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


S U M M A R Y


DIARY: June 8, 1995 04:00 PM Thursday; Rod Welch

Meeting on PMI event planning for 1996.

1...Summary/Objective
2...Coordinated Events on Communications
......Justification
3...Apply & Test PMBOK
4...Conceptual Framework - Begin with Traditional Methods
5...Report on PMBOK - PMI NCC Visibility
6...We need to contact PMI National rep to coordinate what facilities we
7...Vision & Goals
.................."Communications Management"
8...Strategy
9...Recycle Intellectual Capital from Prior Events
....Speakers
10...Modern Project Management
11...We examined the draft Guide to the PMBOK's explanation under section
......................."notice" provisions
.....Construction Sig
12...The event program on communication will draw from traditions in
......................Modern Project Management
.....Action Needed in July
13...Report Committee/Manager
14...Approval - Board Meeting Jun 12, 1995

ACTION ITEMS.................. Click here to comment!

1...Need to contact Russ about supporting this effort.
2...1. Setting guidelines and objectives for shaping selection of

CONTACTS 
0202 - Taspinar Management Consulting     510 569 7471 fax 4636                                                                                                           O-00000276 0101
020201 - Mr. Ahmet Taspinar, PMP

SUBJECTS
PMI Events Program, Conceptual Scope Meeting
Explain Coordinated Event Concept
Purpose/Justification, Goals

0805 -    ..
0806 - Summary/Objective
0807 -
080701 - Follow up ref SDS 16 0000, ref SDS 15 0000.
080702 -
080703 - Bob Thompson, Bill, Ahmet and I met at Olaveteos restaurant across the
080704 - street from the Rockridge BART station in Oakland.
080705 -
080706 - Developed goals and strategy for an event program to submit to the PMI
080707 - board on Monday, Jun 12, 1995.  There will be 4 coordinated events on
080708 - communication management, and a likely presence at PMI's Project World
080709 - in Santa Clara in Dec.
080710 -
080711 -
080712 -
0808 -
0809 -
0810 - Background
0811 -   ..
081101 - Initially (before Bill arrived) Ahmet asked about the ideas from
081102 - meetings on May 24, ref SDS 14 line 55, and Jun 1, ref SDS 15 line 82.
081103 - [He did not receive the memo submitted to him on this, ref DIP 5 line
081104 - 33.]
081105 -
081106 -
081107 -  ..
081108 - Coordinated Events on Communications
081109 -
081110 - We considered the idea of coordinated events that build toward a
081111 - report on the viability and implementation of the PMBOK treatment of
081112 - communications, discussed with Ahmet at the May 17, PMI meeting, ref
081113 - SDS 12 line 278, and developed further on Jun 1, ref SDS 15 line 120
081114 - and ref SDS 15 line 411.
081115 -
081116 - Each event would offer ideas, techniques and solutions to enhance
081117 - professional development with the aim of improving management skills,
081118 - ref SDS 15 line 237, earnings potential and productivity of their
081119 - organizations.
081120 -
081121 -
081122 -       ..
081123 -      Justification
081124 -
081125 -      Communications is the last frontier of improving management.
081126 -      Cost, schedule and design have been automated, but little has
081127 -      been done recently to help managers deal with the increased flow
081128 -      of information arising from the "Information Highway" (see
081129 -      Kerzner lecture sponsored by PMI on Feb 2, 1995, reviewed at ref
081130 -      SDS 6 line 158).  The problem of managers being swamped by too
081131 -      many meetings, calls, faxes, documents, beepers, e-mail, with too
081132 -      little time to think, was raised in Asilomar last year (1994) in
081133 -      discussing Murphy's Law, ref SDS 5 line 236.
081134 -
081135 -      "Communication" taught in MBA and other academic settings mainly
081136 -      covers "leadership" objective of persuasion, ref SDS 13 line 139,
081137 -      and omits serious treatment of ensuring understanding and timely
081138 -      follow-up, essential to successful project management, per ref
081139 -      DIP 2 line 40, ref SDS 8 line 85.
081140 -      ..
081141 -      Accordingly, there is strong demand for professional
081142 -      development in management communications, ref SDS 8 line 74.
081143 -
081144 -
081145 -  ..
081146 - Apply & Test PMBOK
081147 -
081148 - Ahmet was pleased about the progress made today and observed how easy
081149 - and simple Project Management can be when the PMBOK is followed to
081150 - develop a vision, strategies and tactics.  It was decided a strong
081151 - effort will be made to use PMBOK standards in planning and executing
081152 - the Event Program.  The final report on the Event program will assess
081153 - how well it can be applied by experts from an organization of "expert"
081154 - project managers using Modern Project Management.
081155 -
081156 -     [See follow up at ref SDS 19 line 79, and ref SDS 28 line 45.]
081157 -
081158 -     [See article for PMI NCC on 970612, ref SDS 34 line 77.]
081159 -
081160 -  ..
081161 - Conceptual Framework - Begin with Traditional Methods
081162 -
081163 - The first event will cover traditional communications methodology,
081164 - ref SDS 15 line 272, the second will present the impact of technology
081165 - on communications, i.e., what's new, what's working, new problems from
081166 - unintended consequences, ref SDS 15 line 303.  Both events will
081167 - develop information from attendees on their concerns, problems,
081168 - challenges and successes.  This can be done by using Planning Theater
081169 - and Focus Group techniques, ref SDS 15 line 268, which would be part
081170 - of the training offered by the event.
081171 -
081172 - The results of these events will guide the program for Asilomar, ref
081173 - SDS 15 line 269, which can offer deeper, more comprehensive solu-
081174 - tions, ref SDS 15 line 309, along with group exercises to illustrate
081175 - key incites, ref SDS 17 line 46.  This will treat the issue of a
081176 - "changing world" per ref SDS 7 line 134.
081177 -     ..
081178 -     Bob commented it is important to ensure attendees that they
081179 -     will learn new ideas, as well as contribute material for Asilomar.
081180 -
081181 -
081182 -
081183 -  ..
081184 - Report on PMBOK - PMI NCC Visibility
081185 -
081186 - The final event will review the draft of the report on the first three
081187 - events, leading to a final report from PMI NCC on the viability and
081188 - implementation of the Guide to PMBOK on communications, ref SDS 15
081189 - line 340.
081190 -
081191 - This report will give visibility to PMI as a leader in the industry
081192 - on critical issues to professional development.
081193 -
081194 -     [Later considered event at Rancho Bernardo, ref SDS 23 line 34.]
081195 -
081196 -
081197 -
081198 -
0812 -

