The PetsMart Essay Example for Free

The PetsMart Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper presents a brief background on PetsMart, identifies its vision and mission statement for the current timeframe, differentiates PetsMart’s current generic strategy from that of Camp Bow Wow, and completes a remote analysis by indicating the opportunities and threats for each remote factor in a table form. Background on PetsMart   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PetsMart, established in 1989, is the number one retailer of pet food, supplies, accessories, and services in North America with 726 retail stores, of which 25 are located in Canada. Its retail store size ranges from 19,000 to 27,000 square feet, and sells over 12,900 items (Gilliard, 2005, p. 5). It employs about 30,300 associates, of which roughly 50 percent are full time (p. 7). It entered the international arena in 1996. Its major competitor is Petco—both Petsmart and Petro overlap in some geographical locations of business operation (p. 2). Other competitors for these two largest stores are Target and Wal-Mart; other major sources of competition are from grocery stores. Its potential competitor will be Camp Bow Wow. Vision and Mission Statement for PetsMart   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PetsMart’s vision is â€Å"to provide Total Lifetime Care for pets and build enduring relationships with its customers† (p.   6). Its mission is to lead the global retailing market of pet food, supplies, and services. PetsMart Strategy vs. Camp Bow Wow Strategy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PetsMart strategy is to capture and keep a group of identified pet owners or pet parents by being the â€Å"preferred provider for the lifetime needs of pets† (p. 6). To accomplish this, PetsMart carried out the following customer-focused initiatives: (1) expansion and efficient operation in existing and new multi-store and single store markets, to make its products and services more available to customers, and at the same time reach to out new customers; (2) reformat stores like specialty stores through organization of products by pet species, emphasis on pet services, and removal of high steel shelving to help customers navigate easily inside the store; (3) provision of pet services to build better relationships with customers; (4) training of associates to determine customer needs, and offer solutions to further develop customer loyalty; (5) development of brand identity through PetPerks savings card to create a sense of belongingness of customers in PetsMart and at the same time taking advantage of price savings. Petsmart uses a centralized information system to analyze customer shopping patterns, the results of which will be used for marketing and promotional materials.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Camp Bow Wow was conceptualized in 1994 to take advantage of the growing market and took off in 2000. It started a day care facility for dogs and later expanded its operations to include overnight boarding. It also takes care for puppies, older or sickly pets. It offers on-site grooming, vaccinations, indoor/outdoor play areas, climate controlled facilities, pools and play equipment (p. 11). It has a different strategy from that of PetsMart. It adopts franchising as a rapid growth strategy. It requires franchisees to provide excellent services to pet owners, maintain outstanding facility, and share its earnings to local dog charities. It offers franchisees operational and training support, research and development information, linkages to quality suppliers, and commitment to growth. Its owner has great plans and vision for franchising, such as (1) use consistent operations systems, and similar look and style; (2) develop and sale of brand dog food and biscuits, and human and dog sportswear at the franchise location; (3) develop services like mobile grooming, pet taxi services, in-home pet sitting, and poop scoop services; (4) develop and maintain operations systems, training programs, and marketing strategies to manage its brand name; (5) monitor company growth to allow profitability; and (6) build a non-profit foundation for national or regional dog charities (p. 12). Remote Analysis of the PetsMart Remote Factor Opportunities Threats Economic  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   The surge of consumer spending increases net sales.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   The strategic alliance between PetsMart and Medical Management International, Inc. ensures sufficient supply of veterinarians, and efficient delivery of veterinary services to customers.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Good economic outlook definitely increases pet customers and their spending volume on pets and pet-related products and services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Any dollar appreciation will shoot up sales on pets and pet-related products.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   High inflation rate reduces consumer spending on pet accessories.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   High unemployment rate lowers the number of pet customers and reduces consumer spending on pets and pet food, accessories and services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Seasonal incomes provide fluctuations on spending pattern on pet accessories and services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Shortage of qualified veterinarians limits offer of veterinary services, and reduces consumer spending on pet services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Shortage of skilled employees to train and groom pets hampers service efficiency, and reduces consumer spending on pet services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Limited capacity of local and overseas vendors gives no assurance of timely delivery of products, quality of product and labeling and packaging requirements, and volume requirements; and jeopardizes efficient customer-focused services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Global expansion of international competitors restricts PetsMart global expansion plans, and consequently reduces consumer spending on its products in foreign markets.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Currency exchange rate fluctuations provide no steady or increasing international consumer spending pattern on pet products. Sociological  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   The demographic trends—â€Å"growth of baby boomers, empty-nesters, couples with no children, and other people delaying marriage and children†Ã¢â‚¬â€increase consumer spending as numerous pet owners raised their pet status as members of the families and pampered them with luxurious pet products and services, like pet insurance, hotels, spa, pet frequent flyer programs, and pet toys.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   The shift of this demographic trends—e.g., aging of baby boomers, people decided to get married and have children—may affect consumer spending on pets and related pet products and services.. Technological  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Diverse and innovative products induce consumer spending on pet-related products. PetsMart’s products are categorized as (1) pet food, treats, and litter category; (2) pet supplies and other goods category like collar, aquarium, bird cages; and (3) various pets, like dogs, cats, fish, birds, reptiles, and small pets.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   New and innovative pet services that complement the products attract higher consumer spending. PetsMart services include grooming, pet training, boarding (PetsHotel), day camp (Doggie Day Camp), and on-site veterinary services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Innovative products and services supports other complementary products in the market, like insurance and airline frequent flyer perks, which, in turn, has positive ripple effects on Petsmart.