jeffreytse

Use when comparing very differently-titled roles for compensation banding, leveling, or organizational design — score each role's inherent Know-How (knowledge, skills, experience required), Problem Solving (complexity and freedom of thinking, scored as a…

Use when many people request your scarce time, mentorship, or expertise and you cannot evaluate their genuine commitment level from a conversation alone — require a specific, costly, objectively verifiable unit of self-directed output (a set number of…

Use when deciding how to allocate a manager's or leader's limited time across competing activities — before defaulting to whatever is most urgent, estimate each candidate activity's leverage (how many people's output it affects, for how long, and whether it…

Use when making any talent selection, promotion, or recommendation decision — to test your evaluation against the reversed-relationship check, because evaluator relationship bias systematically corrupts talent decisions even in well-intentioned evaluators,…

Use when a significant decision is being made based on a slide presentation — require a structured, written narrative document (full sentences and paragraphs, not bullet points) instead, and have the room read it silently before any discussion, because slide…

Use when someone wants to advance their career or capture opportunities by staying alert to situational openings and deliberately cultivating relationships with sponsors — people who actively advocate, not just mentors who advise. E.g. "I have a mentor but…

Use when designing a promotion process or deciding whether to promote someone based on strong current-role performance — explicitly test whether the skills that made them successful there are the same skills the next level requires, because promotion systems…

Use when trying to gain access to a senior leader or "big name" during a period of rapid technological or generational change — identify the specific new domain (a technology, platform, or cultural shift) that person doesn't understand but fears being left…

Use when building tonal value, texture, or form in ink or pencil drawings using cross-hatching — controlling line weight, spacing, angle, and layering to create smooth gradients and convincing three-dimensional form.

Use when building a structured daily or weekly sketchbook practice — defining session types, warm-up sequences, skill focus areas, and review methods to develop drawing skills systematically over time.

Use when creating ink illustrations — applying line weight hierarchy, ink wash gradients, dry brush texture, and inking sequence from large shapes to detail to produce professional-quality black-and-white illustration.

Use when creating a character design sheet for animation, games, or comics — establishing orthographic turnarounds, expression sheets, proportion guides, and costume/accessory callouts to allow consistent reproduction by any artist on the production team.

Use when briefing concept artists for a game, film, or animation production — designing a concept art brief that specifies visual direction, reference materials, deliverable formats, tone keywords, and technical requirements to align art direction before…

Use when painting outdoors on location — applying the setup workflow, value-first approach, limited palette selection, and time management to produce a complete plein air study before light conditions change.

Use when painting with watercolor — applying wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques correctly, managing pigment-to-water ratios, preserving whites, and building luminous glazes to avoid muddy results.

Use when planning an oil painting — designing the multi-stage process from canvas preparation through underpainting, block-in, mid-layers, and final glazes, including the fat-over-lean rule to prevent cracking.