Grand Circle – “Intensely chaotic and dysfunctional”

Pros

Great people. Casual dress code. Very philanthropic company - i.e. Grand Circle Foundation. Great benefits for long-term employees - i.e. paid sabbaticals every 5 years. Opportunities to travel around the world at a discount.

Cons

VERY intense culture - emphasis on company's core values almost cult-like. Very high turnover; don't get fooled by the 43% of associates who have been there 5+ years (many of them with 10+ years of service); the remaining 57% turns over constantly.

Open and courageous communication crosses the line more often than it should. Can be unprofessional at times and it's intimidating to see associates get thrown under the bus by other associates or senior management in front of others.

The SPEED by which things move can be overwhelming. Change happens so often and so quickly that it's very hard to keep up. You work long hours with little downtime; it's a very exhausting place to work. It's all about "what can you do for me NOW?!?" - it's a very REactive environment.

Technology is VERY outdated; senior management outside of IT doesn't understand technology - still too much focus on direct marketing.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't be a bottleneck. Take a step back from day-to-day operations and trust/empower your associates to make key tactical decisions without constantly telling them to bring to your attention for review, revisions before approval.