SENIOR MANAGEMENT SEMINAR - DIRECTOR'S MEETING 17 OCTOBER 1960

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-06365A000500050012-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 9, 1998
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: October 17, 1960
• Content Type: MIN

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SENIOR MANAGEMENT SEMINAR - DIRECTOR'S MEETING
17 October 1960
1. Mr. Baird indicated that the purpose of the meeting was to
arrive at some tentative conclusions, admittedly early in the game,
concerning the value of the Seminar to the participants.
2.1111lopened the discussion by stating that, as a man
coming to the Seminar almost directly from an overseas station, he
found that the coverage so far reflected a direct parallel with
problems overseas. BC also felt that the principles of marmsgesent were
the same in the cases we have studied and in the actual situations with d
which he is familiar and that failure to observe these principles
produces the same unfortunate results. He also cited the value of an f.9
su
intellectual exercise free of the day-to-dayproblems of the job.
3. Mr. Dulles asked if could be more precise in
describing specific ways in Which the Seminar would be of help on
job.
( 0 )
4. responded that the points which came ismediately
mind were the dangers inherent in failure to commit time to training;
hasty decisions; weak communications, both upward and downward; poor
timing in both plalmalasg and action, and too much attention and pressu
in the sphere of one's own office with the resulting failure to pay
attention to the other messbers of the team.
5. Mr. Dulles cited the problem of heavy cable traffic and the r4W
resultant demands on his time, and wondered whether anything in the Sns
Seminar had given anyone a lead as to how to get people to concentrate
on essentials and reduce the amount of writing which they do. He stated,
"I'll almost always read two pages." Mr. Baird asked to
reply to this one and reminisced a bit about one White's
remarks in the Agency Management Course to the effect that one should
spend the Government's dollars as if they were one's own.
continued with some generalities about the value of attention to
such as organisation, leadership, morale, etc., etc. Mr. Dulles then
posed another of his problems to wit, extensive use of cryptonymns.
said that he thought we were making progress on this. Atter
a short amount of by-play, this subject was discontinued.
6. Mr. Baird directed a questianto Din Carey, asking whether we
should put on this course agein and if so, wham would he, Mr. Carey,
send. Mr. Carey answered that he has learned a lot about rationalization;
that he has tremendous pride in 00, and that he now knows we have a lot
of brains elsewhere in the Agency. Mr. Carey said that if Mr. Dulles
would authorise a new ceiling and permit him to proselyte, Mr. Carey
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would gt busy right now. On the serious side, W. Carey sail he
would like to come down agein himself and that the greatest value to
him so far has been setting to know the people whom he never bad a
Chance to meet even though he had talked with many of them on the phone.
Mr. Dulles said, in essence, that we don't used a Harvard profeseor to
accomplish thia and then asked whether had any ideas
about bow we could get our job done with 10%
7. Ite. Baird called onitr. Garrison for a few remarks and Mr.
Garrison said that be thought the course was worthmbile having given
him added know-bow and, particularly, insights into reletionships,
responsibilities and the way in which we actual:n=4k. Mr. Garrison
commented favorably won the case method and complimented Professor
1.11 Mas a teacher. Mr. Garrison also enthusiastically endorsed the
"back of the neck" idea.
8. Mr. Dulles asked if we were going to get ideas that might
lead to a major reorganisation. Mr. Baird said tt inhis opinion
won't give us any answers but that it is possible
-flisTiliTs7A5irlarthis sort might came from members of the Seminar as a
result of the thireeing vhicb has made them do.
Colonel white endorsed this position, saying that we night well get
idess from the group but not directly from because this is not
that kind of a course. CCLenellibits vent on to mention the briefings
which had been given to and the latter's reaction to
them.
9. commented that emphasis is on
waking the orgenisation that you have work in theStiMy that you want
it to. believed that this part of the course has oome
through most strongly. Hence, the direct value of the course in terms
of effect upon job performance is difficult to estimate or describe.
However, there is a great value in the examination of principles and
underlying attitudes.
10. Colonel White commented that, in his opinion, there i. no
way to reduce the management art to a check-list, for just as soon as
something begins to take shape, along vill come a situation that knocks
everything to bell. The primary aim is thinking, along sound lines and
not acting in a "canned" fashion.
U. endorsed the -value of association with other
managers away from the pressures of work and said that be tbousht the
value of the Seminar so far lay in the *trees on ability-to meet
change properly; the careful study of alternatives, and the oeneitivity
to proper timing. He tied these observations to the Agency by noting
that we are constantly facing the used to change direction and emphasis
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et priorities. Madly he pointed out
OS triuing in the 'ease of samples set by deciaio
12 said that he believed he bad profited frau
additional inatht into problems which will probe:W.7 confront him in
his new assignment. He was particulsrly impressed with tbe attention
given to the fact that there is no pat answer to any given situation.
