CONTACTS 
0201 - Chips & Tech.                                                                                                                                                      O-00000039 0201
020101 - Mr. Morris E. Jones
020102 - Vice President
020103 - Advanced Products

SUBJECTS
Chips, Morris Jones, V.P., Founder
Chips New Product Development Process
Not Enough Time to Read and Write

0605 -
0605 -    ..
0606 - Summary/Objective
0607 -
060701 - Follow up ref SDS 41 0000.
060702 -
060703 - Talked for several hours this evening about using psychologists to
060704 - improve communications, and then about SDS and Communication Metrics.
060705 - The discussion revealed an important perspective on use of the term
060706 - "metrics."
060708 -  ..
0608 -
0609 -
0610 - Discussion
061101 -  ..
061102 - Intel Meeting Notes
061103 -
061104 - Morris said he has still not read the E-mail I sent on meeting with
061105 - Intel at ref SDS 32 line 86, and mentioned at ref SDS 41 line 81.
061106 -
061107 - I explained again that these notes deal with ideas about Communication
061108 - Metrics and a presentation to PMI which we discussed this evening.
061109 -
061110 -
061111 -
061112 -
061113 -
0612 -

SUBJECTS
Chips New Product Development Process
Reengineer Project Management
Reengineering to Change in Right Direction,
Business Engineering, 930216
Business Process Measurement, Communication
Reengineer Communication SDS Improves Management Adds Metrics Alignme

1208 -
120901 -  ..
120902 - Cal Tech Follow Up Event
120903 -
120904 - Morris said the event he attended yesterday was successful, reported
120905 - on 951101. ref SDS 43 163J
120906 -
120907 - I asked if any action items or information was developed that can be
120908 - used by attendees or the organization generally.
120910 -  ..
120911 - Morris said no action items resulted for attendees because Chips plans
120912 - to change its businesses process for "strategic" new product
120913 - development.  This will occur months in the future.  He feels the
120914 - seminar yesterday improved the ability to accept and carry out the new
120915 - process when it is implemented.
120916 -
120917 -         [On 951228 seems to have turned out Chips is really writing up
120918 -         the process they have, rather than creating a different one.
120919 -         ref SDS 50 SN3J
120921 -      ..
120922 -     Reengineer Product Development Process with Com Metrics
120923 -
120924 -     Communication Metrics would be used by attendees or a designated
120925 -     employee to test understanding of what was presented by creating a
120926 -     record showing correlations with past events, discussions,
120927 -     management meetings, current work practices, articles and other
120928 -     applicable sources.  This would provide a resource to support the
120929 -     process changes Morris has in mind for the future and it would
120930 -     enable attendees to more easily apply what was learned when the
120931 -     new process is launched.
120933 -      ..
120934 -     An example is the SDS record of the Cal Tech seminar on 921021.
120935 -     ref SDS 13 0001  Another example is the PMI seminar on 890513,
120936 -     ref SDS 3 0001  Another is PMI seminar on 900714. ref SDS 7 8409
120937 -     Another example is the discussion with Morris on 951101.
120938 -     ref SDS 43 0001
120939 -     ..
120940 -     This record today, also, shows the methodology.
120941 -
120942 -
120943 -
120944 -
120945 -
1210 -

SUBJECTS
Psychologically Demanding, Truth
Communications, Meetings, Metrics
Psychologists Improving Communications
Truth is a Moving Target
Writing in SDS is Inaccurate
Listening & Dialog Inadequate
Communication, Definition
Values, personal/organizational
Focus Team on Objectives, Good Things,
Meetings People Not Prepared
Accuracy SDS Record Incorrect Rod Not Listening

