Physical activity for children free essay sample

Physical Activity for Children This essay will explore the areas of children’s development. The age groups which will be discussed within it are children from the ages of two too six years of age and children from the age of six too eleven years of age. The areas of development which will be covered are physical, intellectual, skill and psychological. The author will then conclude by making reference to the effect on physical activity for children and why it can influence them for the rest of their lives. Physical development Children between two and six years have slow and steady gains in height and weight, especially in the legs which account for 66% of their total increase in height. Females tend to have growth spurts two years before males, but when males have spurts they have them for a longer period of time developing heavier bones and stringier muscles as well. We will write a custom essay sample on Physical activity for children or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Between the ages of six and eleven the average children’s legs continue to grow very quickly while the head will be disproportionately large, the bones also tend to increase in length and density, gradually as they grow towards adolescence. Intellectual development Children between the ages of two and six years tend to be egocentric and selfish and don’t consider other people’s feelings. They also tend to do something quickly even if it involves hurting another child’s feelings, they will not consider the consequences until after they have done it. At this age children also find it difficult to learn from experience so they could make the same mistakes over and over again. Time and place could also be a confusion at this age and not having a complete understanding of your surroundings. From the ages of six to eleven the child can start to learn from experience although, they still have a tendency to do something without thinking about it. When the child reaches about seven or eight years they will start to understand that time goes by at a uniform speed and can perhaps arrange plans from day to day, but the past and the future still remain a mystery to them. Skill development Skill development in a child between the age of two and six is very basic, the early on stage of the physical development, This is when they will be learning skills like running, jumping, balancing and throwing. Girls tend to have more skill when it comes to co-ordination, things like hopping and skipping but boys are usually better when it comes to running, jumping or throwing, which is why boys mostly play sports like football and rugby and girls are mostly into gymnastics and dancing. From the ages of six to eleven years children’s ball skills can also be developed, this could involve dribbling the ball using their feet or catching it with their hands. It is in this age group that the child will play different kinds of sports and will eventually decide what sport they are suited to. Psychological development The psychological development in a child between two and six years old includes them imitating other children, if another child does something they will feel that they have to do it as well. Other children also start to become more important to them as they will form groups, they will also compare each mostly to see who the best is. They also still have to be told what to do at this age. From the age of six to eleven friends start to become a lot more important and can play a crucial role within their lives influencing their attitudes, beliefs and behaviour, they may also want to take part in a certain sport or activity just because their friend does it. In this age group they will also start listening to other people’s points of view and decide whether they agree with it or not. They will also start to understand working as part of a team and how it is important when difficult situations may occur within their life. Douglas P (2013) states that â€Å"exercise is paramount in the development of today’s children† This true statement emphasises that children can use physical activity to develop each of the areas, physical, intellectual, physiological and skill level, giving them a better way of life. This will also keep them fit and healthy decreasing the risk of things like illnesses or obesity.

Seven Samurai essays

Seven Samurai essays In 1954 Akira Kurosawa released his film, Seven Samurai to the public. Almost half a decade later I have the privilege to also view this great film. This was the first Japanese film that I have ever given the time of day to actual view in its entirety. From the beginning to the end I was totally involved with the characters. And awesome characters they were with each and everyone of them showing their own personality and opinion throughout the plot. The story is placed in 16th Century Japan. There is a village of farmers who are going to be under yet another attack by a large group of Bandits. Convinced not to go through it all again the villagers send a couple of farmers into town in search of four Samurai that would fight for their lives. The topper is the fact that the farmers can only pay with three meals of rice to the brave warriors. After winning over the heart of one wise and very smart Samurai, they easily recruit five more great Samurai and one wannabe. They all travel back to the village where they have to act right away to setup for the defense. They setup walls, dig waterways, and train the local farmers to fight for their ground. Just when they start to get restless of waiting the Bandits arrive and are taken down little by little. After three days and nights of fighting it all comes to an end with the Farmers victorious. Only three Samurais survive in the end and a great lesson is learned. Thats the ba sic flow of the movie. There is many side stories on the side such as a goofy Samurai, funny old farmers, a love story that must be hidden, and much more. Now in the technical aspect of the film. In my opinion the film was pretty much flawless. The editing was done wonderfully with fades, soft cut, quick cuts, and wipes to give effect. One scene in the movie where I believe the editing was awesome was in the beginning of the movie when the farmers have arrived into town to find Samur ...

Developing a support system to improve quality of life for erectile Research Paper

Developing a support system to improve quality of life for erectile dysfunction in prostatectomy - Research Paper Example The researcher states that one of the most inevitable aspects of the human life span is aging. What makes aging a great issue within the health community is that it brings with it numerous degenerative diseases and conditions. Some of these degenerative diseases include osteoarthritis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Huntington’s disease, heart diseases and numerous others. Sometimes, some degenerative diseases or conditions affect one gender more than the other. For example, females have to deal with menopause and all the complications such changes in the body bring about For males, one of the conditions most have to face is erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction (ED) involves the inability to maintain, or even achieve, an erection that is adequate for satisfactory sexual intercourse. Although some temporary cases of erectile dysfunction have been documented in males, these can be attributed to factor s other than the degeneration of the human body. What is clinically relevant for healthcare providers as well as researchers is erectile dysfunction that involves a consistent failure to achieve and/or maintain erection which affects around half of all attempts at sexual intercourse. It is a common problem affecting men and thus impacting on the quality of life and their partners. This result into fear, loss of self esteem (self image), self confidence and depression. It has been estimated to affect more than 150 million men with only 20% of men seeking medical attention. (Aversa et al, 2004). In USA it affects between 20 to 30 million with risks of development being high with increasing age (Hellstrom et al, 2002). Numerous reasons have been provided for erectile dysfunction, including both psychological and physical factors. Psychological causes may involve stress, depression, relationship changes, low self-esteem, fatigue, performance anxiety, and numerous others (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2006). Although psychological causes are sometimes more common in temporary cases of erectile dysfunction, these factors can aggravate the dysfunction brought about by physical causes, especially among older males. On the other hand, physical reasons for erectile dysfunction include diminished testosterone levels, thyroid dysfunction, hyperprolactinemia, cardiovascular diseases, endocrine problems, and even the decrease in penile response to nitric oxide, the neurotransmitter responsible for the erection of the penis (LeMone, Burke, & Bauldoff, 2011). Another well-documented reason attributed to erectile dysfunction is prostatectomy. Prostatectomy involves the removal or resection of a portion of a prostate due to enlargement of the prostate or one of its lobes (Brunner, Smeltzer & Bare, 2010). Studies have established that one of the expected complications of prostatectomy, specifically radical prostatectomy, is erectile dysfunction. Such a complication is most attributed to the damage caused on nerves during the surgery involving the resection of the prostate. These damages can be attributed to actual physical trauma on the nerves involving penile erection, or to complications from the anesthetic used (Lewis, et al., 2011). Still, it must be acknowledged that almost all forms of prostatectomy, even those that aim to spare the nerves (i.e. laparoscopic and robot-assisted prostatectomy), lead to erectile dysfunction, although to varying degrees (Zippe, Nandipati, Agarwal, & Raina, 2006). Identifying problems The identified problems are lack of knowledge about the option treatments, emotional distress anxiety about performance, dissatisfaction, impaired self esteem which affect personal relationships, lack of support and understanding from other significant, spousal dissatisfaction and quality of life affected (Aversa et al, 200

Disparities between races in the legal system Term Paper

Disparities between races in the legal system - Term Paper Example Targeting populations has gone so far as to include pregnant women who are drug addicted, effectively giving them no other recourse than to abort their children rather than risk jail time as services and efforts made post conception are not always considered when incarceration is considered by the legal system. The primary problem with this concept is that it appears to attack African American women over any other race, thus suggesting that the legal system is trying to encourage African American women to abort their children, rather than carrying them to term. The way in which the justice system has developed has encouraged and promoted a continuation of social problems rather than providing relief for those issues through racial profiling that diminishes the credibility of the system.Traffic Stops  Racial profiling is defined by Glover (2009) as â€Å"the use of racial and/or ethnic status as the determinant factor in decisions to stop motorists either in the absence of indicati ons of criminality or in determining who to enforce law against† (p. 11). There is a pervasive habit among law enforcement to stop drivers who appear to fall within the social groups of African American or of Hispanic descent for traffic violations, real or exaggerated, in order to investigate the nature of their business within a specified geographic location. A study done under the supervision of Dr. John Lamberth through Temple University in 1994 showed that the New Jersey police provided for an unfair.... that it appears to attack African American women over any other race, thus suggesting that the legal system is trying to encourage African American women to abort their children, rather than carrying them to term. The way in which the justice system has developed has encouraged and promoted a continuation of social problems rather than providing relief for those issues through racial profiling that diminishes the credibility of the system. Traffic Stops Racial profiling is defined by Glover (2009) as â€Å"the use of racial and/or ethnic status as the determinant factor in decisions to stop motorists either in the absence of indications of criminality or in determining who to enforce law against† (p. 11). There is a pervasive habit among law enforcement to stop drivers who appear to fall within the social groups of African American or of Hispanic descent for traffic violations, real or exaggerated, in order to investigate the nature of their business within a specified geograp hic location. A study done under the supervision of Dr. John Lamberth through Temple University in 1994 showed that the New Jersey police provided for an unfair percentage of traffic stops for people of non-Caucasian groupings. The study showed that â€Å"while African American drivers and Caucasian drivers committed roughly the same percentage of traffic violations, a startling statistic of 73.23% of the drivers stopped were African American drivers, while only 13.5% were of a different race† (Harris, 1999, 265) A Maryland lawsuit involved a defendant by the name of Robert Wilkins, a Harvard Law student, against the police department because he felt that when he was stopped by the police he and his family were unfairly processed and made to wait while drug sniffing drugs were brought to the scene

