Apparently it was a numbers game and not a talent review. Not saying I was more talented but have great insight that there was no effort to move the more talented people to other areas, simply just "cut x number in your group." Hard not to be frustrated when seeing some of the people left.
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Williams was once a great company. It is my belief that all the strife articulated within this thread is as a result of lack in true leadership. The culture changed when a new type of management emerged. This new type of management is not only negatively impacting Williams but is impacting other companies, and other industries. Once the compassion and the loyalty to do right by the people fell by the wayside and this seemingly dogmatic approach to management took hold of Corporate America with all its greed and misguided empowerment, that's when I knew that true leadership may be just a thing of the past, or few and far between, or perhaps hopefully still alive at some companies? A very somber thought indeed when you have experienced true leadership and seen it slowly slip away over time. So the frustration should not be towards one another but instead should be to recognize that a lack in leadership will inevitably create toxic work environments and strife amongst the people.
Like was said earlier by someone, Legacy Access had very selective vision when it came to "seeing" EHS related issues that would either cost them money to correct or impact their metrics. Probably nothing more absurd or disgusting was their mantra of "you see it you own it". More like, "you see it, you shut the hell up".
Williams was not perfect by any stretch, but at least they didn't try to pretend that they were.
If we reviewed the safety metrics you would see a broad difference between Access and Williams in both raw numbers and culture. Williams is so bureaucratical they have a hard time managing the safety of company and contract personnel. It's very disheartening to see the way Access talent is being shelved and discarded when there is so much they bring to the table. Hopefully ETE will usher a well needed change to the Williams organization.
No one at Geismar got cut?
Find it absolutely ridiculous that the people that worked on Geismar didn't get touched. Thanks for losing Williams millions but you kept your job. Guess I should have tried to lose more money for the company.
If you think safety records are the primary way to measure an EHS department's effectiveness, you're either woefully or willfilly ignorant.
As it pertains to safety records, if you don't look for it or act like you didn't see it, you can make the numbers say whatever you need them to say.
Cheap/fast/good... we know which two they picked.
Access safety records? Lmao. We knew those were boilerplated when we bought them. You wouldn't believe some of the things we saw when we went out west to help on their startups. There are records and there's reality.
You wonder why Legacy Williams EHS isn't leading EHS efforts? Just compare Access safety records to Williams.
And the numbers game shouldn't have been so slanted at cutting the people, but cutting those tens of millions in compensation from those that created this situation.
The Eagle Ford lost some great people today, such a shame. No department was left untouched in Pearsall. They will his SA tomorrow.
This whole scenario could be seen building up for several years due to continued mismanagement from the top. Way to go Armstrong for bringing down a 100 year old company with your keen vision, and for letting the Tulsa community down. And by the way Alan, it's the people that are key, not unrealistic visions that lead to debt!
Anyone that still works for Williams and sits at one of the, who knows many, corporate-type offices they have around the country should start looking jobs ASAP. Either ETE comes in and it's a bloodbath along with offices closing, or they don't, and the huge debt that Williams has on its back will crush them into the same scenario.
For once I'm glad I only make 76% of what men make. I'm still here!
And all the men complaining about "useless Bs" that are still here when they were let go
weren't discontented for the past few years, were they?
Pittsburgh directors in E&C eliminated left and right. Just setting up the state for ETE to come in. I guess we shouldn't be surprised.
pearsall has lost 2 so far in measurement
For the workers, it was apparently salary based. If you were making too much, you were gone. Got rid of me and kept a new person at a lower level and pay that didn't contribute and watched videos all day. They are going to find it nearly impossible to replace me, too, based on the unique projects I did alone. Good luck.
I had no idea managers/supervisors got those kinds of bonuses. That's bullshit.
Been at WMB since late 90s. So many ups and downs in the industry and with this company in particular.
And the annual bonuses? So a degreed professional employee might get say $5k a year bonus but one step up to a Supervisor they might get $20-$30k or more and a Manager might get an annual bonus (just the cash component) of $75-$100k. And all the Managers and quite a few of the Supervisors do is attend meetings and talk strategy and travel with their other Managers and Supervisors. Im not a Bernie Sanders voter but I can def see how the greed in this country is killing motivation. It's doing it at Williams (a once great company).
It looks like where the legacy Access people had the majority of control, they cut as many "legacy" Williams employees as possible. Look at the EHS department, it no longer has much presence in Tulsa. Which seems odd because the OKC office will be the first to close.
How Williams earned the label as "most admired company" in 2015 is beyond comprehension.
This chick that spends 90% of the workday on facebook didnt get the axe, but the guy who does all the work did! Typical! You know who you are facebooker! Probably reading this right now!
moot
Williams executes lay-offs just like the management of day-to-day operations -- very poorly.
Pex will likely become a mute point in the coming months regardless, so it just seems odd it wasn't dissolved and the folks moved to production roles so they would have a fighting chance.
Unfortunately I heard that many of the talented Pex contributors were laid off. This reinforces that a numbers game has occurred. The only ones that remain in Pex are more than likely the management, which in my experience are not the ones that did any work but come across as a bunch of heartless egotistical ideologues; which is par for the Williams course with 'duffers' being at the helm.
Why did they keep the regulatory people. I'm greatful I know longer have to work for that "B" Stephanie --- she's is worthless. Hopefully when ete takes over she will get cut // she deserves it more than anyone else.
That may be the problem. Just moving to a "billable role". Cash is cash. It's OK for Williams to raise its rates to customers to keep "everyone"? Senseless. Williams had grown too large for the business it is in. The only other time in the last 20 years Williams did this was "the near death experience" in 2002-03. Both talent and "non-talent" are being severed. It happens. Williams should do this more often, but should also be more careful in profligate hiring...
I was wondering how that would affect the pex folks. There are a lot of folks there that would be just fine transferring to a billable role in any OA it would seem.