Bringing the constitutional presidency to life

The constitutional president in the United States of America is the president who has been elected by the citizens of the republic on majority votes. Bringing to the constitutional presidency to life is bringing the custom of electing presidents who would lead the country according to the constitution. Constitutional presidency The constitutional president leads the country in accordance to the powers that he has been given by the constitution and has a duty to lead the cabinet businesses.The president is the overall leader of the country is therefore responsible of hiring and firing cabinet. A constitutional president get to the position of presidency after the voting process has taken place as has been dictated by the constitution. No one has powers to ruin the presidents powers, may it be the civil or religion leaders. The president may use the religious believes of the country’s customs to dictate the undelegated power as he should understand the law of God and the law of nature in order to help him make such decisions.A constitutional president may make decisions of his freewill without consulting the delegates, such decisions may include amnesty of some petty crime victims and authorization of a bill to be passed as law for that to be a custom of the country in favor of the society. A constitution president is allowed to vie for the seat as many times as the constitution would allow him, he runs for a given number of times in which he shall not exceed if the constitution does not allow. Reference: Milis, D. & Nelson, T. (1979) American presidency, NY, Oxford University press

Guidelines for Proposal Writings

When it comes to the human service field grant funding and the funding programs are both very important to the different organizations and agencies. In the paper it will provide the reader with the different definitions of a needs statement, grants or proposals and quantitative and qualitative data. It will also state what the purpose of a needs assessment is. Further along in the paper the basic format for writing a proposal or grant will be explained. There then will be steps explaining why each of the elements is important. How and where do you use quantitative and qualitative data in a proposal will conclude the paper. A need statement sets the framework for the entire proposal, as it will describe a critical set of conditions or a social need affecting people or things in a specific place at a specific time (Carlson& O’Neal- McElrath, 2008). One of the main purposes of a need assessment is to help assist with some agencies planning. A need statement can be the turning point that will help the funder to give thought on a non- profit request. When it comes to developing a need statement the writer has to address the organization purpose and mission statement. Within the need statement it should generally approach what type of clients their specific organization will or already serving. When there is a need for your specific organization you and the organization have to be well supported and have evidence to back it up. The facts can be on the views or trends found in the experience of doing the work (Carlson & O’Neal- McElrath, 2008). The statement should be easy to understand, by keeping it sweet and simple you can accomplish the goal of making sure the reader understand your true need. When stating your agency need the writer has to make sure there are true facts and good sources. Also never assume and use documents that do not have those legitimate facts. Make sure you state who have spoken on your specific topic, also make sure all data are documented, use touching stories of different individuals for an example and give the funder a clear view of the urgency of your request (Carlson & O’ Neal- McElrath, 2008). When using people to provide the different touching stories within the grant, you have to make sure the agency and the specific individual have data to back up the story. By giving the funder a clear view of your need they will then see how urgent your request is for funds for your specific agency. There is a difference between an assessment and a needs assessment in the examination of learning. A regular assessment will move you forward to academic or professional awards which normally will include measurement of the performance, adequacy by an accessor and information that has been gathered. As for the needs statement it may have some similarities but once again it is mainly based off of professional judgment and data. The need assessment methods are limited by the standards of the assessment but it will eventually fall into the trap of assessing only a narrow range of needs (Learning Needs Assessment, 2013). After you have your need assessment and other things such as the mission and vision statement, you then go on to create the grant or proposal. A grant is an award made to an individual or an institution to support the specific costs of the project implementation or continuation (Grant Writing Guidelines, 2013). Every grant has to make a compelling case. The presentation of the grant must be well spoken on as well as the ideas of the organization. The grant should also be clearly organized, well planned and goal oriented. When the grant has these in order the chance of getting accepted is higher. The basic format for writing a standard grant or proposal includes the following: cover letter, proposal summary or abstract, introduction describing the grant seeker or organization, problem statement or need statement, project objectives, methods or design project evaluation, the future funding and project budget (How to Develop and Write A Grant Proposal, 2007). To start the grant you have the cover letter. On the cover letter it will include who the letter will be addressed to at the funding source. The cover will have the mission of the agency and discuss in which ways their project can add asset to the current goals. Also within the cover letter you should limit the paragraphs to no more than four. In a federal or state grant a cover letter is normally not needed unless they ask for one. The cover letter is important in the grant writing process due to it is your chance to let the funder know up front about the agency goals and to let them know the grant will fulfill the requirements. The introduction of the application will let the agency describe their organization and demonstrate that they are qualified for the project at hand (How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal, 2007). In this section the history of the organization, goals and mission, how significant it is and the accomplishments and any success stories will be inserted. If the agency have received any endorsements, press coverage or previous grants it should be used as a reference with supporting documents. You also will need to speak on the staff and the list of board directors. The summary part is important due to it is the part where the agency can establish their credibility and get their point across (How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal, 2007). The next section of the proposal would be the need statement. The need statement is important due to it states the problem that you are addressing and the main reason of your proposal. The need statement which was previously discussed covers the areas as follows: recipients, who they are and how they benefit and receive services, social economic cost, the problem at hand with facts to support, stress what gaps exist in addressing the problem that is talked about in the proposal (How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal, 2007). Also at the end of the need statement you should explain the time frame of the program to the funder and why securing the funds is critical to your organization. The goals and objective is important to the proposal because it states what your organization hope to achieve. It will also help when you use powerful language that will be persuasive to the reader. The agency should always make sure that all goals and objectives are measureable. Also make sure the objective explains who and what you will be serving. The next part of the grant is the program design. This section shows how the project will work and solve the current problem at hand (How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal, 2007). Within this section you will have to be explicit, and be able to explain why the methods that you have chosen are the best and how they will make your objectives reachable. Within the program design you will state the supplies such as the equipment services required and the resources for this project. An evaluation plan should be a consideration in every stage of the proposal development (How to Develop And Write a Grant Proposal, 2007). Sometimes the evaluation is where some organizations fall short. The evaluation is important to the proposal due to this is the main part where grant reviewers will look. The evaluation states how you will measure your results for your project. You also as an organization have to make sure methods and the objectives are consistent and explain how you will use the findings. The project sustainability is where the grant funder has funded the agency and now wants to see the results through the project sustainability (How to Develop And Write A Grant Proposal, 2007). In the project sustainability section you and the agency should restate the goals or plans for the project that you are trying to promote. You should also as an agency state how funds will continue to flow in the future for the program. Some of the plans for the agency future could be things such as blueprints of how the plans will work, and include the hiring staff and other contractors if needed. The budget section is very important due to this is where you ask for the money for your organization program. The format of the budget should be clear for the funder to understand. In the budget section it will include personal expenses and project expenses. The budget section should always start with a proposal statement. Generally budgets are divided into two categories one being the personnel cost and the second being the non-personnel cost (How to Develop And Write A Grant Proposal, 2007). In the personnel cost this is where the salaries on the employees come in and the health care as well. The non-personnel section will include utilities, equipment and the rental or the cost of leasing you agency building. When writing a grant you will always use quantitative and qualitative data within your research. Quantitative methods will output hard numbers while qualitative methods use descriptive data (Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation Methods, 2013). Qualitative data can sometimes include audio recordings, photos and other data. Qualitative methods have been used in research to explain specific methods, but can also show examples of the different applications at the same time. Qualitative method can be used in many complex settings for different interactions. Some of the interactions can be among professional groups and different organizations. Qualitative data will help clarify values, language and meanings attributed to people who play different roles in organizations and communities (Qualitative Methods, 2013). Qualitative data are gathered by interviews and observations. The qualitative involve small numbers and can use open ended questionnaires when needed. A strength that qualitative data has is it can gather multiple methods and provide information on more difficult issues. Some of the limitations could be the time it would take to collect the data. Another limitation is it can sometimes be difficult to analyze. As an organization you can collect qualitative data by observation, interviews and focus groups (Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation Methods, 2013). Quantitative data can be analyzed by using statistical methods. Some census, government statistics can include quantitative evaluations. Quantitative can have strengths and weakness as well as Qualitative did. A strength that it has is data that is usually collected is efficient and easy to analyze. One limitation that is has is sometimes the data can be too large to explain some of the complex that issues that will arise. Within the grant for the organization the quantitative can come in handy when it comes to surveys or questionnaires, post-test, existing databases and statistical analysis. Qualitative data will be used for observations, interviews and non- statistical focus groups (Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation Methods, 2013). In the paper it provided the reader with the different definitions of a needs statement, grants or proposals and quantitative and qualitative data. It also stated what the purpose of a needs assessment is. Further along in the paper the basic format for writing a proposal or grant was explained. There then were steps explaining why each of the elements of the grant is important. Then to conclude there was how and where you use quantitative and qualitative data in a proposal. With this information provided in the paper the reader would now be able to complete a successful proposal. References Carlson, M., & O'Neal- McElrath, T. (2008). Winning Grants. Step by Step (3rd ed.). San Francisco, California: Jossey- Bass. How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.mikulski.senate.gov Grant Writing Guidelines. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.web.riverdeep.net Qualitative Methods. (2013). Retrieved from http://www/ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation Methods. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.civicpartnerships.org

Organizational Chart Essay

Staff Training Crew Crew Members Crew Members Website Designers Website Designers Delivery Staff Delivery Staff Customer Service Customer Service Cleaners Cleaners An organisational chart shows the main parts of the organisation, and the relationship between the various parts. McDonalds’ organisational chart is hierarchal. It’s also tall because it has more than 3 levels. The reason why this is a tall structure is because McDonald’s is a big company with restaurants all over the world, so they need people in every country to make sure that the businesses is making profit and progress. Organisational structure Organisational structure set out important aspects of how communication will take place. For example: managers, supervisors and assistants would report to senior managers where they would report to board of directors. Also board of directors sets out the strategy, then senior managers are giving targets to staff that works in McDonald’s so they can achieve them. The purpose of organisational structure is to share the work so everyone knows what they are doing and to establish lines of control and communication. McDonald’s divided people into: managers, team leaders, staff training crew, cleaners, customer service, restaurant manager, etc. It helps to control organisational activities. Types of organisational structure: * Geographical area: McDonald’s has its restaurants all over the world. In order to make it work they had to hire people to run the business in every country that they operate. * Function: Span of control Span control is the amount of employees a manager has direct line authority over. Organisational chart- MacMillan Cancer Support