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   E-commerce sales of pets and related products and services (www.petsmart.com) provide unlimited market place to a wider customer base within 24 hours at lower costs, and increase sales.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Innovative branded catalogues provide flexible and updated presentation of products and services attract customers, and thereby increase sales.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Product and service diversification opens multiple lines of competition—creating opportunities for competitors to enhance existing pet-related product lines and introduce new products, which will eventually outmode Petsmart products.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Petsmart cannot reap the full advantage of its on-line pet store as its competitors also established and maintained similar innovation. Political  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Loosening of regulations decreases monitoring and compliance costs.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚     Political stability supports global expansion.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Monitoring and complying in federal, state, and/or local regulations increases costs.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Tariff increases and other trade barriers reduce exports of pet products, and reduce import spending in foreign countries.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Compliance to employment regulations on minimum wage, working conditions, and staffing requirements increases costs and reduces profit level.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Compliance to laws and regulations on transporting, handling and selling of pets, may be difficult as they are governed by federal, state and local government. At the local level, they differ from one jurisdiction to another. Ecological  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   The establishment of PetsMart Charities has saved the lives of homeless pets by not leaving them astray. This increases animal welfare awareness, and customers treat PetsMart fairly for its concern on animals.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition to dog charity initiative, PetsMart may consider other line of business, like collecting, disposing, and conversion of animal wastes into fertilizer or energy.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Environmental regulations increase production costs and consequently reduce profits. These regulations affect pet facilities on the â€Å"generation, handling, storage, transportation, and disposal of waste and biohazardous materials†.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Any sickness or plague that attack on birds halts sales of pet birds.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Environment advocates might lobby on proper handling and disposal of wastes—which might hurt the sales in the short run. Source: Gilliard (2005). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PetsMart experiences the fastest retail growth and profits, reflecting the overall trend of the pet industry. This attracts new entrants into the industry. And PetsMart should not be complacent and needs to continually guard itself from risks or threats at both the industry level and external environment to maintain its leading position. Its current strategy seems to work well so far. But in the long-run, considering significant changes in both industry conditions and external environment, shouldn’t there be strategy shift? Shouldn’t it adopt franchising as what Camp Bow Wow did to increase sales and enhance product quality? Reference Gilliard, D. J. (2005). The Pet Care Industry: From PetsMart to Camp Bow Wow.

Competition of Coffee Makers: Nespresso vs Keurig

Competition of Coffee Makers: Nespresso vs Keurig Laura L. Gay Abstract My paper will address the supply chain of Nespresso and its competitor Keurig to other coffee machines. Coffee is not just a drink but an addiction to some. The summary you will review provides a description of the companies along with some historical facts of interest. Specific details are provided for each companies supply chain and sustainability from products offered, purchasing of coffee beans, to interest in farming of the coffee plant for a quality product. My summation will give recommendations as to what Nespresso can do to improve their supply chain to be more in-line with Keurig, while increasing profitability. The Competition of the Coffee Makers Coffee is not merely a drink, to many it becomes an addiction so much so they can’t live without their daily dose. In 2011 up to over 400 million cups of coffee were consumed a day. The choice is to pay the prices of you elixir of choice at a barista or to purchase your own coffee machine making the brew of your craving. Though so many still get their choice of coffee at coffeehouses over 86 percent of Americans get their fix at home. Now comes the important part. What machine do you choose the simple coffee maker or a more complex model that will provide the ultimate barista coffee from Black Decker, Bun, and West Bend to your more sophisticated electric machine Nespresso or Keurig? In my paper I will discuss the supply chain of Nespresso verses Keurig. Organizational Profile In this section I will address the concept of the company along with their focus on business. I will also provide information on where the corporate headquarters are located, number of locations along with the number of employees it counts among the business. The roadmap of the sustainability will show how key it is to growth of the organization. Profile of the Organization Nespresso began in 1986 on the concept to enable anyone to create their own perfect cup of espresso coffee. The company created a product to revolutionize the way people enjoy their coffee shaping global culture. Their focus is on delivery quality coffees with consumers having the ultimate experience. Nespresso competes on the business-to-consumer and business-to business segments. The concept is to allow consumers to enjoy coffee at the highest quality at home recreating the barista experience. The Nespresso system is designed to insure consistent quality in the portioned coffee sector as one of the fastest growing global beverage brands. The production of the Nespresso capsule is produced in one of two state-of-the-art centers in Switzerland. The company is a globally managed business of the Nestle Group. The corporate headquarters is located in Lausanne, Switzerland, in almost 60 countries and counts for over 9,500 employees worldwide. Business Strategy and Structure Nepresso business strategy is the driver for the companies innovation, quality and consumer demand. Their passion for quality and exceeding consumer expectations is the driving force for their continued growth. Their business model masters the quality of coffees from the farmer to the consumer. The company has three Key Growth Drivers: creating highest quality Grand Cru coffees, creating long-lasting consumer relationships and creating sustainable business success. The quality of beans is of the finest selection. Only an estimated 1-2% of the coffee grown meets the Nespresso specific taste and aroma profiles. The innovation of the Nespresso systems deliver a balance of water temperature, quantity, speed and pressure while producing consistently exceptional coffee for their consumers. The company is constantly in touch with its consumers developing interactions that allow them to evolve and anticipate consumer needs. Over 70% of Nespresso employees in the markets are in direct contact with the consumers. Building on Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s â€Å"Creating Shared Value† principles allowed the development of the Ecolaboration consolidating