Conference 7.286::digital

	The entrepreneurial spirit still lives at Digital though I don't
	know why. No it's not rewarded, it's punished. As to needing more
	or less of it I don't know. If it was my company I'd say yes. But
	it's not up to me. If management thinks we need more than they'll
	have to change things quite a bit to make it happen. I don't think
	it will happen.

				Alfred

    When the individuals in this company really stop believing that
    they CAN make a difference this place is in real trouble. 
    
    Yes I do believe each and every person can make a difference and
    that you are ultimately rewarded. IMHO, if you don't believe you
    can make a difference either you should try harder or seek employment
    elsewhere!!

    To me, it seems as it has always been in Digital.  The Company
    likes and encourages individual innovations.  Those immediately
    in contact with the individual(s) rarely do.  As .1 said, it
    requires too much change - and change is typically more unsettling
    to individuals, than to a Company, where often a long-needed change.
    
    I believe today's needs focus on a different type of individualism
    than the traditional "...go out and conquer," type.  Individuals 
    in contact and working with a network are those most likely to create
    needed changes.  These individuals need ideas, stamina, the ability
    to lead - and a lot of pluck.   

    re.2
    
    > When the individuals in this company really stop believing that
      they can make a difference this place is in real trouble.
    
      In my experience in DEC, I find that most of the individuals that
     I discuss this subject with DO NOT feel that they can make a
     difference.  And yes, I believe DEC is in real trouble.
    
      And as for your second paragraph, I honestly believe that there is
    a serious lack of incentive for people to go above and beyond and 
    virtually no recognition for those that do.  And you think that those
    that do excel will ultimately be rewarded?  Dream on.
    
      And as for your last sentence, you can save the love it or leave 
    baloney.

    reward or not, if I can NOT live with the job I do, them I'M in 
    TROUBLE. So I do what needs to be done, to the BEST of my ability.
    I cause waves and get the managers and other engineers mad at me
    from time to time. Yet, it's because I NEED TO DO THIS JOB TO THE
    BEST OF MY ABILITY that I perform the way I do. Hopefully this in
    doing this, I'M DOING THE RIGHT THING.
    
    I may not get a good raise, but I sleep well at night. If they do
    not like it, what are they going to do, fire me! I think not, slaves
    must be sold or shot.
    
    	Doing the job to the best of my ability in Colorado Springs, Co.
    	Regards
    	Greg

    I'm still relatively new to DEC (~3 yrs) but I think that a person
    can still make a difference.  The problem is that most of the time
    they have to do it on their own time or behind the backs of the
    "formal business".
    
    I'm lucky that in my group my manager and people are really company-
    oriented.  I've learned that I can't change the world instantly
    (Thank God... I would have *really* messed up a few things with
    my lack of experience) but I can have an influence if I'm willing
    to dig in and pull.
    
    I see a few things that sometimes make me wonder how things could
    be improved:
    
    1) Why do we think tactical instead of strategic?  Short-term vs.
       long-term.  Patching up 3GL programs and flat-files is fine to
       keep things moving (operational) but there must be a strategic plan
       for all systems.
    
    2) Stovepipe?  My manager has loaned myself and our DBA to a sales
       group to help out with a Rdb opportunity.  The other people in
       our group are pulling extra hard to cover for us.  Why does sales
       have to beg for help.  Rdb??  There are tons of Rdb people...
       why do they need to struggle so?  A lot of the needs can be met
       in a week or less.
    
    3) Pay for performance?  I don't know what to say on this one. 
       It just seems a little lacking in time... everyone seems to get
       the same treatment for whatever gets done.  How about for people
       who spend extra time learning new tools, going for further
       education, putting in the extra hours to get something to work
       better than just right?...
    
    
    Just my rambling thoughts,
    
    Don  

I have to admit I feel the general drift of fellow employees towards "I don't 
make a difference" but on the other hand I feel I can make a difference, 
albeit in my spare time,and with my spare money. I guess I could have set 
up my own business, right? but I had a strong desire to make a 
contribution besides the smallness of helping to make sales budgets 
(on the grand scale of things). When doing the right thing AND growing
one's personal creativity/interest coincide, there was no question.

erik
of the Digital ARTlibrary

    Maybe I've been unusually fortunate, but I've been at DEC for nearly
    4 years, have had 3 different managers while working in two different
    organizations.  I STONGLY believe that the incentives are here to
    promote individual contributions, and I STRONGLY believe that the
    entrepreneurial is still alive.  Maybe the methodology has changed.
    
    I've seen co-workers who've put in the extra effort reap significant
    rewards, both in the form of raises and also promotions.  I've averaged
    1.333 for the 3 performance reviews I've had to date and have asked
    for (and received) more responsibilities.  I've volunteered to
    participate in external industry technical conferences and have
    proudly represented Digital at several workshops and seminars.
    
    It is not my intent to engage in chest-beating, but merely to
    illustrate concrete examples of the system working.  Perhaps we
    must seek alternative routes through the system.
    