Brainstorm one of the ten topics given (pls refer to description Essay

Brainstorm one of the ten topics given (pls refer to description uploaded) - Essay Example The Wal-Mart was founded in 1962 in Rogers, Akansas by Sam Walton. Expanding the number of outlets based on the success of the initial outlet, Sam Walton replicated the winning formula in to the Wal-Mart Chain of outlets. The company was incorperated as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.in 1969. It was first listed on the New York Stock Exchange in year 1972. In year 1990 the company becomes the largest retailer in USA. Its foreign operations start in 1991 with a store in Mexico city. Since then the company has grown locally and intenationally with a host of strategic acquisitions such as the Woolco- canda, ASDA-UK and Amigo- Pueterico. The ompany holds 9% of the US retail storemarket share by revenue. Out of every $100 spent in U.S. retail shops, $ 8.90 is spent every year at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is the largest employee in USA, Canada and Mexico. The company operates its own real estate company which is the largest in the United States. Wal-Mart alos operates the largest private sattalite communication system which links its suppliers and stores located globally. 138 million shoppers across the world are catered by Wal-Mart each week. 82% of American households have made at least one purchase at Wal-Mart. Its scale of operations is as big enough to impact on the US economy itself. â€Å" Wal-Mart increased the US economys overall productivity by three-quarters of a percent by highly efficient distribution systems and pressure on suppliers to be more efficient† (Wikipedia) Wal-Mart operates 5 categories of outlets. These include Wal-Mart Discount Stores , Wal-Mart Supercenters, Wal-Mart Neighbourhood Market, Sams Club and Wal-Mart International. It also operates Wal-Mart Online. These store formats differ by their average floor space and merchandise. Sams Club which operates on deep discounting basis caters to small business owners who are members of the club. The supercenters feature exprsess Lube

Management of change - How organisational structure and culture can Essay

Management of change - How organisational structure and culture can influence the promotion or inhibition of change strategies w - Essay Example As such, the only way to remain competitive is to be able to change strategies in a manner that ensures the company remains competitive. This is particularly important for the engineering organizations that operate in a very competitive environment. Despite the benefits that change brings in an organization, most managers and employees are often resistant to change. Martins and Terblanche (2003, p. 68) noted that most employees and managers fear change and will often resist it. The reasons for resisting change are many, including fear of losing jobs, fear of changing the organization structure, culture, and fear of new responsibilities, just to name but a few. However, the organizational structure and culture has a huge influence on the change strategies that an organization may adopt at any one time. In this regard, the organizational structure and culture can either promote or impede the change strategies within an organization. The aim of this discourse is to explore the extent to which an organizational structure and culture can promote or inhibit change strategies within an organization. Organizational Culture and Change Management Culture plays a crucial role in driving a company to success. Pheysey (1993, p. 9) defines organizational culture as a set of norms and beliefs of an organization. In other words, it refers an organization’s ways of doing things. As earlier stated, organizations operate in a dynamic environment where change is necessary. Today, no company can compete favorably without embracing change, according to West and Farr (1990, p. 5). However, most managers tend to resist change when faced with the pressure of change. This is partly due to the organizational culture. For instance, most managers would try to deal with challenges facing the organization they manage by reverting the company’s traditional ways of doing things. In this regard, whenever a manager is confronted with the pressure for change, the manager will most l ikely try to deal with the situation in suh as way that is in line with the organizations ways of doing things. However, sticking to these cultural nuances impede the management of strategic change. Kotter and Heskett (1992, p. 13) advised that sticking to cultural ways of dealing with pressures of change may not be good for an organization since it inhibits the management of strategic change in an organization. For example, instead of adopting a new strategy of dealing with a situation in an organization, most managers tend to search for what they can understand and manage in terms of the existing paradigm. The adoption of cultural ways of doing things has been reported in the engineering companies where most managers tend to stick to traditional ways of dealing with situations that require change. However, this is dangerous since it inhibits the management of strategic change (Dent and Goldberg 1999, p. 36). For instance, report indicates that when managers are faced with the prob lem of declining performance in the engineering organizations, they have the habit of first seeking ways of improving the implementation of the existing strategy. This may involves actions such as tightening organizational controls. This implies that they only attempt to tighten up their accepted way of operation. However, in case this proves ineffective, then the managers change a strategy, though the change

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - Essay Example Humankind’s escape from the state of spiritual and eternal bliss to the mad quest for mundane obsession has repeatedly emerged as one of the favorite themes of discussion and criticism for literary artists in different times, although such process received different forms of literary manifestations. Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged is one of the greatest literary pieces deals with the same theme and during the course of reflecting over different aspects of modern existence it has provided considerable focus over different aspects of human life, starting from gender, spiritual, physical and philosophical discourses. The theme of â€Å"individualism and collectivism †¦ manifested within the individual’s soul† (Sciabarra 114) has recurred among Ayn Rand’s literary works at different points of time; however, in the Atlas Shrugged her mastery to treat the same theme has reached culmination as she has been able to fuse both literary techniques and philosoph ical arguments to their perfectly measured respective proportions. The storyline of Atlas Shrugged provides a reader with an interesting mode of characterization, and the main reason behind such characterization can be the author’s conscious effort to portray the characters as perfect representatives of the modern world of capitalist observation both towards life, society and social duties or commitments. Presence of the capitalist socio-economic discourse at the heart of the novel plays a very important role in the context of orienting the nature of characters and parts that they have played in contributing to the ongoing course of the story. On one hand, the author has narrated tale of a society, where immorality and extreme selfishness gnawed the foundation of morality and fellowship; on the other, suffering of individuals, their emotional tenderness and their spiritual and emotional suffocation within an extremely inhuman situation clearly indicate that every time the entire social system will

Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 42

Response - Essay Example Here, minerals are also described and this has an implication on the history of human art where minerals were used for painting, architecture and sculpture. The discussion on this passage reflects a lot on the state of knowledge or science in the early Roman period. About knowledge, it reflects how people were able to discover the usefulness of plant minerals in their day-to-day lives including in their architectural works, sculptures as well as painting. The fact that plant minerals could be used in other areas that were not very obvious, is a significant sign a knowledgeable people. On the scientific view, it is evident that the early Romans were already thinking on how useful the plants can be to human being. This majorly shows the application of scientific thought especially in areas such as medicine, horticulture and agriculture. In both the two areas, Beagon tries to relate nature and science, knowledge, culture and art and this comes out nicely when we consider the plants and animal

Letter of Advice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Letter of Advice - Essay Example In verbal communication the person uses the help of his voice to send over messages to the other person whereas non verbal communication is a form in which voice is not used. Non verbal communication includes memos, emails, and other social software as well as eye movement, postures, facial expression, gestures and so on. To develop a perfect sort of communication it is necessary that some elements are kept into view. This brief would further take all these elements into view and provide with the related needs of communication at work and in personal interactions (Taylor 2001). To develop an effective interpersonal communication network it is necessary for the individuals to keep several factors in mind while communicating. In personal relationships, the communication network needs not be formal like letters or memos, yet needs to be perfect in transmitting the messages and views. For instance, if one partner wants to go out, he/she needs to communicate this desire rather than relying on the idea that the other partner will himself/herself identify and fulfill it. To achieve this it is necessary for the person who is communicating to reach clarity. By clarity here it is meant that the person who is communicating should be very clear in stating his thesis of the message. The words chosen by the communicator should be very precise which are clear enough for the other individual’s intellect. Thus it is necessary that the communicator does not drag his message up to critical levels where the other listener gets confused by the message. This confusion ca n therefore lead to several other problems in the relationships (Kelly 1979 & Taylor 2001). Dear Sara and Tim, my advice to you for a successful relationship is to maintain a level of understanding and frankness which allows you to speak out ‘clearly’ your innermost feelings and communicate your expectation without hesitation. The expectations from the other partner to understand the unspoken

Scholarly Person in the US Government past or present Term Paper

Scholarly Person in the US Government past or present - Term Paper Example As a Missionary Alexander Crummell was an ordained missionary in Liberia (1853 – 1872) belonging to the Episcopal Church. His eventful life as a missionary spanned over twenty years there, once again he faced discrimination because of his race and background. His primary aim as a Christian minister was to ‘civilize’ the African race by encouraging them to embrace Christianity and replace their native customs, beliefs and religious practices they followed. Keeping this in mind Alexander Crummell founded the church and a school in Washington DC in a bid to bring about a revolutionary change among the African people. As a Religious Leader Alexander Crummell’s tryst with Africa had many dimensions to it. He believed that every race on the Earth had a purpose and so did the African race too. Crummell had unshakable belief of the divine purpose of the African race. His key concern was man’s march to perfection through civilization. ... His aim was to initiate the African people towards civilization by removing the scales of ignorance from their eyes and bringing them into the light of religious enlightenment. However, Crummell’s hopes and dreams for the Negro race were never reconciled or satisfied with his philosophy of ‘civilizationism’. As a Black Nationalist He is considered to be one of the most authoritative figures as far as Black Nationalism is concerned. Being a religious minister of the Episcopal Church he very strongly detested and protested against the ignorant subjugation of the Negro’s against their white counterparts and struggled hard to bring about a Black nationalistic change in the belief and attitudes of the Africans. Crummell’s common lament was â€Å"What the Negro needs is Civilization.† By civilization he did not mean the literal term of the word but a clear mind which is free from false heathen thoughts and beliefs. Civilization to him also meant per sonal responsibility, family development and social obligation to society. Crummell’s religious and puritanical ideologies of the human race and in particular for the Africans, served to pave the path for reshaping and reinventing of European racial theories creating a huge impact on great thinkers of his day. Though Crummellian philosophy is looked upon by many scholars as an antecedent, yet it is highly criticized from many angles. The chief reason being that Crummell lived in a very different time period when compared to the scholars of today. His Political Ideologies Even though Crummell claimed that he was not interested in politics and had no political ambitions whatsoever, yet, it is evident that he hoped to influence society by making use of his intellectualism

