CONTACTS 
0201 - IBM Credit Corporation             510 277 5600 fax 5654
020101 - Mr. Ross H. Armstrong
020102 - National Account Marketing Advisor =510 277 5616  800 627 9600; Department

SUBJECTS
IBM Credit, SDS, New Installation, 920114
Trial Installations
Organizer, 921106
Writing Notes Twice

0706 -    ..
0707 - Summary/Objective
0708 -
070801 - Followed up call to Ross at ref SDS 12 line 56.
070802 -
070803 - He is making good progress with OS2 and Organizer.  I'll keep in
070804 - touch on SDS at an appropriate time.
070805 -
070806 -
070807 -
0709 -
0710 -
0711 - Discussion
0712 -
071201 - He has made good progress with OS2, and has needed minimal support
071202 - from IBM's telephone service, because the program on-line help has
071203 - been adequate.
071204 -
071205 - Organizer is working well.  When he is rushed, it is easier to make
071206 - notes on paper.
071207 -
071208 -
071209 -     Converting Information into Knowledge
071210 -
071211 -     I explained it will always be necessary to make some notes on
071212 -     paper from time to time.  Management is organic with respect to
071213 -     time and content, so inevitably situations arise that are not
071214 -     conducive to a single method of capturing the record.  However,
071215 -     in order to make what is captured valuable, it is necessary to
071216 -     enter everything into an environment that makes it accessible
071217 -     when needed and in the manner needed.
071218 -
071219 -     Explained the relationship between time and information that is
071220 -     set out in the paper:
071221 -
071222 -                "New World Order" needs old time religion
071223 -                ------------------------------------------
071224 -
071225 -        ...that defines "knowledge" as information linked back to
071226 -        original sources, which was the original meaning of "religion"
071227 -        mentioned in my letter at ref DIP 1 line 39.
071228 -
071229 -     I asked if he enters his handwritten notes into Organizer when
071230 -     time permits, or has a support person do this for him?  He indi-
071231 -     cated Organizer is not amenable to such practice.  Ross said
071232 -     Organizer does not link information like SDS does, but so far, he
071233 -     has not found it helpful to do so.
071234 -
071235 -        Comment
071236 -
071237 -        Decided not to ask how such a finding can be made without
071238 -        having any experience with linking information?
071239 -
071240 -
071241 -
071242 - Mouse is Slower than Function Keys
071243 -
071244 - He has found that using icons and mouse are not as fast as he expect-
071245 - ed, but feels this will improve as he gains more experience with
071246 - Organizer.  He still expects to use function keys to speed program
071247 - use, per our discussion at ref SDS 12 line 103.
071248 -
071249 -     Millie feels the same about Wordperfect for Windows.  She is
071250 -     familiar with using function keys, and so finds using the mouse
071251 -     slow and awkward.  The mouse and menus can make learning for new
071252 -     users more intuitive though, but it is slower than function keys.
071253 -     SDS uses both, so Users can learn by exploring and then pick up
071254 -     the function keys as they discover functions that are used
071255 -     regularly.
071256 -
071257 -
071258 -
071259 - Backing Up on Tape
071260 -
071261 - Ross has not yet found it necessary to backup his system.
071262 -
071263 -     I indicated there are systems that can connect to the parallel
071264 -     port on his notebook, but this is mainly valuable for a business
071265 -     practice that routinely captures and applies the record of
071266 -     important daily activity, as occurs with SDS.  Absent that
071267 -     practice, backup with floppy disks once a month is probably
071268 -     sufficient.
071269 -
071270 -
071271 -
071272 - Windows & DOS under OS2
071273 -
071274 - I asked if he has been able to run his Windows applications and he
071275 - seemed to say he can.  He has discovered he can run DOS applications
071276 - in OS2 using a DOS window.  Sounds like he is gradually discovering
071277 - how to emulate his prior work practices with DOS, on OS2, as well as
071278 - extend it.
071279 -
071280 -
071281 -
071282 -
0713 -

SUBJECTS
SDS Marketing, Sales Resistance
Writing "everything" down
Learning time/difficulty
Conflict with Existing Computer Methods
Credibility, Cultural Shock, Communication Metrics
Cost/Benefit, Fear, Faith
Faith in Power of Knowledge Opposed by Fear Defferred Rewards
Marketing Slow Mainly Education Overcome Ignorance Fear Denial
SDS Does Not Replace Manual Practice, Improves Ability to Think
Learning Takes More than 20 Min Improve Skills Productivity Earnings

