Conference 7.286::digital

    
    I believe I read elsewhere in this conference or in yet another
    business publication that major corporations in Europe make it
    mandatory for ALL executives above a certain level to spend significant
    time in facilities in other countries BEFORE they move upward.  Perhaps
    Digital as a corporation should entertain such a requirement; or move
    headquarters around the globe from year to year.
    

    
    RE:0
    
    There's a few things you all can do in other countries.
    
    @ Start your own News-Paper.
    
    @ Stop receiving the Paper that adds no value to you, which will save
      DEC money
    
    @ If you feel you're treated un-fairly, then maybe you should work for
      someone else.
    
    I hear a lot of concern from people out-side the U.S. that they are'nt
    included in the Dec-World, that DEC is self-centered from a U.S.
    perspective, believe me when I tell you, the every-day worker is well
    aware of the value you all bring, but if you want to make changes, and
    I agree of what you all are saying, then "You" must implement rather
    than complain. Until you do that, I'm sorry to say you'll never  make
    the changes.
    
    I for one would like to know from a world-wide perspective other than
    a U.S. what's going on over-seas as well
    
    Rick
    

    I think "digital today" was supposed to be an U.S. Sales publication
    only.  Could be they send it outside the U.S. Area as an FYI to the
    rest of Digital.  I believe "digital today" was started as a substitute
    for fancier, costlier, less timely publications that it replaced -
    i.e., it was NOT an additional piece.
    
    If you want clarification on this, contact Kent St.Vrain in OGO ( the
    founder of "digital today") - he's in ELF.  
    
    Maybe the GIA and European Digital areas should start their own edition
    of "digital today?!"

I'd like to come at this question from another perspective. How many people in
non-American subsidiaries really understand Digital as an "American" company?

It is very difficult for a CEO to articulate a strategy/vision which can be
communicated properly, efficiently and expediently to all the individuals
working in multi-national companies.Language isnt the only barrier. 
Culture is one as well, distance another.

Many very large multinationals make it a must to have done duty in the "mother"
country for its top executives. Understanding the local way of thinking does
wonders when it comes to interpreting policy a thousand kilometers away and
three levels of management distant from the source.

IBM goes one step further. It's HQ-office usually has two
executives, one always an American on rotation, the other a local individual
who has done service stateside. 

Does this sound chauvinistic, or is it a worthwhile policy?

You are right that complaining is the refuge of the impotent. It is also
a significant way of letting off pressure for an individual who thinks he or
she sees a wrong and suggests how to right it. Expressing either the wrong, 
or how to right it, does not necessarily mean one can actually correct it. 

In democracies, the right to complain is inherent (as in Conferences, I would 
add). Mail to representatives is mostly complaints and is effective in allowing
them to sense the voter's pulse. It is also a right to vote towards effecting 
change in democratic societies. Corporations are not democracies, however. 
There is no right to vote change. This, indeed, is at the heart of the 
complainer's frustration - the individual's powerlessness. 

"Empower yourself" is a useless slogan unless the means exist.

You in Australia are empowered to do something about 'digital today'.

Some suggestions:

   Find out if you are paying a "corporate tax" to help pay for 
   Digital today.

       - If you are - work with your financial people to reduce
         the tax since you receive no benefit from the publication

         or

       - Insist on Australian space -(5% of digital today?) and
         submit some local Australian articles to the editor


       - If you are not: 

                     consider it a freebee which just gives you
         some ideas about what's going on in the U.S.

         or

         request cancellation of shipments to Australia

         or 
    
         ask them to send something like a .PS file to save cost
         on shipping paper
    
However, I do agree that it is  insensitive of the editors
to make a pretense out of producing on "international" edition which
is not international. 

d

    

    FWIW the nickname for the newspaper in various non-Maynard locations
    throughout the US is "Maynard Last Week".  I think the problem is more
    fundamental than whether it is international.
    
    -dinesh.

