Achieving Project Goals

Achieving Project Goals PAGE PAGE 7 Achieving Project GoalsAchieving Project GoalsHilda BrinasUniversity of PhoenixProject ManagementMGT 437Charles A. VallanceOctober 22, 2007Project management is becoming a skill necessary for all managers and specialists. Technology and competition has driven the use of project management to expand. Organizations feel the need to use project management whenever there is a need to achieve objectives that have scope, cost and time restraints. According to the Project Management Institute (2007), project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. The University of New England's website(2007) states that the project management skills are becoming a required core competency for growth and quality oriented organizations.A project is any series of activity and tasks which have a specific objective that has to be completed within certain specifications. The task must have a beginning date and a spe cific deadline and include a budget (Dilts, Pence, 2005).Monitoring and Control project activitiesThe task will include a companion of resources. The combination will consist of individuals and material objects. The activities and tasks must be multifunctional. The end result will be for several functions.Project management involves the planning, execution and follow-up of a project. The planning stages include defining the work requirements, defining the quantity of and quality of work expected to produce and defining the resources needed to complete the project.The execution of a project involves the implementation of the project with the resources obtained during the planning stages. During this stage the project is put into motion. The project monitoring is where the progress of the project is monitored. During this stage the actual outcome is compared to the outcome initially predicted. The impact of the project is then analyzed and the necessary adjustments, if...

Educational Article A Better Way to Understand Teams and Roles

Educational Article A Better Way to Understand Teams and Roles Read about what a team is, what Belbin team roles are and how to make the work in a team effective. Team interaction and management is a core discipline in HRM studies and is a critical area of competence for any manager. The success or failure of the entire organization is dependent on how effectively the people within it  can work together. Of course, any management task involving people can be a little confusing, even messy; people do not neatly fit â€Å"models† and prescribed solutions, and the challenges only grow as people are brought together into purposeful groups. In this article, some of the well-known important concepts of teams and the roles people play in them are presented to show how popular academic ideas are reflected in real life, and what approaches can be taken when people in teams – as they inevitably will, pretty much all the time – do not behave in quite the way our textbooks and lectures lead us to believe they should. Assigned to write a management essay? Learn what a management essay is: MANAGEMENT ESSAY What Is a Team? That sounds like a simple question with an answer that everyone should understand without a lot of mental exercises, but the â€Å"team† in â€Å"team management† is more often than not treated casually, or overlooked entirely. An effective team is not merely â€Å"a group of people working towards a common objective but a community of practice, which has three â€Å"crucial† characteristics domain, community, and practice. Dr. Etienne Wenger Domain.  The shared domain of interest – in a work team setting, this would usually be the â€Å"purpose† of the team – gives the group a distinct identity, which may or may not mean anything to anyone else. As an example, Wenger describes how a street gang’s identity as a unit is formed by the shared domain of its individual members, even though that is ultimately probably not in their best interests or those of civilization as a whole. The key to the idea of â€Å"domain† is learning: what starts out as just a common interest among individuals is refined and increased by learning through interaction. Community.  A community is characterized by joint activities and shared information, which contributes to the shared learning. The distinction between â€Å"community† in common sense – such as a neighborhood, or a group sharing a common topic of interest on a Facebook page – and community in the sense meant by Dr. Wenger is subtle and perhaps difficult to understand. It is easier to think of it in terms of where the intended benefits of the team interactions are focused by the team members; if the intention is an individual benefit, then the team is probably not a true community. For example, a neighborhood might not be a true â€Å"community† (although we may call it that), if whatever â€Å"neighborliness† practiced by the residents is primarily motivated out of self-interest for their own security and comfort. Practice.  What differentiates a â€Å"community† from a mere â€Å"group† is shared practice, or as Dr. Wenger describes it, a shared pool of intellectual resources – stories, tools, experiences, and ways to solve recurring problems. A group of truck drivers trading stories over coffee in a truck stop are not simply being friendly and entertaining themselves, but are actually building a knowledge base and learning from one another. See also:  Managing Problems in Groups Dr. Wenger, who is a social learning theorist with a background in Artificial Intelligence, implies that a â€Å"community of practice† is the most effective when it forms organically. This actually makes sense, because the motivation both in having an interest in the first place and then in pursuing it is largely intrinsic. Talk to any random truck driver, for instance – it’s nearly impossible to find one who doesn’t actually like being a â€Å"trucker†, in spite of whatever day-to-day annoyances might be encountered. But knowing how effective team works as a â€Å"community of practice† does make it possible to form the team purposefully, so long as the team members chosen individually have two basic traits: Commitment to a common interest or aspiration, as long as it is a specific interest or aspiration. If the goal for the team is to develop a world-beating software application, then the people chosen for the team should be passionate about developing software; enthusiasm for the vague aspirations expressed in the company’s Mission Statement or enjoying â€Å"working with others† is not enough, nor particularly relevant. Good communication skills, or specifically, the ability to coherently communicate the passion for the common interest in practical terms. This also applies to being able to interpret others’ ideas. Naturally, finding the passionate, communicative people to build a team is only part of the puzzle; they still won’t be able to accomplish anything if they do not have clear roles to play. Roles in Teams. Belbin Team Roles A popular – and to be fair, not altogether useless – theory that one will encounter at some point in management studies is the Team Role Theory of Dr. Meredith Belbin. Dr. Belbin’s research led him to develop a description of nine roles in teams, which should be represented in a balanced way for the team to be effective: According to Belbin’s website (the theory has become, not surprisingly, the basis for a multi-million dollar consulting business), the behavioral analysis that determines what individuals’ team roles should be â€Å"Can be used to build productive working relationships, select and develop high-performing teams, raise self-awareness and personal effectiveness, build mutual trust and understanding, and aid recruitment processes.† The theory is backed up by empirical research, and does, in fact, give insights into how people work in teams, but only after the team has been formed and interacts for a period of time  when roles and attitudes begin to emerge because Team Role Theory has two big flaws: 1. GENERALIZATION   some people are predictable, but most are not. The context of the team and the actual objectives the team is trying to achieve have a much greater part in determining how team members will act than the theory allows, because the roles themselves were developed from statistical results; results that furthermore did not allow for people to have aspects of more than one â€Å"role† in their personalities, which most people do. 2. OVER-THINKING   in any team, as a practical matter, there are only four roles that need to be filled: The Team Leader (organizes the team and keeps communication flowing smoothly) The Record-Keeper (keeps track of what the team is doing) The Worker (accomplishes the tasks the team needs to complete) The Progress-Chaser (conducts follow-up, testing, and monitors progress against the expected schedule) What Team Role Theory can do to help – and why it is important to study and understand it, though it is not as practically useful as advertised – is to give some insights into what roles, and to what degree of those roles, prospective team members are best suited to fill. At we have a team of professional writers and a friendly support team always ready to help you with any writing assignment. Place an order to inform the details of your assignment.

