I’m curious to hear some of your thoughts on your Oracle managers. Past, present or future. I worked for 6 managers in 15 years. All were yes men, technologically incompetent and for the most part, very bad leaders and role models as people in general. I believe all are still there. Mostly cause it’s east money and don’t think they’d survive in the tech world. Curious to know if anyone actually worked for someone they liked and respected. No debating, just like to hear others takes.
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OP here...congrats to last person who landed on a good team with a good manager. It's like finding gold on Mars at Oracle.
When I first joined 6+ years ago, my direct manager was supportive and empathetic (they had been there about 5 years, and wasn't a "lifer." Then there was a reorg and someone was put between us who was a micromanaging nightmare who, despite being youngish, had been there over 20 years. I su-ked it up as long as I could, but eventually found a great team to transfer to. Loving my new manager and the entire leadership team. But I've heard that wasn't always the case and we are fortunate to be in a good little pocket. I will enjoy it as long as it lasts.
Most of these are very on point. I noticed with all my managers. If I questioned something I knew was wrong to be doing or wasting my time, the manager would just be like “just do it” one manager had me read a manual to a customer. Also if mgmt knew I could easily move elsewhere cause of my skill set, they would make it seem like their team was like working for the best or that I was so fortunate to be on this team or that team. Granted there are tons of people that are stuck and archaic skills and can’t go anywhere else so they insulate themselves with falsehoods and make believe. Everything I learned in my decade at oracle I could’ve learned in a year at a proper shop. Waste of time but I def made up for it. Never worked more than 25 hours a week for them clowns.
Great post. Yeah. I left oracle about 5-10 years ago. The word morals and integrity don’t happen with oracle mgmt. granted some other tech companies are bad but oracle mgrs seem to learn from trash above them. Really low human beings.
The managers I had at Oracle. All but one were men. I really never understood it, but I felt like they were just jealous of me. From the first to the last, they all held me back from growing. It got so weird. The first guy who hired me, he pointed me in so many wrong directions. The one woman who managed me, she picked her friends over me every time for projects. The others after that, just totally incompetent. Some still there. All yes men and women. The last two. Not only morally horrible. Just total liars. The last one. I got promoted to his team. Just about every promo in Oracle has some type of % raise. At no point was I ever told that no raise would happen. Then I get promoted and they're like you're not getting any raise. Not even .5%. I said why would I even want the promotion. I went up the chain....every level in my unit. Then I happened to get to the SVP of Oracle HR. She was like, "this is so wrong and I want to correct it...." but it was too late. There are just some horrible people working there. The guy that did this, a very weak man. I know he was told by our SVP and she was even worse. I left after that. Some people just have zero morals. Our SVP is hated throughout the entire org to this day.
Thank you all for the feedback. It's great to hear positive feedback as well.
I got 1 manager who hired me few years ago and is still my supervisor. He is great, he knows everything what's going on, got hands down attitude and can go on production himself on weekend to troubleshoot some issue, participates in code reviews, keeps up with design discusssions. No nonsense with politics, no ar-e kissing.
From what I saw around, he is pretty unique. All in all, he earns his cheque for sure.
Most managers I had would be excellent members of Trump's Cabinet. Yes Sir, no Sir. Three bags full Sir!
The term bootlicker is so fitting for most oracle mgmt. been gone a while but just the faces of some of my managers, all wimpy yes men…makes me laugh. Total bootlicking mentality.
I really appreciate the feedback. While not surprised, finding that there was actually 1-2 good managers among many, well, even that shocks me. Good to know there are still good people out there. To the person with the M to the 3rd that would do anything he had to, to advance their career, that's really the ones I think you remember. It is truly sad you will remember the people who were the worst actors and not the people who were the best. My first manager at Oracle was a lapdog to our SVP. He did anything she said. Still does to this day. The funniest thing about both of them...they wouldn't know the difference between any type of tech terms/platforms. Between the two of them I am certain they pulled down 500-600k. Man. So much money that could've went to much better, more talented, harder working people. I am catching a theme and thank you for your input.
A handful of my managers were good, but most were either corporate bootlickers or complete je-ks.
My manager was OK.
My manager's manager was OK.
My manager's manager's manager was an absolute a--hole who did anything to advance his own career like fired anyone he didn't like, take credit for other people's work and steal other managers' employees to be directly under him instead.
My manager's manager's manager's manager seems like a nice person at the annual all hands, talking about how proud he is of our work and how good business is going, but in private he was really nasty.
Great point about the acquisitions. I mean, I feel that; but at some point they can't use that as an anchor. I feel like the unit I was in was definitely run solely by our mgmt for the most part. We never heard much about levels above our GBU SVP....except the guy who left to take over the GBU's and he I've heard was brutal to work with. Granted....tech mgmt never been anything to be anything to write home about. For me personally, I wish my managers would've been more transparent; of who they were (and their skills or huge lacktherof) and just being honest about growth prospects or career planning. Oracle seems to be one of the biggest companies that fails career planning and growth. People in the same roles for decades. Sad.
You too.
Manager failed to support us!
My Oracle direct managers were ok. At least to about 2 levels above my direct manager who was a woman. However, we were all part of Oracle from one of Oracle's hundreds of acquisitions. That meant everyone was subject to the whims of the entrenched Oracle managers up the chain, and ultimately whatever Larry and or Safra had up their sleeves.