all the company’s efforts into one framework for partnerships and innovation. Recognizing their responsibility to the environment the company balances economic, environmental and social impact launching the Nespresso AAA Sustainability Quality Program. Supply Chain The supply chain in our book refers to the process that moves information and materials to and from the manufacturing and services processes of the company. Including the supply chain is the process of the products to the consumer. We will discuss how the company promotes sustainability, performance and patterns of change. Current Supply Chain Performance Nespresso reaches its goal for 2013 with meeting its goals the company seeks to further enhance supply chain performance but continuing to focus on key inputs. The company has set new goals for 2020 with expanding its farmer training program in Africa; expand its capacity for collection of aluminum capsules for its coffee pods, and increasing agroforestry program that was rolled out in the supply chain. To support this the company will source 80% of its coffee from AAA certified farms, offer 75% for collection capacity supporting recycling and reducing 20% if its carbon footprint for each cup of coffee. Patterns of Change in the Supply Chain Recently announced Nespresso invested about $500 million in Ghana and many other countries in Africa to boost the production of coffee. The investment is to be broken down over a seven-year period. As part of the supply chain performance the company has launched its AAA program to improve the well-being of farmers while increasing the quality of the product. This opportunity will increase quality beans for coffee production by further increasing sales for the companies coffee machines. The forward thinking will help to acknowledge the growing taste America has for coffee along with the increasing elixir choices. Key Issues in the Supply Chain One key issue for Nespresso machines as a single-serving coffee pod is the company is no longer alone in the market. Keurig Green Mountain a key competitor is now the dominant player with an estimated 130 competing coffee pod makers with over 50 of them designed to fit the Nespresso Machines. With the NE SN.VX + 0.22% for Nespressor and GMCR +1.33% you can see the impact Keurig has to Nespresso’s profitability. In order to combat the competition the company has expanded its sales of the machine in new markets and is keeping its pods competitive. Another key issue is rivals have alleged the company has set unfair hurdles. Competitor Analysis Now that we have completed the analysis of Nespresso we will review several key competitors. The top three competitors will be Keurig, West Bend and Bun. I will provide a brief organizational profile that will reflect the history of the companies. In review of the companies we will address their supply chain performance and their similarities. Key Competitors Keurig was founded in 1981 has more than 6,000 employees, 460 engineers and scientist, over 8 production facilities in America and offers over 250 beverage varieties for their customers. The company believes all consumers deserve to drink for themselves, enable consumers to self-create high quality beverage that will suit their own needs. The company value â€Å"Our purpose create the ultimate beverage experience in every life we touch from source to cup transforming the way the world understands business.† A powerful statement for the transforming the way the world sees business. West Bend is a leader in electric kitchen appliances and has been in business since 1911. The company offers a variety of products delivering performance, quality and value to consumers. Founded in West Bend, Wisconsin the company strives to make kitchen activities easier. It is a privately held company by Focus Product Group International, LLC. The company offers a multitude of coffee machines from commercial to single cup. Bun founded in 1957 developed the first coffee maker for commercial use. They offer both commercial and home coffee makers. The company’s headquarters are in Springfield, IL founded on the core values of honesty, integrity and courtesy. The â€Å"My Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬  model the company’s first single cup coffee debuted in 2005. The company continues to design and manufacture brewers such as the Phase Brew which heats and only releases water at optimal temperatures developed in 2010. Competitor Supply Chain Performance In review of the similarities of the key competitors they all focus on key initiatives such as quality and innovation. Companies such as West Bend and Bun focus on various electric kitchen products designed for consumer performance and ease. Unlike companies such as Nespresso and Keurig that focus strictly on coffee machines, coffee and tea for consumers as specialty items. The performance for these companies has proven competitive. Keurig the key competitor with Nespresso continues to advance building a resilient supply chain. They support fair trade, building relationships with their suppliers, and track issues driven to impact the company’s business and communities around the world. The company focuses on fair trade that helps to build their supply chain ensuring a stable supply of high quality coffee. Keurig much like Nespresso is at the heart of their fair trade model with a target date of 2020 to improve farmer living under Keurig’s Resilient Supply Chain model. Strategic Considerations and Recommendations In this section we will address the alternative solutions proposed to increase supply chain performance for Nespresso. We will discuss alternative solutions the company can use to enhance profitability. One item of interest in the news we will address is the lawsuit against Nespresso, the lawsuit address unfair changing of the capsule to eliminate competition. Alternate Solutions Proposed One key issue I found upon researching the companies is that Keurig applies research technology for addressing the Rust Leaf problem that impacts coffee bean plants. While Nespresso focused on further education of its farmers to insure quality they should also consider the disease problem that affects the coffee plant. Nespresso is on track with their commitment and goals set for 2020 deadlines. The second key issue is to focus on product offerings such as that of Keurig giving consumers more options for elixirs and broaden its tea products. The company also may want to focus more on consumer feedback like Keurig to gather their interest, what is their likes and dislikes focusing on improvement in these areas. The limited offering of 22 coffees for enjoyment does not address the broader range of coffee coinsures. A solution to Nepresso lawsuit is to meet it head one. The company offers a machine with Pods that are easily duplicated allowing competitors to infringe on the company’s profit margin. Due to the ability of 50 other competitors offering similar products Nepresso decided to change the pod 4 times in one year and then decided to discontinue the warranty on their product if found consumers were not using their pods. With the multiple changes to the pod and the discontinuation of the warranty they not only upset their buyers but the competition. Recommended Solution My recommended solution for the company is to develop a newer more innovative model like Keurig where the ability to copy the pod is near to impossible while phasing out prior models slowly to not have a dramatic impact on its consumers. They need an innovative way of advertising the company’s new offering with the addition of more coffee offerings. The constant changing of the pods has to be costing the company money. Recognize the error in the changes and focus more on your product availability. Addressing a new innovative model, stepping up to address the lawsuit and offering more to your consumer based on feedback will help to improve the brand name along with the company’s