SUBJECTS
Project World - Coordinate PMI National

1104 -
110401 - Ahmet advised that PMI NCC has been offered space to contribute in
110402 - this PMI National event in December.
110403 -
110404 - We considered that since we would be one among many, and since much of
110405 - the planning on logistics will be controlled nationally, that this
110406 - event be considered at this time as supplemental to our main program
110407 - of four (4) events.
110408 -
110409 -     We might use the Project World event to publicize the Chapter
110410 -     generally, and include the fact we are sponsoring four dedicated
110411 -     events this year and next to evaluate and implement communications
110412 -     management relative to the PMBOK.
110413 -
110414 -
110415 -  ..
110416 -
110417 - We need to contact PMI National rep to coordinate what facilities we
110418 - will have so we can plan what to do.
110419 -
110420 -     What we might do is publicise our event program on communications
110421 -     and invite attendance.
110422 -
110423 -
110424 -
1105 -

SUBJECTS
Event Program Team, Assign

1304 -
130401 - Ahmet will be the program manager.  Bill, Bob and I will assist as
130402 - requested.
130403 -
130404 - The EPT will develop an event program plan setting out objectives and
130405 - scope of each event.
130406 -
130407 -
130408 - Ahmet expects to assign Project Managers for each event.  The Project
130409 - Managers will assemble their team with assistance from the EPT.
130410 -
130411 -    Project teams will implement the event program plan with assistance
130412 -    from the EPT.
130413 -
130414 -
130415 -
1305 -

SUBJECTS
Preliminary Event Program Plan
Goals, Objectives, Strategies
Speakers
Apply Results from Prior PMI Events

