Writing for Business an Example of the Topic Essay Types by

Writing for Business Writing for the academic environment is usually a matter of accomplishing or completing a task for class or for a specific subject. The end result will be to fulfill or satisfy some scholastic requirement, in order to successfully pass the class or course. Another result of such a writing is for the professor or the instructor to know how much you understand the subject, or for him of her to gauge your level of competence. On the other hand, when one writes for the professional or business environment, the result will be to fulfill a job or task that has been assigned to a person by reason of his or her specific position or job designation. A professional or business communication may be a simple memo, a report, or could be a complex and sophisticated presentation of technical and analytic data. For example, a performance report may be issued by the company to its employees, stating how the former perceives the work done by the latter. One result of a professional or business writing would be that the company is able to function and perform its primary tasks. Such writings aid the various employees of the company in order to properly coordinate and work together, since each unit or employee will be able to know what the other is doing. Also, business writing may be addressed to clients and customers. Here, the key is to know the perspective of the specific audience you are addressing. This will ensure that what you are writing is clear and will be able to easily get your massage across. In the academic setting, the writing audience may be one's professor or instructor, or even peers and fellow students. For the professional setting, the audience may be a boss or a superior, fellow workers or employees, or sometimes it can be one's customers or clients. The occurrence of writing for multiple audiences may vary depending on the purpose of the writing or communication. For example, in both the academic and the professional setting, a presentation one has made may be viewed or addressed to several persons, thus making the writing available to multiple audiences. Lastly, the purpose of the writing or the communication will determine why the academic audience or the professional audience will read the specific document one has written. The sources of evidence for an academic work would depend on the nature of the task or assignment. For example, a research paper's sources could include academic books, journal articles, statistical data, and other published works. An accounting student who needs to complete a balance sheet will need perhaps ledgers or books of account to be able to do the computations needed. On the other hand, the sources of evidence for writings for work may include other reports or communications from colleagues, presentations, marketing data, and even office memos and instructions. Of course, the sources of evidence would still depend on the kind of writing one has to do. There are several organizational patterns one can use in writing, and these are: order of importance, classification, chronology, persuasion, compare and contrast, process analysis, cause and effect, problem-solution and spatial order. All of these may be used both for academic and professional or work-related writing; it would all depend on the specific kind of writing one is making, on the purpose of such, or on the target audience. An academic writing may use compare and contrast, as when one needs to compare different accounting methods to find out the most efficient and effective tool to use. A work-related writing may use the process analysis, as when a company would like to find out the efficiency of its factory or plant operations. Need essay sample on "Writing for Business" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed The format of the writing is very important because it is the first thing the reader or audience will see; the visual appearance of the writing may or may not capture your audiences' attention, making the writing either successful or unfortunately a failure. There are several format methods for the academic writing. The type of format one can use will depend, once again, on the kind of work being done, on the purpose, and on your target audience. Some examples of these format methods are the American Psychological Association Style (APA), the Modern Language Association Style (MLA), the Turabian Chicago Style (Turabian), the Oxford Reference Style, and the Harvard Reference Style. A research paper or a thesis paper will ordinarily require that the writer follow one of the formatting styles listed above. On the other hand, essay home works, or an opinion or a commentary may not require the strict and rigid methods of the one's above. Of course, any academic writing will still need to follow specific instructions or requests given by the professor or instructor. For a professional or work-related writing, there is no specific formatting or writing styles to be followed. However, common practice in the business world has dictated some acceptable way of preparing and writing professional communications. One typically starts with a header which contains to whom the writing is addressed and the purpose of such. Next, there will be an opening paragraph, which is considered as the first power position, since this will be the part which may or may not grab the audience or reader's attention. It is then followed by the body, containing the bulk of the work, and which may also contain what is referred to as the "burial ground", which are technical things or jargon which need to be part of the writing but may be too boring to catch the readers attention. This is then followed by the closing paragraph, which is the second power position, which summarizes your writing and emphasis key points. Writing for class or for an academic setting would ordinarily depend first on the subject of the class, and second on the instructions of the professor or instructor. For the professional setting, the writing will depend on the task or job given, the purpose and the target audience. An academic writing almost always will follow one of the writing styles or formats listed above; while a professional writing will usually be the common memo or report, similar to what was outlined in question #5. An academic writings' audience may be limited to the professor or instructor, and sometimes peers and fellow classmates; while a professional writing's may include superior, other co-workers, or your customer or clients. Reference Sheila C Crowell; Ellen Kolba "The essay" New York : Educational Design, 2001. Ricky W Griffin; Ronald J Ebert "Business" Toronto : Pearson Canada, 2014.

Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Diploma in Management The WritePass Journal

Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Diploma in Management Introduction Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Diploma in Management ).   Performance Gap Analysis can take various forms. Typically they identify the different components which an employee needs to possess in order to do his or her job well.   Then, for each component, there is an assessment whether that skill or ability is critical or non-critical (non-critical components are useful, but not essential to possess), whether the employee currently possesses that skill (and to what level), and therefore where there exists a gap which needs to be filled by training and/or education (Q Finance 2013 [online]).   I am using a model which combines categories from CPS (2007) with the suggestions made by Q Finance (2013, online).   There are many versions of PGA tools, but I chose this one as I felt the competencies discussed match the requirements of the job in question very well. The member of my team is Amanda M (please note, a pseudonym has been used)]. A Junior Finance Assistant, she is one of the most junior in the department, and has been with us only 4 months.   She joined the department directly from education, so has not had any relevant work experience before. I met with her for 40 minutes to discuss the different aspects of her job, and identify her competency in each. I explained the purpose of the analysis, and she was very enthusiastic about the technique. As she had been with us for a relatively short period of time, she has not had another formal review of her job, and has expressed to me on several occasions that she would be interested in finding out how she is getting on.   Both Amanda M and I particularly valued the way that the tool offers a physical record of the meeting, which both allows credit to be given for areas in which the employee is performing well, and also helps identify areas in which the employee is underperforming, whil e allowing improvements to be tracked over time. This led to the following gap analysis (presented below): Skill/ Competency Critical or non-critical (desirable) Degree to which skill/competency possessed (out of 5) Skill gap / Action Technical ability (financial expertise required for job) C 3 Will take some time to fully understand technical aspects of job. Reassess in 6 months Teamwork C 4 Works well in team Initiative NC 2 As expertise builds, offer experiences which build confidence in using initiative Work standards C 4 Conscientious. Could check more. Recommend daily checking of work at end of day Customer / client focus (ability to liaise with clients) NC 3 Lacks confidence with service users. Recommend confidence-building course in next 6 months Understanding of organisational ‘vision’ C 5 Committed, understands aims of organisation. Communication C 3 Written communications good, verbal communication needs work. We identified need for confidence building on speaking to groups. Training to take place in next 2 months. Decision-making NC 3 Reassess in 6 months, still building expertise in role. Adaptability C 4 Flexible. No further action at moment. Planning Organising C 4 Well-organised. No further action at moment. Conflict management NC 3 Finds conflict difficult. Reassess need for extra training in 6 months. Table 1: Performance Gap Analysis with Amanda M In summary, both Amanda M and I found the gap analysis a useful tool for assessing strengths and weaknesses and planning SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) objectives (Williams 2011). Implementing a Personal Development Plan for an Individual in the Organisation The Personal Development Plan As well as conducting a gap analysis with Amanda M as described above, I also (with her input) devised a personal development plan (PDP). The detailed discussions which were involved in developing the PGA raised a number of key objectives which fed into the PDP. The plan is presented in table 2 (note, this is written from the viewpoint of Amanda M: Objectives (What do I want to be able to do, or do better?) Success criteria (How will I recognise success? How will I review and measure my improvement?) Actions (What methods will I use to achieve my learning objectives?) Implementation (How will I practise and apply what I learn?) Full understanding of the accounting procedures within the Department By being able to take on more responsibility outside my current job description This will be reviewed during supervision and measure against my performance By shadowing those already currently doing the job. Also by reviewing completed tasks and comparing them with mine. By reading relevant literature. By undertaking more work within the department. Time planning and workload – getting things done on time and on schedule By meeting my targets within the specified time line of the finance timetable. By measuring current time taken to carry out tasks, and comparing with future timescales. Review current work process and look for ways to improve them To practise reflective learning (review tasks after completion) Break current tasks into constituent parts, assess (alone, and with peers / manager) whether any can be done more efficiently. Think about daily tasks and assess whether I am doing them in the best way. Compare how I work with others, both within firm and beyond. To be able to do budgeting