profitability. Conclusion A company needs to look for solutions to their supply chain utilizing information with its competitors recognizing what works best. The consumer’s opinion has a valuable impact on your business; making negative changes to help incur your profitability may not be in your best interest. Promoting recycling of the Pod from Nespresso will help members understand the sustainability of the product noting its ability to be reused and the material aluminum is to help preserve the taste of the product. References http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44718031/ns/business-cnbc_tv/t/coffee-addiction/#.VCbG7010xMs http://www.nestle-nespresso.com/about-us/our-company http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/09/24/how-coffee-can-change-world-nespresso-style http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/09/24/how-coffee-can-change-world-nespresso-style http://gbcghana.com/1.1852324 http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2014/04/17/bad-news-for-nespresso-pioneer-of-the-coffee-pod/ http://www.keuriggreenmountain.com/en/OurCompany/OurValues.aspx http://www.bunnathome.com/about-us http://westbend.com/ http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/07/george-clooney-coffee-pod-problem/

Compare and Contrast ?Genesis? and ?Penetrating to the Heart of the For

Topic # 3 Compare and Contrast â€Å"Genesis† and â€Å"Penetrating to the Heart of the Forest†, Looking at both myth and short story. Although there are many similarities present, a distinct difference is made between â€Å"Genesis† and "Penetrating to the Heart of the Forest" in that â€Å"Genesis† is a mythical narrative while "Penetrating to the Heart of the Forest" is an adaptation of a mythic story (Adam and Eve) in the form of a short story. When comparing and contrasting these two stories we see similarities in storyline, themes, symbols, differences in detail, and the extent and significance of the stories themselves. When deciding whether these narratives are myths or short stories, one must look at the contents of each piece of work. â€Å"Genesis† can clearly be defined as a myth because it contains all the characteristics of a myth. These characteristics include casual and vague descriptive writing about a very significant and important piece of work. Characteristics of myths also include â€Å"superstitious† themes, characters and the establishment of traditional ways of life and belief systems for a wide variety of people. Although â€Å"Genesis† contains one of the most popular and significant creation tales today, its lack of description and vague details account for its acceptance of being a myth. An example of this is the seven days of creation being written in one chapter; â€Å"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was formless and voice† (The Access Bible 2). This suggests that â€Å"Genesis† may have been passed down orally from generation to generation, which, according to Campbell (â€Å"The First Storytellers†), resembles all other myths. The presence of solely flat or static characters (such as Adam and Ever) is a good example to show why â€Å"Genesis is considered a myth†. Only imprecise details about Adam and Eve are given and we lack any understanding of personality or character traits. The existence of superstition is also very apparent in â€Å"Genesis†. God (the embodiment of good) is constantly at work as is the Serpent (the embodiment of evil). The supernatural is a key element in the â€Å"Genesis† creation myth. Examples of these elements are; the presence of angels, a holy sword, and a tree of unnatural, divine abilities (Bible 2, 6, 7). Supernatural e... ...). Whereas â€Å"Penetrating to the Heart of the Forest† lacks this, and focuses on entertainment rather than education. The absence of God and other supernatural characters contributes to a lack of mythical sensation. â€Å"Genesis’† focus is to â€Å"teach truths about the nature of reality, the meaning of life, and the purpose of human existence,† (Bible 2) while â€Å"Penetrating to the Heart of the Forest† is a purely entertainment driven short story. Although both â€Å"Genesis† and â€Å"Penetrating to the Heart of the Forest† can be seen as fictitious narratives containing similar qualities, themes, and storylines, both present clear differences in purpose, direction, and description as well as â€Å"Genesis† being a myth and â€Å"Penetrating to the heart of the forest† as being a short story with a mythic plot. Word Count: 1,187 Works Cited Access Bible, The. New Revised Standard Version. Ed. Gail R. O’day, David Petersen. Oxford University Press; pg 1-7. â€Å"The First Storytellers.† Prod. Apostrophe S. Productions, Inc. New York: Mystic Fire Video Inc., 1988. Carter, A. â€Å"Penetrating to the Heart of the Forest†; Fireworks: Nine Profane Pieces; 1974: Penguin books; pg 51-66.

David Fincher’s Fight Club Essay -- David Fincher’s Fight Club

David Fincher’s â€Å"Fight Club† In David Fincher’s â€Å"Fight Club† a man battles within himself to live a life he has always dared to live, but in the end when everything is taken to the extreme, he realizes it’s too late to change what he has done. He struggles with the social structure due to his realization that he is in fact powerless in today’s society. He is constantly fighting his alter personality Tyler Durden for control of not only himself but also the world around them. He sees Marla as the lie that exists within himself and despises her for it. Fincher implies that sometimes people have to completely free themselves of their materialistic ideals in order to truly be free. Fincher also suggests that in some cases the absence of a male father figure have lead to instability and the creation of Mr. Hyde. The setting is one marked with desire for an awakening to the world around us. The fact that the protagonist does not have a name is because he represents anyone and everyone in today’s society he could even be named Jack. The opening views inside Jack’s brain are dark with flashes of fear for his very existence. The city view at night is the dark materialistic civilization in which we live. Bob (the man with breasts) is his missing family that isn’t there to hold him. The wet face on Bob’s shirt resembling a face is Jack, giving himself and opening up to Bob. In the beginning, there are several subliminal images of Tyler; this is in fact a manifestation of his subc... David Fincher’s Fight Club Essay -- David Fincher’s Fight Club David Fincher’s â€Å"Fight Club† In David Fincher’s â€Å"Fight Club† a man battles within himself to live a life he has always dared to live, but in the end when everything is taken to the extreme, he realizes it’s too late to change what he has done. He struggles with the social structure due to his realization that he is in fact powerless in today’s society. He is constantly fighting his alter personality Tyler Durden for control of not only himself but also the world around them. He sees Marla as the lie that exists within himself and despises her for it. Fincher implies that sometimes people have to completely free themselves of their materialistic ideals in order to truly be free. Fincher also suggests that in some cases the absence of a male father figure have lead to instability and the creation of Mr. Hyde. The setting is one marked with desire for an awakening to the world around us. The fact that the protagonist does not have a name is because he represents anyone and everyone in today’s society he could even be named Jack. The opening views inside Jack’s brain are dark with flashes of fear for his very existence. The city view at night is the dark materialistic civilization in which we live. Bob (the man with breasts) is his missing family that isn’t there to hold him. The wet face on Bob’s shirt resembling a face is Jack, giving himself and opening up to Bob. In the beginning, there are several subliminal images of Tyler; this is in fact a manifestation of his subc...