3213 -
321401 -  ..
321402 - Psychologist to Improve Communications
321403 -
321404 - Follow up ref SDS 43 5500.
321405 -
321406 - Reviewed with Morris discussions on using psychologists to improve
321407 - communications, reported in another record earlier today. ref SDS 45
321408 - 0000 [see also later concerns on 960213, ref SDS 52 0776] and on
321409 - 950927 discussed communication challenges at Intel, ref SDS 32 5002.
321410 - Morris said this is becoming more common in big companies.
321411 -
321412 -     [On 961113 discussion with KH ref SDS 58 1719.]
321414 -      ..
321415 -     [On 960419 see letter to PMI Comm. re Asilomar, ref SDS 60 7462.]
321417 -      ..
321418 -     [On 960721 see similar communication problems on external projects
321419 -     with Intel and Lockheed/Martin. ref SDS 63 0896]
321421 -      ..
321422 -     [See Intel meeting methods ref SDS 65 1111.]
321424 -      ..
321425 -     [On 041228 article reports psychologists hired at Apple rather
321426 -     than engineers for technical oversight. ref SDS 84 E77M
321428 -  ..
321429 - Our discussion this evening indicated Chips is making a big effort to
321430 - improve communications using a psychologyst, per the record on 951101,
321431 - ref SDS 43 5500, and reflecting consideration on 911123 analysing the
321432 - need for SDS. ref SDS 10 1717.  Morris described shaping conversations
321433 - to fit individual personalities so they are receptive and feel good
321434 - about participating. (Seems to come from executive training, team
321435 - building per ref SDS 57 8492)  He explained efforts to align
321436 - communications with people's values and paradigms.  He distinguished
321437 - discussion from "dialoging" that inhibits exhange and noted the
321438 - importance of listening.
321440 -  ..
321441 - He feels my listening skills can be improved, repeating earlier
321442 - concerns on 950223, ref SDS 20 7499
321443 -
321444 -     [...below, Morris worries that SDS is used to pad the record with
321445 -     inaccurate information to improperly influence adjudication of
321446 -     claims. ref SDS 0 1L95
321448 -  ..
321449 - On 890809 he noted that listening is a big weakness in conventional
321450 - management practice. ref SDS 6 CJ9J
321452 -  ..
321453 - We considered enormous effort needed to customize every communication
321454 - to meet the jumble of conflicting motivations and capacities of a
321455 - large and diverse workforce.  On 951101 Chips has hired a psychologist
321456 - to aid this effort, ref SDS 43 5500.
321457 -
321458 -     [On 960224 the psychologist effort had ended. ref SDS 54 7488.]
321460 -      ..
321461 -     [On 960227 concerns about accuracy of SDS record, ref SDS 56 6994;
321462 -     concerns that contracting parties do not agree, ref SDS 60 line
321463 -     768.]
321465 -      ..
321466 -     [On 980405 Morris cited the challenge of complex information
321467 -     relationships. ref SDS 70 2532
321468 -
321470 -  ..
321471 - Communication Leverages Common Interests Not Individual Proclivities
321472 -
321473 - I explained my sense that "communication" is the foundation of
321474 - community life, ref SDS 23 00000, and that communities have evolved
321475 - pretty well relative to other species over the past few thousand years
321476 - by focusing on "common" interests, rather than catering to individual
321477 - proclivities.  Communities can only be successful by setting aside
321478 - unique individual interests in order to increase the chances of
321479 - accomplishing broader interests held in common, for example safety,
321480 - freedom, food, shelter, entertainment, study.  More recently we have
321481 - added health insurance, air conditioning and MTV to the list of
321482 - necessities of life which "community" life is held responsible to
321483 - provide.  Management's job is to identify activity (e.g., design a
321484 - computer chip, build a bridge) which can attain those common
321485 - interests, and to direct efforts toward performing such activity
321486 - through communication.  Unsuccessful communities are those who are
321487 - unable to focus talent and energy on common goals.
321489 -  ..
321490 - When management customizes communication beyond recognition of slight
321491 - variances in genetic makeup, it loses the power of focusing on common
321492 - goals.  Thus, worrying about each persons values and paradigms may not
321493 - be the best course for achieving organizational objectives. When
321494 - people are hired, there is at least an implied covenant that says here
321495 - is where this community is headed.  Here is how we plan to get there.
321496 - You can join if you feel this will help you achieve your objectives
321497 - based on your unique values and paradigms.
321499 -  ..
321500 - Western civilization has produced a cornucopia of opportunities for
321501 - people to find a best fit for their values and paradigms.  It is
321502 - called the "job market" where communities of mutual interest can be
321503 - sought out.  This is a highly complex environment.  There is too much
321504 - to do, and too little time to customize communications beyond manners
321505 - and courtesy.  Of course there are always exceptions.  We may have an
321506 - exceptional engineer or other talent, such as a movie actor or
321507 - executive, for whom it is cost effective to customize communications.
321508 - But in general an organization can only function on the assumption
321509 - that good faith efforts to accomplish organizational objectives are
321510 - sufficient to motivate those who seek to perform the work.  Perhaps
321511 - the High Tech industry has a higher concentration of exceptional
321512 - people.
321513 -
321514 -
321515 -
321516 -
3216 -

SUBJECTS
Feel Good Management v. SDS
MBO, Automated
Traceability to Original Sources
Anger Caused by Feel Good Management Rather
Tending Garden of Knowledge
Meeting Notes Guide and Encourage

4408 -
440901 -  ..
440902 - Communication Problems & Solutions
440903 -
440904 - Most problems which cause anger frustration and costly mistakes, arise
440905 - from small deviations in communication that grow under two related
440906 - forces....
440907 -
440908 - Psychologists, cited above, ref SDS 0 4033, cannot solve...
440910 -          ..
440911 -     1.  Feel Good Management (FGM) was first discussed with Morris on
440912 -         911123. ref SDS 10 4930
440913 -
440914 -         People are upset by others who are not acting in good faith to
440915 -         accomplish organizational goals, but rather are exercising
440916 -         personal whim.  It causes anger because it conflicts with the
440917 -         covenant that people are setting aside personal whims in order
440918 -         to achieve common organizational objectives, as reported on
440919 -         950803, commenting on events on 771130. ref SDS 28 0001
440920 -         People feel deceived and trapped.  They lash out, obstruct,
440921 -         shirk.
440922 -
440923 -             [See example at L&C ref SDS 52 0000.]
440925 -              ..
440926 -             [PG&E seeking better communication, ref SDS 70 7402.]
440928 -              ..
440929 -             [On 971229 management training film shows communication
440930 -             problems are always happening. ref SDS 73 1501]
440931 -
440933 -          ..
440934 -         Management can address this by using Communication Metrics to
440935 -         maintain alignment with objectives, history, contracts and so
440936 -         on, as shown in the POIMS paper. ref OF 1 3955
440938 -          ..
440939 -         It is a daily endeavor, like tending a garden, because the
440940 -         pace of daily activity makes it difficult to keep original
440941 -         objectives in mind, per Morris' idea on 950303 of the Project
440942 -         Manager being blown off-course by daily "turbulence,"
440943 -         ref SDS 22 3497, and people are naturally drawn to conduct
440944 -         that feels good in the near term, even though it causes
440945 -         eventual pain.
440947 -          ..
440948 -         Morris said this evening that efforts to use MBO have failed.
440950 -          ..
440951 -         I would expect this is so because practitioners have failed to
440952 -         overcome Feel Good Management practice.
440954 -          ..
440955 -         People feel MBO is a sham, a gimmick, a phrase.
440957 -          ..
440958 -         Communication Metrics produces a deliverable that impacts work
440959 -         performance everyday.
440960 -
440961 -
440962 -
440963 -
4410 -

