Conference 7.286::digital

    re: .1
    
>    1.	How well is the DELTA program working in your group/district?
    
    It doesn't exist.  I spoke to the District DELTA coordinator this week.
    He says that he will be giving me a DELTA blurb to put into NEWS soon.
    When this occurs, this will be the first local message about DELTA
    that I can recall.
    
    This week I received a corporate DELTA Email message (which, since it
    was marked as something to be forwarded throughout the organization,
    ended up in NEWS).  This is the first official DELTA communication I
    can recall since about January.  I still think that most people in our
    District could not successfully define the term "DELTA".
    
>    2.	What are your likes relating to the DELTA effort?
    
    No one has sent out the seemingly inevitable "it's a success!" memo yet.
    Outside of that, there is nothing to like, as nothing has been done yet.
    
>    3.	What are your dislikes relating to the DELTA effort?
    
    I fear the "it's a success!" memo will come, whether or not we do a darn
    thing.  
    
    At this moment it has all the qualities of the standard corporate
    black-hole program:  it's announced in the fall, people are "named" to
    certain tasks/positions around Dec/Jan, maybe one or two messages go
    out saying "we're here!" -- but no one believes it, because no one
    local talks about it.  Finally, the "it's a success!" memo comes out
    about a year from the start of the program, and most people still can't
    tell you what the program was supposed to do...
    
    It may sound cocky or like I have "an attitude problem", but this is
    the history of corporate programs ("black holes") in the field.  I
    started talking like this during our last discussion of DELTA and
    people jumped on me for "not giving it a chance".  Well, here we are
    giving feedback to "improve" a program that doesn't exist!  The only
    thing that has happened since February is the distribution of a single
    US Field memo on DELTA.  Sorry, but that is not the mark of a "working"
    program!
    
>    4.	What are your wants and suggestions for improving the DELTA effort?
    
    START THE EFFORT FIRST!  THEN WE MIGHT HAVE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO
    "IMPROVE" IT!
    
    If no one talks about it locally, no one will believe that it is real! 
    If there are no reports of local "successes", no one will believe it
    works!  We could sure use a periodic (weekly, monthly?) report (make
    that 2 reports: one local, one nationwide) that says:
    
    	"We received x suggestions last week.  This makes a total of x+y
    	 since dd-mmm-yyyy.  Of these, q have already been implemented and
    	 r are currently being evaluated.  Don't forget: send your
    	 suggestions to nnnnnn::uuuuuu and we will acknowledge your
    	 suggestion and keep you up-to-date as to its status."
    
    I would be surprised to learn if a single suggestion has been sent to
    the local DELTA team.  If they HAVE received a suggestion, I'd like to
    know how the sender found out the Email address -- I know of no memo
    which has specified the LOCAL DELTA mail address!
    
    Waiting for DELTA to begin...
    
    -- Russ

	re: .0

	What DELTA ?  This (.0)is the first I've heard that even
	attempted to describe it.

	But if it's like other Digital 'Suggestion Box' programs,
	it's a NOOP.

	Steve H

    re: .0,

    See .1

    >How is DELTA working in your area?
    
    Well, in our area, Santa Clara Government District, we don't know what
    it is.  The first I personally heard of it was when my District Manager
    came out to talk to us last Friday--March 16, 1990--and he mentioned it
    in passing as a response to my suggestion that we start a suggestion
    box.  He didn't know anything about it, but he did offer to send me his
    book explaining all about it for me to read. I haven't seen it yet.
    
    >Complaints about DELTA?
    
    See .1.
    
    >Likes about DELTA?
    
    See .1.
    
    We haven't even seen EMAIL about it.   So we're real ignorant....
     

    re: .0
    
    Received a memo on 19-Mar announcing the formation of a DELTA council
    in the Ohio Valley District. Can't say I've seen any impact yet :-)

    Dave

    DELTA- Here we go again. Way down here in New Jersey and if I didn't
    read the notes file,I would have no idea what you are talking about.
    What is it? When did it start? Who started it? What is it supposed to
    do? Outside of the previous questions it seems the age old story of
    the excellent lines of communication that we enjoy so much here at
    Digital. The right hand doesn't talk to the left hand and nobody
    talks to the feet.
    
    

    Well, I heard about it. A couple of District meetings ago our
    District manager said that there was this great program to 
    impliment our ideas on how to make our job better.
    
    My question to him was "is this anything like BETA?" That was
    the last employee suggestion program to make your job better.
    It died and the suggestions that where good and would improve
    our job usually got deleted as the "Notes conf" on BETA got
    moved and most ideas did not.
    
    I will take the lead and declare the DELTA program a very successful
    program. 
    
    Now the follow up employee involvement program. What shall we call it?
    GAMA, yeeess, lets call the next employee lip service program GAMA.
    all in favor raise your hands.... OK I see we ALLL agreeeee. Gama it
    is. You will soon be attending a new meeting to tell you all about
    how successfull this new program will also be.
    
    	Lets do the RIGHT THING - IN OUR LIFETIME - - - PLEASE!
    
    	GREG

    First...where I live - MAA Customer Services.
    
    Now some answers.
    
    The only thing I know of DELTA is what I've read here in
    DIGITAL::HUMAN.  Oh yeah, was there something in that U.S.
    Field News (waste of BIG $)??  Maybe but it said nothing that
    made sense to me.
    
