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Sunday, April 27, 2008
What five changes would you make....
What five changes would you make to improve/save LLNL if you suddenly became Director and LLNS President?
17 comments:
Anonymous
said...
It's out of their control. They can't do a thing. Where I see LLNL has gone wrong is they continue to focus 99% of all their efforts on weapons. That's why we're in a heep of trouble. They're not geared to do anything else. Unless they start making a product that they can sell, LLNL is dead. My thoughts at this minute is they need to close the doors by Oct 1st 2009. It's over. Sorry I can't come up with five things I would do the save or improve the lab. The environment just isn't there. They have to much management, all of ULM is overpaid, worker are 20% behind in the cost of living, the ranking system needs to be a STEP system and all of management needs to be cut by at least 75%, but what do I see, non of this is being done. All LLNL manger know how to do is assure their existence by virtue of firing all of those they feel are worthless. Boneheadology all the way.
I can see this question must have been posed by ULM. As you can see non one has the answers. That being the case I'd say it's a clear indication they need to shut her down since no one has a clue.
1. Immediate halt all firings of LLNL-UC employees. The mobbing is over. 2. Terminate the contract, then put it under military-government control. No more contracts. Go home Bechtel..your Looting is over. 3. Send all contract parent transplants back to their parent company. Your executive pay free ride is over. 4. Reorg the entire account system. No more account numbers. You all just work for the company now. Your management will work out the best place to put you. EBA is over, now Get back to work. 5. Retool from a weapons lab to solving this Nation's energy needs. Hire 5,000+ more people to work on energy alternatives, to keep America strong. The weakening of America is over. 6. Dump the IPPP process. From now on it will be based on a governemt system. Ranking and pay based on politics is over.
If you were the director or the president what would you do for the lab.
The majority said, close the gates and shut it down. Maybe that is LLNL future since they don't know what to do if it isn't weapons related as the one person said. I've been there for a long time and I'd have to agree. I worked on a few non weapons programs but DOE shut them down and there were no venture capitalist interested. The budget were to small and the cost of doing business way to high. At that time I was told I cost the program $300K. I said what? Your kindling me. They never explained and then when I saw the Pricer I understood how I was being taxed and now knew why I cost so much. No wonder we can't bring in any business. If we can't drop those taxes put upon each employee that falsely shows why they cost so much the lab is truly doomed. It's amazing how ULM can't figure that out or have the gonads to approach the congress and senate with the dilemma and ask for a fix. I guess stupid is as stupid does. No ball, not guts, no glory that's ULM described to the tee
This question my be the final one. If there are no answers, there is no lab. We only have a few good answers.
#1 = One is April 27, 2008 9:05 PM and the other is
#2 = close the doors
Without funding I have this gut feeling that # 2 is closer than you think.
I personally agree with #1 but also know ULM will do what's best for them to secure their pensions and ride this out to the bitter end to blame congress the senate and the president. They are not entirely wrong with the finger pointing. The sad part of this is we're being sent out the gate with no jobs in a market where there are no jobs and just when we think that's bad we're going to find out when we get a new president there will still be no jobs and have a $4.2T plus debt to pay. So what do we get. No jobs and more taxes for decades to come. We are only at the crest of this wave and shes just starting to break. I wonder what the effects of the undertow will be.
1) Change costing model 2) Eliminate redundant management and turn first-line supervisors and group leaders into workers 3) Reduce Strategic Human Capital to a normal HR department 4) Make clear vision statement and values
I would recommend to the LLNS Board and UC Regents that the LLNS LLC be restructured into a public "not for profit" LLC solely owned by UC. Bechtel, URS, and B&W would be made sub-tier contractors to the new LLC, similar to Battelle. They would keep their membership on the LLC's Board and would get paid out of the management fee the same amount they would have gotten as LLNS parent company owners. Move LLNL employee retirement plans into a segregated segment within UCRP, and move LLNL employee medical benefits back into the UC system to reduce cost. These two might require NNSA/DOE approval, however, they would reduce NNSA contractor employee costs and Congress could put pressure on NNSA to approve. There is precedence for such a move by UC to undo a major mistake - remember in the 1990s when UCSF Medical Center merged with Stanford Medical Center. This was a total disaster - the two cultures, private and public universities could not come together. The UC Regents after a year or so, bite the PR bullet - undid the merge and brought UCSF Medical Center (and its employees) back into the UC system. So it can be done if UC and NNSA/DOE want to save LLNL.
