Evaluate your consulting expertise using the Dreyfus model

To say that “a comment from Chad Perrin got me thinking” is redundant, but this one made me wonder how many consultants who call themselves experts could qualify for that title based on the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition. Let’s examine the five stages of learning put forth in a 1980 paper (PDF) by Stuart E. Dreyfus and Hubert L. Dreyfus, focusing on self-evaluation:
1. Novice

In this phase, the subject cannot exercise “discretionary judgment” but must instead exercise “rigid adherence to taught rules and plans.” I’m reminded of the time as a newbie operator when I deleted a day’s work for the cashiers because those were the documented steps for starting them up in the morning. The novice does not know the domain well enough to generate any creative ideas of his/her own, or even question whether a rule applies in a given situation. At least, that’s supposed to be the reason. How often do we simply follow rote procedures without understanding why they’re in place? Sure, it’s easier that way — just get the job done and move on. But you can’t really call yourself a consultant if you don’t at least consider evaluating your client’s methods.
2. Advanced beginner

At this stage, the subject has learned to apply some principles situationally, but they don’t understand the relative importance of the various aspects of their work, nor do they have a comprehensive picture of how they fit together. I think this often applies to consultants. We like to have our bits well-defined and separated from the work of others. Too many inter-dependencies can make it impossible to get anything accomplished. Clearly separating concerns is a good thing, but as consultants we need to understand how those bits work towards larger goals — otherwise the client might as well hire a $12 an hour guy off the web. Understanding the big picture often makes the difference between producing what the client requested instead of what they need.
3. Competent

The subject begins to perceive how their work relates to larger goals. They’re able to plan their own work, and deal with multiple activities. To cope, they develop routines — and here’s where many consultants get stuck. After getting burned once or twice for failing to cover some base, they develop a fool-proof routine to prevent that from happening again, then swear their eternal allegiance to it. While it’s wise to have routine procedures that keep you from having to remember or figure out what to do each time you encounter the same situation, it’s important to recognize that not all situations are the same. So when you start lecturing yourself with “I will never again…” or “I will always…”, remember that you’re placing that safety net at the expense of abdicating the right to think situationally.
4. Proficient

The subject perceives the whole domain as a system, including “deviations from the normal pattern” that inevitably occur. He/she can prioritize, because the relative importance of aspects of the system have become apparent to them. They use adaptable maxims to guide their decisions, rather than hard and fast rules. Many people incorrectly label this level “expert”. Certainly, the proficient person seems like a wizard to the competent (or below), able to almost magically know the right course of action. But the magic is only a more thorough knowledge of the domain than the competent person has. As we shall see, true expertise is something different.
5. Expert

This person has so internalized their understanding of the domain that they have no need for rules, guidelines, or maxims. While they can appreciate the need for organizational rules or the situational truth of maxims, they don’t use them to determine their own course of action because they can grok the entire situation and choose the path that leads to the desired outcome. “Rules are made to be broken”, but you have to know when and how to break them. More importantly, the expert can go beyond what the project accomplishes, to think about what else could be possible. To what new paths does this effort open access? The vast majority of what’s called innovation occurs by accident — but the expert actively seeks it. Not just innovating for the sake of innovation, though — it’s always because the path could lead to new opportunities that benefit the business.

Think about your relationships with your clients. Where do you fit in this scale, and under what circumstances? What steps could you take to get closer to number 5, or to get a stronger foothold therein? How would your clients react? If they would discourage you from “thinking too much”, then maybe they didn’t really mean to hire a consultant.


http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/project-management/?p=2050&tag=nl.e108

How to quit your job

You’d think that the act of resigning from a job would be pretty straightforward — just a simple “I’m outta here!” and you’re gone. But, of course, that’s not how it goes in reality. And in this day and age, there are quite a few details that have to be ironed out before you can walk out that door. Here’s a list of things you should take care of if you resign from a job.

1. Give notice

Unless you have an employment contract that states otherwise, you should give two weeks’ notice. If your employer asks you to stay longer, you are not obligated to do so. The only obligation you have in this respect is that you start your new job when you said you would.

2. Have the “conversation”

When you deliver the news to your supervisor, you don’t need to say much more than you’re leaving. Resist the urge to add “And do you want to know WHY? Because you have made my life a living hell since I’ve been here.” If you are pushed to say more, try to stay positive. Concentrate on the ways the company has benefited you. Don’t burn your bridges because, even if it seems unbelievable at the time, there may be some day in the distant future when you will need your ex-boss to do you a favor.

