CONTACTS
0201 - Cal Tech
020101 - Ms. Delores Lee; Seminar Registration; Seminar Program Department
0202 - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
020201 - Mr. Frank L. Shultz
020202 - Deputy Assistant Laboratory Director
020203 - Office of Space Science and Instruments
SUBJECTS
SDS, Marketing, Research Application to Market
Correlation to Accepted Practice
Project Management
Perceived Value, Meeting Notes to Confirm Understandings
Cal Tech PM Seminar, 920924
Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster
Information Overload Overwhelms Command and Control of the Record -
Information Overload Overwhelms Command and Control of the Record -
0910 -
0910 - ..
0911 - Summary/Objective
0912 -
091201 - Follow up ref SDS 15 0000.
091202 -
091203 - Completed the course and submitted an evaluation form supplied by Cal
091204 - Tech. Offered a few suggestions on course improvements.
091206 - ..
091207 - [On 930209 Cal Tech record on today's seminar. ref SDS 18 5555
091209 - ..
091210 - [On 940111 reviewed book on Project Management received at
091211 - seminar. ref SDS 23 4594
091213 - ..
091214 - [On 970524 Morris attended Cal Tech seminar that presented
091215 - detailed study of communications causing the space shuttle crash.
091216 - ref SDS 45 7298
091218 - ..
091219 - [On 000217 Stanford sponsoring high performance PM course.
091220 - ref SDS 55 0651]
091222 - ..
091223 - [On 130427 1038 received notice 18-month online course (education
091224 - and training) with certificate in project management available at
091225 - Open Colleges. ref SDS 70 XQ5L
091226 -
091227 -
091229 - ..
0913 -
0914 -
0915 - Analysis
0916 -
0917 -
091701 - General...
091702 -
091703 - This was an excellent introduction to the practice of project
091704 - management. Budget and schedule control were presented through a
091705 - series of case studies, that showed the importance of team building
091706 - and performance measurement.
091707 -
091709 - ..
091710 - Suggestions....
091712 - ..
091713 - 1. Improving "Feel Good" Management
091714 -
091715 - It would be helpful to include more ideas on how to implement
091716 - sound management practice in the face of internal and external
091717 - pressure to "expedite" performance, causing the team to "fall
091718 - off the wagon," by reverting to inadequate procedures that make
091719 - people "feel good" in the near term, but ultimately crash and
091720 - burn. Economists call this a "recession." It more likely is
091721 - the cumulative effect of "feel good" management. Perhaps a
091722 - supplemental course could be offered to treat this issue.
091723 -
091725 - ..
091726 - ..
091727 - 2. Investing "Intellectual Capital"
091728 -
091729 - Additional focus might be given to the notion that capturing the
091730 - project record is a form of investing intellectual capital (our
091731 - knowledge and ideas), that can pay big dividends if relied upon
091732 - rather than the current practice of relying on conversation, for
091733 - the reasons at ref SDS 6 line 212.
091734 -
091736 - ..
091737 - External and Internal Management
091738 -
091739 - This class seemed to be attended mostly by people primarily engaged in
091740 - internal management. The perspectives offered by participants showed
091741 - the significant difference between external and internal management,
091742 - between managing contracts, and what is perceived as "managing
091743 - projects," and particularly between the expectations of those new to
091744 - project management and those who have been "around the track" a few
091745 - times.
091747 - ..
091748 - It would be helpful in a class on project management to set out
091749 - the different tools and practices that distinguish internal from
091750 - external management. Managers who mainly deal with internal
091751 - matters, are surprised to find that methods which are successful
091752 - in getting things done internally, fail when applied with an out-
091753 - side contractor. Similarly, techniques essential for managing
091754 - outside contractors, often cause disarray, fear and resentment
091755 - when applied internally. One case study during the class dealt
091756 - with the issue, but perhaps more emphasis could be given on how
091757 - to bridge this dichotomy.
091758 -
091759 - [On 950705 executives view project managers as ineffective and
091760 - duplicitous. ref SDS 34 2955]
091761 -
091762 -
091764 - ..
091765 - Meetings Communication People Giving Up on Accuracy
091766 - Doc Management Difficult, Complex Stressful Information Overload
091767 - Command and Control of the Record - Case Studies Too Much Information
091768 - Information Overload Overwhelms Command and Control of the Work
091769 -
091770 - Frank emphasized that communication is a key component of project
091771 - management at NASA and JPL.
091773 - ..
091774 - The past few days Frank was asked several times about responsibility
091775 - for command and control of the work by maintaining an accurate record
091776 - of daily communications to accomplish objectives and improve
091777 - productivity, within the meaning of quality management?
091779 - ..
091780 - Frank, indicated today that he is not a strong advocate of documenting
091781 - communication in his management practice. He said that tracking
091782 - alignment in communication for accurate understandings is very complex
091783 - and takes a lot of energy on big projects. Yesterday, he cited the
091784 - importance of keeping a record of events that prevent the manager from
091785 - accomplishing the work. POIMS describes working "intelligently" with
091786 - command and control of the work using accurate records of
091787 - communication. ref OF 5 1113
091789 - ..
091790 - Today, Frank was asked again how JPL and NASA maintain alignment for
091791 - accurate communications from meetings, calls, and documents, which Cal
091792 - Tech recommends for "good" management?
091794 - ..
091795 - [On 921205 Covey suggests keeping a diary. ref SDS 17 1121
091797 - ..
091798 - How is information on the space program from meetings, calls and
091799 - documents managed each day at JPL and NASA to align communication with
091800 - objectives, requirements and commitments? How do managers avoid
091801 - conflicts and mistakes from overlooking critical details, which seems
091802 - to have caused failure of the Challenger Space Shuttle, reviewed
091803 - below? ref SDS 0 4499
091804 -
091805 - [On 921127 executives are frustrated that little inconsequential
091806 - details later explode into major problems. ref SDS 16 0674
091808 - ..
091809 - [On 030201 sister craft, Columbia Space Shuttle, exploded on
091810 - returning from a mission to the Space Station. ref SDS 62 0001
091812 - ..
091813 - Frank said that meetings are especially a big problem at NASA,
091814 - reviewed below. ref SDS 0 4191
091815 -
091816 - This aligns with the report on 890809 that communication is more
091817 - than 80% of daily management time, ref SDS 5 8812, and causes
091818 - productivity and earnings to fall when listening fails.
091819 - ref SDS 5 126J
091821 - ..
091822 - [On 940219 Cal Tech book on project management cites challenge
091823 - of maintaining consistent meaning in communication,
091824 - ref SDS 23 2074; good management requires feedback for
091825 - continual alignment to strengthen accuracy. ref SDS 23 4400
091827 - ..