I would take a very critical look at Hazards Control and Environmental Management. These groups have so much over-management and duplication of effort it is just ridiculous. Hazards has more managers than most comparable or larger companies' entire EH&S staff. There is one 200K+ manager who now is basically a glorified editor. Worthless. In addition, every Department has their own safety people, bringing the numbers up to completely absurd levels. I would cut about 75% of staff whose primary responsibility falls into one of these areas. Unfortunately, most of the real talent from Hazards saw the handwriting on the wall and left long ago.
Do you think you could change your user name to natta dirtbag instead of a nazi dirtbag. It would at least let people take you more seriously. Just a thought. It's your call.
1. Include LDRD, SMS, and PMC in the indirect rate reduction strategy. 2. Some cost reduction approaches (space and shop consolidation, etc...) are cash flow constrained to implement. Need an alternative finance wizard that can accelerate cost savings. 3. The old FSP/OSP work control process seemed to work well. Perhaps regulations have driven our increased compliance costs, but we need to simplify ES&H/work control. 4. Need more consistent span-of-control across the lab. We have divisions of a few hundred and divisions of several dozen. This yields different efficiencies in overhead terms. 5. We need working supervisors at all levels, and that means reforming the appraisal, ranking, and salary process for them. Too complicated and time consuming.
We want to know what UNIT we are in, in what PAD and who's in that UNIT ranked by senority, so we know when we're going to be laid off. What the HECK is your problem ULM. Are you that inefficient and worthless? Why is NNSA paying you bozo's $400K a year plus bonus checks and perks?
I asked what unit I am in and I was told a unit is an entire directorate (Physics,Chemistry,Engineering). Somehow I just don't believe it but I heard it from two separate sources.
You better go talk to someone in IT that's a system admin. They got told there were many UNITS within their PAD. Some UNITS had as little as five people in them. Once you know what UNIT you are in and know the names of who are in that UNIT will you know your senority. Some UNITS had many more people. So as management moves you from UNIT to UNIT your seniority goes and comes, and it can be offset by someone who has less seniority but more SKA's . What you're witnessing is the managers sitting around figuring out who they want to keep and who they want to go. They then put you in a UNIT that allows them to RIF you because you've been put in a UNIT that just happens to make to junior no matter how many years you have in at LLNL and guess what? You're the first to go. How convenient for management to be able to shuffle the cards so that the end results come out just how they want them to be. Can anyone see grounds for a class action law suit here? It's a game people and you are just the pawns. Each and everyone of us as "AT WILL". Seen those words before people.
1. All ULM salaries cut to minimum wage until budget in the black - including myself.
2. All managers will be held responsible for poor performance - no exceptions.
3. Current performance and ranking system eliminated. New system will including feedback from peers and subordinates. All steps will be clearly documented and transparent.
4. Announcements about budget issues will not be made in stages, but clearly defined to minimise suprises. No announcements on fridays.
5. Work toward having DOE/NNSA revoke current contract and make LLNL a non-profit employee-owned entity affiliated with the UC benefits system.
Actually, most group leaders in the disciplines (at least CMELS) are workers. They get a pathetic amount of OPC dollars to "manage" their groups, which has largely been eliminated, which means any "group management" gets done on either 1) their own time, or 2) what ever program they happen to be supporting. And this doesn't make the over bloated Program ULMs living off Program PMC very happy!
While I agree the LLNL ULM (program, discipline, you name it) is over-bloated, if LLNL wants first rate first line group leaders, they should at least support them appropriately, say 20% (1 day a week) of their time. Right now, its not even 0.5 days a week.
While at the same time, ULM is slurping at the PMC/OPC trough.
