I can't say I weep for them, although some people very close to me are collecting GM pensions.
In the 90s they brought in John Smale from Proctor and Gamble, and he brought in the brand managers and all that garbage...no more cars guys, they had to hire people who had excelled at marketing Pampers or Tylenol. Of course, that was a disaster, but the SUV and light truck boom papered over it as the car divisions went on losing tons of money.
Used to be you went to Michigan or Ohio State, started at GM, was transferred to an increasingly responsible position every three years...they would pay your way through GMI for graduate school. It would weed out the bad apples and give you top shelf, experienced and tried and trued managers.
During the last 90s, you had HR walking through offices asking people to take buyouts....looking for numbers to meet a quota, and not actually realizing who was leaving.
Then you had the talented folks, like the heads of the Silverado launch and advertising campaign s taking buyouts and being lured by Toyota to launch the full-size Tundra.....which was pretty successful if you recall...
I see that sort of thing all the time. Among government project managers. And project managers of government contracts in private companies. Their idea of long term planning is two or three quarters out. They feel like they have to make their mark now, To hell with if what they are doing makes sense, at least they are doing, and are seen to be doing, SOMETHING. Of course they just sink whatever project they are on deeper into the muck and mire of bad management.