Memo to Passengers on Spree Cruise Lines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Memo to Passengers on Spree Cruise Lines - Essay Example It is unfortunate that with this situation, we also need to skip our Cancun destination altogether. We understand that this is an unhappy announcement for everyone. However, passenger safety and the ships integrity are our main concerns. Rest assured that we would make the necessary special arrangements for a differentiated level of experience during our short stay at Cozumel. Furthermore, our Cruise Director Ned would create some activities to make our travel fun, entertaining, and still worth its while. We are open to ideas and suggestions from everyone. We would also like to call everyones attention regarding some internet posts that some may have done during the past hours. We regret the worries that this incident may have caused you, but we also would request for everyone not to provide unnecessary worries to our loved ones who are waiting for us on land. We would like to minimize any issues this could cause everyone, and at the same time have the relaxation and fun that we expect from this trip. Our ship may be running slow, but let us not let this â€Å"slow us

Language Analysis of Film: Directive Illocutionary Acts

Language Analysis of Film: Directive Illocutionary Acts BY MORTEN TYLDUM ABSTRACT This assignment is entitled A study of Directive Illocutionary Acts in Passengers Movie Script by Morten Tyldum. It is aimed at describing forms and meanings of Jims utterances based on Vandervekens theory by using descriptive method. In the collecting data, I follows three stages. Those are data selection, data collection, and data classification. The selection stage was done by searching the movie script as the data source, the data collection covers collecting the data from Jims utterances in the movie script, and the data classification includes gathering Jims utterances which contain Directive Illocutionary Act. In analyzing the data, I follows several stages. They are: founding categorizing, describing, and qualifying the utterances found in the data. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Background of the Study Language is used as a means of communication where people use it as a tool to express their ideas and wishes. According to Ramelan (1991: 8), Language can help man to express his ideas and wishes to another such as when he needs some helps, so that close relationship among members of the group can be carried out. All human beings use language to interact with other members of the same speech community. It can be said that language plays an important role as a means of communication. According to Chaer Augustin (2004: 17), Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbol, sign or behavior. Therefore, language is an important tool in communication process: participant (at least two people or a group), topic (what is talking about), and means of communication (symbol, sign, etc.). Speech acts is the study of the meaning and the function of an utterance. The speech is used to clarify what the speaker does. Austin (1965: 108) in his book How to Do Things with Words, mention three types of speech acts; they are Locutionary Act, Illocutionary Act, and Perlocutionary Act. The Locutionary Act refers to the referential or factual meaning of the sentence: that is the literal meaning of the actual words. When we say,Im hungry, this utterance refers to the condition of the speaker which is hungry with no intention of ordering the hearer to give the speaker some food. The Illocutionary Act refers to the speakers intention in uttering the words (such as a request to close the door, or an offer of something). When we say, its very hot here, the speaker has some intention to order the hearer to open the window or to turn on the air conditioner. The Perlocutionary Act refers to the effect this utterance has on the thoughts or actions of the other person such as someone actually closing the door or helping them to the food. When we say, there is snake next to you! this sentence brings an effect to the hearer like screaming or running. This sentence has perlocutionary effect to the hearer. Movie script is a means of communication for an artist or a script writer to express their ideas. It can be in the form of written language. In spoken language, utterance makes the movie very clear. In addition, the utterance of speech act also describes or tells the viewers what the actors do in the movie. The object of this research is a movie entitled Passengers. I analyze this movie because in a movie I find out many Directive Illocutionary Acts in its script as well as to know the meaning of the utterance used in Illocutionary Act, because movie closer in daily conversation appeals of interview and talk show. 1.2 Statement of the Problem The problem of this study can be stated as follows: What the Directive Illocutionary Acts are found in the Passengers movie script? What are the meanings of the Illocutionary Acts the Passengers movie script? 1.3 Scope of the Study This study is focuses on the Illocutionary Act especially Directive Illocutionary Act in Jims utterances as the first character in the movie Passengers. In analyzing the Directive Illocutionary Act I use theory of Illocutionary Forces by Vanderveken. Objective of the Study The objectives of the study are: To identify Directive Illocutionary Acts in the Passengers movie script. To describe the meanings of utterance in Illocutionary Force found in the Passengers movie script.   CHAPTER II RESEARCH METHOD Research Design Based on the problem analysis, this research uses descriptive research because it is aimed to identify the kinds of speech, especially Directive Speech Act. According to Isaac and Michael (1987: 18), descriptive method is the method purpose is to describe systematically the facts and characteristics of a given population or area of interest, factually and accurately. About this kind of research, Mardalis (1989: 26) says that, descriptive research does not test a hypothesis or use a hypothesis; it merely describes information according to variables that are observed. By using descriptive method, this study identifies the kinds of Illocutionary Act focusing on Directive Speech Act and their functions. This study took the data from the movie script Passengers by Morten Tyldum. Unit of Analysis The unit of analysis of this study is all utterances in Passengers movie script. Source of Data I took the data from the movie script Passengers by Morten Tyldum as the source of the data. The data of this study were taken from the internet website www.dailyscript.com. Technique of Data Collection In the methodology of collecting the data, I used documentation method. Documentation method is looking for the data about things or variables which are in the form of notes, transcription, book, newspaper, magazine, leafs etc. (Arikunto, 2002: 206). I used the movie script to collect the data. In this research, I get the data through some phases. First, I search for the Passengers movie script in the internet. Second, I watch the Passengers movie to comprehend the utterances. Third, I collect the data from the movie script that contains Directive Speech Act. Finally, I select the speakers utterances that contain Directive Speech Act. Technique of Data Analysis The techniques of data analysis are as follows: Finding the Speakers utterances in the form of Directive Illocutionary Act. Categorizing the speakers utterances based on the function of Directive Illocutionary Act such as asking, requesting, begging, and commanding. Describing the meaning in the utterances of Passengers Movie Scripts. Qualifying the utterances that contain directive speech acts. CHAPTER III DATA ANALYSIS The Directive Illocutionary Acts in Jims Utterances There are 16 utterances containing Directive Illocutionary Acts. Those are Asking (6), Commanding (3), Suggesting (2), Requesting (2), Adjuring (1), Begging (1) Forbidding (1). The Directive Illocutionary Acts found in the Passengers Movie Script is presented in the following table: Table 3.1 No. Directive Illocutionary Amount Percentage (%) 1 Asking 6 37,5 % 2 Commanding 3 18,75% 3 Requesting 2 12, 5% 4 Suggesting 2 12,5% 5 Begging 1 6, 25% 6 Adjuring 1 6, 25% 7 Forbidding 1 3, 25% TOTAL 16 100% From the table above, it can be seen that Asking is the most often Directive Illocutionary Act used by Jim. Jim likes to ask someone who is related with his business for the sake of himself. The Meaning of Jims Utterances There are seven Directive Illocutionary Act used by Jim. The following sub chapter describe Directive Illocutionary Act what Jims meant by using those seventh. 3.2.1 Asking There are 6 Asking Directive Illocutionary Acts that are found in Jims utterances. Excerpt. 1 Speech event: Jane is waiting in the spacecratf, making no attempt to hide. Jim: Joost. Jane: Long time, mate. Jim: Hows Alice? Jane: Well, thanks. The Directive Illocutionary Act is asking and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) asks to the hearer (Jane) about condition. The mode of achievement of the utterance is that the hearer (Jane) can give the answer of the speakers (Jim) question. The propositional content of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) asks to the hearer (Jane) to answer the Alices condition as the answer of his question. The preparatory condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) believes that the hearer (Jane) can answer his question. The sincerity condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) really hopes that the hearer (Jane) can explain How Alice is condition now. The degree of strength of the utterance shows that the speakers (Jim) seriousness to get the explanation from the hearer (Jane). Excerpt. 2 Jim: Tim must be in college. Jane: Big kids, big problem you know. Jim: Companys doing well? Jane: Cant complain. Eleven wars on the continent, business is brisk. (Looks at him) Speech event: Heard you had a bit of trouble in the bush. The Directive Illocutionary Act is asking and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of Illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) asks the hearer (Jane) about something (the condition of company). The mode of achievement of the utterance is that the hearer (Jane) can give explanation to the speakers (Jim) question. The propositional content of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) asks the hearer (Jane) to explain their companys condition as the answer of his question. The preparatory condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) believes that the hearer (Jane) can answer his question. The sincerity condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) really asks and really hopes the hearer (Jane) to explain the condition of their company. The degree of strength of the utterance shows that Jim just needs the answer from Jane it shows Jims seriousness to get the explanation from Jane. Excerpt. 3 Speech event: When Jim talks with the bartender, suddenly Fawaz approaches him. He is a nervous wreck. Fawaz: Oh, my God, are you all right? Jim: Wheres the farmer? Fawaz: He found a job at a hotel. Spends all his time at the refugee offices. Not exactly the behavior of a man in possession of a priceless stone. The Directive Illocutionary Act is asking and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) asks to the hearer (Fawaz) about something (the existence of someone). The mode of achievement of the utterance is that the hearer (Fawaz) can give the answer of the speakers (Jim) question. The propositional content of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) asks to the hearer (Fawaz) to answer the existences of someone as the answer of his question. The preparatory condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) believes that the hearer (Fawaz) can answer his question. The sincerity condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) really hopes that the hearer (Fawaz) can explain where is the farmer now. The degree of strength of the utterance shows that the speakers (Jim) seriousness to get the explanation from the hearer (Fawaz). Excerpt. 