Thank you to a ‘friendly-peer review group’ for their feedback on a research project focused on tracking micro-time spent by senior volunteers. The discussion covered user interface importance, managing time granularity, and the complexity of capturing incidental volunteer activities.
Continue readingIs the system live, is it stable? What are the risk areas of the new system? When will it be working properly? Dreaded questions when managing complex systems. A multi-factor success matrix can help an organization visualize key elements of a system and make informed decisions… or perhaps just answer the question, have we gone live yet?
A good thank you shows appreciation for someone. Store bought thank you cards are one method, but they lack a personal touch. This is why I have now adopted a post-card thank you.
I recently used FaceBook’s marketplace for the first time (I know, I am a VERY late adopter). It was easy to post an entry, the interface was intuitive, communications through their messenger application was fast and it was simple to flag when the item was sold.
Technically it was not a sale as I gave it away. I offered for free a pair of working computer speakers I had been dragging around with me for about 10 years but was loathe to simply throw out.
Speakers – free to a good home.
By giving away those speakers, I delayed their entry into the recycling system or more than likely the landfill. They will end up there someday but at least for awhile they are being used – and this is where Facebook could improve its Marketplace … and earn some kudos.
Facebook facilitated this delay to the dump and it should take credit for this. Right now their interface is tailored or biased towards selling but could easily promote the freebie. This would build user loyalty and a sense of real-community via the online community. Heck, they could run statistics of so many ‘cubic feet, pounds or number’ of items diverted from the waste pile in such and such a city. How is that for a triple bottom line!
One more suggestion for Facebook, something that can help them grow the marketplace, build local communities and sustain itself as its user base grows older – a shopping mall lock box.
I met the person I was giving the speakers to in a local shopping mall food court. I don’t want strangers coming to my home and it is always better to meet in a public place. Of course this was contingent on me waiting at the mall and the buyer driving to my location. Why not remove time from the equation and build local spaces at the same time.
Here is the idea. Facebook partners with a few shopping malls to install lock boxes in their public space. The seller goes, places the item in the lock box and logs the transaction on Facebook. The buyer, on their own time picks up the item from the lock box. Insert security protocols, etc. to manage the transaction.
The payment is made electronically when the lock box opened and the buyer takes the item out. If it is not what they wanted, the put it back and cancels the transaction.
Facebook would take a small transaction fee, e.g. $0.50 which it shares with the mall. The mall gets some revenue, walk in traffic and can have its tenants cross promote on the sale. Based on the category, different stores would advertise to both the seller and the buyer. For example, for the above speakers, the stores selling electronics could promote their computer departments.
Insert liabilities, logistics and lawyers – but heck, this is only a thought exercise. In the meantime, I will use Facebook to get rid of other working stuff I do not want to throw away. To close, anyone have Mark Zuckerberg’s home phone number?
In other words, making a difference in our society and the environment (reducing consumption, materialism, reuse/recycling) can be as simple as creating the interface to do it efficiently. What say you Mark Zuckerberg?
Two previous blogs* about the Experience-database (Ex-db) discussed how individuals use this tool to track what they have done to respond to job ads or consulting opportunities. Can the value be increased with the employer being part of the tracking effort? For organizations thinking of implementing a talent management tool, creating an interim one based on this thought-exercise can be a useful proof of concept in understanding what information and processes are useful before buying.
Continue readingDiscusses utilizing the Experience Database (Ex-db) to record and analyze experiences. It guides users on populating four key tables with their information and introduces job application statuses. Users can generate reports to compare their capabilities with job requirements, enhancing their resume and job application process.
Continue readingA Data Dictionary assists in planning, controlling, and evaluating the collection, storage, and use of data. An Excel tool can be downloaded and a brief explanation and set of definitions are provided.
Continue readingThe network file structure is now about 50+ years old but is still the backbone for a lot of corporate and personal data management [1]. At the same time, how often have you heard stories of people losing all of the family pictures because they failed to back up or backed up the wrong directory.
Continue readingHave you ever gotten one of those rambling emails in which the request is buried somewhere in a sea of asides? Given that it is from your boss, you press on trying to divine what the &%#@^ she is asking for! (note, all examples are fictional and any resemblence between current and past bosses and this example is purely coincidental).
Alternatively, you receive an email that clearly articulates its purpose in the first two lines and a quick scan tells you what to do or even whether it is applicable to you. If you would rather receive (or send) the second type of email, read on to learn about the ASK/ACTION format.
An ASK/ACTION Email looks something like this:
Ask-Action Email Format
There are four parts to an ASK/ACTION email that help to make it clear:
After the two liner, additional information is provided to flush out the request. Nevertheless, this is the ASK/ACTION email format.
Some other thoughts and suggestions when using an ASK/ACTION email:
Some other links and thoughts on this:
Notes on how to ask for an endorsement from a political entity.
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Organizational Biology 