One piece of advice for Pradeep: please spend less time believing the culture narrative being presented and more time examining what is happening beneath it. Your accessibility as a leader is admirable, but some people have become very good at exploiting that access. Influence often goes to those who manage perceptions best, not necessarily those who contribute the most.
A growing problem, particularly in some enabling functions, is the practice of bringing in former colleagues, friends from college and familiar faces from previous organizations and fast-tracking them into positions of influence. The issue is not hiring people you know. The issue is when accountability becomes optional for some and mandatory for everyone else.
Employees notice when glaring mistakes are overlooked. They notice when capable people who challenge ideas are sidelined, while those who reinforce existing narratives continue to thrive. Over time, merit starts taking a back seat to relationships and politics.
What makes this frustrating is that it no longer feels like the exception. It feels accepted.
Feedback is welcome, provided it doesn't make anyone important uncomfortable. Employees quickly learn the difference between having a voice and actually being heard.
The company's culture messaging often feels very different from the reality many employees experience. There is a big difference between talking about culture and demonstrating it through fair decisions, accountability, and consistency.
Looking back, leaving the company was probably the best thing that happened to me professionally. I only realized after I left how much time and energy had been going into things that had nothing to do with actual work.
A word of caution to prospective employees: pay less attention to what a company says about its culture and more attention to how employees are treated when difficult decisions need to be made. That's usually when you find out what the culture really is.
There are plenty of good companies that quietly focus on doing good work instead of constantly talking about how great they are. Those are usually the ones worth joining.