4 Speech event: Jim lights a cigarette. Aurora appears and stands quietly beside him. Together they watch the distant explosions. Auora : I didnt actually hurt your feelings? Speech event: He takes a long drag. Exhales. Jim : How long you been in Africa? Auora : Four months. Before that Kosovo. The Directive Illocutionary Act is asking and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) asks to the hearer (Auora) about something (the time that she leaves). The mode of achievement of the utterance is that the hearer (Auora) can give the answer of the speakers (Jim) question. The propositional content of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) asks to the hearer (Auora) to answer the time that she leaves as the answer of his question. The preparatory condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) believes that the hearer (Auora) can answer his question. The sincerity condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) really hopes that the hearer (Auora) can answer how long she leaves in Africa. The degree of strength of the utterance shows that the speakers (Jim) seriousness to get the answer from the hearer (Auora). Excerpt. 5 Speech event: Auora is waiting as Jim walks back. Jim: How is he? Auora: They say hell live. The Directive Illocutionary Act is asking and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) asks to the hearer (Auora) about the condition. The mode of achievement of the utterance is that the hearer (Auora) can give the answer of the speakers (Jim) question. The propositional content of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) asks to the hearer (Auora) to answer the soldier condition as the answer of his question. The preparatory condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) believes that the hearer (Aurora) can answer his question. The sincerity condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) really hopes that the hearer (Aurora) can explain How is the soldier now. The degree of strength of the utterance shows that the speakers (Jim) seriousness to get the explanation from the hearer (Aurora). Excerpt. 6 Speech event: They have been walking for twelve hours. Jim has to sit. Jim: How much farther- -? Solomon: One day more. Speech event: He kneels before Jim. The Directive Illocutionary Act is asking and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) asks to the hearer (Solomon) about something (the time). The mode of achievement of the utterance is that the hearer (Solomon) can give the answer of the speakers (Jim) question. The propositional content of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) asks to the hearer (Solomon) to answer the time that he reached as the answer of his question. The preparatory condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) believes that the hearer (Solomon) can answer his question. The sincerity condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) really hopes that the hearer (Solomon) can answer how much farther the place that their reached. The degree of strength of the utterance shows that the speakers (Jim) seriousness to get the answer from the hearer (Solomon). 3.2.2 Commanding There are 3 Commanding Directive Illocutionary Acts that are found in Jims utterances and here is the analysis Excerpt. 7 Speech event: Three cut down trucks of Rebels SQUEAL into view and begin spraying everything with automatic weapons. Jim: Yes or no? Speech event: A whole life can change with a single syllable. Solomon: Yes. Speech event: A truck comes careening around the corner. Jim pushes Solomon as the wall behind them is stitched with bullets. Jim: Go. Go!! Speech event: They begin to run. The Directive Illocutionary Act is commanding and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) asks to the hearer (Solomon) to do something (to run). The mode of achievement of the utterance is shows that the hearer (Solomon) can give the respond to the speakers (Jim) wants. The propositional content of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) is commanding to the hearer (Solomon) for getting what he wants (to run). The preparatory condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) believes that the hearer (Solomon) can respond his command. The sincerity of condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) really hopes to the hearer (Solomon) can achieve his command. The degree of strength of the utterance is shows the speakers (Jim) seriousness to get respond from the hearer (Solomon). Excerpt. 8 Speech event: Jim seizes the moment sending an OPEN-HAND STRIKE to the throat of his would-be executioner, then grabbing the AK-47, and shooting him before ripping the gun out of his hands. Jim : STAY DOWN!! Speech event: Solomon remains flattened behind the tree stump, head down. The Directive Illocutionary Act is commanding and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) asks to the hearer (Solomon) to do something (to stay down). The mode of achievement of the utterance is shows that the hearer (Solomon) can give the respond to the speakers (Jim) wants. The propositional content of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) is commanding to the hearer (Solomon) for getting what he wants. The preparatory condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) believes that the hearer (Solomon) can respond his command. The sincerity of condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) really hopes to the hearer (Solomon) can achieve his command. The degree of strength of the utterance is shows the speakers (Jim) seriousness to get respond from the hearer (Solomon). Excerpt. 9 Speech event: Behind them, the jungle erupts with gunfire Solomon throws Dia to the ground. Jim takes cover four mercenaries are advancing. Jim Return Fire, hitting two. The others hit the ground. Jim : MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!!! Speech event: He shoves Solomon and Dia to their feet. The Directive Illocutionary Act is commanding and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) asks to the hearer (Solomon and Dia) to do something (to Move). The mode of achievement of the utterance is shows that the hearer (Solomon and Dia) can gives the respond to the speakers (Jim) wants (to move). The propositional content of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) is commanding to the hearer (Solomon and Dia) for getting what he wants. The preparatory condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) believes that the hearer (Solomon and Dia) can respond his command. The sincerity of condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) really hopes to the hearer (Solomon and Dia) can achieve his command. The degree of strength of the utterance is shows the speakers (Jim) seriousness to get respond from the hearer (Solomon and Dia). 3.2.3 Requesting There are 2 requesting Directive Illocutionary Acts that are found in Jims utterances and here are the analysis: Excerpt. 10 Speech event: Jim has already begun heading toward Aurora. She sees him coming and watches him walk toward her. They meet in the middle of a crowded dance floor. All around them, sweaty bodies are swaying to the African beat. Aurora : I supposed to kiss you or fuck you? I cant remember. Jim : How about you dance with me? Aurora : Should I ask what happened to your face? Speech event: He takes her hand and leads her into the surging crowd. Aurora : I guess not. Speech event: They dance as best they can in the crush. The Directive Illocutionary Act is requesting and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) request to the hearer (Aurora) to do something (to dance together). The mode of achievement of the utterance is that the hearer (Aurora) can gives the speaker (Jim) permission to dance. The propositional content of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) request to the hearer (Aurora) to dance together. The preparatory condition of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) believes that the hearer (Aurora) can meet his request. The sincerity condition of the utterance shows that Jim really hopes that Aurora wants to dance with him. The degree of strength of the utterance show Jims seriousness to asks for Auroras permission. Excerpt. 11 Speech event: Jim smiles Auora: Its a world phone, by the way. Jim: You should get on the plane. Aurora: So should you? Speech event: He smiles and turns away. Aurora: are you going to call me? Jim: soon as Im near a phone. Aurora: Yeah, right. The Directive Illocutionary Act is requesting and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) wants the hearer (Aurora) to do something. The mode of achievement of the utterance is that the hearer (Aurora) can give the speaker (Jim) wants. The propositional content of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) asks the hearer (Aurora) to get on the plane. The preparatory condition of the utterance is that Jim believes that Aurora can do his request. The sincerity condition of the utterance shows that Jim really hopes that Aurora will get on the plane. The degree of strength of the utterance shows Jim s seriousness to ask for Aurora to get on the plane. 3.2.4 Suggesting There are 2 Suggesting Directive Illocutionary Acts that are found in Jims utterances and here is the analysis: Excerpt. 12 Speech event: The troop leader takes out knife and cut into the stitches. The goat squeals a little and kicks angrily. From under the goats skin, he takes a dozen small, rough DIAMONDS. The troop leader draws his .45 on Jim. Troop Leader: You are under arrest for smuggling. Jim: Now you listen here, my man. I am a good friend of Minister Somora. He will not be pleased you have interfered with his business. Speech event: Clearly the name of Minister Samora carries some weight. Jim (contd): You know who I am, dont you? What I am? I dont think you want to mess with me. or my friends, eh? (changes his tack) How about I just look the other way and you pocket one or two of those stone. Buy something nice for the wife. Or maybe the mistress, eh? (Re the shepherds) Whos going to tell? Them? Speech event: The shepherds look, uncertain, from Jim to the Soldier. Troop Leader: No. The Directive Illocutionary Act is suggesting and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) suggest to the hearer (Troop Leader) to do something (to do suggestion). The mode of achievement of the utterance is shows that the speaker (Jim) gives the option to refuse or receive to the hearer (Troop Leader) can not achieve the speakers (Jim) wants. The propositional content of the utterance is that the happiness acts to the hearer (Troop Leader). The speakers (Jim) suggest the hearer to pocket the stone and buy something nice for his wife. The preparatory condition of the utterance is shows that the speaker (Jim) believes that the hearer (Troop Leader) can achieve his request. The sincerity of condition of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) really hopes to the hearer (Troop Leader) can achieve his request. The degree of strength of the utterance is shows the speakers (Jim) seriousness to the hearer (Troop Leader) in order to receive his suggestion. Excerpt. 13 Speech event: Jim and Aurora has been talked about himself. Aurora : Somehow I dont take you as the UNICEF type. Speech event: Jim just smiles. Aurora (contd): I was going to say soldier-of- fortune but its such a clichà ©. Jim: How about hired gun. People seem to like that one. Aurora: Diamonds? Jim: what if I told you I was a missionary. Aurora: (Laugh) For Dewente? Jim: Its not just rude to ask those kinds of questions, Ms. Bowen, its also dangerous. Aurora: Ill take my chances.(leans closer) Sotell me about blood diamonds. Speech event: And then, suddenly, Jim gets it. His face turns to stone. The Directive Illocutionary Act is suggesting and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) suggest to the hearer (Aurora) about something. The mode of achievement of the utterance is shows that the speaker (Jim) gives the option to refuse or receive to the hearer (Aurora) can not achieve the speakers (Jim) wants. The propositional content of the utterance shows that the speakers (Jim) suggest the hearer (Aurora) to doing what he wants. The preparatory condition of the utterance is shows that the speaker (Jim) believes that the hearer (Aurora) can achieve his request. The sincerity of condition of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) really hopes to the hearer (Aurora) can achieve his request. The degree of strength of the utterance is shows the speakers (Jim) seriousness to the hearer (Aurora) in order to receive his suggestion. 3.2.5 Begging There are 1 Begging Directive Illocutionary Acts that are found in Jims utterances and here is the analysis: Excerpt. 