Development Indicators - 928 Words

TITTLE: An essay on development indicators describing the following indicators that may be used to explain levels of development within countries: (a). (b). (c). Gross National Product (GNP) Child (Under- five) Mortality Rate Human Development Index (HDI) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Defining Development Indicators 3. Gross National Product 3.1 Advantages of GNP 3.2 Disadvantages of GNP 4. Child (under - Five) Mortality 4.1 Advantages of child (under-five) Mortality 4.2 Disadvantages of child (under-five) Mortality 5. Human Development Index 5.1 Advantages of HDI 5.2 Disadvantages of HDI 6. Most suitable Development Indicator 7. Conclusion 8. List of References 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 1. Introduction Progress or†¦show more content†¦HDI is used by UNDP to categories the world into high, medium and low development which is friendlier than categorizing the world into Third World / First World, ‘North/South’ Divide. 5.2 Disadvantages of HDI One limitation of HDI is that it does not show the internal inequalities in welfare within countries. Another limitation is that there is no automatic link between income and human development. 6. Most Suitable Development Indicator HDI is the most suitable indicator for explaining the levels of development within developing countries because it gives a better picture of levels of development in that it includes both social and economic aspects. It focuses on peoples quality of life.. It is a broad based view of development than measures of wealth. Life expectancy is a reflection of the well- being and health care within countries while education (literacy) gives more opportunity to people which are a key fac tor in poverty reduction. 2. 7. Conclusion. Gross National Product (GNP), child (under-five) Mortality Rate, and Human Development Index (HDI) are indicators that may be used to explain levels of development within countries especially developing countries. HDI however, embraces a broad based measure of development and as suxch I consider it the most suitable indicator to measure levels of development. LIST OF REFERENCES 1. Cornwell, L De Beer, F 2010 Only Study Guide for DVA1501. Pretoria. University of South Africa. 2. Mojapelo-Batka,Show MoreRelatedIndicators of of Progress and Development950 Words   |  4 Pagesprosperity were accepted as key indicators of progress and development till the first half of the twentieth century. This was a preoccupation of classical economists. 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Second, The organization adopts too many Indicators and this will lead to the organization lose focusRead MoreTitration Analysis of Aspirin Tablets1492 Words   |  6 Pagesaccurately one tablet into a 50 cm3 conical flask and dissolve it in 10.0cm3 of 95% alcohol. 3. Titrate with 0.10 mol dm-3 sodium hydroxide solution using two drops of phenolphthalein solution as indicator in the first trial. 4. For the next trials repeat steps 1 and 2, but instead of using an indicator use an electronic pH tester to measure the pH of the solution to determine when its neutral; (PH -7) . 5. Record data, ml used in titration to neutralize every aspirin trial. Raw Data Collection:Read MoreEffects Of Recession On Banking Sector Of China And United Kingdom2906 Words   |  12 PagesInstitution: Outline I. Executive summary II. Introduction Effects of recession Indicators of recession Objective of paper Thesis statement III. 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Economic and social development are of central concern to governments and development agencies worldwide due to their direct link to equality. This can be explained through the well-defined link between income levels and health, education and nutritional outcomes, emphasizing the importance of addressing inequality in order to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Thus, reducing inequality