SUBJECTS
Haste Makes Waste, Avoid
Minute is About the Time People Can Align
Information Highway
Imploding on Information Highway
Drifting Off Course, Avoid Align People
Aligning Communications to Maintain Shared

5108 -
510901 -          ..
510902 -     2.  Information Highway - Haste makes waste!
510903 -
510904 -         Faster information flow from more meetings, calls, documents,
510905 -         e-mail, causes miscommunication all along the organizational
510906 -         "food chain" and obscures organizational objectives.  Even
510907 -         where there is initial common understanding, the fragility of
510908 -         knowledge means that within a few hours, a few days, knowledge
510909 -         creep causes people to drift off course because there is no
510910 -         contextual reinforcement to maintain alignment of cause and
510911 -         effect.  Understanding that is not maintained over time causes
510912 -         mistakes and conflicts under point 1, that require
510913 -         accountants, lawyers and psychologists to treat, per our
510914 -         discussion at ref SDS 41 line 125 and at ref SDS 41 line 239.
510915 -
510916 -             [See book on managing citing faster information flows
510917 -             impairs communication because meaning cannot be drawn from
510918 -             information, ref SDS 66 line 209.]
510919 -
510921 -          ..
510922 -         Slowing Down to Speed Up
510923 -
510924 -         The only remedy is to either slow down, or get a tool and
510925 -         someone who can use it, that speeds up the process of making
510926 -         the connections that convert information into knowledge, link
510927 -         it to organizational objectives, and maintain understandings
510928 -         over time.  This is SDS and Communication Metrics.  Fix the
510929 -         cause rather than tend the wounds of miscommunication.
510930 -
510931 -
510932 -
510933 -
5110 -

SUBJECTS
SDS Explanation
Experts Need Communication Manager Support
Terminology Learned Quickly, Expertise NOT
Evaluation Communication Metrics
Expertise Needed for Communication Manager
Discover Correlations Implications Nuance Action Items from Align wit
Knowledge Converted from Information Understanding then Respond after

6009 -
601001 -  ..
601002 - Communication Metrics:  Tools & Expertise Solve Faster Information
601003 -
601004 - Morris observed that SDS technology and Communication Metrics skills
601005 - improve productivity by reducing stress which drives executives to
601006 - blindly decide issues based on arbitrary personal whim, rather than
601007 - investigate and rely on evidence, when overwhelmed by complexity from
601008 - constant information.  This aligns with analysis from a previous
601009 - discussion on 951031. ref SDS 43 1759. Today, we reviewed briefly
601010 - concerns Morris cited earlier on 950228 about wasting time in meetings
601011 - pointing fingers and arguing about who said what at prior meetings.
601012 - ref SDS 21 1994
601014 -  ..
601015 - Morris asked how SDS discovers technical mistakes like a defective
601016 - soils report?  He indicated that a Communication Manager needs
601017 - technical expertise in the field covered by the communication.
601018 -
601019 -     [On 980307 Andy Grove's book "Only the Paranoid Survive" says he
601020 -     takes copious notes, and uses the notes to ask questions about
601021 -     things he does not understand, in order to expand understanding.
601022 -     ref SDS 75 3101]
601024 -      ..
601025 -     [On 001219 steps using SDS new way of working. ref SDS 80 QT6F
601027 -  ..
601028 - This question portends narrowing the application of Communication
601029 - Metrics by requiring technical expertise in a given field.
601030 -
601032 -      ..
601033 -     Technical Expertise is Acquired through Communication Metrics
601034 -
601035 -     Experience over the past 10 years shows that SDS is effective for
601036 -     any field of work: carpentry, medicine, rocket science, see for
601037 -     example the "O" ring disaster on the Space Shuttle explained at
601038 -     the Cal Tech seminar, ref SDS 13 4499.  Often it is better for the
601039 -     Communication Scribe not to have particular expertise, so that
601040 -     experts have to work a little harder to explain their ideas.  This
601041 -     uncovers those little deviations that get overlooked, mentioned by
601042 -     Aristotle, ref OF 2 6056.
601044 -      ..
601045 -     This method was used at DNRC, for example, on the speed increaser,
601046 -     and later at PG&E on technical issues ranging from environmental
601047 -     regulations to induced voltage from power lines in proximity to
601048 -     underground pipelines.  Engineering problems were discovered from
601049 -     correlating meetings, calls, correspondence, specs, and other
601050 -     sources into common understandings. see for example ref SDS 17
601051 -     8329, and the finding that this is exactly what managers need,
601052 -     per ref SDS 17 4920.
601053 -
601054 -         [See follow up at ref SDS 50 4382 and ref SDS 56 5772.]
601055 -
601056 -
601057 -
601058 -
6011 -

SUBJECTS
Metrics, Discover and Fix Mistakes
SDS Explanation
Metrics (analysis, aligning, testing)
Metrics, Continual
Metrics Determine Management Effectiveness,
Buffer Needed to Absorb Management Errors,
Align with Links to History Context Authority Reveal Correlations Imp
Data Base Metrics Inadequate for Complexity of Management and Communi