14 Speech event: Looks over at Solomon who has his arm protectively around Dia. The boy looks like the same innocent child he once was. Jim: Take your boy home. Speech event: Solomon looks back at him, tears in his eyes. He nods. In deep and simple gratitude. Jim nods back. Then Jim: Help me. Speech event: He struggles to pick up the machine gun. Solomon puts it into his hands. Jim: Put the strapover my shoulder. Speech event: Solomon helps secure it in place. The Directive Illocutionary Act is Begging and the meanings of the utterance are: The point of illocution of the utterance is that the speaker (Jim) begs the hearer (Solomon) to do something (to take his boy). The mode of achievement of the utterance is shows that the speaker (Jim) wants the hearer (Solomon) to take his boy home. The propositional content of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) is begging to the hearer (Solomon) for getting what he wants. The preparatory condition of the utterance is shows that the speaker (Jim) is begging to the hearer (Solomon) as the effect of his need. The sincerity condition of the utterance shows that the speaker (Jim) is sincere in begging to the hearer (Solomon) because the speaker (Jim) really wants something to the hearer. The degree of strength of the utterance is increasing the speaker (Jim) shows that he really means it in begging to the hearer. 3.2.6 Adjuring There are 1 Adjuring Directive Illocutionary Acts that are found in Jims utterances and here is the analysis: Excerpt. 15 Speech event: The sound of gunfire ECOMOG troops have seen something in the tree-line and have begun exchanging fire. Jim : Hurry it up, folks! Unless you want to end up the same way! Speech event: Solomon cant move, just stares at the boy and mother. The Directive Illocutionary Act is Adjuring and the meanings of the utte Development of the Christian Personality: Theories Development of the Christian Personality: Theories Christian Personality Development: From the Womb to the Tomb Michelle L. Stelly Abstract Research done using various peer-reviewed journal articles, a theory of personality based on Christianity is proposed. Research has shown that all development, including personality, is influenced even prior to conception based on how the future mother takes care of herself prior to implantation. It is necessary for expectant mothers to keep their stress, anxiety and depression at a minimum not just for their own health but the future mental health of their unborn child. It is the parent(s) duty to nurture all facets of the child all the way through adolescence, as prescribed by the Bible. Physical health is equally as important to personality development as mental healthcare. People have times in life when they have an apparent shift in their personality and this is all a part of development. Many have speculated about why one person grew up to one way while another became another. Empirical studies of moral personality development will be continuous to show how using an integrative structure for examining personality can readily unite Christianity and psychology. Keywords: development, infant, mother, Bible, parents Christian Personality Development: From the Womb to the Tomb Personality develops over an entire lifespan and when done according to God’s plan life is much more enjoyable. Canonical correlation analysis showed that â€Å"more religious individuals are healthier in general, which might be supported at least circumstantially by the results reported here. It makes good sense that if people have both a spiritual and a natural essence that these dimensions would be interactive† (Simpson, Newman Fuqua, 2007). Integrating psychology with biblical studies, much like done at Liberty University, will provide guidance of God’s people according to His Word in developing healthy personalities. Foundations of Personality According to Feist, Feist, and Roberts (2013), there are differing definitions of personality and each is dependent upon the theorist’s part of the world, religious experiences, and many from their time as psychotherapists (pp. 3-4). In general, personality can be defined as â€Å"a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior (Roberts Mroczek, 2008)† (Feist, Feist Roberts, 2013, p. 4). In a few ways we are all the same. We all have the same personal inclinations and share a basic nature of being. We all have physical bodies and personalities and we all have thoughts and feelings. Personality is made up of various traits and each arrangement is unalike for every individual. It comes from within the person and usually remains unchanged throughout life. Nature versus Nurture Nature and nurture are both important but not interchangeable. Biology plays a huge role in personality development. Nature is the first influence on personality development as it begins in a person’s DNA. Nurture takes place after birth and is impacted by a person’s environment. Hans J. Eysenck noted three findings as evidence that personality is 75% hereditary and 25% a result of environmental influences (Feist, Feist Roberts, 2013, p. 411). Eysenck noted that research done by Robert R. McCrae and Juri Allik regarding â€Å"the five-factor model of personality across cultures† done in 2002 showed nearly identical personality traits among persons in difference parts of the world such as Uganda, Russia, and Japan (Feist, Feist Roberts, 2013, p. 411). Another piece of evidence from Eysenck’s own 1990 study that showed a â€Å"higher concordance between identical twins than between same-gender fraternal twins reared together† which suggests that heredity plays a dominant role in determining personality differences (Feist, Feist Roberts, 2013, p. 411). Personality develops from birth on. There are certain aspects of human behavior that come from human nature. Humans have natural instincts to find nutritional sustenance, seek out love and affection, and ask for help with the things they cannot do for themselves. From birth until the beginning of school age, which varies from child to child but is usually around age four or five, caretakers may notice certain behavioral traits which may mimic a personality type but essentially no permanent type has yet been established. Starting around age five until around age eleven people begin to develop the dominant personality traits begin to form and it becomes apparent as to how the child learns, such as if they are auditory or visual learners and if they work well in groups on solitary. From around age twelve or thirteen, when they are entering adolescence, traits that support the dominant feature begin to appear: how they make decisions, what they value in life, and their perception of things. Starting around age twenty, adults start to learn how their personality traits fit in with the rest of the world. This becomes very apparent when peers become coworkers rather than fellow students. For some people, sometime between the ages of 35 and 50, people may hit what is called a â€Å"mid-life crisis† because they begin to see facets of their life that they did not develop and feel a strong desire to satisfy these. After around age 50, the personality is more disciplined that those of younger stages and this is usually due to life experiences. The Unconscious. Carl Jung stated â€Å"There are certain events of which we have not consciously taken note; they have remained, so to speak, below the threshold of conscious. They have happened, but they have been absorbed subliminally† (Mlodinow, 2012, p.5). Influences that we are not consciously cognizant of influence our actions. Dream content has been shown to be a reflection of people’s view on religion. Disagreeing with the normal thought that Christianity and science â€Å"inevitably conflict with each other, dreaming offers an area of potential religion–science convergence† (Bulkeley, 2009). View of Self. â€Å"Different aspects of the self emerge in different periods of the lifespan† (Klimstra, 2012). However, once new aspects of the self emerge, existing aspects do not finish growing. Therefore, it is important to consider several aspects of the self. Neuroscientists have performed studies using human brain mapping and have concluded that â€Å"People who endorse individualistic cultural values showed greater MPFC [medial prefrontal cortex] activation to general self-descriptions, whereas people who endorse collectivistic cultural values showed greater MPFC activation to contextual self-descriptions† (Chiao, Harada, Komeda, Li, Mano, Saito, Parrish, Sadato, Iidaka 2009). Personality types. The personality can be assessed using the Myers-Brigs Personality Type Indicator (based on the theories of Carl Jung). According to this instrument, there sixteen personality types made up of four criteria. (E)xtraversion versus (I)ntraverson give a clue of if the person is focused on the outside world or only their inner circles. How they process information by either by way of the five senses (S)ensing or if they look for patterns ntuition. People make decisions by either (T)hinking or by (F)eeling. Finally, the test also measures how people prefer to live in the outside world, structured which is called (J)udging or more flexible, (P)erceiving. An example of personality type would be INFJ who is described as Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision (Briggs-Myers, 2013). Progression of Personality Although more research is needed, there has been a link found between depressive as well as anxiety disorders in the mother prior to conception and the onset of depressive disorders and more severe anxiety disorders (Martini, et al., 2013). Progression is expected to flow in a basic manner, beginning in infancy, and personality development progresses based on modeling of caregiver’s examples. By the time the person reaches school age, people begin to progress to the next stage of internalizing all they absorbed in early childhood. Progression to maturity is exhibited by awareness of not only the self but of others and how the two work together. Life has progresses to a deeper meaning. Once a person reaches the last stage of personality progression, development slows down and people become more passive. Dementia is something people fear because it represents personality changes, even at a mild stage, and this change is intimidating, especially to the elderly experiencing it. Motivation People are striving to accomplish self efficacy as a result of their behavior. They decide what they should strive for based upon what will allow for them to satisfy their basic needs for love and acceptance and this can often be caused by how they are taught to internalize as well as environmental factors such as a desire to move out of an impoverished neighborhood. A person is motivated by desiring a sense of security and a lack of pain. â€Å"Motivation at work is not always conditioned by external environment. However, it is more governed by internal worldones own orientation† (Sengupta, 2011). Classroom activity has been shown to have an impact on motivation as well. Students are motivated either by making the best grades possible or doing enough just to not fail. Self-motivation is probably the strongest form of motivation and this is seen in school aged children. People are motivated by control and whether they realize it or not by challenges. Curiosity is a huge motivator as well. Maturation. Maturity happens primarily in adolescence when a child develops a sense of self separate from their parental unit. There are differences between genders as to when this happens and overall girls mature earlier than boys (Klimstra, Hale, III, Raajimakers, Branje Meeus, 2009). Brain mapping had proven useful in this as well. â€Å"Early prefrontal cortex damage has been associated with developmental deficits in social adaptation, moral behavior, and empathy that alter the maturation of social cognition and social emotions† (Eslinger, Robinson-Long, Realmuto, Moll, deOlivera-Souza, Tovar-Moll, Wang, Yang, 2009). Situations that were ambiguously moral activated considerably more prefrontal lobe activity than did routine moral situations, suggesting the biological nature of personality maturation. The frontal polar stimulation does not change with age and the findings further endorse a substantial role for the medial prefrontal cortex in maturation of the moral decision making process. Personality develops greater maturity as the person ages but self-distinction decreases with age. Biblical Integration Many psychological viewpoints say that man cannot change his personality makeup because it is inbred through evolution. Christians know that personality can change because when they become saved they become a new being. The Holy Spirit is able to defy science and creates a Christian personality that exudes holiness, peace, and happiness. Christians have an advantage in personality development because when they see something not progressing to their liking, they can go to the scriptures to learn to deal with their sinfulness. While the Biblical canon does not go precisely into how each family unit is handled, it does give basic rules that empower one to discover what God expects of his followers. One such rule is prescribed in Luke 2:51, â€Å"And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart† (King James Version). The guideline in this section shows that folks are given the power to coordinate, guide, and instruct and their kids by God. If Jesus allowed himself to be guided and heeded the words of his earthly mother and father, then children today need to allow theirs to do the same because this is to be as He was, and that is what people should strive for. There is the issue of original sin where the sin of Adam and Even is passed on