“Simplicity” by William Zinsser

William Zinsser in his article, â€Å"Simplicity,† depicts the propensity individuals need to expand their own words. A greater part of us imagine that something is missing if a word or sentence is too straightforward making us add superfluous data just to confound our perusers. Zinsser gives us instances of this in regular day to day existence, for example, a basic letter, or a pamphlet by an insurance agency, where the organization utilizes an explanation that abuses jargon to communicate something so basic. Zinsser sees that, â€Å"Clear thinking turns out to be clear composition; one can’t exist without another†,(Zinsser 175) His feeling on the key towards turning into a phenomenal essayist is to take each sentence and to abbreviate it so each word has its set capacity. As an essayist, he accepts the more perceptive one is while developing a bit of work, the better outcome they will get. Composing isn't as simple as it might appear. It can take a few preliminaries of consummating one’s work and all the more critically corrections of one’s musings like Zinsser’s composing. The more cognizant you become to your composing permits the essayist to handily communicate their words and in the public arena, great composing is by all accounts what comes up short on the most. Zinsser accepts that an unmistakable psyche can decidedly affect your composing like a reasonable brain can influence your presentation in regular day to day existence. Some of the time, the more schoolwork I have and the more hours I work, appear to work to my pressure and adversely influence me in school. My week by week plan is one that now and again is truly rushed. With school, work and companions, now and then the shuffling of the three appear to arrive at a breaking point. I as of now work at a waitressing work in which the night shifts are typically the ones that advantage me the most. I go to class at Hunter College 4 days every week. Mondays and Thursdays from 8 am to 4 pm, while Tuesdays and Fridays are from 11 am to 1 pm. My work routine is generally from Tuesday, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (late morning to late evenings). Going to class four days per week and working 5 days seven days is such a problem in my life. I attempt to accommodate my public activity in too yet, now and again it appears to be unthinkable. That’s when I understand by not going out I may be imperiling my fellowships. Working right around five days per week doesn’t give me enough an ideal opportunity for myself or the capacity to concentrate more on school. I return home so late that I as a rule remain up concentrating till 2 or 3 in the first part of the day however need to get up by 6 am. I run on 3 or 4 hours of rest which doesn’t give me enough vitality to work at my most noteworthy ability. Around fourteen days back I arrived at a point in my life where I was starting to feel like a robot. On a Friday night, I returned home from a taxing day at school, quickly made a beeline for work realizing that I had two tests to read for Monday. Presently I was booked to work the entire end of the week on night moves that I was battling to make sense of how I might fit so as to consider. I attempted my hardest to concentrate in the middle of work breaks, however nature around me was quite boisterous, that I achieved nothing. On Saturday and Sunday, I woke up somewhat before to consider, however time was passing by so quick that on the two days I just practiced an hour or two to retain some material. I would surge every day to begin preparing for work and to flag down my taxi to arrive on schedule. That Sunday from work I returned home at 2 am and read an hour for history, until I nodded off on my books. I right away woke up, practically behind schedule for school, without a moment to spare to make it to my English class. I was worn out to the point that I was stressing to cause my eyes to stay open. I had a couple of school breaks in the middle of my classes, yet I realized that I couldn’t remember all these material for two unique subjects the day of the test. Stepping through both of those examinations, caused me to understand that in addition to the fact that I failed, I expected to roll out certain improvements throughout my life. My primary goal is joining in and exceeding expectations at school and shuffling such a large number of days at work with school is practically difficult to do. I realized I needed to change my work routine with the goal that I have enough days to study and evenings to rest later on. At long last I realized it would turn out to be regardless of whether I slice back on days to gain cash, on the grounds that my body and brain need to appropriately rest. We don’t appear to acknowledge however some of the time there are numerous pointless things we do that can without much of a stretch be balanced. Either working excessively or investing time doing different exercises can take up a great deal of our vitality. As Zinsser delineates rearranging one’s life or one’s composing is conceivable and fundamental now and again, and in the event that we as a whole figured out how to do so life would be a lot simpler.

Causes of Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work Practice

Reasons for Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work Practice Shaun Wharton Understanding the term moral situation and how such quandaries emerge in social work practice. The paper will start by clarifying the term moral situation and how such quandaries emerge in social Work practice through; what conditions and segments are required for a moral difficulty to create, and by clarifying how moral difficulties happen inside office strategy, law, proficient morals and individual qualities. Moreover the paper will apply office strategy and law to the contextual investigation of Jack, a multi year old white man, so as to investigate how moral quandaries emerge inside social work. The paper will at that point investigate hazard sections independence, by weighing up the ramifications for and against supporting Jack, through utilitarianism, deontology, and goodness morals. This will at that point lead to investigate another proposed activity. At last the decision gives a concise outline and scrutinize of the discoveries. The initial segment of this exposition will clarify the conditions and parts required for a moral quandary to create. Right off the bat ther e must be a troublesome choice made with at least two unwanted game-plans accessible (Banks, 2006, p.8). Also regardless of what game-plan has been attempted, a moral rule has been bowed or broken (Allen, 2014). When you have settled on a choice then the social specialist is left liable for picking a defective answer and the unavoidable unwanted out comes (Banks, 2006, p.9). This paper will presently clarify when a moral difficulty happens, initially through office approach and law, these are coordinated into each strategy, and choice made. One significant act is the Human Rights Act and is incorporated into UK law. This implies each individual can secure their privileges in court and open associations need to treat everybody similarly. (Priest of Justice, 2006). Social laborers frequently just have one game-plan to take and that’s to keep the law and office approach (hcpc, 2012). In some cases social laborers proficient codes of training may collide with law and organization strategy, this isn't a moral situation on the grounds that there is just a single game-plan to take, for instance they ought to adhere to the law. Also because of the social laborers codes of expert practice you are committed to campaign against such law (hcpc, 2012). Conversely Braye and Preston Shoot (1997) recommend the law is obscure, leaving the social laborers to choose what strategy to take, delivering moral issues (Banks, 2006, p.8). Besides Professional morals can bring about moral difficulties for instance, when attempting to pick the best strategy comparable to a help client (Allen, 2014). Morals are an expert guide (ethics activities) set out to help individuals in gatherings or inside an expert association to settle on right choices, when a moral situation introduces itself. In social work this is the wellbeing and care callings committee (hcpc) and offers a lot of moral standards to decide the correct game-plan and along these lines delivers a consistent manner of thinking, bringing about consistency all through the calling. (Parrott, 2011, p.79). Conversely, the social laborers, hcpc codes of training covers a huge scope of codes of conduct and direct (Banks, 2006, p.78), in this way obscuring proficient limits, (Banks, 2006, p.16), which bring about moral problems (hcpc, 2012). At long last Values are something that can deliver individual moral predicaments. Qualities are what individuals hold near their heart and are viewed as important to them for example, someone’s social convictions of good and bad (Oxford, 2014). It’s essential to comprehend individual morals and qualities through basic reflection (BASW, 2014). Through distinguishing individual qualities, morals and recognizing the force a social specialist holds, you can uncover inclination perspectives and prevailing talks (Banks, 2006, p.159). Thompson’s PCS Model can help investigate any enemy of biased and hostile to severe practices, on an individual level, however social and social/auxiliary level as well (Barbra, 2010, p.12). It’s then conceivable to reflect and change further proficient decisions (Banks, 2006, p.159). Individual qualities are utilized to illuminate each day practice as long as there are inside the hcpc. Subsequently making the social laborers work c omplex, since they need to adjust their own ethical respectability, to society, administration clients and the offices they work with in, causing individual moral problems (Banks, 2006, p.17). To see how moral problems emerge in social work practice, this article will apply organization arrangement and law to a contextual investigation. Jack is a 62yr old white man who lives alone in a secretly leased level; Jack has inquired as to whether his carer could bolster him to visit a paid whore as a feature of his evaluated care plan; paid for by open assets. The primary thing to learn is whether any laws or office strategies will be broken. The genuine demonstration of visiting a whore isn't unlawful (GOV.UK 2014). The subsequent inquiry to pose is whether neighborhood authority techniques consider the installment of a whore. Administration clients get immediate installments, this can be spent on close to home consideration, social exercises, reprieve care and may shift starting with one nearby position then onto the next (Royal Borough of Greenwich, 2014). So the nearby authority’s installment would almost certainly cover Jack’s proposal. The nearby authority add itionally has a legitimate obligation of care to ensure Jack isn't monetarily misused (The National Archives, 2014). A social laborer needs to help Jacks self-governance, regardless of whether this places him at serious risk (Parrott, 2011, p.90). Jack has become socially separated in view of his handicaps and it is the social specialists obligation to advance social incorporation (hcpc, 2012). Interestingly despite the fact that it’s not illicit to visit a whore there are numerous laws, proficient codes of morals and individual qualities against activities including Jack with prostitution. This is particularly applicable to Jack as he has just been cautioned by the police not to get included explicitly with any underage lady. This causes a moral issue (Banks, 2006, p.12), between advancing Jacks self-governance and securing Jacks government assistance (BASW, 2014). While the neighborhood authority’s installment would probably cover Jack’s recommendation, this d espite everything could cause a moral situation, between the open by and large reasoning it’s wrong to utilize open cash visit a whore, and the nearby position who needs to advance Jacks consideration in the public arena. Additionally the genuine connection with the whore is past the assistance of a social specialist and proposes wellbeing dangers. A few moral quandaries have created (Banks, 2006, p.14). At whatever point a social specialist is confronted with chance, they would play out a hazard appraisal (legislation.gov.uk., 2010). The hazard evaluation would weigh up the ramifications for and against supporting Jack. The social laborer could utilize a moral structure to help dynamic for instance, Lowenberg and Dolgoffs, (2005) Ethical Principles Screen, which endeavors to take care of moral standards of significance (Lowenberg and Dolgoffs refered to in, Learning Portal, 2013). The social specialist would begin by looking at the dangers of not supporting Jack through applying the human rights acts and some other laws. Jacks right to freedom and security would be influenced, Article 5; it would likewise influence his entitlement to the restriction of separation, Article 14 and the privilege to private and family life, Article 8 (GOV.UK 2014). This would prompt the social laborer neglecting to maintain the Equality Act 2010 (legislation.gov.uk., 2010) and the Local authority would bomb in its obligation of care (legislation.gov.uk. 2010). The social laborer would then apply proficient codes of training and would be flopping in, article five of the hcpc, know about the effect of culture, correspondence and decent variety, this is a result of Jacks handicaps and a social specialist ought to advance balance for instance, equivalent access to society. The social laborer would neglect to cling to article six of the hcpc, additionally neglect to rehearse in a non-unfair way (hcpc, 2012), this is on the grounds that the social specialist would retain reserves, not letting him settle on his own decisions, and furthermore restricting his entrance to society (hcpc, 2012). The social laborer would likewise apply the British Association of Social Workers codes of morals (BASW, 2014), for instance, BASW diagram that every single social specialist should regard human rights and be focused on advancing social equity (BASW 2014). Under BASW the social laborer would be bargaining esteems and moral standards, through neglecting to maintain and advance human pride and prosperity, regarding the privilege to self-assurance, elevating the privilege to support and regarding every individual all in all. A social specialist is additionally expected to advance social equity and would be bombing in testing segregation, circulating asset and perceiving decent variety (BASW 2014). The social laborer would then investigate the dangers of supporting Jack. For example this strategy could bring about an open good objection. This is on the grounds that there have been a few media battles, to prevent nearby specialists from utilizing open cash for whores (Donnelly, Howie, Leach, 2010). Social specialists have an obligation to secure the notoriety of the calling through the British relationship of social laborers (BASW, 2014). Huge numbers of the human rights above are not total rights; they are qualified rights and in specific conditions can be broken, for instance while ensuring general wellbeing or while securing different people’s human rights. This is obvious with Jack possibly exploiting a helpless individual (prostitute) (SHRC, 2014). By applying utilitarianism to the appraisal over the hypothesis would propose discovering all the various approaches accessible. Second is compute all the positives and negatives that can result from these activities and thirdly this hypothesis s

