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


S U M M A R Y


DIARY: April 3, 1996 07:33 AM Wednesday; Rod Welch

Reviewed Asilomar agenda ideas submitted on 960326.

1...Summary/Objective
2...What Are The New Standards and Skills?
3...Understanding and Follow Up
4...Communication Methods to Ensure Understanding and Follow Up
5...New Tools, New Skills, New Roles
6...Seek First to Understand and Diagnose
7...Technology's Future Impact on Leadership
8...Panels


..............
Click here to comment!

CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
PMI Event Program, Proposal
Contract/Charter, Buy In, Shared Vision
Theme, Agenda, Schedule, Speakers

0805 -    ..
0806 - Summary/Objective
0807 -
080701 - Follow up ref SDS 26 0000, ref SDS 23 0000.
080702 -
080703 - This supplements anlaysis disucssed with Bill on 960328, ref SDS 28
080704 - 0003, earlier on 960326, ref SDS 26 6683 and the analysis on 960319.
080705 - ref SDS 24 7483
080706 -
080707 - Submitted this record to Bill via email at ref DIT 1 line 30.
080708 -
080709 -
080710 -
0808 -
0809 -
0810 - Progress
0811 -   ..
081101 - Bill submitted on 960326, ref SDS 26 6683, a proposed agenda
081102 - Sherrill prepared for Asilomar dated 960326, ref OF 1 line 10.
081103 -
081104 - Here are observations on it...
081105 -
081106 -     [See revised agenda received at ref SDS 31 line 116.]
081107 -
081108 - Initially there is no key note speaker yet for Friday evening to
081109 - excite the troops "for what's to come" as called out in Sherrill's
081110 - 960304 agenda, ref DRP 1 line 17.
081111 -
081112 -     [See correction at ref SDS 31 line 120.]
081113 -
081114 - There is no closing speaker on Sunday to correlate what was presented
081115 - with the thesis of identifying new requirements in the PMBOK and ISO
081116 - that lead to new leadership skills to improve productivity.
081117 -
081118 - There is no recognition that better leadership can solve the
081119 - downsizing epidimic that is sweeping the nation and is dominant in the
081120 - conscious of PMI members, per Fortune magazine 960401 issue.
081121 -
081122 - There is no apparent recognition in the agenda of the correlation
081123 - between the new skills cited in the thesis and the need for a solution
081124 - to the "skills" deficit prominent in the news today and of concern to
081125 - PMI members.
081126 -
081127 -
081128 - What Are The New Standards and Skills?
081129 -
081130 - The thesis dated 960326 says "New standards in the PMBOK and ISO
081131 - require new leadership skills to raise...productivity, ref OF 4 line
081132 - 19.
081133 -
081134 -     There is nothing clear from the agenda of 960326 that says who
081135 -     (what speaker) is going to identify these standards, what
081136 -     particular standards are going to be cited as "new," in the PMBOK
081137 -     and in which ISO publication (9000, 10006, ???) these standards
081138 -     are to be found.
081139 -
081140 -     There is nothing apparent from the agenda on what skills, methods
081141 -     or tools are needed to implement the new standards.  There is
081142 -     nothing clear from the 960326 agenda on how these new skills can
081143 -     raise personal and organizational productivity.  Presumably it
081144 -     means doing something different from what leaders are doing now.
081145 -     What is that "something"?  What is the missing ingredient that is
081146 -     to be found in the PMBOK and ISO?
081147 -
081148 -     How is technology frustrating that ingredient and how can better
081149 -     technology overcome the frustration to make it a positive force
081150 -     instead of a drag on the key skills in the PMBOK and ISO that make
081151 -     leaders effective?
081152 -
081153 -     A complaint at the Project World event was that it was advertised
081154 -     as comparing PMBOK and ISO, but did not do so, ref SDS 4 line 100.
081155 -     Why repeat this experience at Asilomar?  Who is going to compare
081156 -     key aspects of PMBOK and ISO showing concensus on sound management
081157 -     practice?
081158 -
081159 -     Conceivably the first speaker can explain leadership based on the
081160 -     PMBOK and ISO, as we discussed on 960328 in considering Hatch's
081161 -     scope, ref SDS 28 line 188.  If that is the intent, it might be
081162 -     helpful to state that in the agenda, qualify the speaker on this
081163 -     point, and obtain an outline and narrative showing this is done
081164 -     effectively, since it sets up the remaining agenda.  Identifying
081165 -     "new skills" called out in the thesis, means the speaker must have
081166 -     studied the PMBOK and ISO to identify something that is new and
081167 -     different that needs to be done relative to current leadership
081168 -     practice.
081169 -
081170 -     These of course are challenging issues.  They take time, analysis
081171 -     and imagination, but that was the intent in setting the theme and
081172 -     the thesis:  to challenge the membership to use its body of
081173 -     knowledge.  Asilomar should lead by example.
081174 -
081175 -
081176 - Understanding and Follow Up
081177 -
081178 - The second item in 960326 agenda says "How to improve human
081179 - reliability and avoid.., ref OF 4 line 37.
081180 -
081181 -     This can be construed to cover Dr. Brusman's point about failures
081182 -     of "understanding" and "follow up" that cause stress, mistakes,
081183 -     failures, interpersonal conflict and so on, that leads to larger
081184 -     problems, ref OF 2 line 129.  The description appears to derive
081185 -     from Sherrill's 960304 agenda at ref DRP 1 line 31.  This may be a
081186 -     good place to mention Steven Covey's ideas about the need to first
081187 -     "understand" and "diagnose" then prescribe, echoing the old saying
