Re: Pursuit of Excellence [was GAO Opens DB investigation]

[RuthWeiner@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 9/9/02 10:10:01 AM Mountain Daylight Time, liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM writes:



> In this business, anything less than excellence is not "good enough."  Complacency with "good enough" is what gets you in trouble.  Those who can't or won't accept this philosophy are our real enemies.


Maybe excellence is what is meant by "good enough".  Without a specific example, I still have to ask the question: if existing regulations are not good enough, or excellent, or adequate, or acceptable, or whatever adjective you choose, what changes are needed, using, e.g., Davis-Besse as an example?   What should the regulations say in order to be acceptable? Moreover, how can you expect anyone to meet some undefined criterion like "exceeding regulations?"


I know this is belaboring the point.  But I am tired of vague, undefined criticisms.  My students used to ask me "what did I need to do to get an A instead of a B?"  and I had to have specific criteria to tell them.


Ruth Weiner, Ph. D.

ruthweiner@aol.com