He also cited as valuable the cross-fertilisation aldose which comes
frau close association among individuals who -work in different parts
of the organisation.
13. said that he was struck by the parallels between
the cas s and Agency situations, particularly in terms of underlying
causes. He felt that all that was necesearywas to change the nes
and the cases could eacilyheme cams out of our organisation. Mr. Dulles
brought up the question of personnel intake philoftlityand asked
whether we are on the right track. This point did not engender any
significant discussion.
14. Mt. Baird commented that baa been impressed
with the caliber of the group. In response to Mr Dulles' question
(facetious) regerding what other groups bas worked
with, Mt. Baird described the kinds of people who attend the AMP at
Harvard. Mt. Dulles replied that had told him that he
was impressed with both the abiliti and the sincerity of the
group.
15. Mr Borel, a graduate of the Harvard Business School some
years aso, said that he has r000gnised certain changes in emphasis and
that he approves of the attention devoted to problemi of inter-personal
relationships. He said he felt that one of our greatest needs is that
a thinking ahead in an effort to influence the fUture rather than
sieply reacting to events. Mt. Sorel said he would be very happy to
send a Division Chief to the course if it were held agein. Be said
he would take away from the Seminar an understanding of the importance
of communication in all directions; the on-the-Job training aspect of
every decision that one makes, the value of letting someone else male
the decision and learn theregam, and the valve of more listening and
less talking.
16. 111111111commente4 that he was intrigued b1
by
particular y, ' by-the way he summarises and repeats in an
at the heart of a matter. IIIIIIIIIIalso said that he believed the
basis of good administration is good human relations.
17. Mr. Dulles commented at some length on our need to keep
of the things that axe apt to become critical and the difficulty of
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iie we are so deeply occupied with thet is al
said that be believed that no majo reo
way and that be is inclined against any setjo
or eU3thiation of function. Be cited three problems which need
on: (1) cable routing, (2) the fact that those engaged in
one tend to forget the intelligence aspect once au ectivity
operational and (3) the tact that good security is desirable
not achieved exclusively by withholding information that should
eminated.
? indicated that be fOund the informal association
personnel quite valuable; that the cave method is
shoull be made more specifically appropriate to our
believed administration and management to be two
or skills. Be stated that in the clandestine servioess
leinagement is re cools* than In an of the cases on which ye
have worked and that whatMIMts aPPerently advocating is fairly
commonplace administration involving an efirProach requiring time which
we do not have.
19. Colonel White suggested the possibility of eh participant's
vztttng a caee from his own experience. These cases could than be
esed as the basis for a course like the one we are now mimed in.
said that this idea appealed to him and if the
were more sp.eiftoally tailored to our needs and the interests
fUture student* were wafficiently coincident, the effect would
probably be good) however, felt that there are inevitabl,y
too many pressures to permEt7hii-d-ily at this time that be definitely
would be able to send anyone to a subsequent course.
21. Mr. Dulles Suggested that a ?reunion" of the participants at
some indefinite date in the future eight produce some valuable
observations, appraisals, ideas, etc. Be returned to an earlier point,
clooletes that we have a tesilency to be "misers" with information,
holding on to what we have for so long that when it is possible to
release it no one is any longer interested, being &named whall in new
affnirs of the moment.
22. Mr. Baird said that he would. liketo 3ave the
Gerona's office =wider assisting an esverienced man
of Training itr about a year to dredge IQp ms,terial and
pector
the Office,
writ. cases.
23. Colonel White said in essence that we are all administrators
but either don't %now it or doe't like to admit it. He wondered
whether this idea had rubbed off on any of the Seminar participants.
25X1A9a There was a scattered chorus of yeses, aided by "Donned
rieht."
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LOKIDENTIAL
24. Mr. Dulles inserted the problem of close supervision in an
effort to p.vsnt unfortunate incidents such as those which have
happened to other organizations in the recent past. Some loose
discussion WEIS held on this point with Mr. Dulles emphasizing the
apparent paradox between the organisational requirement and the necessity
for avoiding overt involvement in the private affairs of people. He
also stated, citing the illustration of our new building, that the
human problems are important.
25. Mr. Baird stated that a man NAIAD spend 60% at his time on
mama netters is inevitably neglecting operational responsibilities
and asked Whether we were ready to !hoe this problem. Apparently we
arenot for there VSS very little discussion on the point.
26. The meeting broke up in a flurry of scotch as Mr. Mulles departed
in the dark of night, several deer having been Cleared frau the runway
befbrehand.
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