Conference 7.286::digital

    Here in Brussels, as with most of Europe, dress is indeed casual. Here
    I sit, wearing jeans, trainers, and an open-necked shirt. Ties are a
    rarity, and suits are for management (when they feel like it).
    
    Laurie.

    But, Laurie, you're a contractor who sits behind a terminal all day,
    out of sight of the sensitive.  Us customer contact types are still in
    suits.
    
    Still, I don't know what the fuss is about.  I've never seen such
    casual dress on the job as at the many sites in Mass I've visited.
    
    So, instead of asking management to implement yet another policy, why
    not ask them instead to refrain from implementing any at all until
    they've got half a clue?

    few things from the tops of my mind, if i think of more later
    i'll report it.

    1. give us PeeCees at work, this way we dont have to go out buy them
    ourselves and we also become PeeCee literates and compete better
    and make money for DEC too.
    
    2. bigger refrigerators in the coffee machine area, this way we
    can bring our lunches to work, costs less, and DEC will recover
    cost of bigger  refrigerators  by lower costs in cooking in the cafeteria
    because more DECeee will eat their own home cooked meals.

    3. DEC should put plenty of green planets in our cubes and hire some one
    to come water them once in a while, this way productive and natural
    atmosphere of work will improve with benefits to DEC. very low cost
    to DEC and the benefits are high in return.

    4. more spaces allocated for barking of bicycles, this way DECeees can 
    come to work riding a bike saves money on fuels and clear the environment 
    and reduces the ozone depletion layers.

    hope these helps.
    
    \nasser

>    3. DEC should put plenty of green planets in our cubes and hire some one
>    to come water them once in a while, this way productive and natural
 
     Thanks Nasser, the idea of Mars or Jupiter in my cube made my day -
	            especially the thougt of someone watering them!

	Heather

re Note 2308.2 by UTROP1::SIMPSON_D:

>     So, instead of asking management to implement yet another policy, why
>     not ask them instead to refrain from implementing any at all until
>     they've got half a clue?

        What?  Let it become obvious that they aren't contributing
        anything?

        Bob

    Nit: Mars is RED, and Jupiter is kind of stripey.
    
    But it gave me a much needed belly laugh too!
    
                 --Catherine--*
                (Astronomy/Physics major)

    
    ... it's also good to see that bicycle barking is finally catching
    on here...
    

    
    Let people work from home when they don't have to be at the office
    that day.  
    
    At the end of each meeting have people vote as to whether or not it
    was beneficial, if it wasn't for the majority then eliminate the 
    meeting.
    
    Evaluate the cost of having a caterer come in each day as opposed to
    having cafeterias, this would use less space and energy at the 
    DEC facilities.  It would probably also improve the quality of the
    food (hopefully).  
    

    >... ask them instead to refrain from implementing any at all until...
    
    IMHO, it would improve moral if these implementers abdicated in favor
    of having Nasser formulate all the policies, in his own language style
    of course.

    When I entered my base note, I was specifically looking for suggestions
    that would put tangible dollars into employees' pockets without taking
    dollars out of DEC's pocket, like the idea of casual dress, which saves
    employees money on clothing and dry cleaning.  
    
    The purpose of these ideas is to offset the losses in tangible dollars
    in benefits erosion.

    
    Given the 20-30 pounds I've gained because of the stress I've
    experienced here At DEC, I'd be happy not to spend the bucks to 
    replace my suits.
    |-(
    
    -Ed

    A few ideas:
    
    - PC's for all people who *need* them and the appropriate power level. 
      i.e. 386s to people using word processors, 486s for "power" users
      (whatever that means).  Standard look-and-feel and more productive
      tools that aren't frustrating to use.
    
    - PC's at home for developers/support personnel.  Even "old" 386.  I'm
      amazed at the win-win scenario, the individual who want to can teach
      themselves skills required for the future and DEC gets a
      better-educated, more-enthused and CHEAPLY-EDUCATED resource pool. 
      Image getting people to learn things to use on the job ON THEIR OWN
      HOURS.  There aren't many places where employees get a kick out of
      learning new things that benefit the employer (and themselves).
    
    - People who can (and want to) have the option of working from home a
      day or so a week.  Less commuting, less "utility cost" to DEC, etc...
    