8810 -
881101 -  ..
881102 - What's a Metric?
881103 -
881104 - Morris restated concern that engineers want quantifiable factors to
881105 - measure.
881107 -  ..
881108 - He asked what is measured by Communication Metrics?
881109 -
881110 -     We reviewed Morris' ideas about useful metrics for communication
881111 -     from our discussion on 950223. ref SDS 20 5567
881113 -      ..
881114 -     I explained how the term "Communication Metrics" evolved to help
881115 -     people grasp the idea of improving communication by checking
881116 -     accuracy from prior understandings and external sources...
881118 -      ..
881119 -     On 950327 accuracy of understanding is a metric of communication
881120 -     that is accomplished in SDS by using triangulation that adds links
881121 -     to create alignment, adds subjects that establish the correct
881122 -     context, and by action items that manage follow up. ref SDS 23
881123 -     0E83  Each of these can be calculated.
881125 -           ..
881126 -          Is what we are doing and saying today consistent with our
881127 -          objectives, the contract, company policy, the law, our
881128 -          commitment in the letter last week, the invoice, the design
881129 -          calcs, what we said yesterday, last week, last year?
881130 -
881131 -            [On 960224 example working with Morris illustrates need for
881132 -            and application of Com Metrics. ref SDS 54 7400
881134 -      ..
881135 -     Morris feels this is not a good use of the word "metric." He draws
881136 -     from "Communication Metrics" an expectation of getting a
881137 -     management report at the end of the month on the number of action
881138 -     items that met target completions, the number of fewer meetings
881139 -     that resulted, the number of mistakes corrected, the number of
881140 -     hurt feelings that were avoided or improved, etc.
881142 -           ..
881143 -          A humorous example of over zealous adherence to receiving
881144 -          "reports" as the only means of using "metrics" is at
881145 -          ref SDS 26 8452.
881147 -      ..
881148 -     I explained "metrics" is used in "Communication Metrics" to mean
881149 -     discovering misunderstandings and fixing them before they impact
881150 -     performance, ref OF 2 line 365.
881151 -
881152 -         [See later example ref SDS 53 9889, and with Intel ref SDS 51
881153 -         1429
881155 -          ..
881156 -         [See how Morris used this method of metrics to evaluate
881157 -         Asilomar results, ref SDS 60 0005
881159 -      ..
881160 -     We are not producing a "report" on the number of problems fixed
881161 -     each week or month.
881163 -      ..
881164 -     Morris feels that a report is needed so that managers can judge
881165 -     usefulness.  He said that without a report on the number of
881166 -     mistakes discovered and fixed each month by Communication Metrics
881167 -     the process is "subjective."
881168 -
881169 -        [On 001219 steps using SDS new way of working. ref SDS 80 QT6F
881171 -      ..
881172 -     I agreed the process is subjective, but it adds critical value by
881173 -     giving the subjective mind a fast, easy way to measure its
881174 -     performance, similar to a compiler catching mistakes in the
881175 -     reasoning of a computer program. Communication Metrics is like
881176 -     debugging software.
881178 -      ..
881179 -     "Debugging" management is what psychologists call "reality
881180 -     monitoring," reported on 951031. ref SDS 41 3488  Remaining alert
881181 -     using proactive problem handling to discover and take action early
881182 -     that prevents small mistakes from cascading into a critical mass
881183 -     of problems, requires a lot of emotional strength to deal with
881184 -     constant exposure to errors, and resistance that feels there is
881185 -     not enough time nor money to fix small problems when correction
881186 -     takes little time and money, because intelligence seems like
881187 -     overkill, and ignoring issues seems to take less time and money,
881188 -     leading to cover-up, conflict, crisis and calamity. ref SDS 16
881189 -     7767.
881191 -      ..
881192 -     An ounce of prevention avoids a pound of cure, is easy to say, but
881193 -     hard to implement consistently, as seen by the lessons of the
881194 -     Vietnam war compared to WWII, reviewed on 950417. ref SDS 24 8840
881195 -
881196 -         [See visit with Morris discussing distinction between metrics
881197 -         to determine v. improve effectiveness, ref SDS 68 0114.]
881199 -          ..
881200 -         [On 960224 example working with Morris illustrates need for
881201 -         and application of Com Metrics. ref SDS 54 7400
881203 -      ..
881204 -     When Morris calls to ask an engineer how he is doing on the design
881205 -     of a new chip, and the engineer says he is not working on the
881206 -     chip, it is subjective to say this is a mistake relative to a
881207 -     commitment and so direct that work commence on the chip.
881208 -
881209 -         [See example from working with Intel, ref SDS 53 6676.]
881211 -      ..
881212 -     If the engineer gets upset and says his boss told him to do
881213 -     something else, it is subjective to assume the engineer's feelings
881214 -     are improved by coordinating a solution that conforms to company
881215 -     objectives.  It is further subjective to say earnings are improved
881216 -     because the Chip design was completed on time to meet favorable
881217 -     market conditions and avoid delay damages, and that organizational
881218 -     morale is up because communications were handled properly, and
881219 -     stockholders are pleased by strong earnings.  Daily "management"
881220 -     is a continuous stream of subjective "metrics" that occur in the
881221 -     minds of staff, managers and executives to gauge performance
881222 -     against organizational objectives.  Managers do not keep a log of
881223 -     these "metrics" because it would fill a phone book. The results
881224 -     show up in monthly cost and schedule reports and in the quarterly
881225 -     earnings report, and the stock price.
881227 -      ..
881228 -     Traditional "metrics" (management practice) is to wait for the
881229 -     cost report, observe no progress on chip design, then scramble to
881230 -     recover.  Or, wait for the stock price to go down, then ask what
881231 -     happened?  Where is the reengineering plan?
881233 -      ..
881234 -     Communication Metrics is proactive.  It aims to discover and
881235 -     corrects errors before they cost money and waste time. ref OF 2
881236 -     line 377.
881237 -
881238 -
881240 -  ..
881241 - How Does Automation Help?
881242 -
881243 - SDS helps managers discover more of these mistakes faster and make
881244 - better adjustments, by relying on the record rather than personal
881245 - recall.  The tool needs to integrate time, information, people and
881246 - documents, with subjects, i.e., it must meet POIMS criteria.  Morris
881247 - said Communication Metrics can be performed with notepads, filing
881248 - cabinets and more secretaries, similar to his comment at lunch the
881249 - other day, ref SDS 33 line 262.
881251 -  ..
881252 - Traditional "Feel Good" management methods (first discussed in 1991,
881253 - ref SDS 9 1331) lead to "reengineering" by hiring more lawyers and
881254 - psychologists, and firing managers and engineers, because manual
881255 - methods cannot keep up with automated information flows.  We have a
881256 - new information environment.  We need a new knowledge tool to keep up.
881257 - We likely need a new knowledge worker to use the tool.
881258 -
881259 -
881260 -
881261 -
8813 -