091828 - [On 940219 article in PMJ says feedback essential for accurate
091829 - communication in meetings, calls and documents. ref SDS 25
091830 - 1L3N
091832 - ..
091833 - What tools are used by NASA and JPL executives to document daily work?
091835 - ..
091836 - Who does the work to ensure effective listening with accurate
091837 - understanding, and timely follow up that aligns with objecitves,
091838 - requirements, and commitments; when and how are people notified of
091839 - impacts on their work from conflicting information? What control or
091840 - system of metrics tracks all of the documents Frank has been telling
091841 - the class that project managers should prepare?
091843 - ..
091844 - [On 950202 Kerzner recommends a diary. ref SDS 30 8447]
091846 - ..
091847 - [On 990625 Kaiser's Healthwise Handbook calls for capturing
091848 - record of communications and using feedback for accuracy that
091849 - saves lives, time, and money. ref SDS 52 0806
091851 - ..
091852 - Frank complained bitterly about processes for creating, distributing,
091853 - maintaining and accessing daily records of work performed (commonly
091854 - called "documentation"). He said this is a sore subject at JPL
091855 - because managers don't have enough time to perform all of the steps
091856 - required for good management, which he is teaching in the class today,
091857 - per above. ref SDS 0 5692 Frank asked that we move the discussion to
091858 - another topic.
091859 -
091860 - [...see below, Frank explains findings by a review board that the
091861 - Challenger Space Shuttle exploded in 1986 because requirements
091862 - for accurate communications were ignored, ref SDS 0 4499; NASA
091863 - then tried to adopt audits to verify good management practices
091864 - were implemented. ref SDS 0 4489
091866 - ..
091867 - [On 940111 JPL and NASA project management guidance explains
091868 - communication is difficult becasue words have different meanings
091869 - based on context, ref SDS 23 2074; feedback essential for
091870 - accurate communications. ref SDS 23 4400
091872 - ..
091873 - [On 940114 article in PMNetwork says Jennett frustrated that
091874 - after founding PMI 20 years ago communication and especially
091875 - meetings are unproductive. ref SDS 24 2290]
091877 - ..
091878 - [On 940219 article in PMJ says feedback essential for accurate
091879 - communication in meetings, calls and documents. ref SDS 25 1L3N
091881 - ..
091882 - [On 950927 Dave Vannier noted time/information is a problem at
091883 - Intel. ref SDS 37 5002]
091885 - ..
091886 - [On 971229 management training film says communication problems
091887 - are always happening. ref SDS 47 1501]
091889 - ..
091890 - [On 020504 study shows professional standards for communication
091891 - practices and requirements on good management specified in FAR,
091892 - ISO, Health Care, Covey, Drucker, law, contract notice
091893 - provisions, and 2,000 years of literacy for contemporaneous
091894 - documentation for alignment and feedback to work intelligently,
091895 - quickly, and accurately are ignored in government, business,
091896 - health care, every sector. ref SDS 60 NS6F
091898 - ..
091899 - [On 041012 medical management exasperating because staff fail to
091900 - invest time for organizing the record, causing mistakes, delay
091901 - and cost escalation. ref SDS 67 NV49
091903 - ..
091904 - [On 050824 Advice Nurse being persistant reminding the surgeon to
091905 - implement requirements in Kaiser's Healthwise Handbook following
091906 - up patient calls to collaborate and coordinate via email on
091907 - accuracy of communication and patient medical history.
091908 - ref SDS 68 4M7N
091910 - ..
091911 - This presents an anomaly in advocating that good records be created,
091912 - ref SDS 0 1493, but not providing guidance on what this means, nor how
091913 - to accomplish it under Frank's call for business metrics to improve
091914 - management and earnings, ref SDS 0 8187. The "O" Ring Space failure,
091915 - which caused the crash of the Challenger Space Shuttle in 1986, was
091916 - attributed to failed communications, per below. ref SDS 0 4499
091917 -
091918 - [On 951101 industry is hiring psychologists to manage anger
091919 - from miscommunication. ref SDS 40 5500
091921 - ..
091922 - [On 950721 ISO calls for Continual Learning, ref SDS 35 2846
091923 - and analysis of management cycle that supports it, ref SDS 35
091924 - 3320; accurate communications require documentation showing
091925 - traceability to original sources. ref SDS 35 1740
091927 - ..
091928 - [On 950412 successful executive presents management practices
091929 - that fail because fear of accountability, cast as avoiding
091930 - "documentation" in order to "expedite" the work, is manifested
091931 - by blaming failure on others for not telling the truth.
091932 - ref SDS 33 4423 -- see also report on 980405. ref SDS 51 5065]
091934 - ..
091935 - [On 950327 developed Communication Metrics to solve this
091936 - problem. ref SDS 31 2108]
091938 - ..
091939 - [On 980226 IBM announced plans to offer "business intelligence"
091940 - that seems aimed at solving this problem. ref SDS 48 3342]
091942 - ..
091943 - [On 980307 Andy Grove's book "Only the Paranoid Survive" cited
091944 - "strategic dissonence" to explain managements that advocate
091945 - things but do not practice them nor follow through. ref SDS 49
091946 - 5517]
091948 - ..
091949 - [On 980405 developed "intelligence" role to solve concern about
091950 - "documentation" expressed by Frank. ref SDS 51 3307]
091952 - ..
091953 - [On 040419 handling a lot of paperwork for medical treatments
091954 - is a sore subject at Kaiser. ref SDS 66 XU83
091956 - ..
091957 - [On 030826 NASA chief Sean O'Keefe said a culture of denial
091958 - forms when people cannot perform requirements for good
091959 - management using popular tools and methods approved by the
091960 - bureaucracy; people ignore requirements as mere suggestions and
091961 - guidelines, rather than experiment to discover tools and
091962 - methods for meeting requirements in less time and for less
091963 - cost, because people are afraid to notify management that
091964 - requirements are not being met; when procedures for improvement
091965 - require many to say yes, and only one person can say no, most
091966 - everybody gives up. ref SDS 65 8K4G
091968 - ..
091969 - [On 051130 article in AIA Architect requires documentation for
091970 - good management to work accurately, communications aligned with
091971 - original sources, ref SDS 69 G46F, but notes that during the
091972 - past quarter century, documentation has grown significantly;
091973 - projects that required only a few file boxes in the 1980s
091974 - result in many times that amount today. ref SDS 69 Z16L
091975 -
091976 -
091978 - ..
091979 - Correct Information is Usually Available, But is Ignored
091980 -
091981 - I explained that generally the record of actual work varies from
091982 - perceptions of managers, ref SDS 8 3333, because managers rely on
091983 - stream-of-conscious analysis using innate memory for talking and
091984 - listening, ref SDS 5 5930, rather than the record. This causes
091985 - continual errors in understanding that lead to mistakes in taking
091986 - action, that lead to a lot of loss, conflict, crisis, calamity and
091987 - failure, as Frank relates below, explaining why the Space Shuttle
091988 - Challenger crashed. ref SDS 0 4499
091990 - ..
