Conference 7.286::digital

  Good luck in your internal job search. I wouldn't want DEC to lose someone
of your caliber.
  Thank you for mentioning the risk that people who have been in transition for
a while may be the first to be laid off if DEC has a "real" layoff. It's one of
many things to think about if one decides to stay on after being offered the
package.

        I would like to say the memo in  .0  was  very  well  written and
        expresses the very core of what is going on.   I myself have been
        got up in the transition and decided to move on.    Based on some
        of the information in the memo and the fact that if/when  DEC has
        a layoff I would probably be got up in that too.   So it would be
        better that I take the money and run.  I have some good  leads on
        the outside and feel I maybe better off by it.

        I  feel  that  the  next  five years at DEC will be tough.    The
        company  has  grown too fast and needs to be shaken out a little.
        Again  I  feel  that  I  will be better off in a smaller company.
        Those of  you  who are wondering what I did, I was programmer and
        have worked for DEC 10 plus years.  Also those years for the most
        part were good years.    I  will  miss  some of the people I have
        worked with and for.  In a sense this is my farewell to Digital.



                                                        Regards,

                                                        Rich Di Iulio

    I couldn't let this note go by without adding to the base note as well
    as my husband's response (Rich DiIulio).  I have been with DEC since
    1971 (19 years).  I saw many times when salary planning was moved out
    and have weathered many storms myself.  Fortunately, for the two of us,
    I am still employed here and hope that I may be in a little bit more of
    a stable environment.  We met in DEC and part of our everyday life has
    been sharing the experiences of the work day.  It is like losing a part
    of yourself when your spouse leaves the company under such
    circumstances.
    
    At times I felt we worked like a team inside of DEC.  We helped each
    other during the day and Rich taught me many things in the area of
    programming and System Management.  I feel like I am losing a team
    member, or co-worker to see him leave.
    
    I have to admit there are some ups and downs of working so closely in
    the same company, but I have to admit, that we were from different
    parts of the company with different experiences and shared knowledge
    with each other.
    
    Rich has been a very highly motivated person in the computer world.  At
    times, I wish I had some of what motivated him in the computer
    industry.  There were many days that he worked late and then came home
    and logged into work to check on jobs running.  As well as many
    weekends.  There have been times when he had to go into work to monitor
    jobs and I would go with him. I felt we were like a team, sharing a
    job.
    
    I have mixed feelings about his leaving the company, but from what I
    know of his technical skills and motivation, I know that he will find a
    job and will be greatly appreciated.
    
    I can sympathize with anyone going thru this. Again, being in a
    situation of being married to someone leaving at this time, It isn't
    just the one individual that has to deal with the situation.  It is a
    joint decision. (And it is not an easy one to make!)
    
    Yes, Rich even taught me how to use the NOTES files.
    
    
                                         Sue ...
    

    Anyone interested in working on the West coast?  Our group has been growing
    steadily, and will continue to do so.  The products?  RISC ULTRIX
    workstations.  I've been here 4 years, and have seen the size of the
    group explode.  There ain't no end in sight.  Though the company is a
    bit shaky right now, it will survive.
    
    The weather's great, there are lots of fellow New Englanders, and
    there's plenty of work to be done.  So, perhaps when the internal
    hiring freeze ends, some might want to check it out.  There's lots of
    positive energy out here!
    
    Best of luck to all of you.
    
    Karin
     

    .0 should be very concerned about the four week period to find a new
    job.  That is absolutely ridiculous, and deliberately calculated to
    unload people.  I was in a large transition move several years ago when
    it was EASY to get a job.  It was very unusual to even get the initial
    response from Recruiting in four.  The average wrap-up time for an
    interview cycle in my organization was 14 weeks!!! ......and that was
    quite often after really pushing on the hiring manager for a decision.
    
    God help anyone who is dependent upon Personnel to help them through
    this!

I am trying to identify a DIGITAL employee who might be "in transition"
and "looking" for a job in Marlboro, and who might describe him/herself
(approximately) as follows:



I enjoy contributing to DIGITAL's "bottom line" via the planning,
developing and coding of application software.  I work best with
those who have service and/or product tracking responsibilities
who look to me to help them fulfill those responsibilities.

Because my background includes formal engineering and mathematics
training as well as on-the-job business experience, I can understand
and communicate business and technical needs as presented by
technical as well as non-technical individuals, usually with a
minimum of detailed direction.  Then, via my generation of ad hoc
software, I can turn those needs into timely solutions (i.e. reports
and/or graphs).  Often, and probably appropriately so, my solutions
point the way to further needs.

In many cases, my code interrogates large databases and sometimes the
particular application requires combining the contents of databases. 
If the questions put to me are sound and the required data exists, it
becomes my challenge to properly manipulate the existing data and to
produce reports that become a basis for sound management decisions. 
For example, reports can point out recurring system hardware and/or
software problems early in a given product's life, so that dollar-
saving modifications can be made to similar systems that have not yet
shipped.  Databases that I've worked with include LARS, CLAS,
Corporate Sales Tape, Customer Database, and System "T."  These
databases contain answers to questions like WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW,
WHO, and HOW MUCH.

Examples of software that I have developed include the tracking of
reliability, repair installation, and materials data from the field
for key products and applications.  I have contributed to algorithm
and metric generation to measure components of Digital's Field
Service business and have served as a technical consultant in areas
of data access, tool development and system usage.  

I'm also reasonably facile at automating previously-manual data entry,
computing, and reporting systems.

I program mainly in FORTRAN and RDB.




