What on earth is going on at LANL? McMillan sent out some bizarre email that no one can understand. The group leaders are puzzled and telling the staff just to ignore this junk. The email was along the lines of, "some people have been asking why we put the words excellence and effectiveness in the purpose statement...the reason those two words were included is because I and the 70 member team wanted to put in these words." McMillan then prattles on about some more utterly obvious points that even the zombies in The Walking Dead already understood years before. What on earth is going on?
I would hazard a guess that lab workers, many of whom went through college, graduate school, possible postdocs, and the interview process were already under the impression that LANL was about excellence and effectiveness, and took that to be a basis for even wanting to work at LANL, LLNL, Sandia or any other DOE lab for that matter. It is not a controversial statement to say that the the thing holding back excellence and effectiveness at LANL is an utterly out of touch, bloated, ineffective, and as some former deputy directors can attest, corrupt management system. The workforce does not trust the management, the LLC, or the motives of these entities. McMillan's email ends with be Essential? That is not the question; the first thing management needs to consider is Primum non nocere, "first do no harm." Each and every manager should ask themselves "are they hurting LANL and the nation?" They may say that their loyalties are to LANS and not LANL but they should ask themselves that question in any case. After that they can ask if they are essential. Of course this is a crazy question; when they hired us did they not make that decision already? Maybe they should have looked up what real leaders say to inspire their people.
"Every single man in the army plays a vital role. So don't ever let up. Don't ever think that your job is unimportant. What if every truck driver decided that he didn't like the whine of the shells and turned yellow and jumped headlong into a ditch? That cowardly bastard could say to himself, 'Hell, they won't miss me, just one man in thousands.' What if every man said that? Where in the hell would we be then? No, thank God, Americans don't say that. Every man does his job. Every man is important. The ordnance men are needed to supply the guns, the quartermaster is needed to bring up the food and clothes for us because where we are going there isn't a hell of a lot to steal. Every last damn man in the mess hall, even the one who boils the water to keep us from getting the GI shits, has a job to do."
-General George S Patton.
17 comments:
When you're in a hole, quit digging!
McMillan is turning out to be one of most disconnected (from reality and his workers) leaders of all time. He's the neighbor with a beautiful front yard with flowers and a beautiful fountain that runs 24-hours a day (his actual front yard) and has a backyard full of trash, dog poop, and toxic nuclear waste leaking into the aquifer.
McMillan has been all about image for a long time. He is a walking, talking ad for weekend "leadership" seminars and training. When you closely examine his record, he has very little true accomplishment to his credit. When he was picked to be Director, he thought it was because of his skills, and that gave him false confidence in his position. Look carefully and you get a view of the lack of leadership.
The recent near-fatal electrical accident at LANSCE may be the end of the road for this show...or, McMillan may have painted over it and emerged with the image in place.
Nothing but silence regarding the electrical accident investigation. LANSLNSS is in full cover-up mode.
Charlie went to MIT. Except for his amazing ability to suck up to Norm and the Bechtels while not breaking out in hysterical laughter, he isn't qualified to drive a garbage truck. Oh,...and follow the money!
Nothing but silence regarding the electrical accident investigation. LANSLNSS is in full cover-up mode.
September 5, 2015 at 1:39 PM
What accident? I walked by the AD for Engineering Office and saw this AD (Girrens) with his feet up his desk asleep. Basically, LANS executives are doing nothing now but biding their time for the eventual contact change.
What accident? I walked by the AD for Engineering Office and saw this AD (Girrens) with his feet up his desk asleep. Basically, LANS executives are doing nothing now but biding their time for the eventual contact change.
September 11, 2015 at 3:41 AM
That seems to be the general feeling at LANL.
Maybe it will come with a buyout to get rid of all of the old farts around here?
Those with great minds are sometimes misunderstood by those with average capabilities. Charlie is one of the best Director's in LANL's history. It's understandable that some employees can't seem to grasp the greatness his his vision.
Try to do a better job of editing your posts if you want to be taken seriously.
Charlie IS one of the best directors in RECENT history. That sets the bar pretty low.
Charlie IS one of the best directors in RECENT history. That sets the bar pretty low.
September 18, 2015 at 8:12 PM
Other than Nanos, who comes close to him at the very bottom of the list of all time?
Don Kerr
Anastasio.
Nanos was the best LANL director of all time, and the only one who "got it" with the buttheads and cowboys comments. Too bad he didn't stick around longer, he might have actually fixed the place.
9:46 please tell me you don't work at LANL. I'd have a hard time going to work at that funny farm knowing someone as openly delusional as you are worked there too.
Too bad he didn't stick around longer, he might have actually fixed the place.
September 20, 2015 at 9:46 PM
Actually, Nanos didn't have the choice to "stick around" at LANL. UC saw his "fixes" and became very alarmed at the damage he was doing to "their" institution, and so brought in the grandfatherly caretaker Kuckuck to stop the bleeding that they had themselves begun by replacing Browne. The only constants in the whole mess were Don Cobb, who tried to tame the worst of Nanos' excesses, and Rich Marquez, who never met a management excess he didn't like. Cobb retired, and Marquez is still around sowing his particular brand of incompetence and (alleged) sexual harassment. You have to drain the swamp.
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