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


S U M M A R Y


DIARY: November 15, 1996 06:49 AM Friday; Rod Welch

Complete notes of Progress Meeting on Oakland Harbor project.

1...Summary/Objective
2...Tom wants to edit the notes so they reflect what was said, as in
3...Tom said the problem is he cannot remember what was said, and so

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1...Tom White wants to have a discussion with me and Tom Keesling about

CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
Corps of Engineers, SFD, Oakland Project
Weekly Progress Meeting, 961112
Objections to Meeting Notes
Objectives for Notes of Discussions
Purpose of Metrics
Anger, Frustruations from Erroneous Meeting

0808 -    ..
0809 - Summary/Objective
0810 -
081001 - Follow up ref SDS 16 0000, ref SDS 14 0000.
081002 -
081003 - After sending the initial draft for review and edits, ref DIP 4 0000,
081004 - I added some of the analysis on Dutra's 961107 letter to notes for the
081005 - progress meeting on 961112, as shown at ref SDS 17 0000, and printed
081006 - sets for Tom Keesling and Tom Benero to review.
081007 -
081008 -
081009 -
0811 -
0812 -
0813 - Met with Tom Keesling
0814 -
081401 - Prepared a printed copy for Tom Keesling and Tom Benero to review in
081402 - connection with Dutra's 961107 letter on Unsatisfactory Evaluation of
081403 - Dutra's contract performance, as reported for the Progress Meeting on
081404 - 961112. ref SDS 13 5739
081405 -
081406 - Tom Benero is out sick today.
081407 -
081408 - Tom Keesling had already received the notes via email.  He will review
081409 - and advise of any changes he would like.
081410 -
081411 - I gave the set for Tom Benero to Max.
081412 -
081413 - We discussed briefly issues about Dutra's superintendence based on the
081414 - Progress Meeting on 961112, as follows...
081415 -
081416 -      1.
081417 -         ref SDS 13 line 259.
081418 -
081419 -
081420 -
0815 -
0816 -
0817 - 1115 checked email
0818 -
081801 - There are no reported edits or changes from transmission last night,
081802 - ref SDS 16 line 52.
081803 -
081804 - I will therefore prepare a printed set to give to Tom White at the
081805 - Action Item review meeting today, so he can fax to Dutra.
081806 -
081807 -
0819 -
0820 -
0821 - 1140 called Tom White
0822 -
082201 - Asked if he has any edits for inclusion in final version of the notes?
082202 -
082203 - Tom said he has not read the draft of the notes, but will do so.  I
082204 - indicated his edits, if any, can be incorporated into the notes of the
082205 - next Progress Meeting.
082206 - ..
082207 - Tom wants to edit the notes so they reflect what was said, as in
082208 - traditional meeting "minutes," cited in transmittals he used to submit
082209 - the meeting notes prepared by Welch, to the Contractor as reported on
082210 - 961114, ref SDS 16 7488, and prior discussion with Monti Jaggers on
082211 - 961024. ref SDS 9 7740  Tom advised that Bob Johnston gets angry about
082212 - information in the meeting notes that was not actually said at the
082213 - meeting, reflecting Bob's report on 961022 that COE's "minutes" for
082214 - prior meetings were "...helpful to Dutra," ref SDS 8 8559.  (See
082215 - discussion on 880908 about managers getting angry over meeting notes
082216 - for the Broadwater Dam project, ref SDS 1 4920; and later report that
082217 - Communication Metrics worked, ref SDS 2 0000, and was adopted by those
082218 - who initially objected after they gained experience with the
082219 - methodology (compare meeting on 880908 ref SDS 1 4920, with letter
082220 - issued on 900906, 2 years later, where person who objected was
082221 - "enjoying" becoming proficient in the SDS method. ref DRP 1 8849.
082222 -
082223 -      [On 961202 report that Port of Oakland management became angry
082224 -      about meeting notes and criticized them as inaccurate, but cited
082225 -      no inacuracies, ref SDS 20 3399.]
082226 -
082227 - There was consideration today with Tom that Contractor's become angry
082228 - when the record shows their work performance does not align with
082229 - contract requirements nor other commitments, since that impacts
