CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
CEOs Failing at Increasing Rate
Communication Manager Ensures Time is Invested in Metrics Using Tools
Scribe, Communication Manager until Tools are more Common
Secretary, Admin Assist Com Manager Adds Value
Communication Manager Takes Notes Manager Leads Meeting
Bridge from Known to New Work Methods
Final Report, Palanza, 990716
Knowledge Worker Communication Manager
Leadership Aide Ensures SDS Record Prepared
Secretary Dictation in Meetings Aids Communication Scribe
Management Evolution of Practices
Tech Assistant Ensures SDS Record Prepared
Be Prepared Brief Staff for Effective Meeting by Com Manager

2315 -    ..
2316 - Summary/Objective
2317 -
231701 - Follow up ref SDS 22 0000, ref SDS 21 0000.
231702 -
231703 - Reviewed idea of expanding existing meeting support roles to include
231704 - Communication Metrics. ref SDS 0 6125 Clarified that Communication
231705 - Manager work product is produced for a sponsor.  The Communication
231706 - Manager's name does not appear in the record, since the role is a
231707 - support agent for leadership. ref SDS 0 1160
231708 -
231709 - Asked Morris to at least glance through Palanza's NSF Phase I Final
231710 - report to see how it compares for comprehension. ref SDS 0 3569 A new
231711 - letter from Dan was not discussed with Dan, but is submitted for
231712 - information.
231713 -
231714 - Morris will call Dave Vannier at the end of the month to coordinate on
231715 - reviewing Com Metrics. ref SDS 0 6396
231716 - ..
231717 - Submitted ref DIT 1 linked to this record.
231718 -
231719 -
231720 -
2318 -
2319 -
2320 - Discussion
2321 -
232101 -  ..
232102 - Communication Metrics is a Support Role, Jazzed Up Secretary, TA
232103 -
232104 - Last night, I called Morris about expanding "technical communications"
232105 - to provide Communication Metrics, on the basis that "business metrics"
232106 - are a technical issue in some respects.  For example, on 990525 Morris
232107 - noted that engineers don't like to write, and managers don't allocate
232108 - time for analysis, ref SDS 9 0966, which conflicts with industry
232109 - standards for contemporaneous documentation of the work, that is part
232110 - of effective "intelligence." ref OF 1 0582
232111 -
232112 - Cited evident evolution of Technical Communications beyond traditional
232113 - work of technical writing, based on reviewing the web site for the
232114 - University of Washington, to get information on Mark Haselkorn, who
232115 - provided peer review on the NSF proposal. ref SDS 23 5782
232116 - ..
232117 - Morris noted that there is no tradition for having a
232118 - Communication Manager support meetings.  He feels the lack of
232119 - tradition for using support in meetings deters executives from getting
232120 - support they need to make meetings productive, as reported by Fortune
232121 - in the record on 990625. ref SDS 11 4914  On 990527 Morris noted
232122 - strong cultural forces that resist improving management and earnings.
232123 - ref SDS 10 1233
232124 -
232125 - We reviewed Morris' earlier comments that Andy Grove has a Technical
232126 - Assistant (TA) take notes during meetings.  It is, also, common for
232127 - secretaries to take dictation for meeting minutes.  This is part of
232128 - the traditional "scribe" role, which is still used because some people
232129 - have difficulty talking and writing at the same time, and others have
232130 - trouble listening to what is being said, thinking about how it relates
232131 - to their work, and deciding what needs to be written down, as related
232132 - by Tom Keesling on 960920. ref SDS 2 4261
232133 - ..
232134 - This provides a bridge from accepted practice to a new level of
232135 - support.  USACE issued scope of services and deliverables on 970418.
232136 - ref SDS 3 958L
232137 -
232138 - Morris said these efforts entail clerical staff taking notes for an
232139 - executive, which is different from a Communication Manager, who
232140 - prepares a record separate from group leadership, and uses SDS to
232141 - organize, align, summarize and analyses the record, and delivers this
232142 - "intelligence" via Internet.  He recalled experience showing that most
232143 - that technical writers do not have the skills to perform Communication
232144 - Metrics.
232145 -
232146 - Morris correlated expanding traditional "scribe" support to using a
232147 - non-related profession, like a cab driver, for Communication Metrics.
232148 -     ..
232149 -     This understanding is incorrect in two ways...
232150 -
232151 -     Cab drivers do not provide writing support, as do scribe roles,
232152 -     like TAs, secretaries and tech writers.  Using SDS to support
232153 -     "intelligence" is an extension of an existing writing practice,
232154 -     which we reviewed on 950205. ref SDS 1 4995
232155 -
232156 -     The Communication Manager is invisible.  The record is created for
232157 -     a sponsor, usually the person who leads the meeting, although it
232158 -     can be for an attendee.  The Communication Manager's name does not
232159 -     appear in the record, because the job is to make the people who
232160 -     attend productive.  Credit for analysis, proactive identification
232161 -     of needed actions and overlooked subjects, alignment with
232162 -     requirements, commitments, etc., is given to attendees, so they
232163 -     can do good work, and feel good about it.
232164 - ..
232165 - We reviewed the record that nobody can perform Communication
232166 - Metrics without the skills and aid of SDS, per above ref SDS 1 4995.
232167 - We are presenting an opportunity to improve work that is already being
232168 - performed, i.e., to add value to the person performing the work and to
232169 - the people being supported.
232170 -
232171 - Automobiles cost more than horses, but transmit people and goods
232172 - better.  Airplanes take more expertise, a dedicated pilot, and cost
232173 - more than horses and cars, but transmit people and goods better.
232174 -
232175 - Communication Metrics requires a pilot, also, but creates intelligence
232176 - better than traditional methods of TAs and secretaries.  The need for
232177 - a "pilot" is explained in NWO... ref OF 2 6369
232178 -
232179 - So, the only issue is whether adding "intelligence" to management can
232180 - improve earnings, and this requires experimenting, in the same way
232181 - that people experimented with using a scribe, and more recently, a
232182 - Technical Assistant or a secretary in meetings.  Now we are talking
232183 - about experimenting to enhance this role.
232184 -
232185 -
232186 -
2322 -