091991 - Available information is ignored because:
091992 -
091993 - a. It is more fun to talk to people, than to research the
091994 - record under conventional technology (email, paper, filing
091995 - cabinets, desk drawers, floppy disks). There is some team
091996 - building benefit to talking, and this becomes an excuse
091997 - for ignoring the record, see ref SDS 17 1558.
091998 -
091999 - [On 040419 handling a lot of paperwork for medical
092000 - treatments is a sore subject at Kaiser. ref SDS 66
092001 - XU83
092003 - ..
092004 - b. A mythology called the "official view of reality" emerges
092005 - through conversation over time about an important issue,
092006 - that overwhelms subsequent attempts at careful inquiry,
092007 - chiefly because social pressure to conform and/or avoid
092008 - controversey supresses efforts to "understand" (compare
092009 - for example understandings on 911105, ref SDS 9 2572, on
092010 - 920120, ref SDS 11 7777 with the record on 920124 showing
092011 - costly effect of misunderstanding. ref SDS 12 4476).
092012 -
092013 - [On 940612 Murphy's Law flows from reliance on the
092014 - "Official view of reality" and "guess and gossip." see
092015 - ref SDS 29 5882, and previously on 890809 concerning
092016 - standard management practice. ref SDS 5 5930.]
092018 - ..
092019 - [On 940111 Cal Tech publication explains meaning is
092020 - different for each person. ref SDS 23 2074]
092022 - ..
092023 - [On 940106 telephone game is common explanation of
092024 - meaning drift. ref SDS 22 3249]
092026 - ..
092027 - c. Even though documents showing the official view is wrong
092028 - or incomplete, are "readily available," such documents are
092029 - not INSTANTLY available---usually because the number of
092030 - documents is large and they are not organized properly---
092031 - as is the "official view" and/or our immediate
092032 - recollection, impressions, perceptions and beliefs, and so
092033 - the latter are used in the name of expediency. We are not
092034 - aware our "recollection' is constantly swayed by emotional
092035 - seiches (again, compare views on 911105, ref SDS 9 2572,
092036 - on 920120, ref SDS 11 7777 with the record on 920124
092037 - showing error. ref SDS 12 4476).
092039 - ..
092040 - d. We worry the project record is incomplete because legal
092041 - counsel recommend against maintaining a complete record in
092042 - hopes of avoiding liability for errors, and this provides
092043 - a convenient excuse for not creating the record, which
092044 - then fulfills the worry that the record is complete, so
092045 - what's the use trying to look anything up?
092046 -
092047 -
092049 - ..
092050 - Cost/Benefit Says Ignore the Record
092051 -
092052 - What actually occurs is a subconscious cost/benefit analysis in
092053 - deciding whether to check the record or go with what we assume to
092054 - be true. On 900319 article on automated reasoning reviewed human
092055 - nature to increase reliance on assumptions under conditions of
092056 - limited time. ref SDS 7 6603
092058 - ..
092059 - Overwhelming tendency to use bad management due to limited span of
092060 - attention is explained in POIMS. ref OF 5 8536
092062 - ..
092063 - As the number of documents, phone calls and meetings increases,
092064 - absent automated tools to increase command of the record, the
092065 - amount of time available to retrieve information for verification
092066 - diminishes. Thus, the pressure to "wing it," and go with what we
092067 - "know," overcomes the anticipated benefit of verification based on
092068 - cursory consideration. Even where big issues are adequately
092069 - researched, the many small ones that are not verified, render
092070 - decision making more perilous than necessary.
092072 - ..
092073 - This makes management an exercise in daily bumbling. The image of
092074 - a strong leader guiding the team with strategic planning, is
092075 - largely devoid of substance due to limits of human cognition and
092076 - the modern environment of information overload. Mainly management
092077 - is guess and gossip, hunch and hope.
092078 -
092079 - This is called Murphy's Law, per ref SDS 29 5882.
092081 - ..
092082 - [U.S. Air Force study found that information systems tend
092083 - toward entropy leading to cost and schedule growth. ref SDS 46
092084 - 0611 and ref SDS 46 0108.]
092086 - ..
092087 - Faster Command of the Record Needed to Meet Pace of Information
092088 -
092089 - This would seem to indicate that techniques to create and assemble
092090 - the record within a time frame that permits real-time verification
092091 - are essential to improving management.
092093 - ..
092094 - Frank acknowledged this proposition, but there was no apparent
092095 - recognition among attendees that this constitutes a major
092096 - opportunity to improve management performance.
092098 - ..
092099 - Documentation Masks Opportunity to Improve Productivity
092100 -
092101 - Doubtless the present practice of submitting printed documents
092102 - that do not get read, leads to a perspective that documents
092103 - are a burden rather than an aid to management.
092105 - ..
092106 - Frank's strong reacation to questions about handling the
092107 - record shows the dimensions of the problem. ref SDS 0 4390
092109 - ..
092110 - The natural reaction is that if my memo is not read, why
092111 - create it. Let's just go talk to people instead. Discussions
092112 - seem to result in consensus, but since conversation is
092113 - inherenlty discursive, the many misperceptions that in fact
092114 - occur are not apparent. Mistakes get made and we start over.
092116 - ..
092117 - Communication" Metrics
092118 -
092119 - Traditional and popular management training teaches
092120 - "listening" and "communication" skills to avoid mistakes,
092121 - ref OF 2 7333 (see ref SDS 25 4485).
092122 -
092123 - [On 921205 see empathic listening. ref SDS 17 5903]
092125 - ..
092126 - This alone however, is inadequate because implementation
092127 - occurs over time, and time diffuses understanding, ref SDS
092128 - 17 line 221. Therefore, it is not enough to explain and to
092129 - listen well, we need to measure both in order to verify
092130 - understanding in advance of action, and measure action
092131 - relative to intent. There are two steps in doing this:
092133 - ..
092134 - 1. Write out our understanding of what was said, its
092135 - intent and implications, and the actions that will
092136 - be taken as a result, and distribute for confirma-
092137 - tion.
092139 - ..
092140 - 2. Link cost budget accounts and scheduled actions to
092141 - the record of understandings that support work in
092142 - progress.
092144 - ..
092145 - [This point was later analysed at ref SDS 30 line
092146 - 257 and ref SDS 38 line 97.
092147 -
092149 - ..
092150 - Written understandings do not fade with time. We can
092151 - check as often as necessary to ensure our course is
092152 - consistent with our understandings, and that our under-
092153 - standings are supported by the record of performance.
