I won't go as far as to say Chevron has completely lost its way but we're not that far from it. We're saturated with middle managers and executives, most of who contribute nothing. In a lot of cases, you have to know somebody to progress. The pay and benefits are good, but they've been better. What confuses me is how so many employees who've been here long enough to have seen these changes personally can still defend Chevron and call it a great place to work. Is it a case of Stockholm syndrome?
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The grass is usually greener on the other side, but some of us are allergic to it
No one in any sincerity can say that company culture has improved, particularly over the last decade. Stated simply, when you focus on social engineering more than core competencies and growth, your company is doomed to a slow demise.
@4jxo Cool piece of Fiction, Bro, which aisle of the fantasy section do I find that one on? LMAO!
Anyone who thinks the pay at Chevron is "good" needs to look around to see what other companies are paying. I bounced and got a 30% raise without even really trying, as have a lot of others.
"“Dear Carolyn: I am not the man my wife, family, and friends think I am. Not at work, anyway. I can admit to you anonymously that I’ve been coasting for years. I’ve become really good at faking it and getting someone else to do the hard work, and I really know how to snow upper management. What I don’t know is how to change this — not after almost 20 years of operating this way.
I’ve been promoted at most jobs I’ve had, I’ve even gotten bonuses and awards for my performance. The key has always been for me to leave after four or five years while my reputation at my present job is still good and the new place hears nothing but glowing references. But things do come to light after I’ve left — I’ve heard from former co-workers that some messes I’ve left or hidden have caused huge problems. I’m lucky because upper management never wants to admit that the guy they championed was a real blank-up and since I’ve moved on they don’t say too much or do anything.
My wife has asked me to stay at my present job — I’ve been here over three years and she is sick of relocating and we have a toddler, so this is a reasonable request on the surface but impossible for me. I can’t tell her the truth. I would be mortified if she ever found out what I’m really like at work. How do I even start to fix this? I’m not used to working hard, I’m not even that good at what I do, and if I don’t get out of here soon, I really fear I’ll be found out. What do I do now?
— I’m a fraud and I don’t know how to change”"
Morale is the worst I've ever seen it since the transformation. People are worn out and becoming tired of the non stop changes and layoffs. Our management is doing everything they can to destroy the company from an employee perspective.
Somebody was talking up a manager recently. I said, “Let me guess. He asked a lot of questions but didn’t contribute any recommendations or actions.” Well now that you mention it, that’s exactly what happened. He asked good questions. That’s what Chevron values now. It’s not about being decisive and taking action. It’s about being inquisitive.
I remember when supervisors and middle managers were admired by all for their technical prowess, people skills and decision making. Now, most are pretty appalling and mostly just try to make smart-sounding remarks in meetings in front of their betters.
People talking about 'the grass is greener elsewhere' are too young to remember that 10-15 years ago, Chevron was the industry envy, with people doing their best to get in and advance. Now, we have diversity, AI and ML, more specialized networks than ever before (and people spending Company time organizing displays and videos), and high-pots pretending to run things after running off the Boomers in 2020. Morale began slipping in 2014-15, and is accelerating downwards. SR just shrugs their collective shoulders and issues more bonuses and stock buy-backs.
And yet the look back on the Transformation deemed it a rousing success with bonuses and promotions for all involved.
The transformation was never going to produce a flatter leaner orginization....just look at those given the task of designing the org...they had to make sure they had places for all these who would protect them and make them look good....a great opportunity to make the organisation for the future ,instead we finish up with this self protecting cluster f*** which is destroying moral and ultimately what was once a great company
We need to start by laying off the lay offs. If you keep laying off and making organization changes often the culture is going to be no good and morale is going to drop.
For those wondering if the grass is greener, yes, yes it is. I left 3 years ago and am completely satisfied with my new OG company.
You are delusional if you think the company will change based on the musings of whiners. Go get another job.
The promise of the transformation was returning to a flatter organization, more focused on getting the job done. The total opposite has occurred! We are no longer training folks in the skills needed to predict variations in the subsurface and hydrocarbon extraction operations, but instead are shifting to some make-believe world of machine learning and computational systems. While the latter will have some marginal impacts on out future success, the core petro-tech skills and field operational experience will remain the bread and butter of this industry. Pretending Microsoft knows more about the oil and gas industry than we do is spectacularly misguided. Yes, someday the world will move beyond petroleum, but that world remains a long way off.
You obviously are not a fit. You need to find other work. You will be happier for it, as well as those who have to work with you. If you don’t move on you will eventually be released. Good luck finding other work!
When you have layoffs every 2 years, your culture goes to $hit
The food in Stockholm is worse than MCBU drilling.
I don’t think it is Stockholm syndrome I just think most people don’t expect the grass to be greener somewhere else. Obviously you are still working here so what is keeping you from moving on?