Writing Types Essays (651 words) - Writing, Prewriting, Outline

Writing Types Despite all of the increasing technological advances, writing is still a main form of communication. Beginning in grammar school and continuing through high school and college, thousands of students spend hours preparing essays for class. The majority of students usually begin drafting those essays merely by staring at a blank sheet of paper and contemplating what to write. However, writing essays can be simplified by using four types of prewriting: free writing, clustering, specifying, and outlining. The first type of prewriting is free writing. It is used to help writers select a topic to write about. The key to free writing is to disregard correct spelling and punctuation, and just write down everything that comes to mind. To begin free writing, simply choose a subject and start writing about it. Take nature, for example. The word"nature" evokes many diverse images. Ranging from outside surroundings, personal relationships with nature, the beach, a beautiful sunset, a peaceful waterfall, or even the many environmental concerns that we are faced with today. Environmental concerns could stem out an excellent idea that could lead to a topic such as the need to recycle. Images of nature can inspire creativity, which leads to a variety of different topics. The next type of prewriting is clustering. Once a topic has been selected, clustering helps to accumulate the essential support for the paper. Clustering begins with a sheet of paper that has only one topic written and circled in the center. Anything that relates to the topic is then written down with a line branching off from the original topic. This process is continued until enough information is brainstormed. If the original topic is movies, the support branches would include different types of movies such as comedy, drama, romance, action, and horror. Then a list of different movies that fall into each one of these categories extends out from the first support branches. A paper is not complete without ample support, and clustering is a great way to gather it. Another type of prewriting is specifying. It is used to change a topic idea to a more specific thesis statement. Simple questions such as who, what, where, when, and why will add more description and detail to the writing. To specify, the topic idea is written down on paper and simple questions are asked to make it more specific. For instance, the topic "Camping is exciting" can be specified into a more descriptive sentence such as: "Many new and different experiences such as hiking, cooking over an open flame, and sleeping under the night sky are fun to experience when camping in the mountains with friends." The thesis is the most important aspect of an essay, and specifying helps develop a strong thesis statement to be supported throughout the paper. All papers must be organized in a logical order, and outlining is used precisely for this. For example, a process essay tells the steps of how to do something, so chronological order is the best way to organize this type of essay. An outline places the thesis on top and then presents the framework of the essay. The outline for a process essay about how to cook a grilled cheese sandwich would designate the introduction, as Roman numeral one, and then a consecutive Roman numeral for each step of the process. For example, heating the skillet would be Roman numeral two, and gathering the ingredients would be Roman numeral three, and so on. A final Roman numeral would designate the conclusion. Writing will always be a main form of communication. Therefore, students throughout their years of school will still have to compose numerous essays. However, writing those essays can be simplified through prewriting. With the increase in technology, there is an increase in communication. Through Telephones, fax machines, computers, e-mail, and the Internet, communication is made much easier and is used worldwide by many people. However, for students, writing papers will always remain. Although computer assistance is available, papers will always have the need to be organized and thought out. Using free writing, clustering, specifying, and outlining to plan a paper will make writing essays much simpler, and will better ones performance as a writer.

Policy of Appeasement essays

Policy of Appeasement essays Was the Policy of Appeasement the right one to follow? Twenty-one years after the end of the Great War the Second World War broke out. The peace was not kept due to the impact of the Great Depression and due to the arrival on the World stage of aggressive foreign dictators who were determined to adopt aggressive foreign policies. Perhaps the turning point was in 1933 when Adolf Hitler became a chancellor of Germany, he intended to challenge the Treaty of Versailles. In order to placate Hitler, Britain and France adopted a policy of appeasement. There were many arguments for appeasement; one of these was that at first, many people felt there was some justice in Hitlers claims. The British accepted that the T of V was too harsh and felt that Germany should be treated with more fairness and be allowed to go back to a country accepted as a great power as it used to be. The T of V was basically abandoned in some aspects, from 1935 onwards they made the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, remilitarised the Rhineland-which was just seen by most people as Germany marching onto its own backyard and then allowed the Anschluss to occur in Austria uniting Austria and Germany which was simply the Germans achieving self-determination that was denied to them at the T of V. Everything Germany did was justified in one way or another and it was always believed that with just one more request or concession he would be satisfied and its demanding would stop. Britain and France wanted to keep the peace and avoid the chance of another war so they wanted to find peaceful solutions to Germanys problems, most Europeans placed their trust in the League of Nations and its idea of collective security. To keep the peace the idea of appeasement seemed like a good one to go ahead with but to make matters worse Italy and Japan were still coping with the impact of the Great Depression and would make it necessary to pr ...

Juridical and Juridicial

Juridical and Juridicial Juridical and Juridicial Juridical and Juridicial By Maeve Maddox Peter Ki asks: Whats the difference between juridical process and juridicial process? My first reaction to the question was juridicial isnt even a word! However, juridicial is a word and a Google search brought up several thousand uses of it, although the list of hits was headed by Googles little red Did you mean: followed by the word juridical. The OED acknowledges the existence of juridicial with this curt entry: a. Relating to the legality of an action.  Ã‚  b. = JURIDICAL Merriam-Webster, on the other hand, doesnt even have an entry for juridicial, My conclusion is that juridicial means the same thing as juridical, so, unless lawyers attach some specialized meaning to juridicial, Id go with juridical. A juridical process is a process determined by law. Juridical differs from judicial. The adjective juridical means relating to the administration of the law. The adjective judicial means relating to courts of law or judges. We can talk about the judicial system (the organization of courts and judges) or a judicial decision (one made by a judge). We can talk about a juridical interpretation of an action (strictly according to the law) or a juridical system (a body of laws by which a state or organization is governed). Then theres the word judicious which, although derived from the same origin as the legal terms, is a word for general use. A judicious person has sound judgment. Its to be hoped that judges will hand down judicious decisions from the bench, but theyre not the only ones who can be judicious. Careful shoppers can make judicious decisions about what to spend their money on. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Royal Order of Adjectives Time Words: Era, Epoch, and Eon50+ Words That Describe Animals (Including Humans)

Political reonstruction in the State of Florida after the Civil War Essay

Political reonstruction in the State of Florida after the Civil War - Essay Example However, this objective of reconstruction did not realize the anticipated goals, instead, the end of reconstruction resulted in the denial of civil rights to all African-Americans in the Southern States, including Florida. This era of reconstruction is significant, as it has shaped the history of the United States. Different people today have different views about the events in this era. Similarly, different authors have written their varying opinions and facts concerning the reconstruction period, bringing out their personal convictions about the period. Nonetheless, this essay focuses on the different views by various authors on the political reconstruction in the United States, and specifically, the State of Florida. Ayers in his book, A History of the American South 1877-1906, notes that, between the end of reconstruction in 1877 and the 1906 Atlanta race riot, the American South was marked with significant changes in its social, economic, and political spheres. Economically, the South witnessed intensive industrialization and urbanization, and the domination of the railroad, while socially, pop culture emerged, including music and modern literature, and the emergence of new religious groups. However, Ayers notes that politically, the South was characterized by the elements of segregation, disfranchisement, the populist revolt, and the start of progressivism. Power was based on either persuasion or coercion (3). Florida experienced a myriad of political changes. Ayers traces the beginning of the new era in the South to the 1870s, when the conservative democrats took power in Southern states, including Florida. Florida played an equal role as other Southern states in redrawing political boundaries between the South and whole nation. However, in early 1890s, there was witnessed the greatest revolt of populism, which played a significant role in political reconstruction of Florida. Farmers in Florida were affected negatively and were plunged in an economic dep ression. Although Florida experienced slight industrial growth, its farmers lived with many uncertainties. Ayer notes that after the Republicans’ succession in the South, they aimed at forming a political alliance that would include former slaves and a few white people that were influential (5). However, their opinions and preferences on issues such as land redistribution, elections, civil rights, and educational policies varied. They later established an alliance comprising former slaves, former Northerners, and former unionists, with an objective of ensuring the economic prosperity and equal rights for the Southerners. However, this diversity became a major challenge to this alliance as most members and the voters defected with instances of unjust treatment. Eventually, the North dissociated itself from the South and this slimmed down the probability of successful reconstruction in both the North and South, without external intervention (5). Later, the conservative Democrat s â€Å"redeemed† many Southern States, including Florida, therefore displacing the Republicans out of power. However, in 1877, the elections in Florida saw Democrats pronounced winners, and this brought a new meaning to the reconstruction in the South. In Florida and other Southern States, the influential, educated, and wealthy, white people rose to demand for power, which they thought they were the

