Conference 7.286::digital

2498.0. "Farewell from Dick Joseph" by BWICHD::SILLIKER (Crocodile sandwich-make it snappy) Tue May 18 1993 11:33

    Dick asked me to post this in the Digital Notesfile for him, as he is
    no longer with us.  I checked in with a Mod first, and was told that it
    was acceptable to post this.
    
    /m
    
    From:	SALEM::JOSEPH       "Dick Joseph - DTN: 285-2373 - NIO/W23" 
    To:	@DIGITAL.DIS
    CC:	JOSEPH
    Subj:	"If the people lead, the leaders will follow"



   ************************************************************************
   *                       OPEN LETTER TO DIGITAL                         *
   ************************************************************************
                             from:  Dick Joseph


   Tomorrow, April 16th is my last day as an employee of Digital Equipment
   Corporation.  I have spent the better portion of the past two years trying 
   to convince the top levels of the company that something different has to 
   be done to complete the downsizing of the company.  I've gone about it in
   the only way I know how - head first and with all my energy.  In the process,
   I've made a great number of mistakes both in my original ideas and with
   the approach I chose to use.  

   Today I met with Win Hindle to try to explain to him what I believe the 
   problems are with Digital and what I think should be done to solve them.
   I came away from the meeting with the feeling that Win agreed with both my
   analysis of the problem and the solutions I proposed.  I have asked the
   people on this distribution list to circulate this memo around the company
   beginning May 16th (one month after I leave DEC) if none of the suggestions
   I proposed have been implemented by that time.  The fact that you are getting
   this message is an indication that there have been no significant changes in
   either the climate here at DEC or in the downsizing process.

   What I am asking of anyone who gets this message is that you read my analysis
   and proposal that follows, and, if you think that it would work if it were
   to be implemented, send a note to Bob Palmer, Adriana Stadecker, Win Hindle
   and John Sims (those are the people who have read the proposal and have 
   chosen to ignore the ideas) to let them know that you think that this 
   proposal has merit and should be implemented.  I think that the only way 
   that the people at the top will both believe the extent of the problems
   and take action to rectify the problems will be for the employees of the 
   company take a united stand to let them know that the status quo is 
   unacceptable.  I have worked for two years studying the layoff process and 
   its effects and have developed and presented this proposal to hundreds of 
   people in DEC.  I haven't had a single person below the level of VP in the 
   company disagree with the approach.

   I urge each of you to take the time to read this, forward it to your friends
   and co-workers, and then send a clear message to Bob, Adriana, Win and 
   John, that you want to see them try something different.

   Thank you, and good luck to all of you.  Feel welcome to call me to discuss
   these ideas.

   Regards.

   Dick Joseph 
   (508)-373-7382
   Digital Employee - 1/18/82 - 4/16/93


   ANALYSIS:

   As I stated above, I believe that I have made some mistakes in the my
   original analysis of the problems here at DEC.  Unlike what many people
   in the company (myself included) have stated, the managers here at DEC 
   really do care about the employees and want to do the right thing by them.  
   I think that it would be very difficult for anyone to find a manager who 
   truly doesn't care about the people assigned to him/her.  I honestly 
   believe that each one of them wants to be fair to every one of their 
   employees and that none of them have any hidden agendas or are
   motivated by any desire to "stick it to" anyone in the company.

   So, if that's the case, why are there so many people who are so anti-
   management?  Why are people so demotivated?  Why do so many people believe
   that their bosses are out to get them while protecting themselves and
   their "buddies"?  

   The answer is that the layoff process is set up to fail.  I believe that,
   if the process were fixed, there wouldn't be such a morbid environment here
   at DEC.  We should learn from the lessons of other companies.  Motorola and
   3M discovered while trying to implement "6 Sigma" and TQM that there were
   some organizations where, no matter what they tried, they couldn't get close
   to reaching their goals.  What they discovered in those organizations was 
   that either the overall management process or the operational process was 
   so wrong that it prevented these groups from achieving their goals.  That's
   what's happening here at DEC with the layoff process.

