THE WELCH COMPANY
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S U M M A R Y


DIARY: May 26, 1999 01:23 PM Wednesday; Rod Welch

Morris asks who pays for experiment to improve management.

1...Summary/Objective
2...SDS Subject Index Solves Information Retrieval Problems
3...Organic Subject Structure More Effective than Key Words
4...SDS Supports Design, E.G., Buildings, Software, Chips
5...Engineers Don't Like to Write, Managers Responsible for Analysis
6...Innovator's Dilemma - Who Pays to Discover Better Methods?
7...Experiment to Discover Better Methods is a Cost of Business
8...Leadership Helps People Overcome Ignorance, Fear, Denial


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CONTACTS 
0201 - Intel Corporation                    408 765 8080
020101 - Mr. Morris E. Jones; Director of Architecture =408 545 9521

SUBJECTS
Internet Doc Log Evaluation
Subject Index WBS Methodology
Retrieving Information
Subject Index Manages Complexity Like WBS

1406 -    ..
1407 - Summary/Objective
1408 -
140801 - Follow up ref SDS 36 0000, ref SDS 35 0000.
140802 -
140803 - Received ref DRT 1 from Morris responding to ref DIP 8 linked to the
140804 - record on subject indexing, and to discussion on SDS for design
140805 - support. ref SDS 36 0001
140806 -
140807 - Morris does not respond to the offer to learn about organic subject
140808 - structure.  He feels getting approval for a budget to experiment with
140809 - Communication Metrics is difficult. ref SDS 0 6132
140810 -
140811 - Submitted ref DIT 1 linked to this record.
140812 -
140813 -
140814 -
140815 -
140816 -  ..
1409 -
1410 -
1411 - Progress
1412 -
141201 -  ..
141202 - SDS Subject Index Solves Information Retrieval Problems
141203 -
141204 - Follow up ref SDS 36 7072, ref SDS 35 4774.
141205 -
141206 - Received ref DRT 1 from Morris responding to ref DIP 8 with link to.
141207 - ref SDS 36 7072
141208 -
141209 - Morris does not comment on whether he would like a demonstration....
141210 - ref SDS 35 7455.
141211 -
141212 - I called and asked about this.
141213 -
141214 - He cited his letter that asks who pays for experimenting with
141215 - Communication Metrics, which seems like a response that is not
141216 - supported by the record, i.e., he has not had time to review and think
141217 - carefully about this opportunity.
141218 -
141219 -
141220 -  ..
141221 - Organic Subject Structure More Effective than Key Words
141222 -
141223 - On 990521 Morris asked how to find information that cannot be
141224 - anticipated when a record is initially created. ref SDS 34 9633
141225 -
141226 - Morris asks today for justification to invest in experimenting with
141227 - Communication Metrics? ref SDS 0 0756
141228 -
141229 - A response is based on information from 1997. ref SDS 0 6491
141230 -
141231 - How was information from 1997 found that pertains to 1999, when it was
141232 - not known in 1997 that the information would be needed 2 years later?
141233 - Morris cited this kind of problem on 990524. ref SDS 35 4774
141234 - ..
141235 - To look anything up, we need to ask...
141236 -
141237 -      What is the "subject"?
141238 -
141239 - Let's start by framing the question generally...
141240 -
141241 - What is the aim of investing in an experiment using Communication
141242 - Metrics?
141243 -
141244 -    To improve management.
141245 -
141246 - So, we ask...
141247 -
141248 - How is investment to improve management justified?
141249 - ..
141250 - There are a bunch of questions that get muddled together and
141251 - probably do not percolate into the conscious span of attention...
141252 - ..
141253 - What justifies investment?
141254 -
141255 -    Obtaining benefits that exceed cost.
141256 -
141257 - How are benefits that exceed cost identified?
141258 -
141259 -    By calculating cost benefit.
141260 -
141261 - So, information on how managers calculate benefits of improving
141262 - management, may yield some "justification" for experimenting with
141263 - Communication Metrics to improve management.
141264 -
141265 - We wander around and find a subject for evaluating SDS.  One of the
141266 - subjects is cost benefit, and one of the subjects of cost benefit is
141267 - calculating.  One of the subjects below calculating is "cost benefit
141268 - of management."
141269 - ..
141270 - Searching back over the past 10 years yields something that
141271 - seems useful. ref SDS 0 6491
141272 -
141273 - It took a few minutes to do the mental gymnastics, and I am sure it is
141274 - not all set out here, because we feel our way along the organic
141275 - structure of subjects.  But this is pretty close to the process.  It
141276 - is aided by having multiple paths, so we have a lot of opportunity to
141277 - discover and be alerted to paths that lead to the useful destination.
141278 -
141279 - Searching for things like a regulation, specification, a part for a
141280 - car, or a feature of a program like W98, or SDS, or problems with a
141281 - computer, are much easier, because they have a natural structure.
141282 - Nebulous concepts like "better management" are harder, because they
141283 - have to be fit into a knowledge structure for which there is no
141284 - physical representation.
141285 -
141286 -
141287 -
141288 -
141289 -
1413 -

