Working at MITRE requires strong self-guidance. Sometimes it's easy to feel somewhat adrift without strong line management direction. Most of the time that freedom is appreciated but when issues need to be elevated and timely management decisions are needed, the process can be slow and frustrating. Also, one gets the feeling of two companies at work, one consisting of superstars working on plum assignments and the other for the majority of staff who are working on more mundane tasks of little interest to the Corporation other than for the number of staff-years on contract.