Furniture piece (I WILL DO IT)in the Aesthetic movement, U.S Assignment

Furniture piece (I WILL DO IT)in the Aesthetic movement, U.S. (1890-1915) - Assignment Example birth of various skillful craftspeople who have flourished because of the artistic outlet they achieved through hand making of the most durable and beautiful goods ever. Based on this, there has emerged a group of extremely talented artisans termed as Roycroft Renaissance Artisans, who have continuously carried on with the tradition of producing high quality goods. It is a modern day edition of Arts & Crafts movement, and serves towards preservation and protection of the quality and vision of the American Arts & Crafts (Koon, 2004).   The Roycroft designs have indeed brought in a lot of significance towards the growth and establishment of America’s aesthetic value and designs. This is because in America at large, the aesthetic Movement has come up to be the first paradigm of the ultimate phenomenon that can now be termed as a ‘Lifestyle’. This is due to the fact that Aesthetic ideal not only applied to the aspects of painting, portraiture, and sculpture, but also to the entire furniture designs courtesy of Roycroft furniture models (Koon, 2004).   In fact, it appears that Roycroft designs has borrowed much from the aesthetic in coming out with completely new models that appear exciting to most customers. The aesthetic ideal is thus one of its kinds in the organization. It generally gave a proposal that being artistic was a significant touchstone of enlightened

Week4 report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week4 report - Essay Example I performed the task of balancing the clearing checks which are deposited in the accounts of the customer. Moreover, I had to deal with the rejected checks which were drawn on the local banks’ accounts (Parker 48). I learned numerous new skills in the past 30 hours such as, I learned to make use of appropriate language and be positive while communicating with others. I was able to be flexible enough to adjust according to the need of work and the requirements of dealing with the customer. I am able to be calm and patient along with being polite to the customers. I learned to be able to keep the customers’ information confidential and to maintain their privacy according to the policy. I have been able to be careful and attentive about the single details and their accuracy. Most importantly in this work experience, I have learned from my mistakes and observed many ways to work out of difficult situations and in different conditions (Fitch 50). I have adopted the troubleshooting skills while facing some problems and handled them during training in the last 30 hours. The problems I encountered made me flexible and enabled me to find out their solutions accordingly. In the fourth week, the problem was that the workers were too busy because of upcoming Eid vacation. Therefore, it was difficult for me to complete my training as there was lesser time. I resolved this issue by being calm and followed the workers patiently. I also took help from the detailed papers to get an idea of the new tasks. Secondly a problem occurred when I forgot to write the customer’s phone number on the check while depositing that could cause trouble in rechecking if any error would be detected in depositing. I verified the customer’s account for the contact number with the help of a worker and then I wrote it on the check. Another problem I faced was that according to the bank policies a check cannot be deposited after 12:00 P.M., that I solved by explaining the customer our

Tasks on Strategic Change Management

Tasks on Strategic Change Management Harold (2008) opines that the matrix organization is an attempt to combine the advantages of the pure functional structure and the product organizational structure. This form is identically suited for the companies such as construction companies that are project-driven. In the matrix organizations the structure is different in which the project manager directly reports to the vice president and the general manager. The project manager is responsible for the whole process and decision making in the project and at the end or at any time the manager needs to report then the report goes directly towards the vice president and the general manager. In this model the decision making in the company is very fast and easy by the project manager. In this model each centre becomes the potential profit centre in which the project manger is the in-charge of the project and decision making. Green (2007) states there are some merits and demerits of the matrix organization. The advantages of the matrix organizations are these. The cost of the project is minimised in the matrix organizations and also there are less chances of the conflicts between the employees. There is the ideal balance in the time, cost and performance. There is also the sharing of authority and responsibilities and al last the stress is divided in the team so no one is over stressed and given over burden to do something alone. So the matrix organizations are good in these aspects. There are also some demerits of the matrix organizations like this model is not suitable for all the organizations specially the small organizations. The whole responsibility of the success or failure comes to the manager nor anyone else because of the decision making done by the manager not by others. The team which leads the project takes the whole credit which is against the common appraisals and equality in the organization. TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP MODEL: Timothy (2000) opines that transformational leadership style is the ideal style of the leadership which motivates and uplifts the morale of the employees to work with the commitment and eagerness to promote the growth of the organization. If the people or employees are less effective and used to be controlled by someone who does not have the commitment within themselves, in this situation, the leader with the transforming skills can encourage the employees and change the behaviours of the employees to work effectively and become more productive and good for the organization. This model helps to transform other in such a way that the organization gets the advantage from the employees in a maximum quantity. Transformational leadership is ideal but in the bureaucratic organizations which are according to Kehoe (2007) which states that the system is so long in the bureaucratic system that the information is sometimes distorted and employees blame the organization for any mishaps in the company and the unity is damaged all the time. There are some aspects in the transformational and bureaucratic organization which are just the opposite, so the simple answer is this that the transformational is more effective as compared to the bureaucratic in decision making. TASK 1.2: EVALUATE THE RELEVANCE OF MODELS OF STRATEGIC CHANGE TO ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CURRENT ECONOMY: The models for the change which are discussed in the above paragraphs are very effective and important. Leban (2008) opines that the in the matrix organizations the structure is different in which the project manager directly reports to the vice president and the general manager. The project manager is responsible for the whole process and decision making in the project and at the end or at any time the manager needs to report then the report goes directly towards the vice president and the general manager. In this model the decision making in the company is very fast and easy by the project manager. This model is good in terms of decision making because the project manager is the in-charge of the project and he is not asking anyone if the decision is urgent and for the betterment of the organization. In the matrix organizations the credit is all for the team leading the project. This is the demerit of the matrix organizational model. In the transformational leadership model the model says the flexibility in the organization. There are no rigid rules and regulations like the bureaucratic organizations; the environment is very delightful and good because of the good leadership who cares for the employees. Kotter and Cohen (2002) states that the system is so long in the bureaucratic system that the information is sometimes distorted and employees blame the organization for any mishaps in the company and the unity is damaged all the time. There are so many delays are also there in