    If the outcome of DELTA is anything like the previous programs
    ( remember INTERACT and INTERACT II) let's shut it down now!
    Maybe if we get rid of the "SAY NOTHING PUBLICATIONS" and the
    "DO NOTHING PROGRAMS", we could save a few JOBS.

    DELTA sounds just like the programs we have had here in PNO.
    Once the champion or initiator is not running things the program dies.
    Used to have about 1200 people here but it will be down to 330 by
    Q1.
    Progress?
    
    
    
    

    I'm from INDEC Customer Services where, in our District, we have a
    "Quality Team" in place.  It's made up of one individual from each
    unit, a person from logistics, and two unit managers.  Makes for a
    nicely rounded representation of the District.  The purpose of this
    team is to:
    		1) Review ideas
    		2) Determine feasibility
    		3) Involve neccessary resources
    		4) Help implement
    		5) Escalate to DELTA or upper management
    		6) Provide feedback to the originators
    
    Everything is done on a voluntary basis to ensure committment from the
    people involved!  The people there, want to be there!  It is not some-
    thing that they are forced to do... but they do get recognition for
    their efforts.  
    
    This system was well thought out and then put together on a voluntary 
    basis by one of the guys in our District.  He put a lot of his own time
    in developing a mail account to keep track of the ideas, ongoing logs
    status reports, complete folders, closed folders and a lot of extras
    needed to run a "suggestion box" type account PROPERLY.  He also
    had everything in place and fully operational before starting up the 
    program.
    
    The only way to judge a system is through it's successes.  We, here in
    our District, have had 48 ideas put into our system.  Over half of
    those ideas have been implemented and there are still many more ideas
    being worked.  THAT IS A PROVEN SYSTEM!  
    
    The reason I am taking the time to write all of this is to let people
    know that there are systems that work.  Yes, it's true, in the past
    we have had many different types of systems in place and none of them
    were very successful.  I think that this was probably because of lack
    of committment on side of management.  They did not take the time to
    put everything together first and then let everyone know about it.  They
    would haphazardly put something together and then say "Well.. if people
    use it we'll improve on it as we go along".
    
    Obviously we are not off to a very good start with the DELTA program. 
    We have used it a few times to escalate ideas and test the waters and
    to be honest, we're not impressed.  The "auto response" mail account
    has to go!  Is this a mail account that is going to implement our ideas
    or is there really someone over there reading our ideas, that we have
    taken the time to think through and write up.  Also we should not have
    to take the time out of our busy schedule to track down contacts to get
    feedback!  
    
    You have made the mistake of starting up before your system was
    thought through thoroughly.  Don't make the mistake of carrying on as
    though it works!
    
    
    Gator

    re: .11
    
    Following the comments about having the support system finished before
    implementation...
    
    The local DELTA coordinator came to me and asked me to develop a
    tracking system for the DELTA items.  I told him that I would need to
    receive authorization to stop my current (customer) project to work on
    it, as it is not trivial (as best as I can tell -- there is no design
    at this time, naturally) and I don't have any extra time I can dedicate
    to the project at this time (family schedule conflict).
    
    The point is this: if this project was really meant to get off the
    ground, each DELTA coordinator should have received a fully functional
    tracking system to use in the effort.  Having each district develop
    individual tracking systems is (a) a waste of manpower on redundant
    systems and (b) a loss in billable time, and therefore, real dollars.
    It also puts the entire DELTA effort at risk, as the methods put into
    place may or may not provide the tracking necessary to assure that
    suggestions are looked at and implemented as needed.
    
    Another note:  I've talked with people from two other local districts
    about DELTA.  The first person heard of "the concept" of a suggestion
    box being battered about, but nothing ever came of it.  The second
    person thought I was talking about the airline company -- he hadn't
    heard of the concept of an electronic suggestion box.
    
    So, it does not appear that single coordinators have failed, as much as
    that the entire effort is stillborn in this geography.
    
    -- Russ

What happended to the Employee Involvement Program that came out 
just a few months ago?

Does Delta replace it?

Does Delta complement it?

or is it just another layer of Bureaucracy?

John

    re: .13
    
    As I understand it, DELTA is the US Field's implementation of Employee
    Involvement.  DELTA attempts to deal with Field issues directly, while
    forwarding larger corporate issues on to the groups who can handle
    them.
    
    As such, I believe that DELTA is intended to be a component of EIP.  Then
    again, I understood it was supposed to _DO_ something, so I clearly
    could be wrong about its relationship to EIP.  8^(
    
    -- Russ

    GIA is claiming that their system of employee involvement is working.
    See Livewire today.

    A few months ago, an electronic memo was sent to employees in our
    Area describing the DELTA program, and naming the managers who would
    be in charge.  Since then, I have seen no feedback in the form of
    electronic mail, printed copy, nor word-of-mouth.  I'd like to have
    some feedback sent out on the electronic mail system just as the
    announcement, as it reached all SWA employees. 
    
    There has been much more feedback provided from the "Sales Sensing
    Committee" in our Area.  Electronic memos are posted periodically,
    and it looks like there is a lot of envolvement in that program.
    
    Perhaps DELTA can be as successful?  