MidTerm American Presidency Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MidTerm American Presidency - Term Paper Example In conclusion, the presidential powers should be used for persuasion and bargain purposes rather than command. According to him, there are only two types of presidential powers, which are to persuade and command, with the command acting as a dictatorial aspect whereas the persuasive type of power is for effective influencing (Neustadt 56). In order for one to maintain the power, one should engage all concerned parties in the governance. However, such powers also have a crucial barrier, which is the president making of personal decisions without engaging others. Currently, President John F. Kennedy is one who applied the shared presidential power other than its separation. This engages a number of people on board in the decision making process. President Bill Clinton had been worst in the application of Neustadt’s theory of presidential powers. Based on my opinion, Neustadt’s theory of presidential powers is effective in ensuring the shared delegation of duties, which brings all individuals on board in effective management. Despite the strengths associated with Neustadt’s theory of presidential powers, Skowronek tends to be of the contrary opinion in which he states that the presidential powers should involve the utilization of informal authority in ensuring that things are done in the most effective way as a contribution of modernity (Skowronek 318). On the two theories, the major difference is because according to Neustadt’s theory of presidential powers, power is for persuasion and not command while according to Skowronek, it is through the presidential command that things are

The Evolution of Hester’s Scarlet Letter Essay Example for Free

The Evolution of Hester’s Scarlet Letter Essay In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, the protagonist, Hester Prynne, is forced to publically wear her sin on her sleeve. She committed adultery, which was a sin that was highly chastised by the Puritan society. The Scarlet Letter that Hester wore first symbolized the burden and humiliation that accompanied the sin. Throughout the novel however, the meaning of the letter changed to parallel Hester’s own development into a strong, independent woman. The letter starts out as a symbol of shame. A public trial in the presence of her fellow New England citizens forced Hester to wear this shameful letter. As Hester was standing on the pillory, her punishment for committing adultery was to display the â€Å"mark of shame upon her bosom† for all to see (Pg 58). The Scarlet Letter diminished Hester’s image by subjecting her to public humiliation, which affected her emotionally and mentally. Puritan women at the pillory claimed that the Scarlet Letter could possibly be hidden on the outside by physically covering it, but â€Å" the pain of it will be always in [Hester’s] heart† (Pg 49). Hester had to endure belittlement and harassment at the hands the disappointed Puritan mob. Even the Puritan children, â€Å"the most intolerant brood that ever lived,† made disparaging remarks about her (Pg 83) because they â€Å"scorned [Hester and Pearl] in their hearts†(Pg 84). Hester was forced to the bottom of the social ladder if even children can get away with making fun of an elder without fear of punishment in such a rigid society. The various tragic events exacerbated the guilt that Hester felt. This is demonstrated when she told her husband, Chillingsworth, that it was her fault for committing adultery to conceal the identity of the person with whom she committed the sin. She hid the identity of Pearl’s father because the constant humiliation and rebuke that she had to endure led her to believe that her sin was completely her burden to bear. Hester knew that â€Å"her deed had been evil† (Pg 80) because Pearl acts out in a hostile and sinful manner. Pearl has grown to become a walking embodiment of the Scarlet Letter. Consequently, Hester felt overwhelming guilty. However, as the novel progresses Hester’s attitude towards the Scarlet Letter changes and the meaning of the letter goes through a metamorphosis that would help Hester wear the letter with pride. When Hester no longer saw the Scarlet Letter as a symbol of shame, it represented her freedom from the letter’s hold over her as she wore the letter with pride. Though she could have easily been defeated and sunken into despair, she persisted through the hardships. She became a productive member of society by sewing miraculous materials, which allowed the people’s perception of her to change. This can be interpreted as a change in meaning of the Scarlet Letter. Before, it had stood for adultery, but eventually people recognized it as a symbol of â€Å"her many good deeds† (Pg 142). The changes in the letter, both physically and symbolically, reflected the perception that people had of Hester. Hester transformed into a â€Å"powerful peculiar,† an individual who was â€Å"so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick† (Pg 142). Despite her initial difficult circumstances, Hester turned around her life. As Hester experienced her transformation, she showed resentment towards her punishment. She knew that there were others in the community who committed sins, some even greater than hers, but these atrocities went unpunished. Consequently, Hester’s changing attitude revealed that while she saw her act as a sin, she felt that her punishment was unjustified due to the hypocrisy that was prevalent within the society. Hester realized that the persecution against her was unfair given the hypocritical standards of the society and that other people should perhaps wear their own Scarlet Letter for the sins that they have committed. Her path to redemption instilled the confidence in her to believe that she was not inferior to others; if others were not going to own up to their own mistakes, she was not required to do so either. She was no longer sorry for what she had done because while she faced the consequences head-on, others were cowardly concealing their sins in order to evade public humiliation and punishment. Due to the double standard in society, Hester decided that the act was not as evil as it was made out to be by society. She told Dimmesdale that â€Å"what [they] did had a consecration of its own† (Pg 170). The Scarlet Letter was supposed to remind Hester and the townspeople of her sin, but â€Å"the Scarlet Letter had not done its office† (Pg 145). The meaning of the Scarlet Letter that Hester wore changed throughout the novel to parallel Hester’s own path to enlightenment and freedom from societal pressure. The metamorphosis of Hester’s image and the change in her inner thoughts represented how she overcame the burden of the Scarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter was an embodiment of Hester’s life.

Grading System Essay Example for Free

Grading System Essay I think this is a good step to change the very old education system of our country. We have progressed and developed in many field but the Educational system is same (implemented during Colonial regime). But the question arises why in only CBSE System. However, this is going to relax most of the students and parents as well. The Students and guardians were used to go under unnecessary pressure and stress twice (X XII). The Grading system is better than marking system. Meanwhile I fee the Government should also consider on the following matters. 1. There should be one syllabus system in all over India. . This system must be applied to all board exam not only CBSE. Each and every board must follow other wise the students of CBSE will face a great consequences in future. 3. There should be one educational system in all over India. I’ve read these statements, n I think most of the people dint like it bcoz, acc to them there e will be no difference in 91 and 99. i just want to ask that in whole India how many students get above 90 and hw many below 60. obvsly more students are in 2nd category’s we should think on behalf of those who are more in the system get very depressed when they fails! their enthusiasm, will to study further get busted! So it better for those students. At least they can study further with increased enthusiasm that they have to get next grade next year. So thinking as a mess. This sys is excellent and obviously it will reduce the suicide cases adopted by the failure students. Well everything thing has both ways one is positive and another one is negative we are taking about only positive thing that is stress will be remove from students mind, inferiority complex and all that. But there is some person, who is talking about negative point of grading system, if we talk about negative point there are certain points like no students have deep knowledge about the subject and if you do not have deep knowledge you can put up your point in front of class and seminar. Another point is at the time of interview or practical we cant go because you don’t have idea about the particular thing you have basic knowledge but at the time of practical or interview they will ask the root thing of the particular subject or thing. So these are the few examples of negativity of the grading system. This is a good initiative by kapil sibal. Maniacs of marks should understand that there is no big difference between a student who scores 99 and 90. Nobody is consistent in their scoring which at times happens even beyond expectations. So this hue and cry over marks is pessimism. Every top ranking institute ranks students upon their aptitude where a student getting 60 marks may score better than a book worm who takes 99. 9%. Marks and knowledge on the subject are two different things. Mental ability and overall personality development means more than those digits scored without any purpose of developing knowledge. This system will put an end to such stupidity. Let me clear your view about the Grading system and Marking system (fail pass). Grading system will be a kind of regular assessment system to check the students progress which will allow the students to put their focus on the poor grading subjects. Guardian may check the assessment of their ward and rectify the mistake before it goes beyond control. Usually the students take easy during normal course and take a great stress at the time of Final Exam which not only put them into depression but also allow them to commit suicide either before Exam or after the result. The fear of Pass and failure become the nightmare for the students. At present, to take admission in any professional course you have to appear in test process follow by interview so it will not effect due to getting 98 or 91 or even less than 90. The only thing I realize that educational system of all Board should be one and same. However, a lot need to change in our educational system and I think this is the first step towards the introducing global system of Education in India. Continual assessment of students without board examination is likely to considerably reduce the stress of not only the students but also the parents and teachers. Secondly, continual assessment is a good concept to evaluate a student during the entire academic session. On the contrary, one time assessment via board examination does not reflect the true academic standing of a student. I must congratulate the policy makers in this regard.

