Evernote Openbook: Public http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public Notes from jndassaro's Evernote Openbook: Public Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:58:02 GMT Toodledo :: Getting Things Done (GTD) http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#ebb014c7-65bc-4d15-84f5-9f5d6315fe85
 An easy to use, web-based to-do list. Get organized, stay motivated, and be more productive.
Getting Things Done (GTD)

Getting Things Done (GTD) is a method for organizing tasks so that you can focus your entire energy and creativity on completing those tasks in a stress free manner. This method was developed by David Allen in his book, Getting Things Done. The main principle of GTD is that recording your tasks in a reliable way - using a system that you trust - will free your mind from trying to remember and prioritize stuff. This recaptured mental energy can be put towards being more productive and efficient.

Collection

The first step to GTD is collecting all of the information that is bouncing around in your head by getting it out of your mind. Without a system for recording ideas, your mind wastes a lot of energy by neurotically keeping those ideas fresh in your memory - you just can't stop thinking about them. Your thinking process will tend to go in circles, constantly thinking and worrying about the tasks that you must not forget.

If you can express your ideas in words and record them outside of your head, your mind will have permission to no longer waste energy trying to remember them. Once all of your tasks are recorded in a trustworthy system that you can review whenever you want, you will no longer have to worry about forgetting to do anything.

Toodledo is the perfect collection bucket for this type of information. You can easily add information to your Toodledo list anytime you have an internet connection. For convenience, you can add tasks directly on our website or via our Firefox Plugin or Google Gadget. You can also access your list from any web capable mobile phone.

You will also want to have a physical in-basket to collect paper based materials. Whenever you do not have an internet connection, you should record your information on paper and toss it into your in-basket. Everything that ends up in your physical in-basket or in your Toodledo in-basket will be processed in the same way (describe...

]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:58:02 GMT http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#ebb014c7-65bc-4d15-84f5-9f5d6315fe85 Dress Shirt Hints http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#dc56d4fc-c6ec-4231-9916-5ddb2e3a5471
Man dress shirt
How to iron a dress shirt ?

2006-10-07
You want to iron your dress shirt painless!
Read these instructions:

Set the fabric dial of your iron to the appropriate setting (in general 'cotton' for dress shirt)
1- Start ironing the back of the collar, then the front. Start at the points and move inward.
2- Lay one shoulder over the narrow edge of the board and iron it, shifted your shirt as needed. Iron the second shoulder at the same.
2- Open cuffs fully and iron inside first and then outside.
3- Lay flat one sleeve and iron it. Start with the back side, front side second and take extra care on armhole seams.
4- Hang shirt over board so that one front panel of the shirt can be extended flat. Iron from shoulder to shirttail.
5- Rotate shirt over board so that you iron the back next, and the other front panel last.
6-

]]> Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:36:36 GMT http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#dc56d4fc-c6ec-4231-9916-5ddb2e3a5471 Action Words and Power Verbs for KSAs http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#b100514e-5d9a-45b2-97ae-05c18d301cc7
A