3. Write a resignation letter

Even if you resign verbally, write a resignation letter; it can help you maintain a positive relationship with your employer. You may one day need that former employer to give you a reference, so it makes sense to take the time to write a polished and professional resignation letter.

4. Ask for a reference

This may not always be possible if your boss is really upset about you leaving. In other words, it may not be the best time to ask for a reference letter if he’s throwing tape dispensers at your head. But, if the parting is amicable, then by all means ask for a reference.

5. Don’t forget the details

You may be entitled to some benefits and other salary upon leaving. Ask about continuing your health insurance coverage through COBRA, collecting unused vacation and sick pay, and keeping, cashing in, or rolling over your 401K or other pension plan.

6. Return company property

Return any company property you have, including keys, documents, computers, phones, and anything else that doesn’t belong to you.

And now, for a change of pace, here’s a video called “How NOT to quit your job.”

Four Reasons to Fall for Your Best Guy Friend

By Serena Kim

Millions of women thought, "No way, no how!" until they saw When Harry Met Sally…. In honor of the romantic comedy's twentieth anniversary, some real-life Glamour readers share their stories of slow-simmering love.

When Bridget Met Jeff

 

"Jeff and I were friends since we were 18. In our twenties, his close friend died in a skiing accident. Six months later my mother passed away. Those losses brought us closer than ever. One night at a bar, while rehashing everything that had happened, he said he was in love with me. I nearly wet my pants. I was shocked and very upset, figuring now I was going to lose my best friend on top of everything else.

 

"I told him I thought we'd been spending too much time together and needed a break. But it was only a couple of days before I was calling him up and telling him how much I missed him. Twelve months later we were engaged, and now we have two kids.” —Bridget Palitz, 36, San Diego

When Lisa Met Derik

 

"We met in gym class in high school, and after a three-year crush, I finally told him. His response: 'Thank you.' I was so mortified that I cut gym for two weeks. After graduation we lost contact for a few years, only to find out that we both lived in Brooklyn and worked across the street from each other. We made lunch plans, and I was having such a bad hair day that I brought pictures of myself and said, 'This is what I actually look like.'

 

"There was nothing to worry about, though. Sparks flew. We exchanged numbers, so I called and said, 'I'm going to ask you out, and please don't say thank you this time.' We've been married for four years, and it still feels new every day." —Lisa Coffey, 33, Montclair, N.J.

When Britt Met Jared

 

"I was introduced to my husband when we were in the eighth grade. We even 'went out' for a few weeks back then. After that, Jared and I stayed extremely close all through high school. He would constantly tell me that he loved me and that I was gorgeous, and I would literally pat him on the head and say, 'That's really nice.'

 

"Eventually, after a string of the most horrible boyfriends you can imagine, I sat down one day and made a list of the attributes of a good one. I was mortified to find out that the only person I knew who had everything I was looking for was my very longtime, very dorky, very just-a-friend friend, Jared. We have now been happily married for almost nine years." —Britt Reints, 29, Orlando, Fla.

When Emily Met Joe

 

"Once a friend asked me point-blank, 'Hey, how come you and Joe never hooked up?' I'll never forget my answer: 'His car is full of garbage.' But when I went to study abroad in college, I thought about him constantly — and not how you think about a best friend, which Joe was, but how you think about a man.

 

"I'd walk blocks and blocks in terrible weather to check my e-mail at a crummy café, only to feel deflated if he hadn't written. The first time I saw him when I got back, I was terrified. I mean, how could I love Joe? And what if he didn't feel the same? But — thankfully — he did! That was nearly 10 years ago, and we're still very happily together." —Emily Plicka, 30, Athens, Ohio

How to Balance Work and Play

from wikiHow


This article is presently a target of the Weekly Improvement Project and is being edited by several contributors. Please feel free to edit this article as necessary. Watch out for other editors as they also make edits, so that your changes don't get mixed up. For more information about this project, and other Weekly Improvement articles, please click here.
Have you been stressed out lately because of your job? Do you want to have some fun, but still do your work? Well, read on if you want to know how to balance work and play.

Steps

1. Take just 10 minutes out of each day and relax, sit down and just clear your mind (in the morning or in the night.)
   
2. Work hard for a certain time, but make sure your play is proportional to that of which you work.
   
3. Enjoy life, when you have a chance for a vacation take it, go somewhere warm. Hawaii is a great place and just unwind.
   
4. Don't give up the things you love to do whether it be i.e. riding a bike or whatever.
   
5. Don't leave work until the day before it's due, do it a couple days before and then relax because your done while everyone else is stressed out.
   

Tips

• Be flexible, and know when work is appropriate as well as when play is appropriate.
  