1613 -
161301 -  ..
161302 - Progress Marketing SDS has Slowed
161303 -
161304 - I explained this is proceeding as largely an educational exercise,
161305 - because SDS is new and different.  It cannot be explained as a better
161306 - way to do things people are already doing manually or with other
161307 - products.
161308 -
161309 - SDS is a better way to do what people are already doing inherently:
161310 -
161311 -
161312 -              converting information into knowledge
161313 -
161314 -
161315 -  ..
161316 - Ignorance, Fear, Denial Impede Acceptance
161317 -
161318 - People cannot know how valuable SDS is until they use it.  Our aim has
161319 - to be on finding ways for people to experience the benefits of SDS.
161320 -
161321 - Natural fear of the unknown is heightened by fear of learning a
161322 - complex new tool of unrecognized value, and fear that doing so would
161323 - bring disapproval by organizational culture.  So the path of least
161324 - resistance is to hope they can get by without the core SDS practice of
161325 - capturing the record to verify understanding, and linking it up to
161326 - create knowledge
161327 -
161328 -     [like I am doing now -- see follow up at ref SDS 18 5592
161329 -
161330 -     [On 950720 reviewed book on "Trouble with Computers" explaining
161331 -     why improvement in productivity is slow. ref SDS 15 8911 and
161332 -     further at ref SDS 15 2004]
161333 -
161334 - Of course not many customers are attracted to the idea that their
161335 - lives are conflicted by ignorance, fear and denial, so fashioning an
161336 - appeal that penetrates these barriars is challenging.
161337 -
161338 -     [On 980307 Andy Grove's book "Only Paranoid Survive" suggests that
161339 -     managers try new methods. ref SDS 19 3416]
161340 -
161341 - Demonstrating SDS resolves some of the ignorance, but not the fear of
161342 - change, and not the hope that the pain of learning to "change" can be
161343 - avoided.
161344 -
161345 -     [On 980307 Andy Grove's book "Only Paranoid Survive" explains
161346 -     managers aver learning new methods but says strong leadership is
161347 -     needed to help management improve one way or the other.
161348 -     ref SDS 20 1657 and ref SDS 20 1566]
161349 -
161350 - Showing the product requires creating credibility in a concept that
161351 - conflicts with 2000 years of management practice aimed at avoiding
161352 - details, instead of "controlling" them.  So this is an educational
161353 - effort where I am trying to give the program to selected managers, and
161354 - provide the needed support in order to minimize their investment of
161355 - time and emotion, so that they can experience the meaning of
161356 - "automated management," or, as set out in the NWO... paper:
161357 -
161358 -                        Automated Religion
161359 -
161360 - These "disciples" can then provide the credibility that the general
161361 - market place requires in order to opt for mass change.  Digging these
161362 - people out of the system is a prodigious task.
161363 -
161364 - It is more difficult 10 years into the PC wave, because the market is
161365 - chastened by failed expectations of "automated" solutions that turn
161366 - out not to improve productivity.  People try Agenda, Commence, Notes,
161367 - ACT, et al, and find in time that they are missing a key ingredient of
161368 - what management is all about. But since this ingredient is subtle,
161369 - they merely sense they are missing "flexibility."  They never know
161370 - they have missed the power of "automated integration" of time and
161371 - information.  Instead they become frustrated and fall back to familiar
161372 - manual methods that have the flexibility to accommodate human mental
161373 - acuity, ref SDS 14 line 169.  Many conclude that "management" cannot
161374 - be automated, ref SDS 17 line 518.  SDS is not a welcome prospect to
161375 - these folks.
161376 -
161377 - At the same time, institutional efforts to study the challenge of
161378 - supporting management and develop better capability, are equally
161379 - constrained.  Once people opt for a solution, however wrong, it
161380 - becomes enshrined in the "official view of reality" and thereafter
161381 - blocks out consideration of SDS, per ref SDS 12 1378.
161382 -
161383 - The plus side is that the need for "automated management" is growing
161384 - everyday, as the field of objectives and the flow of information
161385 - increases.  I expect that in time, people will catch on to what is
161386 - really needed.  We are going through a stage in evolution that
161387 - requires persistence and care in education to bring people along at
161388 - their own pace.
161389 -
161390 -     [On 950915 discussed SDS during trip to Yosemite, ref SDS 15
161391 -     4920.]
161392 -
161393 - Ross asked if I have considered selling hardware along with SDS.  I
161394 - indicated I sometimes order hardware, but mostly provide specifica-
161395 - tions, since many organizations have relationships with hardware
161396 - vendors in whom they have confidence.  Results usually are mixed. I
161397 - mentioned Don at Transamerica who is purchasing a "cheap" notebook for
161398 - an assistant, ref SDS 13 line 68, instead of asking how is it going to
161399 - be used and what is needed to support that use.  There is a lot of
161400 - social pressure that arises in procurement decisions, attendant to
161401 - exercising power.
161402 -
161403 - I am getting more appreciation of the fable about the "Emporer to wore
161404 - no cloths."
161405 -
161406 -
1615 -

SUBJECTS
Armstrongs, Ross, etc.

1704 - Summary/Objective
1705 -
170501 - Claudia has a new job with Chevron that makes better use of her
170502 - education and bilingual skills.  She enjoys it, except for the
170503 - commute.  The new assignment is taking a lot more of her time.
170504 -
170505 - Richard has not yet been awarded Warrant Officer status.  Ross thinks
170506 - it will occur soon.
170507 -
170508 - Nina has recovered from her medical problem.  She is seeking a
170509 - marketing management assignment at HP in Santa Clara, which will take
170510 - more of her time.  She and Jeff are splitting time in caring for their
170511 - children, 4 days and 3 days a week.  Nina's new assignment may impact
170512 - this situation.
170513 -
170514 - They are trying to help Diane with her weight situation.  She was over
170515 - a few weeks ago and seemed to be eating more.
170516 -
170517 -
170518 -
170519 -
1706 -