History of Leukemia Treatment

History of Leukemia Treatment Four months later, a young German professor at the University of Wurzburg named Rudolf Virchow published a similar case. The patients blood was overgrown with white blood cells, forming dense and pulpy pools in her spleen. At autopsy, Virchow found layers of white blood floating above the red. He called the disease weisses Blut white blood. In 1847, he changed the name to leukemia from leukos, the Greek word for white. Virchow was a pathologist in training. He believed that all living things were made of cells, which were the basic units of life. And that cells could grow in only two ways: either by increasing the number of cells, or by increasing its size. He called these two modes hyperplasia and hypertrophy. Looking at cancerous growths through his microscope, Virchow concluded that cancer was hyperplasia in its extreme form. By the time Virchow died in 1902, a new theory of cancer had slowly come together out of these observations. Cancer an aberrant, uncontrolled cell division creating tumors that would attack and destroy organs and normal tissues. These tumors could also spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body such as lungs and brains. Leukemia is a malignant overgrown of white cells in the blood. It comes in several forms. It could be chronic and indolent. Or it could be acute and violent. The second version comes in further subtypes, based on the type of white blood cells involved. Cancers of the myeloid cells are called Acute myeloid leukemias (AML); cancer of immature lymphoid cells are called Acute lymphoblastic leukemias; and cancers of the more mature lymphoid cells are called lymphomas. ALL is the most common leukemia found in children. Sidney Faber, the third of fourteen children, was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1903. His father, Simon Farber, had immigrated to America from Poland in the late 19th century and worked in an insurance agency. Having completed his advanced training in pathology in the late 1920s, Farber became the first full-time pathologist at the Childrens Hospital in Boston. His specialty was pediatric pathology, the study of childrens diseases. Yet Farber was driven by the hunger to treat patients. Sitting in his basement laboratory one day in the summer of 1947, he was inspired to focus his attention to the oldest and most hopeless variants of leukemia childhood leukemia. The disease had been analyzed, classified, and subdivided meticulously, but with no therapeutic or practical advances. The package from New York was waiting in the laboratory that December morning. As he pulled out the glass vials of chemicals from the package, he was throwing open a new way of thinking about cancer. An insatiable monster Sydney Farbers package of chemicals arrived at a pivotal moment in the history of medicine. In the late 1940s, new miracle drugs appeared at an astonishing rate. But cancer had refused to fall into step in the victories of postwar medicine. It remained a black box. To cure a cancer, doctors had only two options: cutting it out with surgery, or incinerating it with radiation. Proposals to launch a national response against cancer had ebbed and flowed in America since the early 1900s. By 1937, cancer had magnified in the public eye. In June, a joint Senate-House conference was held to draft legislation to address the issue. On August 5, President Roosevelt signed the National Cancer Institute Act, creating a new entity called the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to coordinate cancer education and research. But World War II had shifted the nations priority from cancer research to the war. The promised funds from Congress never materialized, and the NCI languished in neglect. The social outcry about cancer also drifted into silence. If a cure for leukemia was to be found, Farber reasoned, it would be found within hematology the study of normal blood. In 1928, a young English physician named Lucy Wills discovered that folic acid, a vitamin-like substance found in fruits and vegetables, could restore the normal genesis of blood in nutrient-deprived patients. Farber wondered whether folic acid could restore the normalcy of blood in children with leukemia. As he injected synthetic folic acid into a cohort of leukemia children, Farber found that folic acid actually accelerated the growth of leukemia rather than stopping it. He stopped the experiment in a hurry. Farber was intrigued by the response of the leukemia cells to folic acid. intrigued. What if he could find a drug to cut off the supply of folic acid to the cells an antifolate? Farbers supply of folic acid had come from the laboratory of an old friend a chemist called Yellapragada Subbarao or Yella. Yella was a physician turned cellular physiologist. Having finished his medical training in India, Yella could not practice medicine in America because he had no license. He started as a night porter at a hospital, switched to a day job as a biochemist, and joined Lederle Lab in 1940. Enzymes and receptors in cells work by recognizing molecules using their chemical structure. With a slight alteration of the recipe, Yello could create variants of folic acid, and some of the variants could behave like antagonists to folic acid. He sent the first package of antifolates to Farbers lab in the late summer of 1947. On August 16, 1947, in the town of Dorchester in New England, Robert Sandler, a two-year-old boy was brought to Childrens Hospital in Boston. He had been ill with a wax and wane fever for over two weeks, and the condition had worsened. His spleen wasÂÂ   enlarged, and his blood sample had thousands of immature lymphoid leukemic blasts. His twin brother, Elliot, was in perfect health. Farber had received the first package of antifolates from Yella a few weeks before Sandlers arrival. On September 6, 1947, Farber injected Sandler with pteroylaspartic acid or PAA, the first of Yellas antifolates. PAA had little effect. On December 28, Farber received a new version of antifolate aminopterin. Farber injected the boy with it. The response was remarkable. The white cell count stopped its astronomical ascend, hovered at a plateau, and then dropped. And the leukemic blasts gradually flickered out in the blood and then disappeared. By New Years Eve, the count had dropped to one-sixth of its peak value, bottoming out at a near normal level. The cancer hadnt vanished, but it had temporarily abated. Sandlers remission was unprecedented in the history of leukemia. Farber started treating the slow train of children with childhood leukemia arriving at his clinic. An incredible pattern emerged: antifolates could destroy leukemia cells and make them disappear for a while. But the cancer would relapse after a few months of remission, refusing to respond to even the most potent of Yellas drugs. Robert Sandler died in 1948. In June 1948, Farber published his study in the New England Journal of Medicine. The paper was received with skepticism, disbelief and outrage. The obliteration of an aggressive cancer using a chemical drug was unprecedented in the history of cancer. Dyeing and Dying A systemic disease demands a systemic cure. Could a drug kill existing cancer cells without hurting normal cell tissues? The chemical world is full of poisons. The challenge is to find a selective poison that will eradicate cancer cells without killing the patient. In 1856, an 18-year-old student in London named William Perkin stumbled into an inexpensive chemical dye that could be made from scratch. Perkin called it aniline mauve. His discovery was a godsend for the textile industry because aniline mauve is easier to produce and store than vegetable dyes. Perkin also discovered that its parent compound could act as a building block for other dyes to produce derivatives with a vast spectrum of vivid colors. In the mid-1860s, Perkin flooded the textile factories of Europe with a suite of new synthetic dyes in various color. The German chemist rushed to synthesize their own dyes to muscle their way into the textile industry in Europe. They synthesized not only dyes and solvents, but an entire universe of new molecules such as phenols, bromides, alcohols, and amides, chemicals never encountered in nature. In 1878, a 24-year-old medical student named Paul Ehrlich did an experiment usingÂÂ   chemical dyes to stain animal tissues. He discovered the dyes seemed to be able to differentiate among chemicals hidden inside the cells, staining some and sparing others. In 1882, working with Robert Koch, Ehrlich discovered another new chemical stain that could pick up one class of germs from a mixture of microbes. In the late 1880s, Ehrlich found that certain toxins when injected in animals could produce antitoxins,ÂÂ   which could be used to neutralize the toxin with extraordinary specificity. If biology was a mix-and-match game of chemicals, Ehrlich thought, what if some chemical could differentiate bacterial cells from animal cells so that it could kill the bacteria cells without hurting the animal? So he began with a hunt for anti-microbial chemicals. After testing hundreds of chemicals, he found a dye derivative that can act as an antibiotic drug for mice and rabbits infected with Trypanosoma gondii (a parasite). He called the chemical Trypan Red, after the color of the dye. And in 1910, his laboratory discovered arsphenamine (Salvarsan), the first effective medicinal treatment for syphilis. His success on Trypan Red and Salvarsan proved that chemicals could be found to cure diseases with specificity. He called these chemicals magic bullets for their capacity to kill with specificity. Between 1904 and 1908, he attempted to find an anticancer drug using his vast arsenal of chemicals. None of them worked. What was poison to cancer cells, he found, was also poison to normal cells because cancer cells and normal cells were so similar that made it almost impossible to differentiate. Ehrlich died in 1915 at age 61. In 1917, two years after his death, Germany used a chemical weapon at the battle of Ypres in Belgium, in the form of chlorine gas. The gas killed two thousand soldiers that night. In 1919, pathologist found the survivors bone marrows were all depleted, with the blood-forming cells all dried up.

GOOD STUFF :: essays research papers

April 19, 2001--Tennessee State University has renamed the Heiman Street Residential Complex the Harold E. Ford Sr. and John N. Ford Residential Complex. The Ford brothers were joined by other family members for ceremonies help April 18 on the grounds of the complex. "It is wonderful to see so many senators here today; we can hold a budget meeting right now," Harold Ford said, as he pointed out dignitaries in the audience. They included Lieutenant Governor John Wilder, Deputy Governor Wendell Moore, Senator Gene Elsea, Senator Doug Henry, Senator James Kyle Jr., and Senator Randy McNally. After receiving commemorative gifts, the Fords surprised the audience with a gift to Tennessee State of $500,000. "This is a truly outstanding donation, and the Fords can be sure Tennessee State University will put it to good use," said TSU President James Hefner. There are 12 siblings in the Ford family, most of whom graduated from Tennessee State University. On hand for the presentation were brother Joe Ford; sisters Joyce Ford Miller and Ophelia Ford; nephews James Ford Jr. and Edmund Ford; and Autumn Ford, John Ford’s daughter. Harold Ford Jr., U.S. Representative, relayed his regrets for not being able to attend, as did Governor Don Sundquist and former vice president Al Gore. "I am proud today," said Lt. Gov. Wilder. "Is it because of the bricks and mortar we are recognizing today? No, though we need bricks and mortar. Is it because of Tennessee State University? No, though that is reason to be proud. "I am proud because I look back to Purdy, Tennessee, where Otis Floyd [former president of Tennessee State University] attended school in a one-room schoolhouse. He let me walk by his side. I am proud when I think of Odell Horton [United States District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee] working in a cotton patch in Hardin County. He let me walk by his side. But nothing makes me prouder than this family. I love you; God bless you." U.S. Representative Harold Ford Sr. became the first African American from the state of Tennessee to be elected to Congress and served from 1975 until his retirement in 1997. Senator John N. Ford has served in the Tennessee State Senate since 1974. He has been a key supporter of Tennessee State University throughout his legislative tenure and played a significant role during the development of the $112 million master plan for campus improvement. Both Congressman Ford and Senator Ford are alumni of TSU who have continually supported the university throughout their careers.

Federalizing Aiports Essay -- Airport Security Government control Essa

Federalizing Aiports On September 11th, 2001, the United States was dealt a devastating blow when our own airplanes were used as weapons of a terrorist attack. Within just days of the attack our nations leaders began debating over how we could solve our airport security problems. As citizens of the United States were avoiding airports, because they did not seem safe, the House and the Senate of the United States Congress argued whether or not airport security staff should become federal employees. The United States House representatives, and President George W. Bush, disagree with the fact that airport security should be federalized. After evaluating the Senates proposal the House found many reasons as to why federalizing airport security is not logical. The proposal to federalize appeared to present many flaws. The fact that the proposition "concentrates on passengers and ignores the thousands of caterers, cleaners, refuelers and others with access to airports and jets who lack mandatory background checks or ID cards" (Why Federalizing Airport Security is a Bad Thing). With insufficient knowledge of the employees background or identification, another travesty, much like September 11th could occur whether security is federalized or not. The Senates solution to make one set of standards for the employees concerns the House. With the so-called "one size fits all" plan, there would be deficient security at many airports, because the sizes of our airports greatly vary. If standard s were set to secure all major airports, such as Chicago OHare and John F. Kennedy airport in New York, then many small airports would be overwhelmed by the amount of security they are required to have. As the House stated "a one size fits all soluti... ...h government intervention, the interests of the House will also be met by not forcing all airports to federalize their employees. Works Cited Book sources Hahn, Robert. Risks, costs, and lives saved: getting better results from regulation. New York: Oxford University Press; Washington, D.C.: AEI Press, 1996. Internet sources The Case Against Federalizing Airport Security. 20 October 2001. Richard W. Rahn. 13 November 2002. <http://www.cat.org/cgi-bin/scripts/printtech.cgi/dailys/10-20-01.html>. Senator Clinton Calls on Congress To Adopt Senate Bill Federalizing Airport Security. 6 November 2001. Last viewed: 13 November 2002. <http://clinton.senate.gov/news/2001/11/2001B07603.html>. Why Federalizing Airport Security Is A Bad Idea. 24 October 2001. Daily Policy Digest. 13 November 2002. <http://www.ncpa.org/iss/ter/2001/pd102401a.html>.