    RE: All
    
    From:  "A Passion For Excellence"  Tom Peters and Nancy Austin,
    					co-authors
            The first page of Chapter 3
    
    "We believe in truly listening to the customer, taking the customers
    view as MORE important than our own. We believe in truly listening to
    our people, taking their views as MORE important than our own. But the
    whole edifice tumbles if one doesn't deal off a base of integrity.
    
    Thus what is not so obvious throughout this book is that virtually
    every device we suggest is doomed to be useless unless applied with
    integrity. Worse than useless, most of these devices, used without
    integrity, will expose you as a hypocrite of the first order.
    
    Install a toll-free number, then don't 'overtrain' your people or
    'overrespond' to custoemr call-ins. You'll find it won't work. The area
    code 800 numbers hum only for those who really believe in listening and
    responding, not those who are merely looking for a PR gimmick. 
    
    Paint out the executive parking spots, but treat your people with
    contempt, and you'll find you stand convicted of a kind of fraud.
    
    Draw your organization charts "upside down" (customers or constituents
    on top, president or city manager on the bottom) and then provide the
    same careless service. It won't make an iota of difference. Except that
    you will become a joke. 
    
    In support of innovation, give speeches lauding failures that were good
    tries, and then demote or sidetrack the first champion whose head pops
    up; that's it for risk-taking, despite all the find words."
    
    If I might add:
    
    "Institute your 387th request to employees asking 'how you really feel,
    and how can we make things better in your life? ... we really care' and
    then do nothing, just like you did the last 386 times, and you'll lose
    just a LITTLE credibility with your employees."
    
    /se
    
    

    Must be a software reservation package for DELTA airlines ??????
    

    
     In the latest Field News --- Who is Jim Beld MAA EIS Consultant?
    
    Delta- it's a kind of old Jet replaced by F-15 Strike Eagles, and such.
    Used for interception purposes with nuclear weapons it was called
    the F-102 Delta Dagger.
    
     Mike Z. :^)

    Nope, it's the latest T-bus to Ethernet adapter.  You need rev E2 or higher.

    re: .19
    
    Didn't see the reference, but I think it's a typo for Jim Bell.
    
    -- Russ

    One of my suggestions to the now defuct BETA programs was to replace
    the u'fiche system with CD's. We now have ELF servers, VTX servers,
    and NAME servers. We have STARS and all kinds of data bases. Why not
    put a CD reader with the entire u'fiche on such a server, or issue
    seperate copies to each branch. This would always make the u'fiche
    up to date, eliminate all that u'fiche that often gets "STORED for 
    LATER FILING" in someone's desk draw, eliminate the time it takes for
    all engineers to update their u'fiche libraries, etc, etc ,etc. This
    could also save money as I'm sure the cost of making up the masters,
    shooting the fiche, making them in quantity, packing it up, shipping
    it to the districts, handing them out to the engineers and the one
    fiche you need, someone has borrowed, all add up to a lot of money.
    
    To this date, nothing has ever been said to me about this suggestion.
    It's to expensive at this time, we need to study it more, we need
    better hardware before we can do this,,, any of these would have at
    least acknowledged my suggestion. NOTHING. 
    
    Now you ask for my support of a NEW and IMPROVED program. Sorry, I
    now believe you will have to prove your worth. A notes conf dies a
    long and painful death if it is unproductive. A suggestion program
    does much the same. Neither are brought back to life easily. DELTA
    has already started off on the wrong foot. It's dead! Let's just call
    it a great program and figure out what caused it to die before anyone
    comes up with then next program.
    
    	In-Dec West Customer Service Engineer
    	Colorado Springs, Co.
    	Greg
    

    re.0:
    Obviously the program is not working, else you would not need to poll
    the field.  Any program that is performing would be delivering results
    that easily could be identified.
    
    I don't think the program really exists, therefore I don't like
    anything about it.  I do believe that a working system is imperative
    for a well run organization.
    
    Its easy to dislike it, as most of the Noters have indicated.  Besides
    an electronic message, I have recieved NOTHING, seen NOTHING and hear
    NOTHING about Delta.
    
    My suggestion is to decide if this is something that is really desired
    by our senior management.  If that is true, then define what is to be
    accomplished by such a program.  Desired results must be quantifiable,
    else forget the effort.  Set up a structure outside the existing 
    management organization to run the program.  The Delta program must 
    report to Ken Olsen or the person that could decide to implement any
    particular suggestion.  Nothing can be improved if the suggestions
    goes above the level of the person evaluating the suggestion.  In
    setting these up in the past, I have found that the successful programs
    are those that can reach that high in the organization, by some one
    who won't lose his job if he recommends that an entire function, to
    which he may ultimately report, be eliminated. A few electronic 
    messages is insufficient to achieve success.  All of management must
    buy into the program, and its goals and objectives must be carefully
    delineated, quantified and the record collection system established
    prior to the introduction.  If management has a poor track record
    with previous efforts, specific measures must be adopted to assure
    the field force that this is not the same as previous efforts.
    