Ethics of the Student and Professor Relationship Essay -- Ethics

When discussing the importance of professional boundaries in mental health work, most people think first of relationships between psychotherapists and clients. However, similar boundary considerations are relevant for professor–student relationships, supervisor–supervisee relationships, consultant–consultee relationships, and researcher–participant relationships. Although different dynamics are at play, the relationships psychologists have with each other, with other professionals, and with the general public have boundaries that warrant ethical consideration as well. The American Psychological Association (APA) offers some guidance. The APA Ethics Code says, in Standard 7.07: "Psychologists do not engage in sexual relationships with students or supervisees who are in their department, agency, or training center or over whom psychologists have or are likely to have evaluative authority" (2010). This seems to preclude dating during the semester, and perh aps afterwards if there is a likelihood of an ongoing interaction (Handelsman, 2011). For example, what if a student needs a letter of recommendation for a job and would like the professor they are seeing socially outside of the classroom setting to write it? Although the code is silent regarding social relationships and sharing feelings, we have a little bit of help from other sources of guidance such as institutional guidelines and moral codes; some colleges and universities have rules about professors dating students (Handelsman, 2011). It is common for adults working in corporate or professional settings to be briefed on the law and/or policy on sexual contact and romantic relationships in the workplace (Barbella, 2010). In a school setting, at least at the secondary level... .... ‘‘Ultimately what guides everything is that the student should respect the professor and the professor should respect the student,’’ stated President Williams; ‘‘that is the way it is in life anyhow’’ (Barbella, 2010). Works Cited Barbella, L. (2010). Sexuality & Culture. An Interdisciplinary Quarterly, Vol 14(1), pp. 44-48. Handelsman, M.M. (2011, May 28). Social and Sexual Scenarios With Students: What Would You Do? Professors Dating Students: Sensitive, Stupid, or Sleazy? [Web Blog Comment]. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-ethical-professor/201105/social-and-sexual-scenarios-students-what-would-you-do Knapp, S.J. (Ed.); Gottlieb, M.C. (Ed.); Handelsman, M.M. (Ed.); VandeCreek, L.D. (Ed.). (2012). APA handbook of ethics in psychology, Vol 1: Moral foundations and common themes. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association

Concepts of Leadership

Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience (Jago, 1982). This guide will help you through that process. To inspire your workers into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things you must be, know, and, do. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work and study. Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they are NOT resting on their laurels.Definitions of Leadership Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Another popular definition of Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal (Northouse's (2007, p3). The U. S. military has studied leadership in depth. One of the ir definitions is a process by which a soldier influences others to accomplish a mission (U. S. Army, 1983).Note that all three definitions have one process in common — a person influences others to get something accomplished Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership knowledge and skills. This is called Process Leadership (Jago, 1982). However, we know that we have traits that can influence our actions. This is called Trait Leadership (Jago, 1982), in that it was once common to believe that leaders were born rather than made.These two leadership types are shown in the chart below (Northouse, 2007, p5): Factors of Leadership There are four primary factors of leadership (U.  S. Army, 1983): Leader You must have an honest understanding of who you are, what you know, and what you can do. Also, note that it is the followers, not the leader or someone else who determines if the leader is successful. If they do not trust or lack confidence in their leader, then t hey will be uninspired. To be successful you have to convince your followers, not yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy of being followed. Followers Different people require different styles of leadership. For example, a new hire requires more supervision than an experienced employee does.A person who lacks motivation requires a different approach than one with a high degree of motivation. You must know your people! The fundamental starting point is having a good understanding of human nature, such as needs, emotions, and motivation. You must come to know your employees' be, know, and do attributes. Communication You lead through two-way communication. Much of it is nonverbal. For instance, when you â€Å"set the example,† that communicates to your people that you would not ask them to perform anything that you would not be willing to do.What and how you communicate either builds or harms the relationship between you and your employees. Situation All situations are different. What you do in one situation will not always work in another. You must use your judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership style needed for each situation. For example, you may need to confront an employee for inappropriate behavior, but if the confrontation is too late or too early, too harsh or too weak, then the results may prove ineffective. Bass' Theory of LeadershipBass' theory of leadership states that there are three basic ways to explain how people become leaders (Stogdill, 1989; Bass, 1990). The first two explain the leadership development for a small number of people, while the third one is the dominant theory today. These theories are: Some personality traits may lead people naturally into leadership roles. This is the Trait Theory. A crisis or important event may cause a person to rise to the occasion, which brings out extraordinary leadership qualities in an ordinary person. This is the Great Events Theory. People can choose to become le aders.People can learn leadership skills. This is the Transformational or Process Leadership Theory. It is the most widely accepted theory today and the premise on which this leadership guide is based. Management versus Leadership While management and leadership have a great deal in common, such as working with people and accomplishing the goals of the organization, they do differ in their primary functions (Kotter, 1990): Management's main function is to produce order and consistency through processes, such as planning, budgeting, organizing, staffing, and problem solving.While leadership's main function is to produce movement and constructive or adaptive change through processes, such as establishing direction through visioning, aligning people, motivating, and inspiring. Boss or Leader? Although your position as a manager, supervisor, lead, etc. gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization (called Assigned Leadership), this power does not make you a leader, it simply makes you aboss. Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals (called Emergent Leadership), rather than simply ordering people around (Rowe, 2007).Thus you get Assigned Leadership by your position and you display Emergent Leadership by influencing people to do great things. Total Leadership What makes a person want to follow a leader? People want to be guided by leaders they respect and who have a clear sense of direction. To gain respect, they must be ethical. A sense of direction is achieved by conveying a strong vision of the future. When people are deciding if they respect you as a leader, they do not think about your attributes, rather, they observe what you do so that they can know who you really are.They use this observation to tell if you are an honorable and trusted leader or a self-serving person who misuses authority to look good and get promoted. On the other hand, self-serving leaders are not as effective bec ause their employees only obey them, not follow them. They succeed in many areas because they present a good image to their seniors at the expense of their workers. The Two Most Important Keys to Effective Leadership According to a study by the Hay Group, a global management consultancy, there are 75 key components of employee satisfaction (Lamb, McKee, 2004).They found that: Trust and confidence in top leadership was the single most reliable predictor of employee satisfaction in an organization. Effective communication by leadership in three critical areas was the key to winning organizational trust and confidence: 1. Helping employees understand the company's overall business strategy. 2. Helping employees understand how they contribute to achieving key business objectives. 3. Sharing information with employees on both how the company is doing and how an employee's own division is doing. Principles of LeadershipTo help you be, know, and do, follow these eleven principles of leader ship (U. S. Army, 1983). The rest of the chapters in this Leadership guide expand on these principles and provide tools for implementing them: 1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement – In order to know yourself, you have to understand your be, know, and do, attributes. 2. Be technically proficient – As a leader, you must know your job and have a solid familiarity with your employees' tasks. 3. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions – Search for ways to guide your organization to new heights.And when things go wrong, as they often tend to do sooner or later — do not blame others. 4. Make sound and timely decisions – Use good problem solving, decision making, and planning tools. 5. Set the example – Be a good role model for your employees. They must not only hear what they are expected to do, but also see. 6. Know your people and look out for their well-being – Know human nature and the importance of sincerely c aring for your workers. 7. Keep your workers informed – Know how to communicate with not only them, but also seniors and other key people. 8.Develop a sense of responsibility in your workers – Help to develop good character traits that will help them carry out their professional responsibilities. 9. Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished – Communication is the key to this responsibility. 10. Train as a team – Although many so called leaders call their organization, department, section, etc. a team; they are not really teams†¦ they are just a group of people doing their jobs. 11. Use the full capabilities of your organization – By developing a team spirit, you will be able to employ your organization, department, section, etc.to its fullest capabilities. Environment Every organization has a particular work environment, which dictates to a considerable degree how its leaders respond to problems and opportunities. This is brought about by its heritage of past leaders and its present leaders. Goals, Values, and Concepts Leaders exert influence on the environment via three types of actions: 1. The goals and performance standards they establish. 2. The values they establish for the organization. 3. The business and people concepts they establish.Successful organizations have leaders who set high standards and goals across the entire spectrum, such as strategies, market leadership, plans, meetings and presentations, productivity, quality, and reliability. Values reflect the concern the organization has for its employees, customers, investors, vendors, and surrounding community. These values define the manner in how business will be conducted. Concepts define what products or services the organization will offer and the methods and processes for conducting business.These goals, values, and concepts make up the organization's personality or how the organization is observed by both outsiders and insiders. T his personality defines the roles, relationships, rewards, and rites that take place. Roles and Relationships Roles are the positions that are defined by a set of expectations about behavior of any job incumbent. Each role has a set of tasks and responsibilities that may or may not be spelled out. Roles have a powerful effect on behavior for several reasons, to include money being paid for the performance of the role, there is prestige attached to a role, and a sense of accomplishment or challenge.Relationships are determined by a role's tasks. While some tasks are performed alone, most are carried out in relationship with others. The tasks will determine who the role-holder is required to interact with, how often, and towards what end. Normally the greater the interaction, the greater the liking. This in turn leads to more frequent interactions. In human behavior, its hard to like someone whom we have no contact with, and we tend to seek out those we like. People tend to do what th ey are rewarded for, and friendship is a powerful reward.Many tasks and behaviors that are associated with a role are brought about by these relationships. That is, new task and behaviors are expected of the present role-holder because a strong relationship was developed in the past, either by that role-holder or a prior role-holder. Culture and Climate There are two distinct forces that dictate how to act within an organization: culture and climate. Each organization has its own distinctive culture. It is a combination of the founders, past leadership, current leadership, crises, events, history, and size (Newstrom, Davis, 1993).This results in rites: the routines, rituals, and the â€Å"way we do things. † These rites impact individual behavior on what it takes to be in good standing (the norm) and directs the appropriate behavior for each circumstance. The climate is the feel of the organization, the individual and shared perceptions and attitudes of the organization's mem bers (Ivancevich, Konopaske, Matteson, 2007). While the culture is the deeply rooted nature of the organization that is a result of long-held formal and informal systems, rules, traditions, and customs; climate is a short-term phenomenon created by the current leadership.Climate represents the beliefs about the â€Å"feel of the organization† by its members. This individual perception of the â€Å"feel of the organization† comes from what the people believe about the activities that occur in the organization. These activities influence both individual and team motivation and satisfaction, such as: How well does the leader clarify the priorities and goals of the organization? What is expected of us? What is the system of recognition, rewards, and punishments in the organization? How competent are the leaders? Are leaders free to make decisions? What will happen if I make a mistake?Organizational climate is directly related to the leadership and management style of the l eader, based on the values, attributes, skills, and actions, as well as the priorities of the leader. Compare this to â€Å"ethical climate† — the feel of the organization about the activities that have ethical content or those aspects of the work environment that constitute ethical behavior. The ethical climate is the feel about whether we do things right; or the feel of whether we behave the way we ought to behave. The behavior (character) of the leader is the most important