Possible Reform Measures to the Stafford Act to Make It More Essay

Possible Reform Measures to the Stafford Act to Make It More Functional in Todays Society - Essay Example The Stafford Act was meant to agitate states and local authorities to develop a comprehensive disaster preparedness protocols and plans. These were meant to enable and facilitate better intergovernmental coordination in the event of a disaster (Farber & Chen, 2006). The act stipulated that both public and private entities be encouraged to seek insurance cover to help them absorb losses incurred due to the destruction of property and assets in these calamities. The act also recommends federal assistance programs and interventions for losses due to a disaster(Farber & Chen, 2006). The Stafford Act was able to instigate the creation of a system through which a president could declare a disaster emergency. This declaration triggers financial and physical interventions through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Through FEMA, the Act gives the agency the power and responsibility of coordinating government sanctioned relief efforts(Farber & Chen, 2006). The New Orleans disaster was caused by Hurricane Katrina that was characterized by massive flooding, which led to the destruction of property and loss of life. According to Title I of the Stafford Act, the federal government can only intervene after an occurrence has been determined to be a disaster by the president(Farber & Chen, 2006). This is a major weakness to the Act because the people of New Orleans suffered a great deal before the then president declared hurricane Katrina as a disaster.  Under the Act, the federal government can shoulder the burden of financing local authority’s obligations if the damage caused by the disaster was to such an extent that the local government can not function. FEMA is tasked with the responsibility of assessing the situation of the affected area and formulating measures that alleviate the negative impact of the disaster. FEMA officials are federal employees, and they are mostly not in touch with the immediate needs of the locals in af fected areas.  

Marketing Plan for your new SERVICE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Marketing Plan for your new SERVICE - Essay Example tomers’ sophistication is surging upward, and the need for outsourced call care centers in Philippines and India is raising the necessity for development of language skills and computer training to satisfy the needs of the diverse and tremendously competitive American market. Due to this rapid growth, Americans are finding themselves sub par service due to the language barrier from country to country. It is our opportunity to educate the population of both countries in efforts to lower miscommunications. Our targets are individuals that are not functionally literate, and those that speak a language different than the export (Diola, 2014). We can hope our services are also able to slow the decline of call centers in India, while eager to see both countries grow. CompuLanguage is entering its first year of operation. Our services have been rendered; however marketing will be crucial in the development of our brand and services as well as to make our target market more aware of our brand and services for growth of our customer base. Tutors411 offers an array of services and subject lines to meet individual and organizational needs (Diola, 2014). The call center industry is a profitable business and the Philippines are taking advantage of it. According to Monticello (2012), there are over one hundred countries seeking current dominance in the industry (p.3). Malaysia, Singapore, and China are the Philippines’ primary competitors in the call center market. India has been struggling to keep business. It will lose seventy percent or thirty billion dollars’ worth of all Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) businesses; particularly call centers (Diola, 2014).   India has regained business due to sales and up-selling strategies. Also, Indian companies have moved to the Philippines. This is one of the key reasons for the steady growth of the call center industry in the Phillipines (Winn, 2014). There are a number of specific competitors that can be described as

