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S U M M A R Y


DIARY: February 6, 1996 12:23 PM Tuesday; Rod Welch

Received response from Peter Senge at MIT re course on Comm Metrics.

1...Summary/Objective
...Shared Meaning
.......Executive's Good Learners
2...POIMS Technology Support
3...Communication Metrics Improves Dialog
4...Ford Motor - Systems Learning network group
5...Cannot glean any clear corrleation with the concept of a "Learning


..............
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CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
Communiction Metrics Course Proposal Submitted to Peter Senge at MIT

1203 -
1203 -    ..
1204 - Summary/Objective
1205 -
120501 - Follow up ref SDS 10 0000.
120502 -
120503 - Received letter from Peter Senge responding to ref DIP 2 0000
120504 - submitted on 951227, ref SDS 10 0001, that submitted the record on
120505 - 951214. ref SDS 7 E69O
120507 -  ..
120508 - Peter says MIT cannot support a course on Communication Metrics.
120510 -  ..
120511 - Peter suggests reading papers on "learning" and submits a proposed
120512 - bibliography.  None of the papers address Communication Metrics in a
120513 - meaningful way, based on the abstracts.  Peter offers no guidance on
120514 - which papers do this.  Some references may support contacts with Ford.
120515 - Submitted resonse. ref DIT 2 0001
120516 -
120517 -     [On 960227 called and talked to Jean who works with Senge at MIT.
120518 -     ref SDS 16 0001
120520 -  ..
120521 - Submitted ref DIT 1 0001 to initiate contact withDialogos.  Included
120522 - this record, discussions with SCU on 951012, ref SDS 5 0001, the
120523 - meeting with Corps of Engineers on 960103, ref SDS 11 0001, and the
120524 - agenda dated 950203 for the PMI Asilomar event. ref OF 3 0001
120525 -
120526 -     [On 960221 followed up. ref SDS 15 0001
120527 -
120529 -  ..
1206 -
1207 -
1208 - Progress
1209 -
120901 - Received ref DRT 1 0001 responding to the letter, ref DIP 2 0001 that
120902 - submits the NWO paper, the proposal to GWU ref DIP 1 line 31, and
120903 - notes of the Project World event where it was suggested that I contact
120904 - Peter, ref SDS 7 line 636.  The letter is prepared by Jean Macdonald,
120905 - Assistant to Peter Senge.
120907 -  ..
120908 - Peter says his group does not offer courses. ref DRT 1 0001  He
120909 - suggests reading papers in his listing....
120910 -
120911 -                        Working Papers
120912 -                           Series
120913 -                              &
120914 -                       Publications List
120915 -
120916 -                             1995
120918 -                 ..
120919 -                Center for Organizational Learning
120920 -               Massachusetts Institute of Technology
120921 -
120923 -    ..
120924 -   Shared Meaning
120925 -
120926 -   ...he says this list reflects "dialogue project work which is
120927 -   focused on the processes of building shared meaning..." ref DRT 1
120928 -   line 24.  However, the explanations of the papers in Peter's list do
120929 -   not mention maintaining "shared meaning" or anything that seems
120930 -   comparable.
120931 -
120933 -        ..
120934 -       Executive's Good Learners
120935 -
120936 -       On 940508 article in HBR suggesting strong learning skills are
120937 -       characteristic of successful executives. ref SDS 2 3381
120938 -
120940 -    ..
120941 -   Daniel Kim's biography says:
120942 -
120943 -       His research involves synthesizing managers' intuitive knowledge
120944 -       with computer simulation models and games to create learning
120945 -       environments for building shared understanding of complex
120946 -       organizational issues.
120948 -    ..
120949 -   "Shared understanding" is close enough, but his papers do not
120950 -   mention this work.  Moreover, the objective of Communication Metrics
120951 -   is to maintain shared meaning overtime, because time is the enemy of
120952 -   understanding.  Without continued reinforcement from daily
120953 -   experience, how do doctors, engineers, plumbers, writers, laborers
120954 -   of all kinds, retain their "knowledge."  How can this be done in the
120955 -   age of the Information Highway that is moving faster and faster to
120956 -   destroy what we have "learned."
120958 -    ..
120959 -   Accordingly, it is unclear which papers Peter feels would be helpful
120960 -   in developing Communication Metrics.  He cites none that he believes
120961 -   should be considered.
120962 -
120964 -  ..
120965 - POIMS Technology Support
120966 -
120967 - The paper by Clannon, Papageorge 12:001 seems to reflect concepts of
120968 - POIMS technology, ref DRT 1 line 1330.
120969 -
120971 -  ..
120972 - Communication Metrics Improves Dialog
120973 -
120974 - Descriptions of papers by Issacs, ref DRT 1 line 1195, who is
120975 - recommended as a contact on Communication Metrics, ref DRT 1 line 28,
120976 - appear related to learning through dialog, which is the opposite idea
120977 - from Communication Metrics.  After we "dialog" how do figure out what
120978 - was "learned" and how do we invest it to get a continued reward?  How
120979 - do we meet the challenge of "knowledge creep" discussed at ref SDS 3
120980 - line 137 and at ref SDS 5 line 435.
120982 -  ..
120983 - Friedman's paper (16.001) is described with language that explains how
120984 - SDS is used to accomplish the deliberative analysis aspect of
120985 - Communication Metrics, ref DRT 1 line 199.
120986 -
120988 -  ..