   The current downsizing process:
   
   o  Is not be based on real business considerations 
   o  Destroys productivity
   o  Stifles creativity
   o  Takes the decision making authority out of the hands of the 
      managers charged with the responsibility for achieving profitability
   o  Is alienating the entire workforce
   o  Is destroying morale; and 
   o  Is politically biased in its execution, 

   There is a crisis in morale at the lower levels of Digital, as is easy
   to observe by anyone.  The employees are disillusioned, scared, angry,
   demotivated and under tremendous stress, both because of the constant
   threat of layoffs and because they are being asked to do much more than
   ever before with no assurance that the extra work will protect them from
   being laid off.  
 
   The creative juices that are vital to DEC's ability to compete in the future
   have been prevented from flowing.  Most everyone concerned with taking care
   of their own and their families' needs, have either a resume floating around
   outside the company, or they are actively pursuing new career opportunities.
   I believe that there will be a major "brain drain" in virtually every group
   in DEC, leaving it in a position where it may never be able to recover.

   TIME Magazine ran an article entitled, "When Downsizing Becomes DUMBsizing"
   by Bernard Baumohl.  He stated that, "One of the most obvious effects of 
   downsizing is that the employees who survive are forced to work longer 
   and harder...The resulting increase in stress leads to discontent, lower 
   creativity and undermines corporate loyalty...with no improvement in 
   efficiency."


   ANALYSIS (Continued):

   If everything that I said above is correct, how can changing the process
   fix the problem?

   The first step, I believe, is for the top level managers in this company to 
   leave the managers alone to lead, motivate and manage their respective 
   organizations...without being told before the planning process begins, how 
   many people or what size budget they have to operate with.  There are all
   kinds of messages all over the system that clearly state that virtually
   every manager has been given a directive to develop their business plans
   with less - less $ and fewer people.  

   In my mind, that's where the process breaks down.  I told Win Hindle this 
   morning that I would not accept a management position here in DEC under
   the current conditions.  As a leader, I would expect it to be my 
   responsibility to develop my business plan, define the resources that 
   I need, motivate and train my people, and then be held accountable for 
   either successfully reaching or failing to reach my goals.  

   Right now, managers are being told that they will be held accountable for 
   delivering to their business plans, and yet, most of their management tools 
   have been taken away from them.  They are told either how many people they
   can have to operate with or that they only have so much money to work with,
   which usually translates to fewer people.  Open reqs that they have gone
   through the trouble of getting VP approval for are frozen and cannot be
   filled.  There can be no "inter-department" transfers.

   As a result, managers are forced to put together restricted business plans.
   They spend an inordinate amount of time in meetings negotiating who should
   stay and who should go, rather than using that time to truly manage their
   people.  Sub-optimization is the rule.  Nobody is in a position to propose
   new ventures or new ideas or even to expand upon their current direction
   because the message is clear:  "Less is best!!"  The whole mentality of 
   the corporation is affected.  People cannot move.  They dare not propose
   new ideas or ask to attend long term training.  Moving on in a new direction
   is not an option because who knows whether it's any safer there than where
   they are now?

   Stagnancy, apprehension and fear are present where creativity, excitement
   and daring should exist.  It is impossible for DEC to make any permanent
   move in a positive direction unless the process is chaned to allow the
   managers to truly manage and so that they can fairly be held accountable.

   


   PROPOSED PROCESS:

   So, how do you change the current process?

   The first thing that has to be done is for Bob Palmer and the Strategic
   Planning Group to clearly set the corporate direction.  They have to define
   what businesses we're going after and which ones we're decommitting.  This,
   I think, is being done very well, and is at a point where the next step can
   be taken.

   The second step is for the Strategic Planning Group, who are the major 
   business managers in DEC, to get their managers to put together realistic
   and attainable business plans based upon the strategic direction set.  As
   part of the planning process, the business managers should clearly identify
   the resources (by job title) and budget that they need in order to achieve
   their goals in the timeframes specified in their business plans.  There will
   necessarily be a negotiation process involved, but, when the final plans
   receive their approval, the business managers should be free to manage to
   those plans.