The banking crisis of 2007-2008 precipitated the deepest global Essay

The banking crisis of 2007-2008 precipitated the deepest global recession since the 1930s and has led to calls for significantly - Essay Example In this case, obviously something went wrong somewhere or the signs were ignored. Part I of the paper will critically assess whether or not this crisis has fundamentally undermined the corporate governance frameworks in both the UK and USA. Part II of the paper will assess how to change the current frameworks to lessen the likelihood of a recurrence in the future. PART I: The Banking Crisis of 2007-2008 and its Impact on World Economies It all started with an excess of lending in the mortgage sector of the USA. The economy was going well and life was good. It seemed that the good times were here to last and there was no letting up. In the UK things were largely happening in a similar vein. Lending on mortgage loans had assumed alarming proportions as had consumer credit; it was said that the UK economy in 2007-2008 was the most indebted in the world (UK House Building Market Report, July 2010). Bankers were even giving housing loans to consumers whose credit history was patchy- meani ng that they had defaulted on loans in the past and were likely to default again- and pocketing fees and commissions in the process. This is called the sub-prime mortgage sector. And then it finally happened. Bankers who had previously considered even people with a bad credit history as good enough for taking a loan now began to cut back on lending in the interests of risk control and compliance. As the economy shrunk and credit dried up, bankers began to call on the sub-prime mortgages and the consumers were left with nowhere to turn to. Imagine their predicament as interest rates rose up and they had to give up their houses because they could not pay up the loan instalments. It was havoc and pandemonium in the housing sector. As the crisis deepened, the banks that had not provided adequately for bad debts in the real estate sector were adversely affected. Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers in the USA and Northern Rock in the UK were institutions that were brought down by the crisis ; others like Royal Bank of Scotland were forced to sell off parts of their businesses, divest and re-organize themselves. For institutions like international banks, who have diversified their investment portfolios across the world in different continents to spread risk, it was inevitable that their holdings were impacted in some way or the other. AIG and Citibank in the USA, Deutsche Bank in Europe, Citigroup in the USA and Standard Chartered in the UK were all offered stimulus packages that have helped them recover rather than join the ranks of the bankrupt companies. To date in excess of 400 small and large banks have had to bite the dust. At the Heart of the Crisis At the heart of the banking crisis lies the root cause of it all. Actually it is never one factor but a combination of factors that interact or add on to the unfolding crisis and make it inevitable. Prior to the 1930s crash was the period of the Roaring Twenties, a time of unprecedented growth and stability. People ha d borrowed against everything they had and even resorted to margin trading to take advantage of the stock market boom. It seemed that the bull market would last forever. But by July 8, 1932 the DJIA had lost 88 percent of its value and closed at 41.22, its lowest point in the 20th century. By 1933 the depression

