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(U) Letters to the Editor : Views on the 'Corporatization' of NSA
FROM: the editor
Unknown
Run Date: 04/20/2006
(U) Last week we posted some opinions from
on the "corporatization" of NSA (see
the article ) and received an unprecedented amount of feedback. Many readers posted their
thoughts on the SID today blog , but we also received a number of letters to the editor. Here
are some representative comments:
Comment:
(U) Spot on! Too many think it's more important to "get ahead" than "get things done!"
--
Comment:
(U//FOUO) As much as I respect
, he's way off on his assessment about the
"corporatization" of NSA. One only has to look at TRAILBLAZER and CMM to understand why we
need to have better business practices. Yes, we produce "unique" products -- so does every
organization. The goal is to produce it in the most efficient manner possible.
(U) He is right about style or substance. That is a neverending battle at this agency.
-- Anonymous
Comment:
(U) A thanks goes out to the Curmudgeon! Straight-shooters are rare and we need more of
them. We run around asking why things don't work, much of the time it is the lack of courage
and corporate think that keep good ideas from being heard. We don't want to be seen as
fighting the powers or one that rocks the boat. God help you if you're labeled a loose cannon.
Many organizations dissuaded their people from speaking up by punishing those that do. This is
a travesty, and should be put down!
(U) We hurt ourselves by not hearing alternatives or opposite points of view. Who knows who is
right or wrong until we try it and see the differences? We need to think outside of the opinions of
one leader or one technical expert. It is the diversity of experiences and talents that paint the
tapestry of our business. We must encourage dissent and alternative views, or we are bound for
failure.
(U) The interworkings of this agency are rife with political correctness -- some appropriate, and
some not. We need to encourage more views in our considerations; those views need to be
brought up with all the recommendations, not just what was decided by one person.
Management needs to promote and encourage alternative thinking, not just the corporate line.
We should get back to the basics, focus on what we do best, work with others, and do our jobs
better than anyone else.
(U) Our competition is the enemy and we owe it to the people of our great country to remain the
leaders in this vital field of excellence.
--
Comment:
(U//FOUO)
is spot on with his words about turning us corporate instead of realizing
we are a DOD unit!! You cannot translate corporate strategy into a DOD unit! See Demings
TQL/TQM or whatever. Bravo Zulu,
--
Comment:
(U) This is a great article. And the author isn't alone. I've been a language analyst in the Agency
for 25 years, and I don't like the idea of modeling ourselves after the corporate world either.
The main concern of corporations is to sell the most products (or services) at the least cost to
the corporation, therefore retaining the most profit. Sure, if you can make a quality product and
do the same, fine, but t's better if you can get by with selling cheap quality that wears out or
breaks so they buy more, even better. It's all about the "bottom line" and the bottom line is the
profit...
(U//FOUO) Our goals should be providing the best product or service to our customer (the
warfighter, the national-level decision-maker, etc.) to protect and serve the American people.
Yes, we must try to do it with the money alloted to us, but not at the sacrifice of quality, or the
values and ideals that we as Americans hold dear.
(U) And I agree with the author on motto that we are here to do our best job (of protecting and
serving the American people), not to spend our time trying to get ourselves promoted and get
that executive parking space.
(U//FOUO) All aspects of SIGINT production and support are valuable, not just sitting in the
upper manager's chair. As my late Dad, a WWII veteran and 30+ year DOD civilian, always said,
"A job worth doing is a job worth doing well." And I'm sorry, but "transformation" isn't my job...
my job is to safeguard the American people and their way of life. If I have to "transform" to
accomplish that in the best way in the 21st century, that's fine... but "transformation" is not the
end goal in and of itself. And neither is achieving "corporateness." Sometimes I think we at the
Agency, especially the upper layers of management, are starting to lose sight of that.
-- Anonymous
Comment:
(U) Wonderful and to the point. Too much is spent on hype and pointless nonsense versus what
ultimate effect did it/you have.
--
Comment:
(U//FOUO)
said it all! He said it with a sense of humor which I hope I still have after
my last years (9, but who's counting) in SIGINT are over. The only sad thing about
words are that while they may be read by those who espouse the "corporate view," they will
never really be "heard" or heeded. I don't think those that "do the corporate-thing" believe that
they are doing anything harmful to NSA, and by extension national security. I have often
mourned the NSA that I joined in 1982... if anyone knows where it went, please send me a map.
--
Comment:
(S) I would quibble with the author's assertion that NSA doesn't face competition from other
intelligence agencies. Granted, the other agencies use different methods [for example, imagery
intelligence (IMINT) or human resources intelligence (HUMINT)] but all of those agencies in the
Intelligence Community invariably work off the same set of requirements (for example, the
status of Iran's nuclear program). In that sense, the IC is competing within itself to meet
information needs tasked by the policy maker and war fighter.
--
Comment:
(U//FOUO) I laughed and cried; it became a part of me. But seriously,
hit the nail on the
head for me. We spend so much time in this agency talking about unique product, as if it's the
greatest cleanser or whitener to hit the market, that we forget that as a government agency we
are not in a "for profit" business... Our job, first and foremost, is to get intelligence out to the
people who need it, period. Words such as "actionable" or slogans like "Ahead with SIGINT that
counts" don't really mean anything.
--
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108