    - Bite the @$&%$# bullet... have on-site (or very local) day care and
      elder care for DEC employees.  Have the employees pay for it.  Even
      if the cost to the employees were the same (hopefully not) the
      convenience and locality of their children/loved ones would help morale.  
      The cost and legal implications are certainly there but maybe
      something can be worked out.
    
    - "Higher-level" management visibility.  I think that a big boost would
      be for "troop visitations" by Bob Palmer and others would help
      morale.  Just once in a while go out and visit with people and talk. 
      I'd enjoy this even if they didn't visit my site... just knowing that
      they are talking with people. 

    .8  I'd go further than that and have them generally adopt a much
    broader outlook on working from home as a real cost savings in
    facilities as well as a morale booster - they get something out of it,
    too.
    
    For those of us who live long-distance and therefore probably can't
    take advantage of working at home flex-time could be both an
    environmental aid and a morale booster.
    
    bl
    
    

    casual ? if I dressed anymore casual I'd be barea$$ !
    
    had to throw a little humor out there......but the work from home is a
    good idea ....the group I work in tried to set up a plan to do this and
    our pro points were it would get people in a better mood for working
    and it would also cut down on on-site office area by having people
    sharing office space....but it fell through because we had to many
    hoops to jump thru to justify it.....but some of us do work from home
    anyway....
    
    Chris

    working from homes sounds like good ideas especially if one is writing
    a report or software or something like this, shehe can put the
    document in the floppy in shehe's pocket when done with it and just 
    simply bring to the office next day and put it at the work PeeCee,
    that is one thing nice about PeeCees, you can take the work with you
    home when done on the floppy , it feels more secure knowing it
    is all there in your pocket, and you can do more work at it
    at home if you want much easier. terminals at home are ok, but
    PeeCees are much more fun.

    we want PeeCees at work ! give us PeeCees !!  long live the PeeCeee !!

    \nasser

    How about a real Employee Purchase Program where the latest and
    greatest DEC products are available. A real EPP would be one where
    Employees are treated as real customers and the prices are a real
    bargain. A real EPP is not a dumping ground for yesterdays products at
    tomorrows prices.
    
    The value to Digital is that Digital gets PC literate employees and
    every employee becomes a salesman. Digital also gets employees to act
    as field testers.
    
    Joe

    .-1

    sure, that is good idea too.

    ref .new_idea

    i just saw a commercial about how to save your company hundreds of
    dollars a year, the commercial said you need to get a company 
    American express card, iam not sure how this works but they said this 
    will save the company lots of money, they want you to call the 
    number 1-800-success to get it. this is in case people did not see it.

    \nasser

    
    My bike as a warped wheel and it sort of Bark's when I ride it.....
    
    Re: .-1  DEC already offers the American Express Card to anyone who
       travels on a regular basis.  The bill comes to your home and
       your responsible to pay it off.  Not a great deal for us..
    
    Jon
    

Re:        <<< Note 2308.16 by VCSESU::BOWKER "Joe Bowker, KB1GP" >>>

>    How about a real Employee Purchase Program where the latest and
>    greatest DEC products are available...
>
>    The value to Digital is that Digital gets PC literate employees and
>    every employee becomes a salesman. Digital also gets employees to act
>    as field testers.
    
This suggestion was recently submitted to Delta by a colleague of mine here in 
the Colorado Springs CSC.  Time will tell if anything ever comes of it.

-  David

    Speaking of American Express, I called AMEX travel this morning to
    make travel arrangements.  They called me back later and ask for my 
    credit card number to guarantee hotel reservations.  I gave them my 
    Digital AMEX card number, and the travel agent said, no... I need your
    personal card number because Digital will not allow us to guarantee
    hotels to the corporate card anymore.  I ask WHAT, WHY, the answer
    "because too many people don't cancel the reservation and the charge
    is charged to Digital."  I told her that she is not getting my personal
    card number, and to use the one Digital has provided for us.  I hope
    that this is just a new agent and she hasn't learned how to do her job.

    In my experience, morale is highest when management has a mission
    and communicates that mission clearly to employees.  When people
    feel as if they're part of a team and working toward a common
    goal, salaries can be a pittance and working conditions can stink,
    but morale will be high.  When people feel as if their contributions
    are appreciated, when work has meaning and everyone is treated with
    respect and decency, morale is generally high.  I think I understand
    the sentiment of the base note and subsequent notes, but morale and
    money don't necessarily occupy the same plane.

    re: .21 -
    
    "I gave them my Digital AMEX card number, and the travel agent said,
    no... I need yourpersonal card number because Digital will not allow us
    to guarantee  hotels to the corporate card anymore."
    