    There needs to be something more.  Many years ago, as a newcomer
    in a company, I found that they had TOTAL disregard for the Corporate
    Systems and Procedures Manual.  The problem was that the employees
    read immediately the value management placed on the manual.  A clerk
    in the Assistant General Manager - Treasurers organization was re-
    sponsible for writing, printing and distributing as directed by the
    AGM - Treasurer.  The Manual was a blue canvas , three ring binder,
    with a red bordered white label carefully typed and listing the
    manual number on the spine and front cover.  The individual procedures
    were typed and reproduced using the Ditto process.  Chapters were
    segregated with dividers of the "school" variety, carefully prepared
    by the Clerk.  When we hired a Manager of Systems and Procedures and
    he had a dotted line responsibility to the General Manager for 
    "Systems and Procedures" and he issued a yellow plastic three ring 
    binder, with silk screened logo and identification, professionally
    printed dividers with mylar tabs, every employee requiring one was
    assigned one, and the General Manager had a personal session with
    each organizational group about the importance of using this tool, the
    perception of the employees changed.  Because the desired results
    were quantified, the General Manager quickly knew if he should
    continue the effort, enhance it, or...
    
    I think that this approach would help, ahhhhhh, what was it,
    something about an airline???????
    
                                    Daryl
    
    
    

    Although I have been to a meeting about the Delta program, I really
    don't see anything changing. I've been thru these Employee Involvement
    things before.. I STILL have NOT seen any real improvements!  I
    don't want to sound like a pessimist(sp?) as I am a REALIST!! I
    will try and work with the program and see what happens (again and
    again).. I'd rather have some of these great minds that come up
    with these IDEA's to come out in the field and take calls at 0100
    after working a full day, and then let them see what realy happens
    in the field... They're to far removed from what we do..
    
    Just to show you some ignorance... having just been trained on the
    UPC for the 9000, we WILL have to work on this beast with power
    applied (280VDC @70 amps...). Dec's great SAFTEY Guru's stated that
    we cannot work on this alone, but we CAN with a Customer's body
    present?? Now if we get wacked, it states (in the memo) that we
    must get CPR withing 4-6 minutes or we die.. Now after the Customer
    stops running around the computer room for 10 minutes (while we're
    cooking) they call 911... I think they'll blow OUR response time...
    Lot's of thinking went into that..  
    
    Like I said, I will try and work with the Delta program, but I don't
    think that management gives a hoot anyway.. Just another way to pacify
    us instead of giving us what we really need... Stepping down off
    the soap box..
    
    Joe
                               

    re:.22
    
    I'm afraid the idea about replacing fiche with CD roms wouldn't work
    too well out in the field.There are lots of engineers who keep their
    fiche in the back of their cars for possible use at a customer site.
    
    Ken

    re .25
    In Greg's note (hi Greg) he clearly stated that he was not upset
    that his suggestion had been rejected, but that he had not recieved
    any feedback. Feedback is necessary for at least two reasons. First,
    it lets the troops know that they are being listened to. Second,
    when the reason for rejecting a proposal is clear (like in your
    reply, you offered a good reason) it helps focus the thought/suggestion
    process, hopefully improving any other suggestions. I think that
    feedback, especially constructive negative feedback, is essential.
    
    Just my $.02
    
    Dave Scoda
    

      In Novemebr, I submitted a note to the DELTA program recommending a
    consolidation of various HQ Finance groups to eliminate redundancy and
    to reduce the bureaucracy. I received the form-letter response saying
    they would let me know if the idea is worth persuing.
    
      Last week, the consolidation was announced. I asked one of the
    managers who worked on the effort if he had seen my recommendation as
    the consolidation was being worked (the process started in February).
    He replied no and asked for a copy.
    
      One of two things is happening in DELTA.
    
    	-  The recommendations are not being distributed to the proper
    people and thus it's a waste of time.
    
    	-  Recommendations are read, acted on and then become the reader's
    idea.
    
      Neither scenario is represents an effective program.

    re: .27
    
    To be fair, there is a third scenario: The value of some ideas are so 
    manifest that they would be implemented with or without prodding by a
    suggestion program.
    
    re: in general 
    
    I'll be the first to admit that the rollout of DELTA leaves a little to
    be desired.   Of course, asking Field management to pay a lot of
    attention to a new program in the middle of Q3/Q4 is not a formula for
    success either.
    
    Enough DELTA bashing.  The real question is: Do you care enough about 
    the company to get involved with fixing those things that need
    attention despite the flawed attempt by the corporation to ask you
    nicely?  Wouldn't you care enough to get involved even if there wasn't
    a DELTA?
    
    Al
    

    RE .28
    
    Excellent point about willingness to get involved despite the company's
    "flawed effort", as you put it.
    
    I would submit, however, that one of the reasons the Employee
    Involvement Program, of which DELTA is a part, was put together, is
    because of all the red tape and bureacracy involved when employees try
    to get directly involved in fixing the system.
    

    re: .28,.29
    
    This topic has been created to obtain feedback on "How well DELTA is
    working".  As mentioned in .0, replies will be distributed to an 
    audience interested in THE PROGRAM.  Good noting dictates we keep to 
    the topic on this subject.  If it appears to be "bashing" then that is
    one way of replying to .0 and should be acceptable (and maybe even
    appropiate).
    
    To .0 author,
    If you wish I will delete this note.  Just contact me at VAXMail or
    phone.

    I am in sales. 
    
