Conference 7.286::digital

    I sent two suggestions to DELTA the same day.  Both were forwarded
    to Customer Services.  One was persued with vigor, including MAIL
    messages and two long telephone calls.  It has since been implemented,
    and I find the results quite pleasing.
    
    The other suggestion fell into a black hole.  Even the DELTA folks
    didn't respond when I asked what had happened to it.
        John Sauter

    I'd mail Jack Smith in such circumstances. There is no substitute for
    going to the (almost) top.
    
    	- andy

	Sadly, I think it's broken.  As I told the nice lady from
	DELTA who called me the other day to ask how I thought
	the response was:

	I think that if I wanted to get the desks in the office 
	re-arranged, that'd be done....  If I wanted the wastecans
	painted green, then a manager would see to it quickly,
	and point to it, beaming, as a dramatic example of
	employee involvement.

	But, change the way Digital handles remedial software support ?

	Relax the rules on "moonlighting" (after hours non-DEC employment)?

	Make it policy that software engineers spend time with the
	groups that support their products ?

	Either the silence is deafening, or "it's not as bad as you
	think", or the policy is "more of the same thing we're now
	doing".

	Sigh....

	Think of DELTA as a steam valve, and I believe you've got the
	picture....

    	Wow, Steve.  Those are some really good ideas.  But perhaps
    	DELTA IDEAS is not the place for them to be worked.  
    
>	But, change the way Digital handles remedial software support ?
    
    	This is not something for some corporate "professional manager"
    	back in Maynard to handle.  Only someone intimately involved
    	in the Customer Support business would even know how it is
    	currently (not) being handled.  (BTW, at least for the VIA
    	group there are plans in the works for this.)

>	Relax the rules on "moonlighting" (after hours non-DEC employment)?
    
    	Heh, heh.  Surely you jest.  Delta Ideas was supposed to be for
    	cost-cutting ideas.  You can't measure employee satisfaction
    	quantitatively.  They want ways to save documentable and 
    	verifiable time, money or resources.

>	Make it policy that software engineers spend time with the
>	groups that support their products ?
    
    	Again, this is something that CSC management should be (and 
    	currently is) working.  VIA has had some very fruitful dialogue
    	with engineering groups for various VIA products.  I would
    	personally not expect Delta Ideas to run with this one either.

*************
    
    	Not all ideas are "right" for Delta Ideas.  But those rejected by
    	DI are not necessarily without merit either.  Sometimes you 
    	just have to get the idea to the right ear before it becomes
    	more than just an idea.
    
    	Joe Oppelt

    Give it time ...  sometimes a LOT of time.  I recently got a first
    response from an idea that was submitted about a year ago.  It was not
    that the person that had responded had taken a long time.  It simply
    took a lot of time for it to get to the right desk.  The impression I
    have is that DI is for getting good ideas to people you don't know and
    who don't read notes, in general.  That's really not a cynical comment
    considering that there are not really that many folks at Digital that
    use notes.  And, there are not that many people who can afford to spend
    a lot of time on action items (idea processing) that come in without
    any money attached.
    
    Steve

Re .4: I disagree. I thought DELTA was to be a clearinghouse for all employee 
involvement suggestions; suggestions that would improve the company and make 
it more profitable, and not only the suggestions that had tangible "this will
save $n" guarantees tied to them.

I'm not sure i understand how it's supposed to work, so that makes it
hard to say whether it does or not.  Especially in terms of how active
the DELTA folks are in the process beyond finding the right person to
forward your idea to.  And do they make clear to that person any special
expectations?  Like "if you are already drawing up a plan or policy that
is somewhat like the submitter's idea, make sure you include them on all
your review distribution lists for your plan", etc.
								paul

    Did anyone receive a mail message last week asking about DELTA's
    performance, you know, the standard "how-can-we-make-it-better"
    questionaire?  I did, but have yet been able to respond to it.  The 2
    times I've tried my link was aborted.  Seems this would be a good place
    to send this note!  The mail address was SONATA::IDEASCENTRAL.
    
                                                            Capt. Scott

             -< John Sims wantes to know why we are not DELTA .. >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>    Did anyone receive a mail message last week asking about DELTA's
>    performance, you know, the standard "how-can-we-make-it-better"

Ditto here .. I got a letter from John Simms, Corporate Personell wanteing 
to know why more people are not using DELTA to submit ideas.
This certainly sounds like a great opportunity to tell them what is going on.

I just did a check on VTX, and sure enought, by typing VTX DELTA, you go 
straight to the DELTA menu. Under CONTACTS is a list of names.

Personally, and this is just me, if I submitted an idea that seemed to go
into a "Black Hole", contrary to publicied policy, I'd get on the horn
and start calling people.

Generally, I send memos/calls starting at the  appropriate level, then 
opn each followup memo add one more "level' to the memo; until I either
get stepped on or find a sympathetic ear.

I wonder how many DELTA persons got laid off ? It just could be they are
also suffering from the "disappearing resource syndrome" (DRS).

-BobE

    I manage the Program Office for DELTA.  DELTA is not broken.  I have
    learned over the last year of doing this work that if we are failing at
    anything it is making sure that your expectations are set properly when
    you submit an idea.
    
    We are responsible for all kinds of ideas, we are automated and make
    very good use of Digital's network and technology.  Currently we
    are dealing with over 100 organizations on a regular basis to make sure
    that all your ideas are respnded to.  We send follow-up memos to them
    on a monthly basis.  One of the problems that we have is that we
    monitor, we report progress to senior management, but there is also
    the possbility that some ideas don't get answered. Not for lack of
    trying!
    