this system so the transformational model is the best and the need on the companies. TASK 1.3: ASSESS THE VALUE OF USING STRATEGIC INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES IN ORGANIZATIONS: SITUATIONAL THEORY AND CONTINGENCY THEORY: According to this theory, leaders everywhere behave in the certain manner and that manner always depends upon the situation of the time in the organization. Senior (2001) states there can be several situations in which there might be possible leadership behaviours but these behaviours depend on the situation of that particular time in the company in which the leader is working in. In this theory, Timothy (2000) states leaders follow the climate in the organization and take decisions according to the situation and the situation can be either internal or external which affects the organization in different ways. This theory is very important in current leadership because in the time of recession, the decisions have to be with the situation and not the decisions which were taken in good time are good in this situation. This is very close to the Contingency Theory which is the alternative of anything that comes against the productivity or the profit, the leadership takes contingency theory and work on this which is the option based theory as stated by James (2008) who opines that leadership must have the answer to every question arises in the growth and development of the organization. Tesco Plc is also the well known and respected organization in which the leadership is going for meeting the targets and the decisions are taken according to the situation and this is the profitable strategy in the organization. PARTICIPATIVE THEORY: The participative theory is very common and significant in the current leadership of the organizations. James (2008) states that the participative leadership and management style are open and flexible manner of management where employees have the prominent decision making role in the organization and the participation of the employees is considered as the asset of the organization. So this is very important factor in decision making of the organizational setup. This style is very much appreciated in progressing and growing organizations. Employees feel responsible and honoured by the leadership which boosts the morale of them in order to complete the tasks of the organization as Avolio (1999) described. This leadership style helps in the organization in decision making and when this style is applied, the team work and dignity of the employees come forth and they become more and more productive. Tesco plc is the organization that promotes the participative leadership theory in all departments and each and every sector of the branches of this giant. EXAMINE THE NEED FOR STRATEGIC CHANGE IN AN ORGANIZAITON: As Klenke (2004) states that change is the demand of the organizations for growth. It is very simple to understand that the organizations do not remain the same in all the conditions and situations and there can be the need to change sometimes the few and often the many dimensions of the organizations. In Tesco PLC it is very important to give more and more satisfaction to our customers regarding some discount on some items but through the help of new advertisements and new aspects of the organization like clubcard and etc. So now this card will help the customers to get the points on each purchase from our stores and after getting the specific points the customers will get the chance to have some sort of bonuses and rewards. For increasing our sales this system we are planning to implement as soon as possible. We had some sort of problems regarding the customers interest towards our sale of the specific items and the customers were moving to another retailer companies which is going against the profitability of the organization. So we as the best one the Europe has launched the Tesco clubcard to demonstrate the valuable step towards the good will of the organization. This is the main reason for the change in our organization named Tesco PLC. Secondly we want the best staff to deal with the customers for that we are planning to recruit new and fresh people to get inside the company according to the Harold (2008), theory y which says that this the people work with commitment and eagerness not just to earn money and kill the time, so we are doing our best to get those people in the company for good results and meet the objectives. TASK 2.2: ASSESS THE FACTORS THAT ARE DRIVING THE NEED FOR STRATEGIC CHANGE IN AN ORGANIZAITON: ECONOMICS: As the global recession is the worst and the whole world is suffering of this financial countdown everywhere. This factor drives the change in the organizations. The true management in terms of finance or economics is very necessary and there should not be any kind of weakness in the organization to deal with these matters. Otherwise, therefore there should be the perfect finance management and dealing with the economy to sustain in the todays economy. NEW MARKETS: Green (2007) opines the new markets and the production strategies are changing and advancing in terms of their struggle to overcome the recession time with great sustainability and profitability around the world. So new markets are the threats to the organizations and only the organizations which overcome and win the market would survive in this crucial time of history. TASK 2.3: ASSESS THE RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION NOT RESPONDING TO STRATEGIC CHANGE: As leadership and management deals with different issues in the companies, some of them are the most important because of their need and necessity in the organizations. Human resource is the vast department that organizes the major issues in the organizations. The first activity of the human resource is the Recruitment and Selection with their costs in the companies. Leban (2008) opines that the in the recruitment the duty of the HRM is in various sectors. Firstly, it publishes or advertises the need of the organization or the companies as the vacancy comes in them. This is also the duty of the HRM to contact with the recruitment agencies for the better selection of the candidates in the companies. After the ads the term comes when the candidates come to the recruitment section and the interviews take place, if somebody passes the interview then it is the chance for that candidate to go further and get the training to join the organization for the post he has applied or for the post the admin believes that the person can perform well according to the capability of the candidate. This is the very important aspect of the companies. if the right people are not coming in the companies then it will be impossible to have more and more innovative ideas in the companies. From the very first stage to the ending stage the HR plays the significant role in bringing the right people in the companies. But by these processes the huge amount of time is wasted and the resources are also misused and the organization goes in the loss. This is one of the implications that do not respond to the change in the organizations. The next category is the Cost for Training Management. James (2008) states the training management is the favourable environment of the organization in which the organization gives the opportunity to enhance the capabilities of the employees. So the training of the employees is the responsibility of the HRM in the companies. In the trainings the employees get the idea and knowledge to perform well in the organizations. Now trainings are very important but the costs that affect the financial structure of the organization is the one of the major problems in the organizations. So this is also the implication of the resource that do not respond to the change in the organization. TASK 3.1: DEVELOP SYSTEMS TO INVOLVE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PLANNING OF CHANGE: TEAM DEVELOPMENT: Chance (2002) states that the team management system is recognised as the foremost integrated system of work-based, research-proven assessment and feedback instruments worldwide_ supporting individuals, teams and organizations to effect positive and lasting change and achieve higher performance in the workplace. Team management is the system to motivate the team to work hard and achieve the targets in a beautiful way. Team management is the commitment based eagerness to get the works done in the particular time period. The leaders in the team management do their best to