Personal and professional skills, my weaknesses and strengths

Personal and professional skills, my weaknesses and strengths This report is to examine my personal and professional skills, to identify my weaknesses and strengths and make some personal plans on how to improve and enhance them. Activity 1: Personal Skills Review Decision Making Everyday and every step of the way we are making decision, one way or another. Decision making involves risks, and I would say that it is one of my weaknesses. It could be the culture or the familial orientation I have, where decision making is the responsibility of the father or the husband in the family. I know I have a good understanding and better judgement when it comes to assessing certain situations, but my skills in decision making is not exercised. I want to develop that skill but I had no confidence in voicing out my opinion in the workplace and at home. As Pettinger (2001) said it is impossible to predict with certainty the outcome of decisions, but it is possible to take certain steps to assess the possible range of outcomes. In decision making, it is always coupled with certain risks that the decision maker has to undergo. I should be able to handle and cope with the outcome of the decision I make. I should be prepared to face what could possibly be the outcome of my decisions. There should be an alternative plan if anything goes wrong. Careful planning must be considered before coming up with a decision in order to avoid negative results. I should study and analyse important information relative to the planned activities before making a decision in order to lessen if not to avoid pitfalls in decision making. Taking ample time to review planned activities is one of the best strategies for the managers and supervisors to consider in ensuring successful outcomes. I should enhance my skills in decision making by participating in the planning of activities at home and in the workplace. I lack the determination and the courage for fear of making failures and blamed for it. The lack of courage to stand up and said my piece has shunned all the good opportunities that had come my way. I should try to develop confidence and take some risks in order to achieve what I wanted to accomplish with my life. Effective Communication As an individual I believe that effective communication keeps a healthy personal or professional relationship with the people I am interacting with, be it at home, at work or in any circumstances where my personal opinion is required. There are a lot of ways to communicate and it is not only the idea of transmitting my message but also how I deliver the message effectively. It is clear therefore, that it is not just the words stated or written that are important, but also (Pettinger, 2001): The ways they are spoken or written The context in which they are spoken or written The relationship between those giving and those receiving What is not stated or written What is precise What is deliberately vague Effective communication elicits good relations, improves the quality of life, motivates people and therefore yields better interpersonal relationship at home and at work. In my personal experience, I am successful in transmitting messages verbally and get feedback promptly. I have a good skill in verbal communication and consider this as one of my strengths. It is an advantage, I would say, because I was able to help the small business of my husband and his brother. I may not be a part of the decision making process concerning the business but I was able to attract customers through my ability to communicate effectively. My personal strategy is listening to suggestions made by clients; listen to questions raised before giving my personal opinion about the situation. This could open communication line between me and the customers and create friendly relationship and gain their loyalty and patronage. Negotiating Skills John Hayes (2002) said that we are all negotiators. Negotiation is a process of joint decision making in which people with different preferred outcomes interact in order to resolve. Negotiating is the process of coming to terms of agreement considering the factors of personal relationship, the status, gender, racial, and age differences, reputation, expectations, timing and work pressure. It is the art of discussing with another party to come up with agreeable terms such as determining what I and that of the other party wants and dont want for a particular situation. It is the understanding of what is acceptable to me and for the other party and what is not acceptable. Negotiating is a two-way process. You take and benefit without having the other party being disadvantaged. I have a personal talent in negotiating things and I have applied it to help the business run by my husband and his brother. I build rapport with our clients and customers. Negotiation is a win-win process. In situations like this when the customer demands some things and services relative to the business, I am in the frontline to deal with the situation. I see to it that the demands of the customers will be granted without compromising the generated profit of the company. When customers start to negotiate, they have already in mind the kind of benefit they hoped to get. In negotiating I have to be pleasant in dealing with the person I am making a deal with but sometimes I have to be a little bit aggressive but not intimidating to protect my own desired outcomes. My skill in negotiating has helped a lot in the success of our small business. I gained not only customers but also good friends. My communication skills improved my ability to interact with the people I am dealing with in e veryday life. Even in my own home I practice how to negotiate because children are very good negotiators. It is not giving the desires of the other party while my own interest suffers and vice versa. There is always a common ground of agreement to achieve that would benefit both negotiating parties and that is where my skill in negotiating will take place. Activity 2: Professional Skills Review Coaching Skills Coaching is assessing the people and organizational needs and provided them with the necessary knowledge, skills and expertise to achieve organizational goals. A coach or a mentor is an advisor who guides the person to perform better or to learn new techniques on how to do task effectively. A manager in an organization will help improve the working performance of the employees if the manager possesses the skill on how to coach. Coaching is more than just imparting your ideas, skills and knowledge to your subordinates. According to Zeus, P and Skiffington, S. (2002) coaching also focuses on function and performance of an individual; builds rapport and listening, questioning and reflecting skills; use goal setting and action plan. It is also monitoring the extent of their progress and assesses the area the learner still need to improve. The employees of the Parts and Services Company produce very good services to their clients because they are very skilled in their craft. They have acq uired their skill thru their managers who are very patient in introducing some new skills to them. A good performance reflects a good coach. Employees will have a high regard for themselves if they know the details of how a certain task is done. A productive employee will also produce good results and the credit will go to the manager who serves as a mentor or coach. An effective coaching will help employees to be motivated to learn more not only for purposes of career advancement but also for the companys objectives to be realized. Employee effectiveness also depends how they are trained skilfully, either by coaching or mentoring, and positive counselling. Learning cannot be applied effectively in the absence of one-on-one follow up from the coach. It is necessary for the manager coach to see how much the employee has learned from the personal training given by putting the learner to practice what he has learned. The coaching technique must vary from person to person because there are fast learner people and some need detailed explanation and information. That is why a good coach must possess the quality of being patient. Leadership Skills Through good mentoring and counselling we can produce good leaders. Wikipedia-Dictionary defined counselling as the provision of assistance and guidance in resolving personal, social or psychological problems and difficulties especially by a trained person on a professional basis. In the other hand, mentoring is a personal development tool helping people to progress and realize its potentials. The managers of Parts and Service Company were not only good in their skills in counselling, but are also good mentors. They identify the employees who have the potentials of becoming good leaders and encouraged and helped them to develop their skills through mentoring and counselling. A good leader must have a flexible personality. Leadership skill is acquired, therefore through