Conference 7.286::digital

2641.0. "Leadership, Creativity, & Excellence" by POCUS::HO (down in the trenches...) Fri Aug 27 1993 15:48

    LEADERSHIP:
    
    Does Digital have effective Leaders?  In any successful company, you'll
    find an effective mix of Managers and Leaders.  Managers are needed to 
    make sure the job gets done right.  Leaders are needed to make sure 
    the RIGHT jobs get done.  My sense is that we have more than enough 
    managers, but not enough leaders.  
    
    Managers "control", Leaders "inspire".  Managers are "tactical", Leaders 
    are "Strategic".  While it's essential to have effective leaders at the
    top, it's probably more critical for Digital to have Leaders in the
    field.  With the corporate emphasis on current results, it's no wonder
    that many managers are force to "manage" and not "lead".  Given the
    chance, I'm sure that many of our managers have the potential and
    desire to be leaders.  
    
    CREATIVITY:
    
    Are we being creative?  No one knows the job better than the person 
    doing it.  If Digital wants the most out of its people, they must be 
    allowed some creative freedom to evolve and change their jobs to 
    better serve the customers.  Anyone in the job long enough can tell you 
    how we can better "sell", "service", "support", "market", "design", 
    "build", "ship", "whatever" our products and services.  
    
    I believe that we all want and are able to do a better job, given the 
    chance to use our creativity.
    
    EXCELLENCE:
    
    Are we striving for excellence?  This seems so obvious, but are we
    really committed to excellence?  With the low morale comes a decrease in
    enthusiasm for the job.  The "passion" seems to be gone.  Increasingly,
    I come in contact with people who just wants to get the job over
    with, views the job as routine and a chore, who treats contacts within
    and outside Digital as another "necessary evil", or "problem to be
    solved".  I hope these are the exceptions, not the norm.
    
    The jury is still out on the SLT.  They've shown they can "manage" and
    stopped the red-ink.  But that only required some courage and authority
    on their part.  It'll require Leadership, Creativity, and Excellence to
    return Digital to profitable growth and industry leadership.  I believe
    they can deliver and only hope that they do it soon.
    
    David
    

    	Generally, there is Management, not Leadership. We receive
    Leadership messages with buzzwords like "empowerment" to do the job
    but Management directs/controls the resources & approvals needed to 
    proceed.
    
    	I was informed during ny last PA that results count, effort and
    past perfomance do not. If the results are contingent upon assistance 
    from a "server" organization which I am a "client" why shoud I be held 
    accountable for results if, for example, the problem concerns a 
    product's operational code which is exclusively maintained by
    engineering and their staff is overwhelmed?
    
    	There is no excellence without commitment of all responsible
    parties to resolving whatever the problem. Currently, the structure is 
    too non-commital, non-responsive in too many organizations to satisfy
    customers. Have a look at the aging CLD reports if you have any doubts.
    
    	Creativity includes the fortitude to push back to management that
    their process flow has a gaping hole in accountability and that
    individual contributors are not solely responsible for results.
    
    Phil