MINIMAL AWARDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00706A000100090001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 64
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 31, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 20, 1976
• Content Type: SUMMARY

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MINIMAL AWARDS
20 SEPTEMBER 1976
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 ^ UNCLASSIFIED ^ U TERNN Y SECREL ^ CONFIDENTIAL ^ SECRET
MINIMAL AWARDS
FROM:
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, SAAC
1001 AMESBUILDING 12086 DATE 16 September 1976
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
2. C/BSD
5E 69 Has.
DD/Pers/SP
SE 69 Has.
4?DD/Personnel
SE 58 Has.
.Chairman, SAAC
5E 58 Has.
1-4: For your information.
Attached are 19 Minimal
Awards for your approval.
FORM 610 US PRKY
3 EDITION$ S SECRET C U M I -62
OFFICER'S I COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
 AIIIIST1A'IVE
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SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CHAIRMAN
SUGGESTION NO. 74-122: dated 18 June 1973
Pro ram Analyst
STATINTL
g
Directorate of Administration/OPPB
(later DDO/SS and now retired)
A. Summary of Suggestion
The suggester recommended the development and
implementation of an improved personnel management
system (detailed description attached).
B. Evaluations
1. Detailed evaluation by Chief, Psychological
Services Staff/OMS, attached.
2. C/Review Staff/OP commented that significant
actions taken in recent months are related to this
suggestion; for example, memo from Acting Director of
Personnel of 23 January 1974 (attached). Two subgroup
surveys have been taken within the DDA, and comprehensive
surveys have been taken within the DDO and the DDI.
The survey now being taken on an Agency-wide basis,
however, owes its origin to the program evaluation
system developed by the Civil Service Commission,
which advocates such surveys containing personnel
related questions.
3. One important element of the suggestion has
not yet been adopted, and may never be, i.e., for
employee committee's to develop recommendations based
on survey results. While such an approach may be
effective in an industrial situation, especially where
the employee may share in any tangible benefits, we
know of no such application in government. Public
employees and their managers do not possess the same
freedom to undertake initiatives that their counter-
parts in business and industry possess.
4. C/Review Staff/OP rated intangible benefits
SUBSTANTIAL/BROAD.
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C. Recommendations of the Executive Secretary
1. Not line of duty.
2. $300 award ESUBSTANTIAL/BROAD).
D. Decision of the Chairman
Chairman, Sugg sti. n ana
Achievement Awar s Committee
Award.
at
STATINTL
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PERS
PPB 73-0720
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Management and Services
SUBJECT: A New CIA Approach to Personnel Management
Introduction
1. The purpose of this paper is to recommend the development and
implementation of a system, based on industry experience, which is
intended to contribute substantially to improved personnel management
at all levels. The system is designed to improve morale (and reduce
security risks) through an innovative form of employee participation
in management. The proposed system is no panacea. It is hoped that
it would augment the many other new approaches to personnel manage-
ment now under active consideration by the Office of Personnel. It
most specifically provides additional leverage in making Management
by Objectives (MBO) work in respect to our most important resource-
people.
Background
2. Zoday's leading and most pragmatic spokesman for the philosophy
of MBO points out that in developing an MBO system one must first ask
some simple questions and get hard. answers, in the following order:
a. Where are we now? What are the realities of our organization?
b. If we do not change, what then in one, two, five years?
C. Do we like the answers to (b) above? If not, then we
decide what we do want (the objc:ect.ive), develop alternate
means of getting to the objective, identify who will be responsible,
and identify the way in which progress will be measured.
3. Many of us are convinced that there are serious morale problems
in the Agency which have been developing for years, and that if the
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situation is not corrected, we are likely to have increasing problems in
the best people, more unfavorable publicity, and
recruiting and holding
more personnel security risks. But we can't prove this, identify
specific causes and remedies, and observe change because there has
not been a consistent system to pinpoint the attitudes of Agency employees,
how they change over the years, and why.