17 comments:
It's out of their control. They can't do a thing. Where I see LLNL has gone wrong is they continue to focus 99% of all their efforts on weapons. That's why we're in a heep of trouble. They're not geared to do anything else. Unless they start making a product that they can sell, LLNL is dead. My thoughts at this minute is they need to close the doors by Oct 1st 2009. It's over. Sorry I can't come up with five things I would do the save or improve the lab. The environment just isn't there. They have to much management, all of ULM is overpaid, worker are 20% behind in the cost of living, the ranking system needs to be a STEP system and all of management needs to be cut by at least 75%, but what do I see, non of this is being done. All LLNL manger know how to do is assure their existence by virtue of firing all of those they feel are worthless. Boneheadology all the way.
I can see this question must have been posed by ULM. As you can see non one has the answers. That being the case I'd say it's a clear indication they need to shut her down since no one has a clue.
1. Immediate halt all firings of LLNL-UC employees. The mobbing is over.
2. Terminate the contract, then put it under military-government control. No more contracts. Go home Bechtel..your Looting is over.
3. Send all contract parent transplants back to their parent company. Your executive pay free ride is over.
4. Reorg the entire account system. No more account numbers. You all just work for the company now. Your management will work out the best place to put you. EBA is over, now Get back to work.
5. Retool from a weapons lab to solving this Nation's energy needs. Hire 5,000+ more people to work on energy alternatives, to keep America strong. The weakening of America is over.
6. Dump the IPPP process. From now on it will be based on a governemt system. Ranking and pay based on politics is over.
If you were the director or the president what would you do for the lab.
The majority said, close the gates and shut it down. Maybe that is LLNL future since they don't know what to do if it isn't weapons related as the one person said. I've been there for a long time and I'd have to agree. I worked on a few non weapons programs but DOE shut them down and there were no venture capitalist interested. The budget were to small and the cost of doing business way to high. At that time I was told I cost the program $300K. I said what? Your kindling me. They never explained and then when I saw the Pricer I understood how I was being taxed and now knew why I cost so much. No wonder we can't bring in any business. If we can't drop those taxes put upon each employee that falsely shows why they cost so much the lab is truly doomed. It's amazing how ULM can't figure that out or have the gonads to approach the congress and senate with the dilemma and ask for a fix. I guess stupid is as stupid does. No ball, not guts, no glory that's ULM described to the tee
This question my be the final one. If there are no answers, there is no lab. We only have a few good answers.
#1 = One is April 27, 2008 9:05 PM and the other is
#2 = close the doors
Without funding I have this gut feeling that # 2 is closer than you think.
I personally agree with #1 but also know ULM will do what's best for them to secure their pensions and ride this out to the bitter end to blame congress the senate and the president. They are not entirely wrong with the finger pointing. The sad part of this is we're being sent out the gate with no jobs in a market where there are no jobs and just when we think that's bad we're going to find out when we get a new president there will still be no jobs and have a $4.2T plus debt to pay. So what do we get. No jobs and more taxes for decades to come. We are only at the crest of this wave and shes just starting to break. I wonder what the effects of the undertow will be.
1) Change costing model
2) Eliminate redundant management and turn first-line supervisors and group leaders into workers
3) Reduce Strategic Human Capital to
a normal HR department
4) Make clear vision statement and values
I would recommend to the LLNS Board and UC Regents that the LLNS LLC be restructured into a public "not for profit" LLC solely owned by UC. Bechtel, URS, and B&W would be made sub-tier contractors to the new LLC, similar to Battelle. They would keep their membership on the LLC's Board and would get paid out of the management fee the same amount they would have gotten as LLNS parent company owners. Move LLNL employee retirement plans into a segregated segment within UCRP, and move LLNL employee medical benefits back into the UC system to reduce cost. These two might require NNSA/DOE approval, however, they would reduce NNSA contractor employee costs and Congress could put pressure on NNSA to approve. There is precedence for such a move by UC to undo a major mistake - remember in the 1990s when UCSF Medical Center merged with Stanford Medical Center. This was a total disaster - the two cultures, private and public universities could not come together. The UC Regents after a year or so, bite the PR bullet - undid the merge and brought UCSF Medical Center (and its employees) back into the UC system. So it can be done if UC and NNSA/DOE want to save LLNL.