accomplished

achieved

acquired

acted

adapted

added

adjusted

administered

advanced

allocated

allotted

allowed

analyzed

anticipated

applied

appointed

appraised

arbitrated

arranged

assessed

assigned

assisted

assured

attained

audited

authorized

awarded

B

based

bought

briefed

budgeted

built

C

catalogued

calculated

caused

centralized

certified

chaired

changed

clarified

classified

closed

collaborated

collected

combined

commended

communicated

compared

competed

computed

compiled

completed

composed

computed

conceived

conceptualized

concluded

conducted

conferred

confirmed

considered

consolidated

constructed

consulted

continued

contracted

controlled

convened

converted

conveyed

convinced

cooperated

coordinated

corrected

correlated

counseled

created

critiqued

cultivated

D

dealt

debated

decided

defended

defined

delegated

delivered

demonstrated

described

designated

designed

developed

devised

diagnosed

directed

discovered

disseminated

distributed

documented

drafted

duplicated

E

earned

edited

educated

eliminated

employed

enabled

encouraged

endorsed

enforced

engineered

enlarged

enlisted

ensured

equipped

established

estimated

evaluated

exercised

experimented

explained

F

facilitated

filed

financed

finished

focused

forecasted

formed

formulated

fostered

founded

fulfilled

G

gathered

generated

graded

granted

guided

H

handled

helped

hired

hosted

I

identified

illustrated

implemented

improved

incorporated

indexed

indicated

informed

influenced

initiated

innovated

inspected

installed

instructed

insured

integrated

interacted

interpreted

interviewed

introduced

invested

investigated

involved

issued

J

judged

justified

L

launched

lead

lectured

linked

located

logged

M

maintained

managed

mandated

marketed

measured

mediated

minimized

modified

monitored

motivated

N

negotiated

notified

nullified

O

observed

obtained

opened

operated

ordered

originated

organized </...

]]> Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:39:03 GMT http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#b100514e-5d9a-45b2-97ae-05c18d301cc7 Affinity Diagram http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#d559fefb-b6ee-42ed-89df-dcf75b584c84
Affinity Diagram
Share/CommentDeli.cio.us  DiggFeedbackEMail

A pool of ideas, generated from a brainstorming session, needs to be analyzed, prioritized before they can be implemented. A smaller set of ideas are easy to sift through and evaluate without applying any formal technique. Affinity diagramming is an effective technique to handle a large number of ideas. It is typically used when

  1. Large data set is to be traversed, like ideas generated from brainstorming and sieve for prioritization.
  2. Complexity due to diverse views and opinions.
  3. Group involvement and consensus.

Association, kinship, likeness are synonymous to affinity, and they are the underlying principle to be followed while adopting this technique. The process of affinity diagramming requires the team to categorize the ideas based on their subject knowledge thereby making it easy to sift and prioritize ideas.

Prerequisites for an Affinity Session
  1. An idea set generated from a Brainstorming Session, typically captured in form of Post-it Notes.
  2. Team should include people who have the necessary knowledge and skills to meld opinions, perspectives and are aware about the problem at hand. Too small or a very large team may not be effective. Rule of thumb suggests between 4 to 6 members in the team.
  3. Invitation that clearly states the purpose of the session.
  4. A facilitator is required to conduct the session.
How to conduct an Affinity Session
  1. Select and block a (Lively) room free from interruptions and distractions.
  2. Initiate the session by explaining the purpose, possibly already written and highlighted on the board.
  3. Place the Post-its randomly on the board/flat surface, ensuring visibility to all.
  4. Set the first objective as sorting ideas, opinions & issues based on the most natural relationship amongst them.
  5. Invite participants to get involved in the exercise of creating like groups from the idea pool.
  6. Participants should look for ideas that are related in some way, move the post-its for the like ideas to be together. The process...
]]> Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:37:44 GMT http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#d559fefb-b6ee-42ed-89df-dcf75b584c84 Stephen Toulmin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#f3e4ebc3-fd9a-4977-9d77-e04dfbf5cc02 Argumentation

[edit] The Toulmin Model of Argument

Discovering absolutism’s lack of practical value, Toulmin aimed to develop a different type of argument, called practical arguments (also known as substantial arguments). In contrast to absolutists’ theoretical arguments, Toulmin’s practical argument focuses on the justificatory function of argumentation, as opposed to the inferential function of theoretical arguments. Whereas theoretical arguments make inferences based on a set of principles to arrive at a claim, practical arguments first find a claim of interest, and then provide justification for it. Toulmin believes that reasoning is less an activity of inference involving the discovering of new ideas, but more so a process of testing and sifting already existing ideas—an act achievable through the process of justification.

