My projects teams are doing just enough to get by. We all go to meetings and then we call it a day and leave early. No one really wants to be there and morale is the lowest I've ever seen. The news of losses just keeps coming. How long until the dust settles and we regain some normalcy? I seriously haven't felt this unproductive in years.
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I engage with OEM accounts. We could not possibly complete our goal this month for one account so we re-organized the deliverables to about 50% of what we would normally do. I messaged this to the customer by saying that we had eliminated redundant tasks. He bought it - that is until he sees what we actually accomplished.
But what's amazing is that this guy, a real harass, told us yesterday that the Intel team was doing great! He's as delusional as BK, since we all know that we aren't getting 1/2 as much done as we need to do.
If things are back to normal by the end of August and they pull this sh-- again, I'm definitely quitting.
Half of the team's on vacation because upstream it's all constipated and gridlocked! Fscking hilarious.
It's the hunger games. They need to use the monitors in the hallways to put up headcount statistics for each group.
"I hear moral is at an all time high in many groups. They feel secure that the old and underperforming dead wood was kicked to the curb.
It is all A-team high performers and no slackers so every team is a rocking and projects, TF, are all performing like the best in history."
You hear wrong...
I hear moral is at an all time high in many groups. They feel secure that the old and underperforming dead wood was kicked to the curb.
It is all A-team high performers and no slackers so every team is a rocking and projects, TF, are all performing like the best in history.
@kri you want us who are left to quit a high paying gig with no package or job so that you feel better? No, we make a solid plan and move forward with current job and benefits for now.
Yes I am working my assoff everyday....that is tanning and enjoying the beach.
Relationships at work are more important now than at any other time in my Intel career. I'm very grateful for those coworkers that I call true friends and with whom I can have honest and genuine conversations with. There are many things screwed up about Intel but you can't deny that it employes some of the finest people around. It employes some jerks, too but most people are really genuine and hard working.
Same in our team & project as well. BK & Co. think by giving good separation packages, everyone will feel fine & normal.
The good: get out
The bad: stay just remember you are nothing to them
The Crazy: look in the mirror, read the previous post and decide. Go all in and be "bad" or become "good" and get out!
In a prior reduction in force I went to my manager and volunteered to be put on the list. Then took my package of a year's benefits and salary and never looked back. I wish it was different, but Intel is in a death spiral and only the dividend yield keeps the stock price where it is today. I worked with TSMC after leaving, then as a consultant to a startup. There is life after Intel, but this is like a divorce.
If you just missed this last round, you can be sure the next slice will cut you. If you're a high performer and well connected, on a good project, group, etc. you're lift with no resources to do your job, dysfunctional and demotivated groups around you, and worst of all Brian, Murth and the board that don't have a clue. My advice for the first group - spend 110% looking for a job, my advice for group 2 - maximize how much money you can extract, sell your stock before it crashes, but look out for yourself. Intel has no loyalty to its employees as it did when I it started. It's a boom and bust mentality now and employees are just an expense item like copier paper and travel.
I really believe some HR consultant built a management dashboard for BK now that they have salary, stock, review history, age, time in grade,race, sex etc. data on everyone. That let's him adjust the selection sliders and assumptions (about rate of voluntary acceptance), and see two numbers:: cost of that action in severance, number of bodies out the door. After he clicks "execute" the letters and list of names get generated.
Andy and Gordon would be ashamed of the company today. It was always a hard place but intelligence, commitment and results were valued. Today it's a death camp and the commandant is deciding who to send next to the ovens. Don't be oblivious and think you're protected. Work will not set you free, just make you feel used later. my 2 cents.
It is even worse now. Everybody wondering if they hit 12K, if not how will they do the next round. Will it be me, will it be my group, will it be my site. It is people's lives!
BK made that sorry story about being sad on his BUM. But I know for a fact that is not what was discussed in his senior MCM meetings about this thing.
What a two faced guy.. BS about honest and transparency. Feel sad for those that are struggling.
My advice get your resume out there, get our linkedin profile going, get your networking going, start interviewing. Take your anxiety and turn it into action and get off the sinking ship!
Good luck!
It is very hard for me to focus on work and I feel guilty about it :-(
I will decide to tackle one task a day and do as best as I can. That will give me some satisfaction that I did something. If things are too bad (too many people being let go, too many rumours or just plain disturbed by what is happening and worry about what will happen to me), I just give up that day and go home. I have never felt so demoralized at work before
No they ruined morale last year when they came up with the ISP based upon SL 4/5. Both people who stayed and those that were let go said, say what? That had never happened before. Productivity went to hell this year after focal when people who received SL 4/5 knew they were gone and that there was no longer a reason to be productive.
