BILL-

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP63-00309A000200020091-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2001
• Sequence Number: 91
• Publication Date: November 18, 1959
• Content Type: NOTES

Approved For Relelme 2001/11/01 : CIA-RDP63-00309A00M0020091-3
18 November 1959
25X1A
25X1A
Seymour, Jim and I have had several chats about your suggestion for a
seminar for the senior SA's in this organization. We still feel much as
we did after our original conversation with you: we like the idea and
think such a seminar can be held with value accruing to all who attend.
Seymour tells me some time was devoted to the subject in 25X1A
staff meeting last Friday and that - feels at the moment that 25X1A
such a seminar should be handled by our faculty rather than hers. If this
is the case, we'll be happy to work with you as the idea develops.
- will carry the ball for us with additional assistance as needed.
You asked for comments on any aspect of this idea which might cause
trouble so here goes! First, some sad experiences tell us that we'd better
be sure that we have a clientele. It's one thing to describe a potential
market and another to sell that market. A couple of years ago we pounded
a mess of time, material and effort down a rat hole on the strength of one
office's say-so and we wound up running the show once for about sixteen
people!
Second, we have found that it isn't too helpful to discuss administrative
details such as course length, number of students, part-versus full-time
courses, and so forth before the objectives are set. It's certainly easy
to discuss these homely little angles, and everyone is as much of an
expert on them as everyone else, but these are relatively minor points
when compared with the problem of writing and gaining acceptance of
intelligende? and intelligible objectives. Your compatriot, 25X1A
can fill you in on this angle (although I suspect you don't need much..
filling in).
Third, I recall the statement of one of Cornell University's experts,
a man who has done more thinking about training methods than you and I
put together, to the effect that a man who bought one screwdriver with
which to make all the repairs on his car would quickly gain the reputation
of being nuts: We may be in danger of being blinded by the attractiveness
of this "gaming" concept, of which the In-Basket and other forms of
simulation are sub-classifications. So far, nobo has cranked out an
all-purpose simulation. There are many types from which to choose and other
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methods which can do the job. While on this line of thought, don't let
the case method run away with your basic idea. There are and there will
be really lousy cases and perfectly abysmal case discussion leaders--
even at Harvard; You might like to read "The Case Method at the Harvard
Business School" by Malcolm McNair. This is a first-rate book on what
it takes to run a course by the case method. Granted that in our little
courses we short-circuit much of what the book says, it is still
informative reading.
Fourth, implicit in all the above is the plea not to go charging
headlong into this good idea of yours. If you desired merely an organized
bull-session, all you'd need is a room and a number of mutual acquaintances
of ours. We presume, however, that something more professional is required.
If there is such a thing as an unprofessional course conducted by ?TR,
you'll find a primary cause thereof is failure to take the time to do the
job right.
Having said all of this, we'd like to repeat that we think the idea
can be worked out. Let us know when you want to start building.
5X1A
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