The Home Depot

The smartest group of engineers I ever had the pleasure to work with.

Private brands were a stepping stone for higher-level execs to spend the minimal time required to get the next role. In their wake, they left mismanaged organizations and middle management with selfish personal agendas no one wanted to deal with. It was kill or be killed, and company values did not apply. Directors that couldn’t cut it as VPs or Sr. Directors used and abused the managers and high-level individual contributors below them. This was particularly true for departments under product and engineering that didn’t add any real value, like packaging and industrial design.

Eliminate all the support roles and outsource them. Stop rewarding and giving passes to the directors and senior managers who are at the center of sexual harassment allegations and other lawsuits.