The Spirit of Disciplines By Dallas Willard Essay Example for Free

The Spirit of Disciplines By Dallas Willard Essay About the Author   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dallas Willard is known for his enthusiasm in the basic elements of true â€Å"Christianship†. Most of his writings pertain to the different characteristics and disciplines that a true Christian is expected to posses. Being a professor of philosophy, Dallas is also known for his being logical and practical in the process of his presentations of the truth about Christianity and the basic attitudes that are involved in being a real follower of the Christ. It could not be denied then that through his writings, he was able to inspire different individuals, even student who are at some point obliged to review his writings and comment on his idealisms in becoming the rightful Christians that they ought to be. His writings are considered enlightenment to the soul as they all pertain to the ability of man to reach the standards of God and fulfill his requirements to mankind. One of his most remarkable writings is the book entitled â€Å"The spirit of disciplines†. This book has been noted to have changed the views of people in the reality of being Christ-like in their ways of living. It has also been noted by several religious teachers to be a powerful material that have changed the attitude of many readers towards the responsibilities of being a Christian. About the Book   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Published in the year 1996, â€Å"The Spirit of Disciplines† came in as a part of the Willard’s trilogy on Christianity which primarily includes his two major authored books entitled In Search of Guidance and The Divine Conspiracy. These particular books are indeed published to assist Christians find their way back to righteousness amidst all the challenges and the hardships that they need to face in living within the cruel world of the present society.   â€Å"The spirit of disciplines† particularly helps readers understand the different pointers of consideration that they need to learn to be able to create a much more considerable Christian-like personality within themselves. Content and Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The entire context of the book deals with the different virtues of being a Christian. Among which includes the impending belief on the fact that by applying the disciplines of abstinence which includes solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, secrecy and   sacrifice a Christian would be able to bring out the fruits of the disciplines of engagement which in turn includes study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession and submission. Through the application of these major virtues, Willard points out that the essence of true Christianity could then be established within the personality of a certain individual.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this book, Willard also points out that there is an importance placed in the capability of a person to apply these major characteristics in his dealings with other people through his ministry. The Bible verse 1 Timothy 4:7 which reads: â€Å"But turn down the false stories which violate what is holy and which old women tell. On the other hand, be training yourself with godly devotion as your aim† has also been strongly used by Willard as the major basis of his thoughts that have been presented through the book that he has published. Personal Reaction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the verse 1 Timothy 4:7 is continued until verses 8, 9 and 10, it would imply: â€Å"For bodily training is beneficial for a little; but godly devotion is beneficial for all things, as it holds promise of the life now and that which is to come.   Faithful and deserving of full acceptance is that statement.   For to this end we are working hard and exerting ourselves, because we have rested our hope on a living God, who is a Savior of all sorts of men, especially of faithful ones.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Certainly the verses indicate that for one to be able to attain the absolute state of being a true Christian, he must be able to face the challenges of being a follower of the Christ through his ability of disciplining himself as an individual who is able to train himself in attaining the best results in his ministry. As the book of Willard points out, the application of ones’ learning and training as received from the principles of the Holy Scriptures shall be the main reason for a person to progress in becoming a Christian-like individual who is able to reach the standards of God that HE himself has provided for his disciples to follow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   True, reading this particular writing of Willard is indeed inspiring and beneficial especially for those who are enthusiastic enough in taking the necessary steps needed in becoming a real Christian. The essence of being a true follower of the Christ indeed lies on the ability of one to discipline himself accordingly to the ways of righteousness. Reference: Dallas Willard. (1996). The Spirit of the Disciplines. Hodder Stoughton Religious; New Ed edition.

Leadership In Health And Social Care

Leadership In Health And Social Care 1.1 This report looks at my existing leadership skills and how they have developed when implementing a postnatal group within my practice. Through developing this group, I will look at how the team responds to my leadership and how I approach situations. As part of my continuing professional development, I will identify changes needed in my approach to future practice in order to provide a quality working environment and improved development of service provision. This community health care project was chosen because Hall et al (2009) states that governments are increasingly interested in community healthcare programmes because, in partnership with other agencies, they can reduce social exclusion and the inequalities within and between local communities. Support groups can relieve feelings of isolation and loneliness in a study of women with post-natal depression, the support from others meant that mothers gained in self-esteem and felt empowered (Eastwood et al, 1995). 1.2 The Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN) must follow performance standards in association with health enhancing activities (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2004, p12). Part of these standards state that I am responsible for applying leadership skills and managing projects to improve health and well being. Promoting partnership working and leading public health interventions through innovative and visionary approaches is key to my role as a SCPHN. Historically much of health service provision has been service led rather than needs led, designed and developed at the convenience of the providers rather than the patients (Wilkinson Murray 1998). Healthy lives, brighter futures (DOH, 2009a) and Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation (DoH, 1999) highlight the importance of there being partnership between services, children and parents which must be driven by strong leadership by SCPHNs. These improvements need to be achieved through an agreement between health practitioners and services and parents, children and young people. 2 . Aims 2.1 The aims of this report are to identify different leadership approaches and my own approach and evaluate positives and negatives of these approaches to improve my leadership skills. To explore the SCPHN role as a leader and the opportunities and obstacles that may impinge on effective leadership requirements in public health nursing through leading the development of a postnatal group. All SCPHNs interventions should operate on a partnership and empowerment model of delivery, which ensures acceptability of the service by both professionals and clients. Further aims will be to understand the principles of change management and conflict management, to enable effective resolution and promote a cohesive team environment. 