    Digital is very new at this.  I have talked to other companies who have
    had their ideas programs in place since the last century!  We have
    learned a lot, but this company still has a long way to go.  This 
    work is maturing and still has a long way to go.  
    
    Some of you sent in your ideas when we just started and were not as
    stable as we are now.  As far as I know we have not lost any of those
    ideas and continue to follow up on them.
    
    If you call to request status, we try to give it to you.  If you write
    for status we forward your memo on to the resonder.  If we screw up
    we try to do better next time.
    
    Our cluster was down for several hours on Friday afternoon, that caused
    mail message returns.  If you send again, we are up and running.
    
    Let's work together to make this work for all of us.  If you see areas
    that we are not succeeding in let us know.  If you don't get a response
    get in touch with the person we sent your idea to as noted in your
    acknowledgement. if you have any questions write or call - volunteer
    to work this effort locally - THAT'S WHERE THE BIG PAYBACK IS!!! 

    I don't think DELTA is broken.  And, I don't get upset if there are
    delays.  That's because the ideas I've been submitting have been
    applied locally and results are already apparent.  I think the problem
    is that employees have the impression that they'll submit a great idea and
    the powers that be will immediately act upon it and save/earn the
    corporation lots of money.  I submit that this is the exception and not
    the rule.  The rule is that a good idea is immediately applied locally
    as far as practical by the submittor.  Then, the powers that be slowly 
    move toward implementing the idea more widely across the company.  It
    has been emphasized to me that in addition to implementing ideas on my
    own and submitting occasionally to DELTA, I need to work with my own
    management to create change in the company.  I am fortunate to work
    with management that strongly encourages this.  The real message is
    that we all need to come up with ideas and take action to improve things.
    DELTA is just one way of supporting us in this.
    
    Steve

    I think that I know why it can look like a "Black hole". I have been
    both a submittor and recipient of Delta ideas. 
    
    The one that I received was written by an AHOD person that had spent
    some time in my shop. They submitted a string of ideas that would
    improve the way we did things. I responded to the suggestions, via
    Delta. In most cases we were already doing what was suggested so the   
    submittor may have felt a little uncomfortable with "we are already
    doing x and Y" etc., but they would have gotten a response. 
    
    What I can see happening is that if the area affected by the
    "suggestion" does not respond then the idea goes into the black hole.
    
    This is the same as that call back that you never got!. The only answer
    to is to call again.
    
    regards
    
    Eric.
    
    P.S. The ones that I have submitted have had both good and bad
    handling, as you would expect!.

    I think DELTA should be expanded to become a true suggestion awards
    program, the "awards" taking the form of real live walkin'-around green
    folding money.  But, for some reason that seems to be another no-no in
    the Digital culture, the same as other radical ideas like a
    commissioned sales force and bonus's for performance.
    
    IBM has a very aggressive s-a program and there is a lot of
    participation.  They pay out real money too.

    I submitted an idea to DELTA.  The responses were prompt and
    satisfactory.  I was pleased with the follow up.  The suggestion was
    eventually implemented (DELTA is NOT the implementor).
    
    In these hard economic times - inside and outside DEC - I hope more
    people will "donate" (for lack of a better word) their suggestions to
    DELTA.
    
    Congratulations to DELTA for a good program.  I hope it continues to
    evolve.
    
    Rgds,
    marcia

    No knocks to Maxine's group.
    
    I have sent in 2 Delta suggestions; 1 trivial, 1 not at all trivial.
    Both were handeled expeditiously, it appeared, by the Delta Program
    office. Since then (MONTHS ago), the ONLY repsonse I have received on
    either suggestion was due to MY complaining to Maxine that I had heard
    nothing.
    
    Both suggestions had been forwarded to Personnel; 2 different  groups. 
    In my 2 cases, Personnel is demonstrating, yet again, why I feel they
    should be given the honorable opportunity of being in the vanguard of
    those who are ushered out the door!  Are you reading this, Jack?
    
    Had I received even a "Thanks, but no thanks." I would have continued
    to offer suggestions to the Delta Program.  I shall no longer waste my
    time; I have revenue generating work to do.
    
    Dave

    
    
    	It seems from the replies that DELTA forwards the ideas to
    	the appropiate person or group for action and sometime the 
    	group or person isn't taking any action resulting in spotty 
    	results.
    
    	Is DELTA supossed to follow up on ideas it receives ? If not
    	it should. If it does it's not or not very well since ideas
    	seem to be falling through the cracks.  
    
    						Mike
    						----

    As the poster of the original note I'd like to clarify a few things.
    These points are irrelevent to the worth of my idea, which may be
    rubbish for all I know:
    
    1. I know DELTA is not the implementor of the idea, nobody has
    	ever said that it was. But we are talking about 8 months here,
    	isnt there some kind of alarm bell in the system that says
    	I've asked this group eight times for the status of this
    	idea and not heard diddly, whats going on? Admittedly it did
    	get sent up the chain after 6 months, but look, its obviously 
    	in another hole. Doesnt this tell you that maybe that group isnt
    	buying into the DELTA program with any committment (and by that
    	I mean real action, not the "yes, sir; no sir; 3 bags full sir"
    	rhetoric, but real action). 
    	Maxine, do you have statistics in those wonderful automated systems
    	that tell you that groups simply are not handling the ideas you 
    	send them?  I'm not talking about rates of implementation of the
    	ideas, that is, as you say, outside your scope, but responses and
    	follow-up data from your contacts?
    