Toulmin believes that a good argument can succeed in providing good justification to a claim, which will stand up to criticism and earn a favourable verdict. In The Uses of Argument (1958), Toulmin proposed a layout containing six interrelated components for analyzing arguments:

Claim A conclusion whose merit must be established. For example, if a person tries to convince a listener that he is a British citizen, the claim would be “I am a British citizen.” (1) Evidence (Data) A fact one appeals to as a foundation for the claim. For example, the person introduced in 1 can support his claim with the supporting data “I was born in Bermuda.” (2) Warrant A statement authorizing our movement from the data to the claim. In order to move from the data established in 2, “I was born in Bermuda,” to the claim in 1, “I am a British citizen,” the person must supply a warrant to bridge the gap between 1 & 2 with the statement “A man born in Bermuda will legally be a British Citizen.” (3) Backing Credentials designed to certify the statement expressed in the warrant; backing must be introduced when the warrant itself is not convincing enough to the readers or the listeners... ]]> Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:35:51 GMT http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#f3e4ebc3-fd9a-4977-9d77-e04dfbf5cc02 Design rationale (and argument maps) http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#c5b74f2e-a82e-4935-94ef-b44e4902f70d
Design rationale
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from Design Rationale)
Jump to: navigation, search
A Decision Based Design Structure, which spans the areas of Engineering Design, Design Rationale and Decision Analysis.

A Design Rationale is a framework of the reasons behind decisions made when designing a system or artifact. An understanding of the design rationale, or the justification for design decisions made throughout the design process, is necessary in order to understand, recreate, or modify a design.[1]

Contents [hide]

[edit] Overview

A design rationale is the explicit listing of decisions made during a design process, and the reasons why those decisions were made.[2] It's primary goal is to support designers by providing a means to record and communicate the argumentation and reasoning behind the design process.[3] It should herefor include:[4]

  • the reasons behind a design decision
  • the justification for it,
  • the other alternatives considered,
  • the trade offs evaluated, and
  • the argumentation that led to the decision.

Several science areas are involved in the study of design rationales, such as computer science, Cognitive science[3], Artificial Intelligence[5], and knowledge management[6] To supporting design rationale, a lot of frameworks proposed, such as QOC, DRCS, IBIS, and DRL.

[edit] History

While argumentation formats can be traced back to Stephen Toulmin's work in the 1950s[7] datums, claims, warrants, backings and rebuttals, the origin of design rationale can be traced back to Kunz and Rittel's [8] development of the Issue-Based Information System (IBIS) notation in 1970. Several variants on IBIS have since been proposed.

  • The first was Procedural Hierarchy of Issues (PHI), first described in Ray ...
]]> Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:27:13 GMT http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#c5b74f2e-a82e-4935-94ef-b44e4902f70d Research and Citation - Toulmin's Analysis http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#b4731d5f-42e1-4d1c-9ba5-1cd3c8861627
Toulmin's Analysis

Stephen Toulmin, a modern rhetorician, believed that few arguments actually follow classical models of logic like the syllogism, so he developed a model for analyzing the kind of argument you read and hear every day--in newspapers and on television, at work, in classrooms, and in conversation. Toulmin's model focuses on identifying the basic parts of an argument. As a researcher and writer, you can use Toulmin's model two ways:
  �  to identify and analyze your sources by identifying the basic elements of the arguments being made, and
  �  to test and critique your own argument.

Please note that this page presents only a very simplified version of Toulmin's theory. For a more complete understanding, you should read Toulmin's book The Uses of Argument (Cambridge University Press, 1958).

Toulmin identifies the three essential parts of any argument as the claim, the data or evidence which is offered to support the claim, and the warrant.

The warrant is the assumption on which the claim and the evidence depend. Another way of saying this would be that the warrant explains why the data supports the claim. For example, suppose you see a one of those commercials for a product that promises to give you whiter teeth. Here are the basic parts of the argument behind the commercial:

ClaimYou should buy our tooth-whitening product.DataStudies show that teeth are 50% whiter after using the product for a specified time.WarrantPeople want whiter teeth.

Notice that those commercials don't usually bother trying to convince you that you want whiter teeth; instead, they assume that you have bought into the value our culture places on whiter teeth. When an assumption--a warrant in Toulmin's terms--is unstated, it's called an implicit warrant. Sometimes, however, the warrant may need to be stated because it is a powerful part of the argument. When the warrant is stated, it's called an explicit warrant.