factor that influences the climate.On the other hand, culture is a long-term, complex phenomenon. Culture represents the shared expectations and self-image of the organization. The mature values that create tradition or the â€Å"way we do things here. † Things are done differently in every organization. The collective vision and common folklore that define the institution are a reflection of culture. Individual leaders cannot easily create or change culture because culture is a part of th e organization. Culture influences the characteristics of the climate by its effect on the actions and thought processes of the leader.But, everything you do as a leader will affect the climate of the organization. For information on culture, see Long-Term Short-Term Orientation The Process of Great Leadership The road to great leadership (Kouzes& Posner, 1987) that is common to successful leaders: Challenge the process – First, find a process that you believe needs to be improved the most. Inspire a shared vision – Next, share your vision in words that can be understood by your followers. Enable others to act – Give them the tools and methods to solve the problem. Model the way – When the process gets tough, get your hands dirty.A boss tells others what to do; a leader shows that it can be done. Encourage the heart – Share the glory with your followers' hearts, while keeping the pains within your own. Leadership, Management, Command, & Control Whi le there are plenty of discussions about leadership verses management and the need for command and control nowadays, they are important concepts that every leader must be aware of to successfully guide their organization. In fact, they are the four pillars of every organization as they directly drive the organization. Used properly, the business will grow; used improperly, the business will sink.This blending gives the organization the ability to focus on opportunities and deal with threats: Leadership drives the interpersonal aspects of the organization, such as moral and team spirit. Management deals with the conceptual issues of the organization, such as planning and organizing. Command guides the organization with well thought-out visions that makes it effective. Control provides structure to the organization in order to make it more efficient. Command and Control While most people think of command as simply telling others what to do, it goes far beyond that.Command is the impar ting of a vision to the organization in order to achieve an end-goal. It does this by formulating a well-thought out vision and then clearly communicating it. Command emphasizes success and reward. That is, the organization has to be successful to survive and in turn reward its members (both intrinsically and extrinsically). Visions do not have to come from the top, but rather anywhere within the organization. Informal leaders are often good sources of visions; however, if the vision requires resources, then they normally need the support of a formal leader.In contrast, Control is the process used to establish and provide structure in order to deal with uncertainties. Visions normally produce change, which in turn produce tension. These uncertainties cause tensions that leaders must deal with so they do not impede the organization. This is far different from most people's conception in which they think of control as controlling others. Inherent in evaluation is efficiency—the act of examining the new tool often leads to processes that make it more efficient. This can be good because it can save money and often improve a tool or process.The danger of this is if the command process is weak and the control process is strong then it can make efficiency the end-goal. That is, it replaces effectiveness with efficiency. Leadership and Management Management's primary focus is on the conceptual side of the business, such as planning, organizing, and budgeting. It does the leg work to make visions reality. Do NOT equate the term â€Å"management† with â€Å"controlling people. † Management is more about ensuring that the organization's resources are allocated wisely, rather than trying to control people.In fact, good managers know that trying to control others is extremely difficult if not impossible. Management helps to acquire, integrate, and allocate resources in order to accomplish goals and task. In contrast, Leadership deals with the interpers onal relations such as being a teacher and coach, instilling organizational spirit to win, and serving the organization and workers. For more information read the rest of this guide on Leadership. The Synergy of the Four Pillars While all four processes have their place, they are not implemented separately, but rather in concert. Using the example of implementing a new  social media tool for increasing informal learning: Command communicates the vision or goal to the best people who can implement it.Throughout the process, it adjusts to new knowledge and refines the vision. Management allocates the resources and helps to organize the activities that will make it a reality. This is normally a continuous process, rather than a single activity. Leadership helps to guide, coach, and motivate the people to do their best throughout the entire process. Control looks for opportunities to reduce risks, which in turn makes the process more efficient. Leadership ModelsLeadership models help us to understand what makes leaders act the way they do. The ideal is not to lock yourself into a type of behavior discussed in the model, but to realize that every situation calls for a different approach or behavior to be taken. Two models will be discussed, Managerial Grid and the Four Framework Approach. Leadership Behavior Two large studies by universities found that two types of leader behaviors were important concepts in leadership skills. The first was at Ohio State University that identified these two behaviors (Stogdill, 1974): Consideration – relationship behaviors, such as respect and trust.Initiating Structure – task behaviors, such as organizing, scheduling, and seeing that work is completed. The second was at the University of Michigan that identified these two behaviors (Northouse, 2007): Employee Orientation – approaching employees with a strong human relations orientation. Production Orientation – stressing the technical and production a spect of the job. The researchers from Michigan State thought of these two behaviors at opposite end of a single continuum. Thus, a leader could be strong with one of these two behaviors, but would be weaker in the opposite one.The Ohio State studies viewed these two behaviors as distinct and independent. That is, a leader could be high or low in one or both. For example, in the U. S. Army one of the most important rules is to take care of your soldiers and complete the mission (task) — a leader should be good with both. Bad leaders can do neither or do one, but not the other. Managerial Grid Robert Blake and Jane Mouton (1985) placed the two behaviors on its own continuum and renamed them: 1. Concern for people 2. Concern for task or results The notion that just two dimensions can describe a managerial behavior has the attraction of simplicity.By asking a leader a series of questions would place her at a particular point on the two continuums, which in turn, would place the leader into one of four leadership types: Authoritarian — strong on tasks, weak on people skills Country Club — strong on people skills, weak on tasks Impoverished — weak on tasks, weak on people skills Team Leader — strong on tasks, strong on people skills The goal to good leadership is to score at least a 6 on both task and people, which would place the leader in the Team Leader grid. The four leadership types are discussed in more detail