Lloyds Banking Group Integration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Lloyds Banking Group Integration - Essay Example In the first type of hybrid structure company can combine the characteristics of both the functional and divisional structures. In this type of hybrid structure, Lloyds Group can organise its important functions into self-contained units by decentralising it whereas, the functions which require economies of scales and stability can be centralised. In the second type of hybrid structure, the company can combine the characteristics of functional, divisional and horizontal structures (Daft, 2009). Most of the multinational companies have hybrid structure. This structure is particularly useful for the organisations where the environment is highly uncertain and organisation can be best managed through divisional structure and some functional expertise is also required (Zamaros). This structure can offer great flexibility to Lloyds Bank. The following table describes the cultural dimensions (Gray & Larson, 2005) which could be affected by changing the organisational structure of Lloyds Gro up from Divisional structure to Hybrid structure. ... f Lloyds Group could be improved by developing teams in the functions which involve teamwork tasks and by emphasising on individual tasks wherever important. Company has the flexibility to achieve a balance between individual work and teamwork. Inter-unit Relations The inter-unit relations of Lloyd Group could be improved if Lloyds Group go for divisional structure and could be reduced if Group goes for functional structure. Company has the flexibility to achieve the balance of coordination and interaction between units. Control The control of the supervisors to influence the behaviour of employees could be improved in the segments of business with functional structure. Company has the flexibility to achieve the balance of control. Social Distance Lloyds could improve its culture by reducing the social distance in the segments where company adopt divisional structure and enhance the social distance where company uses functional structure Reward Criteria The reward criteria could be d efined by establishing seniority based and experience based priorities in functional structure and by establishing performance based criteria in divisional structure Conflict Tolerance Achieving the control tolerance balance across two kinds of structure (functional and divisional) could become a challenge for Lloyds Group Level of Effort The Group could enhance level of efforts of employees by increasing control through centralising some processes and decentralising others, based on particular needs Sharing Information Lloyds Group could control information sharing by using two kinds of structure External Orientation Lloyds Group could also become more flexible to respond to external orientations in a hybrid structure By adopting the hybrid structure, Lloyds Group could achieve various

Slogan My Teacher My Hero Essays and Term Papers Essay Example for Free

Slogan My Teacher My Hero Essays and Term Papers Essay Northern and Southern Dynasties (386 589) The Northern and Southern Dynasties period (386 589) was a time of division in Chinese history, during which the Yellow River watershed of China first experienced a period of cultural transformation under the rule of a minority group. After the fall of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317 420), four regimes the Song, the Qi, the Liang, and the Chen appeared one after the other in south China. In north China the Northern Wei, the Eastern Wei, the Western Wei, the Northern Qi, and the Northern Zhou regimes also emerged at the same time. In Chinese history, the northern and southern regimes together are known as the Northern and Southern Dynasties. This period of time began in 386 and ended in 589, during which time China experienced 203 years of division and wars. The Southern Dynasties In 420, General Liu Yu deposed the emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, made himself emperor, and made Song the state title. Learning a lesson from the destruction of the Eastern Jin, Liu Yu refused to give important positions to noble families. Because he himself was from a poor family, he favored those of similar background to his and gave military power to his sons. As a result, the Song didnt repeat the mistake of the Eastern Jin. Unexpectedly, there was fighting and killing among the sons. In 422, Liu Yu died, and Emperor Wendi inherited the throne ruling for 30 years. Song experienced a prosperous period of time under the reign of Emperor Wendi, during which time the economy and culture both developed. Although there were wars against the Northern Wei in north China, each side achieved victories and suffered defeats, balancing power between the north and south. In 454, Wendi died, and Emperor Wudi took over the throne followed by Emperor Mingdi. They were both tyrants who killed their brothers and distrusted their ministers and generals. During their rule state politics fell into disorder. In 479, Minister Xiao Daocheng seized the chance to destroy the Song Dynasty and established the Qi Dynasty. Only existing for 23 years, the Qi Dynasty was the shortest dynasty among the four regimes of the Southern Dynasties. Because of Xiao Daocheng and his sons sensible and stable policies, a period of steady development ensued during their rule. However, afterwards, their successors repeated the mistakes of the Song Dynasty. They killed their brothers, uncles and nephews, and nearly all the ministers. In 501, Minister Xiao Yan revolted, overthrew the Qi Dynasty, and founded the Liang Dynasty. After overthrowing the Qi Dynasty, Xiao Yan established the Liang Dynasty and ruled for 48 years. During his rule, the Northern Wei Dynasty in north China declined, so it was a good opportunity for south China to challenge them. Being fatuous and incapable, Xiao Yan allowed his ministers to exploit the people and ignored the advice of loyal ministers. In 548, General Hou Jing of the Eastern Wei, who had surrendered to the Liang dynasty, mutinied. He colluded with Xiao Zhengde, a son of Xiao Yan, to attack the Liang State. The next year, Hou Jing captured the capital city of the Liang Dynasty, and discovered that Xiao Yan had already starved to death. Then Hou Jing killed the successor-Xiao Gangand the Liang was at the edge of collapse. In 557, Chen Baxian, who grew up during the punitive wars against Hou Jing, cut the throat of the last Liang emperor and established the Cheng Dynasty. Through years of war, the economy of southern China had been destroyed badly, so the Chen Dynasty was destined to exist for only a short period of time. Chen Baxian and his successors Emperors Wendi and Wudi had destroyed their enemies and defeated the army of Northern Qi in Jiankang ( Nanjing today), which consolidated the rule of the Chen Dynasty to some extent. However, the Chen Dynastys reign was limited south of the Yangtze River and to the east of Yichang City and the central government was weak. In 583, north China was unified by the Sui Dynasty (581 618), and the unification of the whole of China was expected at any hour. In 589, Yang Jian, Emperor Wendi of the Sui Dynasty destroyed the Chen Dynasty and ended nearly 300-years of division in China. The Northern Dynasties Toward the end of The Sixteen Kingdoms of the Five Barbarian Peoples period, the Tuoba Xianbei people, a primitive minority nomadic group, gradually grew powerful. They occupied central China and established the Northern Wei Dynasty. Later, they destroyed all the independent regimes in north China, and unified the region. As the most influential dynasty among the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Northern Wei ruled north China for over 100 years, with 12 emperors from nine generations. By the end of the fifth century, Xianbei assimilation into the Han Chinese culture had accelerated in the Northern Wei Dynasty. In 493, Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital from Pingcheng (Datong City in Shanxi Province today) to Luoyang City, and changed their family name from Tuba to Yuan at the same time. He forbade the use of the Xianbei language and the wearing of Xianbei clothing. Emperor Xiaowen attempted to assimilate with the Han people by limiting Xianbei culture. Through a series of reformations, the Han peoples advanced culture and political system was fully integrated into the Xianbei government of the Northern Wei, and north China entered into a new period of cultural fusion. However, after Emperor Xiaowens death, his successors gradually abolished his Han-Chinese assimilation policy because of the opposition of some reactionary nobles and Xianbei army men. The restoration of the Xianbei peoples privilege aroused new social frictions, and the Northern Wei began to fall into disunity and war. Later, the powerful officials Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai divided the territory of the Northern Wei into two parts – east and west. Eastern Wei (534 550) under Gao Huan lasted 16 years with Yecheng (Handan city in Hebei Province today) as the capital. Western Wei (535 556) established by Yuwen Tai experienced a history of 22 years with Changan (Xian today) as the capital. Eastern and Western Wei were then conquered by the Northern Qi (550 577) and the Northern Zhou (557 581). In 577, the Northern Zhou destroyed the Northern Qi, and north China was reunified. In 581, Yang Jian, a relative of the Northern Zhou empress, dethroned Emperor Jingdi and made himself emp eror. He changed the state title to Sui, and named himself Wendi. Then, Yang Jian destroyed the Chen Dynasty in southern China and reunified all of China. Religion, Culture and Science During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Buddhism, an emerging religion from India, was introduced into China. At that time, almost all the Xianbei people believed in Buddhism, especially in the Bodhisattva. People believed they could free their soul from suffering only if they prayed for help from the Bodhisattva. Because of the popularity of Buddhism, Buddhist statues, murals and grottoes were built on an unprecedented scale. The Mogao Caves, the Yungang Grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes, and the Maijishan Grottoes were all masterpieces of that time. With Wang Xizhi and Xie He as the most famous, calligraphers and painters flourished in large numbers at that time. The noted works Classics on Waters and Qiminyaoshu were produced during this time. In science, Zu Chongzhi was the first person in the world to work out the value of π (the ratio between the circumference and the diameter of a circle) to be between 3.1415926 and 3.1415927. In addition, Doctor Tao Hongjing wrote Zhouhou Fang which had a great influence on the development of traditional Chinese medicine.

