On the top-left of the front page of most air travel websites you will find a form to enter the starting and destination locations, and departure and return dates, as well as the number of passengers traveling on the given trip.

A common thread amongst blogs, regardless of the theme, is to have a top-level search box alongside an obvious RSS subscription link.

With online shopping websites, some of the most familiar and common characteristics are top-level, browsable categories, a search box in the page header, and, often, the presentation of special or new products.

Intra-product-type consistency, the Recognition and intuitiveness present within a product, is a key component in determining the overall Usability of a product. For example, for an air travel website to be usable, it should have some basic consistencies with other airline products (see aforementioned examples).

Quick-UX provides for the rapid, simple and quantifiable assessment of a product's User Experience (UX). In answering the question of Usability, "Can I use it?" the sub-category of Recognition is one of frequent discussion, especially in the latest wave of online products and how they handle content presentation and interaction.

The Recognition variable's rubric is:

The Recognition variable is assessed from the perspective of an average user and is assigned a value of…

• 1 if the interface and product, in general, feels familiar and is easy to use,
• 0.5 if some poking, finesse, and interaction are required before the user will be able to gather his or her bearings in the use of the product,
• 0 if the average user will have clear difficulty understanding (1) how to use the product and (2) what the product is trying to communicate.

Over the next several weeks I will be providing real-world examples of Recognition values…

Broad Recognition (value 1)

Fair Recognition (value 0.5)

Poor Recognition (value 0)

Subscribe now (click here) to make sure you don’t miss any part of this series exploring the Usability and Recognition of Quick-UX, the quick and easy method of generating quantifiable and comparable metrics representing the understanding of the overall User Experience of a product, as well as other insightful posts from The Product Guy.

Enjoy!

Jeremy Horn
The Product Guy

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A Gallup poll revealed 65 percent of Americans haven't received recognition in the past year. A United States Department of Labor study found the No. 1 reason why people leave organizations is they don't feel appreciated. As American psychologist Abraham Maslow stated in his theory of motivation, people thrive on recognition as a form of self-value when they feel their contributions make a difference.

Consider the rewards that are most important to your organization. Jot down the kind of effort needed to bring those values from the abstract to the concrete. Build those efforts into job descriptions so employees become accountable for the action steps. Recognize those who achieve the best results, whether by praising them in public or giving a keepsake at the company celebration, complete with a speech about the employee's commitment to excellence and the results it brought to the organization as a whole. Others will see what excellence is all about.

Let's look at some time-tested ways leaders can inspire employees to do their best:

1. Make recognition a policy, not a perk.
Take time to develop a system of rewards for everyone at your company. Include pinnacle rewards for high lifetime achievers, such as McDonald's coveted President's Award, as well as more ordinary incentives, such as bonuses. Educate the entire staff about the program, post it for all to see, and promote it frequently.

2. Little things mean a lot.
A handshake is the least expensive way talent managers can recognize top performers - and perhaps the most effective. Look them in the eye and say thanks. Be specific about what the employee did that you appreciated so much, and why.

3. Recognize them with fanfare.
When bestowing an honor on a high-achieving employee, make it a celebration. That could mean inviting family members to be at an awards dinner, or stopping the workday early to hold a company-wide ceremony.

4. Remember the spouse.
For marathon efforts - such as large-scale projects or regional sales turnarounds - remember to recognize the employee's significant other. After all, without the support of the employee's partner, he or she wouldn't have delivered such terrific results.

5. Respect your frontline.
Remember the little guys: the cashiers, customer-service people and maintenance staff. They are the face of your operation and will boost your brand better than anyone else if you make them feel appreciated.

6. Boost team spirit.
Recognizing teams or departments also is important. It binds employees together in pride. A plaque, a magnum of champagne and a Friday afternoon off are all ways you can tell a group of employees: "You did this together, and you excelled."

7. Make rewards meaningful.
Don't give front-row stadium seats to an employee who could care less about baseball. Find out employees' favorite restaurants, for example, or whether they like theatre or music, and give them a night out they will really enjoy.

8. Recognition from the top means the most.
A personal phone call or thank-you note from the CEO often has more impact on an employee than anything else.

9. Don't forget suppliers and clients.
When you create a culture steeped in recognition, your gratitude and appreciate should spread past your company walls. Don't forget to thank loyal vendors and clients for their excellent contributions with a letter, a paperweight or even a charitable gift in their name.

[About the Author: Paul Facella is CEO of Inside Management, a consulting group. A 34-year veteran and former executive at McDonald's Corp., he is author of Everything I Know about Business I Learned at McDonald's.]