'roposes .t,proach
4. Texas Instruments (TI) has developed, as part of its M:r3O system,
a subsystem which is based on periodic attitude surveys. This is described,
in general, in the attached article by Scott Myers. Briefly, the subsystem
provides for the development of questionnaires for measuring attitudes
on a sampling basis, forming employee groups to analyze the results
and forward recommendations for improvement to the appropriate level
of management (in our case this might be the Office head) and, most
critical to the success of the system, a system of management feedback
to the employees as to what actions will or will not be taken on their
recommendations and why. Interviews with Myers, Ti corporate
officers and the personnel officer directly involved in the program
revealed. that there is more to this than is reveaaled in the article. For
example, it was found that comparisons between departments of
different character were not meaningful. Nevertheless, it is clearly
the view of TI management that the sy'stem has paid for itself many times
over. Ma,a:r.age.ment beli.eve:s it is the primary cause for Ti's remaining
union.?-free. A. Canadian food chain., Steinberl's, was in. deep trouble
when it adopted the TI system and found that its application greatly
reduced labor grievances and considerably eased the collective
bargaining process. As further proof of the seriousness of TI manage-
ment's faith in the commercial payoff of the attitude survey-employee/
management feedback system, it devoted close to 1% of its employees'
time in developing the system. for a period of several, years.
5. There are many aspects of this approach, as applied at TI and as
it might be adapted for Agency pLar'poseS, which are best articulated in
lariefinf s and discussions. There are several points, leading to action
recommendations, which. need highlighting here:
a. To succeed, this type of innovative approach to
personnel management and MBO must have the under-
standing and aggressive backing of top management.
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b. Development of such a system tailored to our
organization and problems will take concentrated effort
and time, although we can save a lot of time by avoiding
the mistakes of others. The first year's responses to an
attitude survey will not be particularly meaningful until
employee committees have made their recosmxaendations,
management has responded, and the next year's results
are in for comparison. It would probably take three years
of experimentation and steady broadening of the technique
anson.g, Agency components before truly, measurable results
can be analyzed.
c. Related to the above is the need to start with
meaningful samples--not the whole Agency. If the
samples are carefully selected, however, the very fact
that Agency management is trying a new, systematic
approach to our personnel problems could, in itself,
generate widespread interest and improved morale.
d. There should be no illusions as to the difficulty
in overcoming inertia and cynici mx in launching such
a project even with the active support of top management.
Nor should there be any sugestion that such a program
is the solution to all of our management problems, If
successful, though, it can be a technique for surfacing
problems of varying degrees of intensity which we may
not have been aware of, and, conversely may dispel notions
about other problems we may have erroneously felt to be
Serious.
c. The anonymity of the pollees mus t be protected at
all costs if the system is to work., and managers at all
levels must not feel individually threatewn.ed by the system
(although, in fact, some will be by definition). The problem
is to construct and operate the system in such a way as to
make the large majority, of employees and managers believe
that it is a constructive, self-inaprovexnent process.
f. Finally, the successful adoption of such an approach
is a means of satisfying the feelings of a large. number of
junior and middle rank officers that no one caress", in-
directly recognizes the den-lands for "reverse fitness
3.
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reports", and above all assures our people at this
particular point in history that positive, far-reaching
imaginative steps are beret; taken to engage all levels
of personnel in participation in Agency management.
Recommendations
6. It is recommended. that:
a. The DD/5,~S approve implementation of
experiments with this approach.
b. The Director of Personnel and appropriate
staff be briefed in detail on the successes and short-
coming ; of the TI experience by the unc:lersign.ed.
The Office of Personnel, with whatever help
O/PPB can provide, would be responsible for
implementation of the program.
c. The briefing (s) include one or more representa-
tives of MAG and the 10 Staff.
d. A task force be appointed to work full
time under the Director of Personnel on development
of a strategy for choosing representative components
to be surveyed, determining the nature and specifics
of the, questions to be ask.ed, assignment of tasks
for tabulation and analysis of survey results
,and collateral data from personal ina.t.erviews,
provide guidance to components in forming employee
committees to develop recommendations based
on survey results, and management follow-through
on committee recommendations.