Toulmin says that the weakest part of any argument is its weakest warrant. Remembe...

]]> Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:21:57 GMT http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#b4731d5f-42e1-4d1c-9ba5-1cd3c8861627 Toulmin Model of Argument http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#6922db8e-ba2c-4cc2-b10f-46e9f202f35e ]]> Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:09:37 GMT http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#6922db8e-ba2c-4cc2-b10f-46e9f202f35e Trigger List - 43FoldersWiki http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#dde4c3a6-bdac-404a-afc0-c6b3c301a207
Trigger List From 43FoldersWiki


The following is an "Incompletion Triggers" list to assist you in evaluating your current commitments. This list has been taken from Getting Things Done.

[edit] Professional
  • Projects started, not completed
  • Projects that need to be started
  • Commitments/promises to others
  • Boss/partnersColleaguesSubordinatesOther people in organization"Outside" people CustomersOther organizationsProfessionals
  • Communications to make/get
  • Internal/External Initiate or respond to: Phone callsVoice-mailE-mailPagesFaxesLettersMemos
  • Other writing to finish/submit
  • ReportsEvaluations/reviewsProposalsArticlesPromotional materialsManuals/instructionsRewrites and edits
  • Meetings that need to be set/requested
  • Who needs to know about what decisions?
  • Significant read/review
  • Financial
  • Cash flowStatisticsBudgetsForecasts/projectionsP&LsBalance sheetCredit line
  • Planning/organizing
  • Formal planning (goals, targets, objectives)Current projects (next stages)Upcoming projectsBusiness/marketing plansOrganizational initiativesUpcoming eventsMeetingsPresentationsOrganizational structuringChanges in facilitiesInstallation of new systems/equipmentTravel
  • Banks
  • ReceivablesPayablesPetty cash
  • Administration
  • Legal issuesInsurancePersonnelPolicies/procedures
  • Customers
  • InternalExternal
  • Marketing
  • Promotion
  • Sales
  • Customer service
  • Systems
  • PhonesComputersOffice equipmentOther equipmentUtilitiesFilingStorage Inventories
  • Supplies
  • Office/site
  • Office organizationFurnitureDecorations
  • Waiting for...
  • InformationDelegated tasks/projectsCompletions critical to projectsReplies to: LettersMemosCallsProposalsRequistionsReimbursementsPetty cashInsuranceOrdered itemsItems being repairedTicketsDecisions of others
  • Professional development
  • Training/seminarsThings to learnThings to look upSkills to practice/learn especially re:computersTape/video trainingResumes
  • Outside education
  • Research--need to find out about...
  • Professional wardrobe
 
[edit] Personal
  • Projects started, not completed
  • Projects that need to be started
  • Commitments/promis...
]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:58:17 GMT http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#dde4c3a6-bdac-404a-afc0-c6b3c301a207 OPM-Workplace Violence Case 2 http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#16d4f64a-9bf3-45ab-a966-bfd0beaea609
U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce
Work Life
 

 

 
Dealing with Workplace Violence: A Guide for Agency Planners

Table of Contents

PART II
Case Studies Case Study 2 --Viciously Beating and Wounding a Coworker The Incident

The following incident was reported to the agency's Incident Response Team. A female employee had broken off a romantic relationship with a male coworker, but he wouldn't leave her alone. She finally had a restraining order served to him. After receiving the restraining order, the perpetrator lost control and entered the woman's office. He hit her; she fell from her chair. While she was on the floor, he broke a soda bottle and cut her face with the broken glass. While this was going on, coworkers heard the commotion and called the police. The perpetrator fled the scene before police arrived and the victim was transported to the hospital.

Response

The Incident Response Team immediately implemented the following plan.

