Thread regarding IBM layoffs

Retired a few years early from IBM in 2016. I had achieved a level of financial independence via investments when I retired so did not really need to continue working for the money unless I was also enjoying the work. I could have stayed because the work was interesting, and many of my colleagues were bright and fun to work with but I could no longer tolerate the depressing IBM culture. IBM seemed possessed only by mindless pursuit of quarterly short term profit, endless irrational cost control measures, lip service only education and career path planning, and a huge herd of untrustworthy, backstabbing, and mostly incompetent 2cd and 3rd line and VP level managers who consistently made working at IBM a stressful nightmare for most non management employees and first line managers. In the last 5-7 years it was easy to see that IBMers with excellent skills we’re leaving in droves and high quality university graduates avoided Ibm like the plague. I personally think IBM is headed for the sc-apheap rarely soon.

18 yrs with Software. Just fed up with all the b---s--- in IBM. Customers love me and asked me if IBM commands me to behave like jerk. Fed up with all the software errors, endless time spending with support and disappointed customers. Lack of marketing budget. Changing territories every 6 months. Always pressure on the expenses - no money for following customers abroad. Extreme focus on SaaS, while many of the customers are not ready to run SaaS. Offering Management making disputable decisions.

Now tired - just resigned and happy i am out. i start a new journey with an employer who values my skill.

I left after 14 years in Software and later in Security division. July 1st was my first day of not being with IBM. I must say that it has taken months to feel free of their chains and not have the anxiety of a Monday morning startup. The culture is toxic, Same time takes the place of human interaction. Deals that were ours to lose, we lost because we act like a big company. Management is the worse I have seen in my entire career. Product marketing is terrible as they have no imagination and take no suggestions. I was relieved the first Monday but at the same time sad. I hope to move on and work for a progressive company.

I 'retired' from IBM 4 months ago. I sleep at night. I laugh. I enjoy simple things like not having to prepare on Sunday for an ugly Monday. I had a bad manager who did not know understand what she was doing and our organization. She made everyones' life very challenging. But that is long behind me and I am so happy. I cannot believe how miserable I was. I have moved on from that time and am seeking new opportunities!

There IS life after IBM and you will enjoy not clinching up in anticipation of a dreadful week ahead. My blood pressure is SO much better. I could hear my pulse throbbing. Hopefully you can either retire or find a job where you're appreciated. Former IBMers are prized and valued. I was lucky in that I could move and my wife could work remotely.

Unfortunately Ginni has bet the company on Cloud, Blockchain and Watson - I can tell you the outside world really doesn't care about anything other than AWS and Azure. If they don't get something viable out soon for Blockchain then they will have another Us Too product (YET AGAIN)

From The OP: The RISE and FALL of IBM - MY LETTER OF RESIGNATION:

I have championed roles spanning the development labs, consulting services and technical sales. I have worked with clients in Europe, Asia and North America as a systems engineer, project leader, developer, architect, instructor and technology evangelist. I am also an Open Group Master Certified/Distinguished IT Specialist.

And, I have never let up or rested on my laurels. I have consistently and continually taken on new challenges, re-invented myself into new roles and contributed to client success across many industries, including paying it forward by mentoring, sharing and recruiting top talent into IBM.

IBM EXCELLENCE:

For approximately 27 of my 30 years at IBM I knew that I had an appropriate level of job security and that I was representing a company that was second-to-none with respect to our magic-quadrant-worthy product/solution offerings, culture of excellence, inspirational innovation, respect for the individual, impactful cultural diversity, reputational eminence in the eyes of our customers/competitors/industry and IBM's resume-building career opportunities.

IBM CHALLENGES:

I have spent the last 5+ years compensating for a CHRONIC, SYSTEMATIC AND WIDESPREAD EROSION OF EVERY SINGLE POSITIVE DIMENSION OF IBM THAT I CITED IN THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH. There is no more job security, meaning, without exaggeration, no one is safe. In other words, regardless of skills, contributions, measurable impact to the business (e.g. quota attainment and/or NPS) or how profoundly IBM professionals are in demand and highly regarded by their customers, peers and management... No one is immune from being blind-sided with a layoff notice (a.k.a. RA). While I have managed to avoid being collateral damage of IBM's transformational and creative downsizing efforts, I no longer feel that my consistently compelling contributions and achievements can come anywhere close to compensating for the PROFOUND AND DISTURBING LACK OF JOB SECURITY AND PERVASIVE ABSENSE OF CAREER BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES AT IBM, GLOBALLY.