3. Leadership in Practice 3.1 Through my experience as a SCPHN I believe that I hold transformational leadership traits, which include communication, motivation, decision making and conflict resolution. I believe my current skills lie in communication and motivation but areas where development is required are conflict within teams and on an individual basis. Two types of leaders have been identified transactional leaders set goals, give directions and use rewards to reinforce employee behaviours associated with meeting or exceeding established goals. Transformational leaders have the ability to motivate performance beyond expectations through their ability to influence attitudes (Mcguire Kennerly 2006, p.180). I endeavoured to follow Johnsons (2005) research, which suggested that highly effective leaders need both vision as well as a specific plan in order to carry out their plan if goals are to be achieved. I have demonstrated vision by creating this idea for a postnatal group. As a transformational leader I will try to share my vision with my followers, enthusing them with a high level of commitment (ChangingMinds, 2002-2006). In previous professional roles I was a follower and therefore I need to develop leadership skills. It is important as a practitioner to be aware and incorporate the qualities of both leadership styles in practice. 3.2 In my role as a leader I need to use interpersonal skills to influence others to accomplish a specific goal exerting influence by using a flexible approach of personal behaviours which is important in forging links, creating connections amongst organisations in order to promote high levels of performance and quality care (Sullivan Decker, 2009). I have approached a fellow SCPHN within the team and by recognising her individual expertise and praising her knowledge have encouraged her to contribute to the group by leading a session on womens health. As a leader I recognise Raffertys (1993) work by caring for the people I lead and I can see that by encouraging and praising my team I am able to promote high levels of performance, which therefore results in the delivery of high quality care. 3.3 In my leadership experience I have recognised the need to focus on the relationship between the people and the organisation this is described as Action Centred Leadership by Adair (1979) (Appendix 1). Adair highlighted the importance of a leader having the ability to meet three functions these where; to achieve the required task; to maintain the team and to meet the needs of individual team members. I have recognised the complexity of achieving successful leadership which requires the overlapping of these three functions in variable proportions to achieve the desired outcome. I have identified that both my team members and I have individual strengths and weaknesses and therefore task completion requires a multidisciplinary team approach, considering the organisational skill mix and resources available. Team members need to have an understanding of what is expected of them, and an understanding of how their individual contributions relate to the whole project. When developing the idea for the postnatal group we had a team meeting to share ideas and to ensure that everyone was aware of the aims of the project. Consideration of the needs of the team involved my considering training needs, communication systems and team development in order for my multi-professional team to function. Prior to commencement of the postnatal group a multidisciplinary team introduction meeting was held to ensure that every team member was familiar with their colleagues expertise and skills. As a leader it is important to recognise team members have individual skills, needs and problems, and to give praise and status to everyone. Again training and development is essential in order to maintain quality of care delivery as outlined in the benchmarks within the Essence of Care (DoH, 2006). When delegating work to others as a registered practitioner I have a legal responsibility to determine the knowledge and skill level required to perform delegated tasks. Like other public bodies, health service providers are accountable to both the criminal and civil courts to ensure that their activities conform to legal requirements. As a registered practitioner I am also accountable to regulatory and professional bodies in terms of standards of practice and patient care (RCN, 2006). If a focussed and effective group is to develop huge importance should be given to valuing all the skills and contributions of team members. As the team leader on this project I made myself available for one to one support for staff and held regular update sessions to see how their role was developing within the project and give them opportunity to raise concerns or highlight areas of improvement. 3.4 As a leader in Health Care it is my role to promote and develop partnerships between clients and other agencies, to empower and motivate individuals in order to develop services and service provision in communities. In 2006, the Essence of Care (DoH, 2006) outlined the importance of partnership working health promotion is undertaken in partnership with others using a variety of expertise and experiences. In many areas of the health service funding is limited but if individuals within my community can be motivated to take the lead on this project, they may be able to apply for extra funding (such as lottery grants) in order to be able to achieve future aims and targets. 3.5 An important aspect of leadership is having a good understanding of your team and an awareness of team relationships which includes how you view yourself as a leader and how your team view you. Having the ability to reflect on your own leadership style is essential in order to promote flexibility and the ability to change methods to suit different teams and individuals. I look to my manager to provide active displays of recognition, commitment and vision to ensure that my skills and those of other health professionals are utilised to improve the health and well being of communities, families and individuals (McMurray Cheater, 2004). I realise that vision is a key characteristic of effective leadership; it reflects the ability to create and articulate a realistic, credible, attractive picture of the future for individuals and organisations that grows out of and improves upon the present (Robbins, 2000). I agree with Barr Dowding (2010) who stated that you do not need to be a man ager to be a leader but you do need to be a good leader to be an effective manager. 4. Leadership styles applied to the complexity of delivery of care. 4.1I have encountered many different leadership styles in my work in the Health Care sector. Many theorists have discussed leadership styles; Lewin et al (1939) identified three main leadership styles. Laissez-faire can present as disorganised, team members not aware of what is required from them with feelings of panic and lack of time. I have worked with a Laissez-faire leader which led to stressful situations where the leader would shout and not warn team members of future roles and responsibilities. This led to a very disjointed team and high levels of absence with stress related conditions. Directive/Autocratic this mode of working generally focuses on task specific allocation which great emphasis on precision delivered in a military style. I see my own leadership style as being non confrontational and therefore an autocratic leadership technique is not my preferred choice. I aim to develop my leadership style to become a participatory leader with a quiet contributory presence, encourage a happy team spirit where each member of the group supports and values each other, and there is a sense of belonging. I aim to deliver quality patient care with effective monitoring of standards, by allocating task driven duties, which give my team feelings of achievement. To progress and develop the skills required to achieve this form of leadership style I need to be aware that different teams require flexible approaches and this style may not suit all. I will need to seek continuing professional development and take advantage of available training throughout my career to develop my leadership skills. I can continue to grow as a leader by maintaining evidenced based practice and keeping abreast of key research into healthcare leadership. I recognise that there are disadvantages to this participative style of leadership it can be time consuming when decisions need to be made quickly which can prove costly in terms of resources. 