    2. The problem may be with John Simms Personnel organisation to which
        my idea was forwarded.	
       If John wants to know why I wont submit any more ideas, Its due to
    	the tardiness of his organisation in responding to my first one.
       I have mailed him directly yesterday (copying DELTA). If I get no
    	response I'll take it up the next level again.
    
    3. I am not in a position to make the change I suggested. People
        should realise that you can be affected by policy you have no way
    	of changing. The idea I made was one that affected the staffing
    	policy of groups during periods of corporate staff freezes.
    	I am a software engineer (with an Economics Degree) who saw that
    	a change in a broad set of actions at the Macro level could make
        life and our profit potential a lot easier at the Micro level.
    	I am not part of the personnel organisation here. So, I rely on
    	DELTA to ensure that an idea gets to the person capable of
    	ensuring that it can happen AND that it is fairly evaluated with 
    	regards to the merit of the idea, not where it came from.
    	Some things you can change at the coalface (like not having indoor
    	plants, making your employees fly economy ect.) others are more senior
    	actions.
    
    4.  My expectations for DELTA may be different from what they seek to
    	set. If they are, then DELTA is not enough to really help this
    	company. If DELTA works its tail off to convince us to submit
    	ideas, why the hell isnt it doing the same to convince people to
    	listen to them and to actively evaluate them?
    
    5.  Paying for ideas works. I have a friend in IBM who was paid $3500
    	for an idea he had, it instilled a sense of loyalty and that he
    	had tangible evidence to himself and his family that he was being
    	listened to. That said, it seems DELTA gets lots of ideas without
    	paying for them, but John Simms seems unhappy with the volume.
    	Part of the problem may be that people look for recognition not
    	only amongst their colleagues but also amongst their relations
    	and friends. Those people see the value of you effort against
    	rewards from other companies. Joe Bloggs gets $2000 or a weekend
    	away for his suggestion for a paper clip untangler, you get a
    	certificate for restructuring the whole finance company. How does
    	Joe's wife feel about the company her husband workd for, how
    	does your wife feel? I have a series of forwarded memos to show
    	for my idea, so how do you think I feel?
    
    6.  It would have been *nice* to have at least received acknowledgement
    	of receipt from the void of personnel, even if it was someone at
    	the bottom of the heap. This would at least confirm that someone
    	was actually there at the other end of the line. It like how
    	when you get put "on hold" on the phone, its nice to have someone
    	let you know whats going on occasionally.
    
    Regards,
    John
    
    

    
    Last June, the Delta program office opened the DELTA_IDEAS conference
    (press KP7 to add...). This was done to expose ideas to a broad
    audience and provoke thoughtful discussion.
    
    Lots of thoughtful discussion has taken place in that conference since
    then. Problem is, there is no way to judge the value of that
    discussion, because there is no indication that the people assigned
    to address the ideas ever see the discussion. To my knowledge, there is
    no indication in that conference of the resolution of any suggestions,
    not even those that seem to have been implemented.
    
    I submit that the value of the Delta program would increase
    dramatically if we could get the people responsible for evaluating
    suggestions to post their evaluation in that conference. A thoughtful
    discussion of the answer is potentially just as vaulable as a
    thoughtful discussion of the suggestion.
    

    Currently DELTA works like this:
    
    customer/idea -->DELTA-->possible
    	generator	     implementor
    				|
    		  -------->     V
    		  feedback   possible
    		  request    evaluation
    				|
    		  <--------	V
    		  possible   possible
    		  feedback   solution
    
    In short there is no guarantee an idea will be even evaluated, that it
    will definitely g to the right person. That reasonable alternatives
    will be looked at squarely against the proposal, that the potential
    implementor will correspond to evaluate the perceived need.
    
    In fact, there is no procedure for getting the suggestion
    constructively evaluated, more information sought, and results passed
    back to the instigator. Can I suggest a little thing call the Digital
    Project Methodology to the DELTA people, or at least a version called
    DPM-lite:
    
    1.Any suggestion is a Proposal - its very important to the company.
    	- proposals should be one page but DELTA should ensure the
    	  proposal is clear to both parties.
    	- generally 1 page based on the exact content of the proposal
    	- to proposer, DELTA and suggester.
    
    2.When an idea is received it should result in an Alternatives &
    Feasibility Document - again for most things 1 page, copied to DELTA
    	and the suggester. It states someone has thought about the
    suggestion and sees these reasons why/why not. Remember that in any
    development system getting the requirements and options down is
    critical. If ideas dont result in further clarification that is
    understood by all, then you are likely to get it very wrong.
    	
    3.Functional Specification if the idea had merit.
    and get agreement that this addresses the problem acknowledged in the
    proposal. It may be the same solution suggested by one of the proposer, or
    another one agreed to after the suggestions are in and feedback
    garnered through public solicitation of the idea.
    
    4. Implement the idea, specify your approach.
    5. Acceptance, revisit the proposer/s. Have we solved the problem?
    	Test the waters in public. Did the suggestion cause anything that
    	was unforseen?
    6. If the problem still exists go to 1.
    7. Six Months down the track - revisit the proposer, revisit the idea,
    	has the problem gone away in the longer term or have bandaid
    	solutions allowed the problem to resurface. If the latter,
    	rework the problem.
    
