THE WELCH COMPANY
440 Davis Court #1602
San Francisco, CA 94111-2496
415 781 5700



October 28, 1999

03 00050 61 99102801




Mr. Morris E. Jones
Business Unit Manager
morris.jones@intel.com
Cable Network Operation
Intel Corporation
350 East Plumeria; Mail Stop CHP3-105
San Jose, CA 95124

Subject:   Meaning Drift Solution

Dear Morris,

Thanks for your letter on October 25, requesting a solution to meaning drift cited in the letter on September 24, 1999, as the cause of small, hidden mistakes in communication which compound over time into major loss, injury, crisis and conflict, under risk management precepts noted in the letter to Dave Vannier on October 7, 1999...

The biggest risk in all forms of enterprise is
communication.

In sum, the solution is alignment, as you see in SDS records, which continually reviews communication in relation to requirements, objectives, commitments and history, explained in para 4 of the letter on September 24. Your letter on September 3, 1998 cites the same solution, noting Communication Metrics...

... keeps a chronology of events, provides event linkage, history, and analysis. The data is sumarized, and aligned with business objectives. The process of constant analysis and alignement with business goals allows management to spot problems early, and take corrective action before a crisis.

The broader solution is adding intelligence to management, which applies the full force of SDS features, resulting in a system of Communication Metrics that provides a powerful advance in the using the alphabet for performing knowledge work, by integrating time and information. Since people lack experience with the SDS process, the simpler explanation of alignment, is easier to understand.

The full solution uses SDS to routinely accomplish clear, concise, complete communication. To illustrate, your letter on October 25 offers clear, concise communication, taught in MBA and executive training, but it omits many issues. Communication that is not complete increases meaning drift due to compounding of complexity from continuing events, reviewed on October 14.

Of course, today's environment of information overload, limited time and limited span of attention, make it very difficult for communication to routinely be clear, concise and also complete, as set out in my letter on October 23.

On March 1, 1996 you noted Peter Drucker's work advancing the craft of management. Drucker's new article in Atlantic Monthly cites a process he calls routinizing performance of common tasks using technology. This is another way of saying technology should support consistent use of good management. On June 3, 1997 Dave Vannier noted at Intel that Communication Metrics does this. Recently, on October 14 you concurred, which aligns with your point on September 3, 1998 (see above). In the same article, Drucker also calls for attention to cognitive science, which is the essence of the intelligence solution set out in the letter on September 24.

Solving meaning drift requires the full range of Communication Metrics support for cognitive science set out in the record reviewing Drucker's article. It shows goals, strategy, tactics and SDS program features, which comprise a marked advance in the use of alphabet technology for performing knowledge work, adding to Gutenberg's efforts in 1455, which Drucker mentions, as a critical triumph. Please complete the review of Gutenberg on October 10, toward assigning priority for this opportunity to advance civilization.

Sincerely,

THE WELCH COMPANY



Rod Welch
rowelch@attglobal.net