    I found out about DELTA via the US Field News bulletin. I can't
    remember if I got the email address for DELTA via this article or from a
    Sales Update article on DELTA.
    
    I have submitted 5 or so ideas.
    
    I got replies from the desination address on all my ideas (from
    IDEAS CENTRAL @OGO).
    
    On at least two of them I had several folks call me and said they
    thought the idea had merit and were pursuing them. These folks were the
    right folks to respond - in other words, they could make a difference
    and implement my suggestion. They asked me for more data and I 
    provided it to them.
    
    I hope DELTA works. We have lots of room for improvement in Sales.
    
    Curt	
    

    Back again, after some time out sick...
    
    I had some electronic communication with a US DELTA person about my
    earlier criticisms of the program.  We exchanged a few messages, and I
    would like to share my impression of the program intentions.
    
    It would appear that DELTA is a toothless lion.  It is intended to make
    a mighty noise (at high levels, at least), while having no power (or
    accountability) whatsoever.
    
    It is my impression that district/group participation in DELTA is
    entirely VOLUNTARY.  Here is the key.  There appears to be no
    accountability whatsoever for the DELTA function.
    
    I am not arguing that DELTA should be mandatory on the Individual
    Contributor level (e.g., "You shall submit a minimum of one idea per
    month or face disciplinary action"), but I believe that participation
    should be mandatory on the district/group level.  Each district/group
    should be presented with a finite group of minimum actions, for which
    the leaders should be held ACCOUNTABLE.  For instance:
    
    	1.  DELTA team shall be formed, with one person named as
    	    coordinator.
    	2.  At least 4 general communications per month shall be
    	    distributed to all employees within group/district asking for
    	    information and providing success stories as warranted.
    	3.  An electronic mailbox shall be set up and ADVERTISED to receive
    	    suggestions.
    	4.  All suggestions shall be acknowledged, and progress reports
    	    shall be issued as the situation allows.
    	5.  The number of suggestions recieved and the number of
    	    suggestions implemented shall be made common knowledge, with
    	    these metrics forwarded to US DELTA on a monthly basis.
    	6.  A very basic idea tracking system shall be SUPPLIED BY US DELTA
    	    to allow groups/districts to implement DELTA immediately,
    	    without unnecessary startup time or danger of letting ideas
    	    "fall thru the cracks" of a paper system.  Such a tracking may
    	    be replaced by a locally developed one, if the need arises, but
    	    it shall be made available to local groups regardless.
    
    Without such minimum accountability, it does not surprise me that we
    see the DELTA responses contained in this note.  Those groups which
    have been motivated all along to increase quality are doing so without
    the aid of DELTA.  Those groups which were never motivated to
    increase quality/decrease cost are still doing nothing.  All the
    discussion of "regardless of DELTA, you should be doing your part" begs
    the issue -- if we need to make changes IN SPITE OF the non-functional
    DELTA effort, then DELTA is clearly a large, expensive WASTE OF TIME
    AND MONEY.
    
    If DELTA is not allowed to grow some teeth (or even fangs), then lets
    just send out the inevitable "it's a success!" memo and throw in the
    towel.
    
    -- Russ, who clearly has a lot to lose by speaking the truth.

    
    
    
    Why in the world to suggestions need to be submitted via E-mail - 
    why can't there be a DELTA notesfile???

re: .33,
    
>    Why in the world to suggestions need to be submitted via E-mail - 
>    why can't there be a DELTA notesfile???

	Why indeed!  Why can't there be a SELLING conference?  Why can't
    there be a conference for most anything useful to the entire corporation?
    The answer is that this corporation is still mired in local empires which
    can't be bothered with such global issues that effect the entire corportion.

	The solution to this problem has been mentioned serveral times in
    several different topics in this and other notesfiles, and it all relates
    to the need for a corporate Notes Program Office to provide for such
    "virtual team" activities within DEC.  I submitted a proposal several
    weeks ago which addresses this very need, but (you guessed it) I submitted
    the proposal to SOCIAL::INVOLVEMENT and have yet to hear a peep back on
    the idea (CATCH-22).

	I personally think that the ideal person to head up such a Notes
    Program Office would be Alfred Thompson (after all, without Alfred and
    all of his volunteer-work, none of us would even know about most of these
    notesfiles.  It was also through Alfred's recent efforts (combined with
    Andy Leslie and others) who created the new read-only shadow copy of this
    the notesfile in order to improve its performance (CVG::DIGITAL).

	Anyway, a DELTA notesfile is needed, just as a notesfile is needed
    for many other such coroprate programs, but no fool is going to sacrifice
    their own measily disk space and network links on their own group system
    to provide a notesfile for something which will benefit the entire
    corporation.  Our corporation simply isn't set up for such charity
    efforts.  The bottom line is: we need a Notes Program Office.

				   -davo

    re .34:
    
    Please admit that people have been "empowered" to establish notes
    conferences on their own initiative, and have been doing so in droves
    for some years now, without the aid of a corporate Notes Program
    Office.
    
    I can think of a much more pragmatic reason for using mail rather than
    notes -- with it's inherently smaller audience, it has more of an air
    of confidentiality, and would probaby elicit more sensitive suggestions
    that a public conference. ("I think my manager's job should go away,
    for the following business reasons...")

