’clock. Your mission is simple: move at a glacial pace and make absolutely sure no one can plausibly spin this as a win. Question everything. Demand crystal-clear guidance from leadership on what things are supposed to look like, then question that too. If they suggest collaborating with a peer, make a big show of how vital it is for you to get leadership’s explicit sign-off on every microscopic decision. Drown them in details. We-ponize clarification. And when people start grumbling or raising concerns, calmly name-drop the leaders who designed this shiny transition and redirect all complaints straight back to them. Make it exquisitely uncomfortable.

This is the best post I've seen on here in a long time. I'll sum it up by saying our leadership is dog sh-t and it's a fu--ing joke to everyone but themselves.

My current agile leader managed to parlay a community college mystery degree into a meteoric rise from intern to contractor to GL-17 senior VP in under ten years. Strategic brilliance? Deep technical expertise? Actual relationship management skills? Hard no. But hey, they’ve clearly mastered the art of ego massage, and apparently that’s the most valuable skill in the building.

Nicely put OP. I have given up on our leadership. Every one of them clearly failed upwards and were lucky to get breaks during easy times. They know nothing, do something to keep busy and are actively sinking our ship. You should see some of them blurting irrelevant questions to a current discussion during calls. They open their mouths to sound like leaders and end up showing a profound lack of knowledge. It has truly become an organization of lions led by lambs.

I didn’t think any agile leadership was left.