092154 -
092156 - ..
092157 - Reluctance to rely on the record arises in part from the fact
092158 - that traditional records management methods have been over-
092159 - whelmed by the volume of information generated by PC's, faxes,
092160 - meetings, mobile phones, etc. All of the "stuff" that comes
092161 - to a manager everyday, has to be evaluated, identified and
092162 - integrated into the existing information stream quickly, so it
092163 - can be brought to our attention automatically when needed.
092165 - ..
092166 - Conventional Technology is Inadequate
092167 -
092168 - SDS addresses this dilemma by reducing the amount of printed
092169 - material that has to be physically handled (except in external
092170 - management, it becomes a weapon). This is accomplished by using
092171 - electronic memos called "SDS records" that are automatically filed
092172 - and distributed as soon as they are produced, and are thereafter
092173 - instantly available when needed. These electronic notes and memos
092174 - are automatically rolled over into the Schedule as "controllable
092175 - action items" linked to the document of origin, in seconds. Right
092176 - now, people are trying to do this with CC mail, but they are
092177 - missing the essential ingredients of subject indexing and linkage
092178 - to time, people, prior related events and documents. That linkage
092179 - is being done in their head which results in endless cycles of
092180 - correcting mistakes.
092181 -
092183 - ..
092184 - In sum, this class presented many types of helpful analysis and
092185 - reporting techniques, but nothing on how to manage the resulting
092186 - record in the face of staff cut backs and an exploding information
092187 - base. Perhaps it is a problem without a recognized solution.
092189 - ..
092190 - When I explained SDS after class today, Frank indicated its ability to
092191 - reduce the time required to create and assemble needed information,
092192 - would be helpful.
092193 -
092195 - ..
092197 - ..
092198 - Claims & Litigation
092199 -
092200 - There was no discussion today or during the class of a Project
092201 - Manager's responsibility to create and maintain a record to support
092202 - recovery of and/or defend against claims and litigation.
092203 -
092204 - One case study treated a customer notice of defective work and a
092205 - consequent threat to withhold payments, but it focused on the use
092206 - of a "tiger team," rather than using the contract and the project
092207 - record to determine whether there was any merit to the claim. An-
092208 - other discussion dealt with avoiding project delays due to contract
092209 - disputes, by meeting demands of outside vendors.
092211 - ..
092212 - I believe greater class time might be given to setting out policy and
092213 - procedures for using the project record to discover how to perform the
092214 - work correctly in order to reduce conflicts, and how to apply the
092215 - record to equitably resolve those conflicts that do arise. Second,
092216 - what guidance is available on using the record differently to resolve
092217 - internal management disputes as opposed to external claims?
092219 - ..
092220 - Perhaps there is another class in the Cal Tech series that deals with
092221 - this?
092223 - ..
092224 - JPL Must Have Valuable Experience - Case Studies Using
092225 - Project Records to Resolve Disputes
092226 -
092227 - Frank mentioned the first day of the seminar that he has a practice
092228 - of confirming his understandings of conduct or communications by an
092229 - outside contractor, which, if true, would require him to invoke
092230 - provisions that protect the interests of JPL.
092232 - ..
092233 - Upon discussion, he agreed his practice reflects "notice"
092234 - provisions in JPL contracts.
092236 - ..
092237 - Frank indicated that using notice results in the other party
092238 - rescinding its position, or otherwise taking corrective action.
092239 - Everyone accepted this as good tactics. However, this is but one
092240 - drop in the well of the project record. Since a mere threat of
092241 - action cannot resolve every dispute, it would be helpful to
092242 - consider the methods on how the record is maintained and applied in
092243 - resolving disputes.
092244 -
092246 - ..
092247 - Business Metrics Critical to Improve Management
092248 -
092249 - This was a strong part of the Cal Tech presentation, and correlates
092250 - with the POIMS process...
092251 -
092252 -
092253 - Plan, Organize, Integrate, Measure
092254 -
092255 -
092256 - ...to generate useful "intelligence" for daily management. ref OF 5
092257 - 0582
092259 - ..
092260 - Frank emphasized the need to develop ways to align performance against
092261 - objectives, commonly called "business metrics." He pointed out all of
092262 - the different meetings and reports JPL uses to manage the space
092263 - program, yet he recoiled when asked to explain how to manage the
092264 - record, per above. ref SDS 0 3744
092266 - ..
092267 - It would have been helpful to get examples of useful "metrics" for
092268 - "communications" in light of communication problems that caused the
092269 - space shuttle crash, discussed below. ref SDS 0 4499
092270 -
092271 - [On 980307 Andy Grove's book "Only the Paranoid Survive" descirbes
092272 - the discipline and diligence needed to commit thoughts to paper,
092273 - take copious notes for meetings and ask follow up questions to
092274 - clarify meaning. ref SDS 50 3668 -- like Frank, Grove says it is
092275 - not easy and not fun. ref SDS 50 3761]
092277 - ..
092278 - My sense is that apart from using existing control on cost, schedule
092279 - and performance reporting, in most cases the "metric" is merely a note
092280 - to follow up to see if a document is issued or a meeting or some other
092281 - promised deliverable or event actually occurs.
092282 - ..
092283 - What is the "metric" to measure effective communications? (see
092284 - above, ref SDS 0 5624,)
092285 -
092286 - [On 940111 Cal Tech publication showed "feedback" metrics needed
092287 - to support communications. ref SDS 23 4400]
092288 -
092289 - [On 950327 defined Communication Metrics. ref SDS 32 2108]
092290 -
092292 - ..
092293 - Meeting Notes - Not Enough Time to Write
092294 -
092295 - Frank said he prepares his own meeting notes, and Sheri, with Apple
092296 - Computer, said she does the same. We discussed the importance of
092297 - making detailed meeting notes, beyond simply writing down action
092298 - items, since the reasons for taking action and for NOT taking other
092299 - actions, are often more important than the action items themselves.
092301 - ..
092302 - Frank agreed with this point, but observed that too often there is not
092303 - enough time to capture the detail, as the number of meetings, phone
092304 - calls, documents increases, reflecting his earlier emotional refusal
092305 - to discuss methods for capturing the daily record. ref SDS 0 4390
092306 -
092308 - ..
092309 - Analysis
092310 -
092311 - This seems problematical. It redounds to the proposition that we
092312 - are too busy to succeed, and only have time to fail. Since the
092313 - sole purpose of management is to succeed, the real problem lies
092314 - not in the time available, but in the allocation of available time
092315 - to that which contributes the most to success.
092317 - ..
092318 - Writing Creates Understanding
092319 -
092320 - Attending a meeting is a "soft" science. We are listening and
092321 - talking to varying degrees. People like to talk. It is
092322 - personable and stimulating to exchange views.
