Hubris and elitism. A select few are groomed because of their "consulting skills" (read: those who look and speak like attorneys), not necessarily their technical acumen (flunked qualifiers, terrible writing and interpersonal skills be damned - you might even make VP). If you are not picked early to be part of the A group in a large office - your chances of success are slim to none. You are more powerless than you realize. Your dreams, aspirations, contributions, mental wellbeing, morale, sincerity and enthusiasm have shrunk to a single row in a spreadsheet that management uses to divine "the story behind the numbers". For a company that preaches the scientific method, employee assessments are based, not on personal knowledge through direct interaction and observations (no time for that when one is killing himself/herself for a bonus with a near 100% UT), but the word of a dominant anointed oracle or two. Speaking up about this just makes management mad and retaliate. I chose the only path I had remaining - to leave. Ask - why is a company headquartered in a place as diverse as the San Francisco Bay area for over half a century - so predominantly white and male? (Currently there is a scramble to promote white women - so you may be in luck).
