Letters

In his article "Sowing Seeds of Change" (Management, October), Steven Kelman says, "The best path to attitude change often starts with behavioral change." That is like saying the best way to get rich is to win the lottery. It may be true, but how do you do it?

My experience says that executives will not change anything unless they have to, since they acquired their position by knowing the rules. Executives do not want new rules that might threaten their power base. To effect change in an organization, you must first have the top executive's blessing because if he doesn't want change, there won't be any. And most of the orders that initiate change must come from the top executive's desk.

Don't attempt to change attitudes and behavior, since these factors are long-standing responses to current rules and incentives. What must be changed are the rules and incentives for organizational success. From these well-thought-out changes will come new attitudes and behavior. An executive has only one ultimate goal-personal success. If the organization is structured so that an executive cannot achieve personal success without following the rules and incentives, then whatever attitudes and behavior necessary for success will automatically come about. There must be a convergence between organizational success and personal success. Those executives who cannot accept the new rules and incentives will leave the organization rather than risk personal failure.

R.E. Rieck

Incentives Abound

When I started reading Allan V. Burman's "Innovative Incentives"(Federal Marketplace, October), I thought, "Wow, someone has come up with a way to recognize outstanding performance in the 'frugal' government," as he puts it. I was let down, however, by the emphasis on the private sector. The government is frugal in its failure to grasp that awards promote excellence, leading to efficiency and cost savings.

Burman's article begs the question of how to reward civil servants if you are not willing to commit the dollars. In addition to monetary awards, what about allowing greater allocations to the Thrift Savings Plan for a year? Or how about an additional year toward retirement for outstanding performance or groundbreaking ideas? Not only would these award incentives encourage peak performance, they would encourage high performers to stay with the government during times when private sector employment looks more and more attractive. Other incentives to promote outstanding performance might be free parking or administrative leave.

Russ Gardiner
Agriculture Department

Walking the Tightrope

Franklin S. Reeder's article "Walking the Transition Tightrope," (Management, September) offers good advice for anyone facing the prospect of new management.

And who hasn't? In the last nine years I've held the same position under four different direct managers, six acting managers, three second-level managers, and five lower-level executives.

As my agency continues to restructure, who knows how many more changes employees will face? Reeder's practical suggestions provide a guideline for the tightrope.

Theresa B. Doran