    I just got a hotel guaranteed to my corporate card by AMEX yesterday
    so I suspect your theory about a new agent is correct.  They may
    have been told that centrally billed travel may no longer guarantee
    reservations???  The explanation you were given makes no sense
    if your corporate card is the same as mine -- the bills come to my
    home address and I'm personally liable for them.

    
    
    .22 hit it right on the head.  The cheapest morale builder will be 
    be a clear declaration of purpose, goals and business.
    
    Communicating those messages clearly would help too...
    
    		Bob 

    RE .22 - I concur with your thoughts. Clear communications of
    	     where we're heading and why have a positive effect on
    	     morale. What's been happening over the past few years
    	     is more and more gobbly-de-gook types of statements
    	     that in essense say absolutely nothing or fail to address
    	     key concerns. Listening to the workforce, really listening
    	     and honestly answering their questions and concerns goes
    	     a long way in developing a corporate team spirit and high
    	     morale. Being fed all of the 'correct, proper and appropriate
    	     things' while never really answering the questions or
    	     concerns has the exact opposite affect. Likewise, it costs 
    	     the Corporation absolutely zero to say the words "Good Job"
    	     or "Well Done" to an employee who's busted their hindquarters 
    	     and produced a quality piece of work but the rarity in which 
    	     it's seen makes me think it's more precious than an ounce of gold. 
    
    	 	As .22 said, rewards do not/are not always in dollars
    	     and cents. Many times it's the satisfaction that you get
    	     out of something, and recognition for it that contributes
    	     to higher morale. Recognition as noted doesn't always mean
    	     money in your pocket but it does mean what you've done is
    	     seen and appreciated. 
    
    		Showing the goal, listening to the folks who will help
    	     achieve it, giving them the tools to get there and being
    	     supportive contribute to high morale. Saying what we're 
    	     doing to achieve profitability by looking at the marketplace
    	     and identifying where we want to be goes much further to
    	     increase morale than simply saying "This cost to employee's
    	     will go up", "that benefit is being reduced/cancelled" and
    	     adding a sentence about 'return the Corporation to
    	     profitablility" at times get's construed as 'fine, but are
    	     we doing it by generating more revenue and profit, or at
    	     the expense of those who are attempting to do so?"
    
    		

    	Boost morale?
    
    	Give me a larger vested interest in the company.  Offer stock
    	option incentives to people deeper down the corporate chain.

    re .2
    
    >out of sight of the sensitive.  Us customer contact types are still in
    >suits.
    
    Not correct. We in Field Service don't. 
    
    Jan.
    
    CSC Holland
    

How about this clearly stated and to-the-point mission statement:

  Your mission is to make stockholders and management very rich.

I disagree that a clearly-stated mission statement is all that is
needed.  And, I don't really care to hear, once again, "you're the
best I've got, wish I had ten more just like you... sorry about the
salary."

.0 makes an excellent point.  The erosion of our compensation/
benefit package is having a real impact (in my mind it is the root
of our troubles today) and if it is difficult or impossible to pay
the staff well (or even competitively according the to the new low
standards that are being set in the USA) then I would hope that
some forward looking decision-makers would consider no-cost
options like those being presented here.

1) Fewer clothes and dry-cleaning bills is a great idea.

2) Work-at-home is even better, it would not only improve morale,
   but it would reduce Digital's building and travel costs, and it
   would have a positive effect on the communities in which we
   live bringing Digital good will.  Furthermore, THE networking
   company practising what it preaches could possibly bring us new
   business.

This topic is a great idea.  Keep those good ideas rolling in.

Dennis  

One thing that might help morale (at least of software weenies) at a cost
of $0 would be to blanket rescind that obnoxious "agreement" most of us
were forced to sign that says any and every idea we come up with while
working for Digital belongs to DEC whether developed on our own time and
with our own hardware/software or not.

								paul

        Recently at ZKO, a memo was circulated from facilities
        stating that cafeteria trays and dinner ware were in short
        supply and so would we please remember to return the items to
        the cafeteria when we were done with them.

        The memo appears, as far as I can tell, to have worked. 
        There are now far more of the small take-out trays in the
        cafeteria serving line.

