CONTACTS 
0201 - USACE HQ, CEMP-E                   202 761 0011
020101 - Mr. Edward J. East; =202 761 1114 fax 1649
020102 - Construction and Design Branch, CEMP-EC
0202 - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers         202 761 0011
020201 - Mr. James R. Jones, P.E.; Deputy Chief
020202 - Office of the Chief, CEMP-E

SUBJECTS
COE Evaluation Communication Metrics
CE HQ Evaluation, Wider Use Comm Metrics
Comm Metrics Solves CESPN Staffing Problem
Intranets, Web, CESP Review
Demonstrate SDS, Communication Metrics
HQ USACE Comm Metrics Presentation

0908 -    ..
0909 - Summary/Objective
0910 -
091001 - Follow up ref SDS 16 0000, ref SDS 11 0000.
091002 -
091003 - Was given an office to prepare.  Ed East introduced himself, and said
091004 - that USACE needs support for management communications.  He provided a
091005 - management training film on various communication problems.  USACE
091006 - policy stresses accountability and steps to improve management that
091007 - are supported by Communication Metrics.  Strong leadership is needed
091008 - to overcome fear and denial.  Jim Jones introduced a Major who helped
091009 - set up the video equipment for the presentation.
091010 -
091011 -     [At presentation later today, there were questions about the
091012 -     reality of "new realities" ref SDS 17 3231]
091013 -
091014 -     [On 971229 viewed filem from company whose name was provided by Ed
091015 -     East, and it further showed "new realities" of technology that
091016 -     cause information overload. ref SDS 19 0000]
091017 -
091018 -
091019 -
0911 -
0912 -
0913 - Progress
0914 -
091401 -  ..
091402 - Demonstration Scheduled for 971202 at Jim's Office
091403 -
091404 - Follow up ref SDS 15 1829, ref SDS 11 8048.
091405 -
091406 - Received ref DRP 2 line 30 from Moonja, saying she called Jim
091407 - yesterday and scheduled a meeting to demonstrate SDS, per our telecon
091408 - on Monday, 971117, ref SDS 9 0319.
091409 -
091410 -
091411 - Arrived in Chicago oa 0530 and got plane to Washington oa 0615.
091412 - There was about a 15 minute delay to check on fuel conditions.  The
091413 - crew made up the delay and the plane landed in Washington D.C. oa
091414 - 0855, per schedule.
091415 -
091416 - Took a cab to 20 Massachusetts NW, to Jim's office.
091417 -
091418 - Cost $12 for cab fare.
091419 -
091420 -
091421 -
091422 -
0915 -
0916 -
0917 - 1020 Temp Office to Prepare
0918 -
091801 - Teri met and signed me in.  She took me to an office on the 2nd
091802 - floor, which she said was Jim Jones' office before a recent change in
091803 - the organization.  Teri said I can use the office to prepare for the
091804 - presentation.
091805 -
091806 -
091807 -
091808 - Ed East Supports ISO and Training for USACE Engineering Managers
091809 -
091810 - While I was setting up my computer, Teri returned a few minutes later
091811 - and introduced...
091812 -
091813 -                        Ed East
091814 -                        CEMP-EC
091815 -                        Policy Team
091816 -                        202 761 1114
091817 -
091818 -        Ed works for Jim Lovo.  He asked about my presentation.
091819 -
091820 -        I explained it will cover Communication Metrics, per Jim Jones'
091821 -        memo to Jim Lovo, ref DRP 3 1373, and others, per ref SDS 15
091822 -        2778,
091823 - ..
091824 - Ed advised that he provides training for USACE managers, and
091825 - supports use of ISO criteria.  He showed the USACE polcy statement...
091826 -
091827 -
091828 -                           ISO 9000
091829 -                       Quality Standards
091830 -
091831 -                     Questions and Answers
091832 -
091833 -
091834 -     ...issued by the Louisville District.  Ed indicated there is a
091835 -     Corps wide effort for all of the Districts to obtain ISO 9000
091836 -     registration.
091837 -     ..
091838 -     The USACE policy states on page 3...
091839 -
091840 -         We are dedicated to continuous improvement in our processes
091841 -         and stress accountability.