practice and experience a manager can be a good and effective leader. The success of an organization depends greatly on the leadership of the people managing it. Leadership is the capacity to influence other people in the organization. A good leader is followed and respected by the people he is working with. Parts and Service Company employees look up to their manager not only because he has contributed much to the achievement of company objectives, but because of his manner in leading the people he is working with. He does not only lead people but he also coaches at the same time, imparting to them his expertise that made him the role model in the organization. He leads by example. The qualities of a good leader is characterized by a having a sense of responsibility, work hard to complete a task, determination to achieve goals, exercise initiative in social situations, self confident, the ability to respond positively to stress and the ability to influence other people. (Bernard Bass, 3rd Edition). Employees are encouraged to find some ways to develop and enhance skills. They are motivated to strive and work hard to be as successful as their leader. A leader who does not care about the welfare of the employees can do nothing to meet organizational objectives set by the management. Employees will not get anything good from leaders that think only of their own personal benefit without considering the welfare of other people in the organization. Good leaders are first to approach their staff to give commendations if the job is satisfactorily done and the first to show concern to those who need encouragement. We always look up to a good and successful leader and we want to be influenced by their ability to handle complex things that led to their success. Their ability to cope with stressful situations, to stand and endure failure, to solve problems in the organization is admirable. Successful leaders have gone through a lot of frustrations but managed to overcome it and boost their confidence as an individual. Multi-Tasking Skills Multi-tasking is the ability of the person to do more than one task all at the same period of time. The employees given the responsibility to do this task must be well trained in performing the tasks in order to complete it in a given time. Multi-tasking saves cost and money but the quality of work may suffer as a result. It can benefit the organization because of reduced cost. Likewise it will benefit the employees because it will develop their knowledge and skills in performing some tasks other than what they are familiar doing. Adjustment in the part of the employees performing multi tasking is difficult if the sudden change is introduced. Multi task require a high degree of skill because the employee is placed in a variety of task that he must be ready to perform and complete. It is difficult for the person doing the multi-tasking but in the long run it is beneficial to the person because it will give him the advantage to be recognized if he performs what is expected of him to do . This will give the employee the chance for career advancement. The person doing multi-tasking must be creative and innovative. But the management must take some caution not to overload the person doing the multi-task. The person might be stressed out and cannot perform well. Poor performance will result to poor productivity. Stressed people have the tendency to get sick that could be avoided. Management must follow up the output of the person doing the multi task to know if the person is capable of doing it and see to it that that the person doing is well trained to avoid problems that can affect the performance of the entire organization. Multi-tasking helps the organization in many ways one of which is the financial cost. The task of two people can be performed by one if there is similarity of function in the task. The quality of output will not be affected if the mentors are religiously following and monitoring the performance of the employees. Counselling is important to give encouragement to the employees with overloaded tasks. Mentoring and counselling is important where multi-tasking is introduced to the organization. Task 2: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING Activity 1: Personal audit I requested two (2) of my friends to help me assess my personal skills and to give me pointers on how to develop my weak points. As decision making is my weakness which I wanted to improve, they have given me their personal opinion on how to develop it. They suggested that I should: Assert if I think that my opinion is worth considering Communicate effectively so that my views will be heard Build my confidence Present relevant points of my opinion Assert to present my good ideas The points they have suggested will help develop and enhance my decision making skill. I have good and better ideas when it comes to family matters. My husband has the authority to make decisions in my home I have the tendency to keep silent. I have to be assertive because I want to be a part in the decisions and plans in my family. I have to enhance my communication skills in order to be heard and respected. And I also need to build my confidence in order to have the courage to assert. B. PERSONAL AUDIT QUESTIONNAIRE Please tick the appropriate option on the following rating scale (1-5), 1 being the weakest and 5 being the strongest. Name: ____________________________ Date: ______________________ 1 2 3 4 5 I am confident to talk in front of many people I can express my ideas well I cannot influence people easily I take responsibility of my actions I cannot manage pressure I cannot give relevant ideas on certain topics I can take risk I cannot solve problems easily C. Analysis 1 2 3 4 5 I am confident to talk in front of many people 1 1 I can express my ideas well l l I cannot influence people easily l l I take responsibility of my actions l l I cannot manage pressure ll I cannot give relevant ideas on certain topics ll I can take risk ll I cannot solve problems easily ll Based on the above answers obtained, it was identified that my skills in decision making is the weak points but I have the potentials to become a good decision maker because I can take responsibility well and take risk if needed. I might be observed to be weak in expressing my ideas, but I know I have good ones. I just have to develop my confidence. Solving problems is always a joint process between me and my husband, and I know I can enhance that skill in time. I will consider the suggestions of my friends in order to develop my personal and professional skills. Activity 2: Progression Plan The SWOT analyses Strengths Weaknesses Communication skills Negotiating Multi-tasking Good learner Confidence Stress Management Decision making Handling Conflict Opportunities Threats My opinion is considered Encouragement from my family Support from friends I have good ideas Culture Environment Level of responsibility Arguments and debates Learning Style Application Honey and Mumford have identified four main learning style preferences, namely: Activist persons who like to be involved in new experiences and new ideas. Reflector persons who like to collect data, and review before presenting conclusions. Theorist persons who adapt and integrate observations into complex and logically sound theories. Pragmatist persons who are more practical by nature; likes concepts that can be applied to their job. My goal is to develop my skill in decision making. It wont be hard for me because I have the determination and the potential to give good ideas. In order to achieve this goal I will use the reflector style of learning identified by Honey and Mumford. This style of learning reflects my qualities being careful, thorough, methodical, thoughtful, good at listening and absorbing information and dont jump to conclusion. My learning process will be fast and easy because different kinds of information are accessible. Monitoring I have to monitor the progress of my learning to know if I have improved or not. I have to identify mistakes incurred in the process so that I will be able to correct them. I will provide for myself a diary or activity planner where I can write activities that will help me strengthen my weaknesses. I should incorporate in my diary or planner activities like: where the learning took place; people involved; reason for undertaking the learning; what was learnt; topics covered and skills developed My family and friends will also help me in the learning process by asking them comments if I have improved skilfully and intellectually. In monitoring I should be able to identify my priorities for personal and professional development. I will also see if there are opportunities for developing my skills. I will create an action plan and evaluate my personal performance. From time to time I will ask a colleague or family member who can honestly assess the progress of my learning. The feedback will help me see the areas I still need to improve and the skills I have to enhance.