and forecasting When am actually able to produce a budget for a new service and also when senior managers are confident enough to come and ask me questions about existing contracts I will have my budgets reviewed initially by line manager. Looking up old budgets done and trying to understand the basis on which they were set up Going on courses for budgeting Working on hypothetical ones so as to have an understanding of what is involved Manager will set me task of doing budget, and will closely supervise and talk through my process. Improve communication skills Improve the quality of my communication skills i.e. written and verbal skills Practical training, courses in written communication, verbal communication. Identifying weak areas with manager and ‘role play’ new approaches Roleplay with colleagues. Use checking techniques to make sure I am understood. Will assess my confidence re: communication at 6 month review. Take lead and use own initiative By implementing new ways to work better within the department Reducing my need to ask for assistance before acting Conduct analysis of current situation, i.e. number of times (per week) I ask for help making decisions currently, number of times (per week) I initiate new ideas or act independently. Compare this with situation in 1 month, 3 months etc. Short course in confidence building Seek detailed feedback from peers and manager about instances in which I take the lead and use initiative Use analysis of current situation to see where I could act more independently. By identifying these situations, responding more proactively to them in the future. Peer to peer mentoring – work alongside confident colleague who will support me in taking lead Use identification of possible situations for using initiative to act when I recognise these situations in future. Table 2: Personal Development Plan Delivery of the Personal Development Plan The employee identified a number of objectives she would like to achieve. Each of these objectives involved a slightly different means of delivery.   Please see table 2 for details of delivery methods.   One area which it was important to take into account was learning preferences. I found the ideas that there are different ways of learning and that different individuals are happiest learning in different ways very useful in this situation.   The idea of learning styles was developed by Kolb (1984), who suggested that people prefer to learn in different ways, with four main styles: The accommodator: learns from experience and trying things out for themselves, as well as from other people. Intuitive rather than intellectual. Prefers teamwork. The diverger: prefers thinking and analysis to practical tasks. Good at things involving ideas, and may be sensitive and like the arts. They like people, are emotional. Good at team work. The assimilator: uses reflective observation and is abstract and conceptual, not as keen on working with people or experiencing things directly. Logical, rational. The converger: combines an abstract, conceptual approach with experimentation. Solves practical problems through thinking or learning. Good at putting abstract ideas into practice. (Evans 2006). This model helped me understand the best methods for Amanda M to achieve her objectives. I felt that she was closest to the assimilator model of learning as she takes an abstract and conceptual approach, and enjoys learning from textbooks. This not only explained the areas in which she most needed development (fitting in with the time constraints imposed by others, communication, taking the lead and practical action) but helped me plan ways to help her address these objectives. I felt that taking courses would help Amanda M understand the concepts behind the objectives, and would feed her desire for learning. I also felt that working with colleagues to address issues would help her overcome her slight resistance to working with people and direct experience. Another area which needed to be taken into consideration in devising the PDP was the organisational culture. Organisational culture has been defined in many different ways. A common notion is that an organisational culture reflects the ideologies, shared philosophies, values, beliefs, assumptions, attitudes and norms of an organization (Martin 2005, p. 490). It can also cover the usual ways of doing things which new employees have to familiarise themselves with. Organisational culture is transmitted through a range of methods including direct verbalisation, symbolism   and unspoken ways of doing things.   I feel that the organisational culture at WDP is relatively forward thinking and socialistic rather than influenced by capitalist values. Collaborative working and openness is prized, and values are collective rather than individualistic. There is a large emphasis upon the organisations commitment to social equality, and to employees understanding the vision of the organisation.   