My experience was heavily shaped by leadership at the team level, and unfortunately it was consistently negative. Management practices in my group were highly controlling, inconsistent, and at times crossed into behavior that felt unprofessional and inappropriate for a workplace.
There was a pattern of poor communication, shifting expectations, and feedback that was not constructive or actionable. Instead of creating a supportive environment, interactions often felt adversarial and, at times, personally targeted rather than focused on the work itself. This made it difficult to perform effectively and created a constant sense of instability.
There was little psychological safety. Raising concerns, asking questions, or attempting to clarify expectations could be met with defensiveness or dismissal rather than support. Over time, this erodes trust and makes it difficult for employees to engage meaningfully or do their best work.
Training and support were limited, yet expectations remained high and often unclear. Rather than being set up for success, employees were expected to navigate ambiguity without guidance, and then held accountable for outcomes that were not fully within their control.
Turnover and burnout felt like natural outcomes of this environment. The issue was not the work itself or the company’s product, but the lack of accountability for leadership behaviors at the team level.