The Cunning of Iago in Othello Free Essays

So Iago is this incredibly intriguing, clever, fiendish character. Be that as it may, over these trait’s Iago’s envy is the thing that drives him to plan and plot to bring down othello and weave his detailed trap of decimation. Does anybody know precisely when in the play does Iago’s extreme envy become possibly the most important factor? In the first demonstration scene one iago and roderigo are contending in the avenues and iago begins to yell about his contempt for Othello and how Othello left him behind over cassio for advancement to old. We will compose a custom exposition test on The Cunning of Iago in Othello or then again any comparative point just for you Request Now Iago had a tremendous measure of fight understanding, experience that Othello has seen firsthand â€Å"And I, of whom his eyes had seen the confirmation At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on different grounds Christian and barbarian, must be belee’d and calmed† while cassio has no fight understanding and just knows the hypothesis of driving men into fight, â€Å"I have just picked my official. Furthermore, what right? Forsooth, an extraordinary arithmetician,One Michael Cassio, a Florentine(A individual nearly doomed in a reasonable wife)That never set a group in the field,Nor the division of a fight knows More than a spinsterâ€unless the scholarly theoric, Wherein the toged representatives can propose As excellent as he. Simple jabber without training is all his soldiership. Yet, he, sir, had th’ political decision he does not understand how to try this hypothesis and is along these lines unfit as indicated by iago. Later on in the play iago shows his envy of Othello since Othello is supposed to have laid down with his significant other toIago gets envious of cassio getting the advancement over him so he devises a plot to seek retribution. The most effective method to refer to The Cunning of Iago in Othello, Papers

TOEFL Essay Samples - How to Improve Your Score

TOEFL Essay Samples - How to Improve Your ScoreThere are several options available for you in order to improve your score in TOEFL essay samples. Make sure that you get one that has all the required components which will not only be useful but will also help you in concentrating on the target task at hand. Here are some tips which will help you in improving your score.Writing is a habit that you should develop gradually. This is true even in writing essays, so if you have difficulties in this, make sure that you go through the sample before submitting it to the test center. Sometimes, there may be an alternate version available so you may get used to it before the actual test.It is quite common for the essay to be divided into chapters and each chapter could consist of multiple passages. Each passage should be properly written and well organized so that you do not get confused while writing it. At times, the passages might contain a lot of information but it is not clear at all. You have to make sure that you arrange the information properly so that it flows smoothly.Try to understand the meaning of the sample and then revise it in your own words. By reviewing it from time to time, you will be able to come up with ideas which will make it even more interesting. The reviewer will be able to see your sense of flow in reading the passage and it is important that you do not mix up ideas and sentences in the same sentence.It is important that you choose the sample that has been printed in English and you can choose from the following choices. There are some which are based on images, sound or even text but you should make sure that it is in the same form. Just remember that the real TOEFL exam is made up of multiple choice questions and you cannot cheat by putting a different answer on your essay.Most of the sample papers contain paragraphs which are so long that you may end up forgetting most of them. You should make sure that you make copies of all the paragraphs so that you can make more than one copy of the sample. Make sure that the content of the sample is in the same format as that of the actual paper so that you are sure that it is not just a mere imitation.The sample that you use should be easy enough for you to comprehend. Make sure that the sample is written in such a way that it would be easily understandable by you when you sit for the real test. The TOEFL essay samples are also made up of several sub sections and you have to make sure that the subsections are easy enough for you to understand.

The Purpose of Dissenting Opinions in the Supreme Court

A dissenting opinion is an opinion written by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion. In the U.S. Supreme Court, any justice can write a dissenting opinion, and this can be signed by other justices. Judges have taken the opportunity to write dissenting opinions as a means to voice their concerns or express hope for the future. What Happens When a Supreme Court Justice Dissents? The question is often asked why a judge or Supreme Court justice might want to write a dissenting opinion since, in effect, their side lost. The fact is that dissenting opinions can be used in a number of key ways. First of all, judges want to make sure that the reason why they disagreed with the majority opinion of a court case is recorded. Further, publishing a dissenting opinion can help make the writer of the majority opinion clarify their position. This is the example given by Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her lecture about dissenting opinions. Secondly, a justice might write a dissenting opinion in order to affect future judgments in cases about situations similar to the case in question. In 1936,  Chief Justice Charles Hughes stated that â€Å"A dissent in a Court of last resort is an appeal...to the intelligence of a future day...† In other words, a justice might feel that the decision goes against the rule of law and hopes that similar decisions in the future will be different based on arguments listed in their dissent. For example, only two people disagreed in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case that ruled that African-American slaves should be viewed as property. Justice Benjamin Curtis wrote a forceful dissent about the travesty of this decision. Another famous example of this type of dissenting opinion  occurred when Justice John M. Harlan dissented to the  Plessy v. Ferguson  (1896) ruling, arguing against allowing racial segregation in the railway system. A third reason why a justice might write a dissenting opinion is in the hope that, through their words, they can get Congress to push forward legislation to correct what they see as issues with the way the law is written. Ginsburg talks about such an example for which she wrote the dissenting opinion in 2007. The issue at hand was the time frame within which a woman had to bring a suit for pay discrimination based on gender. The law was written quite narrowly, stating that an individual had to bring suit within 180 days of the discrimination occurring. However, after the decision was handed down, Congress took up the challenge and changed the law so that this time frame was greatly extended.   Concurring Opinions   Another type of opinion that can be delivered in addition to the majority opinion is a concurring opinion. In this type of opinion, a justice would agree with the majority vote but for different reasons than listed in the majority opinion. This type of opinion can sometimes be seen as a dissenting opinion in disguise. Sources Ginsburg, Hon. Ruth Bader. The Role of Dissenting Opinions. Minnesota Law Review. Sanders, Joe W. The Role of Dissenting Opinions In Louisiana. Louisiana Law Review, Volume 23 Number 4, Digital Commons, June 1963.