to even the current generation as their offspring. Before the person accepts Jesus Christ as their savior, it is much easier to fall into this sinful nature. Once salvation is received, there is no excuse because the person was to have changed. This affects personality because it creates the trait of hypocrisy. While people are still flesh and blood and cannot be perfect, the Bible gives a clear example of a model for personality development: Jesus Christ. It is crucial that parents involve their children in activities that glorify God. Youth have the right to need sensible direction from their parent(s) and that unit is called upon to nurture their kids. That is, to have their backs, to raise them correctly, in the chastening and admonition of the Lord as stated in Ephesians 6:4 (American Standard Version). That is to mean that parents are be imitators of God in the reprimanding or guidance given to children. It is rebuking or disciplining based upon affection and care that forms the personality once the child is out of the womb. Before then, a parent must keep the word close to them to bless the family unit even before it is conceptualized. Conclusion Personality development starts with the mother. Her mental state before and during her pregnancy and create certain personality traits within her child. Once the child is born, it is the parents God given right and duty to nurture that child in a way that is fitting to God’s path. The home situation, the parental interaction as well as the relationship the child has with the family’s church plays a role in the nurture portion of personality while the traits one picks up during personality development and self-actualization becomes their nature. When a child reaches school age they begin to separate themselves with their parents in that they develop their own identity. It is important that they still have a strong relationship with God because He is the only one that can keep an eye on them all day, every day. When a person reaches the age to move out of their family home and embark on life’s adventures, they are still developing. They are learning just how strong their legs are for them to stand on. It is important for parents not to pick them up every time the fall so that they learn to rely on Jesus. Even until death, the human personality is still evolving. People become more set in their ways as they get older and often grow to dislike the youth and the world around them. The only time the personality stops growing is when the person becomes a nonbeing, be it through disability, coma, or death. Only with such a sturdy footing can buoy the load of the weight of personality development. Without the Bible as a foundation, the edifice would simply breakdown. Through it all, it is imperative there is a strong foundation based on God’s principles. References Briggs-Myers, I. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.asp Bulkeley, K. (2009). The religious content of dreams: A new scientific foundation. Pastoral Psychology, 58(2), 93-106. doi: 10.1007/s11089-008-0180-8 Chiao, J. Y., Harada, T., Komeda, H., Li, Z., Mano, Y., Saito, D., Parrish, T. B., Sadato, N., Iidaka, T. (2009). Neural basis of individualistic and collectivistic views of self. Human Brain Mapping, 30(9), 2813-2820. doi: 10.1002/hbm.20707 Eslinger, P., Robinson-Long, M., Realmuto, J., Moll, J., deOliveira-Souza, R., Tovar-Moll, F., Wang, J., Yang, Q. (2009). Developmental frontal lobe imaging in moral judgment: Arthur Bentons enduring influence 60 years later. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 31(2), 158-169. doi:10.1080/13803390802298064 Feist, J., Feist, G. J., Roberts, T. (2013). Theories of personality. (8 ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Klimstra, T. A., Hale, III, W. W., Raajimakers, Q. A. W., Branje, S. J. T., Meeus, W. H. J. (2009). Maturation of personality in adolescence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(4), 898-912. doi: 10.1037/a0014746 Klimstra, T. (2013). Adolescent Personality Development and Identity Formation. Child Development Perspectives, 7(2), 80-84.doi:10.1111/cdep.2013.7.issue-2 Martini, J., Wittich, J., Petzoldt, J., Winkel, S., Einsle, F., Siegert, J., Hofler, M., Beesdo-Baum, K., Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich. (2013). Maternal anxiety disorders prior to conception, psychopathology during pregnancy and early infants’ development: a prospective-longitudinal study. Archives of Women, 16(6), 549-560. doi: 10.1007/s00737-013-0376-5 Mlodinow, L. (2012). Subliminal: How your unconscious mind rules your behavior. (p. 5). New York, NY: Random House, Inc. Simpson, D. B., Newman, J. L., Fuqua, D. R. (2007). Spirituality and personality: Accumulating evidence. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 26(1), 33-44. Retrieved from http://p2048-www.liberty.edu.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/237251151?accountid=12085 Sengupta, S. S. (2011). Growth in human motivation: beyond Maslow. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations. , 41(1), 102. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ps/i.do?id=GALE|A349721391v=2.1u=vic_libertyit=rp=AONEsw=wasid=f413eec1040eb2a4fb3beb04b1bf01a5

Huck Finn - Life on the raft vs land Essay -- essays research papers

In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, Huck lives in two different settings. One of the settings is on land with the widow and with his father and the other is on the river with Jim. There are many differences of living on land as opposed to living on the Mississippi River. On land, Huck has more rules to live by and he has to watch himself so as not to upset the widow or his father. On the river, Huck didn't have to worry about anything except people finding Jim. He also had to worry about the king and the duke for a while. Even thought there are many differences of the two living styles, there are also some similarities. Life on land was filled with many difficulties. There were many rules that Huck had to follow set by both the widow and his father. The widow’s main goal was to â€Å"civilize† Huck into a member of society. She expected Huck to go to school, wear clean clothes, sleep in his bed, and go to church. She just wanted him to be like a normal child of his age. Even though Huck bends the rules a bit and tries to sneak a smoke here and there, he eventually grows to like living under the widow’s protection. He proves this point when he says, "Living in a house, and sleeping in a bed, pulled on me pretty tight, mostly, but before the cold weather I used to slide out and sleep in the woods, sometimes, and so that was a rest to me. I liked the old ways best, but I was getting so I liked the new ones, too, a littl...

Becoming an Effective Leader Essay

Learner name: Section 1: Understand own ability to fulfil key responsibilities of the leadership role. An evaluation of my own ability to use a range of leadership styles, in different situations and with different types of people, to fulfil the leadership role. There are in essence, four core leadership theory groups [1], which are: Trait theories, Behavioural theories, Contingency theories and Power and influence theories. Look more:  define research objectives essay I strongly believe that a leader must be adaptable to the situation and therefore prefer the Contingency theories. I shall therefore use two contingency theories to illustrate my ability to fulfil key responsibilities of my leadership role. I will use two contingency theories in my illustration. Hersey and Blanchard model The Hersey and Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory was created by Dr Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in the mid-70’s. The fundamental basis of this theory is that there is no single ‘best’ leadership style and effective leaders have to adapt their styles depending upon the maturity level of delegates. So essentially the model rests on two fundamental concepts; leadership styles and the groups or individuals maturity level [2] . Hersey and Blanchard defines four Leadership Styles [3]: Telling (S1) – where the leader directs people what to do and how to do it. Selling (S2) – where the leader provides information and direction, selling the message to get people on board, and providing support. Participating (S3) – where the leader works with the team, sharing the decision making and responsibilities. Focus is more on relationship and less on direction. Delegating (S4) – where the leader passes most of the responsibility for a task onto the individual or group, only monitoring progress. S1 requires the most effort on the part of the leader which reduces through S2 and S3 to S4,  which requires the least effort. Style S4 therefore would enable the leader to deliver more for the same effort. However effectiveness of the individual or team will depend on their Maturity Level. Hersey and Blanchard also define four Maturity Levels: M1 – where people lack knowledge, skill or confidence to work independently, and require direction and prompts to progress the task. M2 – where people are willing to deliver but still lack the requisite skills for effective delivery of the task. M3 – where people are willing to deliver and have reasonable skill level but still require confidence to deliver effectively. M4 – where people have high skill and confidence levels and are able to work independently and are committed for successful delivery. The model maps each style to the appropriate maturity level. So a leader should identify the maturity level of his reports and use the most appropriate style to ensure most effective delivery of the task. The leader needs to provide a detailed level of direction and regular intervention to less mature team to compensate for the lower skill, motivation and confidence levels. In time the team will improve and will become a less burdensome leadership style. Accordingly, this model is suitable for developing a static team in the longer term. New members into the team will have to be assimilated in a planned way and there needs to be careful succession planning to ensure the maturity level of the team does not deteriorate. Adair’s Action Centred Leadership Model Adair’s theories encompass motivation theories by Maslow, Herzberg and Fayol and he was probably the first to demonstrate that leadership is a trainable, transferable skill, rather than it being an exclusively inborn ability. The model developed by John Adair in the 60’s and 70’s suggests [4] that a leader must: Achieve the task Develop the team, and Develop the individual The three elements are mutually dependant but are separately essential for an effective leadership role. He also defines certain key functions of a leader: Planning- information gathering, scope definition, objective setting Initiation- briefing, allocation, quality management Controlling – quality control, monitor progress, decision-making Supporting – individuals, team, encouragement Informing – communication, feedback Evaluating – assessment In many ways the Adair model is very similar to the Hersey and Blanchard model, particularly the emphasis on developing individuals and team. However the key focus is on the task, rather than developing the team per se. For this reason this model is particularly suited to a non-static team where teams are constructed for specific projects, rather than assigning the project to an existing team. Own ability to use the styles – Hersey-Blanchard model In 2004, I was requested by my then Head of Service to take on a severely broken team due to some significant issues. The team of six was responsible for managing and delivering the work of nearly 100 part time front line staff. It was headed by a senior team leader who had been in post for around 30 years and had moulded the team to her personal style. Anyone challenging the authority of the team leader was bullied mercilessly until they became compliant or simply left. The bullying even extended to life outside work. As a result of the approach, there was high turnover of staff and there was very little initiative amongst the remaining staff. Individuals were initially reported as being highly competent but later were blamed for things going wrong, shortly before they left. The team was very tightly knit and generally appeared supportive of the team leader. However the lack of initiative resulted in a team that would be classed as having maturity level M1 in the Hersey-Blanchard model and therefore resulted in the team leader having to deliver every task with a significant level of personal effort. Things came to a head when five staff left in quick succession, reporting similar issues in the newly introduced exit interviews. I was therefore asked to lead the team and make necessary improvements. Very quickly, I made an assessment of the maturity level of the team and came to the conclusion that the team required a great deal of direction to ensure tasks are delivered. I therefore took the decision to  move my desk to be amongst the failing team to enable me to direct the team more effectively. I would also be able to prevent any