Re: Measurable objectives?

["elizabeth j allen" <eja -at- samurai -dot- com>]

Just watch me.

Either I will deliver my document by April 1st or I won't. That's specific
and measurable. Either I will take my LaTeX course by September or I will
not. That's specific and measurable.

What processes will I use to achieve such feats? In the first case, I'll
sit my ass in a chair and type out the damn document. In the second case,
I'll find a class, register, sit my ass in that chair and listen to the
dam instructor.

Processes exist. We engage them everyday to make stuff happen. Processes
are not the sole domain of process engineers. Whether it is formal
analysis preceding formal design or *informal* analysis preceding
*informal* design, we engage process. You don't have to have an MBA, PhD,
or any other degree to understand them.

PROCESS IS SIMPLY HOW WE DO STUFF. For the purposes of an annual review
(where this thread started), all we're trying to do is set "specific,
measurable goals" so that our managers can tell whether we've met them or
not. That's the relevant process.

Verify that.

Elizabeth in Toronto
--
Elizabeth J. Allen
Technical Writer in Canada, eh. But you knew that already didn't you?
"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." -- Albert Einstein


Richard Lewis said:
> So what processes are you going to use to develope and verify the
> processes?
>
>   You can not develope processes using a , as Andrew used to say,
> "fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants approach",  stick a pull-it-out-of-the-air
> due date on it and then say you are setting specific, measurable
> objectives.
>
>   Richard Lewis
>
> elizabeth j allen <eja -at- samurai -dot- com> wrote:
>   Andrew Plato, why have you deserted me?
>
> That's crap. You most certainly can set specific, measurable,
> objectives in the absence of specific concrete processes.
>
> The first one that comes to mind "Develop processes for tech pubs: deliver
> a written process document for technical publications by April 1, 2007."
>
> That's not even going into personal development objectives ("Take a course
> on LaTeX by September 2007").
>
> Harumph.
>
> Elizabeth
> --
> Elizabeth J. Allen
> Technical Writer
> "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." -- Albert
> Einstein
>
>
> Richard Lewis said:
>> In order to have specific, measurable objectives, specific, concrete
>> processes are required. That is where you are going to run into problems
>> as a TW. It is not like engineering where formal analysis preceeds
>> formal design - it is, for most, an art.
>>
>> Richard Lewis
>
>
>
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