Organizational Culture At Lincoln Electric Company Essay

Organizational Culture at Lincoln Electric The Lincoln Electric Company, a manufacturer of welding equipment and supplies, was founded in 1895 by John C. Lincoln as a manufacturer of electric motors. In the early years of the 20th century, James F. Lincoln joined his brother’s company and by 1914 replaced John as the company head, allowing the latter to concentrate his efforts on scientific investigations. In those early years, James F. Lincoln implemented a number of programs and initiatives with served to define a company culture that was unique in its day and which has persisted for a century. Those programs and initiatives grew out of a stated mutual respect between workers and management, based largely on James F. Lincoln’s Christian beliefs and apparent genuine respect for the people who developed, manufactured and sold the company’s products. Among those programs was the creation of an Employee Advisory Board, a production based employee pay structure, and a group insurance program which was a rare benefit in its time. Today, Lincoln Electric continues to thrive and according to its 2014 Annual Report, generated revenues on the order of $2.8 billion resulting in net income of $255 million. The Cleveland, OH-based company now employs 10,000 worldwide where it operates 40 manufacturing facilities in 20 countries. Lincoln distributes its products to 160 countries. Lincoln’s culture can be described as people-oriented, with recognition of the valuable contributions madeShow MoreRelatedOrganizational Culture Of The Lincoln Electric Company1107 Words   |  5 PagesThe Culture of a Company, or the Organizational Culture like it is mentioned in Principles of Management, has gotten a new dimension for me in terms of importance to assure the success of a company. This Organizational Culture is based on a series of values that are defined and established by the founder of a company for instance, which has a deep relation with his ethics and moral values. Therefore, the first factor to outline would be what the culture of a company shows, that can describe alreadyRead MoreOrganizational Culture Of The Lincoln Electric Company1439 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The Lincoln Electric Company is the world’s largest manufacturer of welding machines and electrons. Lincoln employs 2,400 workers in two U.S. factories near Cleveland, OH and approximately 600 in three factories located in other countries. (The Lincoln Electric Company p. 1.) The main focus of this paper is to analyze the organizational culture of this company, by doing so, I will point out the different features, the rules and norms, beliefs and philosophies and the systems implementedRead MoreThe Organizational Culture Of The Lincoln Electric Company1035 Words   |  5 Pagesthe story of Lincoln Electric Company I’ve come to the Conclusion that their organizational culture they practicing is People-oriented culture. Because the company values fairness, supportiveness and they respect individual rights. There is a greater emphasis on expectation of treating people with respect and dignity. All the founders of the company had a great deal of continues influence on the positioning of the company today, form John C. Lincoln to James F. Lincoln. John C. Lincoln started itRead MoreThe Organizational Culture Of The Lincoln Electric Company1016 Words   |  5 PagesThe Organizational Culture of the Lincoln Electric Company The Lincoln Electric Company is one of the largest manufacturers of welding machines and electrodes in the world. With about 2,400 employees in the USA and near 600 workers in other countries. The Lincoln management plan is well known for accomplishing the highest worker productivity. His founder Mr. James F. Lincoln died in 1965, leaving a profitable and reliable company. As a president of the business, he invigorated a committee that wasRead MoreThe Impact Of Organizational Culture On The Lincoln Electric Company892 Words   |  4 PagesThrough my reading about LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY I can see that organizational culture played an important important role in success of this company. All main elements that form Oranizational culture represented in THE LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY, that what made this company prospered and thrived in its activity through the applying The P-O-L-C Framework effectively. I can discern the aspects of influence of oraganizational culture in manging this co mpany towards higher levels in output through theRead MoreOrganizational Culture And The Lincoln Electric Company1212 Words   |  5 PagesORGANISATIONAL CULTURE AND THE LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY The success of a business is intimately tied to the success of its culture. To understand better how organisational culture is created and maintained we will examine one of America’s most successfully managed companies, the Lincoln Electric company. We will examine many aspects of the company that contribute to its culture, such as the influence of the company’s founders, the golden rule, the incentive management plan, the performance appraisalRead MoreOrganizational Culture And The Lincoln Electric Company1303 Words   |  6 PagesORGANISATIONAL CULTURE AND THE LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY The success of a business is intimately tied to the success of its culture. To understand better how organisational culture is created and maintained we will examine one of America’s most successfully managed companies, the Lincoln Electric company. We will examine many aspects of the company that contribute to its culture, such as the influence of the company’s founders, the golden rule, the incentive management plan, the performance appraisalRead MoreAnalysis Of Lincoln Electric Company Of Cleveland Ohio Usa S Organizational Culture877 Words   |  4 PagesLincoln Electric Company of Cleveland Ohio USA`s organizational Culture is exceptional and has earned it the acolade of being the best managed manufacturing company in the whole world. I will explore and attempt to identify culture aspects of Lincoln Electric from several issues such as; the continuing influence of founders of the company, the golden rule, the incentive management plan,the performance appraisal system, how people communicate in the organization, the merit pay plan, the bonus planRead MoreThe Legacy Of The Lincoln Electric Company Essay718 Words   |  3 PagesThe Lincoln Electric Company proves that the right mix of â€Å"organizational culture styles† can achieve profitable business growth over the long haul. The continuing influence, employee benefits/incentives, and management styles initiated by company founder John C. Lincoln and James F. Lincoln have built a profitable business for shareholders and employees alike. Let’s, look at Mr. Author Sharplins Harvard Case study and The Lincoln Electric Company webpage to further delineate the styles of organizationalRead MoreLincoln Electric Company s Impact On Corporate Culture905 Words   |  4 Pagesvalue†; as found within Lincoln Electrics’ Vision Statement (Lincoln Electric 1999-2016). The beliefs and values transferred from company founders and instilled into employees can have an overwhelming impact on corporate culture. By establishing a positive corporate culture one can influence exceptional company performance. This is clearly demonstrated by Lincoln Electric Company, from its early days until its present day. I will present how the Lincoln Electric Company has done just that! Before

The Importance of Elsewhere Essay Example For Students

The Importance of Elsewhere Essay Choose two poems in which Larkin explores places, Discuss his use of language, form and structure and the attitudes he explores towards the subject (Here The Importance of Elsewhere).  As is common for Larkin he begins the poem Here on a journey. This particular poem suggests a train journey from the south-east, maybe in London where Larkin spent a great deal of his time, up to the north-east, to possibly his Home town of Hull. He depicts, from what we imagine to be his seat on the train, many features of post war England as the train moves out of the industrial shadows up to rural Landscape and back to urban surroundings before reaching its final destination. Larkin uses the idea of journeys and travelling to create the sensation of time passing or to illustrate changes in the world or economy. However, unlike Here, The Importance of Elsewhere does not see Larkin begin his journey, rather he begins this poem when he obviously feels, as indicated by the opening line lonely in Ireland. Many claim that this poem was written during the time Larkin spent working in Ireland. The feeling that perhaps Larkin did not fit in is suggested by the strict half rhyme scheme that runs through this poem, consisting of words that partly rhyme and sound as though they should fit together. Swerving East from Industrial shadows, Larkin begins his journey in the poem Here. Larkin who we imagine to be sat, starring from the train window, begins to list rural images to emphasise the countryside landscape as he passes through it. Using alliteration Larkin Links his words together in the list and creates a quicker pace to the end of the first eight-lined stanza skies and scarecrows, hares and Haystacks. As we move form the first stanza to the next, we become aware of a transition from rural landscape to urban surroundings.  Larkin now creates a list of 1950s post war England and comments upon the domes and statues and the cranes that cluster, also, characteristically, he uses hyphenated words to gradually paint a detailed image of what hes observing. In this case its grain-scattered streets and barge-crowded water. Larkin now in mid journey begins to toy with the idea of post war consumerism, and constructs a list of random material goods, which are unable to serve our needs, amongst which are cheap suits, red kitchen ware, sharp shoes, iced lollies.  The rhyme scheme remains unchanged, as we are again aware of another change in location. This new location claims Larkin, is only the place of a cut priced crowd visited only by salesman and relations. Yet larkin still plays with the ideas of never having it so good as he comments on mortgaged half built edges that are not yet owned let alone finished. Nevertheless, Larkin again describes the calm rural landscape and sets a still and silent atmosphere by finishing long windy sentences with a short stopping sentence. Using another list, Larkin begins to describe his rural surroundings hidden weeds flower, neglected waters quicken and he uses assonance when setting the bluish neutral background. The elemental images used by larkin such as water and earth create a calm tranquil setting. In the place where Larkin is, weeds are not killed off but left to flower, waters are not polluted or blocked but neglected and allowed to flow, nothing is hemmed in. Here claims Larkin is unfenced existence where he faces the sun, untalkative, out of reach.  Larkin begins The Importance of Elsewhere by claiming that hes lonely in Ireland but goes on to excuse the strange feeling he has since it was not home. .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a , .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a .postImageUrl , .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a , .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a:hover , .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a:visited , .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a:active { border:0!important; } .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a:active , .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua62e33b7bc9957feb0257990ce438b8a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Handmaid’s Tale Essay ThesisThe Importance of Elsewhere is a poem that reflects the strange, unusual feelings Larkin held while working in Ireland. Many claim that this is most strongly conveyed through the strict half rhyme scheme which runs through this poem. It is made up of three, four-lined stanzas, the first and third of which run parallel to each other, Larkin deliberately does this to invite the reader to make a comparison between the two. The first stanza of this poem clearly explains that Larkin feels lonely in Ireland, however, this is to be expected, claims Larkin, Since it was not home. He explains that once the difference between him and Ireland was recognised they were in touch.  The second stanza, as is common for Larkin, begins with Larkin constructing a list of the unusual features and customs of the Irish culture such as the draughty streets and the smell of dockland, while still managing to retain a strict half rhyme scheme. Leaving words such as Like a stable and not unworkable to rhyme. All the unusual features of Irish life, Claim Larkin prove that he is separate. However, using a double negative deems them not unworkable. In the final stanza, Larkin recognises the customs and establishments of English life and declares that these would be much more serious to refuse. This final stanza illustrates that Larkin feels peculiar in both his own country and in Ireland as he proposes, living in England has no such excuse .  In Ireland Larkin is perhaps more justified in his feelings, as he is not at home in familiar surroundings, surrounded by familiar faces, and so should feel a little strange? However, the fact that Larkin feels England has no such excuse shows us that he feels awkward there as well, Hence the importance of elsewhere for Larkin. Both poems conclusively point to the same thing, and therefore both have similar endings. The Fact that Larkin is not a people person and views himself as a person in the shade(w w) is suggested by the endings of both Here and The Importance of Elsewhere where Larkin ends up alone or talking about a place where he can be alone. Here sees Larkin travel on a long train journey to end up in unfenced existence, out of sight and out of reach, many argue, this is as Larkin would prefer.  However, The Importance of Elsewhere talks of how Larkin feels strange away from home as he does at home, and stresses the importance of elsewhere, where no elsewhere underwrites Larkins existence.

