Downsizing Digest Friday, 10 January 1997 Volume 01 : Number 007
In this issue:
Re: Aftermarth of Downsizing (fwd)
Downsizing (fwd)
The Quality Forum Events Calendar (fwd)
re: HOAXES
Thanks for a good year!
re: Email "virus" warnings
Recommendation
Happy New Year, All!
JOBS: multi-lingual quality professionals sought (fwd)
How to Subscribe and Unsubscribe at QUALITY.ORG
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 1996 22:50:30 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Aftermarth of Downsizing (fwd)
NOTE: Respond only to the poster's address (see below) and/or to the
list, not to me.
Thanks.
Bill
- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 1996 02:07:35 +0000 (GMT)
From: David Patrick Ryan
To: downsizing@quality.org
Subject: Re: Aftermarth of Downsizing (fwd)
In a 4 year process the hospital in which I have worked for some 13
years, has gradually restructured. It has gone from deptmental, to
matrix to pure programmatic structure driven by a vision which includes
enhanced customer focus, shared governance and teamwork,CQI, and vertical
integration. It has responded to economic restraint with things like
added-on unpaid holidays (one governments approach to
budgetary restraint: most fought it, now people see it as the good old
days), pay freezes, early retirment programs, and continual though
modest cutbacks and job losses. This included my dept. group being laid
off in the Spring. A few were contracted back. I'm one of them.
Now a downsizing of magnitude is about to take place as a result of cutbacks
in the transfer of government funding of almost 1/5 of the hospital
budget. We are now beginning "major surgery" with outsourcings, bed
closures and layoffs, the latter guided as much as can be by
benchmarkings and other market comparisons.
I'm now find myself doing a lot of work facilitating the downsizing
process driven by the motivation of remain working, some knowledge of
organizational behavior and this organization, and my caring for the
people I have worked with for so long. I've been studying and practising
hard. As Yogi Berra is reported to have said "They said there was nothing we could
do but it didn't work" and I am trying to help.
All this as background to my comments on Ken's post
1. The 6 year process you have been through sounds familiar. You
use the term voluntary redundancy and I suspect that it is
organizational lingo that is diagnostic of process difficulties.
Use of euphemism suggests that the organization hasnt
been able to communicate to itself just why all the
downsizing has been necessary. Do people feel that its an
organizational whim? Those with some influence in the emergent culture
must develop a plan to change this icon of the organization or it
will forever be a source of cynicism and anger. Voluntary be damned, I think
downsizing tells it more like it is.
2. The word "hopefully" is important. It sounds like no one is sure
of just what is internal/external factors are driving the
downsizing.Given the magnitude of the blows you guys have given
yourselves I would expect that the leaders would have a better sense
of the future than the word "hopefully" implies. I mean you are a
public funded org. and should be less subject to the vagaries of the
market place. Or maybe not, but the set of internal/external
factors should be knowable. Is this another instance of an
inability to communicate? i.e. overcommunicate and reduce need to
know thinking. Knowing it was going to change again is probably
easier to live with than "hoping" that it won't.
3. If 1 and 2 are correct then the "bickering" you describe is normal.
Its normal anyway if the psychological work of the survivors has not
been facilitated.
How was the layoff process? How many have found new jobs are
there any success stories. Did people use the outplacement services
did they like them?
Have the manager had any help learning how to manage peoples anger towards
them. Have they been helped to recover from being the bad guy.
Are the managers managing new teams, are the teams intact or reconstructed.
If intact, does the new manager managing to the team culture eg.
using person focused power levers in a person focused team etc. If
reconstructed is the manager providing leadership or leading in
her/his predownsizing style.?
4. On the issue of inter-team alienation and bickering. My experience is
that everyone thinks that everyone else is getting a better deal than
they are. This is particularly true if the decision rules for the
downsizing process are unclear and if secrecy prevails on who what
and why things have occured. My experience is that everyone thinks
that management knows just who/ where layoffs will occur when in
actual fact managment in these situations are often/usually
making last minute calls themselves. The grapevine developes all sorts of
stories, better the real one become part of the public archive of
the organization.
