Lockheed Martin reviews about "training"

It seems that there has been a push at Lockheed to get rid of lower level managers that actually have some leadership skills. Those managers (at least in the area I worked) have been replaced by Lockheed flag wavers that just hide behind a giant matrix of policies and procedures in order to avoid actually having to make a decision. The annual review process is terrible. It pits team members against one another and is just designed to give managers plausible dependability for lack of raises. The amount of annual "training" is absurd. Harassment free workplace training. Really? Every year? It's just a pencil whip so that Lockheed can avoid getting sued. "Well...we trained him not to do that, so don't blame us!". So instead of doing work, I've got to go through a dumb powerpoint presentation about why it's bad to ogle the hot blonde in the office (let alone that that's probably the only reason why she was hired in the first place).

Sometimes stressful. Very performance driven. Benefits are being reduced for people just now joining the company. Training is difficult to get at remote work locations, although company does excellent job providing on-line resources.

Overly processed, and not the best company if you are part of the services company. Company is built around providing products and doesn't understand how to really manage professional services.

Definite ethos of "pay your dues". Promotions are slow, and opportunities for promotions are rare, mainly due to the current lack of overall unit growth. Not easy to switch units either.

There are not any cons that I have seen.

High stress levels due to inefficient yet REQUIRED processes More "managers" than "leaders" in mid level management positions Antiquated HR promotion system which is based on "years of service" relative to performance Retention issues among junior workforce Easy place to become complacent due to minimal rewards for good behavior and punishments for bad behavior

As a company, Lockheed can be brutal on incompetence and failures. By this, as a technical professional, your ideas, knowledge and abilities will constantly be questioned by peers and managers. Everyday to show up for work, you have to prove yourself all over again. If you can not defend your technical knowledge successfully you will be marginalized and most likely leave the company. The mark of death by the technical professionals is to be called a "non-technical." If you can not shake this label, then everything you say will fall on polite but deaf ears. The culture is harsh on anyone that do not strive for professional excellence. If this happens, your best hope is to find a position in management. As for managers, failure to meet extremely challenging objectives or satisfy even the most difficult customers is dealt with harshly. In many cases it can be the end of your career at Lockheed Martin. It only takes one failure to be tagged unworthy of leadership and part of the "de-railed" class of managers that float around seeking redemption. Your only chance of recovery is a guardian angel in the executive ranks that has clout. Otherwise, start looking for new opportunities or resolve your career ambitions to your current role in the company. As a result of this cultural attitude, Lockheed is a very conservative, risk adverse company. Which leads to the Lockheed "innovation misconception." Although, Lockheed is great for innovative problem solvers it is not much fun for creative, intuitive, or artistic thinkers. Unless you can back up your creative ideas with irrefutable detailed facts & figures; then, decision-makers will most likely dismiss you and your ideas. If you persists with your "brilliant ideas" they may label you as an "eccentric." Most successful revolutionary innovations at Lockheed occur when the ideas are developed under the radar and revealed as proof of concepts; or, with approved IRAD funding. However, if you expend company resources under the radar and fail to deliver a successful innovation; then, you've just signed your career death certificate at this company. Lets face it, Lockheed is more an engineering company and less a design studio or R&D firm. They solve complex problems they do not set out to create novel technologies. So don't be confused by the innovation propaganda. If you want true creative innovation, consider GE, Battelle Memorial labs, Apple, IDEO, etc. If you want to solve complex problems, then consider Lockheed.

Can be difficult to find training for specific career fields given the nature of contract work. Some of a the divisions will not pay for training out of overhead and unless the contract specifically states paid training, you can get yourself into a dead-end situation. Promotions can be difficult as well depending on your supervisor and what contract you support; if the contract was bid on certain salary grades you could find yourself in a bad spot.