Thread regarding IBM layoffs

When will first line managers get let go

Don’t teams need a minimum of six? On my site many are down to four and many of the ones that aren’t they are having managers plan to cut down to that. This is in research. When will managers get cut? Didn’t see any in last round get cut and none through PIP either


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| 2181 views | | 8 replies (last December 22) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1kchgf6qt

8 replies (most recent on top)

Major reductions will take place soon in Rochester MN. These positions will be relocated to India.

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Post ID: @197+1kchgf6qt

Alvind and the Pipmonkeys need to be FIRED!!!!!

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Post ID: @r1+1kchgf6qt

Gee Wh-z, all those realistic postings about evil female managers have disappeared again. LOL !

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Post ID: @j2+1kchgf6qt

My Ex First line. Wow what a mo--n she is. Knows nothing about coding, I am surprised she knows how to put something in the USB port.

But she knows how to schedule calls, Say stupid cr@p like Synergy and all those other awful corporate jargon.

Nobody knows how to troll a Monday board like her and ask for updates ever 10 minutes. How the Eff did she ever become a band 10?

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Post ID: @dx+1kchgf6qt

In my career at IBM that spans 3 decades, I had 3 decent managers, technical enough to understand the challenges . The other dozen were real useless pieces of sh1t.

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Post ID: @at+1kchgf6qt

We have just had our first ever mass layoff at our site so I guess it’s coming..

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Post ID: @af+1kchgf6qt

@a9 You are Spot On. Saw the same thing happening in IBM Consulting and even Indians are no longer able to save themselves once they get pushed into the DE job. It's the Kiss Of Death.

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Post ID: @ae+1kchgf6qt

Research in the US regularly does span of control reductions which eliminate the sorts of management positions you speak of. If you’re not seeing changes, it’s a hint that a slow-moving, fairly large reorg or resource action may be coming your way.

For well over a decade IBM has been going after older, seasoned managers who were “too influential” to cut directly. The approach is death by a thousand cuts. Remove this world-wide leadership role. Then push aside that other secondary role to create a grooming corridor for a promising young leader who is at risk of leaving for a competitor… for the good of the whole team. Wait a few months and cut again, asking them to bleed blue and take one for the team. Officially give them a choice (too late to have effect) in big decisions harmful to them in this way: ‘“early this afternoon we plan to announce that abc will be promoted to def and take over the xyz portion of your mission unless you object.” Then switch teams a little to saddle them with low-performer issues. The stench of low-performers can’t be washed off. Wedge them deeply in the classic IBM trap of wearing a full responsibility bullseye for an important goal but removing their actual authority to make the goal happen and emplacing plenty of people meddling from the sidelines to ensure failure. To further ensure failure, have multiple executives use similar buzzwords to give them strongly conflicting, similar sounding goals, assert repeatedly that the conflict is actually misunderstanding on their part, and watch, smirking, as they try to chart a path that satisfies all the bosses. If they do make headway, deny or change the no-longer-relevant goals. Once their reputation and credibility has been tarnished, it’s easy to remove them. IBM has its own special ways of bringing down senior employees.

Another way to sideline quite senior but troublesome technical leaders whom IBM must keep around for a few years for business reasons is to reclassify them as an IBM fellow or Distinguished Engineer. Fellows these days have a short career lifetime. Corporate weeds out many every year to make room for the next class. Decades ago, Fellows had to be able to skillfully manage a 3rd line organization of a few hundred to do good things. It was a listed job requirement. Now they are prohibited to manage at any level. This makes it easier to cover up the aftermath when IBM decides to push them down the garbage disposal. (They no longer have teams that are personally loyal to them.)

And keep your eyes peeled for that reorg.

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Post ID: @a9+1kchgf6qt

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