bullying and be able to penetrate the ‘closed shop’ of the team. The impact of this action was almost immediate as the team leader refused to cooperate and then went on sick leave when I insisted that she worked with me. With support from the other teams, I was able to support and reassure the dysfunctional team to improve their skill, competence and confidence levels. The task was made difficult by the fact that I had little technical expertise in the area. However, as I gained confidence of the existing staff, I was able to improve service delivery and the absent team leader realised that she was becoming less necessary. She returned and agreed to support me but I discovered attempts to undermine me and observed continued evidence of bullying. I therefore suspended her and commenced investigations by an independent solicitor. During the period of the investigations, I assessed that the team had moved from Hersey-Blanchards M1 maturity level to M2 maturity level. As a result, my life became easier and I was able to start implementing the structural changes that were necessary to improve performance. The investigations took about a year and resulted in dismissal of the original team leader as evidenc e of her actions became clear. The team slowly improved as each team member was empowered to carry out the tasks. The biggest impact was on recruitment and retention in that team, and also in the front line staff managed by them. Previously, we carried a vacancy rate of 35%, which all but disappeared and recruitment drives became oversubscribed. We were able to extend the scope of project delivery and increase targets, partly as a result of the reduced vacancy rate but also due to increased efficiency. By year 4, we were delivering almost four times the projects we used to with virtually the same establishment (albeit without a significant vacancy rate). We were by then identified as national leaders in that particular field and won several prestigious awards. I achieved the above by utilising Hersey-Blanchard model and investing a lot of personal effort and energy into the plan that I developed. To be clear, I did have a great deal of support from my superiors and other teams, but there was a lot of hard work. However, it was also a good development opportunity for me and very rewarding due to the reaction from my staff. Given the outcome described above I consider that I have successfully used  the Hersey and Blanchard model to fulfil the leadership role in managing and developing the team and therefore conclude that I have the ability to use this model in a constructive and appropriate way. Own ability to use the styles – Adair’s Action Centred model In 2010, I was asked to work on a  £133million project to build a new bridge over the River Wear. I worked with the Project Director to design the delivery team. There was three distinct phases to the project: 1. Developing the Business case/Funding 2. Detailed design 3. Construction The project was to be delivered by consultants embedded into the team, constituency of which would vary for the three phases. By necessity, we used the Adair’s model i.e. using a task-centric approach. As the Contracts Manager, my responsibility was to deliver the contract documents, manage the design phase and create a team for the construction phase. I planned how the work would be delivered, defining the scope and setting objectives for each workstream. The Consultants, based internationally delivered the scope to my specification and ensured all parties were aware if exactly what was required. I implemented a quality management system to ensure work was of adequate quality and held weekly meetings through teleconference to check on progress. Critical path analysis of the programme was of significant importance in ensuring delivery was on track. To ensure good communications, I chaired a monthly face-to-face meeting with key staff from all four Consultants when we were able to review and assess the work delivery. I also reassigned members of the team to other tasks for the construction phase to fully exploit the developed team and planned the expansion very carefully so as not to compromise the team dynamics. Unfortunately funding for the project was discontinued and I left for other roles before completion. The contract documents were produced aznd the detailed design was almost 85% complete however. I consider that the above demonstrates that I have successfully used Adairs Action Centred Model given that I have actively planned, initiated, controlled, supported, informed and to a great extent, evaluated tasks produced by the team. Although the project was not delivered due to a funding gap, the output nevertheless demonstrates my ability to use this model to fulfil the leadership role. As  a result of the foregoing, I am able to conclude that I have a developed ability to use a range of leadership styles to fulfil the leadership role. Use theories of emotional intelligence to review the effect of emotions on own and others’ performance. The theories of emotional intelligence that I will use for this task are Goleman [5] and Mayer and Salovey [6]. Mayer and Salovey Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer developed what is widely recognised as the first formal theory of emotional intelligence and carried out a detailed a review of then-existing literature on the subject in a paper published in 1990. They define Emotional Intelligence (EI) as â€Å"The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and to regulate emotions to promote personal growth.† They view emotions as sources of information to help one to understand and navigate the social environment to achieve performance improvement and conclude that individuals vary in their ability to process emotional information and how they relate emotional information to intelligence. They see certain adaptive behaviours amongst some people as evidence for the existence of this ability. The model claims that EI includes four types of abilities: The ability to perceive emotions – in faces, pictures and voices, including the ability to identify one†™s own emotions. Salovey and Mayer see this as a basic aspect of EI as it enables one to process all other EI information. The ability to use emotions – to facilitate other cognitive abilities, such as problem solving and thinking. The best EI person would be able to use this ability to enhance their performance in other cognitive tasks. The ability to understand emotions – this includes the ability to be sensitive to slight variations in emotions of self and others and also the ability to understand how emotions evolve over time. The ability to manage emotions – to regulate own emotion and that of others. Harnessing both positive and negative emotions and managing them to achieve the goals. Salovey and Mayer later collaborated with Caruso to develop [7] the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) based on a series of emotion-based problem-solving items. The model claims that EI is a type of intelligence, and is similar to the ability-based IQ tests. By testing a person’s abilities on each of the four branches of  emotional intelligence, it generates scores for each of the branches as well as a total score. Because EI requires individuals to be in tune with social norms, the MSCEIT is scored in a consensus fashion, with higher scores indicating higher overlap between one’s answers and those provided by the control sample. The MSCEIT can also be expert-scored, so that the amount of overlap is calculated between one’s answers and those provided by a group of emotion researchers. Although promoted as an ability test, the MSCEIT is unlike standard IQ tests in that its items do not have objectively correct responses. Among other challenges, the consensus scoring criterion means that it is impossible to create questions that only a minority of respondents can solve, because, by definition, responses are deemed emotionally â€Å"intelligent† only if the majority of the sample has endorsed them. Also this is likely to then lead to stereotyping and cultural bias. Organisations using them could therefore be at risk of being in breach of equalities legislation, albeit unintentionally or indirectly. The model has therefore been criticised for lacking predictability and there has been questions whether EI is really a genuine intelligence factor. In a study by Fà ¸llesdal [8] , the MSCEIT test results of 111 business leaders were compared with how their employees described their leader. It was found that there were no correlation between the test results and how the leader was rated by the employees, with regard to empathy, ability to motivate, and leader effectiveness. Goleman Goleman discusses Emotional Quotient (EQ) and sets out two key aspects of intelligence as having the ability to understand self (goals, intentions, responses, behaviour) and the ability to understand others and their feelings. He identifies five ‘domains’ of EQ, which are: Knowing own emotions. Managing own emotions. Motivating self. Recognising and understanding other people’s emotions. Managing relationships, i.e., managing the emotions of others. By developing our own Emotional Intelligence in these five EQ domains, we can become more effective at what we do, and achieve the best from our reports. This would  also reduce stress, by decreasing conflict, improving relationships and understanding, and help in succession planning. Goleman sets out the framework within which to EI competence could be improved and identifies two areas where this is to be achieved; personal and social competencies. Goleman and Cherniss have jointly produced a paper [11] for The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations identifying 22 guidelines which represent the best current knowledge relating to the promotion of EQ in the workplace, summarised as: Paving the way assess the organization’s needs assessing the individual delivering assessments with care maximising learning choice encouraging participation linking goals and personal values adjusting individual expectations assessing readiness and motivation for EQ development Doing the work of change foster relationships between EQ trainers and learners self-directed change and learning setting goals breaking goals down into achievable steps providing opportunities for practice give feedback using experiential methods build in support use models and examples encourage insight and self-awareness Encourage transfer and maintenance of change (sustainable change) encourage application of new learning in jobs develop organizational culture that supports learning Evaluating the change – did it work? evaluate individual and organizational effect Cary Cherniss expands on this [12] and sets out the research demonstrating that someone’s ability to perceive, identify, and manage emotion provides the basis for the kinds of social and emotional competencies that are important for success in almost any job. Furthermore, as the pace of change increases and pressures on existing resources makes ever greater demands from us, this particular set of abilities will become increasingly important. Leaders therefore need to use emotional intelligence to improve both productivity and well-being of our staff. The criticism and research indicating EI not to be a ‘proper’ intelligence mainly relate to objectivity of the premise, inability to use it as a predictive tool and its use as selection criteria. EI nevertheless remains a very useful tool in the armoury of a leader in order to motivate and achieve better outcomes for tasks. Care however needs to be taken to ensure cultural differences are considered when using techniques identified in the EI models. Effect of Emotion on Performance I have had experience of an individual; Richard, who was unable to manage his own emotions, as described by Mayer and Salovey. He would perform quite adequately under most circumstances; however if some of the technical work he was carrying out was contrary to his view, he would slowly build up resentment. For example I used to assign him tasks to investigate and implement accident reduction measures. He would suggest some solution, and if I decided not to take his advice and required him to implement a different solution, his output would reduce and he would take almost twice as long to deliver the desired outcome. Over time, this resentment would build up until he reacted with a disproportionate level of anger to some instruction, manifesting as shouting in an open office and walking off in a huff. I have had discussions with him about this approach during his ‘calm’ periods and he described a ‘red mist’ descending that he was unable to control. Mayer and Salovey’s theory helped me understand that Richard did not have the ability to use, understand or manage his own emotions and this had a devastating impact on his performance, not only for the instances when he disagreed with any decision that did not accord with his own, but also because others around him felt he was somewhat ‘unstable’ and were wary of working with him. Which also had significant adverse