SUBJECTS
Communication Manager
Communications Failing on Information
Leadership is Talking; Needs Understanding
Expertise in a Discipline Unnecessary
Knowledge Worker Communication Manager
Scribe Com Manager Deliberates Organizational Memory Different Tasks
Professional Role Use SDS Like Pilot Flies Airplane
New Role Specialist Needed to Run SDS Like Com Manager
Accuracy SDS Record Incorrect Rod Not Listening

AK11 -
AK1201 -  ..
AK1202 - Management Skills - Scribe
AK1203 -
AK1204 - Morris feels Communication Metrics needs a special Communication
AK1205 - Engineer.  He also used the term Scribe which is in the NWO... paper,
AK1206 - ref OF 2 6369  He observed that many managers lack communication
AK1207 - skills because they were promoted based on technical expertise.  They
AK1208 - then confront a lot of difficult human relations problems, because the
AK1209 - easy ones are solved at a lower level.
AK1210 -
AK1211 -     [On 970418 scope of services, deliverables. ref SDS 67 958L
AK1213 -  ..
AK1214 - Management determines promotions.  "Management" is not a reward for
AK1215 - being a good engineer.  It is a special body of work that requires
AK1216 - special capabilities.  Putting someone in that job who is unqualified
AK1217 - harms the person and the organization.  Find another way to reward
AK1218 - good engineers who lack management ability.  Give new managers small
AK1219 - assignments so they can grow their management skills.  Give them tools
AK1220 - to perform the work.  Give them Communication Manager support to use
AK1221 - the tools effectively.
AK1222 -
AK1223 -
AK1224 -
AK1225 -
AK13 -

SUBJECTS
Meeting Notes, confirm understandings
Discovery, Strategic Resource, Litigation Support
Executive Challenge, Self Dialog
Command & Control of the Record, Padding the Record
Understanding aided by Technology, Discover & Fix Mistakes
Command & Control of Record Determines
Who, what, when, where and why; 901011
Conflict Discover Before Mistakes are Made
Overwhelmed Links Complexity of Management Details
Scale Impacts Value of Everything, Engelbart
Too Many SDS Links Solved by Intelligence Summary
Links Need Map to Maintain Focus
Many Com Managers Producing SDS Records Complex Overwhelming
Organizational Memory Intelligence Organization Analysis Alignment Su
Complexity Communication Causes Entropy from Meetings Calls Documents
Giving Up on Improving Communication Because Creating Connections Cau
Communication Giving Up on Improving Because Creating Connections Cau

