Motivating your employees Essay

Being in the military, but more importantly being a leader for 10 out of my 12 years of military experience, I understand the importance of motivating â€Å"employees†. Most leaders understand that motivating employees not only improves their way of life, but also increases productivity, and in the long run, benefits the company. Motivating employees is not necessarily a difficult task; however, most leaders neglect the techniques discussed in Mr. Weiss’ article due to their personal beliefs. I fully agree with Mr. Weiss’ article on building morale, motivating and empowering employees. His methods are especially helpful and used quite often in the military world although they are titled a bit differently. Personally, I have used the methods Mr. Weiss describes in his article for as long as I have been a leader. As a leader, my philosophy has always been that in order to be a successful leader, you have to lead by example. I feel that Mr. Weiss expresses this point of view in his major means of motivating identification. As stated in the article, identification is â€Å"when a person adopts a behavior associated with others†. In the military, that is called leading by example. As a leader, you should want your employees to adopt your behavior. I do not believe that people come into a job wanting to make mistakes. Therefore, the tendency of an employee is to do as his or her leader would do. Therefore, as a leader, leading by example is detrimental to your gaining the confidence and respect of your employees. You must set the standards and enforce them. Yet another idea Mr. Weiss mentions is to â€Å"avoid favoritism†. I believe that you must treat all people equally. Whether they are abiding by, or violating the standards you have set, you must reward them or reprimand them equally. That is not to say that the rewards and or reprimands should be the same for every infraction. I simply believe that you must be fair and impartial when giving rewards or punishments regardless of how long you may have known an employee, or what the employee’s position is in the company. The military is famous (or infamous) for their use of acronyms. In the military we use acronyms for just about anything you can imagine. So, in keeping true to military form, I created my own acronym to remind myself of  the methods required in motivating my â€Å"employees†. This acronyms helps me remember that in order to be a leader, you must â€Å"Be, Know, and Do†. Be responsible for yourself and your subordinates; Know your subordinates and look out for their well being; Do as you want your employees to do. The acronym I use is â€Å"BASICS†, because in leadership, you should always â€Å"stick to the â€Å"basics†Ã¢â‚¬ . B – Be a leader. When in charge take charge PERIOD. A – Account for your actions and those of your subordinates. Know what you and your subordinates are doing or have done at all times. S – Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions. If a mistake is made, do not try to pawn off the results of your decisions or actions as someone else’s fault. Take ownership of the situation, good or bad. I – Inform your subordinates. Try to talk to them everyday. Employees want to know what’s going on–knowledge is power. This way, you can ensure they fully understand what is required of them, solicit feedback, and provide encouragement if needed. Also, if an issue arises during the feedback always look into it immediately and get back with the employee. C – Consistency is essential. Employees will work harder if they know what to expect from the leader. As a leader you must provide purpose, direction, and motivation. Ensure your employees know what they have to do, when they have to do it, and that you are going to support their actions consistently. S – Sensitive leadership inspires success. You have to truly know your employees, and show a genuine concern for them, not only for their needs, but their families as well. I have always believed, â€Å"employees don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care†. In conclusion, I believe that Mr. Weiss has an outstanding motivation improvement program. His motivational methods could offer tremendous results  for companies who are having difficulty keeping their employees motivated. The bottom line is, in order to be a good leader you have to listen to the needs of your subordinates. A leader must â€Å"Be, Know, and Do†. Be responsible for yourself and your subordinates; Know your subordinates and look out for their well being; Do as you want your employees to do. And last but not least, always â€Å"stick to the â€Å"BASICS†Ã¢â‚¬ .