092323 -
092324 - [On 980307 Andy Grove's book "Only the Paranoid Survive" notes
092325 - mind is forgiving of ambiguity. ref SDS 50 3668]
092327 - ..
092328 - The hard important work is figuring out afterward what was said,
092329 - what was meant, and the implications relative to organizational
092330 - objectives and the record, i.e. implementing the precepts of:
092331 -
092332 - Management by Objectives
092334 - ..
092335 - In other words attending a meeting is like writing an initial
092336 - software program, fun and creative. Writing up the meeting is
092337 - like debugging and testing software, slow and painful where we
092338 - discover deep seated conflicts in our thinking. What "sounds"
092339 - brilliant at a meeting, often turns out not to fit very well when
092340 - written out and/or is flatly contradicted by the record, forcing
092341 - us to go check with people about what was truly intended. This is
092342 - painful, but generally less so than failure.
092344 - ..
092345 - "Feel Good Management" Impedes Discovery
092346 - ----------------------------------------
092347 - Unfortunately, too often the harm of future failure is overwhelmed
092348 - by the desire to avoid immediate pain, embarrassment or
092349 - inconvenience (see above line 157 and ref SDS 1 line 152)...
092350 -
092351 - 1. ...to invest limited time writing down what we believe we
092352 - already know, instead of attending another meeting, social-
092353 - izing in the office, or going home early.
092354 -
092355 - 2. ...to inquire of superiors and others about correcting
092356 - perceived mistakes. Social pressure impedes conversation.
092358 - ..
092359 - So, while we are forced to debug a software program that does not
092360 - work, by correcting mistakes of fact and reasoning, the same
092361 - forced discipline does not exist with meetings because mistakes
092362 - take longer to manifest themselves. Thus, writing up detailed
092363 - meeting notes is the process of taking responsibility for the
092364 - success of the meeting.
092365 -
092367 - ..
092368 - Discovery & Creativity
092369 -
092370 - But it is much more than that. Writing notes lets us "discover"
092371 - our knowledge and ideas by "processing" inchoate mental percep-
092372 - tions through the prism of formalized language, and measuring them
092373 - (i.e. the metric) against the rules of logic, and the record of
092374 - prior related events and formal correspondence. These are the
092375 - essential elements to improve management productivity, since they
092376 - ensure that conduct is adequately supported.
092377 -
092378 - [see also the analysis of "conflict" discussed later at ref
092379 - SDS 15 line 247.]
092380 -
092382 - ..
092383 - Forces that Impede Understanding
092384 -
092385 - The real reason detailed notes are not created is because people
092386 - hope, and often believe, it is not necessary to do rigorous work.
092387 - This view is nurtured by the false premise that attending another
092388 - meeting or taking another phone call is more important than
092389 - "understanding" what transpired in the one just completed. More
092390 - recently concern about liability has given rise to fear of
092391 - "discovery" in litigation, that is being met by avoiding the crea-
092392 - tion of a written record under advice of counsel. Thus a nexus of
092393 - hope, ignorance and fear are moving management away from the only
092394 - tool that can help them succeed, see ref SDS 10 line 220.
092395 -
092396 - [See Ignorance, fear, denial at ref SDS 38 line 241.]
092397 -
092399 - ..
092400 - Solution is New Technology
092401 -
092402 - To be fair, lawyers do not ask their clients to act against
092403 - their interests. They worry about "discovering" conflicting
092404 - writings which make the client look bad. The solution is to
092405 - provide a tool that enables managers to discover for them-
092406 - selves at a time when something can be done about it, that a
092407 - conflict exists, rather than years after it is too late. This
092408 - is the essence of Communication Metrics, ref SDS 30 line 255.
092410 - ..
092411 - Organization, Structure Improve Communications
092412 -
092413 - Particular decisions need only a small part of the record; but,
092414 - under current methods, it is too difficult and time consuming to
092415 - extract relevant information from a sea of narrative. Today, we
092416 - need part "g," later part "m," and still later part "a," however,
092417 - using filing cabinets, memos, file folders and computer files, we
092418 - cannot find the parts we need in time to effect the dynamics of
092419 - moving events.
092421 - ..
092422 - Therefore, records of important events should be prepared with
092423 - headings and structure that permit quickly finding main issues and
092424 - understanding essential points of documents so that narrative need
092425 - only be read selectively, per ref OF 3 line 91. Since this
092426 - typically is not done, a perception arises that notes are not use-
092427 - ful because it takes too much time to read everything. Headings
092428 - are difficult to create because often during the creative mode of
092429 - writing the record, we cannot fully anticipate what the headings
092430 - should be. We have to go back and create them after the narrative
092431 - is complete so we can recognize the association of the record with
092432 - organizational objectives.
092433 -
092435 - ..
092436 - Problems for Class Members
092437 -
092438 - Near the end of the class, Frank asked attendees to present problems
092439 - they have encountered.
092440 -
092442 - ..
092443 - Internal Project Launch Meeting
092444 -
092445 - Dennis Ray, with Northrup, asked for assistance in planning a
092446 - project launch meeting he has to conduct on Monday. He has been
092447 - assigned to lead an ad hoc group to procure a new automated
092448 - machine tool that will replace an existing manual routing
092449 - operation. It was suggested that he consider the following:
092450 -
092451 - 1. Set out in writing, if it has not already been done, a
092452 - statement of his assignment, responsibility, authority and
092453 - resources.
092454 - ..
092455 - 2. Prepare an org chart showing reporting lines and
092456 - skills available to the team.
092458 - ..
092459 - 3. Do an order of magnitude plan and schedule.
092461 - ..
092462 - 4. Prepare a statement of his objectives for the launch
092463 - meeting, and discussion points for each one.
092465 - ..
092466 - 5. Meet with each team member in advance of the meeting to
092467 - alert them to the agenda and get a feel for their level of
092468 - commitment, interest and time available to contribute to the
092469 - project.
092471 - ..
092472 - 6. Since at least one team member will be senior to Dennis, and
092473 - others will be outside his normal sphere of influence, he
092474 - should invite someone senior to everyone else and to whom
092475 - Dennis is responsible, to attend the first launch meeting as
092476 - an observer. This person should be briefed on steps 1 - 5
092477 - for scope, approval/comments prior to the meeting, so there
092478 - is either express or implied buy in.
092480 - ..
092481 - Introducing Innovative Products
092482 -
092483 - I did not set this out but a main objective for attending the
092484 - seminar was to get some ideas for explaining SDS.
092485 -
092486 - An entrepreneur develops a software program to accomplish a vari-
092487 - ..
092488 - ety of tasks many people recognize as helpful, plus it provides
092489 - new capability that few people are able to recognize as helpful,
092490 - because there is no experience with it, e.g. "integrated
092491 - scheduling and reporting" has no meaning to anybody.