Bill Gates :: Biography Technology Computers Essays

Bill Gates Bill Gates is the Antichrist Ever since Microsoft was founded, Bill Gates has gained power over the people of the world by winning a monopoly in the computer-software industry. From the assistance Microsoft gave in the development of the personal computer, to the virtual monopoly that Windows 95 now has on most computers all over the world; Microsoft has controlled a major portion of the computer industry. In his repeated conquests over his competitors, Gates has left an increasingly obvious amount of evidence that proves that he is the fourth and final antichrist. Most of this evidence comes from Gates' computer products and is referred to in Revelations. This evidence may have been left on purpose, or was a careless mistake by the founder of Microsoft. Like the other men who have been considered antichrists, Gates has attempted to rule the world. The only difference between Gates and his predecessors is that he is trying to rule the world through computers, not through military for ce. ASCII(American Standard Code for Information Interchange) code is a system of keeping track of letters, numbers and characters on a computer. When Bill Gates and IBM decided to use ASCII code in the IBM Personal Computer, many people didn't know what computers were, or care what ASCII code was. Many people who did know what ASCII code was didn't think that Bill Gates was evil. Today, now that more people use computers regularly, Bill Gates' evil secrets have been revealed to the public through the Internet and anti-Microsoft activists. "Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man : His number is 666." (Revelation 13:18) Bill Gates' full name is William Henry Gates III. If the ASCII codes of the letters in "BILLGATES" are added, plus three for the "III" in his name, then the sum is 666 (antichrist.txt). B I L L G A T E S 3 66 73 76 76 71 65 84 69 83 3 = 666 "Let him who has understanding calculate the number of th e beast" refers to computer programmers and others who have knowledge in computers. Gates most likely did not expect for the people in his industry to divulge his secret identity to the public, but an increasing number of computer users have found and advertised the truth about him.

Cost Cutting Essay

Most of us spend more than we need to for a lot of things. If you really can afford luxuries such as gourmet teas or designer clothing and still save for your future, you’re lucky. However, if you’re struggling to meet the financial goals you’ve set on your retirement roadmap, it’s time to look for ways to cut expenses—daily, monthly, and long-term. Start by seeing if you’d benefit from either of these big cost-cutting strategies: †¢If you’re paying high interest on a mortgage and you plan to stay in your home for a few years, consider refinancing.  Be sure to do your home- work to avoid closing costs that might make the move less attractive financially. †¢Reduce your credit card debt. Call the bank and try to negotiate lower finance charges. Then pay down the debt as fast as you can, starting with the high-interest debt. (See AARP’s Tip Sheet, â€Å"Managing Debt. †) It’s easy to spend money without realizing how much it adds up to over a week, a month or a year. So, to make other cuts in your expenses, try reviewing what habits, like eating lunch in a restaurant every day or buying expensive clothes, can add up to in the course of a year. Here are some places to look for cuts. Meals and Entertainment Americans love to eat out, whether it’s a daily break- fast at a pricey coffee shop or fast-food dinners when you feel too tired to cook. Keep track of where you’re eating your meals and what they cost. Bringing your lunch to work and cooking your meals for dinner are good ways to reduce food expenses on a regular basis. Movie fans can save money by renting DVDs, instead of paying admission to the theater and eating that expensive popcorn. Household and Transportation Expenses  Cable television, phone service—including your cell phone— and Internet service can add up to a tidy sum every month. Make sure you have the most economical plans available. If you’re in an area with more than one provider, comparison-shop. Energy costs are climbing and will probably continue to do so. Do an energy review of your home. Plug up drafty windows and doors with weather-stripping, insulate them with blinds or curtains, and then turn down the winter temperature inside by a couple of degrees. Consider solar heating and cooling if it’s feasible where you live. If you have central air, try to use it less. Install ceiling fans in some rooms, so you don’t have to cool the entire house. During the summer months, avoid using the clothes dryer, dishwasher, etc. during peak hours to lower your energy bill. Your biggest transportation expenses probably come from one or more vehicles. Here are some ways to cut back on those costs: †¢Car-pool to work with neighbors or colleagues. †¢Use public transportation. †¢Talk to your insurance company about ways you can lower your rate. On the highway, save money on gas by driving 55 miles per hour instead of faster. Shopping Thoughtful planning, before you shop, is a good way to reduce expensive impulse buying. Whether you’re going to the grocery store, shopping for holiday gifts, or looking for a new pair of shoes or a party outfit, make a list and decide what you can afford to spend ahead of time—and don’t buy something unless you really need it. In the supermarket, read the unit prices: is it cheaper to buy a 16-ounce box of crackers for $3. 0, or 12 ounces for $3. 10? For larger expenses such as a winter coat or a washing machine, check prices at more than one store before you make a decision. You should also check out thrift shops, especially if you know of one in an upscale neighborhood where you might get some good bargains. For Internet purchases, in addition to comparison-shopping on prices, check shipping charges. Some sites make you pay the whole cost; others will offer a deal to entice you to buy from them.

Plot Summary (The Kugelmass Episode) Essay

â€Å"The Kugelmass Episode† opens with Kugelmass, a middle-aged, unhappily married humanities professor seeking the advice of his analyst, Dr. Mandel. He is bored with his life, and he needs to have an affair. His analyst disagrees, however, telling him â€Å"there is no overnight cure† for his troubles, adding that he is â€Å"an analyst, not a magician.† Kugelmass then seeks out a magician to help him solve his problem. A few weeks later, he gets a call from The Great Persky, a two-bit magician/entertainer who shows him a â€Å"cheap-looking Chinese cabinet, badly lacquered† that can transport the professor into any book, short story, play, or poem to meet the woman character of his choice. When he has had enough, Kugelmass just has to give a yell and he is back in New York. At first Kugelmass thinks it is a scam, then that Persky is crazy, but for $20, he gives it a try. He wants a French lover, so he chooses Emma Bovary. Persky tosses a paperback copy of Flaubert’s novel into the cabinet with Kugelmass, taps it three times, and Kugelmass finds himself at the Bovary estate in Yonville in the French countryside. Emma Bovary welcomes Kugelmass, flirting with him as she admires his modern dress. â€Å"It’s called a leisure suit,†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ he replies romantically, then adds, â€Å"It was marked down.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ They drink wine, take a stroll through the countryside, and whisper to each other as they recline under a tree. As they kiss and embrace, Kugelmass remembers that he has a date to meet his wife, Daphne. He tells Emma he will return as soon as possible, calls for Persky, and is transported back to New York. His heart is light, and he thinks he is in love. What he doesn’t know is that students across the country are asking their teachers about the strange appearance of a â€Å"bald Jew† kissing Madame Bovary on page 100. The next day, Kugelmass returns to Persky, who transports him to Flaubert’s novel to be with Emma. Their affair continues for some months. Kugelmass tells Persky to always get him into the book before page 120, when the character Rodolphe appears. During their time together, Emma complains about her husband, Charles, and her dull rural existence. Kugelmass tells her about life back in New York, with its nightlife, fast cars, and movie and TV stars. Emma wants to go to New York and become an actress. Kugelmass arranges it with Persky that the next liaison with Emma is in New York. He tells Daphne that he will be attending a symposium in Boston, and the next afternoon, Emma comes to New York. They spend a wonderfully romantic weekend together, and Emma has never been as happy. Meanwhile, a Stanford professor, reading Flaubert’s book, cannot â€Å"get his mind around† the changes that have taken place to the novel: First a strange character named Kugelmass appears, and then the title character disappears. When Persky tries to return Emma to the novel, his cabinet malfunctions, and she is forced to stay in New York. Kugelmass finds himself running between Daphne and Emma, paying Emma’s enormous hotel bills, and having to put up with his lover’s pouting and despondence, and the stress begins to wear him out. He learns too that a colleague who is jealous of him, Fivish Kopkind, has spotted Kugelmass in the book and has threatened to reveal his secret to Daphne. He wants to commit suicide or run away. But the machine is fixed at last, and Kugelmass rushes Emma to Persky’s and eventually back to the novel. Kugelmass says he has learned his lesson and will never cheat again. But Kugelmass is at Persky’s door again three weeks later. He is bored and wants another affair. Persky warns him that the machine has not been in use since the earlier â€Å"unpleasantness,† but Kugelmass says he wants to do it, and asks to enter Portnoy’s Complaint. But the cabinet explodes, Persky is thrown back and has a fatal heart attack, and his house goes up in flames. †¦ Conflict Conflicts Mr.Kugelmass internal conflict He is conflict with himself. He is not happy with his second wife. He always wants to other woman. But he does not content with them because he does not know what he wants. Firstly he wants to romantics’ but he lives an affair with these woman. In briefly, he does not lead a life which he dreams. Mr.Kugelmass external conflict He is in conflict with environment. Because he is a famous professor, he does not want to be learnt his private life. If his private life is learnt his life will became worse. The people around his condemn him because of adultery and this ruins his reputation. Literacy Element Irony 1. Although Mr.Kugelmass does not love his second wife, he does not want to divorce her. This is ironic 2. Mr.Kugelmass goes near Persky to have an affair with Emma Bovary. But he has troubled with Emma in their relationship. He swears that he does not have an affair with another woman in his rest life. But he can’t keep his promise and goes near Persky ago for a new affair. This is ironic. The similes â€Å"Who suspected she’d let herself go and swell up like a beach ball.† Mr.Kugelmass thinks that his wife resembles a beach ball because she is very fat. This is simile. â€Å"Kugelmass was bald and as hairy as a bear† Because Mr.Kugelmass is furry, he resembles a bear. Humor is used in this story with a sense of total absurdness of events that occur in the story. These events range from Persky saying â€Å"If I throw any novel into this cabinet with you, shut the doors, and tap three times, you will find yourself projected into the book†. To the absurdness of Emma Bovary, from a famous piece of literature made in 1856, saying†Tell me about O.J. Simpson† and asking Kugelmass about other people, places, and events from the 20th century.