James Prescott Joule :: biographies bio

- James Prescott Joule - - Born: 1818 Died 1889 - Joule's career in the sciences began quite early in his life. As early as 16, Prescott was under the tutelage of James Dalton. His experiments soon followed in a laboratory he built in his family's basement. By this time, many scientists had begun hypothesizing on the interrelationships between heat, electricity, and magnetism - and by the 1840's Joule had formulated not only the well known "Joule's Law" but also a principle for conservation of energy. In the 1850's, Joule worked together with another scientist to come up with the "Joule-Thomson effect". Possibly his most well-known experiment is his "Paddle wheel" experiment, which led to an understanding of the conversion of energy from one form to another. His experimentations were not limited to simply those bounded in the areas of physics. Joule was an inventor as well - his accomplishments included the "arc" welding process and a displacement pump. As with every scientist, there is a list of Joule's failures. He attempted to design a motor that would provide infinite power but after many failed attempts realized it was unobtainable. - Joule's Law - - 1840 - Simply stated, Joule's Law relates how heat is dissipated by a resistor. Joule's Law states that the heat given off is equal to the square of the current multiplied by the resistance of the resistor and the amount of time passed. This law also relates itself to Thermodynamics, stating that "at constant temperature the internal energy of an ideal gas is independent of volume."1 - Paddle Wheel Experiment - - 1849 - This experiment involved the dropping of weights from a specific height; these weights would churn the water inside of the bucket and increase the overall temperature of the water slightly. This relationship served as the foundation to the First Law of Thermodynamics: - Joule-Thomson Effect - Although relatively easy to grasp for anyone in Physics, this discovery was key in understanding the relationships between pressure of gas and its temperature. The Joule-Thomson Effect shows that an insulated gas will lower its temperature as the pressure is decreased without doing any work.