	Well, a Notes conference isn't the answer, either.  You
	could have bulletin board posters, Notes conferences,
	weekly dances, or whatever, but if the company is going
	to ignore suggestions, or study them to a fare-thee-well,
	then DELTA is another black hole.

	Our district has a Notes conference for suggestions.  So
	far, it's a consumer of disk space....period. Ask me
	about the suggestion I made about 1-1/2 years ago that's
	been neither rejected nor acted upon.

	If they ain't gonna support it, they ain't gonna support it..

	Steve H 

    Well, it appears that delta is working, just slowly.  I submitted some
    ideas concerning the csat survey process back in oct/nov to
    social::involvment, received the 'form reply' and figured that the
    ideas went into a black hole somewhere.  However, today I recieved a 
    memo from DELTA (IDEAS CENTRAL), that the entire survey process is
    being overhauled at Dave Grainger's direction, in response to the
    number of ideas received through the 'involvement' system.  Its good
    to know that someone up there IS listening.
    
    					Maybe it WILL do some good...
    
    						David Silvers.

    Delta, in mathematical environments, is generally used to denote
    a small , imperceptible increment ... 
    I'm sure this is purely coincidental.
    
    Mike Day
    

    re: .37
    
    It's been known for a long time that the only thing csat surveys
    accurately reflect are the managers ability to 'manage' the survey.  It
    was about this time last year as we prepared for the latest round of
    "Dialing for 10s" as someone put it, that we heard that it would be the
    last year for this and that the annual survey would be replaced by a
    continuous, random survey.
    
    I seriously doubt Delta could claim this as a success story since the
    change was announced before Delta even existed, assuming that anything
    actually changes.
    
    Bob

RE .33:

>>>     Why in the world to suggestions need to be submitted via E-mail - 
>>>     why can't there be a DELTA notesfile???

There follows the text of a suggestion I sent by mail to DELTA just a month
ago. I had a form letter acknowledgement the same day, and a personal
acknowledgement within 3 days stating that my idea had been sent to a specific
person for evaluation. One day later, that person was in touch, asking for
further details and whether I could become involved myself.

I didn't think it would be a good idea to have the corporate employee
suggestion database on my standalone workstation, which is up and down
a good deal, so one problem may be finding a host. As Dave McClure points
out (in .34), this is a broad issue. However, I would hope that whoever is
running DELTA at least has enough resources to create and maintain a Notes
conference.

re .35:
 
>>>    I can think of a much more pragmatic reason for using mail rather than
>>>    notes -- with it's inherently smaller audience, it has more of an air
>>>    of confidentiality, and would probaby elicit more sensitive suggestions
>>>    that a public conference. ("I think my manager's job should go away,
>>>    for the following business reasons...")

This natural objection is taken account of in my suggestion. For convenience,
here is the relevant part:

"Some suggestions might be of a nature that would make it unacceptable to
 publish them. However, these should be in a small minority, and even then
 it should be possible to publish a "placeholder", such as:

	A suggestion made by John Doe of the Stow facility, relating
	to accounting practices in F&A. Details cannot be published
	at this time for reasons of security [legal/personnel...]."

It does seem to me that the need for suggestions to be publicly "on the record"
outweighs the occasional need for privacy (which can be satisfied anyway).

The other objection is that "nothing will be done". However, if we all read
the proposed DELTA conference, we could exert a considerable weight of
opinion when we felt that a desirable suggestion had been neglected or
buried.

/Tom


From:	COUNT0::WELSH        "Tom Welsh (UK ITACT CASE Consultant) 768-5225"
                              12-MAR-1990 10:09:11.20
To:	MR$"OGO::IDEAS CENTRAL"
CC:	WELSH
Subj:	Publicly announce and track submitted ideas

Dear "Ideas",

I have heard of this mail account and the "Delta" program through the
HUMAN::DIGITAL Notes conference. The idea of an employee suggestion
program is naturally very attractive, especially so to me. This is
because, as a 15-year employee with no plans to leave Digital - and a
stockholder - I have a very strong interest in the company's long-term success.

This memo is to establish communication with you, and to offer a very simple
"meta-suggestion" - a suggestion as to how you run your own program. This may
seem arrogant, but it isn't meant to be.

You are no doubt very busy with all the work you have to do, and you probably
have a lot of suggestions to deal with. However, this may mask the fact that
to most of the employees, your program is a well-kept secret. I would never
have heard of it if I didn't read HUMAN::DIGITAL, and I doubt if many
European or GIA employees are aware of your existence.

Therefore visibility and effectiveness must be a prime concern for you. My
suggestion is this:

	Instead of a mail account which resembles a black hole from
	the submittor's point of view, please establish a Notes
	conference for all suggestions. Suggestions should be sent in
	by mail, and each new suggestion should be entered by you as
	a fresh topic. As actions are taken to implement the suggestion
	(or, alternatively, as reasons emerge to dismiss it) details
	should be posted as replies to the topic. The conference can
	remain read-only to the noting community at large, being
	modifiable only by yourselves.

There would be tremendous benefits to this approach, although I appreciate
that you might find it rather trying to operate in the full glare of
publicity. Some benefits:

	- All suggestions would lie on the record and could be seen
	  by all EASYnet noters.

	- This would prevent duplicate suggestions beeing sent, possibly
	  wasting a lot of your time and the submittors'.