092492 -
092494 - ..
092495 - Learning SDS Like Learning the Alphabet
092496 -
092497 - This is comparable to the creation of the alphabet which enables
092498 - people to think, remember and communicate much better than they
092499 - can without using the alphabet. But at inception, no one "knows"
092500 - the scope and power of the process, so the learning curve appears
092501 - disproportionate to the benefit, which is why we send children to
092502 - school to learn to read and write while they are too small to
092503 - effectively object.
092505 - ..
092506 - Writing Seems to Conflict with Need to Expedite
092507 -
092508 - Managers feel that "writing down" what they "know" is the
092509 - antithesis of their objective to "expedite" performance and so are
092510 - troubled by the notion tha\ the....
092512 - ..
092513 -
092514 - long way around is the short way there
092515 -
092516 - ...see record on 920513. ref SDS 13 5592
092517 -
092519 - ..
092520 - Course Does not Reach DNRC's Immediate Needs
092521 -
092522 - Another objective was to evaluate the course for helping Montana
092523 - DNRC's situation, by sending some key people to attend next year. My
092524 - sense is that DNRC is so embroiled in the legal stuff at this time,
092525 - that there is not a good correlation with this course.
092526 -
092527 - I would expect that DNRC's considerations on starting a Project
092528 - Management section, would benefit from Cal Tech's course, as part
092529 - of a broader education plan that should include courses on
092530 - treating external (contract) management, records management, and
092531 - claims and litigation.
092532 -
092534 - ..
092535 - Synthesis of Dispute Resolution
092536 -
092537 - A possible valuable course for Cal Tech to consider is to bring manag-
092538 - ers, consultants and lawyers together from different PM fields to
092539 - share ideas on finding better solutions to common scenarios. There is
092540 - a long history of "practice" on ways and means to resolve contract
092541 - disputes in construction. There is another parallel body of practice
092542 - for doing the same thing in ship building, probably another in the oil
092543 - and gas industry, another in pharmaceuticals, another in aerospace,
092544 - etc. It would be helpful to focus on commonalities and to understand
092545 - where these practices diverge, as a way to provide generic course
092546 - material that has wider application.
092547 -
092549 - ..
092550 - Project Management is Difficult
092551 -
092552 - Near the end of the day, Frank commented on the difficulties in
092553 - performing project management, and asked rhetorically:
092554 -
092555 - Why would anyone go into this field?
092557 - ..
092558 - The hardest thing about project management is coming to understand
092559 - how complex it is.
092560 -
092561 - The first day of class we listed what can cause projects to go
092562 - wrong:
092564 - ..
092565 - Causes of Management Failure
092566 -
092567 - 1. Projects are comprised of people who have competing interests
092568 - in cost, schedule, ego and career paths.
092569 -
092570 - 7. The large number of competing interests (people, organiza-
092571 - tions, specifications, design details, volume and frequency
092572 - of communications), makes the potential for error very large.
092574 - ..
092575 - 8. Failure to adequately "plan" for cost, schedule and
092576 - performance:
092577 -
092578 - Failure to focus on areas of greatest risk, i.e. complex
092579 - design or people interface.
092580 - ..
092581 - Inadequate support from top management -- resources
092582 - and expertise are not marshalled until after disaster.
092584 - ..
092585 - Failure to apply metrics to discover errors before they
092586 - impact performance.
092588 - ..
092589 - Pace of business life causes people to overlook critical
092590 - details; tasks that seem to have plenty of time fall
092591 - behind, ref SDS 2 4367.
092593 - ..
092594 - 9. People over time tend to perform according to familiar
092595 - pattern and social pressure, rather than rely on planning
092596 - metrics and/or the terms of the Contract or other Project
092597 - charter, ref SDS 17 line 223. "Feel good" management
092598 - prevails, ref SDS 1 line 153.
092599 - ..
092600 - 2.. People tend to rely on their recollection of events and
092601 - understandings, rather than rely on the project record,
092602 - because the latter is not readily accessible, causing
092603 - mistakes that incur extra expense and time under the guise of
092604 - expediting performance. This causes "Murphy's Law."
092606 - ..
092607 - 3.. The interests of people and organizations change over
092608 - time.
092610 - ..
092611 - 4.. People fail to consistently apply sound management practices
092612 - because they are inexperienced. Often when they are informed
092613 - about a good process, it seems unnecessary because they have
092614 - not been around long enough to discover that the short cut
092615 - they have in mind leads to difficulties. Those who know what
092616 - to do are unable to do it because they lack the tools to
092617 - carry them out, and/or support from upper management.
092618 - ..
092619 - Down[right]sizing, pares off high priced experienced
092620 - people, leaving low priced inexperienced people to re-learn
092621 - the lessons of those let go to economize, resulting in
092622 - repeating mistakes of the past.
092624 - ..
092625 - When we start in "Project Management" for say the first 10 years -
092626 - it appears to be a simple, straight forward undertaking. By the
092627 - time we gain the experience to appreciate its complexity, we often
092628 - give up on achieving excellence, believing things cannot be done,
092629 - for example adequate records management.
092630 -
092632 - ..
092633 - Automated Integration - Management is Complex
092634 -
092635 - Therefore, to make a meaningful improvement in the practice of
092636 - management requires a significant effort. Something like SDS which
092637 - automates the integration of key management practices can seem too
092638 - "complicated," because it is doing a complicated thing...
092639 -
092640 - M A N A G E M E N T
092641 -
092642 - ...per difficulties cited above, ref SDS 0 6565.
092644 - ..
092645 - [Later set out at ref SDS 19 4830.]
092647 - ..
092648 - Learning to use SDS exposes people to something the mind inherently
092649 - hides in order to get through the day, complexity, by rolling up
092650 - details into levels of summaries. However, the mind tends to
092651 - commingle low level details that fit common patterns, resulting in
092652 - "confusion." Thus, automating the process of assembling "details"
092653 - into useable summaries like the mind does, improves productivity as
092654 - a consequence of avoiding "confusion."
092655 -
092657 - ..
092658 - Controllable Action Items
092659 -
092660 - I asked Frank what process is used at JPL to connect the many action
092661 - items that arise from all of the management systems, meetings, phone
092662 - calls, and reviews, presented in this class today, and called out in
092663 - the seminar published materials, ref OF 1 line 60. These activities
092664 - obviously produce a lot of information. How is it all connected up to
092665 - ensure consistency with project objectives and requirements?
092666 -
092667 - Frank indicated that each person keeps track their own work, and a
092668 - Master list of action items is maintained by the Project Manager's
092669 - secretary.