082230 - earnings which is their objective in entering a contract.  Where the
082231 - record shows a Contractor has complied with requirements and
082232 - commitments they are generally pleased.  COE management must, however,
082233 - alert the Contractor to the meaning and implications of daily
082234 - communications, regardless of whether the Contractor is happy or
082235 - angry, see for example meeting on 880908. ref SDS 1 7774  This is the
082236 - goal of management by objectives, i.e., "metrics," discussed recently
082237 - with Marcus Tikotsky on 961017. ref SDS 7 0880.
082238 -
082239 - We considered that Communication Metrics is different from traditional
082240 - meeting management that uses "minutes," as discussed with Tom Keesling
082241 - on 961113, ref SDS 15 0000.  The Welch Company was hired because
082242 - traditional methods have not been successful on COE's Oakland Harbor
082243 - project.  Welch holds that traditional methods for meeting management
082244 - and other business communications are becoming increasingly inadequate
082245 - in the age of the Information Highway for the reasons discussed with
082246 - Max Blodgett in recommending that COE try Communication Metrics, see
082247 - ref SDS 3 7488.  The Associated Press report that managers are wasting
082248 - 70% of the day in unproductive meetings shows the need for a new
082249 - method, ref SDS 4 5222.  COE is trying Communication Metrics.
082250 -
082251 - We reviewed the scope of the notes to align communications with prior
082252 - meetings and other information, including calls, correspondence and
082253 - contract requirements, which was explained to Dutra within the meaning
082254 - of Communication Metrics at Progress Meetings, see ref SDS 5 6654 and
082255 - at ref SDS 6 1217.  This purpose was confirmed by COE serial letter
082256 - #0010 dated 961028, ref DIP 1 line 29, submitted to the Contractor at
082257 - the Progress Meeting on 961029, ref SDS 10 0919.
082258 -
082259 - I advised that in any case I will and have conformed the notes to
082260 - whatever COE determines should be conveyed, see for example, ref SDS
082261 - 12 line 164.
082262 - ..
082263 - Tom said the problem is he cannot remember what was said, and so
082264 - is concerned he may delete something that was said, or add something
082265 - that was not said.
082266 -
082267 -      [See follow up discussion with Tom at ref SDS 20 3399, and review
082268 -      of notes submitted by Rob Andrews, ref SDS 20 5930.]
082269 -
082270 - I suggested Dutra can offer any corrections it wishes, as set out in
082271 - COE serial letter #0010, ref DIP 1 line 62.  Dutra is an experienced
082272 - Contractor.  Dutra is aware that it can and should make timely
082273 - objection of inaccurate communications from the contracting agency,
082274 - ref SDS 6 1217.  Dutra's silence in offering corrections reflects the
082275 - fact that the notes are substantively and materially accurate, which
082276 - is the intent of Communication Metrics.
082277 -
082278 - Tom White wants to have a discussion with me and Tom Keesling about
082279 - what should be in the notes.
082280 -
082281 - I asked if he is planning to attend the Action Item review meeting
082282 - today, and if so I will bring a printed set for distribution to the
082283 - Contractor.  Tom said he has been able to prepare a professional
082284 - printed version of the notes for distribution to the Contractor by
082285 - importing the version of the notes I have been submitting via
082286 - internet, into Wordperfect, and then printing them from within
082287 - Wordperfect.  He feels it is unnecessary for me to provide a separate
082288 - printed set.
082289 -
082290 - Prepared ref DIT 1 line 30 submitting final version of meeting notes
082291 - to Tom White.  I submitted a set to Tom via Internet per his
082292 - explanation, and also printed a separate set to save him the time of
082293 - having to perform the process he describes.  Will try avoiding
082294 - preparing a printed set in the future though, per his explanation
082295 - above.
082296 -
082297 -     [See sumbission to Tom at the Action Item review meeting later
082298 -     today, ref SDS 18 line 58.]
082299 -
082300 -
082301 -