BR19 -
BR2001 -  ..
BR2002 - Giving Up on Accuracy of the Work Because Communication Too Complex
BR2003 - Conflict and Discovery with Multiple Scribes, Too Much "Intelligence"
BR2004 -
BR2005 - Morris asked what happens when there is more than one Scribe producing
BR2006 - SDS records in a management setting, and the records conflict?  He
BR2007 - feels more than one person using SDS would cause complexity of
BR2008 - competing records that could reduce productivity when people invest
BR2009 - time to resolve conflicting understandings, rather than make progress
BR2010 - on the work.
BR2011 -
BR2012 -     [On 951106 S&C scenario developes this issue. ref SDS 47 8976
BR2014 -      ..
BR2015 -     [On 000602 Jack Park asked this question. ref SDS 79 1500
BR2017 -      ..
BR2018 -     [On 010614 Morris raises connern again in the context of version
BR2019 -     control for "check in" and "check out" features of groupware
BR2020 -     products. ref SDS 81 RW5F
BR2022 -      ..
BR2023 -     [On 040921 cynical despair about accuracy of writing, Morris
BR2024 -     giving up on root cause analysis, like Socrates gave up on writing
BR2025 -     to improve accuracy of memory. ref SDS 83 G28O
BR2027 -      ..
BR2028 -     [On 040102 experience using SDS at aerospace company indicates
BR2029 -     multiple SDS users strengthens collaboration. ref SDS 82 526L
BR2031 -  ..
BR2032 - If many people are using SDS, creditors would rejoice; I might be able
BR2033 - to pay the rent.
BR2035 -  ..
BR2036 - Morris' question implies giving up on improving communication because
BR2037 - it is too complex with many people using SDS for accurate listening to
BR2038 - understand and follow up on getting things done correctly on time and
BR2039 - within budget.  On 890809 Morris explained that poor listening reduces
BR2040 - productivity. ref SDS 6 CJ9J  Asking if work to improve accuracy of
BR2041 - listening increases complexity that prevents accurate understanding
BR2042 - seems to support Peter Drucker's comment that people have given up on
BR2043 - improving communciation, reviewed on 931130. ref SDS 15 3851
BR2045 -  ..
BR2046 - Conflict is endemic to existence, including human affairs.  It exists
BR2047 - without SDS.  Alphabet technology helps people recognize conflicting
BR2048 - understandings, and focus on strategy and planning to accomplish
BR2049 - objectives, including reducing conflict.  The alphabet can also be
BR2050 - used to compound and engage conflict, just as any knowledge support
BR2051 - capability, e.g., wordprocessing, spreadsheets, schedules, etc.  So
BR2052 - can SDS capability to generate and manage "intelligence."
BR2054 -  ..
BR2055 - We reviewed the explanation in POIMS that SDS enhances utility of the
BR2056 - alphabet by integrating time and information, ref OF 1 1299, to
BR2057 - improve understanding through an "intelligence" process of plan,
BR2058 - perform, report. ref OF 1 6649  Thus, like a pencil, or other tool,
BR2059 - SDS can be used to advance conflict or avoid it.
BR2060 -
BR2062 -  ..
BR2063 - Notice Supports Feedback that Adds Accountability to Communication
BR2064 -
BR2065 - We reviewed the benefit of getting early notice (i.e., feedback) of
BR2066 - conflicting understandings, so that timely action can be taken to
BR2067 - avoid mistakes that cause rework, extra cost and delay, as explained
BR2068 - on 880929. ref SDS 2 3528   Feedback is an important part of daily
BR2069 - "intelligence" defined in POIMS. ref OF 1 0561
BR2071 -  ..
BR2072 - Morris posed a hypothetical from the Broadwater project where the
BR2073 - General Contractor and the Engineer both had people skilled with
BR2074 - Communication Metrics.  He asked how progress would be impacted by
BR2075 - increasing analysis produced using SDS capability?
BR2077 -  ..
BR2078 - Generally, more "intelligence" should improve the work, although, like
BR2079 - food, water, air and information overload, too much of anything causes
BR2080 - diminishing returns, and eventually harm.  We cannot escape the duty
BR2081 - to balance resources with capacity.  SDS increases the capacity for
BR2082 - adding intelligence to management by improving the ability to think,
BR2083 - remember and communicate. ref OF 1 3742
BR2084 -
BR2085 -     [On 970829 book on management says communication primary factor of
BR2086 -     success. ref SDS 69 L24N
BR2088 -      ..
BR2089 -     [On 971021 developed ability to deliver "intelligence" anytime,
BR2090 -     anywhere on the Internet. ref SDS 71 9999]
BR2092 -      ..
BR2093 -     [On 991014 burden of being overwhelmed causes people to reject
BR2094 -     knowledge. ref SDS 77 3066
BR2096 -      ..
BR2097 -     [On 991222 Doug Englebart's paper on Groupware explains that scale
BR2098 -     has a big impact. ref SDS 78 1596}
BR2100 -      ..
BR2101 -     [On 040102 experience using SDS at aerospace company indicates
BR2102 -     multiple SDS users strengthens collaboration. ref SDS 82 HH7M
BR2103 -
BR2104 -
BR2106 -  ..
BR2107 - Padding Record with Inaccurate Information
BR2108 -
BR2109 - Morris characterized using SDS as padding the record with inaccurate
BR2110 - information to obtain favorable results on contract claims that are
BR2111 - not justified by the true state of affairs.  This supplements the
BR2112 - earlier complaint this evening that "Rod does not listen," per above,
BR2113 - ref SDS 0 6820, and reflects belief that the record of meetings, calls
BR2114 - and documents is intended to harm or deceive.  On 880925 Jeff Ghilardi
BR2115 - raised this concern while discussing "command and control of the
BR2116 - record," ref SDS 1 8493, explained in POIMS. ref OF 1 1113
BR2118 -  ..
BR2119 - Feedback affords continual opportunity for correcting errors, and the
BR2120 - richness of the SDS record protects against deliberate and inadvertant
BR2121 - error, because anyone can triangulate connections to test alignment of
BR2122 - information in SDS for accurate and consistent representation.
BR2123 -
BR2124 -     [On 960326 Marcy at Intel found that SDS records are accurate like
BR2125 -     a tape recorder. ref SDS 59 3004
BR2127 -  ..
BR2128 - On 890524 the role of advocacy was reviewed. ref SDS 4 0785
BR2130 -  ..
BR2131 - On 911123 Morris explained the benefits of SDS to improve management.
BR2132 - ref SDS 10 0477
BR2133 -
BR2134 -     [On 960721 Morris cited worry about multiple parties using SDS,
BR2135 -     from debriefing Asilomar Conference ref SDS 63 line 673, and later
BR2136 -     about accuracy of the record, ref SDS 62 line 108.]
BR2137 -
BR2139 -  ..
BR2140 - What's a Metric of Communication and Human Understanding?
BR2141 -
BR2142 - I pointed out this evening that the initial objective of entering the
BR2143 - record and linking it up in SDS, is to first understand what happened
BR2144 - and how it relates to the rest of the record, i.e., to discover error,
BR2145 - inconsistency, correlations and implications that were overlooked in
BR2146 - the original event, as we discussed on 950204. ref SDS 19 8A4G
BR2148 -  ..
BR2149 - I call this "metrics" based on the explanation in the record on
BR2150 - 950327. ref SDS 23 WO9P  Accuracy is key factor that can be monitored
BR2151 - with traditional quantities. ref SDS 23 0E83
BR2153 -  ..
BR2154 - It results in a resource of organizational memory for future work, per
BR2155 - our discussion on 890809, ref SDS 6 XD7O, and later on 950204.
BR2156 - ref SDS 19 HF3H
BR2158 -  ..
BR2159 - The record of meetings and other communications is distributed to draw
BR2160 - out conflicts so they can be resolved before money is spent that
BR2161 - otherwise makes resolution of differences harder.  This reduces the
BR2162 - chance that Murphy's Law will pop up down the road.
BR2164 -  ..
BR2165 - If SDS is used by everybody, then the chance of discovering more of
BR2166 - the errors that people make is increased, i.e., two heads are better
BR2167 - than one.  SDS leverages the power of writing to create knowledge.
BR2168 - Like the alphabet, it can be misused.  Management's role is to make
BR2169 - good use of it.  First, discover what we understand and how it aligns
BR2170 - with objectives and commitments.  Second, to let others know what we
BR2171 - are doing and what we expect, so they can let us know if there is a
BR2172 - conflict.  Doing this discovery day by day, reduces the chance of
BR2173 - suprises and of the need for an expensive lawyer to discover stuff
BR2174 - later.
BR2175 -
BR2176 -
BR2177 -
BR2178 -
BR2179 -
BR2180 -
BR2181 -
BR22 -