motivate all the employees and try their best to improve the effectiveness in the employees and also the productivity of the employees to promote the organization. If the organization wants the employees to improve the skills for future then team development is the main factor that influences the skills of the employees to become more productive and effective for good results. Timothy (2000) opines that transformational leadership style is the ideal style of the leadership which motivates and uplifts the morale of the employees to work with the commitment and eagerness to promote the growth of the organization. If the people or employees are less effective and used to be controlled by someone who does not have the commitment within themselves, in this situation, the leader with the transforming skills can encourage the employees and change the behaviours of the employees to work effectively and become more productive and good for the organization. INFLUENCING SKILLS; Influencing skills are important in the development of the organizations and the leaders in the organization must have the influencing skills, organizations need the skill filled leaders to cope up with all the situations and tackle the problems. James (2008) opines that the influencing skills enable us to increase our credibility and helps to achieve and get more when working with other employees. As credibility is the key skill of the leaders which helps to achieve the goals and manage the task according to the preference of those. Besides this, managing the people is also the credibility of the leaders in this the leader encourages the employees and give them chance to feel good while working in the organizations. There it is also required to promote the collaboration and cooperation between the employees. Managing yourself, the purpose of managing yourself is this that if the leader is trained and skilled and had the good credibility among the employees then the environment will be very nice and the productivity will be increased. Timothy (2000) states there are many positive skills which influences the employees for more effective results. The leader should has the persuading qualities to convince the others for the good future goals and then to change the behaviour of the others so that they would love to work with you for the more productivity. There should be the agreeing targets, everyone in the organization should do good and there should be not any kind of conflict in the organization. The feedback must be given by the leaders to the employees so that they may learn how to accept the new things and become use to with the change. Coaching people is also an influencing skill that helps to tell the employees that there is no problem if there is any weakness but the desire to learn more and more must overcome the problems. If there are different opinions then there should be the quality in the leader to make unity in the employees and there must be the acceptance towards the new and best opinions. TASK 3.2: DEVELOP A CHANGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY WITH STAKEHOLDERS: TRAININIG AND COACHING: The first learning style James (2008) states that the learning is the prominent and impressive way to develop from the trainings and the coaching. Training and coaching provide the scenario and the environment for the employees and the leaders to learn the desired skills and competencies. The companies that progress do arrange the trainings with the time to develop the skills in the employees. MENTORING: In the coaching, the experts share their excellent experience to the juniors to inspire and encourage the others for the good results in the companies. Klenke (2004) states the mentoring is the effective and suitable method of learning in the organizations and firms. In mentoring, the specialists in the companies impart their knowledge and first hand information to the people who learn in the mentoring classes. Mentoring get the employees filled with the personal and professional skills. TASK 3.3: EVALUATE THE SYSTEMS USED TO INVOLVE THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PLANNING OF CHANGE: Kotter and Cohen (2002) opine that the Team Development is a reliable and durable system of change which determines the foremost integrated system of the workplace. Everywhere in the organizations, the teams work is encouraged and appreciated but there should be the spirit of the team in the organizations to get the targets done and met the goals. This is the duty of the leader to train and develop the employees so that they may grow and become effective and perform their duties for the good will of the organizations. Green (2007) states team management system is recognised as the foremost integrated system of work-based, research-proven assessment and feedback instruments worldwide_ supporting individuals, teams and organizations to effect positive and lasting change and achieve higher performance in the workplace. Now the there must be the unity in the team to work hard to do the tasks in the better and flexible way. The leaders must promote and regulate the team development to meet the goals of the organization. Senior (2001) opines that the Influencing Skills enable us to increases our credibility and helps to achieve and get more when working with other employees. As credibility is the key skill of the leaders which helps to achieve the goals and manage the task according to the preference of those. Besides this, managing the people is also the credibility of the leaders in this the leader encourages the employees and give them chance to feel good while working in the organizations. After the credibility, there are the skills which help you to influence others. There should be the agreeing targets, everyone in the organization should do good work and there should be not any kind of conflict in the organization. The feedback must be given by the leaders to the employees so that they may learn how to accept the new things and become use to with the change. Coaching people is also an influencing skill that helps to tell the employees that there is no problem if there is any weakness but the desire to learn more and more must overcome the problems. These skills and team development are necessary for the organizations and the management should work hard on promoting both of these. TASK 3.4: CREATE A STRATEGY FOR MANAGING RESISTANCE TO CHANGE: There can be several strategies to manage the resistance in the organizations during the implementation of the change. First of all this is very important to know what exactly the resistance is. James (2008) opines the resistance can be physical, emotional, official and ethical and even cultural and it just creates hurdles in bringing and practically implementing the change in the organizations. The most effective area that helps the management to deal with the problems relating to the resistance in the change is the training and the education. The first learning style Klenke (2004) states that the learning is the prominent and impressive way to develop from the trainings and the coaching. Training and coaching provide the scenario and the environment for the employees and the leaders to learn the desired skills and competencies. The companies that progress do arrange the trainings with the time to develop the skills in the employees. So this is very important for the organizations that they adapt this method to tackle this problem that comes in the way of implementing the change in the organizations. TASK 4.1: DEVELOP APPROPRIATE MODELS FOR CHANGE: KURT LEWINS CHANGE MANAGEMENT MODEL (UNFREEZE, TRANSITION AND REFREEZE): James (2008) opines that Kurt Lewin gave the change model which has three effective and important stages. The first stage is called the Unfreeze, the second is Transition and then the last one is Refreeze. In the first stage, the author tells about getting ready for the change. This is half of the success in change because if the employees and stakeholders are happy and ready to receive and accept the change then the most of the times it does not take too long to implement the change. This stage makes the people ready and is very important in order to get the desired position. The next stage is Transition which is actually the process and not just the event in the change. The transition is the inner movement of the theme of the change and the true introduction and implementation of the change. The second stage occurs when we make the changes that are needed in the