Books vs. Movies

Books remain among the oldest and the most valuable inventions of the humanity and have a long and dynamic history, which started in those times when people felt a necessity to create lasting and easily accessible records of some important information. The first books appeared in Ancient Egypt, soon after invention of papyrus technique. Even in the beginning of the 20th century books were the most popular sources of information and the only carriers of literary works of any genres. There were millions of booklovers around the world, who enjoyed reading and developing own personality by obtaining knowledge from the books.But in the first decade of the 20th century a lot of changes took place, and one of the reasons of those was a revolutionary invention of cinematography. The first motion picture films started appearing, the first studios in the Hollywood area were founded and world’s cinema industry started developing. Nowadays, movies of different genres, from comedies to doc umentaries, became a corporate part of our life. It is hard to find someone who does not like watching movies, but the opinions whether they are better than the books, differ.This work is an attempt to examine and contrast the differences between books and movies. The first and the most important difference is the opportunity to imagine and visualize the scenes of the plot. While reading a book, we can use the power of our own imagination to picture characters or the events in details. But when watching a movie, we have to accept the visualization of the events, which is offered by the director. Certainly, movies can be advantageous, because they are visually stimulating and loaded with numerous special effects.However, books usually have deeper influence and remain longer in our minds, because all the work on â€Å"visualization† of the events is done by us ourselves. Another significant difference between books and movies is being a source for one another. It is known that screenwriters and movie directors often create their masterpieces based on the plots of popular books, and the examples of this include a number of movies about Harry Potter and Hannibal Lecter, â€Å"The Lord of the Rings†, â€Å"The Da Vinci Code†, â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†, â€Å"The English Patient†, â€Å"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest†, â€Å"The Godfather† and hundreds of others.Nevertheless, there are few incidents, when books are written on the plots of popular movies, because in such cases it is really difficult for the writers to offer something new and appealing. There are more differences. As a rule, reading books requires more time, as well as more attention and concentration of the reader. At the same time, watching a movie does not take long (about 2-3 hours) and frequently does not require being totally focused on it. In addition, it is only a personality and previous achievements of the author, which can attract attention of potential readers to a new book.As to a new movie, there can be personalities (and previous achievements) of the director, the screenwriter, as well as the names of one or a number of actors, which can attract public attention and make more and more people watch it. Yet another difference is availability of books and movies. It is possible to read a book almost everywhere. Books are light, small and can be even placed in a pocket (so called pocket-books). That is why they are, undoubtedly, the best solution to fill the time in a queue or during a plane trip. However, not everyone can afford watching movies at any time and place.Only those, who have laptops or portable CD/DVD players with monitors, can play movies wherever they wish. The majority of people are still bounded to cinemas, TVs, home cinemas, home PC stations, etc. Undoubtedly, everyone has own opinion regarding the advantages of reading books and watching movies, and the comments like â€Å"Books are better because they are more descriptive and seem more real,† or â€Å"Movies are just easier sometimes. They take less time and less concentration,† perfectly reflect the opposite viewpoints of young Americans on these two concepts (Stratta & Broderick, n. d. ).Nevertheless, I suppose that it would be better and really fair to understand books and movies as two different genres of entertainment and learn to appreciate them both. Outline I. Books A. Historical information B. Being the only source of knowledge II. Movies A. Cinema history B. Becoming everyday entertainment III. Differences A. Opportunities to use imagination and visualize the scenes. B. Being a source for one another C. Necessary time and concentration D. Personalities, who can contribute in promotion. E. Availability IV.Different opinions A. Comments of people B. Suggestion to enjoy the benefits of both books and movies Bibliography: †¢ Stratta, E. & Broderick, M. (n. d. ). Movies Sink in the Battle vs. Books. In Depth Page. Marian High School Official Page. Retrieved April 19, 2007, from . †¢ The Book vs. The Movie. (2002, November 11). CBS News Online. Associated Press. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved Apri 19, 2007, from: .

Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Thesis: Technology, such as texting, while driving is unsafe and can be a hazard to teen drivers and others. In the Knox News opinion column, there was an article found titled â€Å"Twits texting, tweeting behind the wheel.† The author of this article, Ina Hughs, is arguing that texting, MP3 players, and other electronic devices are unsafe to use when behind the wheel. She is writing to inform teenagers and other drivers about the dangers of driving while texting. Even though Hughes makes some excellent points in her column, she may not be the most qualified person to be writing about the dangers of texting and how tempting it may be. Hughes indeed has a cell phone, but she had the texting enabled on her phone so she does not text with it. The only information that she gets that makes her qualified to write this article would be the fact that her eleven-year-old grandson just got a cell phone. Even with this information, it still does not qualify her since her grandson cannot drive. She did though get facts from reliable magazines and researchers to back her up. Hughs’ format of her article shows a lot about whom she is and her qualifications. Just about every paragraph she either has some sort of statistical evidence or an example of why texting and driving is bad. She does not have any real connection to the audience she is trying to address. The author uses logos a lot in this text to support her many claims as to driving while texting. One thing she mentions is, â€Å"according to the New York Times, one in five drivers admits to texting while driving on a somewhat regular basis, and they say they won’t stop because they are ‘literally addicted.’† This claim reinforces her purpose of texting while driving by giving statistical evidence of why it is so dangerous. So many people do it. â€Å"According to research, every time you get a text, tweet, instant message, or call, ‘your brain squirts out a little dopamine- the pleasure chemical- and left to our own devices, we spin out of control.

Major punishment philosophies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Major punishment philosophies - Essay Example This essay is a critical evaluation on the punishment response to first-time and habitual DWI offenders. Different punishments for driving while under intoxication are exercised depending on the state where the offence was done. The most possible punishment is brief confinement in a county jail for a period not more than one year and a fine not exceeding $ 5000 and in some cases withdrawal of the offender’s driving license for a short period of time (Head 2006). This punishment is justifiable for first time offenders because even though the law terms ignorance as no defense, it is possible that the offence could be committed out of ignorance or mere carelessness. This means that, the offenders have not formed a habitual DWI thus a short confinement would help them by opening their eyes to the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol (Bosworth 2005). Not only does it endanger their own lives but also the lives of other road users. This would go in line with one purpose of punishments which is to rehabilitate the offenders. Leaving the offenders to go free by fining them without confinement would be playing on a delicate ground even if the offender has never committed such a crime before. This is because the offence when committed is a threat to human life and if not punished properly, there is a probability that there would be a recurrence of the same. The brief confinement would serve the purpose of punishments which is to incapacitate the offender by denying him/her the opportunity to commit the offence (Neubauer 2007). This is achieved because during the time he is in confinement, he would not have the chance to drive and at the same time he will have the time to reflect on his mistakes such that by the time of his release, he will have changed his attitude and felt the pain of losing the comfort of his vehicle. Confinement as a form of

Mobile Services Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mobile Services - Research Proposal Example Some of the services available on a mobile phone include voice call, text messaging, video conferencing, ring tones, weather, news, horoscopes, music, emails, mobile internet, video camera, Bluetooth, MP3, still camera, WiFi, mobile television, gaming, Microsoft Office programs, multimedia messaging including pictures and photos, data access and transfer with personal computers, and a number of other value added features. Many people and organisations have carried out a number of researches to find out the impact of new and varied mobile services on users. These market researches are particularly important when new products and services are to be produced. Nielson company has announced that they will conduct a research study to find out the most frequently used mobile phone functions (Balan, 2007). The purpose of this research is to identify the areas which appeal to mobile phone users, and hence target efforts to develop new and novel ways to enhance services in these areas. For instance, if consumers prefer to use text services over watching mobile television; the companies can enhance text messaging option by providing word editor etc. on their mobile phones; and pull back from providing mobile television services since these do not attract consumers' attention. As Balan (2007) quotes, "Reliable and accurate measurement of mobile consumers will enable advertisers to properly evaluate the mobile ma rketing opportunity. Independent measurement of the cross-media behavior of the growing mobile audience will support and accelerate the evolution of mobile media business models" (Jeff Herrmann - Vice President of Nielsen Wireless). Despite the fact that an increasing number of people keep and use mobile phones, there are groups of people who think that using mobile phones in public is annoying and should be discontinued. Monk, Carroll, Parker, and Blythe conducted a study in 2004 on this topic and the results show that many people believe that face to face meeting is much more effective than mobile phone calls. In addition, the research revealed that people generally disapprove mobile phones ringing in churches, trains, funerals and other events and places of such nature. It is generally treated as unethical as per the research (Monk Carroll Parker Blythe, 2004, p.33-41). In addition, there are some controversies regarding mobile phone use, with regard to medical and health issues. Many people have raised voices against mobile phone usage claiming that it results into brain cancer and other medical disorders, especially in children. BBC News (2000) published a story regarding the cries against mobile phone usage in children, and provided results of various researches on the topic. The summarised results indicated that although there were no proven medical problems from the use of cellular phones, yet children should be kept away from mobile phones until absolutely necessary. This and similar news items and researches have contributed a great deal in reducing the number of mobile phone users and have even more affected the use of other mobile services besides voice calls and text messaging. The recent introduction of third generation (3G) mobiles has revolutionised the way mobile communication used to work. 3G mobiles provide high data speed, better voice and data transfer quality and high availability. However, as per the resear