   After the planning process, the business managers will know what specific
   resources they will need in order to successfully reach their goals.  They
   should find that, in the end, they will have too many of some skill sets,
   and too few of others.  Rather than have the managers lay off the people who
   are in an "excess skill" position, these people whould be identified and
   assigned to a corporate-wide Resource Pool, where they will become available
   to other business groups that may need their skills.  Business managers who
   have open reqs in their organization should be able to draw from the pool of
   people in the Resource Pool to fill their needs.

   The people in the Resource Pool would have several options available to them.
   They can apply for the open positions in the other parts of the company if 
   they have a matching skill.  If they have a skill that isn't needed elsewhere
   in the company, and they are "trainable" for a skill that is needed or will
   be needed by DEC in the future, they should be afforded the opportunity to
   retrain.  Those people in the Resource Pool who cannot be retrained or who
   refuse to retrain or refuse to relocate to where they can be used, will 
   become natural candidates for "downsizing."  Layoffs will only occur from 
   within the Resource Pool.  But the Resource Pool, because of its retraining 
   and repositioning roles, will not become a morgue.  It should become a 
   vital and permanent part of DEC's planning process, and a tool that 
   management can utilize so that it can stay focused on business issues.

   In this way, the "Rules of the Game" are clearly understood by everyone.  
   The size of organizations will be based upon real business requirements, not
   on some mathematically contrived figure.  Managers will be forced to 
   motivate and inspire their workers because their success will be a direct
   result of their ability to achieve their business plans.  Managers can fairly
   be held accountable becasue they have all of the power and authority to
   do what they say they can do.  There can be "no excuses" for non-performance.

   Workers will then know where they stand as far as employment is concerned,
   because an approved business plan should be all that is necessary to justify
   their existence.  Because their managers will now count on the employees to
   ensure their success, the employees should feel valued again.  


   PROPOSED PROCESS (Continued):

   There are many, many more things that must be done as a result of the changes
   I have recommended, but I don't have the time to go into all of them.  
   However, the basic pieces of my proposal should clearly show that the end 
   result of making these simple changes to "the process" would lead to:

   o  A corporation that is the "right size" based upon real business 
      requirements
   o  A management structure that is focused upon developing and delivering
      clear, concise, believable and attainable business plans
   o  An employee base that understands the "rules of the game" and can
      make intelligent choices based upon those rules
   o  A dynamic environment where people are not arbitrarily prevented from
      moving around the company, and where there is never a frozen, approved
      requistion
   o  An environment where creativity is encouraged and fostered by the
      management process
   o  An employee base that believes that management is making intelligent 
      decisions and that any downsizing that is done is done because it is 
      truly necessary and is based upon real business considerations
   o  A management team that is measured upon its ability to lead, motivate
      and deliver, rather than upon who they know
   o  A corporate environment that is dynamic, exciting and fun to be part of
      again

  Please give this proposal some serious consideration.  I believe that, after
  you have taken it through all of the possible resulting scenarios, you will
  discover that only positve things can be the end result.
   

    Sheesh.. That was one great memo IMHO.. It was obviously well thought
    out..The REAL shame is that he is probably one the people that could've
    made a difference and is part of DEC's "brain drain".. Like I said
    before.. ANYONE can get a Company to profitability by whacking as many
    heads as they see fit...
    
    
    Joe
    
    
    ps: Sounds like he would've been Great to work for..

    If DEC management would care to listen: I come to work every day
    because I need the money, I do my best every day because I believe in
    working for that money.  Do I enjoy working at DEC?  After 16 years in
    this company, right now NO!  Over the past 2 1/2 years I have averaged
    1 new manager and 1 new DEC site every 3 months--and I wasn't job
    surfing either, this happened in only 2 jobs.  This is no way to 
    treat a human being and no way to run a company either. 
    