4.2 As a SCPHN I must be an effective leader, which means possessing the ability to communicate with others in such a way that they are influenced and motivated to perform actions that achieve desired outcomes (Daft, 2005). As a leader we must focus on our own strengths and use a reflective approach to access the willingness of each individual to take on board change (Barr Dowding, 2010). It is my aim to stimulate awareness of health needs and lead on such initiatives by delegating aspects of practice to other agencies and facilitating the work of relevant team members (NMC, 2004). This collaboration presents significant challenges to the success of the proposed intervention and requires me to make important professional considerations about the proper implementation of a change strategy. Effective leadership is required to ensure that various practitioners communicate with one another and provide a holistic, coordinated service tailored to local needs (DoH, 2009c). Communicating an understanding and awareness of workload, resource and time pressures for staff is important as a leader in order to delegate work appropriately to team members and to avoid further stress and aid motivational leadership. 4.3 More flexibility in service delivery has been highlighted in the NHS Plan (DoH, 2000) confirming the drive to blur professional boundaries. The resulting flexibility of approach in relation to who does what, at what time and in what setting, has changed the skill mix of teams. As a result of new flexible service delivery plans, every individual needs good leadership to be fully aware of their roles and responsibilities to avoid confusion or potential conflict. To implement the postnatal group I need to introduce a careful change management program to ensure complete engagement of the whole team. I can use the structure of a framework to shape the change process. Lewin (1951) model of planned change breaks the change process down into three stages. These stages are: Unfreezing the existing organisational equilibrium, Moving to a new position, Refreezing a new equilibrium position. The unfreezing stage is commonly greeted with guilt and anxiety and it is important that as a lead er I provide psychological safety that helps these anxious individuals to convert their anxiety into motivation to change. This did cause friction and resistance with some team members who were unwilling to adapt to their new roles therefore a detailed rationale for changes was clearly explained through discussion groups. Demonstrating my leadership skills through effective communication was of paramount importance in order to try to avoid hostility towards any perceived threat (although not actual). The moving stage needs a new role model (within the partner organisations) to champion the proposed change and help others to follow and establish the new service. This may involve convincing senior management for the need for change and responding to any suggestions for modifications. Time may need to be negotiated in order to share information and update staff on the necessity for communication between professionals perhaps through workshops or focus groups. The refreezing stage invol ves integrating the new initiative into the organisation and consolidating significant relationships. The successful implementation of this change process is crucial to the success of the initiative; this can be aided by audit of results. Evaluation of my role is vital to validate the implementation and also to help diminish the risks against conflict as professionals can feel they own a project and have the ability to make changes and modifications. 4.5 By implementing a skill mix I have ensured staff ownership from the outset, utilising a bottom up approach. Barr Dowding (2010) state that the bottom up approach is encouraged within the humanistic technique, whereby the subordinates (followers) are encouraged to share ideas with their leaders and will be involved with the decision making process. As the leader I used a full and clearly defined evidence of staff members and their relevant skill mix in order to utilise them effectively. It is vital to utilise research and evidence of best practice in relation to postnatal groups in other areas of the UK. The current economic climate challenges our leadership skills and means that all practitioners need to scrutinize their practice to organise their work and be as innovative and productive as possible within the constraints of health service budgets (DoH, CPHVA, Unite, NHS, 2009b). 5. Leadership benefits to the quality of client care. 5.1 My role as a leader is to promote and implement concepts such as joint working and partnership with the community, addressing equity and inequality issues, collective action and an empowering agenda with a new way of thinking and methods to use in order to work dynamically (Cowley, 2008). These key concepts highlight the importance of this postnatal group being effectively led and supported by multi-agency organisations and community partnerships. As a registered practitioner and leader it is my responsibility to ensure that there is a supervision system in place within an organisation to protect the patient/client and maintain the highest possible standards of care. On-going supervision is used to assess team members abilities to perform delegated tasks and capability to take on additional roles and responsibilities. Supervision will be offered indirectly or directly at set points in time and team members will be given weekly opportunities to discuss any issues, concerns or worr ies they may have. 5.3 As the leader of this project it is important to be aware of the five areas of clinical governance identified by Crinson, 1999 clinical audit, clinical effectiveness, clinical risk management, quality assurance and staff development. It is important that within the leadership role I improve services based on complaints, evaluation and feedback by both professionals and clients, while accepting criticisms of my leadership skills. Any service must involve professional groups in multi professional audit. Proactively identifying clinical risks to patients/staff should make for a sound provision and aid myself as a health professional to be an effective leader. I aim to monitor my ability to measure the capacity and capability to deliver services by ensuring that there is effective clinical leadership as stated by the National Audit Office, 2007. 5.4 As a leader I believe setting high standards of quality care for clients is a key responsibility. This can be done by identifying key benchmarks set by the NMC (2004) where it is stated that the public have the right to expect that health care professionals will practice at a high standard. The use of benchmarks can assist in identifying the need for change. Within the Norfolk PCT I believe the value of the Nursery Nurse is recognised by SCPHNs with particular relevance to their skills being utilised. Using this as a benchmark it may therefore be suggested that integrating a Nursery Nurse into the postnatal group would compliment my role as a SCPHN in addressing the needs of the client in the most effective manner. Effective delivery of information at the postnatal group is dependent on the capacity of the workforce to implement it and having the appropriate resources to support the work force. This capacity relates to having sufficient staff in place, who have the requisite know ledge, skills and confidence to undertake assessments (DoH, DFEE Home Office, 2000c). The team that I am responsible and accountable for leading is multi-skilled and able to share relevant information in order to offer help and support to each other. 5.5 To be an effective leader I believe it is an essential requirement to undertake evaluation and analysis of any intervention on a regular basis to give the opportunity to implement change, which is supported by Summerbell et al (2005). They highlight that stakeholders (families, school environments, and others) be included in the decision making and I believe this allows for a broad range of ideas to be shared to provide quality care and services that are effective and appropriate for the target client group. Evaluation is key to quality assurance and an essential part of the leadership role is to ensure that followers are actively involved in the quality control process (Marquis Huston, 2009). 