5. Managers comments "why can't they see . . ." sounds like a disheartned
group who are passing the blame. They need help
I'm going to stop here, time has run out and I'm not sure if I'm on
target. Ken I agree with you on the issue of the "external enemy" and
think it is an "ace in the hole", a powerful symbol for the organizations
reconstruction.
Thanks for your post
David Ryan
Consulting Psychologist
Aging, Health Psychology, and Organizational Behavior.
Toronto
On Thu, 29 Aug 1996, Ken Thornton wrote:
> Our public owned multi-site organisation has just completed
> (hopefully a 6 year re-organisation/disaggreation/downsizing
> (voluntary redundancy) programme. This has seen a once 10,000
> strong organisation evolved into three ~ 1500 people
> organisations. In addition attempts have been made to introduce
> Self-Managed Teams at many sites including my own.
>
> The cumulative result being, that while site output appears not
> to have been affected as a result of these changes, morale is
> low, there is internal bickering between work groups, and the
> relationship between staff and management is in a malaise.
> Production and Maintenance Team Leaders appear to be alianated
> from their Manager. Support staff who are caught up in the
> staff/Team Leader/Management bickering are unsure of their role
> in the organisation, not knowing which group to side with.
>
> Non-management people are saying that they cannot get the
> required work completed because of a lack of staff. Management
> are saying why can't everybody see what the 'new world' is about
> and work accordingly
>
> At a site that has achieved the highest national OH&S rating for
> at least 2 years running disputes in the areas of training, and
> health and safety are current.
>
> In a newly legislated competitive market environment it seems
> that people on site are fighting amongst themselves, when the
> real 'enemy' is outside the site fence.
>
> I would be interested in any comments, recommendations that
> people might have on this state of affairs.downsizing@quality.org
>
------------------------------
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 12:21:45 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Downsizing (fwd)
NOTE: Respond *only* to the poster's address (see below) or as
directed in the posting, NOT to the list address and definitely NOT to me.
Thanks.
Bill
- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 10:42:30 -0700
From: freelan@ultra2.ionet.net
Subject: Downsizing
I am interested in specific information related to maintaining quality,
morale, motivation, productivity in a downsized (rightsized) financial
services organization. I do not wish to subscribe to a list for fear of
being inundated with unuseful information. I have read the frequently
asked questions and netiquette sections, but have still do not know how I
might obtain such information. I am a new user so I apologize if this
is a dumb question. If you can help me I would appreciate it. Thanks!
------------------------------
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
Date: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 21:46:29 -0500 (EST)
Subject: The Quality Forum Events Calendar (fwd)
NOTE 1: This notice is being sent to multiple QUALITY.ORG and other=20
addresses. You may receive duplicates. My apology for that, but it's=20
unavoidable. Please delete the duplicate messages you might receive.=20
Bellyaching to me will not change the process. :)
NOTE 2: Respond *only* as directed in the posting below, NOT to me.=20
Thanks.
Bill
- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 26 Oct 96 11:09:08 CDT
From: Administrator@qof.com
Subject: Events Calendar
For Immediate Release
Contact: John A. Shoemaker
Telephone: 913-379-5590
E-Mail: info@qof.com
Quality Online Forum Events Calendar Now on the Web!
For the past year Quality Online Forum has maintained a database of
quality workshops, seminars and conferences. Each month it continues to
grow. In October, there were more than 180 events listed. We now post the
current month=D5s events on our website at http://www.parod.com/qof/!cal/.
Events through 1999 are available at our online service, Quality Online
Forum, and are fully searchable.=20
Organizations can have their events listed free of charge by sending the
information to us by e-mail at events@qof.com. Please include the following
information:
1. Event
2. Sponsor
3. Phone Number
4. Even Start Date
5. Event End Date
6. Registration Fee
7. Event Location-City
8. Event Location-State
9. Event Location-Country
For additional information about Quality Online Forum check our home page a=
t
http://www.parod.com/qof/ or send an e-mail request to info@qof.com.
