Execution driven, poor analysis and planning ability or processes at the Company. Where this does exist, it is not really leveraged. The focus is tactical and execution oriented.
Non-existent decision-making or accountability. Continuing trend to use committees to make decisions, which continues to promote lack of individual decision-making and accountability by the right people. When all goes wrong, targeted scapegoating is the result of this framework.
Middle management is not competent. Many grew up at Cisco during boom (late 90's) and were promoted to mgt (due to low unemployment) without experience, competencies, training or solid role models. No real progress on improving this gap.
Fire, aim, ready mentality. Lots of fire drills, false starts, rework.
Lots of posturing and heavy politics. If you can stand to "hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil" you will do fine, though you may not help the company.
Bonus system promotes dishonesty. Sr. Mgrs and above get significant bonuses. No wonder they are possessed with everyone creating our "smoke and mirrors" deliverables.
No work/life balance. My Director verbatim "you will never find a job at Cisco that offers work life balance, so don't bother looking. All Cisco employees are expected to work 60+hours per week." At that rate, I can do better financially and personally working for the defunct state of CA.
HR is invisible. When I asked, my manager would not give me the HR contact and suggested it was useless to get them involved in what would have benefited from HR consultation. No one in our group knows who our HR rep is as we have never been told, seen or heard from anyone in HR. There is no place to go to look it up, as far as I know.
Limited opportunity to transition to other groups. My VP has prevented 2 attempts I have made to move to a different group, even when a job was available for me.