        This was accomplished without prohibiting removal of these
        items, and without requiring VP signatures in order to take
        meals to the office. :-)

        It was accomplished, instead, by treating employees as
        responsible adults and stating the problem and action
        directly.

        I wonder that at a time when everybody says we need to be
        more entrepreneurial that more and more discretionary power is
        being taken from the lower levels of the company.

        It doesn't make much sense.

        Bob

    Morale won't improve until DEC improves; and DEC won't improve
    at no cost to DEC.
    
    I don't think morale can improve because the low level of morale is
    the product of a series of benefit reductions, management fiascoes,
    communication lapses, product disasters, indecision, and an erosion
    of investor and customer confidence.  Not to mention the layoffs.
    I don't like the situation that we employees have to wait and wonder
    what the heck is going on with our company until three weeks after
    the end of the quarter.  This isn't the kind of open communications
    I envisioned back in October.  I'm annoyed that I have to get my
    information about my company from the newspapers.  I'm afraid this
    up-coming DVN broadcast is going to be too little, too late for me.
    
                      

    The only way DEC will improve is if management stops trying
    to micro-manage. For that matter, we'd probably be better off
    without 'management' in the traditional sense. More emphasis
    on teamwork, with less concentration of authority, would go
    a long way towards getting the best effort from all employees.

    I'm having a hard time reconciling the notion that a large part of
    problem was that local management let things like headcount and
    expenses get out of hand with the notion that a large part of our
    problem is that senior management is trying to micro-manage.
    
    I think our real problem is that our management has comprehensively
    abandoned the more important notion of Doing The Right Thing.  I don't
    care what they say, what they are doing clearly demonstrates nothing
    short of contempt for their employees.  We are all familiar with the
    litany of reduced benefits, stupid policies, appalling treatment of so
    many people made redundant and the lack of open, honest communication.
    
    So, if we want to improve morale then management has to get its act
    together.  They have to start treating us as people, not as resources. 
    It's that simple.  They have to start showing us some respect.  We are
    the company, not them.  We make, sell and support the products that
    keep them in clover.  We are more important than them.  They exist for
    only one reason, to make us successful.  If I have a problem I can't
    solve my manager exists to solve it.  If he can't or won't then he's a
    liability.  End of story.

    re.33 One of the ways 'senior management' micro-manages is top hire
    countless middle managers, rather than trust front-line people to
    'do the right thing.'

    This topic has brought some things to light and given me some ideas
    that I have been half heartedly implementing anyway. I shall expedite
    the implementation process. A couple of things:
    
      1. Don't wait for DEC management to figure out how to improve your
         morale and save money at the same time. Nothing I have seen in the
         last few years would warrant positive expectations.
    
      2. Draft a memo to define how you will save DEC money, improve morale
         for yourself (perhaps others) and get you manager and PSA to sign
         off on it. I know this can be next to impossible in some cases.
         However, I have never been one to just give up (tho it IS getting
         real hard these days).
    
    I have my ideas on how to do this and will draft it up next week. 
    
    .0 mentioned only a few of the things that DEC has done to save money
    that have had negative effects on morale. Those things are a drop in
    the bucket to everything else that goes on on a daily basis. This past
    year and a half has.......I'll let it go at that.
    
    The one thing (IMO) management can do to vastly improve morale is
    nothing. That's right. NOTHING. How about just leaving us alone for
    awhile? It's been one "ding" after another for literally years. You get so
    punchy you go to work on Monday wondering what the hell is going to
    clobber you this week. So, how about letting us get on with our jobs?
    That alone would be a refreshing change.
    
    BTW, I am more optimistic now than at any time in the last couple of
    years. I am referring to my personal situation. Your milage may differ.
    
    gene (who does not spell check)

    \nasser
    
    you go right on expressing your opinions. "excessive truth" has ruined
    many a career at DEC. Maybe mine, but you have to do what you have to
    do to stare in the mirror in the morning. 

    i like to express some of deepest thought on this subject of
    how and where and what to do to raise the MORALE to fellow DECeees.

    i believe strongly that within all of us is the deep lights to
    shine on that illusive dreams for building our goals in life given
    it be the ultimate products for our customers or a different
    objectives that we have set upon us but to do it and to enjoy and rejoice 
    in it and doing it and to do it for the  reasons that cant be  explained 
    in mere words or verbs or even short sentences but is much beyond 
    explanations  and can only be communicated within our hearts individually  
    and that  is the fire that drives you for getting up and staying late and 
    raising  your MORALE higher and higher and higher and up and away and
    it is hard peak to climb when we ask an  external entity to drive within 
    us to find the spark and the little felt in there to lighten what is 
    within your sole which only you know where to find it for i believe only 
    you and you only can truly and fully raise your MORALE independent of the 
    dark surroundings and the look of the things on the outside and no matter 
    if it is a dark day or a bright day you'll find the secrete only deep 
    hidden kept inside your very sole.

    thank you for the opportunity to express these words.

