You get hired to do a job with unclear goals. Even after trying to communicate with your manager and pry the desired outcome out of them, you're left with "I'm busy in a meeting". So being an intelligent and resourceful employee, you use your expertise to figure out the best guess of what they want. Except… it's Not That. And now that you can no longer be trusted to do your work correctly, you get micromanaged. But ironically, no more clear goals than before.
You're eternally set up to fail.
There also seems to be a major problem with office gossip/politics. Managers complain about other managers to their own subordinates. Managers shout loud enough over the phone that you can hear them clearly in closed meeting rooms. Managers degrade their employees when they're asked for common professional courtesy.
If you can manage to do the bare minimum but suck up enough, you will not draw attention and keep your job. There are people here doing the same thing for 15-20 years. But anyone who comes in and tries to change things or make a difference? Can't have that. You're a trouble maker. I've seen it many, many times. Fresh young talent, or even just professionally experienced talent, comes in and tries to fix the easiest thing and they become a target.