    Providing no one builds an empire around this approach, it could fix
    the black hole problem. We are telling each other we have to listen
    to the customer, keep them informed, do it with consistency... a 
    good place to start would be the DELTA process.
    
    John

     RE:  all,
    
         I agree that that not enough people are using the DELTA
    conference.  If I were to submitt an idea, that is something I would do
    dailey.  To see what others think of the suggestion, offer more detail,
    etc...   As a matter of fact I do read it dailey, just in case I have
    anything to add.
    
         Do all ideas that go to DELTA get entered in the conference
    automatically?  They seem to.  Maybe we could make it policy that if
    you are the receipient of a DELTA suggestion, you must add the
    conference to your notebook and respond there.  This would give a lot
    of other people a chance to add to the idea.  After all NOTES can be
    a computerized brain-storming tool.  
    
         On a larger scale, I think the avg. user doesn't make use of the
    computer resources available.  I still see supervisors printing mail
    messages to read them, engineers that have no idea what VAXnotes is,
    quality personnel that log into their account twice a week, etc...
    
    Disclaimer:  Not meaning to pick on anyone in particular above..just
    examples off the top of my head.
    
                                                            Scott

    A couple of responses -
    
    1)  The CAPNET::DELTA_IDEAS Notes conference follows the same rules as
    any other conference, we post ideas there only with the permission of
    the author, discussion can take place, the responding organization has
    access to a report which details the notes that are in the notesfile
    for his/her Support Council.  We have not yet posted responses there
    because we feel we need the permission of the author of the response
    to do so and haven't figured out how to do it efficiently.
    
    2)  Follow-up on ideas sent to Support Councils takes several forms.
    On a monthly basis they are reminded of their overdue responses. When
    we get to 90 days they are reminded a little more strongly.  After that
    we begin the process of escalation - sometimes by finding a different
    council, sometimes by making management aware.  Very little falls
    through the cracks.  Open ideas are reviewed regularly and action is
    taken. This process has the capability to change the way we all do our
    jobs, that doesn't happen overnight or even in a year!
    
    3)  Our acknowledgement clearly (I hope) gives every idea author the
    name of the individual to whom their idea has been sent and states that
    we will act as your advocate AT YOUR REQUEST.  You have the opportunity
    to begin direct dialogue with the respondant as soon as you receive
    the acknowledgement from us.  We have found that those people who
    do just that have the most success.  Phone conversations, meetings,
    further documentation are all possible scenarios.
    
    4)  The expectation around the Propose and Do philosophy is not that
    you are expected to implement every idea you have, but you are expected
    to have enough energy to make sure that those who are chartered to
    implement understand how important the idea is to you.
    
    
    IDEAS CENTRAL is not an automated suggestion box, nor should DELTA
    be equated with it.  DELTA is a full-blown Employee Involvement
    program including ideas, support of Team activities, and support
    of this Corporation's Total Quality Management Strategy.  The single
    most important thing that we can do is to get each of you to think
    about continuously improving your own work, your own environment.
    If along the way you have ways that you think other functions can be
    improved TO MAKE YOUR WORK MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE that's great
    and to be encouraged and commended.
    
    We welcome ideas to make this process more useful to you.  Please feel
    free to get in touch to talk about your experiences, what went wrong
    and what went right.

I submitted a suggestion to DELTA and asked that it be posted in the notesfile.
The program office eventually told me that they had been notified that a
response had been sent to me.  It hadn't, so I asked DELTA to forward me
the response.  I then entered a summary of the response in the notesfile.

Maxine said in .-1 that it's difficult to get permission to post responses
Perhaps they could also cover themselves by saying something like
"your response will be posted unless you otherwise request."  In any case,
I think they should forward all responses to the originator.

    
    	Once you accept the fact that DELTA is merely a sop thrown
    	out to make people think their opinions count, it gets easier.
    
    	Whether ideas are good, bad, or indifferent in the end they
    	don't really matter.  A few will be implemented to show that
    	the people on top really care (insert sarcastic cough here).
    	In fact it's impotent nonsense.  It will fade away in time
    	and be replaced with another red herring as needs and policy
    	mandate.
    
    	Throughout this and several other notes I've seen the rippling
    	tides of hurt, discouragement, and feelings of betrayal being
    	expressed.  I've seen other places go union with far less
    	provocation.  The times they are a-changing, friends and this
    	company has to look out for itself above all because that's its
    	responsibility.
    
    	Your responsibility is to look out for yourself ... if you don't
    	you will either be sucked in or blown away.
    
    	It's not the way it used to be.  Digital is not the way it used
    	to be and it never will be that way again.  Do what you need to
    	do, but don't rail against reality because it doesn't conform
    	with your fantasies.  What is is.  If you can't change your
    	little group, what makes you think you can change the entire
    	company?  Just because trash has been put in front of you, it
    	doesn't mean you have to eat it, and certainly not with a smile
    	on your face.
    
    	Take responsiblity not rhetoric.

    In my opinion the problem is DIGITAL is not a Democracy.  One person
    can kill a good idea, and the process stops.
    
    Dave

re: .23

I thought the purpose of DELTA was to save the company money!

re: earlier on DELTA Notes

3 of the 4 suggestions i've submitted made it into the Notes conference, with
a variable amount of delay...the only one which didn't make it in was one that
i got a response to (="we're studying some similar ideas to address this")
from Personnel.  I sent some Mail to IDEAS_CENTRAL asking (in that latter case)
if that was supposed to be the end of my involvement or whether they would
work to keep me in the loop as far as seeing how the "similar ideas" sorted
out.  Did not get an answer to that.