Micro Finance and Women Empowerment

‘Micro Finance and Women Empowerment ’ By Ms. Varsha Parikh Lecturer Department of Extension and Communication Faculty of Family and Community Sciences The M. S. University of Baroda Vadodara 390002,Gujarat, India E-mail : [email  protected] com Micro Finance and Women Empowerment By Ms. Varsha Parikh ABSTRACT Self-help groups intermediated by microcredit have been shown to have positive effects on women. Micro finance refers to small savings, credit and insurance services extended to socially and economically disadvantaged segments of society. At present one of the successful ways through which microfinance services are being provided to poor people is through Self-Help Groups. The performance of different states SHGs data presented by different authors in different states shows new direction where microfinance is helping poor women coping with vulnerable situations building of assets, new livelihoods and accumulated savings help the coping strategies of the poor. Thus, present paper focus on the concept of SHGs and Micro Finance in India, Performance of SHGs and Microfinance scenario in different states of India, SHGs and Bank linkages in India and impact of microfinance on empowering women along with suggestions. Key Words : SHGs, Micro Finance, Statewise performance of SHGs & Microfinance, SHGs and Bank linkage, suggestions Micro Finance and Women Empowerment By Ms. Varsha Parikh Empowerment is defined as the processes by which women take control and ownership of their lives through expansion of their choices. Thus, it is the rocess of acquiring the ability to make strategic life choices in a context where this ability has previously been denied. The core elements of empowerment have been defined as agency (the ability to define one’s goals and act upon them), awareness of gendered power structures, self-esteem and self-confidence (Kabeer 2001). Empowerment can take place at a hierarchy of different levels – individual, househ old, community and societal – and is facilitated by providing encouraging factors (e. g. , exposure to new activities, which can build capacities) and removing inhibiting factors (e. . , lack of resources and skills). â€Å"The status of women is a barometer of the democratization of any state, an indicator of how human rights are respected in it† (Mikhail Gorbachev). The root cause of women’s oppression in India is patriarchy which has snatched off their legitimate powers leaving them completely defenseless and weak. Despite more than five decades of interventions to raise the status of women since independences, women in rural areas continue to be overwhelmed by social and economic bosses. Rural women throughout India, irrespective of caste and religion, continue to have a subordinate status both within home and outside. Extent of awareness and access to credit, higher level of education and training are prime determinants of women’s status and role in the process of development. Thus for women, two vital processes have been identified as important for empowerment. The first is social mobilization and collective agency, as poor women often lack the basic capabilities and self-confidence to counter and challenge existing disparities and barriers against them. Often, change agents are needed to catalyse social mobilization consciously. Second, the process of social mobilization needs to be accompanied and complemented by economic security. As long as the disadvantaged suffer from economic deprivation and livelihood insecurity, they will not be in a position to mobilize (UNDP 2001). Concept of Self Help Groups (SHGs) in India In India, Self – Help Group (SHG) is a small voluntary association of poor people, preferably from the same socioeconomic background. They come together for the purpose of solving their common problems through self-help and mutual help. The SHG promotes small savings among its members. The savings are kept with a bank. This common fund is in the name of the SHG. The term Self Help Groups (SHGs) is generally used in India to refer to unregistered groups of 10 to 20 members involved primarily in savings and credit activities. Over 90 percent of these groups have only women members. The concept of SHG is based on the following principles: ? Self-help supplemented with mutual help can be a powerful vehicle for the ? poor in their socioeconomic development; ? Participative financial services management is more responsive and efficient; ? Poor need not only credit support, but also savings and other services; ? Poor can save and are bankable and SHGs as clients, result in wider out reach, lower transaction cost and much lower risk costs for the banks; ? Creation of a common fund by contributing small savings on a regular basis; ? Flexible democratic system of working; ? Loaning is done mainly on trust with a bare documentation and without any security; ? Amounts loaned are small, frequent and for short duration; ? Defaults are rare mainly due to group pressure; and Periodic meetings non-traditional savings. Concept of Micro-Credit Micro credit refers to a programme that provides credit for self employment & other financial and business services (including savings and technological assistance micro). Credit refers to small amounts of Credit both for production and consumption to poor households who remain or choose to remain outside the reach of formal credit system and have demonstrated their credit worthiness Why Mic ro Credit – Because it is a powerful tool for sustainable development of the poor and removal of poverty on a term basis. Micro Credit – A Pathway to Empowering SHGs women The lack of access to credit for the poor particularly women is attributable to practical difficulties arising from the discrepancy between the mode of operation followed by financial institutions and the economic characteristics and financing needs of low-income households. For example, commercial lending institutions require that borrowers have a stable source of income out of which principal and interest can be paid back according to he agreed terms. However, the income of many self employed households is not stable, regardless of its size. A large number of small loans are needed to serve the poor, but lenders prefer dealing with large loans in small numbers to minimize administration costs. They also look for collateral with a clear title – which many low-income households do not have. In addition bankers tend to consider low income households a bad risk imposing exceedingly high information monitoring costs on oper ation. Over the last ten years, however, successful experiences in providing finance to small entrepreneur and producers demonstrate that poor people, when given access to responsive and timely financial services at market rates, repay their loans and use the proceeds to increase their income and assets. This is not surprising since the only realistic alternative for them is to borrow from informal market at an interest much higher than market rates. Community banks, NGOs and grassroot savings and credit groups around the world have shown that these microenterprise loans can be profitable for borrowers and for the lenders, making microfinance one of the most effective strategy of empowerment. Empowering women socio-economically through increased awareness of their right and duties as well as access to resources is a decisive step towards greater security for them. Women are in for a new deal today as they are the focus of economic development. SHGs are considered as one of the significant tools to adopt participatory approach for the economic development of women. It is an important institution for improving the life of women on various social components. It plays an important role in differentiating between consumption credit and production credit. Self help group disburses of making them enterprising women and encouraging them to enter entrepreneurial activities. Credit needs of the rural women are fulfilled through the SHGs. Thus SHG is considered as a variable organization of the rural poor particularly of the women for delivering micro credit in order to undertake entrepreneurial activities. Some of the studies on SHGs of the rural poor particularly those managed by women, successfully demonstrated how to mobilize and manage thrift activities, maintain credit linkages with banks and effectively undertake some income generating activities etc. Micro finance programmes are currently being promoted as a key strategy for simultaneously addressing both poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment. Before 1990s, credit schemes for women were almost negligible. There were certain misconception about the poor people that they need loan at subsidized rates of interest on soft terms, they lack skills, capacity to save, credit worthiness and therefore are not bankable. Nevertheless, the experiences of several and SHGs reveal that rural poor are actually efficient managers of credit and finance. Availability of timely and adequate credit is essential for them in their enterprises rather than subsidies. Earlier government efforts through various poverty alleviation schemes for self-employment by providing credit and subsidy received little success. Since most of them were target based involving various government agencies and banks. During the economic crisis, self-help microcredit groups served as important cushions and safety nets. A high proportion of the funds made available for self-help microcredit schemes were utilized by women, enabling them to meet the subsistence needs of their families during those difficult economic times (ESCAP 2002). Many self-help programmes have also incorporated elements of savings, which can be used for purposes such as health insurance and emergency loans, thereby serving as private safety nets. In all, one of the successful ways through which microfinance services are being provided to poor people in India is through Self-Help Groups. It all started with experiments of some non-government organizations (NGOs) working in south India during early 80s and has now come to be known as Self-Help Group approach to microfinance. With intervention of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) and other organisations, So, in this manner in contrast to the Grameen model of Bangladesh, the SHG based microfinance in India encourages SHG members to manage group’s financial affairs like savings and loan recovery and funds are deposited in a local commercial bank in the name of the SHG. Members’ savings are initially used to issue small loans to needy members. Self Help Group bank linkage has become a supplementary channel for providing financial services from formal financial institutions to poor people. Under this linkage arrangement, SHGs are assessed by bank for bank credit after about 6 months of their functioning. If SHGs are found functioning well, then, bank credit is sanctioned up to four times the savings of the SHG. After gaining some experience of credit handling, SHG is issued bigger amount of loan by a ommercial bank and members are free to decide the end use of this loan, its purpose, repayment instalment, etc. without any interference of the promoting NGO or the bank since SHG is responsible to the bank for repayment of the loan. Women managed self-help groups have shown remarkable growth during the last decade in India. SHGs have proved to be very versatile and their members have successfully taken up both economic and community related inter ventions. SHGs provide poor women an opportunity to take decisions involving themselves, their groups and their lives. Savings and credit is normally used as an entry point for formation of SHGs since it gives the members a chance to participate in decision-making and satisfies their short-term credit needs. Realising that they can be a promising tool in capacity building of rural poor especially women, central and state governments have vigorously supported the SHG-centric models of development in India. Sarojini Ganju Thakur and Anand Mohan Tiwari in their article reports ‘Whether SHG-based Micro-credit Programmes can Remove Poverty? A case study of SHG-based programmes in Patan District of Gujarat, reported that, besides Swa-Shakti Project of Department of Women & Child Development (DWCD) which was launched in 1998, many other agencies have taken up programmes for supporting women’s SHG movement. NABARD has launched a major initiative for accelerating credit linkage to SHGs and over 3,25,000 SHGs are now accessing bank credit. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK, an autonomous organisation promoted by DWCD), Swarnjayanti Gram Swa-rozgar Yojana (SGSY) and Watershed Development Projects of Ministry of Rural Development, Mahila Samakhya of Department of Education, Women in Agriculture, Swayamsiddha of DWCD, Jeevika Project of Government of Gujarat, Stree Shakti, Mission Shakti, SHG Missions in some other states are supporting formation and strengthening of SHGs in a big way. After success of the initial pilot, this strategy was extended to every commercial and Regional Rural Bank. Some second-tier micro-finance institutions (MFIs) like RMK, Friends of Women World Banking (FWWB), Basix, Sanghmitra Rural Financial Services and SIDBI Micro-credit Foundation, etc. have emerged in the last decade. It is estimated that around 2. 5 to 3 million borrowers, mostly women, are linked with this mechanism in India. Status of SHGs and Microfinance in different states of India The regional development of micro credit programmes under self help groups has wide variations in terms of growth and performance among the states in India. Das, Nanda and Rath reported about the performance of southern region, especially Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and states that it has been the best in the promotion of Self Help groups in India. According to them these two states account for more than 66 percent of Self-help groups receiving loans through bank linkage. Andhra Pradesh has 53 percent of total SHFs due to more women enterprises, higher level of literacy and strong co-operative institutions. They also reveals that the southern region has the best performance where Rs. 5242. 