Change is needed. Change is hard.
Pros
Overall wonderful experience. A series of managers who invested in me, strong ethics. As a small division, the CU allowed me to gain understanding of the operations of an entire self-contained company, while also learning about the dynamics of a Fortune 500 company. Strong leadership at the Thrivent Enterprise level willing to bear the pain of change for the sake of doing what is necessary and right.
Cons
Lots of change. Pain of change. This change is GOOD, needed, and long overdue. But this change is hard. I left because: 1) Within certain divisions, the Old Boys Club protects their own at the expense of a generally toxic environment. As is always true, maintaining this power structure comes at the expense of those on the outside. 2) Structural changes in Minneapolis that aren’t met with compensatory factors. For example, I support the push toward public transit, but it makes the stopping point at end-of-day more rigid, leaving loose ends. This could easily be solved by allowing WFH to wrap these up. When I requested WFH access, I was essentially told to stop acting entitled. 3) A loud proclamation from CU leadership about “not just handing out promotions.” Word got around and 25% of the Mpls CU workforce left for jobs elsewhere, when competitors determined they had earned those “handouts.” 4) Difficulty advancing through middle ranks. Was a great place to learn early in my career, and seems to be great for seasoned pros. But there’s a lack of coaching and support in the middle zone. 5) It’s difficult to translate Thrivent CU experience go outside companies. The longer I waited, the harder it would become.