Organizational Counseling Essay

Counseling is the service offered to the individual who is under going a problem and needs professional help to overcome it. The problem keeps him disturbed high strung and under tension and unless solved his development is hampered or stunted. Counseling therefore is a more specialized service requiring training in personality development and handling exceptional groups of individuals. Meaning of counseling Complex processes such as counseling are always difficult to define. In dictionary terms the word Counseling has a variety of meanings. It often implies the giving of advice or the recommendation of a particular course of action, presupposing that the one who is advising or recommending does so from a basis of superior knowledge and greater wisdom. The term also carries certain connotations which are derived from the legal use of the word ‘counsel’. In recent years, however, the word â€Å"counseling† has acquired a specific meaning as a technical term to describe a particular kind of therapeutic interaction between people. Many authors and institutions have defined counseling as follows: The steering committee of the Standing Committee for the Advancement of Counseling (UK) in 1969 offered the following definition. â€Å"Counseling is a process through which one person helps another by purposeful conversation in an understanding atmosphere. It seeks to establish a helping relationship in which the one counseled can express his/her thoughts and feelings in such a way as to clarify his/her situation, come to terms with some new experience, see his/her difficulty more objectively, and to face the problem with less anxiety and tension. Its basic purpose is to assist individuals to make their decision from among the choices available to them.† Three components which are essential if the meeting of two persons, one of whom has a problem, is to be termed â€Å"counseling† are the process, the objectives, the relationship. According to Brammer & Shostrom, â€Å"Counseling is defined as a way of relating  and responding to another person so that he/she is helped to explore his thoughts, feelings and behavior to reach a clear self-understanding. Also, the person is helped to find and use his/her strengths to be able to cope more effectively with making appropriate decisions, or taking appropriate action.† According to Makinde (1983) â€Å"Counseling is as an integrative process between a client, who is vulnerable and who needs assistance, and a counselor who is trained and educated to give this assistance. The goal of the interaction is to help the client learn to deal more effectively with him/herself and the reality of his environment.† According to Willey & Andrew, Counseling involves two individuals one seeking help and other a professionally trained person helped solved problems to orient and direct him to words a goals. Employee Counseling Counseling has been practiced in one form to other since the evolution of mankind. In every field which requires dealing with people, counseling is essential. Counseling is dyadic relationship between two persons; a manager who is offering help (counselor) and an employee whom such help is given (counselee). It may be formal or informal. Formal counseling is a planned and systematic way of offering help to subordinates by expert counselors. Informal counseling is concerned with day to day relationship between the manager and his subordinates where help is readily offered without any formal plan. Every manager has a responsibility to counsel his subordinates. When individual managers are unable to deal with specific problems, the counseling services of a professional body is required. An organization can either offer the services of a full-time in-house counselor or refer the employee to a community counseling service. Counseling occasionally is necessary for employees due to job and personal problems that subject them to excessive stress. Counseling is discussion of a problem that usually has emotional content with an employee in order to help the employee cope with  it better. Counseling seeks to improve employee’s mental health. People feel comfortable about themselves and about other people and able to meet the demands of life when they are good in mental health. The counseling need not be limited to work-related issues. Marital problems, problems with children, financial difficulties or general psychiatric problems may not be directly related to the job, however, we recognize that individuals cannot completely separate their life away from the job from their life on the job. Therefore personal problems do affect a worker’s job performance. So counseling is also necessary for personal problems along with work- related issues. Performance counseling involves helping an employee understand his own performance, find where he stands in relation to others and identify ways to improve his skills and performance. It focuses, essentially, â€Å"on the analysis of performance of the job and identification of training needs for further improvement†. An increasingly popular form of counseling involves employees who are about ready to retire. Pre-retirement counseling prepares individuals to deal with the realities of leisure, as well as ou tlining details about social security benefits and company pension provisions. Employee Counseling at Workplace It is required of every manager to help his subordinate in the free exploration of his strengths, abilities, competence, interests and other related positive features. It requires participation from both the parties in the performance review and goal-setting process. Thus, performance counseling has become an important feature not only in performance review but also in the implementation of the appraisal system in the organization. It is natural that subordinates need guidance, coaching or help of an experienced person. This role may be played by the immediate superior or the personnel manager. The managers or superiors who have to play the role of ‘counselor’ can play it successfully if they develop the skill for counseling. Such a skill would be useful in understanding subordinates, assisting them in their efforts to grow and develop, and in improving their interpersonal relations both at work and in the society at large. Counseling is a two-way process in which a coun selor provides help to the workers by  way of advice and guidance. There are many occasions in work situations when a worker feels the need for guidance and counseling. The term â€Å"counseling† refers to the help given by a superior to his subordinate in improving the latter’s performance. It is in effect a process of helping subordinates to achieve better adjustment with his work environment, to behave as a psychologically mature individual, and help in achieving a better understanding of others so that his dealings with them can be effective and purposeful. Distinction between Organizational Counseling Interventions & Organizational Development Organizational Development (OD) and Organizational Counseling Interventions (OCI) are two natural extensions of systems thinking within the larger discipline of Psychology. Given the fact that OD and OCI technologies have a common origin within Psychology as a discipline, and the development of the systems perspective in particular, it is necessary to identify the core distinctions between these two approaches to serving the organization: Both OCI and OD interventions are designed to improve overall organizational health and effectiveness, which in turn improve the working conditions of individual employees. Some of the typical areas of focus and expertise where OD and OCI differ are listed below, and these may be used as decision-making criteria. Organizational Development Organizational Counseling Leadership development Personality dysfunction (substance abuse, psychiatric symptoms, etc.) Departmental (re)organization Stress/Change Management Poor Morale Grief reaction to loss or death Group retreats Critical Incident Stress Management Skills development and technology usage Employee/patient safety issues Team – building Communication breakdown within teams Workplace climate Entrenched interpersonal conflict Promoting improved/increased organizational performance Promoting organizational wellness Who Can Counsel People who are in a position to counsel in the work place could be co-workers who would function as peer counselors, supervisors and managers who would counsel their own staff and staff members like the human resources manager and the training manager who could counsel any staff member because of the uniqueness of their positions. In addition, directors or senior managers are well placed to counsel members of the management staff. Counseling deals with personal, social, vocational, empowerment, and educational concerns. Counselors work only in areas in which they have expertise. These areas may include intra- and interpersonal concerns related to school or college adjustment, mental health, aging, marriage or family issues, employment, and rehabilitation. Counseling Quick Reference Keep this quick reference to use whenever counseling individuals, employees or team members. Counselors must demonstrate these qualities to counsel effectively: a) Respect for subordinates. b) Self and cultural awareness. c) Credibility. d) Empathy. Counselors must possess these counseling skills: 1. Active listening. 2. Responding. 3. Questioning. Effective counselors avoid common counseling mistakes. Counselors should avoid: 1. Personal bias. 2. Rash judgments. 3. Stereotyping. 4. Losing emotional control. 5. Inflexible counseling methods. 6. Improper follow-up. When to Counsel There are many situations in the workplace when counseling might be called for: Some of these problems arise outside the work place. They can be personal problems such as sexual behavior that might pose a high risk for HIV/AIDS, or addiction to drugs or alcohol. They may be related to family issues: money problems, sickness and death in the family causing grief or trauma. They may also be issues related specifically to the work place, such as matters like career development, discipline, performance, relating to customers or clients, promotion, redeployment, transfers, redundancies, retirement, etc. There might be problems individuals have in relating to others in the work place, either as individuals or as part of a team. Other problems may lie in relating to customers, to bosses or to those in authority in general. Bosses might also have problems in relating to their juniors. Need of Counseling Counseling is an integral part of an over-all program of guidance. â€Å"Counseling is a specific process of assistance extended by an expert in an individual situation to a needy person†. This means the counseling situation arises when a needy person is face to face with and expert who makes available his assistance to the needy individual to fulfill his needs. There is an urgent need of introducing and strengthening the counseling service to meet the various needs of the individuals or employees. 1. To help in the total development of the organization: Along with the intellectual development proper motivation and clarification of goals and ideas to pupils in conformity with their basic potentialities and social tendencies are important total development of the individual nauseates that individual differences among them are expected, accepted, understood and planned for and all types of experiences in an institution are to be so organized as to contribute to the total development of the organization. 2. To develop readiness for choice and changes to face new challenges. 3. To minimize the mismatching between achievement and expectation and help in the  efficient use of manpower. 4. To motivate the youth for self-employment. 