42 million are distributed among the self help groups. The eastern region has second best performance where cumulative number of SHGs bank loan up to 2005 is Rs. 123256 million and per capita credit per SHG is Rs. 20428. 5 million. Sarojini Ganju Thakur and Anand Mohan Tiwari in their article reports ‘Whether SHG-based Micro-credit Programmes can Remove Poverty? A case study of SHG-based programmes in Patan District of Gujarat, mentioned that the SHG-driven micro-finance movement has flourished in Gujarat. Besides the State Government which is promoting these institutions in a big way, many NGOs are actively involved in formation and nurturing of SHGs. Although the overall focus of individual interventions vary, development of micro-finance and micro-enterprise appears to be a common theme in majority of these programmes. Besides the Government and other Public sector organizations like NABARD, a large number of NGOs, including few nationally recognized ones like Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), Agha Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), Sadguru and many other NGOs have formed women’s SHGs with the support from various government programmes. The recent earthquake in Kutch and neighbouring districts motivated many NGOs from outside to start work in these areas and they also formed some women’s SHGs. At a conservative estimate, more than 200,000 SHGs are functioning in the State, with Rural Development Department alone supporting over 100,000 SHGs. Of these, close to 60,000 SHGs have been linked with commercial banks that have extended credit of approximately Rs. 200 million. SGSY claims to have formed 23,000 in the State of Gujarat. The role of Micro Finance Institutions on Socio-Economic Development Rural Poor in Orissa described by Das, Nanda and Rath. They reported that; – Costly loans from informal sources have been significantly reduced as a proportion of a household’s debt portfolio. – The interest rates have come down drastically. – It has helped the poor to diversify livelihood options. – It has helped in generating incremental employment. – It also has helped in reducing poverty. Debadutta Kumar Panda added that, through the microfinance revolution, rural villagers of Orissa, the most backward state of India, have undergone a remarkable social upliftment. The value and acceptance of women has also increased substantially and is analyzed through a series of case study. Table : Inter-state performance of SHGs up to March, 2005 (Rs. In million) |S. N. |Region and State |Cumulative No. of SHGs Bank Loan |Per Capita Credit per SHG | |Northern region | |1 |Himachal Pradesh |17798 |31746. | |2 |Rajasthan |60006 |23564. 9 | |3 |Haryana |3351 |59871. 6 | |4 |Punjab |3091 |47156. 2 | |5 |Jammu & Kashmir |1647 |34353. 8 | |6 |New Delhi |125 |10512 | | | |7 |Orissa |123256 |20428. 5 | |8 |Bihar |28015 |24339. | |9 |Jharkhand |21531 |33195. 3 | |10 |West Bengal |92698 |13622. 4 | | | |11 |Madhya Pradesh |45105 |2462603 | |12 |Chhatisgarh |18596 |92605. | |13 |Uttar Pradesh |119648 |26375. 6 | |14 |Uttranchal |14043 |41020. 4 | | | |15 |Gujarat |24712 |2777. | |16 |Maharashtra |71146 |31401. 7 | |17 |Goa |408 |74068. 6 | | | |18 |Andhra Pradesh |492927 |55709. | |19 |Karnataka |163198 |33710. 7 | |20 |Kerala |60809 |41038. 8 | |21 |Tami lnNadu |22698 |76026. 9 | (Source: As quoted in Das, Nanda and Rath, â€Å"Micro Finance and Rural development in India’(Ed. ),2008. Such instances have shown that microfinance has proved very relevant and effective in India and offers the rural and urban poor the possibility of gradually breaking away from exploitation and isolation. Over the years, the provision of microfinance has brought significant increased productivity among the rural poor. Self reliance and sustainability of income generating and micro enterprise development programmes of self help groups have been successfully achieved with effective linkage and networking. The interplay between the two sub systems of socio-economic development, i. . , micro enterprise development and the micro credit and saving mechanism has been quite smooth and effective in the case of SHGs linkage to mainstream institutions. On the other hand the progress of the SHG-bank linkage programme is also rapidly taking stride. Since inc eption as shown below the programme took off with a humble beginning of linking 255 groups in the first year i. e. 1992-93 with a loan disbursement of Rs 2. 9 million only. Average loan per SHG was about Rs 11. 37 thousand in 1992-93 whereas it has grown to Rs 61. 68 thousand in the year 2006-07. There has been a tremendous growth in the number of groups over time. More than 29. 2 million SHGs with a membership of 40. 95 million households are linked to bank credit till March 2007 as shown below. No. of   SHGs linked to Banks in India (1992-93   to 2006-2007) |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Year |Cumulative No. of   SHGs |Bank loan (Rs. Million) | |1992-93 |255 |2. 9 | |1993-94 |620 |6. | |1994-95 |2122 |24. 5 | |1995-96 |4757 |60. 6 | |1996-97 |8598 |118. 4 | |1997-98 |14317 |237. | |1998-99 |32995 |570. 7 | |1999-2000 |114775 |1929. 8 | |2000-01 |263825 |4809. 0 | |2001-02 |461478 |10263. 0 | |2002-03 |717360 20487. 0 | |2003-04 |1079091 |39042. 0 | |2004-05 |1628476 |68984. 6 | |2005-06 |2238565 |113980. 0 | |2006-07 |2924973 |180410. | (Source: Various Reports of MCID, NABARD; NABARD (2004) and NABARD website  ) The Table above shows that there has been a rapid growth of SHGs that are linked with banks i. e. Commercial banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative banks for meeting credit requirements and other financial needs of SHG members in recent years. Particularly after 2000 the number of SHGs linked to banks has grown exponentially. In addition, there is other experience e. g. the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh model is being replicated in various parts of India. SIDBI is also promoting microfinance through NGOs who are in the business of microfinance. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) is also in the business of promoting microfinance in India through NGOs. It is estimated that the total outreach of Microfinance Institutions is about 7. 5 million (Sa-Dhan website). If 40 million of SHG-bank linkages are added to this, the total outreach of microfinance in India would become truly significant keeping in mind that there are about 60 million poor households in India. Empowering SHG women through Micro Finance in India The basic objective of SHG is that it acts as the forum for members to provide space and support to each other. SHGs comprise of very poor people who don’t have access to formal financial institutions. It enables its members to learn to cooperate and work in a group environment. The essential principle of SHG is strong saving programme, which helps it to reduce dependence on financial institutions and develop self-reliance. Saving help the group members to diversify their income generating activities and imbibe financial discipline in the group. Self Help groups create confidence for the economic self-reliance of rural poor, particularly among women who are mostly invisible in the social structure. These groups enable them to come together for a common objective and gain strength from each other to deal with exploitation which they are facing in several forms. Further, micro financing i. e. provisioning of small financial services and products to poor people is contributing to the process of development by creating conditions that are conducive to human development. It has a strong gender orientation. About 90% SHGs that are linked to banks are reported to be of women as mentioned earlier. Through these groups, women empowerment is taking place. Their participation in economic activities and decision making at household and at society level is increasing. It is making the process of development participatory, democratic, independent of subsidy and sustainable. Therefore, microfinance through SHGs is contributing to poverty reduction in a sustainable manner. Studies have shown overall positive impact of SHG bank linkage programme on the socio-economic conditions of rural poor (Puhazhendi and Badatya, 2002;   MYRADA, 2002). It is reported that significant changes in the living standards of SHG members have taken place in terms of increase in income level, assets, savings, borrowing capacity and income generating activities. There are signs of empowerment taking place among women members of SHGs. An important aspect of the empowering impact of micro-credit is related to the process of organisation of women into groups. For women who have been confined to households, their mobilisation into a collective, which could be of self help groups, smaller groups, cooperatives, etc. propels them into a more community-oriented entity, which gives them the basis for negotiating, sharing and bargaining at multiple levels   – the house hold, community and government. Such groups give women the strength and self-confidence to resist the exploitation that they face within the household and community. There are innumerable examples of the nature of strength women have acquired after joining a group. At the same time there are illustrations to show that organisation without changing the resource base is not a sufficient condition of empowerment. However, many practitioners have not fully understood the approach of SHGs. Women members of the SHG have shown increased levels of socio-political awareness and empowerment in the community, raised levels of negotiating power, and changes in community norms, particularly in terms of changing attitudes to gender expectations. (Dash A. , 2003). As stated by Ghosh Rajshree in her article Women’s indicators of empowerment through icrofinance highlighted following major aspects of the empowerment. †¢ Ability to save and access loans †¢ Opportunity to undertake an economic activity †¢ Mobility-Opportunity to visit nearby towns †¢ Awareness- local issues, MFI procedures, banking transactions †¢ Skills for income generation †¢ Decision making within the household †¢ Group mobilization in support of indiv idual clients- action on †¢ social issues †¢ Role in community development activities Suggestions and Conclusion There is no doubt that micro finance can provided micro solution to poor women but it will yield moderate economic benefits. The SHG-bank linkage yet to make substantial impact in poverty belts of India. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have been successful in organizing self-help groups and other states should develop the self-help groups in our country. There is an urgent need for Government initiative into the self-help groups. And also more dedication and commitment of the NGO personnel is needed to make the group members understand the concept and essence of forming the group. Unless the group is fully aware and convinced regarding the concept of self help outside push will hardly work. The dedication of the functionaries coupled with a little more professional input to the NGO would definitely lead to a self-sustainable self-help regime in the area. The members should be provided training in micro enterprises so that the credit availed by them can be used productively. The commercial banks must provide a greater linkage to self-help groups in providing them higher amount of bank loans. Further, for micro finance programme to be cost-effective in bringing about the empowerment of women, it would require, 1. providing business training, 2. investing in women’s general education and literacy, 3. roviding guidance in balancing family and work responsibilities 4. providing a forum for dialogue on social and political issues, such as, women’s rights and community problems, 5. giving women experience in decision – making promoting women’s ownership, control and participatory governance in their micro finance programmes. Micro finance programmes , thus, has been very successful in reaching women. This gives micro finance institution an extra-ordinary opportunity to act intentionally to empower poor women and to minimize the potentially negative impacts some women experienced. References : Das S. K. , Nanda B. P. and Rath J. , Micro Finance and Rural Development in India (Ed. ), New Century Publications, New Delhi, India. 2008 Karmakar K. G. , Micro Finance in India(Ed). Sage publications, New Delhi, 2008 Debadutta Kumar Panda , ‘Self Help through Microfinance: A Paradigm Shift in Orissa, India’ Ghosh Rajshree, Women’s indicators of empowerment through microfinance Sharma K. C, Microfinance through Self-Help Groups-Status and Emerging Challenges   http://www. birdindia. org. in/admin/Literacy/413. doc. Thakur S. G. and Tiwari A. , Whether SHG-based Micro-credit Programmes can Remove Poverty? A case study of SHG-based programmes in Patan District of Gujarat. http://www. wiego. org/ahmedabad/papers/Tiwari_Can_SHGs_remove_poverty. doc. http://www. edarural. com/impact/execsums. pdf. http://www. trcollege. net/articles/40-empowerment http://www. gdrc. org/icm/conceptpaper-india. html http://www. ivcs. org. uk/ijrs/April2008/Self%20Help%20through%20Microfinance%20in%20Orissa%20India. pdf. http://www. unescap. org/drpad/publication/bulletin%202002/ch6. pdf. http://unpan1. un. org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN024232. pdf. http://74. 125. 153. 132/search? q=cache:gzRW9N7hv7YJ:www. yesweb. org/2006/Publica