5.6 As a leader by utilising this service I am able to effectively share other agency resources and the skills of professionals with similar aims and objectives. The Department of Health (2000) promotes the collaboration of services and the ability to pool budgets and resources in order for services to be maintained and obtain sustainability. I believe that shared ownership of a strategy encourages partner agencies to incorporate targets into their individual plans and to work together to provide appropriate support for children and families this is supported by Hanson, 2010. The key to successful collaborative working and partnerships is to reach a common understanding of the priorities of the community and how to best tackle them (Mitcheson, 2008). Concepts such as joint working and partnership with the community, addressing equity and inequality issues, collective action and an empowering agenda all provide me as a SCPHN with new ways of thinking and methods to use in order to wo rk dynamically (Cowley, 2008). Once the group is more established, their own personal development aims will enable some of the clients to take a more prominent role in the leadership and development of the group as peer supporters. 5.7 Within the team I believe that the consequences of poor leadership to client care could be that staff members becoming unsettled and unhappy in their position and they may transfer these feeling towards the clients resulting in a lack of motivation on both sides. I feel that if staff are not behind their leader then this will reflect into the group through misinterpretation of the service Coe et al (2007) and Smith and Roberts (2009) found that barriers to attending groups include misinformation about the organisation. This evidence highlights the importance of my supportive leadership of health professionals to be clear, consistent and supportive in the information they are giving. 6. Dynamic and flexible approaches to leadership issues. 6.1 I have found through experience that awareness of conflict management is a key area of responsibility for an effective leader. To date I have found that in health there are a huge variety of professionals all with different knowledge and backgrounds and interacting with each other giving considerable potential for conflict. Conflict can arise through the competition of different groups vying scarce resources. An individuals personal objectives may also be a cause for potential conflict. As a leader it is vital that I do not ignore any potential conflict situations and if conflicts do arise, I will plan solutions before patient care is compromised. I intend as a leader to promote a positive working environment through my leadership skills, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN, 2005) state that many professionals experience both positive and negative working environments and recommend a useful tool to explore relationships on an individual and team basis. I aim for my team members to view me as a leader who is able to collaborate and involve relevant parties to solve a situation rather than one who avoids conflict. Conflict can result in poor productivity (Barr Dowding, 2010) by being a dynamic and flexible leader who is able to resolve conflict effectively I can ensure a continuing high quality of patient care. 6.2 If I had conflict within a team I am leading, I would use a tool created by Tuckman (1965) on stages of group development. The four stages of group development Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing can be used to break down a difficult situation into manageable elements. During the forming stage of team development and development of the group it was my aim to ensure that I explained all tasks and objectives in a clear manner and to emphasise and reassure team members that I was happy to listen to ideas but decisions would be made so that everyone had a good understanding of what they were required to do. To team then moved into the storming stage of development where the group were happy to discuss ideas but showed respect if there was disagreement and communication skills to come to amicable decisions. The next stage is the Norming stage were the group began to support each other in their roles. This stage can sometimes develop slowly currently the team has not reached t he consistent performing stage as partners and team members continue to develop and learn how to work effectively together. By maintaining and developing the group further I hope to achieve consistently high standards of performance within the group. This will require effective communication, shared labour, greater cooperation, lower absenteeism and increased resistance to frustrations. If I continue to perform as a leader to a high standard I believe I can achieve the delivery of high quality care and a motivated team. 6.3 In order to maintain professional development and practice based on evidenced-based research I believe health professionals need to access relevant training, and share knowledge and skills within the team environment. Reflection is essential in order to look back at achievements. Consideration of what has been successful and what would be done differently in future practice to make a service as beneficial and effective as possible for children and families is essential. I aim to promote partnership working as I feel it is key to the implementation of this intervention in order to sustain it and continue future development within the area. 6.4 At the end of the project I aim to collect data in order to evaluate and analyse the cost-effectiveness of the intervention and identify opportunities for cost savings, which is part of my professional responsibility identified by NICE, 2007. I aim to involve service users and engage them in a simple customer feedback questionnaire to establish how well the initiative meets their needs. 7. Conclusion 7.1 I feel that further and continuing research is required on what clients require within a service. It is my responsibility as a SCPHN and a leader of a team to maintain evidenced based practice and respond to the needs of professionals and clients. I aim to continue developing the key skills of reflecting upon experiences and improving practice at the beginning, during and after action, to ensure improvement of services. From the experiences and reflection I have undertaken I have identified my leadership style and conclude that I will try to respond to individuals within the context of their understanding and community. Consideration of ideas generated by members of the team and client group are key to effective leadership. 7.2 I endeavour to share and input values such as honesty, respect, integrity and emotional strength as I believe they are essential for working with team members and clients. Promotion of my values and constructive criticism need to be demonstrated within any team. Adaptability and flexibility of leadership styles must also be developed and used. I aim to continue and develop my participatory leadership approach with both colleagues and clients. This will enable me to evaluate, question and confirm all of my actions within my role as a SCPHN. 8. Recommendations 8.1 As a SCPHN I should lead change and encourage change in a flexible and appropriate manner to aid the development of healthcare services. 8.2 I acknowledge that I need to develop my skills in applying quality care frameworks in practice to improve my quality assurance. 8.3 I recognise that my conflict management skills should be developed through experience and used effectively to promote good leadership. 9. Appendix Appendix 1 Adair, 1997 interaction of needs within the group 11. References Adair, J (1979) Action Centred Leadership. Aldershot: Gower Press. Barr, J Dowding, L (2010) Leadership in Health Care. London: Sage. Changing Minds (2002-2006) Transformational Leadership. (Online) Available at: http://www.changingminds.org/disciplines/leadershipstyles.htm (Accessed 24th June, 2010). Coe, C. Gibson, A. Spencer, N. Struttaford, M (2007) Sure Start: voices of the hard-to-reach. Child, care, health and development. 