Nvqundertake Physiological Measurements free essay sample

You would think the pressure would drop to zero when the heart wasn’t beating however this isn’t the case. Due to the elasticity of the arteries which recoil during relaxation of the heart and expands during the beat, this keeps the pressure within the limits required to perfuse the tissues of the body. High blood pressure or hypertension is known as the â€Å"silent killer†. This is because it rarely has obvious symptoms, around 30% of people in England have high blood pressure but many don’t know it. As we said above blood pressure is the force on our vascular system. If this pressure is too high it can put strain on our arteries and heart, which can lead to MI, CVA or kidney disease. You are said to have high blood pressure (hypertension) if readings on separate occasions consistently show your blood pressure to be 140/90mmHg or higher. Low blood pressure or hypotension is a condition where the blood pressure is abnormally low. We will write a custom essay sample on Nvqundertake Physiological Measurements or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page From above you would think this was only a good thing. But unfortunately a systolic blood pressure of below 90mmHg can cause real problems. The lower you blood pressure becomes the less blood reaches our vital organs like the brain. This can cause simple symptoms such as dizziness or faints. However prolonged hypotension below 80-90mmHg can cause toxins to build up in the blood, this is because the kidneys need a certain amount of blood pressure to filter the blood properly. This can be fatal if left untreated. 2. 2 Body temperature is a measurement of the body’s ability to generate or get rid of excess heat. When the body gets to hot the blood vessels near the skin dilate to carry the excess heat to your skins surface. You will also begin to sweat as the sweat evaporates this helps cool you body. When the body becomes too cold our blood vessels contract, this reduces the blood flow to the skins surface to conserve body heat. As we become colder the body can start an involuntary response called shivering. This is where the muscles of the body rapidly contract this extra muscle activity helps generate more heat. Normal body temperature is around 37 °C this is an average of normal body temperatures. Your temperature may actually be 0. 6 °C above or below 37 °C depending on the outside temperature or you level of activity. Pyrexia is an elevated body temperature usually above 37. 5 °C. This is one of the ways are immune system attempt to fight an infection. Usually the rise in body temperature helps fight the infection however sometimes the body’s temperature can rise too much. This condition is known as Hyperpyrexia. Hyperpyrexia is when the body’s temperature rises above 41 °C. This condition is normal more common in children and young adults, it is extremely dangerous and requires immediate medical intervention. Hypothermia is the opposite of pyrexia. Hypothermia is when the body temperature drops below 35 °C. Hypothermia is usually caused by being in a cold environment. This can be outside in cold conditions but many elderly patients are in there own home without heating on. Hypothermia can quickly become life-threatening so should be treated quickly. 2. 3 Respiratory rate is the number of breaths a person takes over 60 seconds. This is usually taken at rest by counting the amount of times a person chest rises over 30secs, then times that figure by two. It is important you do this without the patient knowing as this can dramatically affect the rate. A normal respiratory rate is anywhere between 10-20 breaths per minute. This number can vary greatly depending on the person individual fitness level, or the patient’s level of activity immediately before the assessment (at rest or exercising). The brain stem is the primary controller of respiratory rate. It receives input from sensors that detect oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood. In ill patients especially patients with COPD who brain works slightly differently with regards to oxygen levels. If we introduce higher levels of oxygen than they are use to we can actually cause the brain to stop the person breathing. Other conditions such as severe head injuries to the brain can cause damage to the brain stem again effecting/stopping the patient’s respiratory rate. The presence of drugs or alcohol is an important factor that also can affect respiratory rate. Certain prescription drugs, such as narcotic pain relievers can depress the respiratory center in the brainstem. High levels of alcohol have the same effect which can cause respiratory arrest. 2. 4 A normal pulse rate for and adult is between 60-100 beats per minute. Babies infants and children can have massively different pulse rates. To take a patients pulse you first need to find a pulse site on the body. There are many pulse sites on the body but the top five are as followed; 1. Carotid side of the neck 2. Radial the wrist 3. Femoral near the groin 4. Pedal on the foot 5. Brachial at the inside of the elbow or under the shoulder. Factors which can affect pulse rate are as followed activity level, fitness level, body position (standing up or lying down, for example) emotions, body size or medications. Patients with high blood pressure can be treated with a drug called a beta blocker this simply reduces the pulse rate which in turn helps reduces blood pressure. Pulse oximerty is an extremely important tool. It is non-invasive technique to monitor oxygenation. It monitors the percentage of haemoglobin that is oxygen-saturated. Oxygen saturation (SATS) should normally always be above 95%, although patients with chronic conditions such as COPD it will be lower. The patient will usually no their own individual oxygen SATS. Treating a patient with COPD must be done carefully, as stated above high oxygen levels could cause these patients to go into respiratory arrest. With that in mind patients must be treated individually. A normal health person with SATS below 95% will probably need treatment with either a nebulizer or high flow oxygen. However all the observations must be taken into consideration when treating any patient. 2. 5 BMI is a measurement to see if your weight is healthy for your height. For most adults, an ideal BMI is in the range 18. 5 to 24. 9. If your BMI is 25 or more, you’re over the ideal weight for your height: * 25 to 29. 9 is overweight * 30 to 39. 9 is obese * 40 or more is very obese If your BMI is less than 18. 5, youre under the ideal weight for your height. By using this index a patient can control the dietary intake to control weight gain or loss to ensure they stay within the ideal range.

A Profile of the Bali Tiger

A Profile of the Bali Tiger Name: Bali Tiger; also known as Panthera tigris balica Habitat: The Island of Bali in Indonesia Historical Epoch: Late Pleistocene-modern (20,000 to 80 years ago) Size and Weight: Up to seven feet long and 200 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Relatively small size; dark orange fur    Adapted Perfectly to Its Habitat Along with two other Panthera tigris subspeciesthe Javan Tiger and the Caspian Tigerthe Bali Tiger went completely extinct over 50 years ago. This relatively small tiger (the largest males didnt much exceed 200 pounds) was adapted perfectly to its equally small habitat, the Indonesian island of Bali, a territory roughly the size of Rhode Island. Considered to Be Evil Spirits There probably werent that many Bali Tigers around even when this species was at its peak, and they were regarded distrustfully by the indigenous settlers of Bali, who considered them to be evil spirits (and liked to grind up their whiskers to make poison). However, the Bali Tiger wasnt truly imperiled until the first European settlers arrived on Bali in the late 16th century; over the next 300 years, these tigers were hunted by the Dutch as nuisances or simply for sport, and the last definitive sighting was in 1937 (though some stragglers likely persisted for another 20 or 30 years). Two Theories About Differences With the Javan Tiger As you may already have surmised, if youre up on your geography, the Bali Tiger was closely related to the Javan Tiger, which inhabited a neighboring island in the Indonesian archipelago. There are two equally plausible explanations for the slight anatomical differences between these subspecies, as well as their different habitats. Theory 1:  the formation of the Bali Strait shortly after the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, split a population of these tigers last common ancestors, which went on to develop independently over the next few thousand years. Theory 2: only Bali or Java was inhabited by tigers after this split, and some brave individuals swam the two-mile-wide strait to populate the other island.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 50

Leadership - Essay Example All organizations should have a purpose that brings people together to work towards achieving it. It is the role of leaders to put human beings in the best environment to meet the objectives of the organization by proving to them all they need in order to accomplish the purpose of the organization (Burns, 2012). Groups are preferred to solve problems in organizations due to the fact that groups have a variety of talent and abilities that can be pooled together to solve the inherent problem amicably. However, the individuals in a group possess different skills and each one of them will try to utilize his/her own abilities to outshine the other in order to stand out as the most valued member of the group. In the process, the primary intention of group work that was meant to be cooperation turns out to be competition among individual members. In some instances the competition among group members turns out to be unhealthy as members will resort to utilizing uncouth techniques to outshine each other thus losing the core purpose of the team and in the long run the purpose that the team was meant for is not achieved (Burns,

The investment demand schedule Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The investment demand schedule - Essay Example (Finpipe n.d.) The economic crisis has played a great role on interest rates needed to make an investment demand schedule. This study will review the factors that affect investment demand schedules of financing. 1. Supply and demand of money. What happened during the boom time before the crisis? Before the economic crisis, banks had enough supply of money and people demands for business expansion, housing, cars and credit. Banks gets their funds from depositors who are paid 6% interest rate on their savings, and banks lend this money to borrowers at 8%. When demand for money gets bigger than the sufficient funds of the bank, interest rates become higher. Why, because the bank will also borrow funds from other sources which charges them interest. This will necessarily increase the rate of interest in borrowing. 2. Monetary policies. The monetary policies of the government could either tighten or loosen the money supply. Loosening money supply is the policy of printing money for circulation by the Central Bank. Tightening it causes interest rate to increase. Monetary policies are decisions done by the government to manage the economy in such a way that it tries to determine how much money supply is needed. 3. Inflation. Inflation is defined as â€Å"an increase in the amount of money and credit in relation to the supply of goods and services† (YourDictionary) T control inflation, government issues several policies to curb inflation. One of these is printing of money for money supply. 3.1 The government monetary policy of printing money for supply circulation is called monetary inflation. In global economy today, the amount of money in circulation can be provided by financial institutions and can be more complex because of interest rates. (Your Dictionary) 3.2 Effect of Government borrowings. An investment demand schedule is needed by the government for public expenditures. When the tax collected is not sufficient for projected expenses,