Ã‚   For this reason, when devising the PDP I felt it was appropriate to emphasise shared activity and working with other people, and downplay individualistic material rewards as a learning tool. From a slightly different perspective, one aspect of the organisational culture that I feel is counter-productive to personal development is the current situation with regards to reviews. New employees currently have to take part in three probationary reviews, one after 5 days, one after 8 weeks and one after 20 weeks, with the last review being key in determining whether the individual passes probation or not. However, I feel that the current final review relies upon outdated tools, and that it fails to assess the correct aspects of an employee’s ability. For example, currently a large part of the probationary review consists of a formal test of accountancy skills. While this is relevant to some extent, I feel a review which looked at whether the employee had developed the skills required in the job, not simply accountancy ability but wider ranging skills like teamwork, as well as the ability to apply formal knowledge to our particular work situation. Currently, the review al so fails to look at the extent to which the probationer has understood, and is in agreement with, the wider aims of the organisation. Given the nature of our work, I feel that this is a key area, and that it is extremely important for employees to be ‘on board’ with our mission.  Ã‚   I would like to see changes here. Learning environment was also relevant. I feel that WDP promote learning as part of the environment. They are proactive in assessing training needs, and take training and development of employees seriously. They promote in-house, on-the-job and off-site training where possible. Weiss identifies several principles which can mean an organisation promotes the best possible learning environment, and I feel these describe the culture at WDP fairly well. They include (Weiss, 2012): the promotion of self-learning (helping people be open to learning and giving them the tools to learn in different ways). WDP are generally positive about learning, and promote learning opportunities. giving responsibility to both leaders and employees for learning WDP train managers to think about the learning needs of their employees, but also offer ways for individuals to identify and address their own learning needs. just-in-time learning making it possible for learning to take place whenever it is needed and wherever it is needed. WDP recognise the need to be adaptable and flexible regarding learning. For example, as a manger I am encouraged to think of innovative, quick ways to address employees’ learning needs once identified. Monitoring Progress Towards the Personal Development Plan Part of the personal development plan (see table 2) is the need to identify ways to find out if the objective has been achieved, and ways to review and measure improvements. These are summarised in the table. However, I feel objectives in general, and the objectives set for Amanda M in particular can be better achieved if detailed outputs and outcomes are set, and these should be given a specific time-frame for achievement.  Ã‚   Shapiro (2012) identifies different types of monitoring of a project or individual’s progress: goal based, in which progress towards a target is assessed, decision-making, where the aim is to gather information to support a decision, goal-free, where there is no good or bad outcome, and expert judgement. The closest to the type of monitoring necessary here is goal-based. The aim is to identify whether the employee has achieved certain objectives, and it can also be asked if the goals were achieved in the most effective way and whether they were the most appropirate goals. A suitable methodology for this type of monitoring is to compare a baseline with progress over a period of time, and indentifying key indicators (Shapiro 2012).   To this end I created an excel spreadsheet which has a worksheet for each set of actions associated with a desired objective that breaks down the actions into smaller sections to be achieved, and associates each with a likely timeline. This not only identifies which actions need to be completed for the achievement of each objective, but helps Amanda M see how perhaps daunting larger scale actions can be broken down into small, very achievable pieces. One issue with monitoring progress concerns institutional matters.   That is, an individual’s progress can be hampered by organisational failings. I feel that although WDP support learning in general, and promote it in an abstract way, they could be better at providing the detailed support that individuals need to learn. For example, while the directors agree in principle that employees should be given time off for training, in practice I have been asked to justify letting staff leave the office to do library research for example, and have had the sense that it is sometimes seen as a waste of time. Summary In the above I have looked at the processes through which employees’ development needs can be assessed. I have touched upon relevant theory in the discussion, but it has been shaped through devising a gap analysis and a personal development plan for one employee working in my department. While the case of one particular employee has been used to illustrate how development needs can be addressed, it should also be kept in mind that other members of the financial team are involved in these development needs. It is important to involve more experienced staff in expanding the experience and addressing knowledge gaps of Amanda M. For example, other staff members can offer support through allowing Amanda to shadow them for a day, or by acting as mentors over a longer period of time. Previously, in group meetings, we have addressed issues raised by training new members of staff, and it has been agreed that there is a need for an approach with a broad, team-wide sweep which