Subject:
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Re:
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Book on Communication
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don't think I've got the stomach for another book. But you should know
(as I may have said before) 'communication' is the last bastion of
in the PMI onslaught of literature - ready and waiting to be
by someone who has the insight, experience and vision of the future
communication. It needs a perceptive leader and a practical
- a talent that is in short supply. It is not a subject
by our educational system. Generally, and unfortunately, academics
not fall into that category, either - their craft relies on research of
already existing.
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And, the prevailing gurus have only relatively recently cottoned on to
the concept of 'project management'. Though, here, too, there is a problem.
Few so-called project managers in the corporate environment have real control
over their project. (Baby sitters is sometimes a more apt term :-) ) Ah,
well. Such is life. There is always an opportunity...
Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
M.
R. Max Wideman
max_wideman@sfu.ca
Copy to:
- Dick Balfour: Thought you'd be interested in the following exchange.
At 9:17 PM -0700 9/3/97, Rod Welch wrote:
THE WELCH COMPANY
440 Davis Court #1602
San Francisco, CA 94111-2496
415 781 5700
September 2, 1997
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04 00065 97090201
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Mr. R. Max Wideman
2216 West 21st Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6L 1J5
Canada
Subject:
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Keesling Evaluation Comm Metrics
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Dear Max,
Thanks for calling Tom about the Communication Metrics report. Attached are
comments on your notes, ref a.
The key is getting people to grasp Landauer's point about "meaning drift,"
that more "communication" from calls, letters, email, meetings, fax commingles
understandings, i.e., causes mistakes. Since the mistakes are hidden from the
conscious mind and consequences are deferred, it supports denial that seems
consistent with daily perceptions. Once this point is recognized, which seems
to be supported by the U.S. Air Force report on information entropy leading to
cost and schedule growth, along with every "expert" from Drucker to Peters,
then the cost/benefit of Communication Metrics becomes axiomatic. Our problem
is that most of these same "experts" teach that better talking and listening
improve communication, and unfortunately it actually compounds the problem of
meaning drift. Yet, talking is attractive because it is fast and easy.
Possibly these would be questions you might like to address in a paper,
article or even a book.
Sincerely,
THE WELCH COMPANY
Rod Welch
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