34, 4, 447-453. Cowley, S (2008) Community Public Health in Policy and Practice. 2nd Edition. London: Balliere Tindall. Crinson, I (1999) Clinical governance: the new NHS, new responsibilities. British Journal of Nursing. 8 (7): 449-453. Daft, R (2005) The Leadership experience. 3rd Edition. Canada: Thomson South-Western. Department for Education and Employment, department of Health Home Office (2000c) Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. London: HMSO. Department of Health (2000) The NHS Plan. London: HMSO. Department of Health, CPHVA, Unite NHS (2009b) Getting it right for children and families. Maximising the contribution of the health visiting team. Ambition, Action, Achievement. London: The Stationery Office. Department of Health (2009c) Healthy Child Programme Pregnancy and the first five years of life. London: The Stationery Office. Department of Health (2009a) Healthy lives, brighter futures The strategy for children and young peoples health. (Online) Available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/publications (Accessed 5th June, 2010). Department of Health (2006) Our Health, Our Care, Our Say. London: HMSO. Department of Health (1999) Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation. London: HM Stationery Office. Eastwood, P. Horrocks, E Jones, K (1995) Promoting peer group support with post-natally depressed women. Health Visitor, 68 (4): 148-150. Hall, D, Williams, J, Elliman, D (2009) The Child Surveillance Handbook. 3rd Edition. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing. Hanson, S (2010) Empowering change. Community Practitioner. 83, 36-37. Johnson, S (2005) Characteristics of effective health care managers. Health Care manager 24(2), 124-128). Lewin K (1951) Field Theory in Social Science. New York: Harper and Row. Lewin, K, Lippitt, R White R (1939) Patterns of aggressive behaviour in experimentally created social climates. Journal of Social Psychology 10: 271-299. Marquis, B Huston, C (2009) Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing Theory and Application. 6th Edition. London: Lippincott, Williams Wilkins. McGuire, E Kennerly, A (2006) Nurse managers as transformational and transactional leaders. Nursing Economics 24(4), 179-186. Mitcheson, J (2008) Expanding Nursing Health Care Practice Public Health Approaches to Practice. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. National Audit Office (2007) Improving Quality and Safety Progress in Implementing Clinical Governance: Lessons for the Primary Care Trusts. London: NAO. National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2007) Behaviour Change. London: Department of Health. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004) Standards of proficiency for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses. Norwich: The Stationery Office. Rafferty, A (1993) Leading questions: a discussion paper on the issues of nurse leadership. Kings Fund Centre. Robbins, s (2000) Organisational Behaviour. 9th Edition. New York: Prentice Hall. Royal College of Nursing (RCN) (2005) Working with Care: Improving Working Relationships in Healthcare. London: RCN. Royal College of Nursing (RCN) (2006) Supervision, accountability and delegation of activities to support workers A guide for registered practitioners and support workers. London: RCN. Smith, D Roberts, R (2009) Young parents perception of barriers to antenatal and postnatal care. British Journal of Midwifery, 17, 10. Sullivan, E Decker, P (2009) Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing. 7th Edition. London

Defeated Hope in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men :: Steinbeck Of Mice and Men Essays

Defeated Hope in Of Mice and Men When discussing the thematics of Steinbeck's novel, we would do well to first examine the title, which is an allusion to a line of Robert Burns, a Scottish poet: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft aglay." Translated into modern English, the verse reads: "The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry." This cynical statement is at the heart of the novel's action and serves as a foreshadowing prophecy of all that is to come. For, indeed, the novels two main characters do have a scheme, a specific dream of changing their current way of life in order to have their own place and work only for themselves. The tragedy, of course, lies in the fact that no matter how elaborately our heroes plan, regardless of how intensely they hope and dream, their plan does not find fulfillment. This is a novel of defeated hope and the harsh reality of the American Dream. George and Lennie are poor homeless migrant workers, doomed to a life of wandering and toil in which they are never able to reap the fruits of their labor. Their desires may not seem so unfamiliar to any other American: a place of their own, the opportunity to work for themselves and harvest what they sow with no one to take anything from them or give them orders. George and Lennie desperately cling to the notion that they are different from other workers who drift from ranch to ranch because, unlike the others, they have a future and each other. But characters like Crooks and Curley's wife serve as reminders that George and Lennie are no different from anyone who wants something of his or her own. All the characters (all the ones that Steinbeck has developed, at least) wish to change their lives in some fashion, but none are capable of doing so; they all have dreams, and it is only the dream that varies from person to person. Curley's wife has already had her dream of being an actress pass her by and now must live a life of empty hope. Crooks' situation hints at a much deeper oppression than that of the white worker in America-the oppression of the black people. Through Crooks, Steinbeck exposes the bitterness, the anger, and the helplessness of the black American who struggles to be recognized as a human being, let alone have a place of his own. Defeated Hope in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men :: Steinbeck Of Mice and Men Essays Defeated Hope in Of Mice and Men When discussing the thematics of Steinbeck's novel, we would do well to first examine the title, which is an allusion to a line of Robert Burns, a Scottish poet: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft aglay." Translated into modern English, the verse reads: "The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry." This cynical statement is at the heart of the novel's action and serves as a foreshadowing prophecy of all that is to come. For, indeed, the novels two main characters do have a scheme, a specific dream of changing their current way of life in order to have their own place and work only for themselves. The tragedy, of course, lies in the fact that no matter how elaborately our heroes plan, regardless of how intensely they hope and dream, their plan does not find fulfillment. This is a novel of defeated hope and the harsh reality of the American Dream. George and Lennie are poor homeless migrant workers, doomed to a life of wandering and toil in which they are never able to reap the fruits of their labor. Their desires may not seem so unfamiliar to any other American: a place of their own, the opportunity to work for themselves and harvest what they sow with no one to take anything from them or give them orders. George and Lennie desperately cling to the notion that they are different from other workers who drift from ranch to ranch because, unlike the others, they have a future and each other. But characters like Crooks and Curley's wife serve as reminders that George and Lennie are no different from anyone who wants something of his or her own. All the characters (all the ones that Steinbeck has developed, at least) wish to change their lives in some fashion, but none are capable of doing so; they all have dreams, and it is only the dream that varies from person to person. Curley's wife has already had her dream of being an actress pass her by and now must live a life of empty hope. Crooks' situation hints at a much deeper oppression than that of the white worker in America-the oppression of the black people. Through Crooks, Steinbeck exposes the bitterness, the anger, and the helplessness of the black American who struggles to be recognized as a human being, let alone have a place of his own.

