As solution engineers we should get the best seat in the house, as we create real customer success. Unfortunately, certain elements in solution engineering management are capable of completely destroying this experience by instead focusing on drama, endless chatter, inflating their egos, and enjoying a good amount of backstabbing, bickering, and passive aggressive behavior.
The Ohana, and the often touted values of trust and equality, will only apply if you have drank the right amount of kool-aid, and agree with all views and patterns of behavior that said elements mandate. If you deviate, prepare to be questioned every step of the way with every decision taken, and berated publicly on subjects that other colleagues that follow inline get to navigate with ease. Tensions rise because of this lack of transparency.
Policies are not applied equally across teams. As an example, another review here on mentioned working from home. Good luck doing that depending on where your reporting line lies. Trust is apparently just another playing card in the talk track deck.
At any moment in time, you have many more non customer related initiatives than you have ones dedicated to customer success. Higher ups have a habit of creating new aimless enablements and exercises that are purely there to justify their place in the hierarchy. Redundant new roles created for similar functions to appease certain individuals. At times, I believe I report to at least 5 individuals.
Laughable recent promotions abound, very lack luster people and management skills are all too evident in some recently promoted individuals. This has been noticed not only by individual contributors, but also by other managers as well. Also evident is the lacking of any backbone, if sales leadership claps, all are expected to dance in unison, no standing up for your team, or actually managing them or helping them out. Instead you get lack of ownership and and a “handle it yourself” attitude. Get ready to play political musical chairs all the time.
With all that to navigate, good luck trying to complete your "real" work in actual work hours, as along side all the above, you'll need to dedicate considerable time to toot your own horn just so that you get some recognition (whether you deserve it or not). Expect working weekends to be the norm. A fact all too known by solution engineers internally. And with that and the never ending customer related work load, good luck finding time to volunteer as part of your 1-1-1 which you signed up for in the beginning.
