THE WELCH COMPANY
440 Davis Court #1602
San Francisco, CA 94111-2496
415 781 5700
rodwelch@pacbell.net


S U M M A R Y


DIARY: April 24, 2004 03:58 PM Saturday; Rod Welch

Gary reports organization change at Aerospace company recognize Com Analyst role.

1...Summary/Objective
2...Communication Analyst Role Becoming Established


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CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
Assignment SDS Work Role Organization Changes Intelligence Analyst C
Skills Professional Role Use SDS Like Pilot Flies Airplane

2304 -
2304 -    ..
2305 - Summary/Objective
2306 -
230601 - Follow up ref SDS 14 LN7T.
230602 -
230603 - Gary submitted SDS records.  In a call this afternoon, he suggested
230604 - reviewing the record on 040422 for CS staff meeting. ref SDS 15 2R5K
230606 -  ..
230607 - Gary advised that Bruce, who hired Gary, reported on 030123,
230608 - ref SDS 6 3J7I, is being elevated to work more closely with Andy, and
230609 - a new manager, Jamie, will be assigned to replace Bruce. ref SDS 15
230610 - S19X
230612 -  ..
230613 - Initial understanding is that Bruce and Jamie may not change physical
230614 - locations.  Bruce may remain in the same physical locaction with the
230615 - M&S group, since that is a primary area of initial development for the
230616 - project.  Jamie, as well, may remain in his current office, which is
230617 - another building quite a ways "across campus" from the building where
230618 - the M&S group is located.
230620 -  ..
230621 - Looks like quite a number of other changes are being made.
230622 -
230623 -
230625 -  ..
230626 - Communication Analyst Role Becoming Established
230627 -
230628 - Gary advised something along the lines that his role will not be
230629 - changed.  A colleague, Dilip, who reported on changes to organization
230630 - structure, ref SDS 15 5C6I, explained during the meeting on 040422
230631 - that Aerospace company management decided Gary is needed for
230632 - continuing to generate the record of organizational memory, as an
230633 - overall project asset, because Gary has a stronger knowledge of
230634 - objectives and progress.  As a result, Gary will not be assigned to
230635 - any of the new organizational elements, but will continue using SDS as
230636 - set out in the report to the team on 040402. ref SDS 14 LN7T
230637 -
230638 -     [On 040427 discussed developing a title to reflect Gary's support
230639 -     for the entire group, rather than assigned to a specific task
230640 -     force. ref SDS 16 IA7K
230642 -      ..
230643 -     [On 040618 Gary sent a letter to Dilip and to Steve confirming
230644 -     goals for using SDS to provide intelligence support on project
230645 -     communications. ref SDS 17 OO8F
230647 -  ..
230648 - The record today aligns with Andy Grove's analysis of strategic
230649 - inflextion points that arrive quietly, with little cat feet, reported
230650 - on 980307. ref SDS 4 2051
230652 -  ..
230653 - Discussion in the meeting on staff changes involving Gary and others
230654 - has not yet been entered in the record on 040422.  For example, Gary
230655 - mentioned Gil may be changing assignments.
230657 -  ..
230658 - Along with other headings, this subject is still blank in the record
230659 - on 040422, due to limited time.  Gary plans to complete the record
230660 - over the next few days for distribution to the team, and he will cover
230661 - the issue of recognizing a formal role for communication support using
230662 - SDS, as he did in the reporting on 040203, ref SDS 11 NB6G, in the
230663 - heading for...
230665 -               ..
230666 -              Leads are in bold on the individual task loading.
230667 -
230668 - ...which is currently blank, but will show individual assignments.
230669 - ref SDS 15 F860
230671 -  ..
230672 - We reviewed a couple of records Gary might cite in reporting on staff
230673 - changes, and particularly the preliminary notice from Dilip that Gary
230674 - will continue to produce the record for the entire group, rather than
230675 - be assigned to one of the new task units. ref SDS 0 F365
230676 -
230677 -    1.  Annual review on 040102 listing prior instances where project
230678 -        staff and management have recognized Gary's role to produce
230679 -        organizational memory. ref SDS 10 UO6T
230681 -         ..
230682 -    2.  Request by Bruce on 040203 for Gary to stop working on
230683 -        previously assigned tasks, and drive to another location for
230684 -        the purpose of capturing the record. ref SDS 11 N03C
230686 -         ..
230687 -    3.  Determination on 040227 that experience from 040116 showed that
230688 -        SDS could not be easily replaced by other tools nor by using
230689 -        more people, leading to management action on restoring SDS
230690 -        support. ref SDS 12 RH77
230692 -         ..
230693 -    4.  Scope of contract developed on 040317 for Aerospace company to evaluate
230694 -        SDS support for Communication Metrics to routinely create and
230695 -        "deliver the goods" on organizational memory, ref SDS 13 PQ6P,
230696 -        which aligned with Paul's letter on 031008 noting that
230697 -        "organizational memory" is an important concept. ref SDS 8 IR3Y
230699 -         ..
230700 -    5.  "Organizational memory" is defined in POIMS as a strategic
230701 -        asset derived from connecting the dots that add "intelligence"
230702 -        to daily communication from the constant flow of dialog and
