I've been at 3M for a few months and the culture seems toxic beyond anything I had expected. A heavy-handed top-down style, micromanagement to the extreme, little or no autonomy even for managerial roles, no real sense of direction or strategy, employee morale in the toilet, and all this coming from a CEO who seems to take pride in scaring the he-l out of his direct reports. Is it just me/my perception, is it just an adjustment period, or is that really the way things are going to be? I've been at several large corporations in mid and senior roles and never seen anything this bad. It's certainly not somewhere I could see making a bet for a satisfactory long-term career.
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OP here. So "get out as soon as you can" seems to be the clear message
I felt like I was in the movie Poltergeist my entire time there in IT…
If the goal is a high-performing organization, the current approach is self-defeating. Fear produces short-term compliance, not long-term excellence. Micromanagement does not scale. And a CEO culture that appears to take pride in intimidating its own leadership team sets a standard that will continue to erode trust, talent, and ultimately the company’s competitive position.
The people closest to the work already know the truth. The question is whether leadership is willing to confront it—or will continue to manage by pressure until the damage becomes irreversible.
- Anyone blaming Mcnerney is just playing victim*
Nope. Many of us did very well under McNerney. Didn’t make him any less the bean counting a$$ hole he was.
Anyone blaming Mcnerney is just playing victim. Yes he was bad, but we’ve had literally decades of change since him.
Funny how no one blames the board of directors, even though they call the shots. The CEO is just the puppet. They are the puppet masters.
@OP Sounds familiar, Sounds very like our plant
@cv
The egos on these people.
Reap the whirlwind of ignorance and stupidity. Line up once a month and collect your pittance. Why are people so wrapped up in their work? Why does that define you?
Slip thru the cracks. Play the game.
Everybody on the payroll is getting as played as they allow.
I would recommend some outside hobbies.
“Smooth sailing until March of 2020. then the layoffs began. Toxicity soon flowed thru the hallways and boardrooms.”
Ahhh….no. Matter of fact, layoffs were held off on as Covid shutdowns were dealt with. Toxicity may have continued as usual in the boardrooms but no one was in the hallways. Most were working from home.
Toxicity flows from the C level. Enhanced at SVP and VP level especially R&D. I haven’t seen this much toxicity and nepotism in many years I worked for the Corporation. I was asked to retire because I led good work- mind you, I was at high level. Then my boss was asked to leave and then his, business etc. Now the replacement is all ‘yes’ people who have not understood the market or technology. So being in management is also difficult. Have to be walking on land mines with no ownership.
McNerney is sitting on his retirement yacht smiling and knowing that he injected the poison that started the toxicity we see today. It’s an unstoppable cancer.
@OP,
Yes, it is very toxic. The culture in the last 2-5 years has shifted so bad. I wouldn't recommend 3M to anyone. The blame game goes only one direction, down. Start looking for something else.
I have been told by a c suite member that I am one of the prized people that they want to stay. I told them but what are you doing to reward me for staying. And the guy making millions a year - - said nothing. He could think of nothing he was doing to actually get me to stay but just was hoping out of the goodness of my heart that I would stay. What I read into his remarks was yes they really want a small percentage of people to stay but have no idea how to do that when the ways they are making people miserable are making everyone miserable both their golden children and the less desirables. At the end of the day though, they do not even truly know who the critical people are as I see them being let go left and right.
When I started at 3M a few years ago I was excited. I worked long hours and made an impact on the team I was hired to manage. It was not long before I realized how toxic 3M is. My manager (who is very senior) would yell at me, micromanage me, gas light me and insult me. She even referenced my nationality in her criticisms. The toxicity became so bad it affected my health. I left 3M but the wound is yet to heal. I hope you can leave before the toxicity takes a toll on your physical and mental health.
There is no trust from top management anymore. I’m with 3M for 15 years and never made as little progress on my work as in the last 2 years. Before that, I aligned with key stakeholders and we went forward, nowadays no one wants or can make a decision anymore. Resources are cut and even a 50k budget needs approval vom SVP level. It’s ridiculous. At the same time, we are asked to RTO and perks are getting eliminated. Everything just points into one direction: please leave the company. And all of that while we are asked to deliver even stronger results - ok, then please let me do that, I’d love to! 3M is sending very mixed signals these days.
Option C - this is how things are going to be. As a director in 2026, I have fewer decision rights and less autonomy than I did as a JG 12 back in 2012. I and everyone I know are miserable. I have about 7 bosses somehow and none can make a decision either. So it is a constant swirl of political smog trapping us all and making us paralyzed.