Warnings

• Do not under any circumstance slack off during work to just relax, this is a major no!
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Balance Work and Play. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Overcome Laziness

See The Small, Not The Whole

Steps

1. Whatever task is at hand, take a step back, relax and see one small thing to do, EG, if your whole house isn't fit to live in, just focus on one task, not the whole problem.
   
2. Estimate how long it would take to do that one thing. Forget everything else, for now :-)
   
3. After the 'small' task is complete, go for a walk for two or three minutes.Who knows maybe you'll bump into a new best friend or something.
   
4. If you set yourself just one small task each day and go out for the recommended time every day afterwards,(or relax doing something you would like to if you have already been out) you will find yourself doing a little more each and every day.
   
5. All I saw was a whole house to clean and washing and ironing etc but after started to give myself just 'one small task, say, the washing up , at a realistic 5 mins to do, I went for a walk and chilled, it was lovely. Hope you get on well. Maybe this will give you some ideas of your own, but coursework is another story.
   
6. Set some goals. If you have goals set up for yourself, you have something to look forward to (not to mention a paycheck) Your goals can be to work hard, then in 1 or two years (depending on your profession) you can take that trip to Italy, or Hawaii. Pick goals which are high and will really inspire you. Picture what you really want. Low goals will not really motivate you. Your goals can be to save to buy your dream home, that red sports car, or save to fullfill your lifelong dreams (maybe you've been wanting to open a bookstore, an arcade, or start your own publishing company). Make a to-do list, both of large and small things, and prioritize.
   
7. Coach yourself. For each goal in your list, break it down into tiny, easily manageable steps. Then, talk yourself into working towards the next tiny step. Gear yourself up into action by telling yourself something like: "you gotta do this; you gotta do this NOW; just do it; don't rest now". Say it out loud if you have to! You'll find that you will have eventually talked yourself into wanting to do it! Finishing that little step will feel remarkably good, and tell yourself (out loud, if necessary): "good stuff; you're on a roll; keep this up and you're gonna make it to the end of this". Then, repeat this for your next tiny step. Working towards little goals is actually the secret to big success: big successes are just made up of many little continuous successes.
   
8. Reward yourself! You need to reward yourself for completing each task, in order to feel good about having stressed yourself in order to get the job done. Go for a walk, eat some nuts (Lee Iacocca famously ate salted nuts after each tiny step). Doing this will train your mind into wanting to work. As well, cumulative rewards make you feel confident -- and that's the REAL cure for laziness. Some say you may also want to punish yourself for each step you fail to achieve, but this is ill-advised if you're really lazy, as it will only reinforce the negative behavior that ultimately leads to laziness: avoidance of the prospect of failure.
   
9. Get un-stuck fast! It's one thing to find your motivation. But, it's another thing to keep it going when the going gets tough -- especially when it's an unforeseen problem! The "lazier" a person you are, the more you will feel like giving up. The trick here is knowing how to get past the tough point. To do this, tell yourself: "I really want to get past this; I really want to overcome this", until you believe that you actually don't want to give up. Then, you need to FIGURE OUT what one, single detail or problem is holding you back. It won't be too hard to isolate it, but remember: it's probably one single, specific problem or detail. Now, think. Is it something you can actually afford to ignore? Is it something that somebody else can help you with? Can you just forget about this and try a different approach altogether? Are you being too much of a perfectionist? (Remember: the only enemy of something 'good' is something 'better'!) Most likely, the sticking issue is smaller than you think it is, and you can get past it more easily than you think. Whatever it is, don't give up until you find a way to get past it somehow. Once you do, remember to reward yourself.
   
10. Don't stop now. It's hard to get on a roll if you're lazy, so once you're there, jump right onto your next goal as soon as you're done rewarding yourself. The later you delay re-starting, the harder it will be to re-start. But, the sooner you re-start, the more confident you will feel -- and that will reinforce the positive behavior that leads to doing away with your laziness forever: feeling that you can do anything!
    
11. If you do not work or need to leave your house first thing in the morning - set your alarm to wake up at a decent morning hour - say 7 am. Shower, get dressed and make yourself look presentable before leaving your room. (Make your bed so it doesn't appeal to you later.)
    
12. Make sure you're on a healthy diet; junk food doesn't give your body the nutrients it needs to be active.
    
13. Get exercise. Go jogging through your neighborhood a few times a week, and in time you will see an improvement in the way that you feel, and look. Working out will give you a lot of motivation, and keep you from getting or feeling lazy.
    