Thomas Kuhn Vs Jacques Derrida Essay Example for Free

Thomas Kuhn Vs Jacques Derrida Essay Thomas Samuel Kuhn (1922-1996) name is remembered for his enduring work in the philosophy of Science. Born on 18th July 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, his thoughts on the History of Science became most influential doctrine for the scientists. In his most famous book â€Å"The Structure of Scientific Revolutions†, Kuhn brought about the main essence of Scientific Revolutions through the ages. As a graduate student in theoretical physics at Harvard, he conceptualized the evolution of scientific thoughts and studies as periodic revolutions since ages, which he named as â€Å"paradigm shifts†. (Kuhn 1996) Kuhn says that, â€Å"Science is not a steady, cumulative acquisition of knowledge. Instead, science is â€Å"a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions.† (Thomas Kuhn, Online Edition) This implies that aspiring Scientists tend to follow the accepted norms and patterns and act and are trained within these â€Å"Received Beliefs† (Kuhn 1996) but these accepted beliefs tend to undergo through transitional phases. One set of belief takes the place of another set of belief and then scientists come forward with their own assumptions through these set of beliefs. This trend takes the form of revolution, which carries the world forward periodically. In other words, we can see the revolution in the scientific world every now and then. Kuhn’s theory is all about the sociological presumptions of science as seen or perceived by humans. This Paradigm shift is not about just the theories but the perceived beliefs or thought processes that go along with the changes in theory. This paradigm shift or scientific discoveries make its appearance in three phases. The first one is in the pre-scientific phase, whereby scientists have never arrived on any one consensus on any propounded theory. There have been criticism and contradictions resulting in several contrary and incomplete theories, and this leads to second phase which is Normal Science and scientists undergoing discoveries in this phase set their own assumptions right by their own several theories which they call as paradigms and explain their discovery within that paradigm in detail. But here too criticism can crop up and so scientists now give space to their experiments and explain their theory or Paradigm with the help of their experimental evidence. And again if some one comes out with the whole new definition of the theory then new stage of beliefs start. In all the arena of the scientific world, when new takes the place of old bestowing among the aspiring scientist’s new waves of thoughts, this according to Kuhn is paradigm shift. In these complexities of the world we find our-self facing number of paradoxes and complexities of life. On one hand, scientific philosophy has given us new lease of life on other hand philosophers like Jacques Derrida shows us the mirror of the sociological aspects of our daily principles and experiences that we face. Jacques Derrida argues that all human beings have to pass through different experiences according to the time. In other words, time is a big factor for the life experiences that human beings have to face. The experiences that human beings face arise in present time only, which do not have any link to the past. These experiences are a type of events, which are totally different from the experiences felt in the past. But, these experiences do make us remember our past and enable us to make anticipation about the future. And this remembrance about the past due to our experiences in the present and our anticipation for our future take place in continuity and is repeated. In other words whatever sequence of events have taken place now though do not have any connection in the past but there are certain cords or threads that have shades in our past that make our present experiences link to our past. Jacques Derrida is a French philosopher of today who conceptualized the school of deconstruction with a vision that has been applied to literature and linguistic writing and is a historical continuous cultural process of writing leaving the old conventional paradigm and moving into new. Both the Jacques Derrida and Kuhn are contemporary philosophers, two sides of same coin. Both are the philosophers of genre capturing the essence of what makes the true meaning of our lives, and what is basic truth about life. Kuhn, by delving into the history of science gives us the theory of our existence. He believes that whatever in our life if not scientifically proved, then it has no existence and no value. We are caught in the web of the accepted paradigms which keep on changing periodically but whose roots are same. One paradigm gives the way to another paradigm, scientifically yet true and scientists make the discovery on the set paradigm. In Kuhn own words, â€Å"the historian of science may be tempted to exclaim that when paradigms change, the world itself changes with them. Led by a new paradigm, scientists adopt new instruments and look in new places. Even more important, during revolutions scientists see new and different things when looking with familiar instruments in places they have looked before. It is rather as if the professional community had been suddenly transported to another planet where familiar objects are seen in a different light and are joined by unfamiliar ones as well†. (Kuhn 1996) On the other hand, Jacques Derrida is a philosopher of different mood and artistic soul. He too says old paves the wave for new but roots of the new still lies in the old. There are some traces of old in new. According to Helen Cixus, he belongs to â€Å"The Incorruptible† (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 2006), the whole new generation of writers whose writings will always remain fresh and enticing for the readers. No other thinker in last 100 years has astounded and had an impact on philosophers, theologians, literary and art critics, psychologists, writers and artists than Jacques Derrida and it is also true about him that no other thinker than him has been greatly misunderstood. Kuhn’s vision was scientific and how science has constructed and deconstructed the world around us since centuries and Jacques Derrida interpreted writers, philosophers and sociologists to bring out the problem of current sociological interests. He gave us entirely new and hidden interpretations of writers from Plato to Joyce. He delves on the fact that from every structure like any literary, psychological, social, economic, political or religious device, which captures within our soul, our experiences of life makes us face the world through the process of â€Å"Exclusion.†(Direk Lawlor 2002) And it is absolutely sure that in the process of newly found creation, there is always something, which is left out. There is some missing cord or missing link, which we never able to make out but they make their appearance felt. Kuhn and Jacques Derrida were philosophers of different dimensions but gave us same reflection of life. Kuhn analyzed the works of scientists and Derrida analyzed the works for writers. He breathes and mourns through the eyes and souls of different writers whereas Kuhn breathes through the heart and soul of scientists and their discoveries that are giving our lives new directions. Derrida writes through the works of other writers that is his voice is a voice of other writers whereas Kuhn reflects the voice of scientific revolution through the ages. Reference List Direk Z. Lawlor L. 2002. Jacques Derrida: Critical Assessments of Leading. Published by Routledge. Kuhn, T. (1996). The structure of scientific revolutions (3rd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Butler J. 2004. Jacques Derrida. Retrieved on January 12, 2008 from W.W.W: http://www.lrb.co.uk/v26/n21/butl02_.html Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2006. Jacques Derrida. Retrieved on January 12, 2008 from W.W.W: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/derrida/#Inc Thomas Kuhn. Online Edition. Retrieved on January 12, 2008 from W.W.W: http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/Kuhnsnap.html

Classical Philosophers Essay -- essays research papers

Classical Philosophy The golden age of Greece was an age of thinking, of knowledge, and of the arts. Some of the greatest minds of any time projected their ideas upon the masses. They were called philosophers. These were men whose minds developed some of the most abstract and revolutionary ideas of the time. Some of them were put to death for their ideas and their beliefs and became martyrs for their cause. During this age, three philosophers in particular stood out from the rest. Socrates Socrates was the first of the three great philosophers. Before devoting his life to his teachings and philosophies, he was a stonemason and also served as a soldier of some distinction during the Peloponnesian war. He never wrote any of his teachings down, and he preferred to speak about his beliefs and philosophies. He also involved himself with the political workings of Athens. He spent most of his life in discussion with young aristocratic men, unrelentingly questioning their blind confidence in popular opinion, but he never offered them any outlined abstract teaching. He merely conversed and questioned their beliefs. Also, unlike other Sophists of the time, he refused to accept pay for his teachings. Because he had no texts written by himself on his beliefs, we turn to his followers for information on his beliefs. Plato documents many of Socrates’ conversations with the youth of Athens in his book, Plato’s Republic. In 405 BC Socrates was convicted (wrongly I might add) of corrupting the youth of Athens, interfering with the religion of the city, and for his intervention into politics. There is a text called `Apology’, which documents his unsuccessful defense speech before the Athenian jury. In 399 BC, surrounded by friends and disciples, he drank hemlock (a poison made from the plant with the same name) and died gracefully. Socrates’ beliefs were not only revolutionary, but also controversial. He spoke with disdain about the gods, and refuted the notion that ‘good’ is doing whatever pleases them. Many texts document his beliefs and morals. Most informative of these are in Plato’s Republic. The best known out of all of his ideas were ideas about virtue, and doing what is right and good. Plato Plato was the next great philosopher, chronologically. It should be noted that Plato’s real name was Aristocles, and that Plato was a nickname, roughly translated to mean... ...e city. Here he started his own academy, known as the Lyceum, and here he began to teach Alexander. (Note: This is where the chain ended. Alexander did not become a philosopher, and did not teach anyone else) Not long after Aristotle returned to Athens, the Athenian people revolted against Macedonian rule. Due to his political position (some would describe it as betrayal) and to avoid being executed, he fled to the island of Euboea, where he died soon afterwards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristotle’s works were modern for the time. He had distinguished dolphins and whales from fish, created a classification system quite similar to the one in place today, and formed many astronomical ideas, which were not far from the truth. It should also be noted that in medieval times, he gained a great many followers after some of his preserved works were found, and the disciples of the late philosopher generally believed his works as absolute truth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These philosophers made a great impact, even thousands of years after their lives. We still look to their works for answers, and there are systems they themselves created that are still being put into use today. Classical Philosophers Essay -- essays research papers Classical Philosophy The golden age of Greece was an age of thinking, of knowledge, and of the arts. Some of the greatest minds of any time projected their ideas upon the masses. They were called philosophers. These were men whose minds developed some of the most abstract and revolutionary ideas of the time. Some of them were put to death for their ideas and their beliefs and became martyrs for their cause. During this age, three philosophers in particular stood out from the rest. Socrates Socrates was the first of the three great philosophers. Before devoting his life to his teachings and philosophies, he was a stonemason and also served as a soldier of some distinction during the Peloponnesian war. He never wrote any of his teachings down, and he preferred to speak about his beliefs and philosophies. He also involved himself with the political workings of Athens. He spent most of his life in discussion with young aristocratic men, unrelentingly questioning their blind confidence in popular opinion, but he never offered them any outlined abstract teaching. He merely conversed and questioned their beliefs. Also, unlike other Sophists of the time, he refused to accept pay for his teachings. Because he had no texts written by himself on his beliefs, we turn to his followers for information on his beliefs. Plato documents many of Socrates’ conversations with the youth of Athens in his book, Plato’s Republic. In 405 BC Socrates was convicted (wrongly I might add) of corrupting the youth of Athens, interfering with the religion of the city, and for his intervention into politics. There is a text called `Apology’, which documents his unsuccessful defense speech before the Athenian jury. In 399 BC, surrounded by friends and disciples, he drank hemlock (a poison made from the plant with the same name) and died gracefully. Socrates’ beliefs were not only revolutionary, but also controversial. He spoke with disdain about the gods, and refuted the notion that ‘good’ is doing whatever pleases them. Many texts document his beliefs and morals. Most informative of these are in Plato’s Republic. The best known out of all of his ideas were ideas about virtue, and doing what is right and good. Plato Plato was the next great philosopher, chronologically. It should be noted that Plato’s real name was Aristocles, and that Plato was a nickname, roughly translated to mean... ...e city. Here he started his own academy, known as the Lyceum, and here he began to teach Alexander. (Note: This is where the chain ended. Alexander did not become a philosopher, and did not teach anyone else) Not long after Aristotle returned to Athens, the Athenian people revolted against Macedonian rule. Due to his political position (some would describe it as betrayal) and to avoid being executed, he fled to the island of Euboea, where he died soon afterwards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristotle’s works were modern for the time. He had distinguished dolphins and whales from fish, created a classification system quite similar to the one in place today, and formed many astronomical ideas, which were not far from the truth. It should also be noted that in medieval times, he gained a great many followers after some of his preserved works were found, and the disciples of the late philosopher generally believed his works as absolute truth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These philosophers made a great impact, even thousands of years after their lives. We still look to their works for answers, and there are systems they themselves created that are still being put into use today.