is the brain reliable :: essays research papers

Is the Brain Reliable? The definition of the word â€Å"reliable† according to the American Heritage Dictionary is the capability of being relied on and dependable. In my personal opinion, the brain is one of the most reliable pieces of equipment that I have ever encountered. The power of the brain and its capabilities are endless. The human brain possesses both validity and consistency, while at the same time processing thousands of pieces of data a second and relaying the data into select portions of the brain. There are several aspects that are included in the brain: memory, perception, learning, consciousness, thinking, language, intelligence, motivation, emotion, personality, and sensation. These different aspects are reliant upon the brain, and without the brain the body would not be able to function. The human brain is a reliable mechanism that is capable of performing many multifaceted tasks. The brain is composed of numerous parts that work as an auxiliary to the brain, which help it function each and every day. Each individual has two portions of the brain inside his or her head, a left and a right hemisphere. The right hemisphere controls the left hand, musical and artistic ability, perception of space, imagination and fantasizing, body control, and awareness. The left portion of the brain is involved with the right hand, logical thinking, language ability, writing, math, and science work. The brain is able to decipher which side it needs to use in order to complete a subjective task. Each ability is dependent upon the brain to process the knowledge that is needed at certain times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The major dilemma involving the brain is whether or not it is a reliable source. The brain is a complex resource that is capable of processing just about anything. The brain can accomplish any task that it is given. It can maintain thousands of pieces of data and send the information to different parts of the body. For example, when a person is about to touch a hot stove, your brain sends an impulse to the hand. The impulse tells the hand to pull away from the hot stove. It is a reflex that is commanded by the brain in order help keep the body safe. If the brain were not reliable, people would think about their actions before they made a decision. But, since the brain is reliable, people are allowed to do things as instincts and if there is something wrong, the brain will alert the body.

Invisible Man Essay

Portrayal of Women In Invisible Man women were primarily given the role of prostitutes, caregivers and sex objects that presented them as inferior to men. The author fails to reflect on the struggles of women in the novel but encourages reflecting on the struggles of black males. In Invisible Man, written by Ralph Ellison, women are intensely stereotyped by the author and could also be characterized as â€Å"invisible† based on the author’s description of the main character and his experiences in the novel. White women in the novel were something that invisible man thought to be forbidden; they could be characterized as the forbidden fruit.Invisible man saw a blonde white woman at the Battle Royal who was beautiful in his eyes. Unfortunately, he could stare at her all he wanted but couldn’t touch the white woman. At the end of the novel he decides to use Sybil for his own greed, later he feels guilty and calls what he did a sin. It seems that in the novel white w omen are presented with higher regard than black women. During incidences in the novel white women were usually there to help invisible man with his journey to figure out who he is. They are given roles that are basically more important than the black women in the novel; but this is not always true.In the novel he was saved by a white girl during his eviction speech, a white women seduced him when she lied about having problems with the Brotherhood and a white woman saved him when he was made to sing for the white people. Women characters are given minor roles compared to invisible man and lead him on his journey in the novel. Sybil was the women that invisible man decided to use for his own intentions. Sybil showed to have stereotypical opinions about black men and invisible man understood what type of women she was.Invisible man decided that she was perfect to take advantage of because she was lonely when the Brotherhood took a lot of time. Sybil is a very weak woman and needs cer tain attentions in order for her to be completely satisfied. Invisible man strived to improve himself in the novel, which Sybil failed to do. He seeks out and â€Å"chooses to use Sybil precisely because she is â€Å"lonely,† â€Å"misunderstood,† â€Å"neglected,† and â€Å"wistful† (Sylvander 78). Invisible man manipulates this woman and takes advantage of her. In this sense Sybil is stereotyped as a weak woman who doesn’t improve herself.There was also another women whose husband was a member of the Brotherhood; even though she didn’t believe in the Brotherhood. She was interested in satisfying her emotional needs and tricked invisible man in coming over by saying she had questions over the Brotherhood. Invisible man portrays white women in the novel as beautiful and sensual; black women fail to have these characterizations. Black women in the novel such as Mary are limited to being caretakers and serving without the beauty that he chara cterizes the white women with. Invisible man presents the way black women were viewed in society compared to white women at the time.The women who lived with Trueblood, Kate and Matty Lou, lived a harsh life and experienced no happiness. Trueblood impregnated his own daughter, which shows how horrible women were treated in this novel. Trueblood tries to explain what he had done and how he tried to move without moving; a mere excuse for his actions. Mary played a significant role in the novel because she was the main character who helped invisible man find his identity. Unfortunately, in order to truly find himself the narrator had to leave Mary. Mary immediately came to his rescue after he was released from the hospital.She was a mother figure in invisible man’s eyes who agreed to nurture him until he could support himself. This is proof that women in the novel were given minor roles . Invisible man uses Mary until he leaves her for the Brotherhood. But it was Mary’s l ectures of leadership and helping the society that drove invisible man to the Brotherhood. Mary was â€Å"something out of my past which kept me from whirling off into some unknown which I dared not to face† (Stanford 29). The women in this novel basically helped the speaker find himself in society. The black and white women in the novel gave to the speaker and helped him throughout the novel.They are not unimportant in the novel but do not play any major roles as human beings. The narrator’s opinion regarding women always focuses on their physical appearances, which supports how he thinks they are no more than how they look or make him feel. The women never make their own decisions and only act out to help the narrator in his actions. Ellison’s invisible man does minimize the female experience by not having a main female character. There is an absence of female perspective in all decisions made about invisible man. Invisible man silences the voice of women and stereotypes them in the novel.

