Wells' Dairy – “Overall I'm happy. Although.........”

Pros

Great learning opportunities, internal and external. Lots of good people to work with and some decent management. Product is somewhat recession-resistant since it sells well when economy is down. Budget in place to develop people, which is nice. This is a good company to get some experience, outside training, attend some conferences to do some professional networking, and then spring-board to a bigger company.

Cons

Not enough managers and above who are promoted based on solid merit. Buddy networks tend to drive some promotions/hirings. Too many high tenured people who have not experienced life outside of here. They will do whatever necessary to maintain their foothold, whether those actions are in the best interest of the company or not, which has led to some unhealthy decisions. Some small clicks that are toxic to overall collaboration, yet nothing is done because "that's just the way that person is".

Advice to Senior Management

Recognize the unhealthy relationships and hold people accountable for their behaviors. Malicious actions are happening in certain areas, carefully disguised as "the right thing to do" or disguised as "in the best interest of the company". This is not always the case. Clicks have formed, causing lines to be drawn by all sides - sometimes in defense of what is right, or sometimes to push personal agendas. However this all strains collaboration that would otherwise contribute to acheiving goals. None of this is invisible. It's just untouched. Unfortunately, this non-action by management only serves to condition the behavior of those who perform these sometimes-malicious acts. More skip-level reviews need to happen, during which people need to feel safe to discuss what is really happening. Fear of retaliation or non-action has caused good people to stay quiet and tolerate it. That is, until they realize how marketable they are at other companies and decide to move on. And nothing gets healthier here. The good people that remain have a high tolerance for it, or have become numb to it.