Becoming an Effective Leader Essay

Learner name: Section 1: Understand own ability to fulfil key responsibilities of the leadership role. An evaluation of my own ability to use a range of leadership styles, in different situations and with different types of people, to fulfil the leadership role. There are in essence, four core leadership theory groups [1], which are: Trait theories, Behavioural theories, Contingency theories and Power and influence theories. Look more:  define research objectives essay I strongly believe that a leader must be adaptable to the situation and therefore prefer the Contingency theories. I shall therefore use two contingency theories to illustrate my ability to fulfil key responsibilities of my leadership role. I will use two contingency theories in my illustration. Hersey and Blanchard model The Hersey and Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory was created by Dr Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in the mid-70’s. The fundamental basis of this theory is that there is no single ‘best’ leadership style and effective leaders have to adapt their styles depending upon the maturity level of delegates. So essentially the model rests on two fundamental concepts; leadership styles and the groups or individuals maturity level [2] . Hersey and Blanchard defines four Leadership Styles [3]: Telling (S1) – where the leader directs people what to do and how to do it. Selling (S2) – where the leader provides information and direction, selling the message to get people on board, and providing support. Participating (S3) – where the leader works with the team, sharing the decision making and responsibilities. Focus is more on relationship and less on direction. Delegating (S4) – where the leader passes most of the responsibility for a task onto the individual or group, only monitoring progress. S1 requires the most effort on the part of the leader which reduces through S2 and S3 to S4,  which requires the least effort. Style S4 therefore would enable the leader to deliver more for the same effort. However effectiveness of the individual or team will depend on their Maturity Level. Hersey and Blanchard also define four Maturity Levels: M1 – where people lack knowledge, skill or confidence to work independently, and require direction and prompts to progress the task. M2 – where people are willing to deliver but still lack the requisite skills for effective delivery of the task. M3 – where people are willing to deliver and have reasonable skill level but still require confidence to deliver effectively. M4 – where people have high skill and confidence levels and are able to work independently and are committed for successful delivery. The model maps each style to the appropriate maturity level. So a leader should identify the maturity level of his reports and use the most appropriate style to ensure most effective delivery of the task. The leader needs to provide a detailed level of direction and regular intervention to less mature team to compensate for the lower skill, motivation and confidence levels. In time the team will improve and will become a less burdensome leadership style. Accordingly, this model is suitable for developing a static team in the longer term. New members into the team will have to be assimilated in a planned way and there needs to be careful succession planning to ensure the maturity level of the team does not deteriorate. Adair’s Action Centred Leadership Model Adair’s theories encompass motivation theories by Maslow, Herzberg and Fayol and he was probably the first to demonstrate that leadership is a trainable, transferable skill, rather than it being an exclusively inborn ability. The model developed by John Adair in the 60’s and 70’s suggests [4] that a leader must: Achieve the task Develop the team, and Develop the individual The three elements are mutually dependant but are separately essential for an effective leadership role. He also defines certain key functions of a leader: Planning- information gathering, scope definition, objective setting Initiation- briefing, allocation, quality management Controlling – quality control, monitor progress, decision-making Supporting – individuals, team, encouragement Informing – communication, feedback Evaluating – assessment In many ways the Adair model is very similar to the Hersey and Blanchard model, particularly the emphasis on developing individuals and team. However the key focus is on the task, rather than developing the team per se. For this reason this model is particularly suited to a non-static team where teams are constructed for specific projects, rather than assigning the project to an existing team. Own ability to use the styles – Hersey-Blanchard model In 2004, I was requested by my then Head of Service to take on a severely broken team due to some significant issues. The team of six was responsible for managing and delivering the work of nearly 100 part time front line staff. It was headed by a senior team leader who had been in post for around 30 years and had moulded the team to her personal style. Anyone challenging the authority of the team leader was bullied mercilessly until they became compliant or simply left. The bullying even extended to life outside work. As a result of the approach, there was high turnover of staff and there was very little initiative amongst the remaining staff. Individuals were initially reported as being highly competent but later were blamed for things going wrong, shortly before they left. The team was very tightly knit and generally appeared supportive of the team leader. However the lack of initiative resulted in a team that would be classed as having maturity level M1 in the Hersey-Blanchard model and therefore resulted in the team leader having to deliver every task with a significant level of personal effort. Things came to a head when five staff left in quick succession, reporting similar issues in the newly introduced exit interviews. I was therefore asked to lead the team and make necessary improvements. Very quickly, I made an assessment of the maturity level of the team and came to the conclusion that the team required a great deal of direction to ensure tasks are delivered. I therefore took the decision to  move my desk to be amongst the failing team to enable me to direct the team more effectively. I would also be able to prevent any bullying and be able to penetrate the ‘closed shop’ of the team. The impact of this action was almost immediate as the team leader refused to cooperate and then went on sick leave when I insisted that she worked with me. With support from the other teams, I was able to support and reassure the dysfunctional team to improve their skill, competence and confidence levels. The task was made difficult by the fact that I had little technical expertise in the area. However, as I gained confidence of the existing staff, I was able to improve service delivery and the absent team leader realised that she was becoming less necessary. She returned and agreed to support me but I discovered attempts to undermine me and observed continued evidence of bullying. I therefore suspended her and commenced investigations by an independent solicitor. During the period of the investigations, I assessed that the team had moved from Hersey-Blanchards M1 maturity level to M2 maturity level. As a result, my life became easier and I was able to start implementing the structural changes that were necessary to improve performance. The investigations took about a year and resulted in dismissal of the original team leader as evidenc e of her actions became clear. The team slowly improved as each team member was empowered to carry out the tasks. The biggest impact was on recruitment and retention in that team, and also in the front line staff managed by them. Previously, we carried a vacancy rate of 35%, which all but disappeared and recruitment drives became oversubscribed. We were able to extend the scope of project delivery and increase targets, partly as a result of the reduced vacancy rate but also due to increased efficiency. By year 4, we were delivering almost four times the projects we used to with virtually the same establishment (albeit without a significant vacancy rate). We were by then identified as national leaders in that particular field and won several prestigious awards. I achieved the above by utilising Hersey-Blanchard model and investing a lot of personal effort and energy into the plan that I developed. To be clear, I did have a great deal of support from my superiors and other teams, but there was a lot of hard work. However, it was also a good development opportunity for me and very rewarding due to the reaction from my staff. Given the outcome described above I consider that I have successfully used  the Hersey and Blanchard model to fulfil the leadership role in managing and developing the team and therefore conclude that I have the ability to use this model in a constructive and appropriate way. Own ability to use the styles – Adair’s Action Centred model In 2010, I was asked to work on a  £133million project to build a new bridge over the River Wear. I worked with the Project Director to design the delivery team. There was three distinct phases to the project: 1. Developing the Business case/Funding 2. Detailed design 3. Construction The project was to be delivered by consultants embedded into the team, constituency of which would vary for the three phases. By necessity, we used the Adair’s model i.e. using a task-centric approach. As the Contracts Manager, my responsibility was to deliver the contract documents, manage the design phase and create a team for the construction phase. I planned how the work would be delivered, defining the scope and setting objectives for each workstream. The Consultants, based internationally delivered the scope to my specification and ensured all parties were aware if exactly what was required. I implemented a quality management system to ensure work was of adequate quality and held weekly meetings through teleconference to check on progress. Critical path analysis of the programme was of significant importance in ensuring delivery was on track. To ensure good communications, I chaired a monthly face-to-face meeting with key staff from all four Consultants when we were able to review and assess the work delivery. I also reassigned members of the team to other tasks for the construction phase to fully exploit the developed team and planned the expansion very carefully so as not to compromise the team dynamics. Unfortunately funding for the project was discontinued and I left for other roles before completion. The contract documents were produced aznd the detailed design was almost 85% complete however. I consider that the above demonstrates that I have successfully used Adairs Action Centred Model given that I have actively planned, initiated, controlled, supported, informed and to a great extent, evaluated tasks produced by the team. Although the project was not delivered due to a funding gap, the output nevertheless demonstrates my ability to use this model to fulfil the leadership role. As  a result of the foregoing, I am able to conclude that I have a developed ability to use a range of leadership styles to fulfil the leadership role. Use theories of emotional intelligence to review the effect of emotions on own and others’ performance. The theories of emotional intelligence that I will use for this task are Goleman [5] and Mayer and Salovey [6]. Mayer and Salovey Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer developed what is widely recognised as the first formal theory of emotional intelligence and carried out a detailed a review of then-existing literature on the subject in a paper published in 1990. They define Emotional Intelligence (EI) as â€Å"The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and to regulate emotions to promote personal growth.† They view emotions as sources of information to help one to understand and navigate the social environment to achieve performance improvement and conclude that individuals vary in their ability to process emotional information and how they relate emotional information to intelligence. They see certain adaptive behaviours amongst some people as evidence for the existence of this ability. The model claims that EI includes four types of abilities: The ability to perceive emotions – in faces, pictures and voices, including the ability to identify one†™s own emotions. Salovey and Mayer see this as a basic aspect of EI as it enables one to process all other EI information. The ability to use emotions – to facilitate other cognitive abilities, such as problem solving and thinking. The best EI person would be able to use this ability to enhance their performance in other cognitive tasks. The ability to understand emotions – this includes the ability to be sensitive to slight variations in emotions of self and others and also the ability to understand how emotions evolve over time. The ability to manage emotions – to regulate own emotion and that of others. Harnessing both positive and negative emotions and managing them to achieve the goals. Salovey and Mayer later collaborated with Caruso to develop [7] the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) based on a series of emotion-based problem-solving items. The model claims that EI is a type of intelligence, and is similar to the ability-based IQ tests. By testing a person’s abilities on each of the four branches of  emotional intelligence, it generates scores for each of the branches as well as a total score. Because EI requires individuals to be in tune with social norms, the MSCEIT is scored in a consensus fashion, with higher scores indicating higher overlap between one’s answers and those provided by the control sample. The MSCEIT can also be expert-scored, so that the amount of overlap is calculated between one’s answers and those provided by a group of emotion researchers. Although promoted as an ability test, the MSCEIT is unlike standard IQ tests in that its items do not have objectively correct responses. Among other challenges, the consensus scoring criterion means that it is impossible to create questions that only a minority of respondents can solve, because, by definition, responses are deemed emotionally â€Å"intelligent† only if the majority of the sample has endorsed them. Also this is likely to then lead to stereotyping and cultural bias. Organisations using them could therefore be at risk of being in breach of equalities legislation, albeit unintentionally or indirectly. The model has therefore been criticised for lacking predictability and there has been questions whether EI is really a genuine intelligence factor. In a study by Fà ¸llesdal [8] , the MSCEIT test results of 111 business leaders were compared with how their employees described their leader. It was found that there were no correlation between the test results and how the leader was rated by the employees, with regard to empathy, ability to motivate, and leader effectiveness. Goleman Goleman discusses Emotional Quotient (EQ) and sets out two key aspects of intelligence as having the ability to understand self (goals, intentions, responses, behaviour) and