3 Cases of Tense Errors

3 Cases of Tense Errors 3 Cases of Tense Errors 3 Cases of Tense Errors By Mark Nichol Each verb in a sentence should reflect the tense appropriate to the specific phrase rather than conform to the tense of another verb in the sentence. In each of the sentences below, a verb is not in the correct tense. Each example is followed by a discussion and a revision. 1. They are emblems of a simpler time, when everyone understood what it meant to be human. What it means to be a human has not changed since the simpler time (though a universal understanding no longer exists), so although understood is correctly formed in context, the next verb should be in present tense: â€Å"They are emblems of a simpler time, when everyone understood what it means to be human.† 2. The financial sector underwent simulated terrorist attacks and cyberattacks as part of efforts to ensure that financial firms had good plans in place in the event of such crises. The goal of the simulations is not to ensure that financial firms had, at a given time, good plans in place; it is to ensure that they continuously have the good plans, so the verb pertaining to â€Å"good plans† must be in the present tense: â€Å"The financial sector underwent simulated terrorist attacks and cyberattacks as part of efforts to ensure that financial firms have good plans in place in the event of such crises.† 3. If you thought marionettes were creepy, you’re not going to like this place. The issue is not whether you, at one time, were disturbed by marionettes but no longer are (or, for that matter, whether marionettes were, at one time, creepy but no longer are); it is a matter of whether you have a discomfort with them that has existed, exists, and is likely to continue to exist: â€Å"If you think marionettes are creepy, you’re not going to like this place.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Definitely use "the" or "a"Time Words: Era, Epoch, and Eon