organization to grow in all dimensions. Then the third and the last stage which is Freezing and the meaning of this stage is the establishing stability once the changes are made and done according to the change. In this stage the change are accepted and implemented and the new relationship develops among the leadership and the stakeholders. ACTION RESEARCH (PRIMARY SOURCE) The research can be taken in different ways but some specific terms are used in the research to make it more authentic and reliable. Research itself is power packed formula for the companies to be taken into consideration and the other things are just the secondary. Two techniques are very common in terms of taking the effective research in the organizations. The first one is known as the Primary research technique which is very important in the process of the research. Chance (2002) states that the primary research technique is the one in which the data is taken directly from the customers or the market. The market is surveyed and then it comes to the authorities that something is not there then they try to make the things good and then satisfy the market with good results and products and customer services. Now there are different factors that are involved in this primary research technique. The primary research can be taken by the research in the field with the strong responsibility and honesty because this is very sensitive matter for the organizations, if the companies fail to do the proper research the it can be taken into consideration that the company or more are more sincere with their business and then satisfaction is not the main purpose for that particular organizations. But the real purpose of the organizations to undertake the research in the companies is the more and more satisfaction of the customers and the best to put in the services so that the companies get the maximum results in the return. In the field research, some research takes in the interviews and some on the phones but both of these methods are reliable and authentic. Sometimes there are surveys which are taken online or by the physical appearance. ACTION RESEARCH (SECONDRY SOURCE) The one another research technique is the Secondary Research technique. This is also very reliable but not like the primary. Harold (2008) states that the secondary research method is the one in which the data is not taken directly from the market but the companies take the help from other scholars books and other materials to gather the related information required for the research in the plan for the better results. These kinds of results are very reliable and trusted. But the only thing to be considered is the fact and figures based on the reality. The research must be done transparently and very authentically. In the secondary research few factors are very important. The published texts and books, magazines related with the research are very common in the secondary research technique. Then media is also the very reliable resource of information while making the plan and doing the research in the organizations. From media there are different program in which the information is given but the authenticity depends upon the institute which is giving the data to the viewers. Then the data can be taken from different research institutes that help the organizations to deal information and then make collective efforts to come to the conclusion and do the tasks within the time period and then come to the place where they can make solid rules and regulations for the success of the companies. Now the secondary research methods are very important in the process of the research program for the organizations. PLAN TO IMPLEMENT A MODEL FOR CHANGE: TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP MODEL: In the transformational leadership model the model says the flexibility in the organization. There are no rigid rules and regulations like the bureaucratic organizations; the environment is very delightful and good because of the good leadership who cares for the employees. Kehoe (2007) states that the system is so long in the bureaucratic system that the information is sometimes distorted and employees blame the organization for any mishaps in the company and the unity is damaged all the time. There are so many delays are also there in this system so the transformational model is the best and the need on the companies. Tesco PLC is focused on giving quality services to the customers and the proof is the great response from the market in every branch or store or this mighty giant and the third largest food retailer in the world. Transformational model is the need and very important for the constant success in the companies in order to grow in all dimensions. REFERENCES: Chance, P. (2002). Educational Leadership and Organizational Behaviour, 1st Edition. NY. Eye on Education INC. Green, M. (2007). Change Management Masterclass. London. Kogan Page. Harold, D. (2008). Change the Way You Lead. 2nd Edition. Stanford. Stanford Business Books. James, G. (2008). Business Research Leadership. 1st Edition. Virginia. Darden Graduate School of business Administration. Kehoe, D. (2007). Leading and Managing Change. 4th Edition. London. McGraw Hill. Klenke, K. (2004). Women and Leadership. A Contextual Perspective, 1st Edition, NY, Springer Publishing Company Inc Kotter, J. and Cohen, D. S. (2002). The Heart of Change, London. Harvard Business School Press. Leban, B. (2008). Managing Organizational Change. London. John Wiley and Son. Senior, B. (2001). Organizational Change. Oxford. FT Prentice Hall. Timothy, A. (2000). Journal of Applied Psychology. vol. 85. USA. McGraw Hill.

The Powerful Message of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged Essay -- Atlas Shrug

The Powerful Message of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged       Capitalism, according to John Galt, is "mutual trade to mutual advantage," (Rand Atlas Shrugged 989) or as Adam Smith put it: "[trade] by mutual consent and to mutual advantage." In true capitalism, the economy is strictly separated from the state, just as there is a separation between church and state in the USA. This basic tenet of capitalism describes the only economic system that can be morally justifiable. Communism, fascism, socialism, dictatorships and "regulated capitalism" are all systems that breach upon an individual's basic rights, while capitalism respects and recognizes a man's right to control the product of his mind. In her philosophical treatise Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand uses fictional characters and events to dramatize the only economy that is consistent with man's rights and virtues.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before Ayn Rand, no one had ever seriously attempted to justify capitalism on moral grounds. It was a given that capitalism was immoral; the proponents of capitalism merely tried to exhibit the efficiency of the system (i.e., it is a "necessary evil"). Economists did this because they focused only on the people who would be helped by an anti-capitalist society: the "needy." What Ayn Rand presents so masterfully through Atlas Shrugged is the objective perspective of what is occurring in societies where people may take from others for the "public good"; in the novel, she repeatedly begs the question: "At whose expense?" When the People's State of Mexico nationalizes the San Sebastià ¡n mines, Ayn Rand clearly presents what is really happening: a gang of looters is robbing an honest business for their own benefit. In any other case, this wo... ...and certainly undeserving Orren Boyle can use it without compensation. Is that justice? It is clear that capitalism is the only economic system that gives people what they deserve; capitalism is economic justice.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Capitalism has been proven time and time again to be the most "effective" (in terms of production) economic system in existence, but this is only secondary to the primary fact that it is the only moral economy. In Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand shows that, by its very nature, capitalism is freedom: the freedom for a man to do what he wants to do with the product of his own mind and effort and, the corollary to that, the freedom to live.    Works Cited Rand, Ayn. Atlas Shrugged. New York: Random House, Inc., 1957. ---. "Man's Rights." Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. New York: The New American Library, 1967. 286-94.      