091842 -
091843 -         Recognize our failures and communicate them to our customer
091844 -         for timely resolution.
091845 -
091846 -      ..
091847 -
091848 -     We considered that these provisions reflect the ISO 10006 criteria
091849 -     published last year for Project Management, which is another USACE
091850 -     initiative. ref SDS 2 2221
091851 -
091852 -         [In the afternoon, attendees noted that Communication Metrics
091853 -         supports accountability. ref SDS 17 2837}
091854 -
091855 -     ISO standards generally reflect good management practice to align
091856 -     communications with original sources, ref SDS 2 1740, which is
091857 -     consistent with management texts. ref SDS 7 0000
091858 -
091859 -     Review on 970317 shows USACE procedures require keeping records of
091860 -     all elements that impact the price of the work, ref SDS 5 5602,
091861 -     yet USACE work practice has eliminated keeping the records. see
091862 -     ref SDS 4 2294
091863 -
091864 -         [On 980307 Andy Grove's book "Only the Paranoid Survive" says
091865 -         managers suffer "strategic dissonance" ref SDS 21 5517 who
091866 -         deny problems and fear change. ref SDS 21 3740]
091867 -
091868 -         [On 980403 Max Blodgett, Chief, CESPN-CO, cited managers who
091869 -         fear accountability of business metrics for communications.
091870 -         ref SDS 22 4129]
091871 -
091872 -         [On 980405 developed ideas to use Communication Metrics that
091873 -         bring constructive accountability called "credit" for better
091874 -         results. ref SDS 23 2839]
091875 - ..
091876 - Ed asked if the presentation today will cover business metrics
091877 - for management processes?
091878 -
091879 - He said USACE training emphasizes good communication is difficult to
091880 - accomplish because people draw different "meaning" from common events
091881 - in daily communication at meetings, calls, discussions, etc.
091882 -
091883 -         [On 980127 applied this to explain need for proactive
091884 -         intelligence effort to support management. ref SDS 20 4085]
091885 -
091886 -      This reflects Dr. Tom Landauer's explanation of "meaning drift"
091887 -      in his paper on "knowledge acquisition" reviewed on 960518. see
091888 -      ref SDS 3 3734
091889 -
091890 -      It supports the concept of a New World Order described in the
091891 -      definition of Communication Metrics on 950327, ref SDS 1 0023,
091892 -      which identifies "new realities" endemic to the changing business
091893 -      environment that compounds the meaning drift problem Ed cites.
091894 -
091895 - I explained my presentation covers a system of business metrics for
091896 - daily management communications.
091897 -
091898 - I showed Ed the report by the San Francisco District on Communication
091899 - Metrics, ref DRP 1 3142, which describes a solution to "meaning drift"
091900 - by adding a new work role and specialized tools to support...
091901 -
091902 -
091903 -                      Business Intelligence
091904 -
091905 -
091906 -     ...as set out in the agenda, ref DIP 1 1476, submitted last week
091907 -     for the event, per ref SDS 12 2152 and resubmitted on 971126, see
091908 -     ref SDS 14 3678.
091909 - ..
091910 - Ed said it is important to overcome resistance to improving
091911 - communication because often people have difficulty accepting that it
091912 - is hard work to build and maintain shared meaning, and that doing so
091913 - saves a lot of money by reducing rework.
091914 -
091915 -     [On 980307 Andy Grove's book "Only the Paranoid Survive" says
091916 -     managers suffer "strategic dissonance" ref SDS 21 5517 who deny
091917 -     problems and fear change. ref SDS 21 3740]
091918 - ..
091919 - Ed has a 20 minute training film that effectively illustrates
091920 - common scenarios of people drawing different meanings from common
091921 - events, such as discussions, meetings and calls, event though they
091922 - hear the same language.
091923 -
091924 - I explained this is an age old problem that is compounded in the
091925 - modern era by the faster flow of information, as set out in the CESPN
091926 - report on Communication Metrics.