SUBJECTS
Design Support
Ignorance, Fear, Denial
Leadership Helps Those who Fear Writing
Experiment New Methods, Budgeting to Fail
Cost Savings Miracle Intelligence
Management Cost Savings Difficult to
Experiment Innovation - Who Pays?
Conway, Lynn New System of Knowledge
Can't Explain to Boss
Empathic Design, User Centered
Investing Sunshine Profits
Who Pays Pilot Testing Investing Time Extra Requires Faith Courage Un

3615 -
361501 -  ..
361502 - SDS Supports Design, E.G., Buildings, Software, Chips
361503 - Engineers Don't Like to Write, Managers Responsible for Analysis
361504 -
361505 - Follow up ref SDS 36 0966, ref SDS 35 0876.
361506 -
361507 - Morris does not comment on the benefits of adding "intelligence" to
361508 - management so they can see the big picture and anticipate impacts he
361509 - cites in his letter on 990525. ref SDS 36 0966
361510 -
361511 -     [On 990625 Fortune article says CEOs faile because they do not
361512 -     "execute" functions like writing, follow up, feedback. ref SDS 38
361513 -     2350
361514 -
361515 - Morris does not comment on the benefit of enabling engineers to write
361516 - better code by expanding their command of personal experience, as set
361517 - out on 990525. ref SDS 36 2430
361518 -
361519 -
361520 -  ..
361521 - Innovator's Dilemma - Who Pays to Discover Better Methods?
361522 - Experiment to Discover Better Methods is a Cost of Business
361523 - Leadership Helps People Overcome Ignorance, Fear, Denial
361524 -
361525 - Follow up ref SDS 36 9600.
361526 -
361527 - Morris says in his letter today...
361528 -
361529 -     Experiments require desire, or funding.  If you want one, you have
361530 -     to figure out who is going to pay for it.  ref DRT 1 9766
361531 -
361532 - We discussed this point in my call today.
361533 - ..
361534 - Experimenting to improve management is a cost of doing business
361535 - which requires continual improvement of work processes in order to
361536 - remain competitive and profitable.  Continual learning is a component
361537 - of management improvement, reviewed on 950721. ref SDS 6 2846  A large
361538 - part of "learning" is trial and error, i.e., experimenting.
361539 -
361540 -     [On 990527 Morris wants Welch to pay for experimenting at Intel to
361541 -     improve its management. ref SDS 37 5672]
361542 -
361543 -     [On 991014 Morris says developer has entire burden of proof,
361544 -     before those helped will investigate. ref SDS 39 6156]
361545 -
361546 -     [On 991222 Doug Engelbart proposes ideas on investing in pilot
361547 -     tests. ref SDS 40 5402]
361548 - ..
361549 - Intel's former CEO, Andy Grove, was an effective manager and
361550 - leader. On 960401 Morris expressed confidence in Andy's management of
361551 - Intel. ref SDS 9 3703  Grove urges investing a portion of earnings to
361552 - discover better methods by experimenting with even seemingly "crummy"
361553 - ideas, because the true source of added value cannot be judged without
361554 - experimenting. ref SDS 17 3416
361555 -
361556 - This seems to be the gist of a relatively recent book...
361557 -
361558 -                     "The Innovator's Dilemma"
361559 -
361560 - ...by Clayton M. Christensen.  The book explains empathic design,
361561 - which was reviewed on 940508. ref SDS 2 6930
361562 -
361563 -     [On 990527 Morris did not notice this reference to Christensen,
361564 -     submitted letter with direct link. ref SDS 37 0855]
361565 - ..
361566 - Leadership is the critical ingredient to overcome seemingly
361567 - "good reasons" to avoid management improvement, as reported on 981027,
361568 - where costs savings are a "miracle." ref SDS 19 7315  The role of
361569 - leadership was reviewed yesterday. ref SDS 36 9055