5. To help fresher establish proper identity 6. To identify and motivate the counselee 7. To help the counselee in their period of turmoil and confusion. 8. To help in checking wastage and stagnation. 9. To identity and help individuals in need of special help. 10. To minimize the incidence of indiscipline. Bargadon has mentioned the following situations where counseling in required: 1. When a pupil requires not only reliable information but also an interesting introspection of those in formations which can solve his personal difficulties. 2. When a pupil needs intelligent listener who has more experience than the pupil to whom he can recite his difficulties and through which can seek suggestions for his working plan. 3. When the counselor has to assess those facilities which can help in resolving the pupil problems but the pupil doesn’t enjoy such an access to those facilities. 4. When the pupil has some problem but he is unaware of that problem and his development, he is to be made aware of that problem. 5. When the pupil is aware of the problem and difficulties created by the problem but he feels difficult to define it and to understand it that is, when the pupil is familiar with the presence of the problem and its nature but he is unable to face the problem due to this tempor ary tension and distraction. 6. When the pupil suffer the main maladjustment problem or some handicapped with is temporary and which needs careful long due diagnosis by an expert. Characteristics of Effective Counseling 1. Purpose: Clearly define the purpose of the counseling. 2. Flexibility: Fit the counseling style to the character of each subordinate and to the relationship desired. 3. Respect: View subordinates as unique, complex individuals, each with a distinct set of values, beliefs, and attitudes. 4. Communication: Establish open, two-way communication with subordinates using spoken language, nonverbal actions, gestures, and body language. Effective counselors listen more than they speak. 5. Support: Encourage subordinates through actions while guiding them through their  problems. Problems in Employee Counseling A manager has to deal with various types of problems in dealing with his subordinates, employees and particularly problem employees. Basically no employee is a problem employee, except hereditary and inborn perversions, criminal tendencies, addictions, and nervous and psychological breakdowns. Once an employee turns to be a problem employee, the employer has mainly two options viz., repair and recover, or replace. For the purpose of repairing and recovering and rehabilitating, employee counseling has an important role to play. Problems are generally associated with the causes like: 1. Inferiority and Low Self-Esteem Inferiority feeling of an employee may play great havoc in individual life and work. Though a mild form of inferiority in certain persons may help them to work hard and overcome the inferiority. But very often, inferiority complex may lead a person to utter disappointment and depression leading to withdrawal perversion, absenteeism and even psychosomatic and psychotic problems. Inferiority is a feeling of inadequacy in comparison with others, or a feeling of being inferior to others. When the inferiority feelings in a person become overwhelming and persisting, it may develop into a state which Adler called â€Å"inferiority complex†. Recently thinkers started believing that inferiority can be overcome with the help of self-esteem, and effective counseling helps in gaining self-esteem. Self-esteem is closely linked with self-image, self-worth and self-concept. Self-concept and self-image are the terms which represent the picture which we have of ourselves. Self-image and self-c oncept may include a list of character traits, physical features, attitudes, feelings, strengths, weaknesses etc. Self-esteem refers to the evaluation which an individual makes of his worth, competence, value and significance. When a person loses self-esteem, he develops inferiority in him, which grows into an inferiority complex. Such people do not feel worth of themselves. Hence, the basic task of a counselor is to improve self-esteem in such counselees. 2. Injustice or Ill-treatment Very often injustice or ill-treatment makes considerable impact in their minds resulting in behavioral problems, inferiority and low self-esteem. Depriving an employee of adequate wages, leave, or any perks, giving him an arrogant treatment, depriving a legitimate promotion, promoting somebody overlooking the legitimate candidate; may such incidents take place in organizations very often which may result in inferiority feeling or feeling of low self-esteem and low morale affecting the efficiency of the aggrieved employee. As far as possible such incidents must be avoided. Once such a situation arises and an employee is aggrieved, it is better to rectify it. However, if the aggrieved employee is counseled and rectification is promised at a later date, he or she can be brought back to the proper track. 3. Premarital Anxieties and Sexual Perversions Premarital anxieties are common in many young employees. Once the marriage is arranged and the person is engaged, his anxiety increases. Two people of different family backgrounds, different cultures, different environments, etc., are bound to have anxieties before they come together. If one happens to wait unmarried after a particular age too, one’s anxiety is bound to increase. Similarly, there are possibilities for sexual perversions in not only young employees but even in married employees. There are people with broken relationships who are tempted to be subject to sexual perversions and resulting guilty conscious. In all such cases the concerned employee needs counseling before a total breakdown and collapse of personality. Such people can be spiritually motivated, educated, kept under the close contact of an influence group, and so on. 4. Alcoholism Alcoholism is, perhaps, the largest threat to the human element of organization. In fact, alcoholism is a serious social, moral and health problem. It ruins careers, disrupts families, affects productivity and efficiency, destroys bodies, and leads to untold human misery. Many traffic accidents are caused by alcohol abuse. There are many causes which lead to alcoholism. Prominent among them are: (i) Hereditary drinking; (ii) Executive culture; (iii) Executive stresses; (iv) Physiological reasons; (v) Broken family set up; (vi) Environmental influence; (vii) Low job  satisfaction and morale; (viii) Tasks involving strenuous physical exertion; (ix) Perpetuating influences ; (x) Feelings of depression and stagnation; and (xi) Feeling of isolation and loneliness. A counselor’s job is not easy as far as an alcoholic is concerned. One or a few counseling sessions may not yield any considerable effect. However, a sincere effort on the part of an executive counselor may help an alco holic employee, at least in the long-run. Some medical intervention may also be helpful along with counseling. 5. The problem of Addictions Another important employee problem which deserves counseling is addictions. Addiction is a very dangerous problem which torments the social and work environment of today. Drug addiction has gone beyond proportions among youngsters now-a-days. Not only drug addiction, many people are addicted to alcohol, pornographic materials, television, sexual immorality, smoking, compulsive spending, overeating, gambling, and so on. There are some people who are addicted to earning money and amassing wealth by hook or by crook. There are workaholics who have addiction to work, due to which there are many broken families in the urban society. Addiction is any habit, practice, behavior or even thinking which is habitually or compulsively attached to a person, which exerts more and more control and power over him. There can be many causes for addiction; some of which are: (i) Inadequate parental care; (ii) Broken family atmosphere; (iii) Bad company; (iv) Peer or other social influence; (v) Feeling o f emptiness in life; depression or stresses; (vi) Low self-esteem and deception; & (vii) Psychological problems. Both drug addiction and alcohol abuse involve behavior change, physical deterioration, family stresses, financial problems, career destruction, increasing psychological disintegration, lawlessness and so on. Addiction affects both the victim and his family. Even the psychologists and counselors may exhaust and drain themselves out by constant pressure of dealing with addicts. Hence, it is not an easy task for executives to deal with such cases. However, very tactful approach on the part of the executives and managers may make a considerable effect in helping them if they act in time. â€Å"A stitch in time saves nine†. 6. Mental Conflict in Union Rivalries In recent times, there are many employees who lose their confidence, mental peace, job satisfaction and productivity due to union rivalries. Many right thinking and unattached employees become the victims of such rivalries. Some militant trade union leaders and their henchmen even manhandle assault and ill-treat such employees. Their legitimate promotions and claims are blocked by such trade unionists. Sometimes even management becomes helpless in doing justice to such employees due to the obstructions and resistances created by such union leaders. In such situations victims are bound to be disappointed, disgruntled and aggrieved resulting in depression and stress. Executive counselors and human resources executives have great role to play in rebuilding the personality and career through counseling and timely intervention. They can be recovered, and revitalized through counseling and timely guidance. They can then be exposed and developed through training followed by redeployment and a change in placement. 7. Breakdown in Interpersonal Relationships Breakdown in interpersonal relationships is another important problem which creates low morale and depression in work-life which deserves timely intervention and counseling. There are many stress situations in one’s work life. Organizational causes of stress are occupational demands, role conflict, role ambiguity (stress from uncertainly), stresses from overload and under load, responsibility for others, stresses from evaluation, poor working conditions, unwanted changes, and such other factors lead to personal stresses. Interpersonal stresses make more impact in work life. Strains and breakdowns in interpersonal relationships have direct relationship with individual stresses. When cordial relationships exist in the work place, impact of other stresses may get effectively tackled. But when stresses from strained interpersonal relationship in the work environment increase, the individual’s effectiveness, balance and productivity can get affected. In all such occasions, c ounseling and guidance would become necessary to help the individual to control his problem emotions and sustain himself to be effective in the group. 8. Low Job Satisfaction and Morale Another important cause which affects the human behavior in organization is low job satisfaction backed by low morale. Low job satisfaction leads to low morale and vice-versa. Morale and job satisfaction are closely tied to the basic concepts of attitudes and motivation. Wages have been found to be the basic determinant of job satisfaction. However, once the monetary needs are considerably met by the wages, other aspects like self-actualization, fulfillment, working conditions, security of employment, prestige, agreeability of the job, group cohesiveness, expertise, etc., also determine the job satisfaction. Some researchers have thrown light on the positive relationship between occupational level and job satisfaction. Job satisfaction has a considerable relation with the promotion possibility. Superior-subordinate relationship and cooperative and affectionate attitude and approach of the superior may also influence the job satisfaction level of the subordinates, though much empirica l work has not been done in this area. Low job satisfaction and low morale must be tackled at the root. Immediate supervisor or superior may first come to know about the problem in his subordinate and initiate timely and sincere counseling efforts. At times, assistance of professional counselors can be sought. Every manager must make up his mind to nip in the bud all such problems which adversely affect job satisfaction and morale with the help of skillful counseling. 