    I have seen memos like this from Dick Joseph before.  I even sent him
    mail once and, guess what, he replied!  Although I never worked for
    him, I'll bet I would have found it very a productive environment.
    
    
                                      Kurt

Well at the risk of being called irreverant for finding questionable
analysis in this blueprint for Digital's resuscitation, I think Dick
makes a serious misstep in taking lower and middle management's veracity 
and dedication as a ubiquitous given.  I think the fact that this plan
has been received so cooly by upper executive levels is due, in no
small part, to the obvious reluctance by them to trust
or have blind faith in management's ability to secure anything other
than their own individual goals and ends.  Do you remember where that
notion got Ken Olsen?

It's a nice tale, but it reads like an Asimov Seldon Crisis.
It should be apparent by now that no one has the right answers.
The Strategic Planning Group has defined the business we're in alright.
It's the business of downsizing and outsourcing, not rightsizing and
resource pooling.

Call me an ignorant curmudgeon, but who is Dick Joseph that I should bother
reading a 250 line note?

    Re .5:
    
    Dick Joseph was a longtime DECie who, along with Paul Kinzelman, and
    others, was VERY actively involved in trying to get the past, and now
    the current Digital senior management to take a fresh look at the
    company's problems of the past few years, the severe toll managment
    policies have taken on employee morale, and the company's bottom line,
    and rethink their tactics.  He gave up an engineering position about
    one or two years ago to work exclusively in a special Human Resources
    type of outfit, to study these problems, and find new and creative
    solutions.  My guess is that this group ceased to get any further
    funding, and perhaps, and I don't know for sure, facing disbandment,
    and thoroughly disillusioned, Dick quit the company in April.
    
    This is as much as I can tell you.
    
    /m

    
    In opera, when you stab the guy, he sings.  I'm enjoying all these
    parting nuggets of wisdom in this file.  When they TFSO me, I'll
    try to do mine in rhyme.
    

    RE: .7 huh?

    
    can't there just be one topic for farewells or are we gonna see 50k
    more of the same?

	See personal name. If you don't aggree, you know where the door
	is, don't let it hit your back side on the why thru.

    
    Just the attitude we need to take us the rest of the way down the
    crapper.  
    
    
    
    
    
    Mike

    >can't there just be one topic for farewells or are we gonna see 50k
    >more of the same?

    i dont this it is a good idea to have one topic for all the farewells.
    
    each DECeee is an individual with in their own terms and to have all 
    the farewells in one topic takes away from the uniqueness and that
    special thing that makes us DECeee in each and every one of us.

    plus, for crying out loud, it is not much to ask to have one
    topic for a DECeeee to express his or here final thoughts after
    the many years in DEC ! is it!!

    i think however along this line of thought we should have a
    note file dedicated to farewells from departing DECeeees and the departing
    good buys from fellow DECeees to them , (may be call it BY_BY_DEC.NOTE)
    this way every thing will be in one place and one can do things like
    Search/tit=<name of missing DECeee> and things like that to look for their 
    missing and loved DECeees .

    \nasser

    
    How about, "The DEC way of leaving".
    

    
>    How about, "The DEC way of leaving".
    
Or... how about:

	PC-BYE-DEC

	(Politcally Correct goodBYE DEC)

The Dick Joseph prescription seems too close to what KO tried to practice
as things were falling apart.  Once lay-offs began they became a juggernaut
with no rhyme or reason to them.  The best thing we could do at this point
is complete the current round of lay-offs, flawed as the basis for it may
be, and then declare a moratorium on lay-offs for a year or thereabouts.
Hopefully that will give BP and company time to figure out a sane way to
do additional lay-offs, if we don't return to profitability.  Trusting
middle and lower-middle management to do something of this magnitude is
suicidal until BP has a chance to institute true accountability for all
management (which includes being able to get management to commit to P/L
responsibility and accurately measure how they do vs. commitments).

								- paul