The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1636 Words

The 1920s: Two Perspectives, One Story F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby and Toni Morrison s JAZZ both tell the story of the 1920s in America, but from opposite points of view. Both authors provide us with two compelling narratives of the societal shift that took place in America after World War I had come to an end. Although the accounts share many of the same general topics, as well as the historical era, it is difficult to imagine how the two stories could be so different from one another. It is as though the two authors are giving a description of the same coin, but one describes the front and the other describes the back. To the white population this decade was a time of disillusioned self-indulgence. But to the black†¦show more content†¦But, the events of one drunken afternoon conspire to bring about an ending which includes the death of Tom’s mistress, Myrtle, as well as the murder of Gatsby, followed by the suicide of Wilson, Myrtle’s husband. Fit zgerald creates a picture of a lifestyle that is both fascinating and horrific. In all its excitement The Great Gatsby brilliantly captures the American dream both in its prime as well as its nadir. Morrison’s JAZZ is the story of a love triangle between three people living in Harlem during the Jazz Age. It tells story of Joe Trace, a married man in his fifties and Violet Trace. In 1906 the couple rode the train into New York City and began a new life there, Joe as a door-to-door beauty product salesman, Violet as a hairdresser. However, Joe’s has an affair with eighteen-year-old Dorcas Manfred and later murders her out of an outrage of love and anger. Violet attacks Dorcas’ body at her funeral seeking revenge. After Dorcas death, Joe and Violet continue to live together. In the spring, Joe mourns Dorcas s death and he and Violet patch things up in their relationship, mediated in part by their new friendship with Dorcas s best friend, Felice. Violet eventually realizes that Dorcas was a troubled young woman and that she has Joe’s attention now after he killed Dorcas. JAZZ gives us a very real glimpse of what it must have been like to be a black cit izen in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance,

Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Diploma in Management Free Essays

string(140) " well in team InitiativeNC2As expertise builds, offer experiences which build confidence in using initiative Work standardsC4Conscientious\." Introduction The following looks at the development needs of an individual for whom I have responsibility at work. I devise, justify and describe the monitoring of a personal development plan to meet their needs. My organisation is Westminster Drug Project, a vibrant, dedicated and innovative charitable organisation committed to assisting people who have drug and alcohol related dependences. We will write a custom essay sample on Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Diploma in Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now The organisation has been in existence over 21 years, and was started in the London Borough of Westminster. Westminster Drug Project (WDP) has grown in size and reputation over the years and presently works across a number of London boroughs and some counties in the south east of England. The purpose of the organization is to provide support to those affected by drug and alcohol use in local communities, and also to share knowledge acquired in the carrying out of this purpose to a wider audience, so as to have a highly informed society. WDP is committed to ensuring that they provide excellent services to all their stakeholders, from service users to the commissioners. They are committed to providing treatment and support to services users, and to overseeing their successful progression through the various stages of the treatment programme. The organisation is not adverse to change; rather it structures its services to embrace any change (legislative or otherwise) that might have a positive impact on the treatment journey of its service user. This can be evidenced by the expansion made to some services in order to meet the many stages of a service user’s treatment journey. Over the years WDP has showed itself to be an organisation which has a passion for its goals. One of the main objectives of the organisation is to develop the potential of its people so as to ensure that everyone is fully committed to the organisation and that they possess the appropriate personal resources in order that the mission of the organisation can be fulfilled. My role at WDP had progressed over the 5 years I have worked for the organisation, although I have always worked in a financial role. During my time at WDP I have developed and progressed through a number of financial related roles within the finance department. My current position is the Financial Accountant of the company. In this position, my main duties include: Coaching, mentoring and supervising the Finance Administrators Supporting the Financial Controller, colleagues and other managers in the management of WDP’s finances. Devising and implementing effective systems and procedures for the organisation to ensure good governance Control of WDP’s financial resources in order to provide timely and accurate information to support the organisations decision-making and growth. Overseeing the day to day operations of the team and having a direct impact upon the development and growth of the team. Maintaining the integrity of all the sub ledgers and assisting with forecasting and budgeting. Producing finance reports to senior management and external stakeholders Since I started working at WDP, I have acquired a vast knowledge of the misuse and or abuse of drugs and alcohol. An important aspect of my Job is to ensure that relationships between the organisation and external stakeholders are not compromised, as well as promoting a healthy working relationship between both parties. Evaluation of Individual Performance Within an Organisation This section sets out a performance gap analysis with one member of my team. Performance Gap Analysis (sometimes called Gap Analysis) is a tool which can be used to identify gaps in (amongst other areas) employee performance. By identifying gaps clearly, it is thought that they can be more accurately and speedily addressed. PGA allows an organisation to assess possible improvements in employee performance, to understand why the gaps exist and plan interventions to address the gaps (Van Tiem et al., 2012). 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 t raining 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, while allo wing improvements to be tracked over time. This led to the following gap analysis (presented below): Skill/ CompetencyCritical or non-critical (desirable)Degree to which skill/competency possessed (out of 5)Skill gap / Action Technical ability (financial expertise required for job)C3Will take some time to fully understand technical aspects of job. Reassess in 6 months TeamworkC4Works well in team InitiativeNC2As expertise builds, offer experiences which build confidence in using initiative Work standardsC4Conscientious. Could check more. Recommend daily checking of work at end of day Customer / client focus (ability to liaise with clients)NC3Lacks confidence with service users. Recommend confidence-building course in next 6 months Understanding of organisational ‘vision’C5Committed, understands aims of organisation. CommunicationC3Written 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-makingNC3Reassess in 6 months, still building expertise in role. AdaptabilityC4Flexible. No further action at moment. Planning OrganisingC4Well-organised. No further action at moment. Conflict managementNC3Finds 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 performanceBy 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 budgetingWorking 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 skillsPractical training, courses in written communication, verbal communication. Identifying weak areas with manager and ‘role play’ new approachesRoleplay 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 â€Å"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 organ isation.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.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.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 w hether 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 http://www.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 http://www.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 How to cite Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Diploma in Management, Essay examples Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Diploma in Management Free Essays string(181) " 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\." 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 will write a custom essay sample on Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Diploma in Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now 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.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.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 management but a lso by auditors from outside the team.Cost control in particular is monitored regularly as there are so many outside and internal factors which can affect costs.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.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 below. 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.In this case I feel a poor fit between overall objectives and team ones has been overcome through thoughtful planning.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 needs to be formal mea surement 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. You read "Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Diploma in Management" in category "Essay examples" 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 the 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.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. 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.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.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. Add itionally, 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.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.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 because not all agr ee 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,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.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.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 How to cite Institute of Leadership and Management Level 5 Diploma in Management, Essay examples