The Evolution of Corporate Welfare and Inequality in America since 197

Over the last forty years many people have claimed that the level of equality has risen to an all time high. The evolution of corporate welfare in the United States, aided by the spread of globalization has put a huge burden on many lower class Americans. Race is still an issue we face everyday, as many minority groups are in the lowest percentile of salary or are living in extreme poverty, in addition, residential racial segregation furthers the disenfranchisement of minorities due to the lack of opportunities available in areas with a concentration of poverty. American politics as a whole contributes to all of these factors that engender hardships in everyday American life. In reality, over the last forty years we have seen a great increase in both scope and depth of inequality based around the role of race, globalization and corporate welfare supported by corporate sponsored American policymaking. The main factor contributing to the rise of inequality over the past forty years is corporate welfare. A term used to analogize welfare payments to corporate subsidies. Between 1990 and 1993, the federal government spent one hundred and seventy billion dollars on corporate subsidies. Medicaid, the federal government’s most expensive social program costs thirty billion a year. This is almost half of what the corporations receive in tax breaks, grants and other government subsidies. The fact that corporations get more tax breaks than American citizens get in healthcare is preposterous. Possibly the best example of frustration with corporate welfare in recent years is the Occupy Wall Street protest, which embodied the frustration of working American people who had seen their jobs, savings and in some cases homes disappear due to the irr... ...Geography - Volume 26, Number 8 / November 16-December 31, 2005 - Bellwether Publishing, Ltd. Bellwether Publishing, Ltd., 8 Oct. 2007. Web. 8 Nov. 2013. . Grimaldi, James V., and Carol D. Leonnig. "Former Aide to Ex-Congressman Ney Pleads Guilty in Abramoff Case." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2007. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. . Smith, Jeffery. "DeLay Airfare Was Charged To Lobbyist's Credit Card." Washington Post. The Washington Posy, 24 Apr. 2005. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. . Weinberg, Daniel H. "A Brief Look at Postwar U.S. Income Inequality." Census.Gov. Current Population Reports, n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.

Skateboard Heaven :: Personal Narrative Essays

Skateboard Heaven      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I come around the corner, and a smile comes across my face.   I love it when there isn't a crowd.   Only two other people braved the chill, and had the will, to get up this early.   Upon arrival, my view is enhanced. Though I've seen it enough to burn an image into my subconscious, each visit brings new wonder.   I climb onto the lower platform, and quickly scale the small wall to the upper.   I nod at the other already standing there.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I've seen him before, but I don't need to know his name.   A silent friendship binds us that rarely needs words.   An occasional cheer or wince says more than the daily chat most are forced to endure.   The sound of the second person rolls softly in my ears. His image creeps into the corner of my eye while I inspect my shoes.   I scrub the soles back and forth on the pavement, out of habit, to insure a dry surface.   I don't bother to watch him.   I can hear him rolling smoothly down low.   His slow, relaxed warm up run tells me he probably arrived short time ago.   He makes his way up the back wall and his wheels go silent.   The other one puts his foot on his tail and effortlessly rolls his truck over the coping.   I watch him quickly drop away and coast to the hip.   He glides past it, and I start to notice the entire view before me as he blends into a larger picture.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I see grey.   Every shade of grey, in all its variety blends and curves from the lightest near whites, to a deepness rivaling black. The darkness overhead   drones with the sound of a thousand automobile tires humming on the top of the bridge.   Though designed for another purpose, it serves well as protection from the rain and weather.   The sun and light, as well as the wind, come from the sides.   The wind blows softly this morn, yet it nips at   exposed skin.   I know I will soon appreciate its soothing aspects as I warm up, so I try not to be bitter about it chilling my already cool body.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I hear the familiar pop of an ollie and my eyes automatically track

Personal Professional Development Essay

In this section of the report I will explain the importance of continual self  development and implement my own personal development plan (PDP) in line with my organisations objectives. To achieve this I will review the requirements of my employer and its clients and review my own personal needs and determine the skills and knowledge I will need to meet them. I will assess the gaps in my current skills and knowledge in line with the organisational objectives. I will identify my personal learning objectives and start filling those gaps and propose the actions for achieving these objectives. My PDP will be SMART and include measures for success, resources required and target dates for review and completion where appropriate. Continuous self-development is a process in which people take responsibility for their own learning. Self-development can be defined as Maintaining and continuing to improve and develop knowledge and competencies which can improve your performance in the workplace. Developing specific qualities and skills Advancing your full potential as a person by been proactive According to Pedlar et al, (2007) they believe that â€Å"Self-development is personal development, with the person taking primary responsibility for their own learning and for choosing the means to achieve this. Ultimately, it is about increasing your capacity and willingness to take control over and be responsible for events†(p30). As demonstrated by Pedlar et al. (2007) self development is about an individual been proactive and developing their learning capacity by empowering themselves to take control of their own learning and be responsible for it. Another important factor linked to self-development is Developing Greater Self-Awareness. Goleman suggests that self-awareness involves: Emotional self awareness: recognising your emotions and the impact they have on your life. Accurate self-assessment: identifying your strengths and limitations. Self-confidence: knowing yourself worth and capabilities. By improving self awareness we can create opportunities for a better work  life balance , become aware of our emotions, and improve our ability to respond to change. These qualities will enhance the performance of a manager and is important to include these elements when developing a PDP. For continual self-development to take place an individual has to determine how and by what means is required to achieve continual self-development in achieving