2007 -
200701 -  ..
200702 - Vision & Goals
200703 -
200704 - We began the Event Program Plan by setting a goal to improve
200705 - professional development for the membership and visibility of PMI as a
200706 - leader in project management, by offering better methodologies for
200707 - communications, per ref SDS 11 line 91, and at ref SDS 15 line 118.
200708 -
200709 - We agreed "communications" is too broad to be meaningfully covered in
200710 - a single event, even a 3 day affair like Asilimar, so a series of
200711 - coordinated events on a single theme is appropriate, ref SDS 12 line
200712 - 187.
200713 -
200714 -     [See results at Asilomar a year later, ref SDS 33 line 613.]
200715 - ..
200716 - Bob suggests the theme reflect the PMBOK, section 10:
200717 -
200718 -
200719 -                  "Communications Management"
200720 -
200721 - Bill feels the justification (shown above) advances this theme, ref
200722 - SDS 15 line 215.  It was noted that Section 2.4.2 compliments Section
200723 - 10 which deals with determining lines of authority/reporting, when
200724 - reports are due, what forms to use, distribution and filing.  This
200725 - offers flexibility in setting an agenda.
200726 -
200727 -
200728 -  ..
200729 - Strategy
200730 -
200731 - The basic strategy is to have four (4) coordinated events the first
200732 - two of which offer ideas and collect input from membership.  The
200733 - Asilomar event will build on the first two events, leading to a report
200734 - on findings and conclusions to improve communications, which PMI NCC
200735 - will publish.  The 4th event can be a review of a preliminary report
200736 - on the findings and conclusions.
200737 -
200738 -
200739 -  ..
200740 - Recycle Intellectual Capital from Prior Events
200741 -
200742 - These events will build on prior PMI events, i.e., we will recycle our
200743 - intellectual capital from, for example, Asilomar 1990 on:
200744 -
200745 -                 Management Communications
200746 -                 Trends, Tools & Techniques for the 90s and Beyond
200747 -
200748 -     ...ref SDS 1 line 256, and ref SDS 5 line 244 on the "Murphy's
200749 -     Law," to underscore the special needs of managers for communica-
200750 -     tion support shown under the Justification (above).
200751 -
200752 -     [We need Bill's report on 1994 Asilomar.]
200753 -
200754 -
200755 -     ..
200756 -    Speakers
200757 -
200758 -    High profile speakers will offer drawing power for the program,
200759 -    professionalism and traditional views in conjunction with speakers
200760 -    on new ideas.
200761 -
200762 -        Ahmet feels we can get Russ Archibald for the Planning Theater
200763 -        event in November.  Bob Gillis is also strong in this area.
200764 -
200765 -        Might also get Mike Termini ref SDS 9 line 89, and/or Ed
200766 -        Mahler, ref SDS 20 line 153.  Another would be Ed Scannel, ref
200767 -        SDS 10 line 54, for Nov event.
200768 -
200769 -           [See follow up at ref SDS 22 line 144.]
200770 -                                    ..
200771 -        Need to contact Russ about supporting this effort.
200772 -
200773 -
2008 -

SUBJECTS
MPM, Construction, Communications, Concepts, Objectives
Notice Provisions Accomplished by SDS
MPM & Communication Metrics
Cost Schedule Communications - Enterprise