Nick Jr. and Gatsby S Attire Essay Example

Nick Jr. and Gatsby S Attire Essay Example Nick Jr. and Gatsby S Attire Essay Nick Jr. and Gatsby S Attire Essay Chapter Five 1| What is Gatsby doing at two in the morning? What is his real intention? Lighting up his house so that it can be seen across the bay| 2| Gatsby doesn’t want to put Nick to any trouble. What does this tell you about him? Gatsby is conscience of his friends doing| 3| What does Gatsby suggest in order to try to help Nick with his financial state? That he work with him on a business deal| 4| What does Gatsby do to Nick’s home to prepare for his tea with Daisy? He sends a man to cut his grass and fills his place with flowers| 5| What colors make up Gatsby’s attire? What do these colors symbolize? White, silver, and gold symbolizing money/wealth (the white is like platinum)| 6| What is Gatsby’s emotional state prior to Daisy’s arrival at Nick’s? He is extremely nervous| 7| What surprises Nick on his reentry into his living room? Gatsby is gone| 8| What description does Nick give of Gatsby standing at his door? Pale as death| 9| What is the atmosphere in the room when Daisy and Gatsby first reunite? Still and quiet and very, very awkward | 10| What change occurs in Daisy’s character? Decision time| 11| What does Gatsby first believe about the arranged meeting? That it’s terrible mistake and is going horribly| 12| Rain is an important symbol in literature. What could it signify in chapter five? Sadness, depression, a hostile world| 13| What, according to Nick, are Americans occasionally willing to be? willing to be serfs, have always been obstinate about being peasantry| 14| What change has occurred in Gatsby upon Nicks reentering the house? The feeling of tension and embarrassment had died away| 15| Why is it important that Daisy see Gatsby’s house? To show daisy that he was very wealthy and could provde for her materially. That’s why he lost her in the first place: he was not wealthy enough for her and Tom was and now Gatbsy wants to show her he is as wealthy as Tom if not wealthier. | 16| How does Gatsby contradict his past in telling Nick the time it took him to earn his money for his house? How does he correct himself? What do you believe is the true story about Gatsby’s money? Gatsby says it took him only three year to earn the money to buy the mansion; earlier, Nick points out Gatsby had claimed he had inherited his fortune from his family. He corrects himself by saying that he did initially inherit his family’s money but lost it in the panic of war and he had to earn it back| 17| What two businesses does Gatsby tell Nick he has been in? The drug business and the oil business| 18| How does Nick say that Gatsby revalues his house? Be the measure of Daisy’s response whether she approves or not| 19| Your bedroom is supposed to be a true revelation of who you are. What does Gatsby’s bedroom say about him? his bedroom is the simplest room in the house; he really doesn’t value material things himself, but rather he values what material things can get him:Daisy. Its all for her| 20| Daisy justifies her crying by saying, It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such- such beautiful shirts before. Why is she really crying? She is really crying because now she realizes Gatsby is as wealthy as Tom- if not wealthier- and she should hace chosen him, and now she wants to be with him again. Perphas creating a conflict within her since she still has feelings for Tom)| 21| What does Gatsby reveal to Daisy about the placement of her house? That if it wasn’t for the mist he could see her home across the bay. He can look across and see the green light at the end of her dock| 22| Who is in the picture that Nick notices? Mr. Dan Cody. Gatsby says Dan Cody was his best friend years ago| 23| Nick says, There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams- not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. Has Gatsby made Daisy out to be more than she really is? Yes she is simply in it for the money and material items as long as she is taking care of she is fine| 24| What is the one thing about Daisy that Gatsby cannot alter in his dream? Her voice| 25| We don’t know what happened in the exchange between Gatsby and Daisy while Nick stands in the rain outside of his home. What things do you believe might have been said? Remember, Nick returns to find Daisy’s face streaked with tears. Gatsby told Daisy of how he still loved her and she responded by saying she still loved him and was sorry that she hadn’t waited for him to return from the war front|

Vicarious Liability Module 3 ( CASE) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vicarious Liability Module 3 ( CASE) - Essay Example For instance, it is the employers of any organization who are duly considered to be accountable for the unlawful activities performed by their respective personnel. Conversely, the term corporate liability denotes the employers or the administrative officials of a particular firm who are held liable for performing varied illegal actions rather than the individual personnel and the employees (Anselmi, 2012). One of the mistakes, which can be apparently identified in the case of â€Å"Norton v. Argonaut Insurance Co.† is the inappropriate use of the medication plan. In this context, the negligence activity performed by the nurse in terms of administering the medication plan appropriately, which resulted overdose of the medicines, eventually caused death of the infant. In context to the above discussed case, it can be indicated that the notion of vicarious liability might be applied (Leagle, Inc., 2014). As the administrator or the chief of nursing, I would like to follow certain steps for preventing such happening of mistake again. In this regard, one of such steps I will desire to implement is providing effective training to the staff. This would include a program of remaining stress free within the healthcare environment. Moreover, apart from this step, I would also try to make sure that every nurse within the organization must take valuable advices of the senior officials while catering to the requirements of the patients. In ancient times, there does not lay adequate level of valuable resources in providing effective care to the patients. Moreover, the technology was not upgraded, which eventually resulted the occurrence of such sort of mistake. However, in this present day context, the increased extent of globalization and adoption along with execution of pioneering technological advancements have lessened such kind of mistake as compared to the earlier years. It has been witnessed that

Leadership in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Leadership in Business - Essay Example There are various factors which may impact the leadership style in an organization including the background of the manager, behavior and background of the staff and the organization’s vision, philosophy and values (Anonym). Leadership capacities may also vary from individual to individual like the different mental and physical capabilities of the individuals (Clippinger). Since the leadership styles vary a lot in businesses therefore, analyzing the best leadership style is an important area for the organizations. The aim of this report is to highlight the type of power which the leaders have employed in an organization and to evaluate whether the particular leadership styles have been successful or not in the organization. The organization that has been selected for analysis is Save the Children US. I have selected a non-profit organization because such organizations face huge management challenges. Leaders in NGOs are exposed to extraordinary challenges and both at the organi zational and personal level because they have to work for long hours with very limited resources and mostly under politically volatile and poorly economic conditions (Hailey). Save the Children is recognized as a leading independent organization which aims to create lasting impact in the lives of Children in the U.S. and in various countries of the world (Save the Children). Before going into the details of whether leadership at Save the Children has contributed to its success or not, evaluating the leadership styles in the organization is important. The managerial grid of Blake and Mouton (1964) shows the behavioral characteristics of the successful leaders (Zeidan). The following managerial grid (Table I) shows five types of managerial leaderships based on product concern and people orientation of leaders. In theory â€Å"Team management† is considered ideal for successful leadership however, its implementation is difficult in some work situations (SW Learning Website). At