involves everyone in training the new staff member. However, I also recognise that some individuals may find this easier than others. In my opinion, there is a need for further team-wide training to help less confident members of the organisation develop best practice for supporting new staff. References CPS Human Resource Services (2007) ‘Workforce Planning Tool Kit: Supply/Demand Analysis and Gap Analysis’, CPS, Washington, DC Evans, C (2006 Learning styles in education and training, Emerald Group Publishing, UK Kolb, D A (1984) Experiential Learning: Experience as a Source of Learning and Development, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ Martin, J (2005) Organizational Behaviour And Management (3rd edn.), Cengage Learning EMEA, USA QFinance (2013) ‘Performing a Skills Gap Analysis’, [online] (cited 16th January 2013) available from qfinance.com/performance-management-checklists/performing-a-skills-gap-analysis Qfinance ‘Performaing a Skills Gap Analysis’ (2013) Self Care Connect (2013) ‘Tool 5 – the Gap Model’, [online] (sited 15th January 2013) available from selfcareconnect.co.uk/tools_sc4pc/tool5.php Self Care Connect ‘Tool 5 – the Gap Model’. 2013 Shapiro, J (2002) ‘Monitoring and Evaluation’, Civicus, South Africa. Van Tiem, D, Moseley, J L and Dessinger, J C (2012) Fundamentals of Performance Improvement: A Guide to Improving People, Process, and Performance (3rd edn.), John Wiley Sons, USA Weiss, D S (2012) Leadership-Driven HR: Transforming HR to Deliver Value for the Business (2nd edn),   John Wiley Sons. Williams, C   (2011) Effective Management: A Multimedia Approach (5th edn.), Cengage Learning, Mason, CA Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Diploma in Management Introduction Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Diploma in Management Introduction2 Assessment of the Effectiveness of Organisation in Measuring Team Performance against Organisational Goals and Objectives2.1. Measurement Methods Used2.2 Team Objectives and Measurement Against Organisational Targets2.2.1 Organisational Objectives2.2.2 Developing our Reputation2.2.3 Understanding what we Have to Do2.2.4 Developing the Potential of our People2.2.5 Developing Financial Resources2.2.6 Sharing what we learn with others2.3. Evaluation of Effectiveness of Organisational Leadership in Helping Teams to Achieve the Set Goals2.4. Being Able to Develop and Lead Teams ConclusionReferencesRelated Introduction The following report evaluates the role played by leadership in successful teams, and the effectiveness of measuring team performance. Based upon this evaluation, I will critically examine my own leadership style, and highlight changes which could be implemented.   I work for Westminster Drug Project, a charity which helps people with drug and alcohol dependency. We are based in London but work across several London boroughs. I am the financial accountant for the organisation. For a fuller description of the organisation and my role, see appendix 2 Assessment of the Effectiveness of Organisation in Measuring Team Performance against Organisational Goals and Objectives 2.1. Measurement Methods Used Our organisation uses two main methods of assessing team performance against organisational goals and objectives. These are ‘Key Performance Indicators’ (KPIs) and the ‘Balanced Scorecard’ approach. KPIs are also sometimes known as ‘Key Success Indicators’. For a fuller description of KPIs and the Balanced Scorecard approach, see appendix 2. We adapt the balanced scorecard framework by specifying individual objectives within each perspective (see appendix 3 for full details). 2.2 Team Objectives and Measurement Against Organisational Targets My company uses both KPI and balanced scorecards to identify a number of team objectives, and to allow progress towards these to be measured.   For all objectives, the process is similar: objectives are agreed overall at board level, then these are filtered down to individual managers and their teams. Managers discuss team targets (what they are, how to progress towards them, and how they will be measured) in meetings with staff.   Discussions are mainly amongst the whole team, but sub-teams and individuals can also be the focus.  Ã‚   This section looks at our different objectives and the measurements for these, and identifies task and behaviour elements of them, looks at how these targets contribute to the organisation as a whole, examines the line of sight to strategic objectives, and critically assesses the efficacy of the measurements. 2.2.1 Organisational Objectives Our organisational objectives are primarily maintaining accurate budgets and cost control.   These ensure that our services are financially strong with an aim of facilitating growth (particularly diversifying into other areas in the drug / alcohol field, for example last year we took over an organisation offering residential rehabilitation services). Team objectives fit into organisational budgets in this respect, as company-wide standards for budgeting and cost-control are implemented. Team behaviour is designed to ensure that standards within the department are those used within the organisation as a whole.   For example, my budgeting activities are spot-checked by my line manager, against methods used organisation-wide. In this sense there is a good ‘fit’ between team objectives and organisational ones.   