	- This would also stimulate lots of further ideas sparked off
	  by the accumulated suggestions.

	- Progress (or lack of it) would be visible.

	- Submittors would soon learn some of the requirements and
	  problems for implementing suggestions, and could adapt their
	  suggestions to address these better (e.g. funding issues, or
	  personnel, or legal constraints).

Some suggestions might be of a nature that would make it unacceptable to
publish them. However, these should be in a small minority, and even then
it should be possible to publish a "placeholder", such as:

	A suggestion made by John Doe of the Stow facility, relating
	to accounting practices in F&A. Details cannot be published
	at this time for reasons of security [legal/personnel...].

Please acknowledge this memo.

Thanks and regards,
Tom

> The other objection is that "nothing will be done". However, if we all read
> the proposed DELTA conference, we could exert a considerable weight of
> opinion when we felt that a desirable suggestion had been neglected or
> buried.

	The "considerable weight" of opinion need not change a thing
	if there's no committment at the top.

	Case in point:

		I became frustrated with the lack of management 
		response to the suggestion Notes conference established
		for our district.  So, I posted a Note that asked:

			"If TIP isn't going to be responded to, then
			 it's a waste of time, CPU resources and
			 disk space.  Why don't we just delete it ?"

	The result was my manager being called out of a meeting, and
	me being called on the carpet...

	

    You were called on the carpet?  You should have been.  You've
    embarrassed your management.

    The way to deal with these programs-for-the-sake-of-programs is ignore
    them, or if asked, say that you're looking for the real commitment to
    make them work.

    No quality management program that has succeeded did so without money
    behind it.

    re: .42
    
    >You were called on the carpet?  You should have been.  You've
    >embarrassed your management.
    
    What?  Since when do I need my managers permission to express an
    opinion in a notes conference?
    
    >The way to deal with these programs-for-the-sake-of-programs is ignore
    >them, or if asked, say that you're looking for the real commitment to
    >make them work.
    
    No wonder we are in the financial situation we are in.  Ignoring
    programs-for-the-sake-of-programs simply allows them to waste time,
    money, and resources.  They should be stopped ASAP to minimize the
    damage they cause.
    
    Bob

>    What?  Since when do I need my managers permission to express an
>    opinion in a notes conference?
 
You don't.  But you do have to expect and deal with the consequences.
I'm on your side, but you can't expect everyone to be.
   
-steve-

    I entered a reply to this note on March 23rd (.11).  At that point in time 
    we were very frustrated with the way DELTA was handling escalated ideas.
    It's been three weeks now and I can honestly say that things are really
    starting to come together.  We are getting acknowledgements from them in
    a timely manner.  The acknowledgements give detail as to who will be
    working the ideas, a reference number and other pertinent information.
    We are even getting feedback from some of the people that have taken on
    the ideas we have escalated through DELTA.  I think DELTA has finally
    worked out a lot of the bugs and is starting to come on real strong!
    
    Keep up the good work!
    Gator    

	re .42:

>>>    You were called on the carpet?  You should have been.  You've
>>>    embarrassed your management.

	Oh dear me. EMBARRASSED your MANAGEMENT? My goodness, how utterly
	DREADFUL. The poor dears have such sensitive egos, don't they?
	If they felt for a moment that someone had said something HURTFUL
	about them, they might go into a towering SNIT and refuse to come
	out of their bedrooms.

	Good riddance.

	Never mind for a moment if the guy was RIGHT and they were WRONG.
	The world, and this company in particular, is going to run more
	and more on accurate information and trust. Managers like the ones
	in the note referred to systematically abuse our trust and pollute
	our common sources of information. They live in a world of political
	manipulation and hypocrisy. We need to get rid of them.

>>>    The way to deal with these programs-for-the-sake-of-programs is ignore
>>>    them, or if asked, say that you're looking for the real commitment to
>>>    make them work.

	This is a very sales-oriented attitude. I have noticed before that
	sales people make terrible "mass movement" material. They tend to be
	supremely practical, down-to-earth, and focussed on the problem at
	hand. I sometimes feel that if a salesman came out of his house one
	morning and found a flying saucer had landed in his front yard, he
	would just walk round it and head for his first call.

	Many of us feel that the way to deal with problems and pitfalls
	is to call other people's attention to them and seek to fix them.
	In other words, if you come across a hole in the middle of the sidewalk,
	you should do two things:

		(1) Put some warning signs or railings up.

		(2) Get it filled in.

	/Tom

    I guess .-1 is a criticism of my comments.
    
    re: not getting your way and embarrassing your management
    
    This is both a career limiting decision and doesn't do anything
    constructive.
    
    Communicating an idea through a VAX Notes Conference is a wonderful
    idea.  Characterizing the specific actions of specific managers as
    manipulative or hypocritical is a terrible idea, regardless of one's
    definition of right and wrong.
    
    re: ignore programs or ask for the real commitment to make them work
    
    What "mass movement" are you talking about?  Digital is the aggregate
    of the 125,000 people looking for a better life, each in their
    own individual way.
    
    There doesn't need to be an official "delta" program to motivate me to
    improve Digital, perhaps it's become necessary for others, I'll concede
    that.

	re .47:

	If my reply (.46) was in any way offensive, I am sorry. That was
	definitely not my intention, Pat. I read a lot of your notes and
	value your opinions highly.
 