091927 -
091928 - Ed said he has not received CESPN's report, nor any notice of the
091929 - presentation today, and the agenda on Communication Metrics.  He said
091930 - it is difficult in a large organization to accomplish uniform
091931 - distribution of information so that everyone has a common or shared
091932 - meaning.  He said this point is illustrated in the film he uses for
091933 - management training.
091934 -
091935 - I brought a copy of CESPN's report, and will leave it for Ed after the
091936 - presentation this afternoon.
091937 -
091938 - I gave him a copy of the agenda for the presentation today, and
091939 - invited him to attend if he has time, so he can speak to the urgency
091940 - of solving the problems he cites.
091941 -
091942 - Ed said he has a lot of work to do to prepare for other events and
091943 - deadlines, and so he is too busy to attend the presentation at 1400,
091944 - since he did not get earlier notification.
091945 - ..
091946 - Ed suggested to Jim and I that we show the film on communication
091947 - problems, at the presentation this afternoon, so that attendees grasp
091948 - the urgency of making improvements.  He said a lot of people are not
091949 - aware of, or are in denial about, the impact on cost caused by small
091950 - differences in meaning that occur among people in daily communication.
091951 - Ed said the training film shows this problem very clearly.
091952 -
091953 -     [On 980307 reviewed Andy Grove's book "Only the Paranoid Survive"
091954 -     that cites problem of denial by executives in recognizing the need
091955 -     to change. ref SDS 21 3740]
091956 -
091957 - Ed said that USACE training does not have a solution to the problem in
091958 - the training film of "misunderstanding."
091959 -
091960 -     I reviewed briefly the concept of linking information in the SDS
091961 -     diary that shows alignment with prior communications in meetings,
091962 -     calls, contracts, policies, laws and regulations, as set out in
091963 -     CESPN report dated 970328. ref DRP 1 0539
091964 -
091965 -     Metrics of "alignment" and "feedback" build and maintain shared
091966 -     meaning, essential for common understanding.
091967 -
091968 -        [On 971229 reviewed management training film obtained from
091969 -        contact provided by Ed, that illustrates need for "feedback" as
091970 -        a metric of communications. ref SDS 19 2914]
091971 -
091972 -        [On 971229 review of management film analyses need for
091973 -        alignment. ref SDS 19 2820]
091974 -
091975 -  ..
091976 -
091977 - Ed said that a system of Communication Metrics would be helpful, and
091978 - it fits the USACE commitment to better management which ISO efforts
091979 - are aimed at accomplishing.
091980 -
091981 -         [On 980127 applied this to explain need for proactive
091982 -         intelligence effort to support management. ref SDS 20 4085]
091983 -
091984 - I explained that the presentation today will demonstrate the Internet
091985 - can be used to deliver business intelligence in a form that links
091986 - summary to detail that is easy to absorb so that managers can use it
091987 - anytime, anywhere without having to deal with a lot of documents that
091988 - get misplaced and mixed up.  This makes the goal of communication to
091989 - build shared and maintain meaning a practical reality.
091990 - ..
091991 - Ed said this is exactly what the Corps needs.  He will try to
091992 - attend the presentation if he can clear his schedule.
091993 -
091994 -      [Ed was able to attend the presentation. ref SDS 17 3003]
091995 -
091996 - Ed urged me to try and show the film to set up the need for the
091997 - solution of Communication Metrics.
091998 -
091999 - I indicated I would try to look at the film if there is time before
092000 - the presentation, and will see if it can be used today. Since we only
092001 - have an hour, and since attendees are senior managers, they likely
092002 - have seen the film or otherwise understand the problem being solved by
092003 - Communication Metrics.
092004 -
092005 -      [This understanding may have been in error. ref SDS 17 3231]
092006 -
092007 -
092008 - Obtaining "Closure" Key Challenge for Managers
092009 -
092010 - Ed explained a key challenge of communication is obtaining "closure"
092011 - on issues and, of course, projects.
092012 -
092013 - He listed several current matters which illustrate the need for better
092014 - communication to achieve closure.
092015 -
092016 - I mentioned the presentation at the PMI meeting on 970910 by Roger
092017 - Bush on "Winning People Over" and the difficulty of penetrating the
092018 - "bubble" of concerns on each managers' mind. ref SDS 8 3479
092019 -
092020 - We discussed the aim of solving a central challenge of "new realities"
092021 - cited by General Ballard, that managers are overwhelmed by information
092022 - and so...