I feel also that the line of sight to the strategic objectives is well-managed. That is, we are trained not only in the methodology of budgets and cost control but also in the reasons why we use the particular methods we do, with the reasons always tying back to the organisation as a whole.  Ã‚   Measurements are varied and include monitoring of behaviour (periodic watching of staff carrying out budgeting tasks etc.), spot-checks of records and other administration. Measurements are carried out by in-team m anagement but also by auditors from outside the team.  Ã‚   Cost control in particular is monitored regularly as there are so many outside and internal factors which can affect costs.  Ã‚   I feel that overall the correct aspects of organisational objectives are measured, and that the ‘fit’ between team and organisation are well managed and that the balanced scorecard method and use of KPIs is well-integrated.   This area corresponds to 1.a in the appendix below. 2.2.2 Developing our Reputation In this area I feel there is a poorer fit between team performance and organisational objectives. The latter include full transparency in financial procedures and excellent customer relations.   Most of our income is from grants and contracts, which means that some funds are restricted (that is, must be spent on what the money was donated for).   We have to provide very detailed accounts to funders of our spending, with complete transparency.  Ã‚   There is clearly a strong need to adhere to these constraints, with the rationale for doing so a part of the overall vision for the organisation.   In practice, however, I feel that customer relations are often side-lined in terms of team management and goals. The emphasis within the team seems to be primarily upon meeting goals in this area and this is managed with something of a feel of reluctance and antagonism. I feel more could be done to disseminate a positive approach here.   This area corresponds to 1.b in the appendix be low. 2.2.3 Understanding what we Have to Do In this case, the requirement translates into financial analysis and also understanding how projects work overall. The problem here is that working in the financial department can be isolating, and team members can become separate from the overall purpose of the organisation. There is less client-facing contact. For this reason, site visits and other ways of helping us understand the vision behind projects have been introduced.  Ã‚   In this case I feel a poor fit between overall objectives and team ones has been overcome through thoughtful planning.  Ã‚   Historically workers in finance had a poor line of sight between team objectives (quantitative and financially based) and the overall purpose of the organisation. However, this has been overcome. However, I feel more could be done to measure the impact of these new initiatives. For example, although I feel, through talking to colleagues, that site visits have improved the team sense of what the organisation is about, there need s to be formal measurement of this, perhaps through employee questionnaires. This area corresponds to 1.c in the appendix below. 2.2.4 Developing the Potential of our People Developing the potential of employees is something that the organisation as a whole are very committed to. However, I feel there is something of a mismatch here between the holistic vision and the department interpretation of this. In finance we do provide training to everyone, and additionally provide training on financial matters to people from other departments, however the training tends to be predominantly focussed upon technical aspects of our job. I understand that this reflects our role, but I feel that more could be done to integrate the overall vision which seems to be holistic in approach and focused upon developing people to their full potential, which integrates areas outside the narrow focus of the job.   For example, I would like to see more access to education of all sorts, for example learning new languages or arts related, as I believe this would both produce more rounded employees and fit better with organisational goals. This area corresponds to the KPI 1.d in t he appendix below. 2.2.5 Developing Financial Resources I feel that the ‘fit’ here is fairly good. This objective means, in practice, managing financial resources prudently. This is a clear objective which has been tackled well through straightforward departmental systems. We work closely with senior management to provide information, for example monthly management accounts. Measurement of success here is straightforward: we are asked for figures and provide them.   I feel team objectives contribute greatly to organisational success, as without the information we provide we would be unable to provide information to funders, and hence our income would be withdrawn. This area corresponds to KPI 1.a in the appendix below. 2.2.6 Sharing what we learn with others In practice this objective translates into clinical governance, team meetings and making sure all skills are utilised.   We do address both these elements within the finance department, however I think there is a slight mismatch here between team and organisational objectives. Governance and meetings in our department tend to be very focused upon detail, and the wider, more visionary objectives are not really translated into the team context.  