230703 -        documents. ref OF 3 1X6G  This new asset enabled by SDS and
230704 -        training for Communication Metrics strengthens command and
230705 -        control of the work, further explained in POIMS. ref OF 7 1113
230707 -         ..
230708 -    6.  Bruce's leadership, reported on 030123, enabled the M&S Group,
230709 -        this past year, to take the beginning strides toward using
230710 -        CFISR to improve productivity of meetings in the office by
230711 -        developing a good record of organizational memory, ref SDS 6
230712 -        1U7M; which, in turn, will, hopefully one day, lead to better
230713 -        systems and support that ensure continuing success by applying
230714 -        CFISR effectively on the battlefield of future combat.
230716 -  ..
230717 - Discussed a couple of tasks that might flow from organization
230718 - changes...
230719 -
230720 -    1.  Bruce...
230721 -
230722 -        Letter of congratulations for following through on planning
230723 -        discussed during the meeting on 040121, and reported on 040123
230724 -        for using capabilities that strengthen command and control for
230725 -        working intelligently to model, simulate, engineer, build and
230726 -        deliver support for the customer to apply command control,
230727 -        communication, intelligence in field operations, summarized as
230728 -        CFISR, per above. ref SDS 0 LF8J
230730 -         ..
230731 -        Challenge ahead is how to maintain momentum when a new cast of
230732 -        characters come aboard, who have no experience with using SDS
230733 -        for Communication Metrics, and are anxious to put their own
230734 -        stamp on the organization.  Does Bruce expect to maintain
230735 -        contact with Jamie and the M&S Group?  Gary indicated in the
230736 -        call today this is still not clear.  Any effort that can lead
230737 -        to Bruce continuing support for SDS, based on his experience,
230738 -        reported on 040302, ref SDS 11 NB6G, and Bruce's goals for
230739 -        avoiding mistakes, by applying lessons learned from past
230740 -        mistakes, reported on 030830, ref SDS 7 TY9H, will likely be
230741 -        very helpful.
230743 -         ..
230744 -        For example, when assignments were changed at PG&E on 941128,
230745 -        the Director brought his new manager around.  When the new boss
230746 -        asked about the role of SDS and Com Metrics, the Director
230747 -        hurridly explained that SDS helps with documentation.  The new
230748 -        manager noted perfunctorily his policy to cut costs by cutting
230749 -        unnecessary documentation.  A day later, plans set the day
230750 -        before to expand SDS at PG&E, were abandoned and SDS was gone,
230751 -        because a new manager had authority, but no experience,
230752 -        ref SDS 2 9954, and, further, because those who had experience
230753 -        were afraid to speak truth to power, as related in analysis on
230754 -        040203. ref SDS 11 E44K
230756 -         ..
230757 -        Another example, occurred at USACE. Staff counsel announced on
230758 -        961015 that SDS should be continued to the end of the Oakland
230759 -        Harbor project in order to protect the agency against exposure
230760 -        to bogus legal claims. ref SDS 3 2W7H  The Distict Engineer,
230761 -        also, had strong recommendations from four (4) top managers.
230762 -        ref DRP 4 1279  Yet the District Engineer, ignored advice of
230763 -        counsel, and ignored his chief lieutenants and cancelled SDS,
230764 -        and agency then paid $20M more than was justified on a bogus
230765 -        claim, reported on 981027. ref SDS 5 9152
230767 -         ..
230768 -        This demonstrates the power of ignorance cannot not be over
230769 -        estimated.  We can be proactive taking reasonable steps to
230770 -        insulate and innoculate people against the power of ignorance,
230771 -        fear and denial, and we can further be prepared to not be
230772 -        suprised if history is repeated despite best efforts.
230773 -
230775 -         ..
230776 -    2.  Steve
230777 -
230778 -        Follow up letter to Steve asking about progress on intranet
230779 -        support to accomplish Steve's request on 031205 for making
230780 -        links in SDS active.  Making links in SDS active brings the
230781 -        power of "intelligence" from connecting the dots to the full
230782 -        team, the customer and partners to make collaboration
230783 -        effective.  Without links, people only have about 10% of the
230784 -        power of SDS.  Enabling the other 90% of the power of SDS helps
230785 -        with performance of the contract to evaluate SDS support for
230786 -        organizational memory, ref OF 3 0001, developed on 040317.
230787 -        ref SDS 13 9Z69
230788 -
230790 -         ..
230791 -    3.  Paul.
230792 -
230793 -        Follow up with Paul on his ideas for using an intranet on the
230794 -        project, and ask how he feels SDS will support "organizational
230795 -        memory" as a communication and intelligence asset required
230796 -        under CFISR, and mentioned in his letter on 031205, as an
230797 -        important concept. ref SDS 8 IR4V
230798 -
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230800 -
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2309 -