Because Salesforce is growing so fast – doubling its workforce and revenue over two years – many things get lost in the shuffle. Some teams have crushing workloads, while others are virtually forgotten. The prevailing infrastructure of the company is a parochial network of vice presidents operating independently. This leads to disconnection, and occasionally chaos. Teams duplicate work, work in contradictory directions, and compete pointlessly. Territoriality for budget and resources is rampant. There are no centralized checks and balances. If you have a bad or unethical warlord, you may be asked to do things that are counterproductive or even hurtful. The patchwork of fiefdoms across the company is so disconnected that many teams are unaware of similar teams within the company. Efforts to organize or connect strategies are met with resistance and sometimes hostility. A chief strategy officer with a team of connected project managers could address this, but many VPs don't want accountability. The result is work that doesn't rise above mediocrity. Salesforce is a great company comprised of dozens of mediocre companies. Those mediocre companies don't want to connect and be great because their leaders don't want to lose status. Once you see that you can't unsee it. Many workers grow cynical as a result. The famed "Ohana" (Hawaiian for family) doesn't penetrate the 300-yard stare of hardened coworkers who don't say hello in elevators.