Learning Profiles and Multiple Learner Variances Essay

Differentiating According to Learning Profile and Multiple Learner Variances At the beginning of the school year, I suggested to the grade 6 teachers that we do a learning style inventory of the students we teach. They jumped at the opportunity to get to know their students better and to be able to provide their students with the best learning experience and the opportunity to be successful. We discovered many types of learning styles among the students, many of them having a combination of learning styles. As such I have helped them to incorporate strategies that will help to differentiate according to the students learning styles. For visual learners, for example, we have incorporated visual displays such as charts, videos, and handouts. During lectures and discussions they are provided with graphic organizers to help them organize the information. Dr. Tomlinson on the media video on Differentiating by Students Learning Profiles outlines that strategies offer choice to work alone, to work in an analytic way, to work in practical situations and to work in imaginative creative ways. Erica Mozzerall has incorporated most if not all of these strategies in the video on Classroom Demonstration. I thought that giving them the option to choose their own groupings was a good idea, she mentioned that by doing this they have unknowingly grouped themselves according to their own readiness level, she also allowed them to choose the question that they would consider to challenge them more; offering a choice also helps in differentiating according to their readiness levels. The rationale for differentiating according to multiple learning variances is that students need to be given the opportunity to learn and they should be doing so. This can be done through the implementation of differentiation strategies that take into account students learning profiles. In my lesson on students learning profiles, I will provide students with a variety options that will help address their learning styles. I am primarily a visual learner, therefore I tend to incorporate mainly visuals in my lesson, , my task is now to incorporate other strategies that will cater to the other learning styles within the class, which will take me out of my comfort zone however I am open to implementing other strategies that will help students be successful. References Laureate Inc. (2012) Classroom Demonstration. Mozzarell, E. Laureate Inc. (2012) Differentiating by Student Learning Profile. Tomlinson, C. A. Suggested website from cohort member http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/101043/chapters/The-How-To’s-of-Planning-Lessons-Differentiated-by-Learning-Profile.aspx

Consistent Philosophy of Life Essay

Abstract This paper focuses John Allison’s management style, what he finds to be the essential characteristics of a leader, and how he employs ethics and principles in this everyday life, in business, and as an educational leader. He is the former CEO of BB&T and current leader of the CATO Institute. There is little distinction between Allison’s â€Å"leadership style† and his philosophy. His philosophy can be directly applied to any situation, challenge, or circumstance. Allison is purpose driven and mission oriented, and he applies a set of ten principles to achieve his mission. This paper will also look at how Allison defines a vision, mission, values and principles. Each of the ten principles are examined, and finally, the paper will look at some of the detractors of Allison’s philosophy. John Allison, Consistent Philosophy of Life, Effective Manager of Business, and Important Contributor to Society. John Allison lives by a clear philosophy that permeates every aspect of his life. He built a multi-billion dollar bank (BB&T) on it, and managed to stay away from toxic investments that led to the downfall of many banks because of it. He is now taking this highly moral, completely integrated, and fully comprehensive philosophy to the rest of society by donating time and money to universities by explaining the morality of capitalism and rational thought. Most recently, he was appointed to lead the Cato Institute, a Libertarian think-tank. An effective manager instills purpose in themselves and their employees and lives by a set of values or principles that manifests purpose into reality. The purpose needs to be clear and the principles must be interconnected and consistent. Failure on one principle is failure on all principles; and thus, the vision, mission, and goals of an organization are jeopardized. This concept is consistent with six competencies detailed in Hellriegel, Jacosn, and Slocum’s text book, Managing, A Competency-Based Approach. For example, an organization determines that it must outsource a piece of their production (Strategic Action). Therefore, executive management must effectively work with operations professionals (Teamwork), who must develop and action plan (Planning & Administration) and Communicate that plan to line managers. It is imperative that executive management carefully considered the cultural drivers of the country that they are entering (Multi-Cultural). Finally, whether this strategy is effective hinges upon whether all levels of employees have good Self-Management skills. Failure on any part of these competencies will lead to failure on the whole. Hellreigel’s six competencies pass John Allison’s integration test; however, John’s principles remove the organizational lens of the six competencies to make them more basic and universal. This paper looks at John Allison’s management style and how it is driven by his vision, mission, and principles. Success with these principles will lead to the success of the six competencies. Finally, this paper will spend some time with the detractors and misunderstandings of John’s philosophy. John Allison’s Management Style It is impossible to explain John Allison’s management style without getting into the details of his basic philosophy first. The Richard Craver of the Winston-Salem Journal interviewed Allison in July 2010, and he noted that, â€Å"the key lesson of Allison’s success is that if you get the basics right, the details will follow, and you will run your business right. If you get the basics wrong, you’ll eventually make a fatal mistake in the details† (Craver 2011). Allison’s basics are a purpose driven life and organization that is achieved through principles. This philosophy is detailed in a 30 page employee handbook that all employees are expected to understand and has remained consistent at BB&T for over 20 years. As a result, â€Å"[BB&T] attracts employees who agree, and repels employees who disagree. After a quarter century, they have established a culture of great coherency, and in business, that is a great power† (Craver 2011). From a big ger picture perspective, John Allison’s management style is utilitarian in its approach; however, this implies that BB&T’s goal is to simply be profitable. However, profitability is a means to the overall vision of BB&T, which is to make the world a better place to live in (Allison 2011). Allison explained in a lecture at Wake Forrest University that money is not the end game; instead profits are the means of the overall goal (Allison 2011). The utilitarian methodical approach may be considered amoral, at best; however, it becomes highly moral in the context of a moral vision and purpose. At the individual level, BB&T does not simply manage employees, instead, they develop leaders. Allison explained that â€Å"Most business failures are due to leadership failures; most of those are the result of personal leadership failures† (Allison 2011). Therefore, each employee is not just given a handbook of BB&T’s vision, mission and values, but they also attend a presentation given by Allison himself. In this presentation, Allison explains that there are two fundamental