Ã‚   Occasionally we will discuss what the organisation is really ‘about’, but I feel this gets forgotten as there is simply so much detail to get through. However, at the same time, I do feel that by sharing knowledge regularly, we fulfil an important organisational function.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also, I think we, as a department, fully utilise and share skills at team meetings. By open communication I believe we learn from past mistakes and tell others how to avoid making the same mistakes. This is facilitated by an atmosphere of seeing ‘mistakes’ as opportunities to learn, not blame. 2.3. Evaluation of Effectiveness of Organisational Leadership in Helping Teams to Achieve the Set Goals Overall, I feel that there is a mis-match between organisational leadership and the desire of individual team management to achieve goals. The overall culture at the organisation is somewhat lassie faire (Tannebaum and Schmidt 1973), that is, individuals are given a high degree of autonomy to achieve goals in their own way.   This has been called a type of non-management (Bilton 2007) and, I believe, in my organisation is not effective.  Ã‚   Aside from cost-control and budgeting, there is a mis-match between what the organisation as a whole seems to champion and both what individual managers consider desirable and the means they employ to achieve the desirable. Individual staff are also left to their own devices to pursue team goals, and organisation wide there is little cohesion or sense that individuals are part of a large, organic whole.  Ã‚   There is little intervention from higher levels in terms of achieving goals, rather an assumption that if targets are met the method must be correct. Additionally, targets tend towards the quantitative, and primarily the cost related.   While individuals display high degrees of creativity in achieving goals, there is little sense that achieving those goals will fit into a corporate vision. I also find that this high degree of individualism works against effective teamwork. Where individuals do work together as a team, this is frequently motivated (with the support of team managers) by short-term goals (such as winning a evening out for the team) rather than a larger sense of organisational purpose.  Ã‚   In my experience this leads, long-term, to individual ‘burnout’, high turnover and a lack of longer term motivation.   I have also had experience of lack of communication and understand across organisational teams, for example recently I did a financial report for a manager, to find that not only had he not seen such a report before but worse that he had no clear understanding of what it meant . There needs to be better training of managers regarding how to motivate teams in a way which fits organisational objectives, but perhaps more importantly better promotion within our organisation of what these objectives actually are.   Managers need to go on more training courses. There also needs to be more open communication between managers in the organisation so they can share knowledge and learn from each other.  Ã‚   Career structure within the organisation needs to be addressed. Currently there are very few opportunities to progress within the organisation, as most vacancies seem to be filled by people new to the organisation. This is not good for staff morale, and it creates a situation in which there is no sense of possibility within the organisation.   Finally, there is a lack of communication of the deepest values held by the organisation across all employees. It seems to me that many managers are unaware of the corporate vision. However, there is also a problem beca use not all agree with some parts of the vision, for example some believe we should not hold reserves, although by doing so we are able to invest in new directions and ultimately help more people. Tannebaum and Schmidt (1973) discuss other types of leadership in addition to the laissez faire,  Ã‚   They suggest a continuum of styles from the extreme of laissez faire leadership to a situation where the manager controls all activity.   I believe that an intermediary position between the two extremes, for example the position where the manager engages with a team to discover different viewpoints before assimilating this knowledge into decisions is more appropriate. 2.4. Being Able to Develop and Lead Teams There are some areas in which I would welcome training to better manage teams. I am fairly new to the experience, and have been learning as I progress. I have been helped along the way by other managers in the organisation who have given useful feedback. As I wasn’t expecting to be promoted to a managerial position, I feel I was particularly unprepared. I have been daunted by the challenge, but also have become aware of the difference a good manager can make.   Initially I have made many mistakes, but I now feel I am learning from them. I feel this is helped because the department has quite an open culture and learning from others is highly valued. One particular challenge so far has been to communicate with others in my team, particularly as I was unclear myself about what my role precisely involves, and what my objectives are.   However, through learning to use tools such as delegation, empowerment and motivating others I’m now much more confident in communicating with others.   