Please contact me if the above (approximately) describes you.

regards,

george colman
DTN 297-4159
HPSMEG::COLMAN

    The buzz word for the 80's and 90's in jobs is NETWORKING.  Loosely
    defined, this is the art of always knowing what your best option is and
    who your next boss is.  Those caught in the transition and now looking
    for jobs are in trouble.  As with most employers, most digital managers
    probably already have a candidate in mind when the post a job req.!
    
    

    One of the lessons that I learned from .0 is that the whole idea of
    the "Transition Program" is to eliminate jobs - not people - as a means
    to reduce headcount. There are two implications for that:
    
    1. It's not how you do the job but what job you do that counts in terms
       of job security
    
    2. The company stills needs to figure out how to identify and eliminate
       non-performers as a means to manage headcount.
    
    I think we also need to do a better job in finding ways to keep our
    best and brightest - we're going to need them.
    
    Bill

re .8 by DELNI::B_DONOVAN 

>>                    -< Make sure what you do is important >-

Perhaps a workable definition of 'important' is

        "in the revenue, not the overhead, stream".
        
That stream (in my mind) includes only:

        Designing products 
                (from concept to manufacturing spec's)
        Manufacturing products 
                (from mfg spec's to finished goods at customer's dock)
        Selling products and services 
                (corporate and new accounts and catalog sales)
        Delivering services 
        
                and
        
        activities that are 'essential' to them. (and 'essential' support
        will change from time to time).

That stream excludes (read and weep):

        Group level manufacturing functions
        Support for support functions (like SW for internal use)
        Internal services that can be purchased outside
        Bookkeeping and accounting for internal dollar swapping
        Centralized functions not supporting grass roots work
        

Regards,

Dick

    Re .5
    
    We have been told explicitly that Digital wants us to leave the
    company.  While we have the option of looking for another job
    in DEC or remaining in the ERC, the focus in on downsizing, not
    redeployment.  And the four week window from 19 November to 14
    December is time to make a decision and to look for others jobs
    both inside and outside DEC.  Of course, it will be hard to find
    jobs in four weeks, especially during the holiday season, but 
    four weeks is better than two weeks, etc.
    
    Philip 

    Two questions...
        
         - Anybody believe that we will ever see a list of managers that have
           be "transitioned"; or that the ratio will be anything like that
           imposed on the troops.
    
         - Why are we not seeing an early retirement option?  I can't even
           think of a major computer vendor who hasn't made that about the
           first thing they offered.  I'm talking about an enhanced 5-5-6
           program, or something like that.
    
    Can't believe how this whole thing is being mis-managed.

re .11 by COOKIE::LENNARD 

>    Two questions...
        
>         - Anybody believe that we will ever see a list of managers that have
>           be "transitioned"; or that the ratio will be anything like that
>           imposed on the troops.

yes some managers, not the ratio
    
>         - Why are we not seeing an early retirement option?  I can't even
>           think of a major computer vendor who hasn't made that about the
>           first thing they offered.  I'm talking about an enhanced 5-5-6
>           program, or something like that.

Some locations use early retirement, some don't - more or less, local
option 

>    Can't believe how this whole thing is being mis-managed.

Its being managed in the same way we got into this mess.  By delegating
to middle managers with no cross checks from their managers.  Each
organization is deciding for itself what the program is and how to
implement it.  

We all appreciate decentralization when we like the freedom we have, but
we curse it when others have the freedom they shouldn't.  ;^)

        
>        - Anybody believe that we will ever see a list of managers that have
>          be "transitioned"; or that the ratio will be anything like that
>          imposed on the troops.
    
    No...however I've been seeing something very interesting.
    A lot of supervisors are being promoted to manager
    or team leader type positions lately.
    
    Could this miracle re-org be a way of appearing to eliminate a layer
    of management without really losing people?
    
    Anyone else see this?
    
    Mark
    
    
    
    

    re .13 -- most entrenched bureaucracies can become very creative
    organizationally when anus-protectus becomes the order of the day.

    RE: 0    <From the originating author>
    
    	I have been successful in my search for continued employment in
    DEC.  Monday, I begin my new position with the European Technology
    Group as ELSI Technology Support Manager - US.
    
    	I appreciate all the mail of support in response to my message.
    
    Regards,
    Dave

    
    
    reply .13
    
    
    	Yes I have seen this trend, I know personally of an organization
    which recently promoted five of their supervisors to managers. Then    
    presto, no more supervisors. And THEY are claiming that they reduced   
    a layer of management. However they also lost eight workers to the
    buyout/transistion program. 

  Re: 4 weeks is not enough: Dave Hyer was lucky. Few people can find a new job
in DEC in 4 weeks unless they already have a standing offer from someone at the
time they are offered the package. So that means if you stay on, you have to
spend time at a transition center. Which leads to a problem: Many plants have
assigned, or will assign, their people to transition centers that are 30 to 60
miles away. If you don't live near the transition center and can't relocate 
easily at your own expense, you will have to do a lot of commuting. If you do
relocate so as to be near the transition center, you may have to relocate again
in 6 months or so to be near your next job. Is there anyone reading this who
has encountered this problem? 

    I have been at DEC for 18 months when Transition struck( First Pass), I
    was in a bad working situation in my "new" group. Anyway, by the end of
    the second week, I had two job offers outside, one local; and one
    internal. I chose to stay *&*#@% and was relocated by DEC. The
    Transition selection criterion however, was based on the extracurricular 
    performance vis-a-vis the selector and his entourage. Why don't we
    put in transition those people who got us in this mess in the first
    place, those that were still building empires while everybody
    had to endure a salary freeze, even though they were tough words from
    senior executive management, that practice continued well after the
    "Hiring Freeze". What happened to accountability or is it just the 
    " right word " for these times. We are STILL in the dark ages!! 
    
    Good luck to all of those affected, that includes me and DEC.
    
    Franc.