the ability to understand others and their feelings. He identifies five ‘domains’ of EQ, which are: Knowing own emotions. Managing own emotions. Motivating self. Recognising and understanding other people’s emotions. Managing relationships, i.e., managing the emotions of others. By developing our own Emotional Intelligence in these five EQ domains, we can become more effective at what we do, and achieve the best from our reports. This would  also reduce stress, by decreasing conflict, improving relationships and understanding, and help in succession planning. Goleman sets out the framework within which to EI competence could be improved and identifies two areas where this is to be achieved; personal and social competencies. Goleman and Cherniss have jointly produced a paper [11] for The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations identifying 22 guidelines which represent the best current knowledge relating to the promotion of EQ in the workplace, summarised as: Paving the way assess the organization’s needs assessing the individual delivering assessments with care maximising learning choice encouraging participation linking goals and personal values adjusting individual expectations assessing readiness and motivation for EQ development Doing the work of change foster relationships between EQ trainers and learners self-directed change and learning setting goals breaking goals down into achievable steps providing opportunities for practice give feedback using experiential methods build in support use models and examples encourage insight and self-awareness Encourage transfer and maintenance of change (sustainable change) encourage application of new learning in jobs develop organizational culture that supports learning Evaluating the change – did it work? evaluate individual and organizational effect Cary Cherniss expands on this [12] and sets out the research demonstrating that someone’s ability to perceive, identify, and manage emotion provides the basis for the kinds of social and emotional competencies that are important for success in almost any job. Furthermore, as the pace of change increases and pressures on existing resources makes ever greater demands from us, this particular set of abilities will become increasingly important. Leaders therefore need to use emotional intelligence to improve both productivity and well-being of our staff. The criticism and research indicating EI not to be a ‘proper’ intelligence mainly relate to objectivity of the premise, inability to use it as a predictive tool and its use as selection criteria. EI nevertheless remains a very useful tool in the armoury of a leader in order to motivate and achieve better outcomes for tasks. Care however needs to be taken to ensure cultural differences are considered when using techniques identified in the EI models. Effect of Emotion on Performance I have had experience of an individual; Richard, who was unable to manage his own emotions, as described by Mayer and Salovey. He would perform quite adequately under most circumstances; however if some of the technical work he was carrying out was contrary to his view, he would slowly build up resentment. For example I used to assign him tasks to investigate and implement accident reduction measures. He would suggest some solution, and if I decided not to take his advice and required him to implement a different solution, his output would reduce and he would take almost twice as long to deliver the desired outcome. Over time, this resentment would build up until he reacted with a disproportionate level of anger to some instruction, manifesting as shouting in an open office and walking off in a huff. I have had discussions with him about this approach during his ‘calm’ periods and he described a ‘red mist’ descending that he was unable to control. Mayer and Salovey’s theory helped me understand that Richard did not have the ability to use, understand or manage his own emotions and this had a devastating impact on his performance, not only for the instances when he disagreed with any decision that did not accord with his own, but also because others around him felt he was somewhat ‘unstable’ and were wary of working with him. Which also had significant adverse impact on Richards performance, acting like a vicious cycle where the more he failed to deliver adequately, the more he received criticism and pressure which in turn  affected him emotionally and reduced his output. Improving his performance was a very difficult preposition and I sought help of HR and arranged counselling and support. However I never did feel that Richard was performing to his full potential for the period I managed him, although there was some improvement. This was a clear example of how performance can be adversely affected by a fa ilure to manage ones emotions as described by Meyer and Salovey. I understand that my own performance is also significantly affected by my own emotions. I have on occasion felt annoyed or even angry due to some action or inaction by colleagues. Conversely, I have often felt compelled to go the extra mile to deliver excellence for a colleague or Manager who gives me praise in the correct manner. Golemans framework has helped me to appreciate that emotions can have both a positive and negative impact on performance and that EI can be used to improve performance. Upon reflection on occasions that I have become annoyed, I have come to realise that there has inevitable been a negative impact on my performance, either due to lack of enthusiasm to perform or as a result of lack of cooperation from others who might had noticed my annoyance. For example within the last few months, I was severely criticised for failing to grasp the nettle with respect to managing my revenue budget by a superior officer. His approach was pre-planned and was clearly bullying behaviour. He did not assess the situation adequately, jumping to inappropriate conclusion about my ability, based on a preconceived view about what the cause of the problem was, when the problem was really a systemic problem with the way we allocate incurred costs to projects. The problem had been ongoing since 2004 when a new financial system was implemented with inadequate verification, resulting in greater and greater errors. His solution, which had been implemented in previous years had the effect of masking the issue period on period and still caused chaos at financial year end with apparent losses having to be covered by other parts of the business The superior officer seemed to think I should have been able to resolve the issue within one month, as he had done previously and sprung a surprise verbal mauling of me in the presence of one of our more senior finance officers, for effect and to demonstrate his superiority over me. Whilst I had an action plan to identify the error before I even considered a solution, I needed several periods of financial data to work on. My guiding  principle had been that if we continue the same way, we should expect the same outcome. This clearly rankled with the superior officer as the ‘way’ that I was abandoning was actually devised by him. The verbal mauling however had a profound effect on me, due to my emotional reaction. I felt unable to trust my superior and reduced my output down to almost nil for a short period. I also chose to avoid contact with my superior as I did not like being abused. I lost all enthusiasm and motivation. It was a discussion with the senior finance officer and au understanding of Golemans theory that helped me pull myself out of this stupor and refocus my emotions to achieve balance. I therefore try to actively use Goleman’s framework to manage my own emotions to minimise the negative impact of inappropriate emotions. I am also starting to manage my own emotions to tap into the performance enhancing effect that positive emotions can have. Using the framework of planning, changing, maintaining and evaluating my emotional reaction to various external factors and turning it into a positive force will continue to take conscious effort on my part but I am certain over time this will become second nature to me and help improve my performance significantly. In summary, my experience has demonstrated clearly that emotions generally has significant effect on performance, either for the better or for worse, and the theories detailed above can help in understanding and managing this. With practice, these theories can help me tap into the beneficial potential of EI for myself and my reports. Review own ability to set direction and communicate this to others In order to set direction and communicate this effectively, I follow a four step process, to clarify exactly what is desired, to understand the needs and motivation of my staff, to select the appropriate method of communication and finally to monitor and evaluate my effectiveness in order to improve. To clarify my objectives, I would need to understand exactly what we are seeking to achieve. For example, in a recent situation, we were concerned that we could be exposed to litigation due to the way we manage our trade waste. Essentially, we were failing to manage hazardous waste in the manner prescribed by Environment Agency (EA) regulations. Some staff were very concerned as there is a personal liability and wanted to seek external contractors at inflated prices to discharge the duties on our behalf. Instead, I requested an officer to look into the technical process involved and then armed with the report, I sought the help of EA. It transpires that we are not directly in breach but one of our contractors may have moved our waste to an unlicensed location, without our knowledge. I established that we are unable to transfer risk simply by engaging contractors and needed to develop a management plan to deal with the waste in the short, medium and long term. In discussion with EA, I established that they would support us and allow us a period to ‘set our house in order’. We are now in the process of writing the plan, after having clarified exactly what our objectives had to be. Any form of communication will most unlikely to be effective if it doesn’t ring chord with the audience. The audience will not care of the success or otherwise of any task if they don’t have a stake in the outcome. An effective leader must be able to engage the audience in such a wa y that each person has a vested personal interest in the success of any venture which will spur them to go that extra mile to ensure success. This could be something as simple a personal pride in a job well done or a competitive streak to do a better job than someone else. In one of my depots, there is exactly such a situation involving two of my best Construction Managers. They are very good friends who take delight in outperforming each other and achieve far better output than any similar team in the Council or externally. This did not happen by chance but was the culmination of slow work with both officers over a period, using humour and camaraderie to instil a friendly sense of competition. In the example above, I also actively sought the appropriate means of communication, i.e. using interpersonal skills and utilising humour, to set the parameters of the objectives I was seeking to achieve. The method I decided to use would not have been at all effective if I wrote an email or memorandum as my aim was far too subtle to communicate via a written medium. However, in cases where compliance with health and safety regulati ons are concerned for example, I consider it necessary to send out formal instructions to ensure staff complied. Such action would make it clear exactly what was required without any ambiguity. Apart from communicating the requirement, this would also provide me with an auditable trail if any staff member was found not to comply; which would also be one of my key objectives. Using a more formal means of communication when I generally prefer informal means, also has the  effect of underlining the legal obligation we have to my staff, who then take it more seriously. The ability to set direction and communication is closely linked to motivation theory and persuasive skills. The model I find most aligns with my style is Monroe’s Motivated sequence [13]. Alan Monroe developed this technique in the 30’s and identifies that in order to persuade or sell any concept, idea or product, one’s approach should include five separate steps: Attention – relate something that will make the audience take notice. This could be anything shocking or enticing to the target, such as a st atistic, an image or a thought. So in the case with managing our hazardous waste for example, I highlighted that failure to properly manage the waste could result in criminal prosecution, which had the desired effect of bringing this issue to fore in the mind of my staff. Need – link the topic under discussion to the needs to the audience, the premise being that the need will motivate the desired action. This aspect is particularly important because it is unlikely that most people will take action unless they are directly affected by the impact. For the example of the two construction Managers in competition with each other, I used techniques I observed in the mobile telephone sales and replicated the principles. I created a view in the mind of both staff that they needed to outperform each other for the sake of personal pride. I knew they were good friends and by various means encouraged the friendly rivalry, taking care to ensure that this remains friendly and does not become counter-productive. They both feel that they have to outdo each other and their performance continues to exceed expectations. Satisfaction – set out how the audience will be able to satisfy that need that has been established. It is important that the effort to ac hieve the need is presented as the easiest or least painful option. Once I created the need for both my Construction Mangers to outperform each other, I have continued to provide them with the means and resources to achieve this, both by providing support, finding the funding and also creating temporary positions and approving ‘acting up’ honorariums for their reports. So they both have the means to easily deliver their ‘need’ and not delivering when they are able to is now much the more difficult option from a personal pride perspective, as they will have to explain in my regular joint performance monitoring. Visualisation – set out how life would be like if the target were to commit to action.  