IBM Culture:

The IBM culture has become toxic, the career paths are effectively non-existent for most professionals at IBM, the organizational instability is pervasive, and the overwhelmingly unpredictable nature of most job roles at IBM translates into the inability to achieve anything that comes close to a quality of life and work-life-balance.

IBM GRATITUDE, RESPECT AND TOXIC LOSS OF CONTROL:

To be clear: I am thankful and grateful for the historical career building opportunities and experiences I have had at IBM. I respect and value the majority of IBMers (including most of my managers) who are smart, caring, talented, diverse, innovative, top-notch professionals. I almost never take my world-class management team for granted. However, the recent and seemingly permanent overwhelming toxic and unpredictable organizational culture at IBM has created an environment where a majority of the factors needed to cultivate a sustainable career and solvent business are now not only unpredictable but almost completely outside of our control, both directly and indirectly.

My Departure and Aspirational Career:

Therefore, in order for me to continue to put my customers first, trailblaze a vibrant career path as a technical professional in the high tech industry, and to achieve a quality of life with a solid work-life-balance, I MUST LEAVE IBM AND GO TO WORK FOR A DIFFERENT COMPANY. I must leave in order to recapture what I valued at IBM for approximately 27 of my 30 years as a proud and respected IBMer. I must work somewhere else where I can once again "Work on things I passionately believe in, teaming with great people, so that outstanding business outcomes naturally follow".

Good post OP. I have a similar story.

I found myself getting worked up on Sunday afternoons about the stress I'd be getting on Monday morning (regularly working 60-65 hrs including many weekends - but no overtime). Then, gradually, the panic started to move backwards to Sunday lunch, then Sunday morning, and eventually Saturday. That's when I realized there was a real problem: not good for mental health!

I was good at my job but the workload became impossible. We were cutting headcount like crazy - and guess who has to pick up the slack - yes, those of us who remained (I echo your call out to the great IBMers still there). If you weren't online for the better part of 24/7, you weren't a team player, or so it seems. That may be a common situation in larger organizations but IBM remains exemplar in my opinion.

So, my RA this year was a blessing in disguise.

Great post OP

For me it was similar to finishing my last final after graduate school. A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, I was done... I have free time again and a future I can look forward too. I don't have the constant pressure and BS spin your wheels assignments. I feel bad for my friends that remain, especially at quarter end, they all know their days are numbered and they hang on one quarter at a time. Anyone remaining at IBM, not looking on the outside is naive.

I rode the elevator down from the great days to the c-apfest it is now. If you weren't there you just can't understand.

To answer the following comment: "Was IBM your first job? If so, you're in for a rude awakening."

My ansswer (I am the OP): I worked at IBM for over a decade, and for much of that time, multiple times a year, and often times more than once a month, I would think "I can't believe they pay me to do this, I Love my Job"... because IBM not only has great people but HAD great products and used it's innovation to lead in the market with great products, until especially the last 5-10 years, and within the last 5 years the quality of life at IBM has PLMMETED. IBM did NOT make the shift to cloud and has irresponsibly financially managed the company in lieu of cultivating it's product line and has not leveraged it's people and research to truly innovate as a leader.

My POINT is that IBM WAS a great company for decades, and then within the last 5yrs it has DEVOLVED into an IMPLODING company of negativity and toxicity, run by senior executive leadership that does not have the fortitude to do the right things to transform it's products and people and has RUINED the culture... past a point of no return.

So, yeah, this is the first Monday that I am looking forward to in a long time.

The FIRST weekend after I landed my new job outside IBM was the FIRST time in 5 years that I actually LOOKED FORWARD to MONDAY.

Was IBM your first job? If so, you're in for a rude awakening.

I'm so glad things worked out! Respect!