Reading List » Gail Crider

Outcome vs Process Oriented Thinking

Gail Crider — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:01:13 +0000

Recently, I had cause to dig through some research on outcome vs process based thinking and decision making. The research is primarily in consumer behavior; however, it has a broader application. It provides another way of thinking about or classifying communication styles. And, it gives us an opportunity to examine our own thought processes and ways of communicating.

So, for those of us who are still trying to figure out why we get option stress or move quickly to decisions that appear to our staff and/or board as unexpected leaps, I offer this brief article as food for thought: http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/v35/naacr_vol35_87.pdf

Rework

Gail Crider — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 10:44:05 +0000

I have a tall stack of books at home, all of which I am in the process of reading (yes, I am one of those people). I choose to start and stop a book based on topic and sometimes the number of pages and size of type. Recently, I picked up one of the books in my stack – Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson (the founders of 37 Signals who brought us Basecamp, Ruby on the Rails, and Backpack). This book encapsulates about five times its volume in management theory and it is fun to read. I read it cover to cover in a very short span of time.

The book is divided into short segments with titles such as “Workaholism” and “Reasons to quit” and one of my favorites, “Emulate chefs” (yes, I enjoy the food network). So, if you need a break from the holiday food frenzy or from your great stack of reading, try this book.

http://www.amazon.com/Rework-Jason-Fried/dp/0307463745

Managing Under Complexity: Where is Einstein When You Really Need Him?

Gail Crider — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:07:17 +0000

This article covers a lot of ground in a short space including how we think about — for better or worse — complex situations and provides an interesting frame to think about how our organizational designs might or might not be best suited to our missions.

Managing Under Complexity: Where is Einstein When You Really Need Him? – Ivey Business Journal.

Nonprofit Reserves Workgroup – NCCS Wiki

Gail Crider — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:25:39 +0000

A great resource for board members and staff members to test knowledge and learn more about operating (sometimes called cash) reserves.

Nonprofit Reserves Workgroup – NCCS Wiki.

YouTube – Engineering Design – The Kano Diagram

Gail Crider — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:33:02 +0000

This is a quick video outlining the relationship between customer satisfaction and product design. As a designer/facilitator of programs, I have found the Kano Diagram useful when thinking through what features matter most to a constituency and, in turn, establishing a priority for my time and a guide for others in the development and running of programs and services. The process can be useful as part of an evaluative framework applied to programs that have been running for a while — are they still relevant to the field and are we still efficient in delivery, or are we devoting too much time and/or money to aspects that aren’t really valued by our constituency?

YouTube – Engineering Design – The Kano Diagram.