    Ok,
    
    point taken about the complaining. I merely wanted to open the issue
    up for discussion since all too often a great part of the company is
    ignored in communication. It is bogus to present yourself as an
    international edition when you are plainly not. I have problems with
    a company that states it is international and then does this. Either
    proudly state we are "an American company operating internationally"
    or "An International company based in the USA". The two are very
    different, I have no problems with being part of either, as long as it 
    doesnt make the pretense of being what it isnt. A company that pretends
    to be what it isnt cannot have respect from its customers or employees
    in the long-term.
    
    The issue here is mine to attempt to resolve, I'll start on that today,
    after considering the feedback generated here. Hopefully people could
    stop for a second before committing big dollars to something like
    "digital today" and look at how the money could best be used to represent
    the whole corporation, or decide what you are trying to communicate and
    to whom.
    
    regards,
    John

    John,
    
    Don't feel bad, sometimes the folks on the west coast feel the same
    way. "They do what back east?" "Is that the same Dec?"
    
    Dave
    
    

    re .2

>   There's a few things you all can do in other countries.
>   ...    
>    @ If you feel you're treated un-fairly, then maybe you should work for
>      someone else.

    Now and then I used to submit articles for our local newsletter, they
    all got published -- no thanks to my literary prowess, though! So, later
    on, when you suggest doing something about the problem, I agree.

    I just wish you hadn't thrown in the "Digital: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT",
    I've really developed a bad attitude towards people who say that, plus
    it's a little incongruous with the rest of your reply.

    Remember, you don't have to love manufacturing in Massachusetts
    (Westford, right?) to love DEC!

    /Petes    

    r.e everybody
    
    I received a telephone call from one of the senior people involved in
    "digital today", by coincidence she was in Australia to give a training 
    course. I wont mention her name here.
    Thanks to the person who forwarded my note to her, I do appreciate it.
    
    We discussed the problems, usefulness and perceived value of the paper
    and the realities of the cost of producing it. Also whether indeed it
    is possible to produce a paper with worldwide appeal and if a paper is
    indeed the best medium for distributing news to the Corporation at
    large. There are much larger questions about who gets to own a concept
    like this and how best to achieve its longer term aims. I'll concede
    its new and this means it will require feedback to develop the idea.
    Think I'll hold the fort on it and reappraise it in 3 months time.
    
    Given the responsiveness and sympathetic ear my concerns received, I
    dont think I'll follow the advice of Mr. .2 and "work for someone
    else" just yet. This is always on any person's option list but I
    think their could have been 50 things I could have done before it
    really is that critical in this case, and that included "living with
    it". The "if you dont like it, leave" syndrome is one of the reasons
    why things are so hard to change in this company, people do leave all
    the time Mr .2, others stay and make it better because they care. I had
    one gripe, I'm sure everyone in the corp has one gripe, should we all
    leave?
    
    John

    John, perhaps Digitalk should expand its focus a bit and incorporate
    those stories from Digipravda that are of general (international)
    interest.  That way we have our SPR publishing people handling this issue
    and we get a more relevant magazine.

    r.e 1238.12 by BIGUN::SIMPSON
    
    >John, perhaps Digitalk should expand its focus a bit and incorporate
    >those stories from Digipravda that are of general (international)
    >interest.  That way we have our SPR publishing people handling this
    >issue and we get a more relevant magazine.
    
    I think this may be the only strategy, where locally produced magazines
    pick up the relevent information. At least I read the local magazine,
    it fits well with the character of the Corporation in this part of the
    world and does pick up relevent worldwide communications when they 
    pertain to us (Digitalk is the SPR magazine).
    
    I have seen the local mags from other areas of the world and they are
    different in character and definitely reflect the issues and way of 
    communicating and doing business in the respective countries. The most
    important thing is that they are well read by their user base. Even  
    major mass-market publications saw the need to tailor for local content
    and produce different issues depending on where in the world you are.
    
    I think on the whole David's suggestion may be the only effective way
    of ensuring content that is relevent across the whole Corporation.
    
    John
    
     

    This seems to have ceased publication.