Maybe DELTA should adopt a Hot-Line type philosophy: treat each suggestion as
an open call; no call can be closed out without calling the originator back
and verifying their satisfaction with the resolution.  But maybe going to
that length would negate the money-saving value of DELTA.  I dunno.
									- paul

    Paul - we do exactly what you have mentioned.  Every idea which is
    responded to gets a follow-up phone call requesting input both on the
    process and the response.  You did respond to us and your record is
    marked for a phone call to you.  Any author who is dissatisfied with
    either the process or the response is contacted for further action.
    
    FYI - statistically we are running over 90% satisfied with the process
    and over 75% satisfied with the response.  These statistics are posted
    monthly along with others in the VTX DELTA application.

    >FYI - statistically we are running over 90% satisfied with the process
    >and over 75% satisfied with the response.  These statistics are posted
    >monthly along with others in the VTX DELTA application.
    
    C'mon Maxine, I suppose you get to fill out TV ratings books too. 
    I havent been asked about the process, so whats your sample size?
    This probably makes your management feel very warm that the process is
    working but its not. I am a customer of your service and I am 
    dissatisfied, and I am not the only one. Lets look at it another way,
    10% of people had sufficient cause to not say they were happy with the
    process and 25% had sufficient cause to not say they were happy with
    the response. I dont believe I have some pie in the sky ideal of
    what a Corporate suggestion scheme should be, I have a realistic idea
    of what the minimum a scheme must do if it is to value the input of
    its employees and make those ideas have a chance of happening if they
    have real merit. DELTA is on its way to working, but for me and others
    its not yet.
    
    DELTA's goal is broken if the only mechanism we have for improving the
    company only allows ideas for cost cutting. A company is built on the
    ideas of employees contributing to cut costs, increase revenues,
    increase efficiency, remove barriers to doing work. As to those who
    dont believe a system can work, I think others in this notesfile have
    shown plenty of examples where a proper employee suggestion scheme
    can work. Maybe the DELTA team should visit some of those companies,
    and then write themselves a DELTA suggestion on how DELTA's role can
    change to be truly workable after all your all "empowered" (this
    year's big token personnel bull word) too.
    
    John

    John - to answer your question - the current sample size is about 600
    authors - about 25% of our total # of authors.  I cited the statistics 
    for information not because they are wonderful.  We would have to be 
    crazy to think they are anywhere near good enough.  I think that you 
    are right when you say DELTA is "on the way" to being useful. 
    
    We have been benchmarking against other companies.  As an example Kodak
    has had an EI system in place since 1899.  They have a 25% particpation
    rate and a 40% adoption rate.  We can't hope to equal that for years
    but that doesn't mean we are broken.  It only means we have to work
    smarter to get better.

    r.e       <<< Note 1377.28 by CAPNET::CROWTHER "Maxine 276-8226" >>>
                           -< Some more info . . . >-
    Sorry about the stats bashing Maxine. I tend to get annoyed when the
    state of the union around me is different from the official news of the
    town cryer.
    
    
    >We have been benchmarking against other companies.  As an example Kodak 
    >has had an EI system in place since 1899.  They have a 25% particpation
    >rate and a 40% adoption rate.  We can't hope to equal that for years
    >but that doesn't mean we are broken.  It only means we have to work
    >smarter to get better.
    
    
	One way of working smarter would be to approach this customer and
    hire them to be consultants on this with us. Rather than reworking
    mistakes they have obviously seen the pitfalls and traps. You probably
    already consult with them, I dont know, but this would be a very good
    example of relationship building and understanding of each others
    non product expertise. 
        I believe DELTA can be excellent. The people of this company are
    capable of great things. You are achieving results in many areas.
    The problem I have is that the one great idea that will save this 
    company's bacon may be the one thrown on the floor without being
    looked at.
    
    John

    
    >We have been benchmarking against other companies.  As an example Kodak 
    >has had an EI system in place since 1899.  They have a 25% particpation
    >rate and a 40% adoption rate.  We can't hope to equal that for years
    >but that doesn't mean we are broken.  It only means we have to work
    >smarter to get better.

I have nothing against Kodak, but how about benchmarking against some of the 
Japanese companies. Pick one that's been around since 1957... That should 
really show us how far we have to go.

Jim

    When I lived in the Rochester area in the late '70s, Kodak's EI system
    was not similar to DELTA at all.  If a suggestion of yours was implemented,
    10% of the first year's net savings to the company came to you!
    
    This might be a way for Digital to get a 25% participation rate.
    
    John Wilson

    John - the incentive plan at Kodak is in the process of changing, by the 
    way. They have had a plan for the last N years that you could get up to
    $50,000 of the savings from your idea (15% of a 2 year saving). The
    money was budgetted and paid for by the implementing organization.
    
    However Kodak wants to encourage the principle of continuous
    improvement of one's own work and environment and are going to change
    to a nominal $ amount (approx $30) for every idea implemented locally.
    DELTA encourges that kind of local reward, though it certainly isn't
    happening routinely as yet.
    

    This will be the second note in which I've commented on DELTA.  IMO, the
    problem with DELTA is that it has no power to resolve suggestions.  At
    a previous employer, Motorola, the suggestion mechanism worked this way
    (sorry to repeat from an earlier note)...  Every suggestion was
    assigned to the department most likely affected.  Reviewers were
    _required_ to respond to originators within two weeks or so.  Some
    responses were along the lines of "it's under consideration," but every
    suggestion got a response.  Rewards were indirect -- Motorola had
    started a bonus program involving many factors, two of which were
    quality and productivity improvement.
    