SUBJECTS
NSF Research Support
Commercial Partners for Phase II Funding
Partners Locate, Develop
Final Report, Palanza, 990716

2707 -
270701 -  ..
270702 - Dan Palanza's Final Report Needs Review
270703 -
270704 - I asked Morris to comment on Palanza's final report, ref OF 12, with
270705 - repsect to explaining a problem or opportunity, and how well Dan's
270706 - solution is presented, vis a vis review at Intel of the Communication
270707 - Metrics proposal to NSF; see for example 990713. ref SDS 12 1767
270708 -
270709 - It can be tedious, so jump to the bottom for conclusions. ref OF 12
270710 - 8995
270711 -
270712 - This follows up my letter, ref DIP 2, on 990718. ref SDS 14 9766
270713 -
270714 - Today, I received a letter from Dan, ref DRP 4, which is in the record
270715 - on 990802. ref SDS 24 0001
270716 -
270717 -
270718 -  ..
270719 - Morris Coordinate with Dave Vannier on Com Metrics
270720 -
270721 - I suggested meeting with Dave Vannier when he returns at the end of
270722 - August, to coordinate his perspective on the need for Communication
270723 - Metrics support, as Dave related on 970603. ref SDS 4 5803
270724 -
270725 - On 990422 Dave asked "...where to take Communiation Metrics from
270726 - here," referring to application on the web, and suggested contacting
270727 - Morris. ref SDS 6 4590
270728 -
270729 - Morris will call Dave to coordinate when he returns from sabatical on
270730 - 990830.
270731 -
270732 - Scheduled task to notify Morris the first week in September to make
270733 - the call.
270734 -
270735 -     [On 990902 sent Morris reminder. ref SDS 25 0001]
270736 -
270737 -     [On 990906 Morris suggested I send a letter to Dave to support his
270738 -     call. ref SDS 26 0001]
270739 -
270740 -     [On 990912 Morris will call Dave to follow up. ref SDS 27 4410]
270741 -
270742 -
270743 -
270744 -
270745 -