- ---------------------- End Forwarded Text -------------------------
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D
Bill Casti, CQA Email: help@quality.or=
g
- Domain Owner, QUALITY.ORG Pager: +1 800 604 6149
- List Moderator, "TQM in Manufacturing and Service Industries"
- Chairman, Electronic Media
ASQC Section 0511 (Northern VA) Section Email: E-media@asqc0511.org
- Senior Internet Systems Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agen=
cy
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
- ---=20
QUALITY RESOURCES ONLINE at: http://www.quality.org/qc
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D =20
------------------------------
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 16:51:36 -0500 (EST)
Subject: re: HOAXES
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
NOTE: This message is being posted to all lists at QUALITY.ORG. If you
belong to more than one list here, you will receive duplicate postings.
My apologies for that, but there is no simple way to prevent it.
- -----------------------
All,
I have just received a request for approval for a message containing
information about the so-called "Deeyenda" virus.
The "Deeyenda" virus is a hoax. It does not exist. There is no such
thing as virus which can execute simply by being passed in e.mail. If you
want more info about this and other hoaxes, point your browser at
http://www.kumite.com/myths/
There was also an Information Bulletin sent out by the CIAC last week that
is "Recommended Reading".
Title: Internet Hoaxes: PKZ300, Irina, Good Times, Deeyenda, Ghost
URL: http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/bulletins/h-05.shtml
Please be VERY CAREFUL when you send messages such as this, or other
security threats. Check your sources and make sure what you post is
correct.
If you RECEIVE any messages purporting to warn you of "email viruses", be
sure to also point those ill-informed individuals to sites such as those
above, so they can get educated, too!
Regards.
Bill
==============================================================================
Bill Casti, CQA Email: help@quality.org
Domain Owner Pager: +1 800 604 6149
QUALITY.ORG Fax: +1 703 834 8209
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUALITY RESOURCES ONLINE at: http://www.quality.org/qc
==============================================================================
------------------------------
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 17:35:32 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Thanks for a good year!
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
*
o!
/ o\
/ o o\ M E R R Y
/ o o _\
/ o o \\ C H R I S T M A S
/ o o o \
/o o o\ and a
/_ o o o \
/ o o o o_\ H A P P Y
/o o o o \
/_ o o o o o o\ N E W Y E A R
/ o o o o o\
/ o o o o o o \
--/ --/ -!=!- \-- \--
___) (___
---------
May your YING be merry
May your YANG be bright
May your biorhythms
All look TOTALLY right.
May your ego be eager
To groove with your id
And Libido vibrations
Not flip out your lid.
May your moons be ascending
And your planets be in line
Have high fiber
Good feedback
A Cool Christmastime.
With thanks for your support and best wishes to you and yours
from Bill Casti, CQA
at
HTTP://WWW.QUALITY.ORG/QC
and
HTTP://WWW.RECOVERY.ORG/AA
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
------------------------------
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 18:35:10 -0500 (EST)
Subject: re: Email "virus" warnings
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
All:
1. There are a number of so-called "warnings" going around about viruses
that can wipe out your hard drive just by you reading a piece of email.
2. Don't panic! There are no such viruses, because it is not
technologically possible to develop such a viruses. Reading your email on
your AOL account, for instance, doesn't have anything to do with your
desktop's hard drive (or any other "working" part of it). It can't happen.
3. Please utilize your Quality training! If you receive any of these
warnings, point your web browser to the U.S. Department of Energy's
Computer Incident Advisory Capability's Internet Hoaxes website at:
http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html
or IBM's Antivirus Online site, at:
http://www.av.ibm.com
and get the "real poop" about what you've being told. This is just good
investigatory and documentary procedure, one you should all already be
familiar with.
4. Remember that just because a message comes to you across the Internet,
that doesn't make it true. I realize that some of you may not understand
how the Internet (or even your local computer) works, so it's easy to
believe that a message that *reads* authoritatively must, therefore, be
authoritative. But, be the cynics and rational inquisitors that you are
trained to be, and go to someone or some site that you already *KNOW* to
be authoritative (or, at least, trustworthy) and check it out first,
BEFORE YOU PASS IT ON TO ANYONE ELSE.
