Degree Comes in Handy
Nov. 18th, 2005 11:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebYesterday I attended a meeting with three other people; one called the meeting and the other two were required to attend, but I was also invited. The bigwig who called the meeting had decided he wanted to create report cards for each section so we could see which ones need the most resources. The plan was to design short surveys to give to our users in each section on their general satisfaction and their satisfaction in some specific areas such as ease of use and features.
A wise person would design a survey that would make us look bad so that we can get more resources.
However, I am much more of a good person than I am a wise person. After some brainstorming I came up with a survey that addressed the issues brought up plus a few more and that could easily be used as a model for the other units so that our results could be reasonably comparable (accuracy, availability, quality of help and training, that kind of thing). I had no questions along these lines: "I can achieve my goals with this system within one second: always, usually, sometimes or never." I did slip in a question about whether the system helps them with their work, though (implying that it might instead cause more work for them).
There was only one concern I still had with my questions. And that's if we and some of the other head people run around like chickens with our heads cut off putting band-aids on everything as new wounds appear, the end users could be blissfully oblivious and give us good grades. Which is as it should be. But if you leave the system in the festering-wound-sprouting condition, then you will increase turnover in its care takers, and the new people will not be as well trained in the first aid, so it's still an important issue for the long term.
Fortunately, one of the sample populations will be from the group of caretakers, so that's something.
The other brainstormer never came up with anything that he wanted to share.
Today the two of us had a meeting with the researcher to discuss the survey. She saw my draft and declared that once one question was split into two, it would be perfect just as it is, and I am making her job so easy, and she is going to give it to all the other sections to use as a model.
Part of me thinks, hey, that research degree in social science finally came in handy. Another part of me feels like when my thesis adviser used to say, "that's fine" all the time and never give me any recommendations. I like it much better when I'm on a team where more than one person has suggestions. Oh, well, not this time.
But, hey, the meeting lasted 35 minutes instead of the 60 it was scheduled for, so that's a good thing.
Nanowrimo Update
I wrote just over 3,000 words today, my second-highest amount so far. This brought me over 30,000 words, so I added another star to my nanowrimo participant sticker (which looks much like my userpic and which is on my refrigerator because that's the kind of dork I am).
It all started with lunch with my blog buddy, which we normally do on Tuesday, but which got switched to a day when I took the afternoon off, so we had our own little mini-write-in at the comfy couches near a campus cafe.
Chikuru proposed a reward at every thousand words. Much as 1,000 words is, it is less onerous than the 1,667 I'm usually aiming for.
We reached 1,000 words at somewhere near the same time and got gelatos. At this point it was nice to have someone around who remembered the rules to Botticelli, which would form the basis of my next scene.
Then he reached 2,000 words when I was at 1,500 words, but I did get to 2,000 words before I left. He stayed less than an hour longer until he got a ride, during which time he finished his third set of 1,000 words. By 11:00 p.m. I had accomplished the same.
For more information about my day, read my blog buddy's entry for today. Or read this excerpt. (Or both.)
(Thanks to raaga123 for guiding my first experience in a la Madeleine, which has very delicious food, by the way.)
A wise person would design a survey that would make us look bad so that we can get more resources.
However, I am much more of a good person than I am a wise person. After some brainstorming I came up with a survey that addressed the issues brought up plus a few more and that could easily be used as a model for the other units so that our results could be reasonably comparable (accuracy, availability, quality of help and training, that kind of thing). I had no questions along these lines: "I can achieve my goals with this system within one second: always, usually, sometimes or never." I did slip in a question about whether the system helps them with their work, though (implying that it might instead cause more work for them).
There was only one concern I still had with my questions. And that's if we and some of the other head people run around like chickens with our heads cut off putting band-aids on everything as new wounds appear, the end users could be blissfully oblivious and give us good grades. Which is as it should be. But if you leave the system in the festering-wound-sprouting condition, then you will increase turnover in its care takers, and the new people will not be as well trained in the first aid, so it's still an important issue for the long term.
Fortunately, one of the sample populations will be from the group of caretakers, so that's something.
The other brainstormer never came up with anything that he wanted to share.
