Well-formed Outcomes
In building a Desired State, the quality of the description of the outcomes is important to being able to achieve them.
Assertion: quality of life is dependent upon achieving one’s outcomes in life.
Assertion: the quality (value to the person requesting something) of one’s outcomes is in direct proportion to the well-formedness of the outcome.
Properties of Well-formed Outcomes
Outcomes have the following properties. All of these are necessary in order to make the outcome well-formed.
Specificity: precisely stated action to be performed and result desired from the action. Specific as to outcome, form, place, time, cost, value, person(s):
outcome: what is the desired result from the action? The outcome itself must be stated. A complete picture of the Desired State of the requestor is most useful.
form: what form will the result be needed in?
place: where will the action be performed and where will the result be delivered?
time: when is the result needed and how much time can the action take?
cost: what is the budget for carrying out the action and the cost of materials for the result?
value: how will the person performing the commitment be compensated and how will the requestor be using the result in future work?
person: who is making the request, the commitment response, carrying out the action, delivering the result, receiving the result, and using the result?
Obtainability: the result must be able to be achieved by the person(s) within the specifications made.
Positive: the commitment is for what is wanted, not what is not wanted. There are no statements of the form “Don’t do …” or “I don’t want…”. A positive outcome is easier and richer to specify than the list of things it isn’t supposed to be.
Appropriate chunk size: the result requested can be negotiated in a single setting. The requestor must be able to use the result delivered
Ecological: the outcome is not harmful to any of those involved, and furthers the goals and needs of the requestor.
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