092023 -
092024 -
092025 -                   don't have enough time to think
092026 -
092027 -
092028 -     ...which was cited in Roger Bush's presentation on communication
092029 -     in explaining that a major financial institution was hiring
092030 -     Roger's firm because they needed help obtaining...
092031 -
092032 -
092033 -                         c l o s u r e
092034 -                         - - - - - - -
092035 -
092036 -
092037 -     ...per the record at ref SDS 8 2139.
092038 -
092039 -
092040 - Jim Jones joined us and we explained our discussion.
092041 -
092042 -
092043 -
092044 -  ..
092045 - Setup and Testing Presentation Tools and Video
092046 -
092047 - Jim too me upstairs and introduced me to Major David Dougherty (Doc).
092048 -
092049 - Doc helped me set up the video, per telecon with with Jim on 971119.
092050 - ref SDS 10 2089.
092051 -
092052 -
092053 -
092054 - CRM Film Illustrates Business Communication Problems
092055 -
092056 - After getting set up, I had about 45 minutes, so I went to Ed East's
092057 - office and borrowed the film he recommended. ref SDS 0 3996, and ref
092058 - SDS 0 5142,
092059 -
092060 - He gave me the name and number of the production company:
092061 -
092062 -                     CRM Films
092063 -                     800 421 0833
092064 -
092065 -         Product:  "You know what I mean?"
092066 -
092067 -     [See follow up contacting CRM on 971204. ref SDS 18 1287]
092068 -
092069 -     [See review of other CRM films on 971229. ref SDS 19 3462]
092070 - ..
092071 - The film shows a dramatization of a race car team preparing for
092072 - the next race.  They decide their racing car needs improvements to
092073 - win, and so begin a project to design changes, manufacture new parts
092074 - and make modifications in time for the next race. This entails a lot
092075 - of meetings, calls, faxes, email and long hours by the full range of
092076 - functions and skills (e.g., management, engineering, consultants,
092077 - vendors and mechanics) needed for a project to achieve objectives.
092078 -
092079 - The race car project is a microcosm of management efforts and mistakes
092080 - that result from trying to expedite coordination of a lot of people by
092081 - verbal communication.  The problem of...
092082 -
092083 -                       "Haste makes waste"
092084 -
092085 -    ... set out in the District's report on Communication Metrics, see
092086 -    ref DRP 1 3649, where people draw different meaning and take
092087 -    conflicting actions, described as "guess and gossip," in the
092088 -    District's report, ref DRP 1 1812, is demonstrated effectively by
092089 -    the film.
092090 -
092091 -       [Later communication training film calls this the "telephone
092092 -       game" ref SDS 19 1526]
092093 - ..
092094 - Two short-comings in the film are that it does not add up the
092095 - cost of miss-communication, and it shows no remedy.  It just says
092096 - this s a problem!
092097 -
092098 -     [Review of other communication training films omit cost as well.
092099 -     ref SDS 19 2314, ref SDS 19 6057.]
092100 -
092101 -     [Example of calculating cost of miscommunication in training film
092102 -     scenarios is at, ref SDS 19 1917]
092103 -
092104 - I decided that since this is part of HQUSACE management training, and
092105 - since Jim indicates that attendees will be drawn from the top managers
092106 - at HQUSACE, then they will be familiar with the need for better
092107 - communication from having taken Ed's training class.
092108 -
092109 -     [At the presentation attendees asked why better communication
092110 -     methods are needed. ref SDS 17 1883]
092111 -
092112 - Additionally, the Chief of Engineers, has set as a goal for USACE to
092113 - prepare for the "new realities" of the 21st century, which mainly
092114 - derive from the increase in the rate of information flow, as shown in
092115 - the CRM Film.
092116 -
092117 - I therefore, decided to remove the section on "denial" in the
092118 - Powerpoint presentation, since better communication is part of USACE
092119 - training and the leader of the organization has set a goal to meet
092120 - this challenge.
092121 -
092122 -
092123 -
092124 -