organisational objectives. According to Martin (2005) â€Å"An organisation is a group of individuals and as individuals develop, so do the organisations that employ them† Martin (2005) suggests Organisations give importance to continual self-development because it is effective for organisations in terms of achieving organisational objectives if the employees develop then so does the organisation. It is important that the business plan objectives of the organisation are taken into consideration when building a Personal Development Plan, as any personal development should complement the organisation’s plans. If people don’t continually self-develop and perform to meet organisational objectives the organisation does not develop and perform to met the organisational objectives. The organisation can become stagnant and fail to achieve the overall strategic company outcome to be financially viable and show a profit. It is important to continually self-develop so an individual can succeed in maintaining their position within the organisation but also to progress and achieve organisational objectives. An example of continual self-development in achieving organisational objectives is to maintain organisational legislation for instance the Health and Safety law. If the individual in the organisation who is responsible for the health and safety law does not comply with the health and safety rules, it could increase the chance that individuals may be hurt. It could also increase the chance that the organisation could be fined for health and safety violations, or that the individual responsible for this role could be suspended or fired for putting the organisation and its employees at unnecessary risk. An example of my continual self-development in achieving  organisational objectives is to continually ensure I am current and up to date with my knowledge of funding eligibility, which is governed by the Skills funding Agency (SFA). If I do not develop my understanding of new legislation set by the SFA the company can become at risk of not meeting the set contractual requirements. This can have a detrimental effect on the company which could lead to loss of revenue or loss of contracts which in turn could result in staff becoming unemployed. To summarise, the performance of employees is directly linked to organisational performance hence the achievement of organisational objectives. The performance of employees can be improved through the continuous self-development process which clarifies the importance of continual self development within an organisation. Personal development plans (PDPs) provide a powerful and flexible way to link employee’s professional and personal development with the development of the organisation. My job role within Intertrain is the National contracts & compliance manager intertrain’s organisational chart is presented in appendix 1 to demonstrate my management role within the organisation. To be able to assess and plan for personal professional development a process needs to take place. It is important in learning new skills or developing new competencies that they are planned and structured. I will use Kolb’s learning cycle as the structure for my PDP, this will implemented to assess and reflect on my current experiences and skills. This will then in turn allow me to review and identify the development opportunities and then test them out and reflect what has been learnt in meeting organisational objectives.

Benefit and compensation system of Google Essay

Google Inc. is an American international organization that provides internet related products and services. Cloud computing, advertising technologies, and their search engine are among the most popular services that they offer. Google recently ranked 46th on the 2014 Fortune 500 companies and 1st on Fortune 500’s best places to work for. Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin who met at Stanford University and is based out of Mountain View, California. Google began in a garage sixteen years ago and now has over 48,000 employees and is one of the world’s technology leaders. CNN Money has it ranked as number 1 on list of most popular employers by business and engineering majors. â€Å"College students worldwide dream of starting their careers at Google† (cnn.com). A large part of the reason that Google ranks so highly among lists of popular employers is due to their competitive compensation strategy. Google is known not only for their innovative technology breakthroughs but also their innovative compensation policies. Google Human Resources performed a survey to determine what type of pay is preferred by its employees such as base pay or bonuses. â€Å"We’ve heard from your feedback on Googlegeist and other surveys that salary is more important to you than any other component of pay (i.e., bonus and equity). To address that, we’re moving a portion of your bonus into your base salary, so now it’s income you can count on, every time you get your paycheck† (ibtimes.com). Managing Human Resources and compensation strategies effectively is vital to organizations within the modern and fast paced business world. Google had created a strategic compensation that gives them a competitive advantage among their competitors by attracting, retaining, and motivating highly talented employees. Google’s compensation system has all the benefits you would expect from a Fortune 500 organization such as health insurance programs and retirement plans. Google sets itself apart from the competition by offering services and discretionary benefits that are not standard. These services include perks such as employees are allowed to bring their pets to work and  transportation services that pick up and drop off employees at home. Google believes in a fun informal environment because it leads to more engaged, happy, and productive personnel and they have implemented many practices that reflect this ideology. Liane Hornsey, the Google VP of operations, believes that the work life balance is important to their employees and implements policies to ensure that workers keep a healthy balance. â€Å"Liane explains that the company is outcome focused, not detail focused. In other words, they don’t monitor what time employees arrive or keep track of sick days† (centerforworklife.com) Google offers flexible work hours, part time work options, and telecommuting for certain jobs to allow employees freedom to have a social and home life. Google has set a strategy to provide a workplace that people want to work at and have gave substantial effort to achieve this goal. Their HR and compensation practices produce impressive results of the organization’s approach which increases employee productivity. Core compensation is very important and has a large impact on employee’s attitude and performance. Google focuses on rewarding exceptional performance as well as training in weak areas for underperformers. Performance management is performed quarterly and Google puts extensive focus on this area because they are performance driven. Performance appraisals are important because Google uses pay-for-performance bonuses as a large part of their compensation strategy. Much like most other organizations there is an increase in total compensation in accordance to the levels of responsibilities and