Today the two of us had a meeting with the researcher to discuss the survey. She saw my draft and declared that once one question was split into two, it would be perfect just as it is, and I am making her job so easy, and she is going to give it to all the other sections to use as a model.
Part of me thinks, hey, that research degree in social science finally came in handy. Another part of me feels like when my thesis adviser used to say, "that's fine" all the time and never give me any recommendations. I like it much better when I'm on a team where more than one person has suggestions. Oh, well, not this time.
But, hey, the meeting lasted 35 minutes instead of the 60 it was scheduled for, so that's a good thing.
Nanowrimo Update
I wrote just over 3,000 words today, my second-highest amount so far. This brought me over 30,000 words, so I added another star to my nanowrimo participant sticker (which looks much like my userpic and which is on my refrigerator because that's the kind of dork I am).
It all started with lunch with my blog buddy, which we normally do on Tuesday, but which got switched to a day when I took the afternoon off, so we had our own little mini-write-in at the comfy couches near a campus cafe.
Chikuru proposed a reward at every thousand words. Much as 1,000 words is, it is less onerous than the 1,667 I'm usually aiming for.
We reached 1,000 words at somewhere near the same time and got gelatos. At this point it was nice to have someone around who remembered the rules to Botticelli, which would form the basis of my next scene.
Then he reached 2,000 words when I was at 1,500 words, but I did get to 2,000 words before I left. He stayed less than an hour longer until he got a ride, during which time he finished his third set of 1,000 words. By 11:00 p.m. I had accomplished the same.
For more information about my day, read my blog buddy's entry for today. Or read this excerpt. (Or both.)
"I'm always a bit leery of places with names like Mom's Diner," stated Heather. "I'm afraid I'm going to go in and sit down and ask for a menu, and the waitron will say 'You'll eat what I serve you, young lady! Any more smart talk from you, and you can go stand in the corner.'
"And then they won't let me leave until I clean my plate. And of course they won't even have any dogs around to drop my Brussels sprouts to.
"But other than that, I prefer to try local joints over national chains, especially when I'm with a group."
"What's different when you're alone?" asked Jack.
"I worry more about not knowing the proper procedures. Are you supposed to sit down or wait to be seated or get in line? Are you supposed to pick up your own menu or wait for someone to bring you one? Do you pay first, or at the table, or at a cashier? And if it's a small town off the highway with just locals, they don't have to try to make these obvious because everyone always knows what to do. For all I know you're supposed to just walk over to the kitchen and ask what the day's two specials are. Or write a message and clothespin it to the dog.
"I think I just get a little more paranoid after traveling several days alone. I feel much more comfortable with other people around to provide additional observations."
"Maybe you're just a little too imaginative. What's the weirdest thing you've actually seen?" asked Richard.
"Well, la Madeleine is pretty strange. There are two lines: one for the bakery goods and one for everything else. Then the everything-else line has a menu, but it's only for things that aren't on display. And they don't tell you that free water, bread, and jam are available past the end of the line. And milk for your coffee or cereal."
"You do have a point there," said Richard.
"And that's a chain," said Heather. "Think how bad a mom-and-pop place could be."
(Thanks to raaga123 for guiding my first experience in a la Madeleine, which has very delicious food, by the way.)
La Madeleine
on 2005-11-21 04:21 pm (UTC)The worst place recently was a chain called "Sweet Tomatoes." It really is a fun place to eat, but very strange to figure out. When you first go in, you get a tray and there is a giant salad bar. (Kids get a divided-up tray like in a kid's cafeteria; adults get a regular tray and use plates.) After the salad bar, you pay a flat price, and then go sit down at a table.
But once you've sat down, you get access to a whole other array of buffet areas, including pretty great soups, breads/biscuits/brownines/cookies, hot pasta dishes, pizza-like things, and ice cream with toppings.
I didn't realize there would be those other buffets, so I got a full meal at the salad bar. It did not, unfortunately, stop me from tasting every single other thing in the entire restaurant.
(This is Tam, by the way)
Re: La Madeleine
on 2005-11-22 06:28 pm (UTC)