    Comment: the corporate culture there encouraged concrete, specific
    suggestions, and the participation rate, at least in the first year,
    was quite healthy.  What's missing at Digital is the step between
    reminders and requirements in the resolution process.
    
    Wes Plouff

I just got a letter through Delta taht said that one of my suggestions
had been implemented.  Every time I have sent a suggestion I have
received some sort of response.

The biggest problem I perceive with Delta is that it often seems that
the suggestions are going to the wrong people.  I do not know how to fix
that problem because it is hard for one group to know what everyone in
Digital does.

John

    From what I have seen the people administering DELTA are doing a good
    job.  I fully support the idea, and believe it has helped, but its got
    to be tough separating the wheat from the chaff...
    
    Problem # 1:  Some people are using it for their own purposes..
    
    1. Its been used for advertising a groups projects ("Why doesn't the
       rest of Digital wake up and use our system?"  And if I only had some
       funding....
    
    2. Its used for venting, point issues, and items which are not worth
       spending "Digital-wide" time on.
    
    Problem #2: Body Count
    
    Now that our army does not talk about body count, we seem to be
    obsessed with "quantifying" our DELTA progress by items rather than by 
    what the items have returned.
    
    There is a "body count" like mentality in the process.  Groups involved 
    seem more concerned with closing their DELTA items than with
    understanding the intent and working towards the intent. 
    
    Problem #3: Breadth vs Depth
    
    Groups seem to cling to their existing processes and reply with a
    "don't you see that if we did that, we would xxxxxxxxx".  Substitute
    xxxxxxx with any suitable legal, personnel, tax or complexity issue. 
    Where things could be fine tuned, or tweaked, groups seem to like
    having one size that fits all.  
    
    Like I said, its a great idea, but we are not putting into it, or
    taking out of it what we should.
    
    Rick
    
    

    As Cathy would say, "when life hands you lemons, make lemon meringue
    pie!"
    
    One useful spin-off of this situation is that we could start to map
    which parts of Digital are generally responsive and interested in
    implementing new ideas, and which are "black holes".
    
    All sorts of decisions might be based on such a map. At the very least,
    individuals might wish to modify their career plans to avoid the "black
    holes". At the very best, those who are trying to make Digital more
    profitable might see a connection.
    
    /Tom

I think Delta is a start in the right direction - but that it
reflects more of the "old" cultural approach (a giant suggestion
box) rather than an effecting the major cultural changes that are
required in 1991. I don't think
its broken, but rather the old culture "creaking" along as best as it
can.  

In fact, even reading some of these notes I detect "old" cultural
attitudes among us (like "when will they change system so that
we get rewarded for our suggestions?").

In Japan everyone is charged with constantly striving to improve
processes.  By contrast Delta forwards suggestions to the appropriate
group (probably the stovepipe that feels it "owns" the problem and
the solution).  Here we have a feeling of helplessness until someone,
somewhere in the system reacts to our suggestions

Frequently in Japan, when changes are proposed - the person making
the suggestion does not put his/her name on the suggestion.  The
suggestion is then passed around and discussed on its own merits -
not with the aim of rewarding (or publicizing) an individual. 
If the change is made the team (or the whole organization) benefits
from the results of changes. 

Ultimately the cultural shift that I think we have to make is that

 we all are committed to change processes and systems constantly
 (not just because of Delta or because of a potential reward or visibility)

 no one group "owns" problems and solutions - its a collective
 thing without organizational boundaries

 that the reward for effecting changes is a more successful, profitable
 organization - not an individual bonus
 
 that no one who is proposing a change should feel lost and helpless
 - but rather encouraged to immediately take action - even allowed
 to "press a button and stop everything" until a major problem gets fixed.

d
    

re:  -< Cultural Change... >-

> that the reward for effecting changes is a more successful, profitable
> organization - not an individual bonus
 
> that no one who is proposing a change should feel lost and helpless
> - but rather encouraged to immediately take action - even allowed
> to "press a button and stop everything" until a major problem gets fixed.

	I think you're on the right track here.  It's an institutional
	change that's required.

	The problem seems to be inertia.  It takes too much
	effort for folks to change their ways of doing things...

	The "metrics" (heaven help us) might have to change, etc. 

	I've been trying for more than 2 years to get something
	implemented here at the CSC that -supposedly- everybody's
	in favor of....including managers, staff, and most
	of the "grunts" I've talked to.  Yet, it has been postponed,
	re-evaluated and nixed to death by folks who have no stake
	in its success.  A case of someone pushing the 'stop'
	button who is not affected by the continuing problem this
	suggestion was supposed to remedy.

	I think it'll take a MAJOR shakeup in this company before
	any of this changes....

	Steve h

An open letter to Maxine and DELTA-land in response to 1377.*

I submitted an idea once and am very happy with the process and resolution.
From my personal point of view, DELTA worked well.  I was fortunate in that
the person who received my idea had similar thoughts, was implementing the
same sorts of things as my suggestion, and felt the responsibility to react
to another employee's idea.

However, as you can tell by several of the comments here and at your virtual
water cooler, DELTA doesn't always do quite so well.  The thing that I see
as the major sticking point (there are plenty of minor ones) is DELTA's
inability to coerce a response of any kind from some/several/many groups
to whom suggestions have been directed.

