MISO reviews

-Culture can be surprisingly hierarchical and fear-driven, especially in certain departments. -Leaders often struggle with providing clarity, constructive feedback, or psychological safety. Asking for direction or alignment can be misinterpreted as pushback. -Escalation is normalized — some managers handle routine questions with defensiveness, raised voices, or accusations of “tone” rather than engaging in clear, professional dialogue. -Meetings are sometimes ended abruptly during disagreements, leaving expectations unclear and employees anxious about unintended consequences. -There is a tendency to label employees as “aggressive” or “not solution-focused” when they request clarity or share guidance they were given by senior leadership. Performance feedback can feel subjective and impacted more by interpersonal dynamics than actual stakeholder results — even for employees with strong project outcomes and positive cross-functional reviews. HR is not consistently proactive about addressing patterns of managerial behavior unless multiple people complain. And even if they do, certain individuals on HR struggle to remain neutral

At the same time, I’ve observed that advancement opportunities can sometimes be limited for experienced professionals who are not directly sponsored by a senior executive. MISO has done a commendable job creating development programs for early career employees, but there’s room to better balance that with efforts to retain and advance seasoned professionals who already bring significant institutional and industry knowledge.