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U.Va. Human Resources
Definitions of Action Verbs
Accumulate Assemble or collect
Administer To manage or direct execution of
Analyze To examine factors in order to determine a solution
Appraise Assess; to evaluate as to quality
Approve Provide information; endorse with final authority
Ascertain To find out or come to a conclusion
Assign Delegate; appoint
Assure Make certain; confirm
Audit Examination and review of accounts, programs or systems
Authorize Empower; to give authority
Budget To allocate funds in a budget
Calculate To determine my mathematical computation
Check To compare with a source; to inspect
Collaborate To work or act jointly with others
Collect Gather facts or data
Compile To collect material from sources into a volume
Complete Conclude; bring to an end
Conduct Lead; do; carry on a process
Consolidate Bring together into one whole
Consult To ask advice; confer with
Contact To be in communication with
Contribute To give or supply in common with others
Control Authority to direct or regulate
Coordinate To organize; to bring into common action
Counsel To advise
Definite Precise in detail; limited to determining the course to follow instructions
Delegate To assign responsibility
Design To create or fashion
Determine To identify conclusively; to make a decision
Develop To compose or evolve
Dictate To issue an order
Direct To determine the course of; to carry out the organizing, energizing and supervising
Discuss To exchange views; to arrive at a conclusion
Distribute Divide among several; deliver
Draft To write or compose papers or documents in rough, preliminary or final form; often for clearance by others
Ensure To make certain; guarantee on outcome
Establish To institute; to bring about; effect
Evaluate To determine the worth or success of by careful study
Examine To investigate closely; scrutinize
Execute To carry out fully to completion
Expedite Accelerate the process or progress
Facilitate To make easy or less difficult
Follow-up To check the progress of
Forecast To calculate or predict an outcome
Formulate To develop or devise a plan, policy or procedure
Function Specific kind of work to be performed
Furnish To provide, supply or give
Gather To accumulate; bring parts together
General Not precise; detailed or specific instructions
Implement To carry out; to perform activities essential to plan or program
Improve To enhance in value or quality; make better
Inform To instruct; to communicate knowledge of
Initiate To originate; to introduce for the first time
Inspect To examine carefully and critically
Issue To distribute formally
Instruct To impart knowledge or direction to
Interpret To explain the meaning of; to translate
Interview To question in order to obtain facts or opinions
Inventory To count and make a list of items
Investigate To inquire into systematically
Maintain To keep up-to-date or current; to hold
Make To cause to happen
Manage To control and direct; to administer
Motivate To cause others to act
Notify To give notice to; to inform
Obtain To gain, use or be in possession of; to acquire
Operate To conduct or perform an activity
Participate To take part of
Plan To devise a method or course of action
Present To bring or introduce
Produce To create; develop; yield
Provide To supply for use; to furnish
Receive To take something that is offered
Recommend To advise a course of action
Record To register; to make record of
Reject To refuse to accept
Release To permit the distribution of
Report To furnish information
Represent To take the place of
Responsibility Accountability for decisions and actions
Delegated Responsibility Authority to take action as appropriate, but must inform supervisor of actions and in non-routine situation
General Responsibility Must obtain supervisor's approval before proceeding
Total Responsibility Complete authority to take actions as appropriate subject only to policies or general rules
Review To go over or examine in order to give approval
Revise To update or make a new version of
Routine Regular procedure; norm or course of business
Non-Routine Irregular or infrequent situations
Schedule To establish or plan specific timing and staffing
Secure To gain possession of; to obtain
See To make certain of
Service To provide assistance
Sign To affix signature and approval or receipt
Specify To name or state explicitly
Standardize To bring into conformity with established criteria
Store To place or leave in a location
Structure Arranged in a definite pattern or organization
Study To consider attentively
Submit To present for decision or judgment by others
Supply To provide or furnish with
Supervise To guide and instruct with immediate responsibility for the daily performance of others
Direct Supervision Involves guidance and direction over individuals who report to and are directly responsible to the supervisor; includes supervision of work, training, and personnel functions
Close Supervision Individual does not use own initiative, is instructed by supervisor as to the solution and selection of the proper procedures to follow
Limited Supervision Individual proceeds on his or her own initiative in compliance with policies, practices, and procedures prescribed by his or her immediate supervisor
General Supervision Involves guidance and direction actually carried out by the immediate supervisor
Supervision of work Includes: work distribution, scheduling, training, answering of questions related to work, assisting in solving problems, etc. Does not include any personnel functions, such as: salaries, discipline, promotions, etc.
Training Responsibility Involves advice, information and guidance on specialized matters, involves no authority; gives instruction in regarding to procedures
Survey To determine the form, extent, position of a situation
Train To provide instruction so as to increase skill or knowledge of others
Verify To confirm; substantiate