MCA Mouth Full Of Smoke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MCA Mouth Full Of Smoke - Essay Example The piece has made use of process to confront deep, personal memories. He wanted to portray the history of paint in a very physical and materialistic process. Through the approach, the piece gives a big hint of painting history. So many artists have used oil paints over so many centuries. He also felt that oil painting artworks are a challenged medium in the modern times. Additionally, the artist used oil paint to bring out the physicality of the piece and to portray the human body. The artwork piece evoked a strong feeling of abstract expressionism since it transits from representational to unrecognizable abstractions. The unique process of painting that Otero used conspicuously brought out materiality. I could not clearly figure out the subject matter of the painting since it is totally abstract. It is full of different colors and lines that do not convey any clear image. However, what attracted me most to this painting is the contrasting colors that the artist has used in this composition. Bright colors such as yellow and white are used to create a contrast with dark colors consisting of black and other dull colors. The use of this technique evokes a feeling of conflicts such as a conflicting idea or a particular struggle. I could deduce that the author meant to portray the personal conflicts that individuals such as smokers sometimes encounter in the social sphere. Looking at the image, I also felt that it is absolutely a unique composition, which has used elements of art tactfully for a full composition. The author has employed elements such as depth, space, shape, line, and texture. Texture, for instance, stands out, as the image appears rough to the touch and this made me rethink the message Otero wishes to portray with this painting. The roughness perhaps is an indication of tough experiences. When I see a painting of such a texture, what comes to mind is

Service Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Service Management - Assignment Example nsidered most effective in identifying the influences of customer satisfaction is any form of quantitative customer satisfaction survey that manifest the unconsciously and qualitatively experienced customers into tangible and meaningful measures that can be used for decision making. For example through the quantitative method, customers can rank the influencers that affect their purchasing behavior. Customers in business to customer markets often want to be treated with customized service even though their volumes of service are always high. This creates a gap that can only be addressed by the use of a focus strategic option which seeks to learn more about specific markets. For customers in business to business markets, their needs often focus on value, which means that to address this gap, the differentiation strategic option which seeks to value-based service is used. Customer survey forms collected and evaluated shows that marketers will continue to be faced with the responsibility of understanding their market through means such as research and development (R&D). This is because the needs of customers were noted to be very different and widespread, requiring only a detailed market research to discover these differences and building the right segments to provide services to customers. Supply networks and supplier relationships are focused on by the author in the sixth chapter. In this chapter, the author notes that supply chain management is very crucial in ensuring that the goal of the company in achieving efficiency and effectiveness can be realized. To do this, the need for all stakeholders to function in a manner that is in line with the organizational culture of the main service provider is recommended. Most service providers have underestimated the role and place of supply chain, thinking that supply chain management is useful only for those in retail and other product based industries. The supply chain constructed below however shows that the service