aspects to leadership. First, leaders must create a sense of purpose in themselves and their employees. Purpose creates passion. Second, leaders must live principles that turn purpose into reality (Allison 2011). Living these principles motivates average performers to perform at an above average level and prevents the Great from becoming average. Allison’s Clear philosophy: Allison’s philosophy can be summarized by a general vision that is manifested by a mission statement. The vision is â€Å"To make the world a place that you want to live in† (Allison 2011). The mission is to apply principles that improve the odds of staying alive, becoming successful, and ultimately being happy. The ten principles are further defined herein and are universally applied to individual and organizational missions. Allison’s personal vision and mission parallels BB&T’s vision and mission statement, which is â€Å"To make the world a better place by: Helping our clients achieve economic success and financial security; creating a place where our employees can learn, grow and be fulfilled; making the communities in which we work better places to be; and thereby, optimizing the long-term return to our shareholders, while providing a safe and sound investment† (Handbook 5). With the Vision and Mission clearly defined, Allison’s ten pri nciples are: Principle 1 – Reality The reality principle is an Aristotelian concept that A=A. In an interview with New York Times, Allison said that, â€Å"Wishing something is so does not make it so† (Martin 2009). Although this concept seems very simple, there are plenty of examples in history where individuals, governments and businesses evaded reality. Allison projected that, â€Å"I guarantee that long before the rest of us knew, those geniuses at Lehman Brothers, knew that something was wrong, but they evaded it† (Martin 2009). Reality is independent of authority. For example, the ratings agencies had a level of authority in the market place; however, the ratings agencies evaded the reality that subprime lending was unsustainable. BB&T avoided the subprime market by not evading reality and being responsible for evaluating authority and determining what was true (Allison 2011). Reality is also independent of popularity. For example Galileo bucked the popular idea that the earth revolved around the s un. Principle 2 – Reason / Objectivity Allison contends that mankind’s competitive advantage is that humans have the ability to think and develop concept formation. Allison avoids religion; however, this concept is not in conflict with a Christian’s perspective with some distinction. God created man in the image of God. Therefore, to reason is to approach God and to fulfill His intention for mankind. Allison applies Aristotle’s model of thought. First, base premises on facts; second, use inductive and deductive reasoning; third, integrate conclusions that are not contradictory; and forth, use conclusion to reach a higher level of thought (start the cycle again). Deductive reasoning is the concrete application of a general principle. Inductive reasoning is the taking a general principle and applying it to a specific application. BB&T has been a highly strategic organization, which requires objective thought and facing reality. In the late 1980’s, laws were about to change that would allow banks to enter other states. Realizing that North Carolina would soon be flooded with competition from larger banks, he began a series of intra-state acquisitions prior to the changing of the laws. This allowed them a head start on the out-of-state competition while giving BB&T the experience to perfect the merger process well before the larger consolidation of the industry. Allison recognized the reality, used inductive and deductive reasoning to conclude that they would need to get bigger, be purchased, or struggle as a result of the changes in the law, and then was able to move on with a new premise of how to become bigger. Despite the popular opinion that BB&T was paying too much for some of its acquisitions, the strategy paid off. BB&T defended its role as â€Å"acquirer of choice,† and stressed the strategic nature of its acquisitions. It had developed a reputation as one of the most successful integrators of acquired banks in the industry. â€Å"Darn few have been able to get away with a consolidation strategy, but one of the best is BB&T,† an SNL Securities analyst told the Business Journal Serving Charlotte and the Metropolitan Area (BB&T.com). Allison also uses reason to implement a method of philanthropic activities in order to be more effective based on BB&T’s core strengths. Allison explained in Philanthropic Magazine that, â€Å"The money that was being spent wasn’t going to promote the well-being of our company or our country. We needed to focus our contributions on something that will matter, and we think that presenting the concepts that undergird capitalism is essential for both BB&T’s well-being and the well-being of the society in which we live† (Sparks 2011). Principle 3 – Individual Allison contends that all thought happens at the individual level. â€Å"Our brains are not physically connected† (Allison 2011). Teamwork is important principle, but new ideas are generated by the individual. A team can improve the idea or even give some the inspiration to develop a new idea, but the thought came from one’s mind. This principle also means that the individual is responsible for themself. â€Å"A manager cannot be responsible for their employees,† Allison explained in his lecture. A manager, parent, or leader can only guide people, but the individual must make choices and affix attitudes for herself/himself. Understanding this concept is very liberating not only for the individual employee, but also for the organization. At the employee level, ownership of their own role gives them a sense of importance. At the organizational level, businesses benefit by having limitless ideas that bubble up to management. In Craver’s interview with Allison, he noted that, â€Å"The decision not to write mortgage loans of the type that are now called â€Å"toxic† was made by a fairly low-level executive without even consulting Allison† (Craver 2011). Allison continues the concept of liberating the individual by saying, â€Å"Man has rational capacity, and a capitalist system allows him the greatest individual freedom to exercise that capacity for creativity and innovation—and to be rewarded accordingly. It is, in a very deep sense, a just system† (Sparks 2011). Principle 4 – Productivity Productivity is a measurable at the organizational level though output and profitability. A profitable business is a good thing. More fundamentally, productivity is the â€Å"gut-level commitment to get the job done† (Allison 2011). From a Christian’s perspective, production and productivity is a very spiritual concept; the idea that something tangible was formed from the intangible. This is especially spiritual when the idea was inspired through prayer and worship. There is a parallel between with the most miraculous event in history, when the spirit became flesh, and when someone’s idea becomes reality. The root word for sacrifice is â€Å"to approach† (Wigoder 873); therefore, when a person creates, she is performing a kind of sacrifice; not in the sense that something is given up, but instead, both the tangible world and the spiritual world are in agreement; â€Å"On earth as it is in heaven.