9. Breakdown in Family Life Every individual, rich or poor, has to face many family problems, some of which can seriously affect the peace of mind, happiness, achievement motivation and efficiency. Those who have broken family lives and serious family problems may possibly become unsuccessful in their work life too. Very often problem which affect the family life can convert a good employee into a problem employee. Studies have already proved that some alcoholics and drug addicts are the products of broken families. In fact, breakdown in family life very often affects the work life. Hence, if such employees are provided with ways to release their tension, their efficiency can be improved. Counseling is of great importance in such cases once such employees can be brought to proper track with the help of counseling, their personality, behavior and performance can be improved with the help of exposure in training, T-group formation, etc., so that better sense of  cohesion and commitment to organization can be en sured. Solving the Problems of Employee Counseling The problems of employee counseling can be solved in various ways. The following could be simple check list to follow – 1. Deal with dignity: An individual has to be dealt with dignity. An individual is more a victim of circumstances. This should be communicated clearly to assuage feelings of the individual. 2. Give time: Give individuals time and avoid shock impact. This gives the employee time to think of alternatives in a job loss situation. Importantly, the employee might try and improve productivity. 3. Build courage and confidence: Highlight strengths of the individual and build personal confidence level. Irrespective of personal circumstances, retaining confidence and mental balance, is critical. 4. Offer help: Offer personal and corporate help. More important than offering help is to listen patiently and offer whatever help is possible. 5. Involve family, where possible: A job affects the family and hence, where the employee is receptive, involve the family in counseli ng. 6. Give positive references: Give good and positive references to employees terminated to improve their chances of sourcing an alternate employment. 7. Allow use of facilities: As far as possible, allow a usage of corporate facilities, especially where there is no direct cash outflow. Typical facilities would include transport, sports, club, library, canteen etc. 8. Offer subsidy: In large companies, employees are eligible for a variety of benefits including transport, housing and furniture. Where possible, continue to offer these facilities at a subsidized price, for a short period of three to six months. 9. Communicate: Most importantly, involve the employee and listen empathetically. Keep in touch with the employee at some frequency to sustain courage to face the crisis and instill a ray of hope to come out of the crisis successfully. Aims of Counselling Counselling and guidance aims to: enable citizens to manage and plan their learning and work pathways in accordance with their life goals, assist educational and training institutions to have well motivated pupils, students and trainees who take  responsibility for their own learning and set their own goals for achievement assist enterprises and organisations to have well motivated, employable and adaptable staff, capable of accessing and benefiting from learning opportunities both within and outside the workplace provide policymakers with an important means to achieve a wide range of public policy goals support local, regional, and national economies through workforce development and adaptation to changing economic demands and social circumstances assist in the development of societies, in which citizens actively contribute to their social and democratic development Importance of counselling aims within labour market: Within the labour market, guidance and counselling can: Improve the accuracy and accessibility of the information available to individuals about short- and long-term job opportunities. In turn this can improve individual decision making about jobs and about job training opportunities. achieve a better match between skills, interests and qualifications on the one hand and available job opportunities on the other help to improve the allocation of labour across regions, industries and occupations in the face of labour supply and demand fluctuations resulting from technological and structural change Significance of Counseling 1. Decision marking construct: The psychological problems of adolescents can be seen as decision making problems. 2. Conflict: These decisions making problems almost always involve some conflict, either because of factor emotional ambiguities or both. 3. Assertions: Behavior is a result at the assumptions, beliefs, and attitudes that one his about himself, others and the world in which her lives. 4. Disconfirmations: The effects of behavior following decisions are feed back to the individual perceived and they confirm or disconfirm ascertain to varying degrees. 5. Tension: When assertions are disconfirmed, tensions result. 6. Redundancy: Tensions inhibit the ability of an individual to reexamine his assertions and attempt to confirm them and thus they cause redundant behavior. Reception and Integration Counseling Points Reception and integration counseling should begin immediately upon arrival so new team members can quickly become integrated into the organization. Counselor must counsel new team members when they arrive at organization. This reception and integration counseling serves two purposes: First, it identifies and helps fix any problems or concerns that new members may have, especially any issues resulting from the new duty assignment. Second, it lets them know the organizational standards and how they fit into the team. It clarifies job titles and sends the message that the chain of command cares. Chain of command familiarization. Organizational standards. Security and safety issues. Noncommissioned officer (NCO) support channel (who is in it and how it is used). On- and off-duty conduct. Personnel/personal affairs/initial and special issues. Organizational history, structure, and mission. Human resource practices within the organization Off limits and danger areas. Functions and locations of support activities. On- and off-post recreational, educational, cultural, and historical opportunities. Environmental orientations both internal and external. Other areas the individual should be aware of as determined by the counselor. Approaches/Types of Employee Counseling In attempting to help an employee who has a problem, a variety of counseling  approaches are used. All of these counseling approaches, however, depend on active listening. Sometimes the mere furnishing of information or advice may be the solution to what at first appeared to be a knotty problem. More frequently, however, the problem cannot be solved easily because of frustrations or conflicts that are accompanied by strong feelings such as fear, confusion, or hostility. A manager, therefore, needs to learn to use whatever approach appears to be suitable at the time. Flexibility is a key component of the employee counseling process. There are three types/approaches to counseling which are given as follows – 1. Directive 2. Non-directive 3. Participative 1. Directive Counseling: It is full counseling. It is the process of listening to an employee’s problem, deciding with the employee what should be done and telling and motivating the employee to do it. This type of counseling mostly does the function of advice, reassurance and communication. It may also perform other functions of counseling. Advantages and disadvantages of Directive counseling Exhibit 1: Advantages and disadvantages of Directive counseling Advantages: Quickest method. Good for people who need clear, concise direction. Allows counselors to actively use their experience. Disadvantages: Doesn’t encourage subordinates to be part of the solution. Tends to treat symptoms, not problems. Tends to discourage subordinates from talking freely. Solution is the counselor’s, not the subordinate’s. 2. Non-directive Counseling: In non-directive counseling, the employee is permitted to have maximum freedom in determining the course of the interview. It is the process of skillfully listening and encouraging a counselee to explain troublesome problems, understand them and determine  appropriate solutions. Fundamentally, the approach is to listen, with understanding and without criticism or appraisal, to the problem as it is described by the employee. The employee is encouraged, through the manager’s attitude and reaction to what is said or not said, to express feelings without fear of shame, embarrassment, or reprisal. The free expression that is encouraged in the non-directive approach tends to reduce tensions and frustrations. The employee who has had an opportunity to release pent-up feelings is usually in a better position to view the problem more objectively and with a problem-solving attitude. Advantages and disadvantages of Non-directive counseling Exhibit 2: Advantages and disadvantages of Non-directive counseling Advantages: Encourages maturity. Encourages open communication. Develops personal responsibility. Disadvantages: More time-consuming Requires greatest counselor skill. 3. Participative Counseling: Both directive and non-directive methods suffer from limitations. While the former is often not accepted by independent employees, the latter needs professionals to operate and hence is costly. Hence, the counseling used in most situations is in between these two. This middle path is known as participative counseling. Participative is a counselor-counselee relationship that establishes a cooperative exchange of ideas to help solve an employee’s problems. It is neither wholly counselor-centered nor wholly counselee-centered. Counselor and counselee mutually apply their different knowledge, perceptions, skills, perspectives and values to problem into the problems and find solutions. Advantages and disadvantages of participative counseling Exhibit 3: Advantages and disadvantages of participative counseling Advantages: Moderately quick. Encourages maturity. Encourages open communication. Allows counselors to actively use their experience. Disadvantages: May take too much time for some situations. Methods of Employee Counseling Effectiveness of counseling largely depends on the methods and techniques as well as the skills used by the counselor. Methods and techniques of counseling change from person to person and from situation to situation. Normally employee counseling involves the following methods: 1. Desensitization: Once an individual is shocked in a particular situation, he gives himself no chance for the situation to recur. This method can be used to overcome avoidance reactions, so as to improve the emotional weak spots. If an employee is once shocked by the behavior, approach or action of his superior, he would continue to avoid that superior. It is difficult for such superiors to be effective counselors, unless such superiors prove otherwise through their behavior or action on the contrary. Similarly, once an employee is shocked by a particular situation, he can be brought back to that situation only if he will be convinced through desensitization that the shock will not to take place further. Counselor can make use of desensitization in such situations. 