leadership. Individual incentives, group incentives, and profit sharing programs are used at Google which gives employees a financial reward when their profit goal is achieved. Payscale.com reports that Google Inc. typically pays their employees 11% above the market pay line. This is 3% higher than their direct competition in the market. Paid time off is one type of discretionary benefit that Google offers benefits above the standard in the market. They offer unlimited sick leave due to the fact that they are focused on performance and production and rely on performance reviews to determine an employee’s contributions. Google also provides employees with 27 days of paid time off after one year of  employment. They also recognize the importance of child birth and offer 18 weeks of maternity leave for an employee that has a child. Google also offers paternity leave to fathers which allow male employees to use up to 7 weeks of leave to spend with their newborn. During this time off employees receive their full annual base pay while they are at home with their child. Google offers employees health insurance programs that cover employee dependents as well. â€Å"Its health care plan is unusually generous and even pays for gender-reassignment surgery including facial feminization for transgender women† (forbes.com). Google also has a physician on site at headquarters in Mountain View, CA. This allows for employees to simply walk across the campus to see a doctor if they are not feeling well. This eliminates employees having to miss work and make a special trip to a physician when they are not feeling well. Some physical therapy services and chiropractic services are offered as well for the convenience of the employee. Google also offers employer sponsored retirement programs such as 401K and IRA. Google matches employee donations to their defined contribution plans at a rate of up to 50%. This is well above the average as many organizations only match up to 6% of contributions. Google’s HR department sends emails to employees to encourage them to set aggressive savings goals. â€Å"If you implore an employee to contribute $8,000 to his retirement rather than, say, $2,000, he’ll tend to save more, even if he can’t afford $8,000† (rd.com). This allows employees to feel secure in their future retirement income as Google helps to ensure that they will have a satisfactory retirement benefit plan. Protection programs are another form of discretionary benefit that Google offers in innovative and unprecedented ways. In addition to standard life insurance that employees are able to receive, they also receive additional life insurance benefits from directly from Google. If an employee passes away Google has created a policy that the deceased employee’s spouse will receive half of their salary for the next ten years. If the deceased employee had a child then Google will compensate that child in the amount of $1000 per month until the age of 19 or the age of 23 if they are a full time college student. The type of benefit that Google is most known for are services. This type of discretionary benefit helps companies create a competitive advantage in the market by giving perks to employees which helps attract and retain quality employees. They offer transportation services in the bay area with Wi-Fi enable trollies that pick up employees to take to work and drop them off at their residence after work is completed. Another service they offer are nap pods for the ability to relax and take brief naps at work so they are reenergized for work. Google also provides tuition reimbursement services that encourage employees to continue their education at the expense of their employer. This will continue to improve employee production and continue to increase the value of the worker which benefits the employer and employee. There is also an on-site fitness center that is complete with weights, personal trainers, and yoga instructors so that employees have the time to exercise and relieve stress while at work. The fitness center is also equipped with a full size lap pool and rock climbing wall for alternative exercise methods. There are also free recreational game rooms where employees can play games such as pool, foosball, Ping-Pong and arcade games. This promotes a social atmosphere and strengthens the team concept while relieving stress and improving morale as well. Google has Segways that are available for employees to use at any time which allows them to travel around the campus atmosphere quicker and in a more entertaining way. They also have beach volleyball games and roller hockey in the parking lot twice a week. Hair salons with beauticians and barbers are readily available any time an employee would like a haircut at work. One of the most popular services that Google offers is a free cafeteria for all employees. Workers are able to enjoy quality gourmet food for lunch at their convenience and it does not cost them anything. Google is also offers free oil changes, car washes, legal consultation among many more services that are available to any employee. These services are a unique compensation strategy that proves core compensation is not always the most important benefit to an occupation. Google has a unique vision and has implemented unique compensation strategies that have been met with overwhelming success of attracting and retaining the highest quality employees available in the market. Most employers can learn  from the strategy used by Google by making the work environment as fun and friendly as possible because that is an environment that produces highly motivated employees that will want to perform to the best of their abilities. The bottom line is directly affected by employee turnover and employee production and a compensation strategy such as Google Inc.’s has proven to affect those areas in a positive way. Works Cited â€Å"Average Salary for Google, Inc. Employees.† _Google, Inc. Company Salary Data, Average Employee Salaries_. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. â€Å"America’s Top Companies For Compensation And Benefits.† _Forbes_. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014. Emerson, Ramona. â€Å"Google’s Best Benefits: The Top 7 Perks Google Offers Employees.† _The Huffington Post_. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Jan. 2012. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. â€Å"Google.† _Fortune_. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. â€Å"Google’s HR Practices Explained.† _Google’s HR Practices Explained_. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. â€Å"Google – Overview, Company Culture And History.† _About_. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. â€Å"Google’s 10% Salary Increase, $1000 Cash Bonus Part of Company’s ‘competitive Compensation Plan'† _International Business Times_. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. â€Å"How Google Became the Best Place to Work.† _Readers Digest_. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 214. â€Å"How Google Motivates Their Employees with Rewards and Perks.† _HubPages_. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. â€Å"Work Life Balance Elephant Theory, Logic Based Discussion on Work Life.† _Center For Work Life_. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.