They have a great looking Wedding highlights video

I think it turned out a lot better than this wedding

Happy Birthday to Miss Kalyn Maugh  We hope you have a fabulous day!   Hope you catch all the flying shrimp! :)  We love you!

Feel free to leave Kalyn birthday wishes!

After that brief excursion, I was able to squeeze in a run along the beach--just had to avoid the cars!

The Region II Awards Program was a nice dinner event in which the region announced its yearly awards for CTE educators. Marcia Day from Alabama hosted the awards program, serving as the Region II awards committee chairperson.

This year, the following awards, nominees and winners were recognized. The first award that was given was for the New Teacher of the Year. The two nominees were:

* Rene Day from Alabama
* Randall Elam from Tennessee

Rene Day won this award, but was unable to be in Daytona Beach.

The second award given was for Outstanding Career and Technical Educator. The recipient of this award was Paggie McSpadden from Alabama.

The final award given was for the Teacher of the Year. This year there were four nominees:

* Patrick Bello from North Carolina (unable to attend)
* Grace Decken from South Carolina
* Gracie Quarles from Virginia
* Felicia Williams from Alabama 

The winner of the Region II Teacher of the Year Award is.....

After a well-deserved round of applause, the awards dinner concluded and the attendees went off to explore or to sleep. Although the Region II conference officially ended this morning with a breakfast, I had an early flight so I had to miss it.

All in all I think the attendees had a good conference and all thanks go to Marsan Carr and the folks in Florida for being gracious and accommodating hosts. People are already talking about next year's conference in Savannah, Georgia! See you there.

What an appropriate category to be included in I think.

You'll see the following banner in the upper left hand column on this blog.  And if you think that Squirrelman's Nutzy World is worthy of this award, you can click on it and cast your vote.

PRaP 10-10-2008

"Recognition"

Do you think you deserve recognition for what you do?  Do you fulfill your God given duty expecting something in return for your works?  As a child we seek out our parents approval for doing "good" and our parents tell us how proud they are of our societal accomplishments.  Is that the kind of recognition you desire?  Society fails every time to give us Godly recognition so why would we continue to seek it?  Recognition for a job well done is fine and there is nothing wrong with it but in the end did you do that job to please society or God the Father in heaven who gives nothing but good gifts?  I seek "Good" gifts and not societal gifts because society gives us gifts that can and will be taken away.  The world gives things that will rust and moths can eat it.  The world gives us things that will not stand the test of time and when put to the Flame will be destroyed.  Is that what you really want?  Do you not believe that eternal life really exists?  Is it because you do not have the faith required to really get to the Father in heaven?  "Oh this Christian thing I do is just for show I don't really believe it will happen."  Well those who do not believe, will, once they find themselves on their knees in front of the Judge.  But here's the kicker it will be too late.  Seek the kingdom of God first and all these things will be given to you.  Wonder who said that?  It wasn't me.

Matthew 6

Key Verse:

Matthew 6:20
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Matthew 6:19-21 (in Context) Matthew 6 (Whole Chapter)

God Bless

Pastor Stephen Eldridge

And, sure enough, one occurred to me -- a fairly considerable one.

First, I took a look at Project Guttenberg to see if it was available as a free ebook, which, as it turned out, it was, along with lots of other books that could be highly relevant. So, I downloaded it as a plain text document and then, to save my poor old eyes, I sat back and, using the "Read This" function on my voice recognition software, listened to the opening chapter.

Now, it isn't a perfect system. It has a number of "voices" but my voice of choice sounds very much like Stephen Hawking. Which is fine by me. The idea of having Hawking reading to me tickles me. However, I probably wouldn't use it in any situation other than research. I wouldn't read a book for relaxation this way because, well, the mechanical tone would quite possibly spoil it (although it isn't half as bad as you'd probably imagine it to be.)

For this purpose, though, the combination of the Project Guttenberg texts and the voice recognition "Read This" function is pretty much perfect. I can even have it reading to me in the background whilst I do something else.

Ain't technology brilliant?

© 2008 Gary William Murning

The first prize, the one for medicine, has already been awarded.  This year's want to a German for work on HPV and two French people for work on HIV.  Other prizes will be awarded throughout the coming week, ending with Economics on Monday, October 13.