092670 -
092671 - There does not seem to be an inventory system and routine
092672 - auditing of pending matters to ensure things are not overlooked
092673 - because mangers do not have enough time to write detailed notes,
092674 - as Frank commented earlier. ref SDS 0 2830
092675 - ..
092676 - I asked if JPL action items are linked in any way to project
092677 - records, like correspondence, plan details, schedule and cost reports,
092678 - daily progress reports, meeting notes, etc?
092679 -
092680 - Frank indicated that Action Items at JPL are not typically linked
092681 - in this manner. Parties responsible for performance are expected
092682 - to track affected project records.
092683 -
092684 - [On 960519 developed concept of Controlled Visibility linking
092685 - summary to details. ref SDS 43 0001
092686 -
092687 -
092688 -
092689 -
0927 -
SUBJECTS
Challenger Space Shuttle Explosion and Loss of Life Illustrate Cost Sav
Audit Trail Alignment Traceability to Original Souces Accounting Hist
Challenger Space Shuttle Lessons Learned Case Studies on Need for Audit
Audit Trail Original Sources Improves Accuracy
Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster
Proactive Intelligence for Management, Comm Metrics SDS Links Add Val
Audit Trail Traceability to Original Sources Link Original Sources Ai
Good Management Challenger Space Shuttle Explosion Caused NASA JPL to I
Bumbling Information Overload Entropy Not Enough Time to Think Cursor
2411 -
241201 - ..
241202 - O Ring Failure on Challenger Space Shuttle
241203 - Good Management Audit Trail to Objectives Requirments Commitments
241204 -
241205 - Frank has extensive experience with the Space program. ref DRP 1
241206 - 0783
241207 -
241208 - Frank said JPL communications came under review following explosion
241209 - of the Challenger space shuttle in 1986.
241210 -
241211 - Communication problems cause mistakes, rework, delay, extra cost
241212 - anger, and frustration, discussed by Frank above. ref SDS 0 A252
241214 - ..
241215 - Frank recalled findings from the review commission that management
241216 - communication in meetings, design reviews and submittals on the "O"
241217 - rings fell prey initially to simple misunderstandings due to lack
241218 - of feedback loops, called out by industry standards, but routinely
241219 - ignored due to limited time and social pressure. When indications
241220 - began to surface of possible problems, they were at first ignored,
241221 - then covered up due to pressures of tight budgets, schedules and
241222 - perceived impacts on career advancement from not being a "team
241223 - player," as occurred with Professor Brainerd in 1942 when John
241224 - Mauchly submitted the first design for a digital computer, and the
241225 - experts ignored this breakthrough in order to be "team players."
241226 - ref OF 6 X93H
241228 - ..
241229 - [On 940111 JPL publication on Project Management calls for a
241230 - system of feedback to make communication effective, but this
241231 - takes time that looks like overkill at the time, until people
241232 - get killed, then every blames Murphy's Law. ref SDS 23 4400
241234 - ..
241235 - [On 950721 PMBOK and ISO require feedback loops with an audit
241236 - trail showing traceability to original sources to verify
241237 - accuracy and maintain alignment with requirements.
241238 - ref SDS 35 1740
241240 - ..
241241 - [On 951026 organizations certified compliant with ISO
241242 - requirements are unable to comply with requirements for good
241243 - management. ref SDS 39 3245
241245 - ..
241246 - [On 020504 study shows professional standards for
241247 - communication practices and requirements on good management
241248 - specified in FAR, ISO, Health Care, Covey, Drucker, law,
241249 - contract notice provisions, and 2,000 years of literacy for
241250 - contemporaneous documentation for alignment and feedback to
241251 - work intelligently, quickly, and accurately are ignored in
241252 - government, business, health care, every sector. ref SDS 60
241253 - NS6F
241255 - ..
241256 - [On 050824 Advice Nurse being persistant reminding the
241257 - surgeon to implement requirements in Kaiser's Healthwise
241258 - Handbook on following up patient calls to collaborate and
241259 - coordinate via email for accurate communications and patient
241260 - medical history. ref SDS 68 4M7N
241262 - ..
241263 - Problems that arise when small deviations occur because information
241264 - does not align with requirements are initially ignored. People are
241265 - all very busy going to meetings using strong communication skills
241266 - discussing the "big picture" and the bottom line. There is not
241267 - enough time for analysis of inconsequential details that seem like
241268 - "overkill" to fix by investing only a few seconds, minutes and
241269 - hours, per Frank's discussion above about difficulty managing the
241270 - daily record of organizational memory. ref SDS 0 4390 These
241271 - problems later gradually fall into alignment that forms a critical
241272 - mass that explodes unexpectedly on the scene, requiring, weeks,
241273 - months and years to recover.
241274 -
241275 - [On 921127 bad management allows small, inconsequential
241276 - details to later cause major problems, because people are too
241277 - busy fixing big problems to fix problems when they are small
241278 - so they cannot explode into catestrophy. ref SDS 16 0674
241280 - ..
241281 - [On 030826 NASA chief Sean O'Keefe said a culture of denial
241282 - forms when people cannot perform requirements for good
241283 - management using popular tools and methods approved by the
241284 - bureaucracy; people ignore requirements as mere suggestions
241285 - and guidelines, rather than experiment to discover tools and
241286 - methods for meeting requirements in less time and for less
241287 - cost, because people are afraid to notify management that
241288 - requirements are not being met; when procedures for
241289 - improvement require many to say yes, and only one person can
241290 - say no, most everybody gives up. ref SDS 65 8K4G
241292 - ..
241293 - The explosion of the Challenger Space Shuttle supports
241294 - Aristotle's rule that the least initial deviation from the truth
241295 - is multipled later a thousand times, cited in NWO. ref OF 6 4564
241297 - ..
241298 - Feel good management relying on style and image creates pressure
241299 - to use bad management, because, in the moment, good management
241300 - always seems like overkill. Working intelligently to maintain
241301 - an audit trail for traceability to original sources that imparts
241302 - understanding of cause and effect for preventing mistakes and
241303 - discovering opportunity to save time and money, are denied
241304 - because the cost of good management requires a front-end
241305 - investment, while the costs of bad management are deferred and
241306 - transferred to others, discussed on 911123, ref SDS 10 1331, and
241307 - earlier on 890324. ref SDS 3 LZ5F POIMS makes the same point in
241308 - explaining the design of tools that make good management fast,
241309 - easy and fun. ref OF 5 V47N
241311 - ..
241312 - Costs and benefits of "Feel good" management that prevent using
241313 - deliberation for proactive management are explained above.
241314 - ref SDS 0 1661
241316 - ..
241317 - [On 931229 management failing at IBM. ref SDS 21 9870
241319 - ..
241320 - [On 940609 planning and communication are big challenges at
241321 - IBM. ref SDS 26 JT7G
241323 - ..