I have had success by developing action plans in past unit reviews, for example I set the goal of clarifying my job role and what it entails, breaking this down into a series of achievable steps and setting a time-scale to complete each step by. Having done this I have a full understanding of my objectives and am working towards achieving them, but I am also convinced of the effectiveness of practical action plans. Although I have made many improvements in managing teams, there remain changes which I need to make to more effectively lead teams in the future, which I will address through action planning.  Ã‚   The main change is to do with my line-management skills. I believe that by setting achievable goals for the people who report directly to me, clarifying the objectives expected of them, and being better trained in motivating and empowering people I can make my department more productive and a happier place to work.  Ã‚   Please see the appendix for the action plan Conclusion This report has critically assessed the situation in my organisation in regards to leadership and team performance. I have looked at the ways in which team goals are matched to organisational goals across a range of relevant areas. I have also evaluated the extent to which leaders are effective in helping teams achieve goals, and looked at my own successes and shortfalls in this area. References Barrow, C and Molian, D (2005) Enterprise Development: The Challenges of Starting, Growing and Selling Businesses, Cengage Learning, UK Bilton, C (2006) Management and Creativity: From Creative Industries to Creative Management,   John Wiley Sons, USA Cornelius, N (2001) Human Resource Management: A Managerial Perspective, Cengage Learning, UK Havenga, J and Hobbs, I (2004) A Practical Guide to Strategy: Making Strategic Thinking, Development and Implementation Accessible’, Sun Media, South Africa. Kaplan, R S and Norton, D P (1992) ‘The balanced scorecard: measures that drive performance’, Harvard Business Review, 70:1, 71-79 Schmeisser, W, Clausen, L, Popp, R, Ennemann, C and Drewicke, O (2011) Controlling and Berlin Balanced Scorecard Approach, Oldenbourg Verlag, Germany Tannebaum, R and Schmidt, W   (1973) How to Choose a Leadership Pattern, Harvard Business Review, May/June 1973

Giovanni Room by James Baldwin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Giovanni Room by James Baldwin - Essay Example He therefore trapped himself into a net of lies that preoccupied his conscious, subconscious and blurred his attraction to men. The greatest of his concerns was his father. He was worried as to how his father would handle the behavior and more so what he would do to him upon discovery. At the age of 16 he found himself attracted to a young man by the name Joey. Besides the fear of rejection by his father he was also worried about how the parents of the boy he was attracted to would react to the news of them having slept together. The thought of this made him ashamed of the attraction and in retaliation and recoil. He became repulsive and nasty towards the teen as a way of keeping the feelings at bay. Another reason behind David’s shame of his true identity was his actual lack of comprehension on the exact source and cause of attraction towards men. This was forged clearly in his attempts to lie and deceive himself as well as the society on his actual feelings towards women as opposed to men. The deception went as far as involving an innocent woman to whom David proposed to despite the fact that he did not like her. The shocking realization comes in when he finds himself in Paris alone when his surpassed lover is in Spain. In his confusion he finds himself in bed with Giovanni a bartender who he meets at a renowned gay club. Soon after he proceeds to live with the gay friend during which time the affection develops from friendship to love causing even more confusion. He understands that he had offended many people with the endless lies that he had forged to keep away from the gay attraction within him. Out of the love and concern he feels for the people he has offended he suffers guilt and regret. In the end however he does not want to be lonely or be alone. Thirdly homosexuality was not fully embraced during David’s lifetime. It was still considered a sectorial phenomenon that existed among few (Stryker 104). The society at the time gave little or no regard to peculiarity and therefore gave a rather cold shoulder to persons who associated or related with peculiarities such as homosexuality. Such few were considered different and by the sense of it, unsocietal. By extension they were looked down upon by the community and society at large. Homosexuality was unacceptable both to his father and to the society and it therefore failed to meet society’s standards. This means that by declaring his feelings and displaying his affection for men he would be jeopardizing his status in society and denying himself the right to be a full member of the society. In effect it was important that he keeps to himself what he felt. Finally David’s commitment to hella stopped him from exposing his true self. As part of his elaborate scheme of lies both to himself and to the society, David ends up proposing to a woman who he felt nothing about. Hella grew to love and appreciate David as he was proceeding even to understand his confusi on and distracted sense of attention to her oblivious of the true cause of the confusion. Further she falls in love with him and offers even to take care of him. David on the other hand could not understand the nature of their commitment and often felt imprisoned and leashed to the relationship to Hella. His fear of disappointing her