† Allison’s professional trajectory certainly is one of productivity. He started at BB&T, once known as the Branch Banking and Trust Company, in 1971 and became chief executive in 1989, when the bank had $4.7 billion in assets. By the time he retired as C.E.O. in December, he had overseen 60 bank and savings-institution acquisitions and turned BB&T into the 11th-largest bank in the nation, with $152 billion in assets, according to the bank (Martin 2009). Allison commented on BB&T’s Sterling Award winners (internal awards based on productivity). He noted that the same people won 25% of these awards, and that they all shared a commonality. All of them discussed what they were doing, and were not stuck on the obstacles. There is a basic belief in their ability to achieve (Allison 2011). Principle 5 – Honesty Without honesty, nothing else works, whether that is capitalism, a church, a business, or a government. Marilyn Fedak is a retired Investment Manager that works with John Allison on making the case for the free market at the university level. In a joint conference with Allison, she refers to the importance of honesty, At its best, the free market produces a â€Å"virtuous cycle,† but it has to be rooted in trust and the rule of law. Trust and predictability are everything. Capitalism is based upon the idea that, implicitly or explicitly, you’re making contracts with people all day long, and if you can’t trust that the laws in place will prevail and that the other person is going to fulfill their side of the bargain, well, then no transactions are going to take place. (Sparks 2011) Allison explains that being honest 100% of the time is a true test of integrity. For example, â€Å"You can be wrong and be honest. We are not omniscient.† Therefore, â€Å"We must mean what we say and know what we mean† (Allison 2011). This phrase encompasses two concepts. One, cumulative white lies lead to a black lie. For example, some managers are less than honest on performance reviews by sugarcoating or enabling underperformance. Then, the manager reaches a breaking point, or the poor performance leads to major mistake. The employee never gets the chance to correct their actions due to their manager not being honest. On the other hand, the manager may be wrong in his/her premise that the employee is the problem. The real problem may be a poorly designed system, which could have been addressed during the performance review. The concept of cumulative white lies is also evident in personal relationships. Allison gives an example of a married couple, â€Å"the husband gets mad at the wife for not hearing what he didn’t say† (Allison 2011). Two, it is up to the individual to take responsibility for their claim to knowledge. â€Å"Sometimes the best answer is, ‘I don’t know’† (Allison 2011). Principle 6 – Integrity Integrity is defined as the consistent application of moral principles. David Leoper is the CEO of Wealthcare Capital Management. He also subscribes to Allison’s objectivist philosophy. Leoper references Ayn Rand’s description of morality as the, â€Å"Judgment to distinguish right and wrong, vision to see the truth, courage to act upon it, dedication to that which is good, and integrity to stand by it at any price† (Geracoiti 2011). By this definition, integrity is akin to faith. One may not immediately understand the consequences of breaking a moral principle, but she or has faith that such actions will have an eventual consequence. A key example of Allison’s integrity was after the Supreme Court’s infamous Kelo decision. BB&T was the only major bank not to provide financing for projects that used land seized through eminent domain for private purposes. â€Å"We thought that was a violation of a principle that is necessary for a free society,† Allison says. The bank’s decision, â€Å"turned out to be great economics, which doesn’t surprise me at all† (Sparks 2011). Later in 2011, Don Luskin moderated a conference with John Mackey of Wholefoods and John Allison. Mackey was highly criticized for his public stance against Obamacare and was nearly thrown out of his own organization. Mackey’s conclusion was that he will think again before making political comments. Allison, however, disagreed and explained, I’m a person that believes very strongly in my principles, and I can’t sacrifice them in my business, regardless of the consequences in the short-term. We took a strong position on eminent domain, after the Kelo decision. I couldn’t tell my customers and employees that we have principles, but in this case we’d turn a blind eye to people’s property being expropriated to be given to other private people. In our case, it was successful. We got thousands of people moving their accounts to BB&T because of our position on eminent domain, because we acted on principle. That’s the same reason we refused to write loans to people who couldn’t afford them. I did it because I never want to have to tell someone that I did something that I thought was morally wrong. (Vegter 2011) Allison took a visible stance against the federal government once again in 2008 when he submitted a 14-point letter to Congress in which he objected to the bailout of the financial-services industry out of concern that it will hurt, â€Å"well-run financial institutions such as BB&T (Craver 2011). His integrity was questioned when BB&T accepted TARP monies shortly after the closed-door session with the nation’s political leaders. Shortly thereafter, Allison stepped down as the CEO so that he could start his education campaign. His work at the university level and at the CATO Institute is an effort to stop governmental force being exerted against independent businesses again. Principle 7 – Justice / Fairness According to Allison, â€Å"The good news is that we are all unique individuals† (Allison 2011). Managers that make the average above average and to keep the great from becoming average instill justice in the workplace. Allison believes that, â€Å"Egalitarianism is one of the most destructive ideas in our society† (Allison 2011). Managing equal outcomes not unequal input is truly unjust. Since individuals are not the same in their talents and abilities, a manager’s key function is to evaluate and judge others. This is a difficult function; therefore, Allison prescribes a three point method for judging others in order to stay fair. The person needs to be judged (1) as an individual, based on (2) the personal merits and based on (3) what matters in that specific circumstance. Therefore, â€Å"We reject collectivism and how they judge, which is based on their memberships groups, such as race, sex, nationalism, etc. [Collectivists] are always wrong because they are making an individual decision based on a group observation. An Individual cannot be a group† (Allison 2011). Principle 8 – Pride Aristotle described pride as the ultimate virtue because in order to have pride, all other virtues (justice, honesty, integrity, and rational independent thought) needed to be mastered. The pride described here is not arrogance or hubris, but instead, it is the reward to do good deeds and the reward for having done good deeds. Allison describes this as the â€Å"psychological rewards;† However, the rewards for Christianity are much more profound. The apostle Paul speaks of a healthy pride that one should have in oneself and others (2 Cor 5:12; 7:4; 8:24; Gal 6:4). Christianthinktank.com quoted the Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament that â€Å"Even Lexicons based on semantic domains have entries for ‘pride (legitimate)† (Chistianthinktank.com 2012). Allison equates pride with strong ethics. In a defiance allusion to Warren Buffet’s quote about ethics, Allison says, â€Å"The next time you face an ethical decision, ask yourself if you would be willing to tell the people that you love, care about, and judge to be of high-esteem the decision you made, not the newspaper.† Principle 9 – Self-Esteem / Self-Motivation Allison believes that this principle is the foundation of happiness. In his lecture, he states that, â€Å"You must believe at a very deep level that you are capable of being good and that you have the moral right to be happy.† He explained that this is, â€Å"The most important and controversial thought that I have to share with you today† (Allison 2011). On several occasions, Allison has made reference to the â€Å"sandbox example.