    Mark.

    I came to Ed Services from the field service organisation.  Not only
    have I always felt and individual CAN make a difference, but, I know
    that I *do* make a difference...small as it may be when measured
    against the whole.
    
    A single individual can and often does make the difference in keeping a
    customer happy, or turning a mad customer into a glad one.  A single
    individual can and often does make the difference between a sale and a
    lost opportunity.  A single individual can and often does REPRESENT the
    *whole* of DEC to a given customer, large or small.
    
    Conversely, a single individual can and often does screw up the work of
    many.
    
    tony	who_tries_never_to_be_in_the_latter_group!  8*)

    Look at what happened to poor Alfred Thompson!
    
    HW
    
    ps: .7 Erik, your pictures are invaluable for sales proposal and
    presentations. And for you guys who'd forgotten, that means $$$ (geez
    and I ain't even in sales!)

    re .10

    I was distressed by Alfred's announcement that he could no longer
    distribute EASYNOTES.

    Just another case of managers who don't give a s___ about DIGITAL, the
    company, or the people working for it, as long as their fiefdom gets its
    obeisance.

    Pretty soon you won't even be able to help people completely on your
    own time even if you dial in from home on your personal PC.

    Yucchh!

    /Peters

    re .10,
    
    If I had waited for a VAXstation to come along (it did last year), and
    a great drawing tool to run on that VAXstation (it will by the end of
    this year), I'd have completed the 300+ icons by 1992. Well I guess
    that's the point of note 1076.
    
    Thanks for the ps.
    
    erik
    

    re .11,.12
    
    If DEC awards Purple Hearts (for bravery|volunteering|... beyond the
    call of duty|job-spec|...), then I would certainly vote that Alfred
    receives one. And people like Erik, and others might qualify too (you
    did spend your own money you said, Erik?).
    
    My point is, besides lamenting about the passing of EASYNOTES.LIS, what
    are we going to *DO* about it? For the people who joins us in the
    future, where will they obtain a list of conference to join? The impact
    is tremendous. Having benefited from Alfred's efforts, I want to be
    able to really do *SOMETHING*. It has never occurred to me the efforts
    in setting up a distribution system like EASYNOTES.LIS, and it
    certainly hasn't cross my mind to send him a ThankU note. An oh BTW, if
    our internal junk mails are distributed like EASYNOTES.LIS, guess how
    much forest (and $$$) we'd be saving!
    
    If you're reading this Alfred, I want to say a big THANX! Your efforts
    is so invaluable, there is simply no tangible way of measurement.
    
    HW

	What to do about EASYNOTES.LIS, now that I can't do it any more,
	should best be taken up in HWSSS0::NOTESLIST_FORMAT.

	It looks like, gradually, parts of what I did with EASYNOTES.LIS
	are being picked up. Someone is updating 2.* in EASYNET_CONFERENCES.
	(How long he'll be able to do so I don't know. He's a very busy man.)
	The VTX database is being updated from there. Several people are
	thinking about being a new mail distribution person. I am hopeful
	that the work will continue. There are alot of people at Digital
	who believe that if a job needs doing and no one else can/will do
	it that they should.

			Alfred

    I too think Alfred has done a wonderful job. But in some ways I think
    this is a blessing in disguise. Alfred pioneered a very important
    function, it is now time that is taken over by a group that has that
    function as part of its charter. I hope someone in EASYNET ops/DT takes
    it over officially.
    
    I'm all for individuals getting things off the ground but once the idea
    is mature it needs official support. Sometimes official support works
    out well (witness the transition of EASYNET management from Jim
    Miller's engineering group to DT), sometimes when the official
    organization gets their hands on something they ruin it. Witness ELF V2
    which isn't a patch on V1.
    
    Dave

    re .13: If DEC awards Purple Hearts (for bravery|volunteering|...
    
    FYI: In the military Purple Hearts are only given if one is injured
    or killed in combat. I doubt that Alfred has been injured or killed.
    

    But his career may have been.

>    I'm all for individuals getting things off the ground but once the idea
>    is mature it needs official support. 
    
    That was in fact contemplated five years ago but DT couldn't come up
    with the funding.  Instead, Alfred was able to take the idea and
    nurture it through the tremendous growth of Notes at Digital.
    
    Actually some did not like the idea of official support of
    EASYNOTES.LIS back then, because when EASYNOTES.LIS was first put on
    ANCHOR, that copy (but fortunately not the master copy) left out all
    the so-called "non-worked related" conferences.  The incident caused
    an uproar in NOTESLIST note 555 until the issue was resolved.
    
    --Simon
    

    Is it getting to difficult for an individual to get something done and
    accepted?
    
    Is the bureaucracy beginning to stiffle the individual?
    
    Is the world getting to complex for a single individual to implement a
    new creative idea?
    
    Are we more like Apple or Honeywell?
    
    Today the need for creativity is high and the environment seems to be
    passive!