>>>    This is both a career limiting decision and doesn't do anything
>>>    constructive.

	Why should "embarrassing your management" be a career limiting
	decision? This judgment seems directly to support the suggestion
	offered in another topic here, that some managers resent being
	"shown up" by talented employees, and try to avoid hiring them.

	Maybe your idea is that it is better to talk everything over with
	your manager before expressing an opinion (say, in Notes). But
	that's not practical. Some managers can be extremely inaccessible.

	Besides, the whole idea that "our group should get its story
	straight and then stick to the party line" seems wrong to me.
	Isn't the relevant community the whole of Digital? If a manager
	should be (God forbid) WRONG, should everyone who reports to him
	feel obliged to fall in line and express that wrong opinion?

	Even the Red Army doesn't go that far.

	And moreover, I believe that airing an issue before a wider audience
	is intensely constructive.

	Here is David Carnell on the subject (from MARKETING, 1191.8):

================================================================================
Note 1191.8               Difficult, Internal Successes                  8 of 13
ODIXIE::CARNELL "DTN 385-2901 David Carnell @ALF"    48 lines  19-APR-1990 15:57
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   -< let ideas stand on their own content >-


    For this company to become more successful, I argue that ideas must
    begin to be considered based on the merit of the idea itself, and
    categorically NOT based on "who" it came from and whether or not he or
    she "properly positioned and sold" his or her "right" just to have the
    idea objectively reviewed for its merits.

    Secondly, I argue that the attitude within Digital must change to where
    the creative potential within every employee is encouraged and
    nurtured, where all ideas are sought on any topic, even from the
    janitor or elevator operator or security guard.

    The attitude that a person, especially in management, will only listen
    and review the merits of an idea IF THAT PERSON FIRST SUCCESSFUL FIGHTS
    TO BE HEARD and PROPERLY "SELLS" JUST TO HAVE HIS OR HER IDEA REVIEWED
    is archaic management practice, is elitism at its worst, is now a major
    detriment to Digital's future success, and it should be scrapped.

	<for the rest of David's thoughts, see MARKETING 1191.8>

    
    And speaking of my words, to all those people, especially managers, who
    are extracting this topic and stating that this is evidence that DELTA
    and/or Employee Involvement is NOT working, please note that this is
    NOT my opinion.  DELTA as a process is working efficiently.  I support
    DELTA and the Employee Involvement Program.
    
    My issue is with effectiveness, where there is a lack in certain
    pockets within Digital because the other part of the team, namely
    managers (NOT DELTA people) who refuse to embrace making employee
    involvement real; refuse to encourage and nurture employee creativity
    and ideas to build a more successful Digital; refuse to embrace the
    concept of valuing Differences, namely evaluating the CONTENT of the
    idea WITHOUT being prejudiced and biased either because of the person
    presenting it, OR IN THE WAY the idea is presented (i.e. too wordy, not
    properly "positioned," not positive enough, too critical, or a hundred
    other biases that cloud evaluating ANY idea simply on its content and
    whether or not it makes sense for Digital); or refuse to consider
    implementing ideas for change because they weren't invented by the
    group receiving them.
    
    I further argue that this management practice by many carries over into
    thousands of employees and PASSES ON to our customers which leads to a
    perception of arrogance in Digital where customers believe we do not
    care to listen to their likes, dislikes, wants and ideas; and to act
    proactively on feedback in incurring change that will lead to a Digital
    that better satisfies customers AS THEY DEFINE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
    and in turn, more revenue, margin and profit.
    
    DELTA as a program is NOT THE PROBLEM.
    
    Fundamental underlying attitudes about employees and customers is the
    problem and they will not be addressed just by another program but by
    changing the culture via changing the rules, AND NOT BY CHANGING TO YET
    ANOTHER PROGRAM!
    
    

    David, that was a wonderful exposition on evil managers who are
    subverting the noble Delta program, but get to the _point_:
    
    Tell all of us out here what the real commitment is to change Digital
    for the better based on suggestions that are coming in from the bottom
    up...
    
    After 49 replies here and elsewhere, why are we still without an answer
    to this question?

    REF: 1057.50
    
    I'm an unofficial, unsanctioned advocate (read: pioneer full of arrow
    holes) for genuine employee involvement, for real employee empowerment
    with authority and reward, and for changes in the rules (published in a
    wide variety Notes and memos) that I believe when implemented would
    lead to a better Digital and a more successful Digital.
    
    Like you, I too am waiting to see demonstrated actions that reflect the
    words, and if there is no real commitment from the top, then I see no
    other recourse from the bottom other than continuing to write memos to
    appropriate Digital "congress persons" who either have the influence to
    affect change, or the authority to affect change.
    
    Those who go to sleep at night with the responsibility of piloting and
    navigating the ship own the responsibility of worrying about whether or
    not constuctive change is taking place that will ensure the future
    prosperity of our Digital ship.
    
    My question is the same as yours:
    
    	What is the real commitment demonstrated by universal action within
    	DEC worldwide, within every facility, every group?
    
    	Where is the real commitment demonstrated by universal application
    	within DEC worldwide, within every facility, every group?