Firm organization is overly complex, and a lot of time is spent (i.e., wasted) figuring out how to negotiate the bureaucratic labyrinth, follow procedures correctly, and who has real power and who doesn't. Too many people operate solely from personal self-interest rather than the interest of their department or the firm as a whole. If your performance manager is irrational, it doesn't matter what the reality is; the performance manager's perception becomes the truth on which other decisions are based. The firm is packed with strait-laced employees who think similarly and often aren't the most well-educated or open-minded folks in the world. Passive-aggressiveness is rampant, obviously part of the "nice" Midwestern culture. Too many people are afraid to say what they mean and mean what they say, for fear of not being considered nice--which leads to a lot of talking behind each other's back, which isn't nice at all and leads to low morale. Despite lip service, there's very little leeway for taking risks or making mistakes. People talk behind each other's backs all the time, and inaccurate information is often believed by others.
