Leadership Steering in the Wrong Direction - Sr. Program Associate WestEd Employee Review

WestEd was massively reorganized over the COVID shutdown in an effort to streamline and encourage collaboration. Many new people were hired to leadership positions, and many teams were dismantled and reassembled in ways that made sense on paper. Unfortunately, the CEO changed--not for the better--on the heels of all this. The resulting climate and culture shift was disheartening. New even more insulated silos grew in the place of the ones leadership claimed to have knocked down. If you were not already in a select group who had access to interact with your division's top leadership, your chances of interacting with them to make connections and grow your opportunities fell lower and lower over time. People with deep knowledge and experience in the company (people who can give a client the depth and breadth of information an outside contractor just can't deliver) were isolated away from having influence or recognition. Then, when the federal government instability led to funding decreases and contracts being cancelled, many people were laid off in ways that made no sense at all. Core people who were absolutely solid were suddenly let go, and the collective shock and rage across the agency was palpable. The CEO's rationales and attempt to communicate sympathy and reassurance made no sense and were tone-deaf. Many of us were already over-allocated, and now even more work has been piled on since key staff members left with no relief in sight.