You claim there is an escalation process.  It sounds like it doesn't work
very well.  I suggest that you examine that escalation capability and find
a way that allows you to "kick ass and take names."  You are not perceived
as having that capability right now.  If you do NOT do this when it is needed,
then DELTA is perceived as talk but no teeth.  Perception IS reality...

Some possible ways to enhance response from black hole groups:

- Issue a "black hole" award to the VP whose organization is most unresponsive.
  (John Sims, it would be very embarassing if you were to win this!)  I bet
  that Jack Smith would LOVE to hand this to someone every quarter.  And I bet
  there would be some serious pressure put on some groups to get their
  collective act together.

- Leverage Jack's WORDS with some ACTION. E.g, have Jack's secretary call 
  the "no response" black holes on the escalation list and ask them to contact 
  Jack's office.  Then, a simple "Jack would like you to answer DELTA 
  suggestion # thus and such."  [OK, so it doesn't have to be Jack's sec'y.  
  Get Jack's permission to use his name, then you do it!]  This would get a 
  reaction from all but the comatose.

- If it gets really bad, ask Jack to set up a meeting with the person and
  ream them a new orifice.  Knowing how Jack feels about this stuff, he might
  do more than that!  

Look, people want to see you succeed.  And, as you said, you are getting
there.  A lot of good things are happening.  YOU (MAXINE) can, by virtue of the
visibility and commitment you have with Sims & Smith, ALL BY YOURSELF, make
DELTA an even more potent agent of change!  Leverage it for all it's worth.

Continue to be a "nice guy" to those who are responsive and interested and
cooperative.  But get mean, get serious, and start yelling (sooner & louder)
at the folks who "don't have time for this" or "don't see why they should
answer".  90 days to escalate?  Ninety?  How about a month?  How about a
week before you call the appropriate (lowest level) manager to find out if
someone's on vacation?

And for cryin' out loud, FORCE a reaction.  You have the privilege of being
able to use Sims' & Smith's clout for your project, and if you don't do that
or if you don't do it effectively, you are simply not going to be as successful
as you could be.

I remain very much in favor of DELTA.  Keep up the good work.

Karl Barth
OSAG S/W Engineering
ZKO

    Karl - thank you!!! The thoughts you have on escalation are on our
    minds too.  
    
    This month, for the first time, I will be adding to my monthly report,
    a quantitative ranking of our responders.  This is the first step
    toward "kicking ass and taking names" as you so aptly put it.
    
    We feel that this is a much better approach and will get us further
    than sending off ideas to them one by one saying this hasn't been
    answered, please intervene.
    
    We certainly do have senior management support in this effort and we
    seem to have support at the "troop" level.  What we are constantly
    working for is the hearts and minds of middle management.  That's
    our real challenge. They are the responders who don't and the
    implementors who won't.
    
    Anybody got any good ideas!!?!?! 
    

    re .40  re .39
    
    Maxine,
    my idea is for you do what Karl suggests -- get some ass kicked.  You
    won't get mind share until managers understand that this is serious
    stuff and names will be taken.  An example is going to have to be made
    in order for managers to understand this, otherwise you are will never
    be as successful as you should be.
    I've been in two different organizations in the last year and from the
    bee level, all your program is getting is lip service.  The thing that
    is distressfull to me is that if Jack Smith is really behind this why
    isn't he out walking around and finding out the true facts instead of
    looking at statistical numbers?  My perception is that Jack is setting
    the example, and that is one of lip service, i.e. it's announced, we've
    gotten suggestions, some are being implemented, we've saved $, oh happy
    day I've accomplished my goal, let's move on to more important things,
    oh by the way let's put someone without authority in charge of this to
    handle any complaints.
    David

    The point is you have a very positive story to tell with Delta.
    Lots of results where savings have been made, process has been
    changed, people have new value. You are currently selling the Delta
    idea to the underlings as Fred X had an idea and it saved y dollars.
    Sell to middle management by getting other managers to point out the
    success they get from buying the Delta spiel. Show them what listening
    can do to their chance of still having a job next year. Show them how
    they can "make a difference".
    
    The trouble with "kicking ass" is that people end up working out how
    to keep the ass kickers happy without actually doing anything. All
    managers should be given Delta training that involves them
    understanding the benefits you are trying to achieve for them AND the
    Corp (Unfortunately the two are not the same). Examples of other major
    involvement programs and what the result is for them. People just
    dont take pronouncements from "on high" seriously unless they see
    evidence of real commitment at that level that extends to them. I'd
    hate to think we'd have to sack a manager or two just to let the
    rest know its important, but I guess a manager that refuses to
    acknowledge that staff can have good ideas and all wisdom is not
    vested upon them, that people outside a function may be able to
    see something someone in the trenches cant, then it may be the only
    way. Maybe Delta will turn into a DWD (dead-wood detector) of the
    first order.
    
    Oh, and I finally received a human response to my Delta suggestion
    after querying John Simms. Its signed "The Employee Involvement 
    Committee@AKO", and talks in the collective "we", so I dont know who 
    actually responded.
    I think I'm back at the point I was 3 days after I sent the original
    suggestion, but there has been some movement. 
    
