R. Max Wideman
Voice & FAX: 604-736-7025
max_wideman@sfu.ca
2216 West 21st Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6L 1J5
Canada

[Received via Internet] Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1997 08:12:33 -0700


Mr. Rod Welch
The Welch Company
440 Davis Court #1602
San Francisco, CA 94111 2496

Subject:  
Re:   Book on Communication


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.

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:

  1. 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

04 00065 97090201



Mr. R. Max Wideman
2216 West 21st Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6L 1J5
Canada

Subject:   Keesling Evaluation Comm Metrics

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