Message-ID: <12160993.1075840204228.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 00:59:00 -0700 (PDT) From: kenneth.lay@enron.com To: sarah.davis@enron.com Subject: OK, Jeff, you requested that we be candid about Enron... Cc: sherri.sera@enron.com, joseph.sutton@enron.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Bcc: sherri.sera@enron.com, joseph.sutton@enron.com X-From: Kenneth Lay X-To: Sarah A Davis X-cc: Sherri Sera, Joseph W Sutton X-bcc: X-Folder: \Kenneth_Lay_Dec2000\Notes Folders\All documents X-Origin: LAY-K X-FileName: klay.nsf Sarah, Cindy Olson requested that I forward this to you for further handling. Rosalee ---------------------- Forwarded by Kenneth Lay/Corp/Enron on 07/10/2000 08:59 AM --------------------------- Betty Alexander@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT 07/07/2000 06:37 PM To: Jeff Skilling/Corp/Enron@ENRON cc: Joseph W Sutton/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Kenneth Lay/Corp/Enron@ENRON Subject: OK, Jeff, you requested that we be candid about Enron... "Management does things right; Leadership does the right things." (Peter Drucker) Today I began to wonder if I've been a fool in staunchly defending Enron's Visions & Values. An esteemed colleague of very strong professional reputation at Enron was recently approached by a hiring supervisor. Totally unexpected & unsolicited, an offer was accepted; all seemed well as this Recruit got good feedback directly from clients & Enron upper mgmt. But after a short time, suddenly Recruit was told that performance was unsatisfactory. No specific behaviors or problems were identified as cause; no opportunity given to modify; Recruit was summarily removed to another floor with instructions to find another job. Upon displacement she told me (~6 weeks ago), "I want avoid trouble for anyone; I just want to continue quietly at Enron and forget this." To date I have honored her request for silence, but all this hullabaloo about Enron being the best place to work makes her dilemma particularly upsetting, and there is ample evidence that her plight is not unique. I refer here to Cindy Adams, formerly of Joe Sutton's office. I don't care why it was decided not to use HR's counseling/review process designed to help when things go awry; I just know that Enron's best bet is to give this talented professional more time. She writes: ...Last week, my HR Rep informed me that I have a deadline of July 15th in which to find a job...I have no assistance from HR or Recruiting. I had 2 interviews 5 weeks ago and I had to initiate those myself. I've not received answers from postings I've responded to - I am left hanging without acknowledgment of any sort. I have been approached and learned from others that the same thing happened to them with the same circumstances; one said that it took her a full 3 months to land her present job. I am not afforded that opportunity now ... Jeff, would you please ask someone to remove Cindy's July 15 deadline? There are no rules left to break here; Cindy is trying to proceed diligently & discreetly, but she is under duress by not having any feedback/support from HR. With a little boost, it's not too late to bring this picture into line with Enron's vision of retaining topnotch people. Cindy has no idea that I'm writing on her behalf, and after this I intend to honor her wishes with silence. But you must see the irony here, not to mention the double standard in how Enron's Visions & Values are applied to assistants all over Enron: Cindy Adams was sought after, then abruptly put out of the office of Joe Sutton, who happens to be our V&V expert! I'm not blaming Joe for anything; he is simply the backdrop in this example. I remember Joe once used an expression at a floor meeting: "believing your own baloney." He wasn't talking about Visions & Values then, but "believing baloney" suddenly seems to fit for assistants who work at Enron. You asked for candid; herein I have done my very best to give it to you. Jeff, thanks for asking and listening. I and my colleagues are listening too, but seeing is believing. Respectfully submitted, Betty Alexander Sr. Administrative Assistant