impact on Richards performance, acting like a vicious cycle where the more he failed to deliver adequately, the more he received criticism and pressure which in turn  affected him emotionally and reduced his output. Improving his performance was a very difficult preposition and I sought help of HR and arranged counselling and support. However I never did feel that Richard was performing to his full potential for the period I managed him, although there was some improvement. This was a clear example of how performance can be adversely affected by a fa ilure to manage ones emotions as described by Meyer and Salovey. I understand that my own performance is also significantly affected by my own emotions. I have on occasion felt annoyed or even angry due to some action or inaction by colleagues. Conversely, I have often felt compelled to go the extra mile to deliver excellence for a colleague or Manager who gives me praise in the correct manner. Golemans framework has helped me to appreciate that emotions can have both a positive and negative impact on performance and that EI can be used to improve performance. Upon reflection on occasions that I have become annoyed, I have come to realise that there has inevitable been a negative impact on my performance, either due to lack of enthusiasm to perform or as a result of lack of cooperation from others who might had noticed my annoyance. For example within the last few months, I was severely criticised for failing to grasp the nettle with respect to managing my revenue budget by a superior officer. His approach was pre-planned and was clearly bullying behaviour. He did not assess the situation adequately, jumping to inappropriate conclusion about my ability, based on a preconceived view about what the cause of the problem was, when the problem was really a systemic problem with the way we allocate incurred costs to projects. The problem had been ongoing since 2004 when a new financial system was implemented with inadequate verification, resulting in greater and greater errors. His solution, which had been implemented in previous years had the effect of masking the issue period on period and still caused chaos at financial year end with apparent losses having to be covered by other parts of the business The superior officer seemed to think I should have been able to resolve the issue within one month, as he had done previously and sprung a surprise verbal mauling of me in the presence of one of our more senior finance officers, for effect and to demonstrate his superiority over me. Whilst I had an action plan to identify the error before I even considered a solution, I needed several periods of financial data to work on. My guiding  principle had been that if we continue the same way, we should expect the same outcome. This clearly rankled with the superior officer as the ‘way’ that I was abandoning was actually devised by him. The verbal mauling however had a profound effect on me, due to my emotional reaction. I felt unable to trust my superior and reduced my output down to almost nil for a short period. I also chose to avoid contact with my superior as I did not like being abused. I lost all enthusiasm and motivation. It was a discussion with the senior finance officer and au understanding of Golemans theory that helped me pull myself out of this stupor and refocus my emotions to achieve balance. I therefore try to actively use Goleman’s framework to manage my own emotions to minimise the negative impact of inappropriate emotions. I am also starting to manage my own emotions to tap into the performance enhancing effect that positive emotions can have. Using the framework of planning, changing, maintaining and evaluating my emotional reaction to various external factors and turning it into a positive force will continue to take conscious effort on my part but I am certain over time this will become second nature to me and help improve my performance significantly. In summary, my experience has demonstrated clearly that emotions generally has significant effect on performance, either for the better or for worse, and the theories detailed above can help in understanding and managing this. With practice, these theories can help me tap into the beneficial potential of EI for myself and my reports. Review own ability to set direction and communicate this to others In order to set direction and communicate this effectively, I follow a four step process, to clarify exactly what is desired, to understand the needs and motivation of my staff, to select the appropriate method of communication and finally to monitor and evaluate my effectiveness in order to improve. To clarify my objectives, I would need to understand exactly what we are seeking to achieve. For example, in a recent situation, we were concerned that we could be exposed to litigation due to the way we manage our trade waste. Essentially, we were failing to manage hazardous waste in the manner prescribed by Environment Agency (EA) regulations. Some staff were very concerned as there is a personal liability and wanted to seek external contractors at inflated prices to discharge the duties on our behalf. Instead, I requested an officer to look into the technical process involved and then armed with the report, I sought the help of EA. It transpires that we are not directly in breach but one of our contractors may have moved our waste to an unlicensed location, without our knowledge. I established that we are unable to transfer risk simply by engaging contractors and needed to develop a management plan to deal with the waste in the short, medium and long term. In discussion with EA, I established that they would support us and allow us a period to ‘set our house in order’. We are now in the process of writing the plan, after having clarified exactly what our objectives had to be. Any form of communication will most unlikely to be effective if it doesn’t ring chord with the audience. The audience will not care of the success or otherwise of any task if they don’t have a stake in the outcome. An effective leader must be able to engage the audience in such a wa y that each person has a vested personal interest in the success of any venture which will spur them to go that extra mile to ensure success. This could be something as simple a personal pride in a job well done or a competitive streak to do a better job than someone else. In one of my depots, there is exactly such a situation involving two of my best Construction Managers. They are very good friends who take delight in outperforming each other and achieve far better output than any similar team in the Council or externally. This did not happen by chance but was the culmination of slow work with both officers over a period, using humour and camaraderie to instil a friendly sense of competition. In the example above, I also actively sought the appropriate means of communication, i.e. using interpersonal skills and utilising humour, to set the parameters of the objectives I was seeking to achieve. The method I decided to use would not have been at all effective if I wrote an email or memorandum as my aim was far too subtle to communicate via a written medium. However, in cases where compliance with health and safety regulati ons are concerned for example, I consider it necessary to send out formal instructions to ensure staff complied. Such action would make it clear exactly what was required without any ambiguity. Apart from communicating the requirement, this would also provide me with an auditable trail if any staff member was found not to comply; which would also be one of my key objectives. Using a more formal means of communication when I generally prefer informal means, also has the  effect of underlining the legal obligation we have to my staff, who then take it more seriously. The ability to set direction and communication is closely linked to motivation theory and persuasive skills. The model I find most aligns with my style is Monroe’s Motivated sequence [13]. Alan Monroe developed this technique in the 30’s and identifies that in order to persuade or sell any concept, idea or product, one’s approach should include five separate steps: Attention – relate something that will make the audience take notice. This could be anything shocking or enticing to the target, such as a st atistic, an image or a thought. So in the case with managing our hazardous waste for example, I highlighted that failure to properly manage the waste could result in criminal prosecution, which had the desired effect of bringing this issue to fore in the mind of my staff. Need – link the topic under discussion to the needs to the audience, the premise being that the need will motivate the desired action. This aspect is particularly important because it is unlikely that most people will take action unless they are directly affected by the impact. For the example of the two construction Managers in competition with each other, I used techniques I observed in the mobile telephone sales and replicated the principles. I created a view in the mind of both staff that they needed to outperform each other for the sake of personal pride. I knew they were good friends and by various means encouraged the friendly rivalry, taking care to ensure that this remains friendly and does not become counter-productive. They both feel that they have to outdo each other and their performance continues to exceed expectations. Satisfaction – set out how the audience will be able to satisfy that need that has been established. It is important that the effort to ac hieve the need is presented as the easiest or least painful option. Once I created the need for both my Construction Mangers to outperform each other, I have continued to provide them with the means and resources to achieve this, both by providing support, finding the funding and also creating temporary positions and approving ‘acting up’ honorariums for their reports. So they both have the means to easily deliver their ‘need’ and not delivering when they are able to is now much the more difficult option from a personal pride perspective, as they will have to explain in my regular joint performance monitoring. Visualisation – set out how life would be like if the target were to commit to action.  Using the example of the Hazardous waste issue, I painted a picture of what the situation would be like if we were able to turn the usable material. There is a process whereby the hazardous waste can be encapsulated in asphalt using a cold process (a hot process would release volatile compounds which would not be acceptable ). Encapsulation would render the material inert and this could then be used to construct new roads. The marginal cost of converting this hazardous material into useful product is less than 35% of the cost of purchasing new product but there is a large capital investment (c  £500k) required for the plant. Nevertheless, I outlined a business case supported by the demand that will be generated by a new road due to be constructed in 2015. I therefore helped my staff visualise the savings we could make and the asset we would have after the new road is constructed, giving us even more savings in the long term. I have therefore got their active cooperation to achieve my vision and have managed to turn what was initially a burden and cost, to an opportunity by using the most effective communication and set direction. Action – finally, once the stage is set, the audience need to be shown how they could act to achieve all the positive benefits of doing the thing that is being promoted. In the case of the hazardous waste, business case is now being detailed with the aim of a capital investment in the next few months. I am managing the project and my staff are in detailed negotiations with various suppliers and industry experts to enable the vision to turn into reality. Currently we are negotiating land purchase to site the plant and storage requirements. As with every other process, it is important then to review and evaluate previous actions to enable the leader to ensure improvement in the future. For both the issues detailed above, I have my own evaluation processes established. For the competition between the Construction Managers, I am aware thing could get too far and friendly rivalry could quickly degenerate. I have therefore got regular meetings with both staff, jointly and individually for me to monitor, evaluate and review my actions. I am aware no one likes to be manipulated and things could backfire on me if they felt I was in any way underhand or devious. So, I informed both staff of my actions in a jovial and convivial way and the communication style I have used has been effective in both accepting and even embracing my manipulation. For the management of Hazardous waste issue, I have also put  in a small review group who monitor and evaluate the progress and we discuss the need to change our approach as we become aware of new developments in the field. Given the above, it is my view that I have a well-established and positive ability to set direction and communicate this effectively