TVA Today:
Daily news for employees

Thursday, September 4, 2003

CHI Survey Indicates Continued Improvement in TVA Culture
Nearly 8,000 employees provided feedback in the July Cultural Health Index survey.

“Initial results are still being reviewed, but the positive trend observed in last year’s survey has been sustained for another year,” says Bill Thompson, STAR 7 Program Manager. “Nearly every question on the survey showed a statistically valid improvement from the July 2002 CHI survey.”

The greatest improvement in feedback on TVA culture was observed among Trades & Labor employees and TVA Police officers, Thompson says. And for the second year in a row, the area of largest improvement was related to making Winning Performance a way of life at TVA.

Thompson says that as far as improving the CHI measure, setting targets have been the key. “One striking observation we’ve already seen in the data is the effect of CHI target-setting. The five Strategic Business Units with the largest overall CHI-score improvements established CHI indicators and targets for fiscal year 2003. On the other hand, four of the five SBUs with the smallest CHI-score increases did not adopt CHI targets this year.”

Top honors go to the Chief Operating Officer organization’s Bulk Power Trading, Power Resources & Operations Planning, and the Fossil Power Group, and to the Administration organization. These four SBUs achieved the largest year-to-year overall CHI-score improvements.

Thompson says Bulk Power Trading set the CHI high-water mark with an overall CHI score of nearly 92 percent.

“The entire BPT team deserves credit for this accomplishment,” says Amy Burns, Vice President of Bulk Power Trading.

As with previous CHI surveys, results for each organization ultimately will be posted on TVA's intranet. An announcement will be included in TVA Today when they’re posted. Managers will begin receiving their organization’s CHI reports later this month.

The CHI is intended to measure TVA’s progress in achieving the Critical Success Factors related to improving the TVA work culture. The CHI focuses on making Winning Performance and the Winning Behaviors a way of life at TVA, as well as helping to promote a fully engaged TVA workforce.

If You Drive a TVA Fleet Vehicle, Don’t Forget To Record Mileage at the Pump
Procurement’s Fleet Management organization asks employees who drive TVA Fleet vehicles to be sure to enter the accurate mileage at the pump when purchasing fuel for the vehicles with a Wright Express (WEX) card.

This mileage information, provided to Fleet Management by Petroleum Source (the supplier of the WEX card system), is used to determine when the vehicles need maintenance, such as oil changes. Accurate, up-to-date mileage records help to ensure safe, reliable vehicles. When a vehicle reaches certain mileage milestones, notifications are sent to the drivers to have recommended maintenance performed.

Fleet Management also uses the mileage figures to identify vehicles with high mileage and/or high-maintenance costs, which can help determine when vehicles should be replaced.

“We want TVA Fleet vehicles to be as safe and reliable as possible, and these mileage figures are a key tool in achieving this,” says Mike Metcalf, Manager of TVA Fleet & Procurement Business Services. “So please, if you drive a fleet vehicle, take a few extra seconds to read the odometer and enter the mileage accurately when you stop for gas. It will help reduce your risk of having vehicle problems.”

Note: Only whole numbers should be recorded – not tenths of a mile.

Anyone with questions can call Brenda Moton with Fleet Management at 751-1011 in Chattanooga.

More Than 30 Agencies Benefit from Chattanooga CFC Day of Caring
More than 350 federal employees, including many from TVA, participated last Friday in the Greater Chattanooga Area Combined Federal Campaign’s ninth annual Day of Caring.

“Federal employees in the Chattanooga area are known for volunteering their time and being generous givers to help those who are less fortunate,” says Ron Loving, TVA’s Senior Vice President of Outage Planning & Execution and Chair of the 2003 Greater Chattanooga Area CFC. “By volunteering their time, talent and resources, Chattanooga-area employees were able to see first-hand how their contributions provide support and care to those in our community in times of need.”

Employees from TVA, Chattanooga National Cemetery, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Social Security Administration, the U.S. Trustee agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service participated. Some of them, including those from the IRS and the Postal Service, were first-time participants in the volunteer initiative.

Employees provided hands-on assistance with such chores as painting, building, cleaning and landscaping to 33 local agencies that receive contributions from the CFC.

The CFC is held annually to give federal employees an opportunity to contribute to charitable, health and human-services organizations in 20 counties in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. More information about CFC activities at some of the TVA sites is available on TVA's intranet.