SUBJECTS
Accountability is Burdensom for Executives
Fixing Small Problems is Psychologically
Psychologically Demanding, Truth/Errors,
Murphy's Law, Avoiding Mistakes
Obstacles to Leadership, Ovecoming
Psychologists, Communication Specialists,
It's No Fun to Work on Small Problems
Communication Manager Psychology Challenging

C310 -
C31101 -  ..
C31102 - Psychological Toll Confronting Mistakes
C31103 -
C31104 - It is psychologically demanding to continually encounter a lot of
C31105 - little mistakes day-in-and-day-out, as shown by the example at PG&E of
C31106 - a computer maintenance engineer reviewed on 940820. ref SDS 16 7767
C31107 -
C31108 - The subconscious mind is wired to buffer small mistakes, so people can
C31109 - function without being thwarted from focusing on taking action to
C31110 - accomplish tasks needed to sustain life.  As a result of this innate
C31111 - filtering system to overlook small problems, it is easier to marshall
C31112 - community support by waiting until things blow up.  Then everybody can
C31113 - see the need for action.
C31115 -  ..
C31116 - This was the rationale for the US to aid Vietnam in the 1960s, which
C31117 - was given by Robert McNamera, reveiwed on 950417. ref SDS 24 8840
C31119 -  ..
C31120 - The Kennedy administration thought the lesson of WWII was to confront
C31121 - problems before they get so big that the solution costs dearly in
C31122 - lives and materiele.  They discovered, however, that giving notice of
C31123 - small problems is a significant challenge, because, when there does
C31124 - not seem to be an immediate threat of danger, people get mad when they
C31125 - get notice of a problem that does not seem apparent, i.e., it is out
C31126 - of sight and so out of mind, as seen from the example of Broadwater
C31127 - Dam on 920128, using an example of the Lookout in the Crows Nest.
C31128 - ref SDS 11 1199
C31129 -
C31130 -     [On 961017 people get mad anyway when small problems escalate into
C31131 -     huge problems, causing loss of jobs, income, in come cases life
C31132 -     and property. ref SDS 64 5832
C31134 -  ..
C31135 - Like the cricket and the squirrel, when the sun is shining, people
C31136 - don't want to work on, nor hear about, small problems.  It's no fun.
C31137 - Ignore it; cover-up.  Let someone else do it.  Explain it away. Sounds
C31138 - like Bosnia.
C31139 - ..
C31140 - When problems don't go away, people get mad, ref SDS 47 line
C31141 - 341.
C31142 -
C31144 -  ..
C31146 -  ..
C31147 - People don't like notice provisions in contracts but they serve as a
C31148 - "metric," a trigger, an alert, as we discussed on 951228. ref SDS 50
C31149 - XR6O, citing the explanation in POIMS ref OF 1 1113, and in NWO
C31150 - explaining the role of feedback. ref OF 2 2670
C31151 -
C31152 - People don't like lawsuits, but they reveal problems that often need
C31153 - fixing. Communication Metrics says don't get mad, get better,
C31154 - ref SDS 42 line 173.
C31156 -  ..
C31157 - On a smaller scale, many feel it is preferable to put out small fires
C31158 - in a company rather than ignore them and allow the project to fail,
C31159 - the business to reengineer, the employee to lose their job, their
C31160 - house.  However, the psychological dimension is the same.  The need to
C31161 - feel good now can easily overwhelm considerations about future
C31162 - impacts.  It takes skill to navigate between current perspectives
C31163 - forged from desires to feel good today and get people to focus on
C31164 - small problems that place those feelings at risk in the future.  This
C31165 - is called "Risk Management."
C31166 - ..
C31167 - The psychological toll is assuaged by the skill of the
C31168 - Communications Manager in presenting the record as information rather
C31169 - than accusing people of incompetence or mendacity.  Going to Church is
C31170 - another way to accomplish this by wrapping consideration of personal
C31171 - conduct, i.e., soul searching, in a context of overwhelming power:
C31172 - God. Whatever it takes the goal is to shape conduct, to dig out of the
C31173 - system deviations that may need to be corrected before disaster
C31174 - strikes.  Communication Metrics is a proactive way to do it.  SDS, or
C31175 - some other POIMS program, makes it practical.
C31177 -      ..
C31178 -     Psychologist Task - Support Communication Metrics
C31179 -
C31180 -     I asked if Chip's psychologist has addressed the perspective
C31181 -     Morris cites of reacting in anger when information is received
C31182 -     that seems to misrepresent?  Morris said their psychologist does
C31183 -     not do research; his job is to provide communication training.  I
C31184 -     suggested training to enable people to welcome discovery of
C31185 -     conflicts so they can be corrected rather than persist and grow in
C31186 -     comfortable ignorance into a critical mass that explodes under
C31187 -     Murphy's Law.  This is challenging, but that is why managers are
C31188 -     promoted and earn big salaries.
C31189 -
C31190 -         [See follow up at ref SDS 46 line 303]
C31191 -
C31193 -  ..
C31194 - Research Communication Metrics
C31195 -
C31196 - I renewed the idea that Morris submit the NWO paper to the consultant
C31197 - who did the seminar yesterday.  I also suggested he submit it to the
C31198 - staff psychologist for comment, since the paper describes how to
C31199 - improve communication using automation.  I mentioned discussions with
C31200 - another psychologist a few days ago who requested the NWO ... paper
C31201 - for support on a presentation he is making to an industry group on
C31202 - communications issues, ref SDS 38 0000
C31203 - line 223.  Chips' psychologist may
C31204 - find common ground as well.
C31206 -  ..
C31207 - I will send him the final version that incorporates the results of his
C31208 - review comments.
C31209 -
C31210 -    [This was done at ref SDS 44 line 50, and called to follow up at
C31211 -    ref SDS 47 line 93.]
C31212 -
C31213 -
C31214 -
C31215 -
C313 -