† It is a story about a boy named Johnny that is playing with his toy truck in the sandbox. Fred then comes and takes Johnny’s toy truck because he wants to play with it. A fight then ensues, and Johnny’s mother comes over and says, â€Å"Johnny, be a good boy and share with Fred.† Allison asks, â€Å"What message does that give to Fred? More importantly, what message does that give to Johnny?† (Allison 2011). The heart of self-esteem is that a person can only control his or herself, not others. Therefore, the individual can only be in charge of their attitudes and their work; and thus, must be focused on them. Egalitarians are focused on others, and as a result, are adverse to others for being great. This is envy, which is the ultimate immoral pastime. Allison explains that, â€Å"you may be able to fool your boss, but you will never fool you. Do your best, and self-esteem increases. Do less than your best and self-esteem decreases† (Allison 2011). The trader principle fits with any of the other ten principles, but it particularly fits with self-esteem and self-motivation. The trader principle simply means that because people are self-interested, only win-win relationships are sustainable over the long term. All other relationships are either a lose-lose or eventually a lose-lose. Free-market capitalism is a highly moral system because it incentivizes good behavior and provides for a system for people to interact with others in search for win-win relationships. Allison explains this concept as the new leader of the CATO Institute: One of the things that I really want to do is make this a moral fight instead of a fight around the technical aspects of economics. The libertarian vision is a moral vision and we own the moral high ground. A free society is the only society in which people can think for themselves and pursue their rational self-interest. Freedom creates the ability, through creativity and incentive, to raise the quality of life for everyone. When I was CEO of BB&T we saw the opportunity, on many occasions, to create products and services that would improve the quality of life of our clients but some government regulation prevented us from doing it. Unfortunately most business leaders are not really capitalists. They are crony capitalists looking for some way to use the government to give them a special advantage. Cato is a defender of real capitalism, real free markets (Benko 2012). Principle 10 – Teamwork In a philosophy that is built on the individual and self-motivation, teamwork may be overlooked as a key principle. However, teamwork is essential in an organization and a society. Teamwork allows much more to be produced. Craver noted in his interview with Allison that, â€Å"What makes Allison unusual among leaders is that his philosophy is one of realism — not phony idealism. It’s all about excellent individuals making personal contributions to a joint effort — for the purpose of making profits, not saving the whales. Allison candidly says, in effect, a team is made up of people, each of whom is an ‘I’. We insist that you be an individual, and that if you want to be on the team, you have to voluntarily buy into the mission we have all chosen to share (Craver 2011). Detractors of Objectivism Forbes dubbed John Allison as the â€Å"Philosopher King;† however his philosophy is not easily accepted by many. The first and most relevant critique is that God is absent from this philosophy. This paper has included some allusions to how objectivist principles can mesh with Christian ideals; however, the architects of this philosophy, namely Ayn Rand, were atheists. The incongruities of this philosophy and Christianity largely lie in the concept of natural order (mother-nature) and the belief in God that is not visible (faith). As explained above, Christians cross this intellectual divide by substituting â€Å"natural order† or â€Å"mother nature† with God. There are also some differences in the idea of selfishness and self-sacrifice. More research is needed to find intellectual bridges; however, some of these conflicts are semantic in nature. Nonetheless, there is a logical case for God, and Christians knows that God reveals rational thought, purpose, creati vity, motivation, and reason through prayer. There is some confusion between being selfishness and self-destructive. Detractors of objectivism and capitalism contend this it is a â€Å"dog-eat-dog† system that takes advantage of others. Allison argues that taking advantage of others is truly self-destructive, not selfish. If a business takes advantage of a customer, then the customer will alert the market-place; and thus, the business will be harmed. Businesses take advantage of others through the political process, but that is not capitalism, and as Allison said, is not congruent with his philosophy. Finally, detractors find Allison’s philosophy lacks emotion. Allison disagrees and says that emotions can be a good thing. â€Å"Passion is an emotion, and you need passion in life† (Allison 2011). Allison believes that emotions are learned, not magical. This certainly seems to be true with some emotions, such as phobias; however, to the Christian, emotions can be divine inspiration. Allison warns leaders to check their premises when their emotions are at odds with reason. He further advises to always go with reason over emotion. Christians would disagree, at least in part. A Christian may always go with reason over emotion, but only after prayer and meditation and when reason and emotion are in-line. Certainly, a Christian should go to God in prayer to check their premises and motives. Life becomes easier to live, organizations are easier to lead, and employees are easier to manage if one has a clear philosophy and set of principles. With this in mind, BB&T’s senior management style is written in its literature as being as â€Å"participatory, team oriented, fact-based, and rational† (BB&T History 111). They define management concepts as, â€Å"obtaining and retaining excellent people, training employees well, give employees the appropriate level of authority and responsibility, expect a high level of achievement, and reward performance accordingly† (BB&T History 112). All of these definitions and concepts line-up with Allison’s core philosophy. BB&T’s website explained that, â€Å"Allison’s management style stressed decentralization, striving for a community banking feel at the branch level† (BB&T.com). The individual, self-esteem, productivity, and teamwork principles are the driving principles for this decision. Moral Clarity leads to better decision making, longevity, success, and happiness. This is good for all the stakeholders involved in the organization. This paper will conclude with scripture that encapsulates the role between managers and employees and consistent with most of Allison’s principles. Ephesians 6:5-9 says: Ephesians 6:5-9 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. 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A Randian, Libertarian Business Icon Takes Over the Cato Instituteâ€Å" http://www.forbes.com/sites/ralphbenko/2012/07/02/who-is-john-allison-a-randian-libertarian-business-icon-takes-over-the-cato-institute Craver, Richard (7/10/11), â€Å"My Interview on John Allison – Today’s John Galt,† Winston-Salem Journal http://www.iamjohngalt.com/2011/07/my-interview-on-john-allison-todays.html Geracioti, David (Apr. 12, 2011), â€Å"Cold Call: Wealth Manager Operates Firm on Rand’s Objectivism† Wealthmanagement.com, http://wealthmanagement.com/institutions/cold-call-wealth-manager-operates-firm-rand-s-objectivism Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament : Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (Vol. 1, Page 310). New York: United Bible societies.] Hellriegel, D, S. E. Jackson and J. W. Slocum, Jr. Management: a Competency-Based Approach. (2008). Cincinnati: Cengage. 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