120989 - Ford Motor - Systems Learning network group
120990 -
120991 - Follow up ref SDS 12 0989.
120992 -
120993 - Leo's paper (14.001) describes progress at Ford Motor Company toward a
120994 - systems thinking perspective sponsored by a Systems Learning network
120995 - group. ref DRT 1 2678
120997 -  ..
120998 - Another paper by Roth (18.003) says Ford used learning concepts to
120999 - reach goals for the Lincoln Continental, ref DRT 1 5781.
121001 -  ..
121002 - This record appears to conflict with understandings by Ed Pritchard
121003 - who said on 960122 that Ford does not have a ready means to try
121004 - Communication Metrics at this time. ref SDS 13 0989
121005 -
121006 -     [On 960212 followed up at ref SDS 14 8445.]
121007 -
121009 -  ..
1211 -
1212 -
1213 - Analysis
1214 -
121401 - There is nothing apparent on the correlation between time and
121402 - information that points to connectionist theory embodied in SDS and
121403 - Communication Metrics.  The one paper that mentions "religion" does
121404 - not seem to address this point. ref DRT 1 6792
121406 -  ..
121407 - Cannot glean any clear corrleation with the concept of a "Learning
121408 - Organization" that would be helpful to people, per ref SDS 1 8998.
121409 -
121410 -    [On 011102 organizational learning developed by Senge
121411 -    antecedent to Knowledge Management based on studies of
121412 -    building aircraft during WWII, and later an article
121413 -    published in 1962 that won a Nobel Prize on improving
121414 -    productivity through learning and experience. ref SDS 17
121415 -    M25K
121417 -  ..
121418 - There are a number of papers about education in K-12, ref DRT 1 7224,
121419 - so there may be some support for the study proposed to begin in grade
121420 - 10 to test the idea of "lifting the capacity to think, remember and
121421 - communicate, ref SDS 5 7477.
121423 -  ..
121424 - There is nothing remotely close to recognizing the alphabet as the
121425 - most powerful knowledge tool, discussed at Intel, ref SDS 4 5849.
121426 - There are no papers on the productivity gain in learning or in
121427 - managing from gaining control of lower levels of organic structure,
121428 - described as the "Power of the Microcosm" by George Gilder, discussed
121429 - with Intel on 950927. ref SDS 4 5412
121431 -  ..
121432 - There is nothing evident about the insidious numbing effects of too
121433 - much information from over reliance on pictures and dialog, inadequate
121434 - communication through email, i.e., it is degrading understanding.
121436 -  ..
121437 - These papers do not tell people how to find out what correspondence
121438 - has been issued or received for which a response is due, when an issue
121439 - was worked and to what result?  If IBM, the CIA, Harvard, MIT,
121440 - Westinghouse, Microsoft or the City of San Francisco, used the ideas
121441 - in these papers, we would still not be able to call these
121442 - organizations and get a timely answer on the disposition of a letter.
121443 - Everyone would be in meetings, sending faxes or at seminars.  Until
121444 - and unless we can gain command and control of the record, any
121445 - "learning" that may occur is ephemeral.
121446 -
121448 -  ..
1215 -
1216 -
1217 - 1259 called MIT
1218 -
121801 - Asked for Peter Senge.  Talked to Jean Macdonald - her number is:
121802 -
121803 -                         617 252 1141
121804 -                         617 300 9525
121806 -                   ..
121809 -     ..
121810 -    Another assistant to Peter Senge is Vicki Tweiten; her number is:
121811 -
121812 -                         617 253 1572
121814 -  ..
121815 - Discussed analysis of Peter's letter and follow up, per above.
121816 - ref SDS 0 5884
121818 -  ..
121819 - Jean seemed to indicate that Peter would not be interested in hearing
121820 - how to accomplish the aims of the Center for Organizational Learning.
121822 -  ..
121823 - I asked if Peter could explain which papers he feels address the
121824 - issues set out in the New World Order ... paper.  Jean feels Peter's
121825 - letter offers as much guidance as is available.
121827 -  ..
121828 - Submitted ref DIT 2 0001 to Peter with link to this record confirming
121829 - understandings, per above. ref SDS 0 FW4I
121830 -
121831 -
121832 -
121833 -
121835 -  ..
1219 -
1220 -
1221 - 1318 called Dialogos                 408 438 8350
1222 -
122201 - Talked to Cindy Brown.  I asked for Mitch Saunders, per recommendation
122202 - in Peter's letter, ref DRT 1 line 29.  Cindy said Mitch is calling on
122203 - customers all day today.  He is working with Bill Isaacs, who is also
122204 - mentioned by Peter Senge as possibly being interested in Communication
122205 - Metrics.
122206 - ..
122207 - I explained my interest in finding an organization that applies
122208 - continual learning and traceability ideas, per my letter to Peter
122209 - Senge, ref DIP 2 line 34, and that Peter suggested contacting Mitch.
122211 -  ..
122212 - Cindy asked me to submit the NWO paper and other materials showing how
122213 - these ideas are applied.  She said to send it to:
122214 -
122215 -                      Dialogos
122216 -                      11B Jolly Way
122217 -                      Scotts Valley, CA  95066
122219 -  ..
122220 - Submitted ref DIT 1 0001, including this record, the discussions with
122221 - University of Santa Clara on a study, ref SDS 5 7488, and the recent
122222 - discussion with the Corps of Engineers on why a new work discipline is
122223 - needed, ref SDS 11 8500.
122224 -
122225 -
122226 -
1223 -