SUBJECTS
Difficult to Explain SDS/POIMS
Describe SDS in 25 words

C704 -
C70501 -  ..
C70502 - Follow up ref SDS 23 0001, ref SDS 31 8608.
C70504 -  ..
C70505 - Morris expressed concern that POIMS, SDS and Communication Metrics are
C70506 - not easy to explain in 25 words or less.
C70507 -
C70508 -      [On 971105 developed plan to use Internet to deliver work product
C70509 -      from Communication Metrics and explain it as Anytime, Anywhere
C70510 -      Intelligence." ref SDS 72 2367]
C70512 -  ..
C70513 - Morris' concern reflects continuing difficulty explaining these ideas
C70514 - to himself and to others, which seems to be a universal problem.  It
C70515 - occurred at DNRC, Seawest and PG&E., e.g., ref SDS 18 9954
C70517 -  ..
C70518 - Everyone seems to grasp the basic idea of using technology to speed up
C70519 - the work, but the underlying concept of SDS is counterintuitive, new
C70520 - and subtle.  Integrating traditional time and informtion management
C70521 - processes in a way that leverages innate mental capacities are not yet
C70522 - understood, per discussion on 920215. ref SDS 12 5820 and prior
C70523 - explanation of problem on 910529, ref SDS 8 9989.
C70524 -
C70525 -      [On 960518 research in Cognitive Science seems to support some of
C70526 -      these SDS features. ref SDS 62 8811]
C70528 -  ..
C70529 - I reminded him of the course proposal he reviewed on the Communication
C70530 - Metrics Class for George Washington University, ref SDS 31 8608.
C70532 -  ..
C70533 - Morris recalled that the Relevance paragraph on page 1 of the Brochure
C70534 - Writing Guide was too long.
C70536 -  ..
C70537 - I mentioned that the Brochure Data Form on page 1 lists 4 ways to
C70538 - describe Communication Metrics in 5 - 10 words, and shows 3 ways to
C70539 - describe it in 10 - 20 words.
C70541 -  ..
C70542 - Morris said he cannot remember those descriptions.
C70544 -  ..
C70545 - I said don't worry, I can't recall them either, which is why things
C70546 - are entered into SDS, reported on
C70547 - We have to work with
C70548 - the language for awhile - have occassions to explain the ideas over
C70549 - and over in order to have the language flow easily.
C70551 -  ..
C70552 - We reviewed the description he put forward on 911123. ref SDS 10
C70553 - 0477...
C70554 -
C70556 -      ..
C70557 -     SDS Product Definition
C70558 -
C70559 -     Morris said] SDS is a tool to record, assemble and analyse facts
C70560 -     and ideas about events to guide decision making, plan the work and
C70561 -     follow up to ensure decisions and plans are carried out.
C70562 -
C70563 -     Morris calls this the "Welch Management Method" because other
C70564 -     executives don't work this way.
C70565 -
C70567 -  ..
C70568 - This is a good definition, if you throw in that it uses "automated
C70569 - integration" and mention "time," so it is practical to work in a way
C70570 - that others can't.
C70571 - ..
C70572 - The larger point, however, is that SDS is hard to explain if you
C70573 - don't use it because you can only "know" what SDS is about by using
C70574 - it.  I suspect this is true of most seminal breakthroughs, such as
C70575 - Morris' favorite the alphabet.  In any case, this was the experience
C70576 - at PG&E, ref SDS 18 9954, that led to Communication Metrics per the
C70577 - discussion with Morris on Feb 4, ref SDS 19 5468.  Of course it is
C70578 - hard to remember stuff we don't deal with regularly, especially
C70579 - without SDS.
C70581 -  ..
C70582 - Communication Metrics is a simple 2 word description of SDS and POIMS
C70583 - technology, that people can remember.  People explain SDS by saying it
C70584 - improves communications similar to automating cost and schedule
C70585 - control.  Now some guy from Saratoga asks...
C70586 -
C70587 -     "Hey, where's the report on the number of hurt feelings fixed this
C70588 -     month?"  How are we doing on meetings.  Looks like mistakes are
C70589 -     down 13% for the quarter."
C70590 - ..
C70591 - The second point is that while we cannot always remember what
C70592 - happened and how to explain things, we can use SDS to capture what we
C70593 - want to remember and link it up so we can get it when it is needed.
C70595 -  ..
C70596 - So we keep using Communication Metrics to discover these concerns and
C70597 - work them in an orderly way.  In time, like the alphabet, ideas are
C70598 - developed to explain how SDS bridges the gap between current practice
C70599 - and the emerging realities of a new world order.
C70600 -
C70601 -    [See follow up at ref SDS 47 8976.]
C70602 -
C70603 -
C70604 -
C70605 -
C70606 -
C70607 -
C70608 -
C70609 -
C70610 -
C70611 -
C707 -