Thread regarding Nike Inc. layoffs

Ahhh...do I miss the days of catered meals for interns.

As MP used to say, "Manage with courage, consensus is not the objective".

If Wall Street analysts read this site and believed what insiders/former insiders say about the cultural rot within the company that permeates every level, NKE would be a penny stock…

If you work in Resilience you have to lick the boots of JM and do whatever SB says. It might be the d-mbest, biggest waste of time but you have to just roll with it. Remember the double mint gum commercials. Just follow along. Double the pleasure and double the work.

@gp in GT you agree and do as told and learn to say yes or you end up as a threat and departed. This was more clear after all the changes at the SD and Director level in April. There were some strong voices who worked for the company not the person and they were targeted first to depart.

If you stand in the way of their personal agenda you will be managed out.

Former employee here. Under VA, challenged the status quo and was then “summoned” to a mtg where I was forced to bury the bodies. A consultant cleaned up a deck that was headed to the BOD to make things seem better than they were.

Challenging the status quo gets you pushed out. Any LT there is complicit and in the pocket.

There is a shortage of strong men in leadership. And I say this as a woman.

I've seen too many organizations where career advancement seems to reward unquestioning agreement over independent thinking. When promotions, bonuses, and stock incentives become the primary motivation, it can create a culture where people are afraid to challenge poor decisions or unethical behavior.

Leadership built on fear of layoffs or retaliation isn't leadership - it's management through intimidation. The result is a workplace where integrity, accountability, and genuine concern for people take a back seat to politics and self-preservation.

In my view, the relentless pursuit of higher profits has too often come at the expense of workers, ethical decision-making, and long-term culture. Companies should reward competence, character, and the courage to speak up - not simply those who tell senior leaders what they want to hear.

Healthy organizations are built by leaders who welcome dissent, value merit, and treat people with respect. Those qualities create lasting success far more effectively than fear or favoritism ever will.

@dp file a charge with the EEOC and document it! It’s the only way this nonsense will stop!

I reported an issue between a man and I after a meeting where I felt unsafe and never heard anything come of it, and that man seems to have only continued an upward and rewarded trajectory at Nike.

The culture, HR and Legal don’t make it safe to speak up or challenge opinions. Don’t trust anyone! Document and speak up anonymously! This can’t go on forever and the EEOC wants to hear from employees who have spoke up without any action taken. Everything exposed will destroy Nike. Stay true to yourself. Have integrity and do the right thing. That means don’t stand by and allow the misconduct of leaders become the norm. If you want to be part of the solution and get rid of these toxic leaders you need to have a voice!

Exactly. A large chunk of the current cohort of leaders have no idea how to handle conflict. Any push back is perceived as an attack to their fragile egos and is answered with retaliation.

what you’re describing is, in my view, the reality for a huge number of employees at Nike. Years of poor leadership and fear-based management have created a culture where people keep their heads down because speaking up can come with real consequences. Too many employees have learned that challenging decisions, questioning leadership, or criticizing the innovation organization isn’t worth the risk to their careers. I saw it firsthand. In my own experience, after challenging what I believed were unfair performance ratings and a token 1% raise with my manager, I was terminated shortly afterward. Whether intentional or not, that’s the message people receive: stay quiet, or you may be next.

My org is full of yes men with the brownest noses.

It's a lot easier for those coasting if they don't have to change anything or do anything different.

Agree 100%. Toxic positivity is the exact term to describe it. That was one of the primary reasons I quit after 4 years and went across the river.

@OP AMEN! You nailed it! We can’t challenge the why and new ideas = a threat. The culture of toxicity is all related to this = stagnant outcomes! Too many egos.