Ocean Side Tranquilty Essay Example For Students

Ocean Side Tranquilty Essay Ocean Side TranquilityThe point when the hot sand meets the slowly rising tide of the ocean, and how the sunset seems to glimmer off of the water at just the right angle. When the flock of seagulls skims the top of the ocean while the fins of dolphins can be seen cresting in the distance. These are the sorts of things that help describe the feeling of ocean side tranquility. The soft sound of crashing waves, and the mellow chirping of seagulls sound in a way that meld themselves together into a sort of background melody that dance together along the grains of sand. The sunset slowly falls off the edge of the horizon casting a blanket of mixed colors along the top of the ocean. All of the actions taking place form a relaxing blend of natures marvels. When all the events of the beach form together to give a feeling of peace within ones self. In this one grain of time when all of the phenomenon of the beach come together, this is a feeling of complete ocean side tranquility. This one second of time stretches itself to fill an eternity. When it feels like youve been on the sand forever and nothing else really matters but the cool breeze and the sand between your toes, youve experienced the tranquility of the beach. All the ringing phones, complaining bosses, and modern day worries are replaced by a cold drink and a towel. Nobodys upset and the weathers just perfect to take a stroll on the soft cushion of sand. Although people feel the tranquility at different times the feeling is all the same. Some feel it while walking on the sand right at the break of dawn, while others experience it sitting down admiring the sunset as the curtain of night casts itself upon the water. The tranquility is a very enlightening experience too. A lot of people look at things differently when the relaxation hits them. Its like being in your own world where everything is flowing together just perfect. Everything comes together in perfect harmony. That guy thats walking his dog along the ocean seems like its meant to be there. Everything is in a complete moment of zen. The ocean side tranquility can be interpreted many different ways, but always gives the person experiencing it a great feeling of calmness and harmony. Hey, if it didnt happen why would so many people take their vacations to the beach?