2. Catharsis: Discharge of emotional tensions can be called catharsis. Emotional tensions can be discharged by talking them out or by relieving of the painful experience which engendered them. It is an important technique as a means of reducing the tensions associated with anxiety, fear, hostility, or guilt. Catharsis helps to gain insight into the ways an emotional trauma has been affecting the behavior. 3. Insight: With the help of insight one may find that he has devalued himself unnecessarily, or his aspirations were unrealistic, or that his childish interpretation of an event was inaccurate. Then he can overcome his weakness. 4. Developing the new patterns: Developing new patterns becomes very often necessary when other methods to deal with weak spots remain ineffective. In order to develop new, more satisfying emotional reactions, the individual needs to expose himself to situations where he can experience positive feelings. The manager who deals with such individuals may motivate or instigate them to put themselves into such situations, so that their self-confidence may increase. Every counselor must concentrate his full attention on two aspects viz., using of assessment tools, and utilizing counseling methods, choice of which differs from person to person, situation to situation, and from case to case. The Counseling Process Effective counselors use the four stages of counseling process which are given as follows – A. Identify the need for counseling. B. Prepare for counseling. C. Conduct counseling. D. Follow up. A. Identify the Need for Counseling Quite often organizational policies, such as counseling associated with an evaluation or counseling required by the command, focus a counseling session. However, one may conduct developmental counseling whenever the need arises for focused, two-way communication aimed at subordinate development. Developing subordinates consists of observing the subordinate’s performance, comparing it to the standard, and then providing feedback to the subordinate in the form of counseling. B. Prepare For Counseling Successful counseling requires preparation. To prepare for counseling, do the following: 1. Select a suitable place. 2. Schedule the time. 3. Notify the subordinate well in advance. 4. Organize information. 5. Outline the counseling session components. 6. Plan your counseling strategy. 7. Establish the right atmosphere. 1. Select a Suitable Place: Schedule counseling in an environment that minimizes interruptions and is free from distracting sights and sounds. 2. Schedule the Time: When possible, counsel a subordinate during the duty day. Counseling after duty hours may be rushed or perceived as unfavorable. The length of time required for counseling depends on the complexity of the issue. Generally a counseling session should last less than an hour. If one need more time, schedule a second session. Additionally, select a time free from competition with other activities and consider what has been planned after the counseling session. Important events can distract a subordinate from concentrating on the counseling. 3. Notify the Subordinate Well in Advance: For a counseling session to be a subordinate-centered, two-person effort, the subordinate must have time to prepare for it. The subordinate should know why, where, and when the counseling will take place. Counseling following a specific event should happen as close to the event as possible. However, for performance or professional development counseling, subordinates may need a week or more to prepare or review specific products, such as support forms or counseling records. 4. Organize Information: Solid preparation is essential to effective counseling. Review all pertinent information. This includes the purpose of the counseling, facts and observations about the subordinate, identification of possible problems, main points of discussion, and the development of a plan of action. Focus on specific and objective behaviors that the subordinate must maintain or improve as well as a plan of action with clear, obtainable goals. 5. Outline the Components of the Counseling Session: Using the information obtained, determine what to discuss during the counseling session. Note what prompted the counseling, what one aims to achieve, and what one’s role as a  counselor is. Identifying possible comments or questions to help counselor to keep the counseling session subordinate-centered and to help the subordinate progress through its stages. Although counselor never knows what a subordinate will say or do during counseling, a written outline helps organize the session and enhances the chance of positive results. 6. Plan Counseling Strategy: As many approaches to counseling exist as there are leaders. The directive, nondirective, and combined approaches to counseling were addressed earlier. Use a strategy that suits your subordinates and the situation. 7. Establish the Right Atmosphere: The right atmosphere promotes two-way communication between a counselor and subordinate. To establish a relaxed atmosphere, you may offer the subordinate a seat or a cup of coffee. Counselor may want to sit in a chair facing the subordinate since a desk can act as a barrier. Some situations make an informal atmosphere inappropriate. For example, during counseling to correct substandard performance, as a counselor you may direct the subordinate to remain standing while you remain seated behind a desk. This formal atmosphere, normally used to give specific guidance, reinforces the leader’s rank, position in the chain of command, and authority. C. Conduct the Counseling Session Be flexible when conducting a counseling session. Often counseling for a specific incident occurs spontaneously as counselors encounter subordinates in their daily activities. Such counseling can occur in any suitable places wherever subordinates feel ease. Good counselors take advantage of naturally occurring events to provide subordinates with feedback. Even when counselor haven’t prepared for formal counseling, s/he should address the four basic components of a counseling session. The purpose is to guide effective counseling rather than mandate a series of rigid steps. Counseling sessions consist of: 1. Opening the session. 2. Discussing the issues. 3. Developing the plan of action. 4. Recording and closing the session. Ideally, a counseling session results in a subordinate’s commitment to a plan of action. Assessment of the plan of action (discussed below) becomes the starting point for follow-up counseling. 1. Open the Session: In the session opening, state the purpose of the session and establish a subordinate centered setting. Establish the preferred setting early in the session by inviting the subordinate to speak. The best way to open a counseling session is to clearly state its purpose. For example, an appropriate purpose statement might be: â€Å"The purpose of this counseling is to discuss your duty performance over the past month and to create a plan to enhance performance and attain performance goals.† If applicable, start the counseling session by reviewing the status of the previous plan of action. 2. Discussing the issues: The counselor and the subordinate should attempt to develop a mutual understanding of the issues. Counselor can best develop this by letting the subordinate do most of the talking. Use active listening; respond, and question without dominating the conversation. Aim to help the subordinate better understand the subject of the counseling, for example, duty performance, a problem situation and its impact, or potential areas for growth. Both counselor and subordinate should provide examples or cite specific observations to reduce the perception that either is unnecessarily biased or judgmental. However, when the issue is substandard performance, counselor should make clear how the performance didn’t meet the standard. The conversation, which should be two-way, then addresses what the subordinate needs to do to meet the standard. It’s important that he defines the issue as substandard performance and don’t allow the subordinate to define the issue as an unreasonable standard-unless he considers the standard negotiable or are willing to alter the conditions under which the subordinate must meet the standard. 3. Develop a Plan of Action: A plan of action identifies a method for achieving a desired result. It specifies what the subordinate must do to reach the goals set during the counseling session. The plan of action must  be specific: it should show the subordinate how to modify or maintain his behavior. It should avoid vague intentions such as â€Å"Next month I want you to improve your production skills.† The plan must use concrete and direct terms. A specific and achievable plan of action sets the stage for successful development. 4. Record and Close the Session: Although requirements to record counseling sessions vary, a counselor always benefits by documenting the main points of a counseling session. Documentation serves as a reference to the agreed upon plan of action and the subordinate’s accomplishments, improvements, personal preferences, or problems. A complete record of counseling aids in making recommendations for professional development, schools, promotions, and evaluation reports. To close the session, summarize its key points and ask if the subordinate understands the plan of action. Invite the subordinate to review the plan of action and what’s expected by counselor. With the subordinate, establish any follow-up measures necessary to support the successful implementation of the plan of action. These may include providing the subordinate with resources and time, periodically assessing the plan, and following through on referrals. Schedule any future meetings, at least tentatively, before dismissing the subordinate. D. Follow Up Counselor’s Responsibilities: The counseling process doesn’t end with the counseling session. It continues through implementation of the plan of action and evaluation of results. After counseling, counselor must support subordinates as they implement their plans of action. Support may include teaching, coaching, or providing time and resources. Counselor must observe and assess this process and possibly modify the plan to meet its goals. Appropriate measures after counseling include follow-up counseling, making referrals, informing the chain of command, and taking corrective measures. Assess the Plan of Action: The purpose of counseling is to develop subordinates who are better able to achieve personal, professional, and  organizational goals. During the assessment, review the plan of action with the subordinate to determine if the desired results were achieved. The counselor and the subordinate should determine the date for this assessment during the initial counseling session. The assessment of the plan of action provides useful information for future follow-up counseling sessions. Conclusion The ability to counsel is an important skill for managers and caring co-workers. Organizations that have people trained in counseling will be better able to handle their people issues than those that do not. Staffs who are feeling anxious, stressed, or unhappy will not be able to perform very well on the job despite their background and experience. If they have had an opportunity to talk through their problems with a trained counselor, they will be able to be much more productive. This will save the organization time and money. References 1. Blum, M. L., and Balinsky, B. Counseling and psychology. Egnlewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1954. 2. Bordin, E. S. Psychological counseling. New York: Appleton, 1955. 3. Maier, N. R. R. Principle of human relations. New York: Wiley, 1952. Ch. 12 & 13. 4. Counseling-techniques-in-an-organization, Available at:

Power point use in work envirnoment Essay

Cynthia Computer Application-205 Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Microsoft Word-Microsoft Corporation was founded in 1975 lead global in the development and production of software and software-related services and solutions. Initially known for home computers, Microsoft, headquartered in Washington, now offers various operating systems and software for desktop computers. This multinational company strives to help the worldwide business community improve efficiency and productivity. In recent years, this company has battled criticism concerning what some consider monopolistic, anti-competitive business practices. Despite legal setbacks including antitrust violations sanctioned by the US Department of Justice, Microsoft remains a major player in its field. In today’s business environment demands the sharing of data, mobile technology and speedy communication. Microsoft provides tools enabling business to be productive and communicate effectively regardless of location. Outlook serves as the portal for e-mail, tasks, calendar and contacts. Microsoft office line workspace, boasting online storage space, enables users to save access and share documents throughout the world. Mobile Technology like smartphones, which supply the user with advanced computing options allow you to stay connected to businesses. Microsoft office Accounting Express 2008 offers small start-up or at home businesses a resource for accounting processing and procedures. The software includes invoices, budget and finance template and profit and loss statements. Office Excel surpasses manual, paper-based spreadsheets in terms of ease of use and accuracy. Businesses confront an ever-growing number of security threats. Many businesses elect to use Microsoft Vista operating system as a measure to protect their data. Vista boasts account control, troubleshooting and diagnostic features and spyware blocker. Microsoft Security Essentials, introduce in 2009, offers antimalware solutions at no cost to consumers who use Genuine Windows-based PCs. Large business may choose Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate; Ultimate offers Bit Lockers Drive Encryption for maximum data protection. Microsoft lost its standing as the leading global software company in May 2010. Apple, once on the verge of extinction focused on innovative, new consumer products to generate growth; a popular line of hand-held devices contributed to the company’s surge in profitability. In contrast, Microsoft, despite sporadic new systems releases, primarily lies mainly on preserving the existing business. Although Microsoft remains a strong player in the market, the company continues to face stiff competition. PowerPoint is an excellent tool for employee training and online learning. Business owners and company managers can use the programs to create compelling and interactive slide shows to demonstrate new products, train new workers and help existing customers get the most out of the products they buy. In fact there are a great many advantages to using PowerPoint as an online learning tool. One of the most powerful things about PowerPoint is the fact that it can corporate animation features and clip art. Its ability to incorporate sound is another powerful benefit of PowerPoint as an online learning tool. The sound functions of this program can make the slide show more interactive and less boring, and too can encourage visitors to stay with the training. Companies can use this interactive feature of PowerPoint to overcome problems and make their training sessions compelling. PowerPoint contains a number of powerful interactivity tools that makes it easy for users to engage the attention of the entire online audience. The improvement done to Excel 2007 and Excel 2010 is the ability to group the dates in the dropdown list into years and months. That means you don’t have to create a new column to identify the years and months of each row using Excel formulas. In Excel 2010, you can customize your own Ribbon tab. It can be used as commands in one place. In this way you do not have to click from one tab to another to find your commonly used command. In the earlier years of Excel (2003 and below), sorting can only be done based on the color coding in the cell, Not only that, you can also sort the records by the font color. That’s new in Excel 2002 and 2010. Multiple conditional is not made easy Excel 2007 and 2010. In the older Excel version 2003 and below, we are to count based on one single condition. When using Excel 2003, multiple conditions sum has to be done using the formula SUMPRODUCT or combining all the conditions into one before applying the formula SUMIF to data. With the new Excel 2007, you can now easily sum up the values based on more than one condition by using the SUMIF’s fomula.

Rudolf diesel essays

Rudolf diesel essays One man solely changed how to run engines in a more sufficient manner. Rudolf Diesel revolutionized the known world with one simple, but complex engine. Diesel designed many different things until one day he designed an engine that would change his life altogether. Rudolf Diesel was born in Paris in 1858 (www.rudolfdiesel.com). His parents were immigrants from Bavarian. After graduating from Munich Polytechnic. He was employed at a refrigerator engineer. Though employed as he was, he designed many heat machines, including a solar-powered air engine. In 1893, he published a paper describing an engine with combustion within a cylinder, the internal combustion engine ( www.rudolfdiesel.com). Diesel filed for a patent for his new invention in 1894. His machine almost cost him his life when it exploded directly in front of him. However, the internal combustion engine, was the first that proved that fuel can be ignited without a spark. He operated his first successful engine in 1897 (www.rudolfdiesel.com). In 1898, Diesel and his internal combustion engine, the diesel engine, were granted patent #608845. The diesel engine modern society are improved versions of Rudolf Diesels original concept. They are now used in large trucks, subs, ships, locomotives, and in electric generating plants. The impact of this engine has economized the entire world. Fuel last longer, engines run longer and stronger, and most important, you got every penny out of it. This development was so incredible that the whole world started using it in many more aspects than transportation. Rudolf Diesels inventions have three points in common: They relate to heat transference by natural physical processes or laws; they involve markedly creative mechanical design; and they were initially motivated by the inventors concept of sociological needs (www.rudolfdiesel.com). Diesel conceived the diesel engine so that artisans and ind...

A Culturally Defined Nation

There is nothing to define the country more than culture. Culture is a unified power to integrate people, economics and politics. For people, this is attribution. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, 'culture of the people exists in the soul and soul of people' culture has established a set of traditional morals that will eventually be inherited throughout humanity. It becomes a part of life, even the most diverse people can return. Cultural nationalism defines the state by sharing culture. Nationwide membership qualifications are completely voluntary (they can not get cultures at once), they are not genetic (If you grew up in other cultures, the members' children are seen as foreigners It will be done). China's nationalism is an example of cultural nationalism. Because there are a few ethnic minorities in China. (Chinese nationalists include Taiwanese nationalists who claim to reject mainland Chinese government but have mainland China) Cultural conservatives will help protect the country 's heritage, or a common culture that is not defined at the border. Shared culture may be as different as Western culture or Chinese culture. In the United States, the term cultural conservatism may imply a conservative position in cultural warfare. Even in the face of major changes, cultural conservatives still keep traditional thinking. They firmly believe in traditional values ​​and traditional politics and often have a sense of nationalism Cultural nationalism is a type of nationalism where the state is defined by a common culture. It is an intermediate position between national nationalism and civil nationalism. Therefore, it will focus on the national identity formed by cultural tradition rather than the concept of common ancestors and races. Cultural nationalism does not tend to appear in the independence movement, but rather has a place in a wider nationalist ideology. Therefore, the position of the moderate faction of Flanders, Hinduism nationalism may be cult ural nationalism, and these movements include forms of national nationalism and ethnic mysticism. The fact that European and American media are focusing on Western nationalism generally reflects the influence of defining the identity of citizens as existing demographic and political systems as rapidly changing demographic data . In contrast, the minorities and religious organizations have weakened the competitiveness over the universe in Chinese culture due to the one-party system and the government's control over the media. China's nationalism is determined by the relationship between China and other countries, especially the past 150 years of historical experience.

Leadership in organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership in organisations - Essay Example It is the former who make a major contribution to the society. Leadership skills are required in every field irrespective of the nature. Leadership in organizations has been a topic of interest for many researchers and scholars over the last century. There is immense research that has gone into finding what qualities differentiate the leaders from the rest and why leadership is important to an organiztaion. Organizational leadership is very important for an organization. It is these leaders who account for the majority of the success of the organization. In spite of the research that has gone into organizational leadership, there are various questions unanswered. This report is a research proposal for carrying out further research in the filed of organizational leadership. 1.1 Suitability of Researcher for the Research Leadership has always excited the researcher and understanding leadership has turned into a passion. The researcher has read about the topic intensely and has been ins pired by the various leaders such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, etc. The researcher has been amazed by these leaders ability to command respect from the followers and lead them to a better life. The researcher would like to take this opportunity to officially study his/her passion through this research. The researcher has been following the developments in the filed prior to the idea of conducting an academic research on the topic. 1.2 Research Question The effectiveness and usefulness of a research primarily depends on the depth and accuracy of a research question. Research question addresses the scope of the research. Research question tries to find answers and for new questions about the research subject for further research or investigation (Lester, 1986). In a deductive approach the researcher makes an assumption or theory and then tries to prove his or her theory with the help of the research findings and data. On the other hand, in an inductive approac h the researcher uses practical findings and research results to derive a hypothesis. The research question needs to be apt and to the topic. Research question must not be too elaborative or too restrictive. Too elaborative research question would not be very useful to drive the point and it would be more of an explanation than a question. Too restrictive research question might not cover the scope of the research. The research question must be designed in such a way that it compels for an answer. Research question must not address any insignificant issues and divert from the core of the subject. Hence, the researcher must frame the research question with lot of care in such a way that it focuses on the core issue and compels for an answer. The purpose of this research is to study leadership in organization and throw new light on the topic. The research will be targeted in understanding how leadership makes an impact on the organization. It addresses the popular question of how lead ers and managers are different. Even though there has been a lot of debate over the above question, the researcher intends to bring in a new dimension to the debate. The various styles of leadership will be addressed and studying further. Researcher is of the view that leaders have qualities of entrepreneurs. An entrepreneur is definitely a leader who leads his company or organization to success and greater heights. But what researcher