to others. Review own ability to motivate, delegate and empower others A leader must be able to delegate tasks effectively in order to achieve more than what he could on his own. Along with that, he must be able to motivate and empower others in order to ensure his management burden is optimised to enable him to manage more resources. That is the essence of leadership. Without this ability, he is merely a depository for tasks and does not add value to his organisation. In brief, motivation is the process of finding out what makes your staff ‘tick’ and demonstrate they can meet that need by delivering for you. In this respect there is much in common with style of communication described above and this is due to the fact that effective communication must take make is desirous for the recipient to deliver the task communicated. Monore’s Motivated Sequence, as the name suggests, is a motivational theory but there are a number of other theories, detailing much the same process, albeit in a different way. The two I will focus on are Maslow’s Need Hierarchy and Equity theory. Maslow describes a hierarchy of needs of each individual, which forms a pyramid, also known as Maslow’s Pyramid of needs. At the base of the pyramid is the basic Physiological needs we all have (i.e. access to air, food water etc.). Then comes the need for Safety (shelter, security), above that comes Social needs or Love/Belonging needs (company, acceptance, friendship etc.). Above that comes the Esteem needs (Recognition from others) and on top of the pyramid is Self-Actualisation (self-fulfilment, morality, creativity). Diagram below shows this pyramid: Fig 1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs[14] In essence, what Maslow suggests is that people will need to satisfy their more basic needs before they can begin to satisfy a higher level need. In order to motivate them, it would be necessary to demonstrate how they could satisfy their needs at the appropriate level on the pyramid by achieving the goal. In a work situation, appropriate compensation will help satisfy the  lower order needs on the pyramid and little motivational benefit could be derived from focussing of satisfying the Physiological and Safety needs of staff. In order to motivate staff, it will be necessary to demonstrate how achieving the organisational goal or the task at hand will help meet one of the higher level needs on the pyramid (i.e. the need for social acceptance, of increased esteem or of self-actualisation). To do this effectively, it will be necessary for a leader to identify where on the pyramid the reports needs are. Generally the personal circumstances and ambition of the individual will determine which of his needs have already been satisfied and which need should the leader demonstrate as being achievable. The equity theory postulates that if people perceive inequity, they will try to equalise the situation and eliminate that inequity. It is a social comparison of an individual’s perception that drives an individual. They compare themselves against others and make an assessment whether the reward they are achieving for the effort they are expending is similar to the reward others get for the effort they expend. So individuals make a broad assessment of their own perceived reward/effort ratio and compare it to the perceived reward/effort ratio of others. Individual are generally satisfied when the two ratios are generally equal. However, this leads to two different scenarios when it is not: Underpayment inequity – when an individual feels they are underpaid for the effort they put in compared to another. The impact of this would be either the individual reduce their effort, productivity or quality of their work to match their perception of what the comparator produces. Overpayment inequity – when an individual feels they are actually overpaid for he work they produce, in which case they expend m ore effort in an attempt to increase outputs or improve the quality of their work. The situation most often manifests itself when staff compare their pay grades, but other rewards, such as praise, mentoring, training etc. could also be used in their comparison. Leaders need to be acutely aware of the situation as a perceived Underpayment inequity can have a devastating impact on productivity and also on the ability to retain staff, unless managed adequately. On the other hand, a perception of Overpayment inequity, although can seem to have benefits, can lead to an overly stressful situation for the individual concerned as they may feel their post will be made redundant or reduced in grade. Own ability to  motivate – Monroe’s Sequence and Maslow’s Hierarchy I have had cause to use both the theories above in motivating my staff. In the example given previously where I set two Construction Managers in friendly competition with each other I used Monroe’s Sequence to develop the strategy. In determining the need, I used Maslow’s Hierarchy to understand the most effective way to approach this. I understood the two individuals were already highly effective and motivated individuals and general discussions with them led me to believe that both would be seeking to satisfy their need to greater esteem. I therefore developed a strategy where I would enable both of them to achieve greater self-esteem whilst improving their outputs and performance. The most gratifying thing is that even though both now are aware of my manipulation, the rivalry continues and is still paying dividends. Own ability to motivate – Equity Theory I am currently dealing with a situation where my Construction Managers are rewarded at Band 9, which is the same as my Quantity Surveyors (QS’s). However, I would assess that the Construction Managers (CM’s) achieve several times more value from their work. They also carry greater responsibility and much greater workload. This has come about as a result of implementing â€Å"equal pay† legislation using a very ineffective evaluation model. The model tries to find equity between too many different types of work and fails miserably in the case of construction activities. There is also the issue of required qualifications of each group and my ability to recruit to these positions. I am currently reassessing the workload of the QS’s and trying to make it more equitable by rebalancing workload. However in the meantime, I have asked the CM’s to identify workstreams that may be suitable to be reallocated. I have also given the CM’s more access to me and have more frequent contact with them, ostensibly to address work issues, but also as a form of â€Å"reward† as there is a tendency for staff to seek some form of approval and praise from their leaders. I am aware though that the QS’s might be excessively stressed and I will have to reassure them. In the short-term this approach has proven to be effective in maintaining morale and motivation and has prevented from loss of staff. I will however need to deliver the implied promise to equalise the burden on both these groups. As  a result of the above I am able to conclude that I have a well-developed ability to motivate staff, based on the relevant theories outlined. Delegation and Empowerment Delegation and empowerment is the act of transferring responsibility to subordinates for delivering a task and ensuring they have the authority, resources and the means of achieving the desired outcomes. Effective delegation and empowerment will result in several key benefits: A leader can achieve more than he could individually Workforce will be more involved and feel empowered which will have a positive effect on productivity, and have a stake in outcomes Delivery will be more efficient Develop subordinates which will help with succession planning Although a leader may make his subordinates accountable for their actions, the leader will continue to be accountable for the completion of the task to his own superiors. There are therefore risks involved in delegating and often a leader will find it difficult to ‘let go’ of projects that are dear to them. There will therefore be a tendency on the part of the leader to use the excuse of accountability to avoid delegating. I have had direct experience of this when some years ago a newly appointed Director decided that he would personally sign all letters emanating from one particular service area. This is because that service area was primarily customer facing and was engaged in managing an ever decreasing ability to deliver due to funding cuts. The team, which I was part of, therefore continually had to say â€Å"no† and this caused political difficulties for the Director. Instead of managing expectati ons, he decided to stop delegating. The result was he had very little time for the task of signing letters, let alone anything else. After some years of this, we had a situation where thousands of service requests remained unanswered, some over four years old. Despite our pleadings, he refused to delegate the work and eventually more senior people reorganised the Department, making the Director redundant. As a consequence of the above, I have learned that I must delegate in a timely manner. To manage the risks outlined above, I always ensure my subordinates are motivated, have adequate resources and the ability to deliver. I also  maintain the constant vigil, both from a project/programme management perspective and also from a financial perspective, ensuring regular monitoring and identifying barriers to work with my staff to ensure delivery. As a result of this approach I have so far, this financial year, successfully delivered some  £14million worth of projects, making some  £3.5million income, of which  £300,000 is surplus. We are on course to deliver the full  £19million programme and make a surplus of some  £850,000 over an income of  £5.4million. Compared to the position two years ago when the service made losses of some  £900,000, my position is a much improved one. The single most skill that has enabled me to achieve such turnaround is my ability to delegate and empower my staff. I am therefore highly confident that I have a well-developed ability to delegate and empower others. Produce a Personal Development Plan to improve own ability to lead. In spite of the above, and perhaps as a result, I feel I will need to constantly develop myself. It is my contention that continuous learning will enable us to achieve continuous improvement. Key issues for me are: Reviewing the above, I feel I have not yet mastered the art of managing my own and others’ emotions to achieve performance improvement. I need to understand better the workings of Local Government to identify areas where my leadership skills need to be improved. In conjunction with the above, I believe I need to improve my ability to set direction and communicate. Emotional Intelligence In completing this assignment, this is one area where I have learned the most. I had been aware of issues surrounding cultural bias in psychometric testing because of my personal interest in equalities issues. The work researching Emotional Intelligence has cast the issue that with issue of equalities. It seems to me that any process designed to value conformity with the majority (which the concept of Emotional Intelligence undoubtedly is), is doomed to discriminate minority groups or those with a different cultural approach. However I recognise that EI remains a very useful tool in the armoury of any leader wishing to improve performance. Actions: Complete this ILM course by December 2014 and seek funding for furthering my education to MBA level Cost:Direct – funded centrally, no cost to service Indirect – 1 day per fortnight cost to be absorbed by service overhead allowance for training and development Leadership Issues in Local Government This is particularly relevant to my field and it is necessary for me to keep abreast of the developing issues surrounding Leadership in Local Government. Several journals are dedicated to latest developments in the sector, including The MJ and The Economist to a lesser extent. Actions: Seek out a mentor within the industry by December 2014. Continue to read relevant periodicals – ongoing. Cost:Direct – no cost to service Indirect – carried out in personal time, no cost to service. Set direction and communicating I have a reasonably well developed personal communicating style, and my written communication is also of reasonable quality. The area I most need to work on is my communication to groups. Actions: Use the opportunity provided by my Chairmanship of North East Performance Improvement Network to practice and develop my ability to direct and communicate to groups. Cost:Direct – no cost to service Indirect – As part of normal day to day duties, travel and time costs covered by capital projects Review and monitor I will review my achievement against these objectives on a six-monthly basis to effect improvement and amend aims and objectives as necessary. Cost:Direct – no cost to service Indirect – 2 hours every fortnight, cost to be absorbed by service overhead allowance for training and development. 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