Using the example of the Hazardous waste issue, I painted a picture of what the situation would be like if we were able to turn the usable material. There is a process whereby the hazardous waste can be encapsulated in asphalt using a cold process (a hot process would release volatile compounds which would not be acceptable ). Encapsulation would render the material inert and this could then be used to construct new roads. The marginal cost of converting this hazardous material into useful product is less than 35% of the cost of purchasing new product but there is a large capital investment (c  £500k) required for the plant. Nevertheless, I outlined a business case supported by the demand that will be generated by a new road due to be constructed in 2015. I therefore helped my staff visualise the savings we could make and the asset we would have after the new road is constructed, giving us even more savings in the long term. I have therefore got their active cooperation to achieve my vision and have managed to turn what was initially a burden and cost, to an opportunity by using the most effective communication and set direction. Action – finally, once the stage is set, the audience need to be shown how they could act to achieve all the positive benefits of doing the thing that is being promoted. In the case of the hazardous waste, business case is now being detailed with the aim of a capital investment in the next few months. I am managing the project and my staff are in detailed negotiations with various suppliers and industry experts to enable the vision to turn into reality. Currently we are negotiating land purchase to site the plant and storage requirements. As with every other process, it is important then to review and evaluate previous actions to enable the leader to ensure improvement in the future. For both the issues detailed above, I have my own evaluation processes established. For the competition between the Construction Managers, I am aware thing could get too far and friendly rivalry could quickly degenerate. I have therefore got regular meetings with both staff, jointly and individually for me to monitor, evaluate and review my actions. I am aware no one likes to be manipulated and things could backfire on me if they felt I was in any way underhand or devious. So, I informed both staff of my actions in a jovial and convivial way and the communication style I have used has been effective in both accepting and even embracing my manipulation. For the management of Hazardous waste issue, I have also put  in a small review group who monitor and evaluate the progress and we discuss the need to change our approach as we become aware of new developments in the field. Given the above, it is my view that I have a well-established and positive ability to set direction and communicate this effectively to others. Review own ability to motivate, delegate and empower others A leader must be able to delegate tasks effectively in order to achieve more than what he could on his own. Along with that, he must be able to motivate and empower others in order to ensure his management burden is optimised to enable him to manage more resources. That is the essence of leadership. Without this ability, he is merely a depository for tasks and does not add value to his organisation. In brief, motivation is the process of finding out what makes your staff ‘tick’ and demonstrate they can meet that need by delivering for you. In this respect there is much in common with style of communication described above and this is due to the fact that effective communication must take make is desirous for the recipient to deliver the task communicated. Monore’s Motivated Sequence, as the name suggests, is a motivational theory but there are a number of other theories, detailing much the same process, albeit in a different way. The two I will focus on are Maslow’s Need Hierarchy and Equity theory. Maslow describes a hierarchy of needs of each individual, which forms a pyramid, also known as Maslow’s Pyramid of needs. At the base of the pyramid is the basic Physiological needs we all have (i.e. access to air, food water etc.). Then comes the need for Safety (shelter, security), above that comes Social needs or Love/Belonging needs (company, acceptance, friendship etc.). Above that comes the Esteem needs (Recognition from others) and on top of the pyramid is Self-Actualisation (self-fulfilment, morality, creativity). Diagram below shows this pyramid: Fig 1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs[14] In essence, what Maslow suggests is that people will need to satisfy their more basic needs before they can begin to satisfy a higher level need. In order to motivate them, it would be necessary to demonstrate how they could satisfy their needs at the appropriate level on the pyramid by achieving the goal. In a work situation, appropriate compensation will help satisfy the  lower order needs on the pyramid and little motivational benefit could be derived from focussing of satisfying the Physiological and Safety needs of staff. In order to motivate staff, it will be necessary to demonstrate how achieving the organisational goal or the task at hand will help meet one of the higher level needs on the pyramid (i.e. the need for social acceptance, of increased esteem or of self-actualisation). To do this effectively, it will be necessary for a leader to identify where on the pyramid the reports needs are. Generally the personal circumstances and ambition of the individual will determine which of his needs have already been satisfied and which need should the leader demonstrate as being achievable. The equity theory postulates that if people perceive inequity, they will try to equalise the situation and eliminate that inequity. It is a social comparison of an individual’s perception that drives an individual. They compare themselves against others and make an assessment whether the reward they are achieving for the effort they are expending is similar to the reward others get for the effort they expend. So individuals make a broad assessment of their own perceived reward/effort ratio and compare it to the perceived reward/effort ratio of others. Individual are generally satisfied when the two ratios are generally equal. However, this leads to two different scenarios when it is not: Underpayment inequity – when an individual feels they are underpaid for the effort they put in compared to another. The impact of this would be either the individual reduce their effort, productivity or quality of their work to match their perception of what the comparator produces. Overpayment inequity – when an individual feels they are actually overpaid for he work they produce, in which case they expend m ore effort in an attempt to increase outputs or improve the quality of their work. The situation most often manifests itself when staff compare their pay grades, but other rewards, such as praise, mentoring, training etc. could also be used in their comparison. Leaders need to be acutely aware of the situation as a perceived Underpayment inequity can have a devastating impact on productivity and also on the ability to retain staff, unless managed adequately. On the other hand, a perception of Overpayment inequity, although can seem to have benefits, can lead to an overly stressful situation for the individual concerned as they may feel their post will be made redundant or reduced in grade. Own ability to  motivate – Monroe’s Sequence and Maslow’s Hierarchy I have had cause to use both the theories above in motivating my staff. In the example given previously where I set two Construction Managers in friendly competition with each other I used Monroe’s Sequence to develop the strategy. In determining the need, I used Maslow’s Hierarchy to understand the most effective way to approach this. I understood the two individuals were already highly effective and motivated individuals and general discussions with them led me to believe that both would be seeking to satisfy their need to greater esteem. I therefore developed a strategy where I would enable both of them to achieve greater self-esteem whilst improving their outputs and performance. The most gratifying thing is that even though both now are aware of my manipulation, the rivalry continues and is still paying dividends. Own ability to motivate – Equity Theory I am currently dealing with a situation where my Construction Managers are rewarded at Band 9, which is the same as my Quantity Surveyors (QS’s). However, I would assess that the Construction Managers (CM’s) achieve several times more value from their work. They also carry greater responsibility and much greater workload. This has come about as a result of implementing â€Å"equal pay† legislation using a very ineffective evaluation model. The model tries to find equity between too many different types of work and fails miserably in the case of construction activities. There is also the issue of required qualifications of each group and my ability to recruit to these positions. I am currently reassessing the workload of the QS’s and trying to make it more equitable by rebalancing workload. However in the meantime, I have asked the CM’s to identify workstreams that may be suitable to be reallocated. I have also given the CM’s more access to me and have more frequent contact with them, ostensibly to address work issues, but also as a form of â€Å"reward† as there is a tendency for staff to seek some form of approval and praise from their leaders. I am aware though that the QS’s might be excessively stressed and I will have to reassure them. In the short-term this approach has proven to be effective in maintaining morale and motivation and has prevented from loss of staff. I will however need to deliver the implied promise to equalise the burden on both these groups. As  a result of the above I am able to conclude that I have a well-developed ability to motivate staff, based on the relevant theories outlined. Delegation and Empowerment Delegation and empowerment is the act of transferring responsibility to subordinates for delivering a task and ensuring they have the authority, resources and the means of achieving the desired outcomes. Effective delegation and empowerment will result in several key benefits: A leader can achieve more than he could individually Workforce will be more involved and feel empowered which will have a positive effect on productivity, and have a stake in outcomes Delivery will be more efficient Develop subordinates which will help with succession planning Although a leader may make his subordinates accountable for their actions, the leader will continue to be accountable for the completion of the task to his own superiors. There are therefore risks involved in delegating and often a leader will find it difficult to ‘let go’ of projects that are dear to them. There will therefore be a tendency on the part of the leader to use the excuse of accountability to avoid delegating. I have had direct experience of this when some years ago a newly appointed Director decided that he would personally sign all letters emanating from one particular service area. This is because that service area was primarily customer facing and was engaged in managing an ever decreasing ability to deliver due to funding cuts. The team, which I was part of, therefore continually had to say â€Å"no† and this caused political difficulties for the Director. Instead of managing expectati ons, he decided to stop delegating. The result was he had very little time for the task of signing letters, let alone anything else. After some years of this, we had a situation where thousands of service requests remained unanswered, some over four years old. Despite our pleadings, he refused to delegate the work and eventually more senior people reorganised the Department, making the Director redundant. As a consequence of the above, I have learned that I must delegate in a timely manner. To manage the risks outlined above, I always ensure my subordinates are motivated, have adequate resources and the ability to deliver. I also  maintain the constant vigil, both from a project/programme management perspective and also from a financial perspective, ensuring regular monitoring and identifying barriers to work with my staff to ensure delivery. As a result of this approach I have so far, this financial year, successfully delivered some  £14million worth of projects, making some  £3.5million income, of which  £300,000 is surplus. We are on course to deliver the full  £19million programme and make a surplus of some  £850,000 over an income of  £5.4million. Compared to the position two years ago when the service made losses of some  £900,000, my position is a much improved one. The single most skill that has enabled me to achieve such turnaround is my ability to delegate and empower my staff. I am therefore highly confident that I have a well-developed ability to delegate and empower others. Produce a Personal Development Plan to improve own ability to lead. In spite of the above, and perhaps as a result, I feel I will need to constantly develop myself. It is my contention that continuous learning will enable us to achieve continuous improvement. Key issues for me are: Reviewing the above, I feel I have not yet mastered the art of managing my own and others’ emotions to achieve performance improvement. I need to understand better the workings of Local Government to identify areas where my leadership skills need to be improved. In conjunction with the above, I believe I need to improve my ability to set direction and communicate. Emotional Intelligence In completing this assignment, this is one area where I have learned the most. I had been aware of issues surrounding cultural bias in psychometric testing because of my personal interest in equalities issues. The work researching Emotional Intelligence has cast the issue that with issue of equalities. It seems to me that any process designed to value conformity with the majority (which the concept of Emotional Intelligence undoubtedly is), is doomed to discriminate minority groups or those with a different cultural approach. However I recognise that EI remains a very useful tool in the armoury of any leader wishing to improve performance. Actions: Complete this ILM course by December 2014 and seek funding for furthering my education to MBA level Cost:Direct – funded centrally, no cost to service Indirect – 1 day per fortnight cost to be absorbed by service overhead allowance for training and development Leadership Issues in Local Government This is particularly relevant to my field and it is necessary for me to keep abreast of the developing issues surrounding Leadership in Local Government. Several journals are dedicated to latest developments in the sector, including The MJ and The Economist to a lesser extent. Actions: Seek out a mentor within the industry by December 2014. Continue to read relevant periodicals – ongoing. Cost:Direct – no cost to service Indirect – carried out in personal time, no cost to service. Set direction and communicating I have a reasonably well developed personal communicating style, and my written communication is also of reasonable quality. The area I most need to work on is my communication to groups. Actions: Use the opportunity provided by my Chairmanship of North East Performance Improvement Network to practice and develop my ability to direct and communicate to groups. Cost:Direct – no cost to service Indirect – As part of normal day to day duties, travel and time costs covered by capital projects Review and monitor I will review my achievement against these objectives on a six-monthly basis to effect improvement and amend aims and objectives as necessary. Cost:Direct – no cost to service Indirect – 2 hours every fortnight, cost to be absorbed by service overhead allowance for training and development. 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