Security. The Security officer worked with hospital security to ensure that the victim got around-the-clock security while she was in the hospital. He ensured that the hospital staff knew not to give out any information about the victim to callers. He gave the victim advice, reading material, and a video on personal safety. He made sure the perpetrator's card key was inactivated, and he had pictures of the perpetrator made for the building guards. He coordinated efforts with local police.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP counselor visited the victim in the hospital and ensured that she was being seen regularly by a social worker on the hospital staff. She worked with the victim's colleagues to help them be supportive of the vi...

]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:58:28 GMT http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#16d4f64a-9bf3-45ab-a966-bfd0beaea609 Alternative Dispute Resolution-2002 http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#f7c0eb83-7aa3-45c0-a0e2-d8bc6b4e02df
Alternative Dispute Resolution
A Resource Guide Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION SECTION I:
ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION TECHNIQUES AND AGENCY PRACTICES SECTION II: ALTERNATIVE DISCIPLINE AGENCY PRACTICES SECTION III: SHARED NEUTRALS PROGRAMS SECTION IV: ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS AGENCIES SECTION V: ADR TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE SOURCES
]]> Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:32:03 GMT http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#f7c0eb83-7aa3-45c0-a0e2-d8bc6b4e02df Fed Times Article http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#530663e2-8250-4ee0-85a6-0c8ba4d76371
The following commentary appeared in the March 7, 2005 edition (print and web) of the Federal Times. The online link is at http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=700460 .

 

March 07, 2005

A dangerous experiment in civil service reform

By JOSEPH DASSARO

In his quest to protect the nation through the creation of the Homeland Security Department, President Bush uncompromisingly argued the necessity for managerial flexibility and personnel reform in the new department, even threatening to veto legislation if it did not contain the requested personnel flexibilities. In fact, the president, a large number of Republicans and a smaller number of Democrats forcefully argued the direct link between broad managerial flexibility and the ability of the department to protect the nation. The administration’s national security argument was ultimately accepted by Congress and incorporated in Homeland Security legislation, and continues to be the subject of much anxiety. It now appears the argument made by the administration was nothing more than a Trojan horse.

The president, through the Office of Management and Budget, recently announced the inclusion of personnel reforms similar to those undertaken at Homeland Security and the Defense Department in the 2006 budget request. The White House intends to apply the untested and untried personnel reforms governmentwide, on the premise it would be unfair to leave other agencies without similar flexibilities. Remarkably, the reforms have not yet been implemented at Homeland Security or Defense, making their results unknown. At agencies where some components of the reforms have been implemented, quantifiable data indicates failure. In some instances, such as in implementing mandatory removal offenses at IRS, analysts have testified before Congress that reforms actually resulted in less managerial flexibility and that they believe the proposals contained in Homeland Security personnel reform are even more “draconian.” A reasonable person is compelled to consider that the president...
]]> Sat, 07 Feb 2009 18:50:22 GMT http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#530663e2-8250-4ee0-85a6-0c8ba4d76371 GTD Reference http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#03f72414-c169-4033-b964-a51647a07b07 Sylvia's GTD Homepage      GTD Resources     GTD Diagrams     My Palm Setup Sylvia's "Getting Things Done" (GTD) Resource List Books - If I only had time to read two...
  • "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity" by David Allen
    This description is a little flip, but in essence it's a book on efficiency and "doing things right."  A complete system is described in its pages.  The emphasis is more on office and paperwork type of productivity and you won't find Heloise's hints on how to clean out the home closet.  I had to absorb this book first and begin implementing this system before I could find the "RAM (mind) space" to undertake the concepts in the next book...
  • "First Things First: To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy" by Stephen Covey, Roger Merrill and Rebecca Merrill
    This is the book that gets you "doing the right things."  In other words, it helps you to figure out who you are (mission/roles/goals) before you set about doing things.  I found this Covey book to be better than the others, there seems to be alot of overlap of material in them all.  But I like this one, it has the "mission workshop" in the appendix and has a good discussion of Urgent vs Important and knowing the difference between the Clock and the Compass.
GTD Chat/Discussion/Forums/Class/Web sites ]]> Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:39:57 GMT http://www.evernote.com/pub/jndassaro/Public#03f72414-c169-4033-b964-a51647a07b07