I'm not sure why many people would care about the Nobel Prizes, but I do.  I guess because it's fun to win something?  Or maybe it has to do with all the great people I know doing great things that deserve prizes?  Or maybe it's about prizes that are well-known to just about everybody.  I'm not really sure - it's almost like the Olympics.  I don't really watch them, there's always lots of controversy around decisions that are made, and yet, there's still a certain appeal.  Perhaps it's a prize that seems a little timeless, coming as it does from the era of that earlier 'turn of the century'.  Perhaps it's something that is attractive precisely because it is resistant to change, despite accusations of stodginess.  Something about it still makes me ready to anticipate.

My client experience has proven to me that during slow economic times, those companies that have invested wisely in their incentive and recognition programs have watched their returns grow year to year.  Do you think Warren Buffet is hiding his cash now?  Not.  He is out there buying stocks and at a bargain.  Those will be the investments you will be saying "I should have bought that back then" min just a few years.  Incentive investments are the same.

The opportunities to invest in a low risk, high return incentive or recognition program is here now.  The choice is yours.

It was fun for my husband and I because instead of dwelling on all the things that needed to be worked on in the family we found a reasons to find good in our children no matter how small of a deal it seemed to be.  One week we gave my son an award because he is such a devoted friend and loves so unconditionally.  We gave one son an award for showing patience toward his younger siblings.  We have given awards for doing what you were asked with a happy countenance.  We gave awards to children who saw a need and just took care of something before having to be asked.

The kids loved this and we tried to make it even and fair so that no one was awarded more than someone else.  We kicked it off the first time with giving everyone an award but for different reasons for each child.  Children are so individual. 

Summer came and I just got out of my routine of handling this and now I am missing it and sense that it is time to bring this back to our families routine.  My five year old will be thrilled and I know the two year old will like it as well.  I have found many things online that are free printable awards.  I love some of them as you can customize them and it looks really official and the children love knowing that you bothered.  It is fun to do this when they are gone or in bed so that they have no clue that it is coming. 

We noticed that the kids tried harder in their homeschool studies, their interactions with each other and with chores.  They were more mindful of their countenance around the house and how they treated everyone in the family and the neighborhood.  They came to realize that even when you think no one is watching, someone is and it can make all the difference.  What you do when you think you are alone is what defines your character.  It was amazing how when we started this the kids started doing all sorts of wonderful things. 

We only had one rule.  You would not be rewarded if you did something and then came and told on yourself.  We explained to the kids that if you got to "blow your own horn" about how great you were then that was your reward and it would not be rewarded by someone else. 

This time when I do it I want to make it so that the kids give each other awards for things they see each other doing.  This will help them focus more on the good things that they are all doing and take away from tattling and nit picking.  I am really excited to start this back up!  If I find more good free printables I will be sure to share the links!  I truly hope that this can benefit another family the way that I know it has worked for ours.

Then you get time to yourself, where your being ‘autonomous’ and have access to the internet. So, does one surf mindlessly because he can? Nope, I chose to make effective use of the net towards my career path – I registered with Korn/Ferry for executive search. I was headhunted for this job, so time to kick that into gear again.

I still performed my key role and did lots of paperwork and strategic thinking – all those things I get paid for, but I also laid some of the ground work towards furthering my career outside of Australia. I want to go where I will be seriously appreciated and valued.

It is common for successful Australians to over perform in this country and get zero recognition. Then to leave and have people say, how did we loose such talent???

The last time I met President Clinton, at the White House Christmas Party in either 1999 or 2000, not only did he remember my name, but also what university I was attending and what I was studying. My parents barely knew that. It was a little nutty, but nevertheless impressive. Extraordinarily impressive. I mean, it's one thing to know the names of the kids of some diplomat, quite another to know the names of the kids of some friends of your wife's. Or well, maybe that makes it more ... you know ... regular or normal.

Anyway, I need to start being like Bill in this regard. I was walking out of the coffee shop this morning and hear my name being called, I turned and immediately recognized this young man calling me, but had absolutely no clue what his name was, or how I knew him.

The worst part is that, if he is who I sorta think he is, we dated briefly in college. Albeit, very briefly, but...I should remember that, right? If it is this same guy, well he cut his mini-dreadlocks off (not ugly white people poo-dreads, he's Black)...but that's no excuse...in college I was about 20 more pounds and my hair was long (down to the middle of my back long) and I didn't have the bangs I do now. THAT'S more of a change.

Totally disappointed with myself. I'm going through the Rolodex ASAP and writing notes and getting mental pictures associated with everyone I've ever met. I'm great at recognizing faces, but names and facts elude me.

Anyone have any helpful hints? Otherwise this sounds like a serious-time project.