Conference 7.286::digital

Interesting idea, Jim.

But then again, I look back on the first excellence awards banquet ever held,
in Washington almost ten years ago.

A VAXstation might be pretty neat, and I might like it more than a trip to
Hawaii.

But tangible?  Looking back ten years, I might have accepted a PDT instead of
the trip.  That sure would be a useless hunk of junk ten years later!

I don't reject your proposal out of hand, but you probably should consider the
words of Goethe near the end of Faust (and the end of Mahler's 8th Symphony):

	Alles verg�ngliche ist nur ein Gleichnis!

/john

    re .1
    
    Well, John, .LE. 10yrs is still probably a lot longer than one week.
    
    re .2
    
    I never knew about that Notesfile!  But, after reading it, I don't
    think most of the people replying in it would have much use for
    a discussion about alternatives to Hawaii, and none of them had
    anything bad to say about Acalpulco (SP?).
    
    As stated previously, I am sure I'm a minority (what else is new),
    but I just wonder what size a minority, and if alternatives seem
    like a fair option.
    
    Jim
    

    
    Personally, I think there *should* be some sort of alternative for the
    Excellence Awards.

    I have heard that one person in our district was unable to attend
    last year's EA due to a medical problem.  So what did he get to
    recognize his efforts for the year?
    
    "Good job!  <pat> <pat>"
    
    Shouldn't something like this come under the umbrella of "valuing
    difference"?  If he ever wins again, he'll most likely be in the same
    situation again, from what I understand.
    
    -- Russ

    
    About 6 years ago my district manager and a group of his specialist
    how had won the award that year discussed exactly this subject.
    He asked how many of us would be interested in a choice of awards
    and you'd be amazed at how little interest there was. I would have
    jump at the chance but maybe only 25% also expressed interest.
    
    This was back when SWS awards were done region by region instead
    of jointly. I still think that was a much better way to do it than
    what's being done these days.
    
    Now that I've left SWS and moved onto DIS I miss those awards. DIS
    doesn't understand how to give awards in the field.
    
    -Ray
    

    re: .4 - if someone must miss the excellence award program the year
    they are nominated, they can attend the next years program.  Medical
    and family trauma are acceptable reasons for using this option.
    
    in terms of offering "options" - It is a hard decision to make on
    how to best represent the reward.  Material rewards (money or any
    other form) might make it difficult by suggesting that we equate
    the economic value of the contibution (made by the candidate) to
    the reward.  We might then have to justify why one individual would
    receive a VAXstation for effort X while another candidate would
    receive the sames recognition for effort Y.
    
    As the system works now, we can recognize vary different efforts
    (deliver vs sales support, technical vs strategic) as having equal
    "value" to DIGITAL.
    
    A secondary argument might also be that we need to develop a closer
    sense of "company".  That is to say that our corporate culture is
    evolving from one which recognized individual achievement "the big
    win" to one which recognizes group accomplishment.  recognitions
    which are held as group events tend to foster this spirit.
    
    

    re: .6
    
>    if someone must miss the excellence award program the year
>    they are nominated, they can attend the next years program.  Medical
>    and family trauma are acceptable reasons for using this option.

    The problem I related (so far as I understand it) is that this is
    a *permanent* condition with the individual.  Under no circumstances
    would this person be able to attend an awards ceremony unless
    it were within driving distance.
    
    So will be done to accomodate this person's "difference"?  So far
    as I know, nothing...
    
    Seems like a great way to recognize someone who you "say" that you
    value.  |^(
    
    -- Russ

    Not to deviate, but field service thinks they solved this problem
    by simply not giving out excellence awards at all.
    
    If they give out anything, it's to an entire center (CSC's). Then
    they'll take EVERY EMPLOYEE out to dinner and take the top group's
    unit name and put it on a plaque.

    In this morning's Worcester Telegram, in the Business section, was
    the following cartoon:
    
    	Scene is a drawing of a man standing while his Boss is talking
	to him from behind a desk, holding an open book.
    
    	Caption:  "Bob, according to our company's management policy,
 	you're just about due for a compliment."
    
    

	Ah, yes, indeed ...

	Bob

    I believe Personnel also (or at least used to) believed in a District
    Award rather than individual acknowledgement.  Of course things
    may have changed since I left that organization two  years ago.
     
    Now, what do I do with the plaque?
    
    'rene

    
    I agree with the previous replies that I would like an alternate
    the current Excellence Awards "vacation" also.  Bell Telephone offers
    employees who make quotas, etc. a choice from a catalogue of "gifts
    of appreciation" (stereo systems, vacations, etc.).  This didn't
    sound bad to me!
    
    On the other hand I have gotten to the point where I would rather
    see the current excellence awards system dropped in favor of a
    Unit / Office / District award system; or nothing at all.
    But then maybe I will save my flames for the Excellence Awards notes
    file...!:^)

    Jack.
    

    I know this topic is dead, but I have a wishful-thinking-type notion
    which *I* would consider to be a *REAL* award:
    
    Let top Field people be flown to Maynard and be given the chance
    to speak to KO himself.
    
    I know this would probably be impossible from a sheer time standpoint,
    but I cannot think of a greater motivation for a field person. 
    All the rah-rah hooplah of a trip to Outer Mongolia might produce
    some company feeling and good memories, but, as a field person,
    I would think this would fade in comparison with a few minutes talking
    with and shaking the hand of the man who started this whole thing.
    
    I can't think of anything right now which would be more inspiring
    than to walk away from such a meeting with some notion that the
    top man cares about his people.  A lot of the northern folk who
    have had the chance to meet him have communicated that sense.
    
    And what would be a better weapon against discontentment in the
    ranks when unpopular decisions are made by Area or US management?
    "I still *KNOW* that KO cares -- I met him!"  Can you imagine the
    impact that it might have on a Field unit to have individuals who
    proclaim that from within?

    I know; none of this is very likely.  And some northern-types might
    scoff and say "It's not such a big deal".  But, for me, it would
    be an experience I would remember for years, I'm sure.  And I don't
    think I'm alone.
    
    Oh, well...
    
    $ SET MODE/REALITY=ON/BILLABLE_HOURS=MAX
    
    -- Russ

Re .14:

Hmmm.  That brings to mind my "breakfast with Ulf" I had as a new-hire when Ulf
Fagerquist was the VP in charge of the Large Computer Group.  It wasn't used to
reward excellance, but rather to show us what the strategies were and to allow
us to communicate concerns directly to him.  There were less than a couple dozen
new-hires at the affair - I think it was a monthly event.  It was held in an
MR1-2 conference room, and catered by the cafeteria, I suppose.
				/AHM

    Re .15
    
    In the UK, the policy is (or was, three years ago) that all new
    hires have an "induction" for a day or two, and part of that was
    a member of the BOM (Board of Management - equivalent to VP I guess).
    would spend an hour or so giving some of the "spirit of Digital"
    to the new hires.
    
    Maybe this kind of thing should also be introduced for some of the
    "older hires", to help them and the senior management re-inforce
    the "spirit" that seems to be getting lost at the moment....
    
    Peter.
    

    In the New York Financial District we have a Quarterly recognition award.

    No, it is not on the same scale as the Excellence awards. But peers
    have some input as to who gets selected, and the award is your name
    on a plaque, and something like a T-shirt. I believe that it helps
    to recognize people more frequently that annually.
    We also tried breakfast with the District manager, but we  wanted
    to 'reward' the nominees, not make them suffer   :-)) 
    
    /Jeff