Su.a: mare Comments
7. Given the culture(s) that have evolved in CIA in the past 25 years,
many senior managers will have difficulties with this proposal, The fact
is that the autocracy of the past is swiftly vanishing from the American
scene::--both in industry and government. Perhaps the most significant
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and difficult aspect of this proposal to grasp is that it does not break
clown the chain of command-it strengthens it. Attitudes are polled,
recommendations by employee groups are made, management has to
respond with yes, no, later or never for specified reasons and each
party is satisfied that at least he has communicated, the problems
have been weighed., and decisions arrived at on the management 'Level
which are fully informed. There is great frustration amongst the
troops that this is not the case today.
S. There is no need to seek approval from the CIA Management
Committee on t~iis experiment at this time, indeed it would probably
be fatal to do so. We can do it totally within. DD/M&S to start with.
In effect, this recommends to you as Agency manager, that we proceed
with an experiment within the M&S Directorate as a first round.
25X1A
Science and Technology Group
O/PPB
Attachment
As stated
cc: D/Pcrs
Distribution:
trig -- Addressee
I -. DDM&S Registry
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M. Scott Myers
Ever since managers learned that behavior,is related to attitudes, they have been
interested in measuring and changing attitudes. Most Jorge companies in the last two or
of them' administer
three decades have at least experimented with ntbfadc surveys, and -on.,
them routinely as a part of their ongoing industrial relations program., Unfortunately, atti-
tude surveys are often administered without thoughtful analysis of what their purposes should
be . Like many other programs such as performance reviews, suggestion systems and communi-
cation programs, they often administer them because "other progressive companies do," and
value them as. symbols of progressive management.
The traditional way.
Let's review the traditional fate of an attitude survey. A typical attitude ques-
tionnaire is a form containing approximately a hundred items of the type illustrated in
Exhibit 1.
Exhibit I.
y~p~ ical attitude survey items
Agree ;? Disagree
The hours of work here are 0 . K O.K.
I'm paid fairly compared with other
employees.
My supervisor has always been fair in
his dealings with rite .
I nave confidence in the fairness and
honesty of manag ment.
I work in a friendly environmen-r.
I know how my iob7 fits in with other
work in this organization.
My supervisor welcomes our ideas even
when they differ from his own.
I'rn proud to work for this company
Favoritism is a problem in my area.
i have very few cornplainis about our
t? lunch facilities.
( ) `~ ) ( )
O O ()
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responses to each item are calculated and tabulated by job classification, shift, plant loca-
tion and various other categories. The report is generally?sent to top management where it is
reviewed behind the closed doors of an executive conference room. Though such a report
always contains much positive information, it inevitably contains some information which is
seen as "negoot ive " "un rareful''. or'riisio al ." Managers, y 9 y Managers, who naturally have strong pro-
prietary interests in the company, usually find it difficult to understand why employees express
anti-company feelings and feel but when employees question their motives and competence.
The inability to determine the relative importance of the items complicates their
interpretation. Which,'for example, is the most serious problem -- 50% don't like the cafe-
teria, 30% are dissatisfied with the hours of work, or 20% believe favoritism exists in their
department? Just blindly following percentages could be misleading, as the cafeteria may be
a less important problem than favoritism. So, managers often hang on the dilemma of trying
to identify the real problems which deserve their attention and, even if they agree, trying to
plan remedial action. Traditionally, they conclude their review by saying, "I am sure there
is an important message here for us that can help us become more effective as managers. But,
this stuff is dynamite and we've got to be careful who sees it." They adjourn their meeting
without an action plan and put off doing anything further until it is safe to file the report away
forever in the Personnel Department archives.