2707 -
270701 -  ..
270702 - Modern Project Management
270703 -
270704 - Bob noted a general concern within PMI for more input from the
270705 - construction industry.  There was discussion of the seeming distance
270706 - between PMI's mission of improving project management which has its
270707 - cultural roots in construction, and the zeal by many to rely on
270708 - gadgets (fax, e-mail, CPM programs) rather than using the "gadgets" to
270709 - implement sound management practice.  For some the reliance on gadgets
270710 - has somehow become the meaning of...
270711 -
270712 -                      Modern Project Management
270713 -
270714 -      ...which appears to conflict with PMI's stated explanation in
270715 -      Pmnetwork by Fran Webster (Sep 20, 1993 p. 20) reviewed at ref
270716 -      SDS 2 line 134.  PMI's position is that automation should result
270717 -      in greater application of sound management practice to explore
270718 -      opportunities, implement initiatives and solve problems, rather
270719 -      than to diminish the quality of management.
270720 -
270721 -
270722 -  ..
270723 -
270724 - We examined the draft Guide to the PMBOK's explanation under section
270725 - 10.2.2.1 of "communication skills," calling for the receiver of a
270726 - document to be responsible for making sure it is complete and
270727 - "understood correctly," as evidencing a disconnect between the
270728 - membership and sound management skills developed over thousands of
270729 - years in the construction industry (discussed at ref SDS 15 line 277.
270730 -
270731 - Another popular buz word notion of a "virtual" project team, cited in
270732 - PMnetwork articles like "Teams without Walls," reviewed at ref SDS 4
270733 - line 312, shows the danger of PMI moving away from its roots in
270734 - construction, where almost every project daily confronts the challenge
270735 - of managing a geographically diverse set of people and organizations
270736 - who are vital to project success.  These are called "vendors" and
270737 - "subcontractors."
270738 - ..
270739 - Long established principles of communication known generally
270740 - as...
270741 -
270742 -  ..
270743 -
270744 -                       "notice" provisions
270745 -
270746 - ...have evolved to meet this challenge which is new and foreign to
270747 - industries where most projects use mainly internal resources, like
270748 - Pharmaceuticals, Law, Information Technology, etc. What is lost on
270749 - many is that cultural heritage is not acquired by joining an
270750 - organization.  Rather you have to work in the cultural and be
270751 - associated with those who have lived it for a long time.  This was the
270752 - aim of PMI opening its doors for others to join.  The result, however,
270753 - of inexperience rushing ahead is seen from the PMBOK's treatment of
270754 - communication skills discussed in the previous paragraph.
270755 -
270756 -        [See example at ref SDS 24 line 248.]
270757 -
270758 -
270759 -      ..
270760 -     Construction Sig
270761 -
270762 -     Ahmet indicated PMI NCC is forming a SIG for construction to
270763 -     support this objective.  Sherrill McDonald is heading it up. Will,
270764 -     however, a construction SIG diminish the focus on the essential
270765 -     cultural imperatives PMI was intended to embody and advance. Might
270766 -     it not be better to simply admit that PMI is a construction
270767 -     organization which other industries are joining to contribute and
270768 -     acquire needed expertise, through exchange of ideas.
270769 -
270770 -          [This position is not supported by the report on the history
270771 -          of PMI at ref SDS 3 9752, except one of the first PMI members
270772 -          seems to have been from construction. ref SDS 3 9445]
270773 -     ..
270774 -     Another idea might be to develop a group that looks at and
270775 -     reports on the differences between internal and external project
270776 -     manage- ment. This is a huge issue that has not been treated in
270777 -     any depth.
270778 -
270779 -  ..
270780 - The event program on communication will draw from traditions in
270781 - construction to present methods that improve project management in the
270782 - modern era, and thus form a stronger nexus between technological
270783 - advances which will continue to come, and the sound management
270784 - practice they are intended to serve (NOT replace), leading to a
270785 - practical notion of:
270786 -
270787 -  ..
270788 -                      Modern Project Management
270789 -
270790 -     ...following up understandings from Kerzner lecture, ref SDS 6
270791 -     line 260 and discussions with Bill DeHart at ref SDS 15 line 295.
270792 -
270793 -
270794 -   [See follow up at ref SDS 29 line 95 and ref SDS 30 line 48.]
270795 -
270796 -
2708 -

SUBJECTS
Dates & Advertising

3104 -   ..
310401 - Considered publicizing the events in the Chapter Newsletter per
310402 - discussions last week, at ref SDS 15 line 159.  The national PMI
310403 - publication, "Pmnetwork" will carry advertisements at no charge.  They
310404 - will need several months notice, so we need to set a schedule of
310405 - events for Nov, 1995, Feb, July and Aug or Sep, 1996, per ref SDS 12
310406 - line 167 and ref SDS 15 line 174.
310407 -
310408 -      ..
310409 -     Action Needed in July
310410 -
310411 -     Submit initial ad to Pmnet for the Nov event in July, i.e., next
310412 -     month, so we can get several months notice.
310413 -
310414 -        [Followed up but no action at ref SDS 26 line 62, Nov event
310415 -        eventually dropped for lack of action.
310416 -
310417 - Ahmet plans to submit a preliminary schedule of events and actions to
310418 - support them, to the PMI Board meeting on Jun 12, next Monday.
310419 -
310420 -     [This was done at ref SDS 21 line 197, later abandoned at ref SDS
310421 -     25 line 36.
310422 -
310423 -
310424 -
3105 -

