Conference 7.286::digital

    One simple style hint:
    
    Whenever one feels the need to criticize, 
    
    	1) Write it down, using only the first person plural -
    
    		"We have this problem.  We must ...  We should not ..."
    
    	2) Then go back and read it critically.  Does "we" mean the same
    	   thing throughout?  Where does "we" sound phoney?  Who do "we" 
    	   think should change?  Have "I" made it easier for "us" to do the
    	   right thing?
    
    	3) Revise it, reread it, pass it along to a sensible friend who is 
    	   not upset by the same events.  
    
    	4) Revise it again.  Read it again.  What will happen if you just
    	   file it now?  What will happen if you send it on?  To whom?
    
    Truth telling and providing negative feedback to others are not as
    simple as just blurting out what you feel.
    
    Dick

    	We think this might make a good How-To guide for being
    a Politically Correct Reformer (PCR) in the New Digital Order.

    	    -king davo and his many powerful supporters

    It isn't a question of being politically correct.
    
    Do you want results, that is, influence over what is wrong, or just the
    notoriety of making waves?
    
    Whenever you want results, you spend the effort to make the message fit
    the audience.  In fact, you may decide that someone else can deliver it
    better (more effectively, not necessarily safer) than you.
    
    Anyone can be a loud mouth.  I do it every day before 7am.  Not every
    one can be effective in getting a message about potential mistakes
    across to people who are intent on ignoring bad news.  Two by fours may
    get attention, but slivers under the fingernails may get better results
    in some cases.
    
    :-)
    
    Dick

    With the constraints all of us are forced, by today's market, to work
    under, choices must be made. The better a suggestion is studied,
    worded, thought-out, etc., the greater it's chance of making it to the
    top. That's not being "politically correct"; that's reality. Sales hits
    up against it every day. Customer have lots of alternatives for limited
    resources, and so does each Digital organization. And just as customer
    management works under the constant threat of downsizing (yes, it IS
    happening there too in case you haven't recognized it...), Digital's
    management recognizes that it too is potentially an endangered species
    and is struggling to make the right choices among many options. 
    
    So the extra thought put into making your ideas and suggestions better
    fit the situation and compare favorably with the competition are well
    worth the effort and are not "caving in to PC" in any way! It's just
    reality, and that's the name of the game today!
    
    Fred  :^)
     

    	Ok, I'll admit to being a little silly in my reply #.2,
    and I suppose the term "politically correct" carries with it
    a wide variety of meanings these days, but I couldn't resist
    a little satire at what I see as a sort of a Catch-22 situation
    developing here...

    	The situation as some have so eloquently stated (such as Paul
    Kinzleman in his phone-in questions and person-to-person meetings
    with Jack Smith, noted in #1223.* for example), is that despite
    the many layoffs to date, DEC remains staffed with large amounts
    of managerial overhead, some of whom, are directly responsible for
    the sorts of decisions which have led this company to the financial
    state it is in today (for better and worse), and others, who are not
    responsible for much of anything.

    	The incredible irony of this situation, is that in order to
    carry this important and painfully obvious message to the very ears
    who would theoretically best be able to rectify this situation, it
    has since been determined that a messenger worthy of such a deed
    must first be located.  Of course, the logical choice for the delivery
    of such a message would need to be someone who is well aversed in
    such communications, and preferably someone experienced in such
    bureaucratic gamesmanship.  Therefore, it is decided that in order
    to effectively deliver this message such that it carries with it
    the greatest sense of importance and potential impact, the person
    chosen for this brave and noble deed should, no doubt, be a manager!

    	There you have it!  Catch-22!  Who else but a manager would have
    the necessary skill sets (described in preceding notes) to effectively
    drive home the message of managerial problems to management?  Any
    volunteers for the job?
    				   -davo

    How about ex-managers?
    
    I and many others have held and do not currently hold managerial
    positions.  We have access to the management without the burden of
    being managers.  I can't speak for others, but those who know me will
    assure you that I don't hide what I believe.  However, I recognize my
    limitations.  I will be most effective in my own backyard, not in the
    Mill or GMA.
    
    Dick

A couple more key principles in effective criticism:

o It is more important to expose and correct the problem than to assign blame.
  
o When pointing out a problem, try to offer a constructive solution to the
  problem along with the criticism.

--PSW

Don't just solve the problem, try to solve the problem that caused the problem.

That is, ask yourself what's been done to prevent this from happening again.
				/AHM

    Re: -1
    I think your comment highlights the differing levels from which the 
    replies to this note originate.
    
    Davo is looking beneath the symptoms...his catch 22. For the most part
    we have seen wide adoption of the techniques Dick suggests. It got us
    to where we are.  I mean, most managers I know do reasonably well at
    using the "selling techniques" ....after all they funded the DME
    sessions which teach these methods.
    
    The others deal with the obvious and visible situations.
    And I am not suggesting this approach is in-effective. But it can be
    likened to taking a pill for your headache. If that's all it was,
    great. But if you have a condition underlying the headache, the pill
    can do more harm than good.
    
    Someone suggested that real learning always involves pain.  I believe
    it; but I don't know who it is that must suffer the pain.
    
    /pope
    

    It is often possible the get into situations when what is proposed is
    bad but one does not have anything better to offer.
    Just criticizing in this situation may alienate others, be seen as
    being negative and doesn't fix much.

    I've remarked that this is most often happening when the goal or 
    requirements for a proposal are incomplete or incorrect.

    So, rather then discussing the proposal, it is more efficient to
    discuss the initial assumptions and thus change the proposal, without
    actually getting into unnecessary confrontations.

    If you can convince the others that assumptions need change, the new
    proposal will most probably be better and be owned by the group.

    				wlodek

    						wlodek