241324 - [On 940609 Kissinger says continual bumbling occurs when
241325 - people omit analysis to understand communication. ref SDS 27
241326 - 4238
241328 - ..
241329 - [On 960204 people waste 70% of the day in unproductive
241330 - meetings because nobody is prepared. ref SDS 41 5902
241332 - ..
241333 - [On 960406 people frustrated because information is hard to
241334 - find on computers. ref SDS 42 4249
241336 - ..
241337 - [On 970707 productivity on big projects degrades to entropy
241338 - because management overwhelmed by information overload.
241339 - ref SDS 46 0108
241341 - ..
241342 - [On 011006 similar issue on aerospace projects. ref SDS 57
241343 - O99K
241345 - ..
241346 - [On 020315 bad management endemic to big organizations due to
241347 - inherent entropy, ref SDS 59 CP5K, explained on 970707.
241348 - ref SDS 46 0611
241350 - ..
241351 - [On 000328 JPL calling for project management mentoring and
241352 - system of checks and balances. ref SDS 56 2278
241354 - ..
241355 - Frank advised that stringent requirements for better management,
241356 - like we have discussed today, were put in place to avoid future
241357 - disasters like the loss of the Challenger Space Shuttle in 1986.
241358 - ref SDS 0 4499 JPL adopted new audit procedures that maintain
241359 - alignment of daily communication with the work so that warnings of
241360 - problems, that were ignored during the Challenger episode, now get
241361 - early, vigorous attention. These audits have added to the cost of
241362 - the Space Program, but there have been no more major failures.
241363 -
241364 - [On 940111 JPL and NASA requirements for project management
241365 - list feedback as the essential process for accurate
241366 - communications. ref SDS 23 4400
241368 - ..
241369 - [On 020504 study shows professional standards for communication
241370 - practices and requirements on good management specified in FAR,
241371 - ISO, Health Care, Covey, Drucker, law, contract notice
241372 - provisions, and 2,000 years of literacy for contemporaneous
241373 - documentation for alignment and feedback to work intelligently,
241374 - quickly, and accurately are ignored in government, business,
241375 - health care, every sector. ref SDS 60 NS6F
241377 - ..
241378 - [On 030826 NASA chief Sean O'Keefe said a culture of denial
241379 - forms when people cannot perform requirements for good
241380 - management using popular tools and methods approved by the
241381 - bureaucracy; people ignore requirements as mere suggestions and
241382 - guidelines, rather than experiment to discover tools and
241383 - methods for meeting requirements in less time and for less
241384 - cost, because people are afraid to notify management that
241385 - requirements are not being met; when procedures for improvement
241386 - require many to say yes, and only one person can say no, most
241387 - everybody gives up. ref SDS 65 8K4G
241389 - ..
241390 - Frank's lament earlier this morning that now, six (6) years later,
241391 - communication is a "sore subject," suggests that vigilence to use
241392 - good management consistently remains a big challenge at NASA, as it
241393 - is everywhere. ref SDS 0 4F50
241395 - ..
241396 - [On 921205 research shows human biology makes it very difficult
241397 - to use good management practices, like "audits" instituted by
241398 - JPL, consistently. ref SDS 17 4803
241400 - ..
241401 - [On 030201 Columbia Space Shuttle exploded during re-entry from
241402 - a space mission. ref SDS 62 0001
241404 - ..
241405 - [On 030304 warnings of problems issued through email were
241406 - ignored becasue email is informal and emotional. ref SDS 64
241407 - VO92
241409 - ..
241410 - [On 940219 article reports communication is biggest factor in
241411 - project success. ref SDS 25 3553]
241413 - ..
241414 - [On 950812 used these ideas into NWO paper explaining "Murphy's
241415 - Law" and "Knowledge Creep," ref SDS 36 0112]
241417 - ..
241418 - [On 940611 $500M ship lost due to communication not aligned
241419 - with requirements. ref SDS 28 8239]
241421 - ..
241422 - [On 940612 discussion of Murphy's Law at ref SDS 29 5882]
241424 - ..
241425 - [On 951026 managers refuse to implement ISO criteria to align
241426 - communications. ref SDS 39 3245]
241428 - ..
241429 - [On 020204 Enron board of directors ordered audits to help
241430 - manaement maintain alignment of daily work with objectives,
241431 - requirements and commitments, but the the audits were not
241432 - performed, and Enron collapsed into bankruptcy. ref SDS 58 EX5O
241434 - ..
241435 - I am curious about business metrics at JPL?
241437 - ..
241438 - What are these "audits" - what procedures are followed under what
241439 - guidance? How many people and how often do they occur? How much
241440 - do they cost? How has the audit process withstood the challenge of
241441 - time? After audits are successful avoiding the problems, vigilence
241442 - wains because new people do not understand why good practice is
241443 - needed when the money can be put to better use on other things, as
241444 - budgets are reduced? How does NASA avoid temptation to return to
241445 - bad management, when good management begins to look like overkill?
241446 -
241447 - [On 960723 VDT program developed by Ray Levitt at Stanford
241448 - calculates communication impact from organization structure and
241449 - staffing levels. ref SDS 44 2502]
241451 - ..
241452 - [On 970524 Morris attended Cal Tech seminar that presented
241453 - detailed study of communications causing the space shuttle
241454 - crash. ref SDS 45 7298
241456 - ..
241457 - [On 980811 Titan rocket launching a spy satallite exploded
241458 - during launch, costing $1B
241460 - ..
241461 - [On 991001 Mars space probe crashed. ref SDS 53 0001]
241463 - ..
241464 - [On 991108 Challenger cited as a case study on writing in the
241465 - workplace. ref SDS 54 1800
241467 - ..
241468 - [On 000328 JPL calling for project management mentoring and
241469 - system of checks and balances. ref SDS 56 2278
241471 - ..
241472 - [On 020816 NASA lost another space craft. ref SDS 61 0001
241474 - ..
241475 - [On 030201 NASA lost the sister space shuttle, Columbia.
241476 - ref SDS 62 0001
241478 - ..
241479 - [On 030202 reduced budgets and relaxed contract management
241480 - cited for space shuttle program. ref SDS 63 0001 and
241481 - ref SDS 63 XX87
241483 - ..
241484 - [On 040419 handling a lot of paperwork for medical treatments
241485 - is a sore subject at Kaiser. ref SDS 66 XU83
241487 - ..
241488 - Incorporated this case study into NWO to illustrate cost savings
241489 - from adding intelligence role for Com Metrics. ref OF 6 35JG
241490 -
241491 -
241492 -
241493 -
241494 -
241495 -
241496 -
241497 -
241498 -
241499 -
241500 -
241501 -
241502 -
241503 -
241504 -
241505 -
2416 -
Distribution. . . . See "CONTACTS"