I would take a very critical look at Hazards Control and Environmental Management. These groups have so much over-management and duplication of effort it is just ridiculous. Hazards has more managers than most comparable or larger companies' entire EH&S staff. There is one 200K+ manager who now is basically a glorified editor. Worthless. In addition, every Department has their own safety people, bringing the numbers up to completely absurd levels. I would cut about 75% of staff whose primary responsibility falls into one of these areas. Unfortunately, most of the real talent from Hazards saw the handwriting on the wall and left long ago.
April 28, 2008 5:43 PM
Do you think you could change your user name to natta dirtbag instead of a nazi dirtbag. It would at least let people take you more seriously. Just a thought. It's your call.
1. Include LDRD, SMS, and PMC in the indirect rate reduction strategy.
2. Some cost reduction approaches (space and shop consolidation, etc...) are cash flow constrained to implement. Need an alternative finance wizard that can accelerate cost savings.
3. The old FSP/OSP work control process seemed to work well. Perhaps regulations have driven our increased compliance costs, but we need to simplify ES&H/work control.
4. Need more consistent span-of-control across the lab. We have divisions of a few hundred and divisions of several dozen. This yields different efficiencies in overhead terms.
5. We need working supervisors at all levels, and that means reforming the appraisal, ranking, and salary process for them. Too complicated and time consuming.
April 28, 2008 6:49 PM
SMS rate increased 26% (7.5% to 9.5%) in March. Not what I had in mind in terms of change. Not aware other areas are being worked aggressively.
We want to know what UNIT we are in, in what PAD and who's in that UNIT ranked by senority, so we know when we're going to be laid off. What the HECK is your problem ULM. Are you that inefficient and worthless? Why is NNSA paying you bozo's $400K a year plus bonus checks and perks?
April 29, 2008 5:25 PM
I asked what unit I am in and I was told a unit is an entire directorate (Physics,Chemistry,Engineering). Somehow I just don't believe it but I heard it from two separate sources.
April 29, 2008 5:59 PM
You better go talk to someone in IT that's a system admin. They got told there were many UNITS within their PAD. Some UNITS had as little as five people in them. Once you know what UNIT you are in and know the names of who are in that UNIT will you know your senority. Some UNITS had many more people. So as management moves you from UNIT to UNIT your seniority goes and comes, and it can be offset by someone who has less seniority but more SKA's . What you're witnessing is the managers sitting around figuring out who they want to keep and who they want to go. They then put you in a UNIT that allows them to RIF you because you've been put in a UNIT that just happens to make to junior no matter how many years you have in at LLNL and guess what? You're the first to go. How convenient for management to be able to shuffle the cards so that the end results come out just how they want them to be. Can anyone see grounds for a class action law suit here? It's a game people and you are just the pawns. Each and everyone of us as "AT WILL". Seen those words before people.
To April 28, 2008 6:39 AM
I love you...if only they would listen to you...
1. All ULM salaries cut to minimum wage until budget in the black - including myself.
2. All managers will be held responsible for poor performance - no exceptions.
3. Current performance and ranking system eliminated. New system will including feedback from peers and subordinates. All steps will be clearly documented and transparent.
4. Announcements about budget issues will not be made in stages, but clearly defined to minimise suprises. No announcements on fridays.
5. Work toward having DOE/NNSA revoke current contract and make LLNL a non-profit employee-owned entity affiliated with the UC benefits system.
To April 28, 2008 6:07 AM
Actually, most group leaders in the disciplines (at least CMELS) are workers. They get a pathetic amount of OPC dollars to "manage" their groups, which has largely been eliminated, which means any "group management" gets done on either 1) their own time, or 2) what ever program they happen to be supporting. And this doesn't make the over bloated Program ULMs living off Program PMC very happy!
While I agree the LLNL ULM (program, discipline, you name it) is over-bloated, if LLNL wants first rate first line group leaders, they should at least support them appropriately, say 20% (1 day a week) of their time. Right now, its not even 0.5 days a week.
While at the same time, ULM is slurping at the PMC/OPC trough.
Pathetic.
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