081188 -     "look before you leap."  The meeting we had with Morris the other
081189 -     day where he wanted to start off talking before reviewing the
081190 -     record is an example of how emotions and tensions breed oversight
081191 -     that leads to errors and conflict, ref SDS 27 line 147.
081192 -
081193 -     How do these "human failures" relate to the PMBOK and ISO
081194 -     standards and new skills called out in the thesis?  What ideas
081195 -     will be advanced on how technology can improve these "human
081196 -     factors?" Who is going to present this?  When is that person's
081197 -     outline and narrative due to see if they accomplish this scope?
081198 -
081199 -
081200 -  ..
081201 - Communication Methods to Ensure Understanding and Follow Up
081202 -
081203 - The 4th item on the 960326 agenda says "Unique uses of communication
081204 - tools can reduce risk and improve project team understanding."
081205 -
081206 -     This appears to reflect Turner's scope, ref OF 2 line 191. So far,
081207 -     Turner is really not going to talk about "tools," and if it did
081208 -     so, would have to say they don't use "communication tools" other
081209 -     than the telephone, wordprocessing, copy machines and email, ref
081210 -     SDS 5 line 423.
081211 -
081212 -     It may be semantic, but Turner can present communication "methods"
081213 -     that have evolved over thousands of years to build and maintain
081214 -     shared understanding (meaning), essential to accomplish high risk
081215 -     work that must be correct on the first pass.  This allows other
081216 -     speakers to address how these specialized methods might be
081217 -     mainstreamed for broader use through technology to make leadership
081218 -     more effective, as discussed with Turner, ref SDS 5 line 96.
081219 -
081220 -     See discussion with Turner today.
081221 -
081222 -
081223 - New Tools, New Skills, New Roles
081224 -
081225 - The 5th item on the 960326 agenda says "Obstacles to leadership and
081226 - how technologh can help overcome them."
081227 -
081228 -     This is discussed in a 960328 letter to Bill and is set out in SDS
081229 -     on 960328 under a call to Hank Hatch.  The basic point is that
081230 -     since the challenges of leadership are described in the opening
081231 -     presentation, let this scope deal more with solutions.  But in any
081232 -     case, the issue is largly semantical.  The current description
081233 -     permits Morris to develop the idea of a Communication Manager to
081234 -     deal with the time bind he sees that prevents leaders from
081235 -     performing the analysis he is prepared to say is missing, per
081236 -     discussions with Morris and Bill following their meeting with
081237 -     Sherrill, ref SDS 17 line 141 and ref SDS 17 line 214.
081238 -
081239 -
081240 -
081241 - Seek First to Understand and Diagnose
081242 -
081243 - The 6th item in the 960326 agenda says "7 Habits of Highly Effective
081244 - People..."
081245 -
081246 -     Covey's book is about the "human" factors that affect personal and
081247 -     organizational effectiveness, ref SDS 1 line 105.  Maybe this
081248 -     talk can be incorporated into the second presentation to avoid
081249 -     duplication and taking us off the track of leadership and
081250 -     technology, new skills from the PMBOK and ISO.
081251 -
081252 -         [See review of Pmnetwork article at ref SDS 30 line 649.]
081253 -
081254 -     Covey's other idea is to "Sharpen the Saw" which he describes as
081255 -     keeping a journal of daily thoughts, ideas discussions.  This
081256 -     seems like the "analysis" point Morris is going to say leaders
081257 -     need to do more of.  Morris can suggest how this reflects the ISO
081258 -     criteria for "traceablity to orignial sources" and for "continual
081259 -     learning."  He explain how PMBOK leadership requirements to "align
081260 -     communications" accomplishes Covey's charge.  That takes care of
081261 -     the "what" and the correlation with PMBOK and ISO.  What about the
081262 -     technology side.  How can technology help people keep a journal to
081263 -     first "understand" and "diagnose" before they start out talking
081264 -     about a solution, as Covey proposes?
081265 -
081266 -     Do leaders need help using the tools to ensure the journal is
081267 -     prepared, that the analysis is done, that understanding and
081268 -     diagnosing is performed, so when we start cutting the wood, we
081269 -     have a "sharp saw" to use Covey's metaphore.
081270 -
081271 -
081272 - Technology's Future Impact on Leadership
081273 -
081274 - Agenda item #7 says "How leadership and technology might function in a
081275 - perfect world."
081276 -
081277 -     Presumably this is Intel's scope.  It is unclear what meaning the
081278 -     agenda description has in relation to Intel's expertise reflected
081279 -     by its discussions so far.  Intel will say here is what we are
081280 -     building; it is up to others to figure out how to use it
081281 -     effectively.
081282 -
081283 -         [See follow up omitting this scope at ref SDS 31 line 135.]
081284 -
081285 -     What might be done is to have a closing speaker who integrates all
081286 -     of the presentations to serve the vision embodied by the agenda
081287 -     description.
081288 -
081289 -
081290 - Panels
081291 -
081292 - Morris suggested a panel for Saturday morning.  This gives flexibility
081293 - to omit the panel if there is not enough time, but offers an easy
081294 - solution if speakers finish early and we have extra time.
081295 -
081296 - Has any analysis been done of this idea?  How does that analysis fit
081297 - the model of leadership set out in the PMBOK?
081298 -
081299 -
081300 -
0814 -