    
    		ME			DELTA	PERSONNEL
    5 Jun 90	0------------------------>
    		     initial suggestion
    7 Jun 90				 0---------->	
    					 >Rourke @CFO  
    		<------------------------0
    		     initial response
    10Sep 90    0------------------------0---------->
    		     query about no response
    8 Dec 90    0------------------------>
    		     query about no response
    
    12 Dec 90   <------------------------0
    		     reponse - escalated
    					 0---------->				
    					 >Simms @MLO
    19 Feb 91   0------------------------0---------->
    		     query about no response
    
    27 Feb 91   <-----------------------------------0 IDEAS @AKO 
    		     response with comment
    						    0---------->	     
    						    Human Resource 
    						    Planning Manager
    
    
    Regards,
    John

RE:.42

I mostly agree with what you have to say.  But...

>    The trouble with "kicking ass" is that people end up working out how
>    to keep the ass kickers happy without actually doing anything. 

If the way to keep the ass kickers happy is to RESPOND TO THE SUGGESTION
THEY'VE RECEIVED, then they will react.  And right now, we'll settle for
a reaction.  ANY reaction.  

Don't you see?  The problem here is that DELTA is IGNORABLE.  No amount of
training and enlightenment and sunshine is going to change that.  What will
change it is:  you don't respond and Jack Smith ties you to a railroad track.
Even if a milder approach worked (and I will insist it cannot with our current
set of middle managers) this approach will work more quickly.

I like .42's comment that this may be a DWD (dead wood detector).  WHO DO YOU
THINK ARE THE PEOPLE MAXINE IS HAVING TROUBLE WITH?  It's not like we're
talking about someone who's out of the office this week.  We're talking about
folks who are permanently out to lunch!

You know, it's not like we're asking for people to build rockets blindfolded.
It is reasonable and important that DELTA get answers from people.  Is that
so much to ask?

K.

	Just got a reply to a DELTA suggestion I made.  More
	of the same.

	I had suggested that a particular company function 
	be contracted out to an outside firm as, internally,
	we:

	1) abuse it,
	2) do it incompletely,
	3) interpret the results incorrectly,
	4) affect careers with these flawed results.

	The response indicated that they were merely going to
	tinker with the existing program.  Heaven forbid we should
	actually abolish a program, and render a group
	superfluous....

	Steve H

    re. 44 and others
    
    Is Delta forwarding suggestions to "stovepipe" groups that
    may have biases or specific reasons for stonewalling?
    
    Shouldn't implemention of suggestions be determined by
    cross functional teams that potentially have less bias? 
    
    d

    I offered a grumble in reply .15.  I just received a memo telling me
    that my "non-trivial" suggestion for a company Ombudsman, along with a
    similar suggestion from another employee, has been instrumental in
    changing the company's Open Door policy.
    
    The bottom line is that I was able to cause a positive change and, for
    that, I feel satisfaction.  The problem that I was experiencing is one
    of communications - or lack thereof.  Clearly, a considerable amount of
    work over the last few months resulted in the new policy.  It would
    have been nice, polite, and smart business to have let me know REAL
    EARLY in the process that my suggestion had merit.
    
    Perhaps I can cause another positive change.  Those folks who are
    tasked to review and/or act on a suggestion should remember the Golden
    Rule.  How would YOU like to spend hours of your own time on composing
    a thoughtful (at least in your mind) suggestion, offer it through the
    appropriate channel, get told it was assigned to a group for review and
    then - silence.
    
    We are all wired, it does not take a lot of time to go into MAIL and
    SEND a memo saying, "Dave, just to let you know we see some value in
    your good idea and we are still working on it.  Keep them coming." 
    Never can tell, I might have had MORE good ideas.  I might even have
    been telling folks that your organization cares about other employees. 
    Instead, I got the clear (if not intentional) message that the
    suggestion program was just another "buzzword of the month".
    
    No hard feelings, my hide's too thick.  Just a plea to those who are
    reviewing suggestions.  You have NOTHING TO DO in this program if the
    suggestions are not there.  Let people know their good idea is being
    reviewed and that they should keep them coming.
    
    Now, if that OTHER Personnel group would let me know that THEY exist
    and acknowledge that they have had my other suggestion for MONTHS
    without a comment, I might even put Personnel back in my "IDEAL
    COMPANY"'s organization chart.
    
    Thanks, Maxine.
    
    Dave

    I've been looking through the DELTA_IDEAS conference for any of my
    three humble suggestions, but I can't find them, either as a base note
    or as the ideas themselves.  (It's been so long since I submitted them
    that I can only remember two: having all employees attend a class on
    efficient meetings, and shortening the SSB cycle.)
    
    I may be missing somthing, but my perception is that I've been...
    blackholed! 8^)

	re .47:

	Steve, do you realise that the default is NOT to place suggestions
	in the notesfile? If you want them to do that, you must explicitly
	say so on the suggestion form (towards the end, from memory).

	I would have preferred it to be default behaviour to publish
	(after all, what have we to hide?)

	Cheers,
	Tom

    Anent .48: No, Tom, I didn't know that.  I want to say my ideas went in
    before the suggestion form was implemented, but I'm not positive.

I submitted an idea via "naked" Email (no form) and I received a reply asking
if I wanted it posted.

    I was contacted yesterday by DELTA, and they suggested that I had used
    the earlier program, not DELTA, to send in my ideas.  They said those
    ideas wouldn't have gone into DELTA.  I think they are right -- I used
    the old method.  I have resubmitted one of my ideas to DELTA.
    
    I don't know what happened to the old ideas, but I retract my previous
    comments about DELTA.

    Re. .45
    
    My suggestion was forwarded to a "stovepipe".