Slow. Even people who care about next focal are unable to function efficiently. A lot of people taking leave to go for job interviews. I don't know what it will take to restore morale... even if BK, Murthy get the boot , things will never be the same again
People in pc services are still slammed because for some stupid reason we are hiring about 60-100 interns every week still. It's probably to clean up all the mess these layoffs have caused. But we are low on resources because intel doesn't want to order anything probably because BK is to busy spending it on cheeto dust and cancun h--kers.
Beautifully stated. I'm going to be using both of these quotes:
"You can use fear to restrict behaviors but you can't use fear to effectively encourage behaviors"
"Very ironic - a once cutting edge company being destroyed by outdated management techniques."
@qgs - good summary. I definitely fall into the third category. It's gotten so bad, I may have utilize the counseling/therapy that's being touted on the ACT website. Survivor's syndrome??
The work you should be doing is finding another job. I mean seriously do you see yourself at Intel in a few years?
Middle management chains gutted in some groups. No direction for the troups in these dark moments.
1) The ones who think they're untouchable and are taking advantage of the chaos and openings from people who were cut to network their way to the next promotion
Manjana! :-))
People left fall into three categories, in my experience:
1) The ones who think they're untouchable and are taking advantage of the chaos and openings from people who were cut to network their way to the next promotion
2) Those who are worker bees who are acting as if nothing has changed and are working toward their (most likely meaningless) MBOs
3) Most folks are waiting for the next shoe to drop. They might be going through the motions but there is a lot of paralysis and half-assed work going on now. And plenty of "doctors appointments" to go interview or otherwise find a reason not to be in the office. New employees feel like they've made a mistake. Just about everyone has no trust and no faith that they won't be laid off or eliminated next.
You sound like a tool owner. Most of our tool owners don't do anything except look pretty or kiss ass Meanwhile technician likes myself have to bust asswhether or moral,is low or not.
This is the impact of 19th century management techniques of: a) treat everyone like a cog in a machine b) if it's a little loose throw it away and replace it with another. The problem, which anyone with common sense and less than $5M in the bank will recognize, is that fear is not an effective management tool. You can use fear to restrict behaviors but you can't use fear effectively to encourage behaviors.
Very ironic - a once cutting edge company being destroyed by outdated management techniques.
July will see the rollout of quarterly pass-fail reviews. Fails will get isp. So get used to four times a year to worry
No one is immune
Take an 8 week sabbatical in a quarter? Suffer in the quarterly review( like the prior ISPs that took a sabbatical and were given SSL4.
Gonna get tough to work as a team knowing you are competing to stay alive- like a bunch of drowning swimmers pushing others down so they continue to breath
It goes up and down for me. I have plenty to do so on some days I can get my head straight I can knock out a bunch of work and the day zooms by. Then I'll go to a retirement lunch or have to listen to frustrated coworkers and I'm down again. On my down days, the work piles up to where I can barely dig myself out on my up days. I have discovered one thing though. About half the sh-- our group was doing wasn't really necessary or meaningful anyway. Moving forward, much of it wont get done Because of lack of resources but we're going to be really trying to tease out the important and meaningful stuff. Does it make money or contribute to the bottom line? Then do it. If not, then let it go.
I don't have a mom 😢 @-fbr
They are working your mom over pretty well. She'll be sore for a few weeks.
Though there is no reason to work with all in shambles, don't want to expedite the VSP/ISP !
Not working is not a option when you have deliverables due weekly or monthly 😞 Not submitted it will be obvious no work is being done.
It appears that most projects/work appears to have come to a stand-still , with brief or cancelled meetings. People are not coming into the office, with many working from home. Hallways and work areas are eerily silent. I don't like being there on campus. It looks and feels like being in a grave yard !
Everyone is paralyzed about what is going to happen next.
Didn't BK promise honesty and transparency, that was a crock and now everyone is distracted. Good job screwing the pooch BK
Well, the people left are being told to pick up more work to make up for the losses. There is no "work smarter with fewer people" only "work harder or else you'll get SSL4 next". I constantly see people in small groups venting and talking about the latest teams to get hit and how it'll affect them. I guess that's at least therapeutic in some ways, even if not doing real work.
Morale is terrible, communication at all levels is terrible, distrust is everywhere. It's a really toxic environment. I'm trying my best to get things done, though. Definitely noticed that the quality of support I get from some other teams has fallen off a cliff.
We are drinking as much coffee and eating as much fruit as we can.
I kept myself busy despite the fact that our project was on the verge of being cancelled. When you give up you start to fail and it could lead to downhill with no point of return. So why not keep working?
I'm more busy than ever, had to take over things from those who left. Most people in my department are chugging on as usual. Morale is definitely hit but we still are strongly self motivated.
Please, please! Keep pushing for very high morale! @HkOMxVo