    \nasser
     who_needs_to_spell_check

    \nasser...
    
    Did the , . ; and : keys break on your keyboard?
    
    Or even ! and ?
    
    Thanks for the laughs :-)
    
    "jackin' the house", Bob

    re .39
    
    New text data compression algorithm?

    
    Total annual income + compensation
    
    7-figure salaries		20% reduction
    6-figure salaries		10% reduction
    5-figure salaries		100% improvement in morale
    
    

>    Total annual income + compensation
>    
>    7-figure salaries		20% reduction
>    6-figure salaries		10% reduction
>    5-figure salaries		100% improvement in morale

    Some of this is tricky to figure. Even KO for example never had a 7
    figure salary though some years he did have a 7 figure income. It had
    to do with stocks. Generally speaking Digital hasn't given much in the
    way of other income other than salary and stock options. But then
    again, that's what we've been told.

    In any case I'm generally not in favor of equality by bringing others
    down. I'd rather see it by bringing me up. :-) At this point I'd be
    happier to see more 6 figure salaried (and some upper 6 figure ones)
    gone altogether. And start using some of the savings to sincerely tell
    some people that the company wants them to stay.

    		Alfred

    
      Nasser for VP of morale.  His soul report, a spell checker.
    

    /nasser..
    
    As long as we are looking deep in our Soles for answers to our morale
    problems, we may as well check out our Flounders too!
    
    
    			--Catherine--*
     
            (Ah C'est moi, Jacques Cousteau, j'aime les poissons!)

    re : .41
    
    You had it just about right, but the way things are going it may be:
    
    >    Total annual income + compensation
    >
    >    7-figure salaries          20% reduction
    >    6-figure salaries          10% reduction
    >    5-figure salaries          100% reduction
                                         ^^^^^^^^^
    
    Think of the money the corporation will save!!!!  ;^)
    

    re: .39
    
    Nah, he's just been studying William Faulkner's style of writing.
    
    M
    

RE: .46

	Or maybe Kerry Faulkner...

	(There's a jog for us old-timer Noters :-))

							mike

    Ah, Kerry, I miss him muchly. (Hi ya Mike)
    
    -sunny-

    
    So are they now equating employee morale to company performance?  I
    heard this was part of a DVN.
    
    
    Mike

	RE: .49 See 2311.7 It says in there that the way to improve morale
	is to make a profit. 

			Alfred

    
    So we are in a catch-22, we need to make a profit to improve morale and
    we need to improve morale to make a profit........
    
    
    Mike

>    
>    So we are in a catch-22, we need to make a profit to improve morale and
>    we need to improve morale to make a profit........

Not really, since the 'need to make a profit to improve morale' is NOT the
only way to improve morale...  I consider it rather nearsighted on someone's
part if they believe the lack of morale == lack of profit.

>    
>    So we are in a catch-22, we need to make a profit to improve morale and
>    we need to improve morale to make a profit........

    if we do it in small steps there be no catch-22 i think
    we can just make a little tinny profit, this will improve the morale a 
    little bit too, and this small improvement in turn will improve the profit 
    just a little bit tiny yet more, which will in turn improve the moral
    again a little bit more than before which will cause small improvements
    in profit and so on and so forth....

    i think this is called to boot strap your self up by the your own boot
    straps, a terms i borrowed from operating system theory course i took,
    so i cant see why this will not also work with this issue too.

    \nasser

    
    RE: .52-I think the one perpetuates the other, that is low morale
    perpetuates lack of profit.
    
    
    Mike

    Somebody in our office sent a message to BP and got an answer.
    Showing respect for people doesn't cost a lot and and is a real boost.

    Mr. BP, chapeau !


    Quite some upper middle managers don't care answering unsolicited
    messages.