CoBank reviews

Leadership is so out of touch they would rather be on a boat than listen to the feedback from teams to improve the operational disfunction that is tech. There are so many foundational tech issues that are getting swept under the rug with zero transparency and accountability for decisions made. Architecture and engineering leaders are constantly battling it out, then blaming product for the disconnect. You can see product trying to move forward, but constantly getting blamed/bad mouthed by tech leadership. Which is funny considering that product interacts more in a leadership capacity than the ‘TDI SLT.’ Some areas are calmer than others, but leadership is constantly battling themselves or other parts of the business. Demos net zero feedback, because they are very top heavy and people are afraid to speak up. Still running very waterfall with strategies like replace ‘X’ system by EOY. I heard product was told they aren’t allowed to roadmap, so going nowhere fast. People can’t even get working laptops across the bank to do their day jobs. No standards and finger pointing is driving the tech strategy.

In my time at the bank, I watched dysfunction rewarded and dissent punished. The technology division operates with a deeply broken leadership model, one where loyalty matters more than skill. There's a heavy air of performative ethics, but very little follow-through when it matters. Resources and promotions are distributed based on your status in the CoBank caste system and the aforementioned loyalty. Budgets and deadlines are rarely scrutinized if you're in the right circle. Meanwhile, engineers are constantly told to do more with less and to accept instability as a fact of life. Leadership will tell you that the pressure to deliver is a privilege, and you should be thanking them for giving you that privilege.