When they administered the questionnaires, they promised to give employees the
results of the survey. But, since it is "dangerous" for employees to see all the data, they
publish a report which reads something like this:
The attitude survey administered in the Ajax Company seven months ago
has been analyzed, and much useful information has been obtained from
this survey. It was grai-ifyirig to note that most of you were very posi-
tive in your attitudes toward the company, our fringe benefits, the cafe-
teria and hours of work. Ninety percent of you said you were proud to
work at Ajax ! A few felt there was opportunity for improvement in the
administration of the performance review and wage and salary program.
Surprisingly, very few were acquainted with their opportunities for ad-
vancement, but many had confidence in top management. Some of you
felt that favoritism was a problem in your department, but most of you
thought your supervisor was qualified for his job.
This information is very useful because it indicates a need to clarify
career opportunities in Ajax and policies governing growth with the
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training No c any is perfect, of course, but we ieve ours is,
urs is t
better than most, and we are doing everything in ourf'power to make
Ajax the kind of company you want it to be.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank-all of you for your use-
ful suggestions, and hope to ask you from time to time for additional
suggestions.
With the publication of this report in the company newspaper, management has
"done its duty," and fulfilled the need for feedback. Such a whitewashed report usually
deceives no one but the managers, and employees don't react to this insult to their intelli-
gence only because they are accustomed to it, and they really didn't expect much else.
This type of management behavior is so commonplace that many employees have come to
accept it as the traditional behavior of managers; and, while they resent it, they apparently
have come to believe that since so many managers act this way, there must be some reason
for it. Managers, and employees themselves, do not often realize that complaints, grie-
vances, absenteeism, tardiness, malingering, picketing, slow-downs, strikes, etc., are pri-
marily symptoms of mismanagement.
The involvement approach .
Attitude surveys needn't follow this traditional pattern. They have potential for
serving a number of constructive purposes, as illustrated by the attitude measurement program
now being applied in several operations in Texas Instruments.
Every year a questionnaire of the type illustrated in Exhibit I is administered to a
10 to 20% sample of employees throughout the company. Profiles, as illustrated in Exhibit II,
are prepared from the results and delivered to each of approximately 160 department managers.
The heavy solid line shows the company average for this year and is the same on every profile.
The thin solid line is this year's department results and the dotted line is last year's department
resul+'-s. These detailed profiles, which fill 22 pages for each department, enable the manager
to compare his department's results for each item to the total. company results and to his last
year's profile.
When first administered in TI, attitude survey results were fed back in top-to-
bottorn sequence, beginning with the president, thereby putting middle managers in an
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Exhibit
ni?m paid fairly compared with other Tiers.
My supervisor has always been fair in :is
,dealings with me._..- _- -_..,
?1 have confidence in the fairness and
i,;nonesty of memagement . - ..... - _ .. -
work in a friendly environment. -- -,~
}~f know how my job fits in with other work.
f"in this orgcnizcation. " - " ?- ^" - M ". - -
"'?My supervis=or welcome$ Our ideas even
when they differ from his own. _ - - - -
I'm proud to work for Tl. ---_____
o avoritism is a problem in my area. --
hove very few complaints al->ouf our
"iunchfacilities . - - - - --_-____.. -
ept.,this
Corripany,, sa'.:
Very
High
ursconfort cable defensive position. To avoid this conflict situation, the reporting procedure was
changed to issue reports directly to department heads. This enabled there to analyze the results,
plan corrective action and report both the results and action plans upward, thereby malcing it a
more positive: experience. Though the departrne nr head's situation was improved by this new pro-
Cedure, lower levels of supervision and nonsuper isory ti.irnpkiyee i were sorrnetirnes put on the
defensivc, and were not always in agree rnerrt with the depaarfinent he aad's interpretation of survey
r{sSUlts. The final and logiccii step in the development of he program was to change the pro-
ca:dure to involve nonsupervisors in the analysis of survey results, as illustrated in Exhibit Ill.
Now, upon. receipt of the profiles (on vu-graph transparencies), the department
head presents and discusses therm in general terms ao ci group meeting of all members of his depart-
-rent, and then hands them to ca comrmt ee of hourly ornployees (or non-superVlsory salaried em-
ployees for salaried groups) for dei-c:iled analysis and r