361570 -
361571 - Experimenting with innovation is common in the IT industry, based on
361572 - Conway's experience with VSLI reviewed on 960612. ref SDS 10 1368
361573 - ..
361574 - On 970607 Chips justified experimenting to hire a project
361575 - manager by showing a calculation of improved earnings from investing
361576 - in improved management. ref SDS 15 0550  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
361577 - calculated Communication Metrics produces cost savings with ROI in the
361578 - range of 10:1. ref SDS 16 5775  Calculations of cost savings for
361579 - better management are tenuous.  Lack of absolute proof of savings does
361580 - not justify failure to experiment, since that is the purpose of trial.
361581 -
361582 - Each manager is responsible to be alert for opportunities to improve,
361583 - and has a duty to seek approval under these criteria.
361584 - ..
361585 - Morris has not addressed SDS added value of traceability to
361586 - original sources, and creating chronologies of cause and effect, plus
361587 - subject identification reviewed on 990524, ref SDS 35 4774, and cited
361588 - yesterday. ref SDS 36 9600
361589 -
361590 - Morris does not comment on using Communication Metrics to support
361591 - Concurrent Engineering which he cited as a problem in our discussion
361592 - on 990524, and is reviewed yesterday. ref SDS 36 9306
361593 - ..
361594 - He said in our telecon today that he did not have time to review
361595 - the example on 990515 for engineering management. ref SDS 30 7644
361596 -
361597 - Developing the desire and budget to experiment requires consideration
361598 - of new capabilities in relation to identified problems and needs, and
361599 - in relation to emerging needs evolving from a dynamic business
361600 - environment.
361601 -
361602 - Morris identified "problems" on 990521. ref SDS 34 9633  More problems
361603 - managers need to solve were cited on 990524. ref SDS 35 4774 On 990525
361604 - management needs were identified. ref SDS 36 0966
361605 -
361606 - Morris seems not to have had time to review the record submitted the
361607 - past few day, in order assess capability to solve these problems using
361608 - Communication Metrics, as with the example above on the subject search
361609 - problem. ref SDS 0 0977
361610 - ..
361611 - He has a lot of experience, however, with Communication Metrics.
361612 - On 911123 Morris explained the diary side of SDS. ref SDS 1 0477
361613 - Since then, he has experience that Rod finds relevant information from
361614 - 1988, 1993, 1997 or ten minutes ago, i.e., anywhere in the knowledge
361615 - stream, with equal ease.  Nobody else can do that.  This experience
361616 - shows the viability of SDS search capability.  Millie's grandaughter,
361617 - Amy, who is about 10 years old, knows that SDS helps the "computer
361618 - remember." ref SDS 12 0928
361619 - ..
361620 - Since the problems are clear, and the record shows SDS solves
361621 - these problems, the sticking point is more likely unease explaining
361622 - the value of "intelligence," ref OF 1 0582, to management in order to
361623 - gain approval, as occurred to Jason Yuen at the airport on 990505...
361624 - ref SDS 27 8955
361625 -
361626 - Jason is afraid to tell his boss they need more "intelligence" to make
361627 - improvements at the airport within budget and on time.  So, we have to
361628 - work hard to help people overcome ignorance, fear and denial, as Andy
361629 - points out in his book. ref SDS 17 3286
361630 -
361631 -
361632 -
361633 -
361634 -
361635 -
361636 -
361637 -
361638 -
361639 -
361640 -
361641 -
361642 -
361643 -
361644 -
361645 -
361646 -
Distribution. . . . See "CONTACTS"