Vantaggi
The people in the trenches have good intentions and work hard. You will rarely find yourself locking horns with non-executives; the majority of the staff is trying to make the best of bad direction.
Svantaggi
I spent many years at SLT corporate before I finally admitted that upper management was never going to change, and I gave up and left. With the perspective of a year away, here's a parable capturing what the experience was like. In this story, every city is a project, or an operational goal, or a business objective. "VP" is leadership. "Staff" is you. VP: We need you in Los Angeles right away! Staff: We'll get started. It'll be a three day drive. (next day) VP: Where are you? We need you in Chicago. Staff: I'm in Portland. I'm on the way to Los Angeles. VP: Forget Los Angeles. Go to Chicago right now! Staff: Um, okay, it'll be a week or so. VP: You have two days. Staff: That's not really-- VP: Get going! (two days later) VP: Why aren't you in Chicago? Staff: We told you it wouldn't be possible. We're going as fast as we can. VP: Never mind Chicago. We need you in Portland immediately. Staff: What? We were just in Portland. If we'd known-- VP: Stop arguing and get moving! (two days later) Staff: Okay, we're in Portland. VP: Great. On your way through Idaho, we need you to pick something up. Staff: What? We're already in Portland. We needed to know about Idaho yesterday. VP: Go back to Idaho, do the pickup, and on your way, stop in Houston. Staff: What? Houston isn't between here and Idaho. VP: Get moving! And so on, and so forth. If you don't mind being yanked around like this, if you enjoy wasting your time being sent down blind alleys and dead ends by inexperienced micromanagers, if you can handle the realization that the people in charge have literally no idea what they're doing from day to day and are running the business at a blindfolded improvisatory sprint, then have fun. Me, I like to know that there's an actual strategy being followed. I don't respond well to reactionary panic.