14. Use common sense, picture the demon and the angel on you shoulder, and try to use common sense. If you're a kid and you know if you don't throw away the garbage, your parents will scream at you. The simple solution to that is to just use common sense and put the remote down and go do what you have to do.
    
15. Dream big and work towards that Dream!!If you were to live for a 1000 years and stay young for 999 years what would you do?
    

Tips

• Don't forget to reward yourself for the very small things you complete or try, if you manage to do something that you didn't the day before, you deserve a nice treat.
  
• Any work that is started is almost 80% done,remaining % is only to finish it off.. we hardly tend to start any work on time. so decide to start the work and your way ahead to completing it.
  
• If you haven't worked out much before, stretch first, then start slow. If you don't you will be in so much pain from sore or pulled muscles it will be easy to use it as an excuse to stop exercising. Make sure to drink a lot of water, so you don't become dehydrated.
  
• Make a goal sheet, or copy that sheet so you have a couple of them, place one on the fridge, on your night stand, by your computer, even on the bedroom door, just place them where you look or go to often.
  
• Tell yourself all the time, that if you're not working, you're not making the money that you want. Being broke can be one of the biggest motivations ever.
  
• Stay off the couch until you are ready to take a break and when you do, sit, do not lay down and set a time when you will return to do other activities around the house or with the kids, read a book, write to a friend etc.
  
• Make a list of all the smaller things that you want, new clothes, a cd player, some furniture, even a dog. Think about the things that you want every day; if it's constantly in your mind, you'll start moving toward those goals.
  
• Always dress as if you were planning to leave the house -- get out of the jammies before leaving the bedroom.
  
• Getting enough sleep each night can make you feel more awake. Depending on your activity and age, you may need up to 10 hours (teenagers) or as little as 5 (elderly).
  
• Avoid sugar, and especially foods with "high fructose corn syrup" or "corn syrup" in the ingredients, as these can lead your body into metabolizing sugars instead of fats. Also, unnatural sugars (without fiber) may give you a short energy buzz, but then a drop and you will feel lazy and fatigued.
  

Warnings

• Our brains seem to shut down when there is constant pressure to do this, do that, complete this by this or that date. You are your own boss. Focus on one little task at a time.
  
• If you think you are lazy but nobody else thinks you are, DO NOT WORK HARDER, workaholism is probably the thing that causes the most deaths in the world (indirectly), it causes stress, which causes hart desease, depression(suicide) and at the best burnout (when you totally loose it and become the opposite of a workaholic, completely lazy.) and that is just naming a few
  
• There's a difference between resting and being lazy, so be careful to not get so lazy that it starts affecting your health. To name a few, obesity, stress, and depression. You can become depressed if you begin to feel like you're wanting to stay home and watch movies and spend excessive amount of time playing game-boys or computer games, when you should be resting for your next day's work or mowing the lawn, or spending quality time with your family. This will begin to make you feel better about going to work when you see the smile it puts on your family's face, to know that you are paying your bills and have plenty to eat.
  
• Laziness can be a sign of depression. When you’re depressed your mind and body don’t have the energy to keep active. If the suggestions above don’t increase your activity level, then you may have a more serious case of depression and will need to seek medical attention. Most colleges offer free counseling for students.
  
• Depression is a normal part of the emotional cycle. Everyone will get depressed at some point and most come out of it within a few days. But if the depression lasts longer, or it starts interfering with your work/school, or it occurs frequently, then you should seek professional advice.
  
• Determine that you have no medical condition which makes you weak, tired, or sleepy, such as low blood pressure, diabetes, anemia, hypothyroidism, etc.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Tell if You Are Depressed
  
• How to Be Lazy Around the House
  
• How to Be Comfortable Around in Laws
  
• How to Clean a House
  
• How to Nap
  
• How to Balance Work and Play
  

Article provided by wikiHow. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Blogged with Flock

10 funny flirting facts

So you’ve mastered the eye-contact game and can beckon a cute prospect with a few coy glances… but do you really know all there is to know about the fine art of come-hither? Just to make sure you’re up to speed, we culled some very surprising info that you can use to your advantage. Read on for some juicy tidbits that may up your cute quotient in no time.

1. Flirting is good for you. Studies show that people who flirt have higher white blood-cell counts, which boost their immunity and keep them healthy.

2. Think it ends at a little eye batting? Hardly—all told, scientists say there are 52 “flirting signals” used by humans. Of these, the hair flip is the most common.

3. In some places, flirting is illegal. In Little Rock, AR, an antiquated law is still on the books warning that engaging in playful banter may result in a 30-day jail term. In New York City, another outdated law mandates that men may be fined $25 for gazing lasciviously at a female; a second conviction stipulates the offender wear a pair of blinders whenever he goes out for a walk.

