The "Efficiency" Math Finally Broke the Calculator

qf · 2026-04-24T13:53:03.503Z

We’re currently operating in a state of institutional ghost-hunting. After the latest round of RIFs, the org charts look like Swiss cheese, but the expectations remain anchored to the headcount of 2022. The strategy seems to be "do more with less," but at this point, we’re just doing *everything* with *nobody*. I’m watching mid-level managers act as glorified project managers for systems that no longer have subject matter experts to run them. The institutional knowledge didn't just walk out the door; it was escorted out with a severance package, leaving behind a vacuum where documentation used to be. The morale isn't low; it’s dormant. There’s a quiet, rhythmic hum of resentment as we navigate the "Control Environment" bureaucracy while the actual infrastructure crumbles. We’re spending more time documenting why we can’t get things done than actually doing them. It’s a paradox of efficiency: we’re so busy proving we’re compliant that we’ve forgotten how to be functional.

The "Efficiency" Math Finally Broke the Calculator | Wells Fargo Discussions