Got a slight issue at my current job.

It’s a little bit of ego from top brass and a little bit of “this is the way we’ve always done it”

Can already tell it won’t bode well for me long term.

Most obvious answer is to take the next train leaving the station but I’ve done that before and found myself facing an (almost) identical problem.

Haven’t had a problem with money but I’m coming to the realization that you can’t escape it unless you go the route of entrepreneurship.

Questions for the group is “does this [censored] exist everywhere you go?” and “how did you handle it when you encountered it?”

The people at the top have to want to change it…and be willing to change people in the process. Otherwise, no.

Situation's too vague. Size of the company, etc.? If you're coming here for advice, their gonna need you to flesh out the problem more than that. I headed to the house 21+ years ago, so my opinion is moot.

We were bought out by Terex (TEX), so, if you're talking about a company of that size, we were just trying to figure out if any of the corporate wogs were actually human, forget "culture."

What is it that you don't agree with? How many employees and are you in a leadership position? Is this culture in conflict with their mission statement and stated values?

If you move on, find a company that has a culture appeals to you and target them for a job. I've always worked for big companies' long term. The one I was with the longest had a corporate culture that was great but in the end the local operation I worked at totally ignored it and I moved on after 28 years. Went to work for a much larger company that has the culture that appeals to me and the like-minded people that agree with it. We have 80k employees, in 110 countries, on the NYSE over 100 years...........even a huge company can hold on to their values if they really believe in it and embrace it. I tell you that so you'll know that you can call your own shot and not stay in a situation that sucks. That said, don't go to work for a company in a non leadership position and complain about the way things are if they are adhering to their stated values.

Takes a long time. We have a saying, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast."

Short answer is yes, corporate culture can be changed but takes time, however you are more talking about "paradigm" change, folks that are used to doing things the way they've always done it because they know no other manner. Usually fostered in fear, non-adaptability, old dogs not wanting to learn or embrace new tricks, ownership of some of the current processes and procedures, etc.etc.rtc. I've worked at multiple Fortune 200s and even a Fortune 10 and paradigm thinking was alive and well at "all" of them to some degree and level. You have to learn and foster the art of communication and persuasion to enlighten folks of alternative thinking, when that is not doable, move on or out. That said, "change for simple sake of change" is rather transparent and also resistant to many. Good luck and ultimately, yes being your own boss makes you solely responsible and accountable.

I just left my job and started my own business because of this.

The past 4 years were absolutely miserable

Problem was it was never like this before during the old ownership (old ownership owned the co for about 30 years)

In that 4 years I think somewhere around 100 people left the company

I never saw management changing so that was my solution

It depends on where you are in the company and if your issue is local or corporate. It can be done on a local level if you have a voice in your position. If you don’t, you have to find enough like minded peers to have a voice.

I know of a place that the COO was ousted by the hourly employees and corporate brought in a man that does a great job in comparison while boosting profits in the process.

2 things RHIP and SOL.

If the culture is detrimental to the bottom line, then you have a selling point to take to management. But you have to have a solution. No one ever said no to higher profits and happier staff.

I agree with this. If you look at companies that have been around for decades they had to change to survive. Others like Sears, Montgomery Wards, KMart, Blockbuster, Kodak, Radio Shack, etc failed to change and adapt.

The last company I worked for was in a long period of acquisition. We bought many weak or failing companies, and it was my job on the M&A team to absorb their purchasing, MRO, Contracts, and warehousing into my team. My job was to eliminate cost in all areas and find out where those areas were. Almost every time I found a problem, I was told by the employees that “we’ve always done it this way”. They didn’t see that their ‘doing it that way’ was why they were bought and restructured. And, I should mention that cost saving always included reducing headcount.

“Always doing it this way” always meant that they hadn’t examined how they did this or that, and it was not a good way to run a business, company, or corporation.

Yes, its everywhere. I faced the same thing many times. I always chose the easy way. I stayed where I was, heavily invested in the companies 401K and stock. I didn't get rich, but I did okay and now enjoy my choice.

At one time back in the 80's, I nearly quit and started a mail order outdoor supply company. Who knows, back then was the right time but I was too chicken to give it a shot.

Not much help but in today's world, it seems everyone has a podcast or trying to be some type of influencer. I don't get it. But I'm an old fart, set in my ways.

Good luck Dusty, I feel for your situation. I've met you and from what I can tell, you will do great at whatever direction you decide.

If you don't have a champion to the change at the highest levels, then you're just whizzing in the wind. I've seen this happen once in 25 years (on it's own). The rest of the time it's happened is as 603Country called out... forced on a company as part of a merger or buyout.

Culture and policy comes from the top down. If you are at the top or own the company you make the culture what you want it to be. If not then your choices are either ride for the brand or find somewhere else to go.

Yes, but culture typically self rights or the business fails, with that said the culture that makes the company successful long term isn’t always going to be inline with what you think is the right culture should be.

It’s not easy but it’s always better to work for yourself. For many, many reasons.

I've singled out this part. If you are jumping from company to company and having the same issues with the management, you're either not investigating the new companies enough during the interview process, or on the flip side, maybe the issue isn't them, but you and your expectations. That's not meant to be a dig at you, because there isn't enough info to know why you keep seeing the same thing at every place. It's just another option based on the limited amount of data presented.

Only if it starts at the top and is really bought into by all levels of management as well as employees.

Dusty, about 40 years ago David Gahan sang a catchy song for Depeche Mode, "People are People", look up the lyrics, still applies today....