4. Why wait for Happy Hour? Lots of people get their flirt on during their morning commute. A full 62 percent of drivers have flirted with someone in a different vehicle while on the go, and 31 percent of those flirtations, it turns out, resulted in a date. [$MSN.ARTICLE.CTALINKS$] 5. Flirting need not occur face to face. According to Pew Research, 40 percent of people who look for love online say they can easily flirt with someone via email or IM.

6. In the Victorian era, fans were the ultimate playful prop that could communicate all sorts of messages. A fan placed near the heart meant, You have won my love. A half-opened fan pressed to the lips suggested, You may kiss me. Hiding the eyes behind an open fan meant, I love you, while opening and closing the fan several times warned, You are cruel. Given how much a fan could come in handy, it’s a shame they ever invented air conditioning.

7. These days, cell phones do the flirting. In one survey, half of all mobile phone users have texted suggestive messages to keep things interesting while away from their amour.

8. Watch out, you can overdo it. According to the Social Issues Research Centre, the most common mistake people make when flirting is maintaining too much eye contact.

9. Sometimes, flirty gestures aren’t what they seem. Research has shown that men tend to routinely mistake friendly behavior for flirting.

10. Flirting is universal. A woman living in New York City and one in rural Cambodia may not have much in common, but when it comes to attracting a little attention, they both employ the very same move: smiling, arching their eyebrows, then averting their gaze and giggling. Animals flirt, too: Birds, reptiles, and even fish have their own way of strutting their stuff. Moral of the story: If the simple sea bass can act cute to enhance a romantic agenda, you can, too—so give it a go!

His Dating Diary: Do You Need to Be Lucky to Find Love?

Looking around at the earth's processes, I'm reminded of how lucky we are to have beautiful things in the world.

Way beneath the earth's surface, when carbon has been placed under enough pressure, diamonds are formed. It takes millions of years for this process to occur. When a parasite drills into a mollusks' shell, that mollusk performs a set of defensive actions that result in the formation of a pearl.

Okay, maybe love happens easier than diamonds or pearls happen. Or does it? Like other beautiful things in nature, a lot of things have to happen for anything to culminate. One of the main governing forces over these kinds of processes is good old-fashioned luck.

Here are four elements of falling in love that require a little bit of luck to ensure success, in my opinion:

Timing
When two people meet and start hanging out, a key to taking the next step in a relationship is where people are in their lives. Are they both in a position to be able to be close to someone? Perhaps one of the two is working on their career too much, or maybe someone has just been through a painful relationship not too long before, and can't commit.

When it all works out, people come into one another's life at just the right time. And, luck has a lot to do with it because you really can't plan it — you can only hope that it happens just right.

Circumstance
Circumstance dictates the entire process of running into a person. Are you both living in the same town? What brought you there? Every meeting you have with every person in your life is determined by a combination of personal choices and events in your life. As Back to the Future taught us, even the most minute choice/action can change the future.

If you want to go even further back, your existence is based on events and choices of ancestors before you stretching far back in time. So, not only are we all lucky to be on earth, but we are lucky that our significant other is on earth as well, and even luckier that circumstance brought us together.

First Impression
They say first impression is everything. This holds true in business and pleasure. We base so much on that first meeting with a person. There's a lot of luck involved. People like me are lucky when we can control what we say and not screw anything up right off the bat. OK, maybe there is some control over that, but what about subtle things?

Perhaps when you approach someone in a bar, a particular song happens to be on, or the lighting and atmosphere are just right to give your meeting a little more impact. Making a memorable and emotional first impression is not easy; so a little luck always helps.

Chemistry
When my high school teacher told me that everything a human does is based on chemical reactions in the brain, I was floored. From then on I walked around wondering about the chemical reactions going on in my head that made me wave to a friend, or snap my fingers along with a song. Hell, how do the chemicals in my brain even make me like a song?

With so much complex brain chemistry telling us what we like, what we do, who we are, and if we are happy or sad, we are lucky that people even exist that we can blend with. I am convinced that my brain chemistry is so scrambled that there are no possible compatible female minds. But I'll keep looking, and perhaps I will be lucky enough to meet someone who is not only compatible, but makes all my brain chemistry happy.


Rich Santos finds charm in stupidity and campiness in movies, celebs and life. He currently resides in New York City where some day he hopes to fall in love. Until then, he is happy to share his failures and successes with the readers of Marie Claire.

http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articlemcmatch.aspx?cp-documentid=18461641>1=32023#atoolb