Pros

At the grass-roots level 3M is a great place to work. Work/life balance is good, rarely is there more than occasional overtime to get the job done. Lots of new products, and a culture that seems to do a good job in preventing 'siloing' of people. In some places there are resources being brought to bear on products that are utterly awe-inspiring.

Cons

Big company red tape, not as bad as my last employer though. Lack of fortitude and commitment on the part of middle management is a real problem. Advancement and promotion are entirely based on politics. Communication from above is spotty at best, misleading at worst.

Advice to Senior Management

Empower middle management. No decision of any importance in 3M is made below the rank of Director. We might as well not even have managers apart from handling HR paperwork. This is a mixed blessing, as the quality of middle management in the company is very hit or miss. Some really good managers, some not worth their weight. I suggest cutting one good layer's worth of management out of most of the company.