Pros
Exposure to a broad spectrum technologies and market segments. Abundance of training Consortium of brilliant technologists, visionaries, and distinguished engineers until their creativity is stifled, compromised, and eventually re-packaged.
Cons
The agenda of headquarters is not communicated effectively to the field and partner ecosystem or field tested for validity before it is put in production with the sunset of tools, processes, and programs. Any efficiencies and ROI's that may have been gained are lost with rework, work around processes and partner/customer damage control. The most amusing power struggles and political positioning of SVP, AVP, Directors, etc. There was a day at Cisco when John Chambers wanted no more than four levels of management down from CEO. There are more VPs than a bank and just as much distrust, self-absorption, and lack of true leaders. Programs are funded in multiple departments to develop and deploy the same end goal resulting in overlap and confusion. These initiatives have elaborate benchmarks, milestones, etc. in which the program teams must meet the red, yellow, or green milestone whether it has any business relevance or not. Still huge parity in the best, most qualified individual with equitable compensation and compliance with federal diversity metrics for tax considerations. Employee performance and goal attainment is very subjective. If you are not identified for advancement, your compensation and success is easily manipulated towards marginal or worse non-performance. Do not expect to be given credit for process improvement recommendations, lead generation, best practices, etc. as you are not socialized or given credit for it to executive management. You will often see 'golden ones' given accolades for your creativity. All internal moves are lateral even if the job has increased job responsibilities and advanced skill sets. Salaries are not competitive with industry and increases are based partially on epm ratings. The problem here is managers are given a certain number of X and E+ ratings for their reports. This is a position in which even the most well meaning manager is tested with doing the right thing.