If you need any help tracking down anything you've been told about
"viruses, worms, trojan horses", etc., check out the CIAC and IBM
Antivirus Online sites first. If you can't find anything there, contact me
and I'll see if I can find some verifiable information for you.
Regards.
Bill
==============================================================================
Bill Casti, CQA Email: help@quality.org
Domain Owner Pager: +1 800 604 6149
QUALITY.ORG Fax: +1 703 834 8209
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUALITY RESOURCES ONLINE at: http://www.quality.org/qc
==============================================================================
------------------------------
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1996 08:01:04 -0500 (GMT-0500)
Subject: Recommendation
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
NOTE: Off topic a bit, but I'd like to recommend to you a desktop
calendar put out by the National Center for Creativity and Innovation
(NCCI), which has a thought-provoking quote relating to Thinking
Creatively on every page. I think it would certainly be very useful to
have, especially in our offices and factories where it has been my
observation that creative thinking is often not easily found. :)
If you're interested, you can contact NCCI toll-free in the US at
1-800-306-6224. Their world-wide voice and fax number is +1 317 639-6224.
The NCCI members' price is $9.95 + $3.75 S&H
Non-members pay $14.95 + $3.75 S&H
You can also get large-volume pricing.
Regards.
Bill
=============================================================================
Bill Casti, CQA Email: help@quality.org
- Domain Owner, QUALITY.ORG Pager: +1 800 604 6149
- List Moderator, "TQM in Manufacturing and Service Industries"
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUALITY RESOURCES ONLINE at: http://www.quality.org/qc
==============================================================================
------------------------------
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
Date: Tue, 31 Dec 1996 10:54:47 -0500 (GMT-0500)
Subject: Happy New Year, All!
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
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!! With Warmest Wishes to Y'all for a Happy and Prosperous 1997 !!
Bill Casti
&
The Entire QUALITY.ORG Support Team
http://www.quality.org/qc
------------------------------
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1997 10:16:28 -0500 (GMT-0500)
Subject: JOBS: multi-lingual quality professionals sought (fwd)
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
NOTE: Respond *both* to the poster's address (see below) OR as directed in
the posting, NOT to me.
Thanks.
Bill
- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 06:20:19 -0800
From: Sezer Soylemez
Subject: multi-lingual quality professionals
We are expanding overseas and we need quality professionals that can
speak any of the following languages:
Turkish
Greek
Armenian
Spanish
Azerbeijani
Qualified persons are invited to contact:
Sezer Soylemez
EuroQuest
tmg_eq@ix.netcom.com
770 395-9800
- ------------- Posted as a Quality Service of QUALITY.ORG -------------
=============================================================================
Bill Casti, CQA Email: help@quality.org
- Domain Owner, QUALITY.ORG Pager: +1 800 604 6149
- List Moderator, "TQM in Manufacturing and Service Industries"
- Chairman, Electronic Media
ASQC Section 0511 (Northern VA) Section Email: E-media@quality.org
- Senior Administrator, Internet Systems, Fed. Emergency Mgmt. Agency (FEMA)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUALITY RESOURCES ONLINE at: http://www.quality.org/qc
=============================================================================
------------------------------
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 13:59:57 -0500 (GMT-0500)
Subject: How to Subscribe and Unsubscribe at QUALITY.ORG
From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
We use a program called MAJORDOMO to manage the subscription and
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In both cases, LISTNAME should be replaced with the exact name of the
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Thank you for your interest!
Bill
==============================================================================
Bill Casti, CQA Email: help@quality.org
Domain Owner Pager: +1 800 604 6149
QUALITY.ORG Fax: +1 703 716 0479
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUALITY RESOURCES ONLINE at: http://www.quality.org/qc
==============================================================================
------------------------------
End of Downsizing Digest V1 #7
******************************