SUBJECTS
Location/Facilities
Facilities & Location

3305 -
330501 - Followed up discussion at ref SDS 15 line 144 about having events for
330502 - the major geographic regions of the chapter.  Ahmet presented the idea
330503 - of the first event in November be held at the Sheraton Palace Hotel in
330504 - San Francisco.  It is centrally located, would be a good draw for
330505 - attendees, and has ample room for meetings, as seen from the event
330506 - today for David Packard, ref SDS 18 line 45.
330507 -
330508 - The Hyatt Regency would be another convenient location for the San
330509 - Francisco event.
330510 -
330511 - Bob suggested Oakland, possibly Jack London Square, for the East Bay
330512 - event.
330513 -
330514 -     We need to contact these places now to get prices and
330515 -     availability.
330516 -
330517 -
330518 -
330519 -
3306 -

SUBJECTS
Materials Provided for Attendees, e.g.,

3604 -
360401 - Handouts to attendees at the events should be coordinated to support
360402 - the theme of "Management Communications."  Perhaps we should set an
360403 - overall budget and manage this as one issue for the four events.  Each
360404 - event Project Manager would contribute along with speakers who will
360405 - want attendees to get certain materials.
360406 -
360407 - The Event Program Team might coordinate these efforts to ensure that
360408 - attendees walk away with something they can take to the office on
360409 - Monday morning and try to implement.
360410 -
360411 -     [See follow up at ref SDS 27 line 515.]
360412 -
360413 -
360414 -
3605 -

SUBJECTS
Final Report, Speakers

3904 -
390401 -  ..
390402 - Report Committee/Manager
390403 -
390404 - Someone, possibly Ahmet as Program Manager, needs to be working on
390405 - one or both of the following:
390406 -
390407 -     1.  Setting guidelines and objectives for shaping selection of
390408 -         speakers and shaping their presentations at each event, if we
390409 -         decide to advance a correlated theory of communication.
390410 -
390411 -     2.  Assembling results of each event to write a report.
390412 -
390413 - We need to be thinking about the goal or disposition of the report.
390414 - This will partly be answered by the findings and conclusions in the
390415 - report.
390416 -
390417 -       [See follow up at ref SDS 31 line 82, and at ref SDS 32 line
390418 -       153.]
390419 -
390420 -
390421 -
390422 -
3905 -

SUBJECTS
Proposal to Board

4104 -
410401 -  ..
410402 - Approval - Board Meeting Jun 12, 1995
410403 -
410404 - Ahmet plans to submit a preliminary proposal on Monday.  Ahmet asked
410405 - me to attend.  It will be at:
410406 -
410407 -                      Peterson Consulting
410408 -                      Spear Tower
410409 -                      One Market Plaza
410410 -
410411 -                      415 956 3654
410412 -
410413 -     [Followed up at ref SDS 21 line 286.]
410414 -
410415 - ..
410416 - After this step, we need to submit a formal proposal that Board
410417 - signs off on formally, so we get the proverbial buy-in.
410418 -
410419 -
410420 -
410421 -
4105 -

SUBJECTS
Communications & Communication Metrics
Modern Project Management (MPM)
Re-Engineer Project Management

4406 -
440601 - Need PMBOK from Bill
440602 -
440603 -     Got this.
440604 -
440605 -
440606 - Need his comments on SDS Worker scenario
440607 -
440608 -     Got this on a disk in Word format.  His comments are in red.
440609 -
440610 -        Looked at his comments this evening.  There are very few,
440611 -        however, it appears he did not get the entire document.  His
440612 -        comment document has only about half of the entire thing.
440613 -
440614 -
440615 -
440616 -
4407 -