Leadership Activity

II. Reality Check Author: Tom Siebold is a writer and consultant in Minneapolis. He is also co-owner of Collegegrazing. com–a site to help college bound teens to learn more about what they need and want in a college. Objective (s): To pinpoint actual leadership behavior and to set behavior goals How the author has used this exercise:   I have had success using this exercise as a pre- workshop self-inquiry activity. I have also used it as a homework assignment. Its strength lies in the fact that it paints a picture of actual behavior and then helps the leader see how he or she can redistribute behavior. Activity Description: * Have the participants think about what they actually do on a daily basis. Then ask them to draw generalizations about how they spend their leadership time. Each participant completes the Leadership Behavior Chart below (In blue font). * You can follow up with full group or small group discussion. The central question is this: Is your leadership behavior out of sync with the way that you feel an effective leader should be spending his or her energy? Think about your daily interaction with the people who you lead. Generally speaking, determine the actual behaviors that define that interaction. Using the list of behaviors below, determine the amount of time (in percentages) that you generally spend on each behavior. Then in the second column, determine what you feel would be ideal distribution of time (in percentages). Behavior | Percentage of time spent on each behavior | Ideally the percentage of time you would devote to each behavior | Informing |    |    | Directing |    |    | Clarifying or Justifying |    |    | Persuading |    |    | Collaborating |    |    | Brainstorming or Envisioning |    |    | Reflecting (Quiet Time for Thinking) |    |    | Observing |    |    | Disciplining |    |    | Resolving interpersonal conflicts |    |    | Praising and/or encouraging |    |    | Follow Up Questions 1. Is there a gap between how you should spend your energy and how you actually spend it? 2. Are there some behaviors that are taking up too much of your leadership time? Why? 3. Are there some strategies that you can employ that would move you closer to your ideal distribution of behavior? Options:   A. Some groups may want to calculate behavior totals to see how their peers are spending their energy. B. From the third column it is easy to move into a discussion about â€Å"ideal† leader distribution of energy. C. You may also use this same format with both meeting and team interaction. Added thoughts or considerations: Since this activity helps participants see what they are actually doing, it helps them translate leadership theory into real behavior. Once participants review their charts it is easier for them to design strategies to align their leadership behavior. –Return to Top– III. Your Leadership Calendar Author: Tom Siebold is a writer and consultant in Minneapolis. He is also co-owner of Collegegrazing. com–a site to help college bound teens to learn more about what they need and want in a college. Objective (s): To extend leadership learning beyond the workshop. How the author has used this exercise:   This exercise is a good follow up or homework activity. Activity Description: Ask the participants to mark twelve different days on their calendar spread out over four or six months. At the end of each marked day, participants should write down some leadership behavior (either positive or negative) that they exercised during that day. Each behavior should be followed by a reaction statement that answers two questions: â€Å"How did I feel about my action or behavior? †Ã‚   and   â€Å"How does this action or behavior jive with what I know about leadership best practices? Options:   On each marked day, the participant can send his or her personal leadership comments to a selected partner from the original workshop. This is a good method for accountability and feedback. Added thoughts or considerations: I almost always use the strategy in the Options section above. When people leave the workshop, they get caught up in daily mainten ance and frequently don't get around to doing the follow up exercises. By having them contact a selected partner from the workshop, it puts a little pressure on them to follow through. –Return to Top– IV. Leadership Dance Card Author: Tom Siebold is a writer and consultant in Minneapolis. He is also co-owner of Collegegrazing. com–a site to help college bound teens to learn more about what they need and want in a college. Objective (s): To encourage participants to talk to one another about specific leadership best practices How the author has used this exercise:   Very simply, I use this activity to get participants to share best practices. This format will work with almost any professional topic. Activity Description: Each leader has his or her own style of leadership. Some styles will work for you while others won’t. In this activity participants mix with the full group and sign up the names of three other participants on their â€Å"interview dance card. †Ã‚   Then during a set period of time (this may be done over an extended break or even a lunch period) participants seek out their â€Å"dance partners† to conduct a short leadership interview. They ask each other a set of questions provided by the facilitator and record the responses. Below are some leadership interview questions that I have used in this activity: 1. How do you motivate your reports? 2. How do you keep your reports meaningfully informed? 3. How do you maintain your team's focus on specific goals? 4. How do you set, clarify, and hold your reports accountable to   your expectations? 5. How do you recognize successful work? Note: you may want to restrict each interview to one or two questions depending on the amount of time you want to devote to this activity. When the full group reconvenes, the facilitator asks participants to share leadership tips and strategies that they picked up in their interviews. The facilitator may want to make a master list of these to pass out later. Options:   Have the group brainstorm for interview questions to be used in the interviews. Added thoughts or considerations: This activity serves many purposes: it gets the participants moving around, it connects people, and it is an efficient strategy to share best practices. –Return to Top– V. Center Stage Author: Tom Siebold is a writer and consultant in Minneapolis. He is also co-owner of Collegegrazing. com–a site to help college bound teens to learn more about what they need and want in a college. Objective (s): To visualize different leadership styles How the author has used this exercise:   If the group is comfortable with one another, a role playing activity can have some impact. I have used this activity to set up my   information about leadership styles. However, this same format can be used with a variety of different topics. Activity Description: Ask for four volunteers. One volunteer plays the role of a   team member who recently has missed meetings or arrived late. The other three volunteers each play the role of a different kind of leader. To save time I usually give the leader volunteers a personality trait from which they can create their persona: the by-the-book leader, the self-absorbed leader, the paternalistic leader, the softy, the blamer, the lecturer, the know-it-all, etc. Allow the volunteers to have some time to think about their role. Gather the full group in a circle and place two chairs in the middle. In turn, have each leader confront the team member. Explain the situation to the group before the role playing begins: Loren, the late team member, has not only been missing meetings or arriving late, he has also appeared to be very tired and disjointed. Some team members have suggested that Loren’s wife is ill, but others say the situation is rooted with Loren himself. As a leader, what is a good way to handle Loren? After all three scenarios have been played out, ask the full group to comment on the different leadership approaches—What worked? What could the leaders have done differently? How would the â€Å"ideal† leader handle this situation? This activity is a good spring board to exploring different leadership styles. Options:   You may want to have the full group identify three different role playing situations. Added thoughts or considerations: I try to check with some of the participants before the workshop begins to see if the group would be comfortable or willing to engage in a role playing activity. -Return to Top– VI. Leaders you Admire Author: Tom Siebold is a writer and consultant in Minneapolis. He is also co-owner of Collegegrazing. com–a site to help college bound teens to learn more about what they need and want in a college. Objective (s): To seek leadership characteristics through personal experience How the author has used this exercise:   I ha ve found stories to be a powerful way for participants to connect to the workshop subject matter. Generally people like to tell and hear stories. Activity Description: Divide the group into small groups. Ask participants to share a story about the best or most influential leader that they have encountered. After each story, identify leadership characteristics by asking the question: â€Å"What was it that made this person such an effective leader? †   Then as a group, identify the traits that all the leaders seemed to share. All groups then write the shared traits on a white board. You can use this traits list as a springboard to explore more about what makes a good leader. Options:   You can ask the groups to share stories about the worst leaders they have encountered. You will get some dandy stories. Added thoughts or considerations: I like to insert an activity like this into a workshop when participants are starting to run a little low on energy. A good story swap frequently revives energy. Be sure not to drag this activity out too long. Encourage the participants to include details in their leadership examples. –Return to Top– VII. Leadership Swap Author: Tom Siebold is a writer and consultant in Minneapolis. He is also co-owner of Collegegrazing. com–a site to help college bound teens to learn more about what they need and want in a college. Objective (s): To exchange leadership ideas and build participant rapport How the author has used this exercise:   Sometimes it is helpful to allow the participants to have some time just to swap leadership examples. In short they have some time to portray their own leadership style by giving examples. Activity Description: This activity is a structured leadership example exchange. Divide the group into groups of three. From the list of â€Å"situations† below, instruct the groups to take turns giving examples of something they have done or witnessed. Leadership Situations * A creative twist on a situation or issue. * A clever improvisation–â€Å"dancing on your feet† * A pleasant surprise * An Aha moment * Something that generated a great deal of excitement * A conflict resolved * A breakthrough insight or solution * A really tough situation * A blindside experience * A moving (emotional) situation Options:   You may want the groups to identify their own Leadership Situations Added thoughts or considerations: Remember that this is a set up activity, so don't let it go on too long.