below. Authoritarian Leader (high task, low relationship)Leaders who get this rating are very much task oriented and are hard on their workers (autocratic). There is little or no allowance for cooperation or collaboration. Authoritarian leaders mostly display these characteristics: they are very strong on schedules; they expect people to do what they are told without question or debate; when something goes wrong they tend to focus on who is to blame rather than concentrate on exactly what is wrong and how to prevent it ; they are intolerant of what they see as dissent (it may just be someone's creativity), thus it is difficult for their subordinates to contribute or develop.Team Leader (high task, high relationship) These leaders lead by positive example and endeavor to foster a team environment so that all team members can reach their highest potential, both as team members and as people. They encourage the team to reach goals as effectively as possible, while also working tirelessly to strengthen the bonds among the various members. They normally form and lead some of the most productive teams. Country Club Leader (low task, high relationship) These leaders predominantly use reward power to maintain discipline and to encourage the team to accomplish its goals.Conversely, they are almost incapable of employing the more punitive coercive and legitimate powers. This inability results from fear that using such powers could jeopardize relationships with the other team members. Impoverished Leader (lo w task, low relationship) These leaders use a â€Å"delegate and disappear† management style. Since they are not committed to either task accomplishment or maintenance; they essentially allow their team to do whatever it wishes and prefer to detach themselves from the team process by allowing the team to suffer from a series of power struggles within the group. Four Framework ApproachStructural Framework Structural Leaders focus on structure, strategy, environment, implementation, experimentation, and adaptation. In an effective leadership situation, the leader is a social architect whose leadership style is analysis and design. While in an ineffective leadership situation, the leader is a petty tyrant whose leadership style is details. Human Resource Framework Human Resource Leaders believe in people and communicate that belief; they are visible and accessible; they empower, increase participation, support, share information, and move decision making down into the organizati on.In an effective leadership situation, the leader is a catalyst and servant whose leadership style is support, advocating, and empowerment. While in an ineffective leadership situation, the leader is a pushover, whose leadership style is abdication and fraud. Political Framework Political leaders clarify what they want and what they can get; assess the distribution of power and interests, build linkages to other stakeholders, use persuasion first, then use negotiation and coercion only if necessary. In an effective leadership situation, the leader is an advocate, whose leadership style is coalition and building.While in an ineffective leadership situation, the leader is a hustler, whose leadership style is manipulation. Symbolic Framework Symbolic leaders view organizations as a stage or theater to play certain roles and give impressions, use symbols to capture attention, frame experience by providing plausible interpretations of experiences, discover and communicate a vision. In an effective leadership situation, the leader is a prophet, whose leadership style is inspiration. While in an ineffective leadership situation, the leader is a fanatic or fool, whose leadership style is smoke and mirrors. Leading & LeadershipYour thinking skills can be considered directional skills because they set the direction for your organization. They provide vision, purpose, and goal definition. These are your eyes and ears to the future, allowing you to recognize the need for change, when to make it, how to implement it, and how to manage it. You find a vision by reaching for any available reason to change, grow, and improve. Just as you perform preventive maintenance on your car, you must perform preventive maintenance on your organization. Do NOT believe in the old adage, â€Å"If it ain't broke, don't fix it,† for the people who do, go broke!Treat every project as a change effort. Treat every job as a new learning experience. Goals Good organizations convey a stron g vision of where they will be in the future. As a leader, you have to get your people to trust you and be sold on your vision. Using the leadership tools described in this guide and being honest and fair in all you do will provide you with the ammo you need to gain their trust. To sell them on your vision, you need to possess energy and display a positive attitude that is contagious. People want a strong vision of where they are going.No one wants to be stuck in a dead-end company going nowhere†¦Ã‚  or a company headed in the wrong direction. They want to be involved with a winner! And your people are the ones who will get you to that goal. You cannot do it alone! When setting goals, keep these points in mind: They should be realistic and attainable. They should improve the organization (morale, monetary, etc. ). As many people as possible should be involved in the goal-setting process (they will feel a sense of ownership that will drive them to achieve it).A process should be developed to achieve each goal. There are four characteristics of goal setting (U. S.  Army Handbook, 1973): Goal Difficulty: Increasing your employees' goal difficulty increases their challenges and enhances the amount of effort expended to achieve them. The more difficult goals lead to increased performance if they seem feasible. If they seem too high, employees will give up when they fail to achieve them. Goal Specificity: When given specific goals, employees tend to perform higher. Telling them to do their best or giving no guidance increases ambiguity about what is expected. Employees need a set goal or model in order to display the correct behavior. Feedback: Providing feedback enhances the effects of goal setting.Performance feedback keeps their behavior directed on the right target and encourages them to work harder to achieve the goal. Participation in Goal Setting: Employees who participate in the process, generally set higher goals than if the goals were set for them. It also affects their belief that the goals are obtainable and increases their motivation to achieve them. The Six Steps of Goal Setting Although finding a vision can be quite a creative challenge, the process of getting that vision implemented can be fairly easy if you follow the six steps of: Vision —> Goals —> Objectives —> Tasks —> Timelines —> Follow-up Step 1 – VisionThe first step in setting goals and priorities is to personally develop what the organization should look like at some point in the future — a vision. A junior leader, such as a supervisor or line manager, will mainly be concerned with a department, section, or small group of people. While senior leaders set the vision for the entire organization. However, both types of visions need to support the organization's goals. The mission of the organization is crucial in determining your vision. Your vision needs to coincide with the big picture. The term â€Å"visionâ₠¬  suggests a mental picture of what the future organization will look like.The concept also implies a later time horizon. This time horizon tends to be mid to long term in nature, focusing normally on 1/2 to 5 years in the future for visions affecting the entire organization. However, leaders such as supervisors or line managers tend to have shorter time horizon visions —normally a few months to a year. Step 2 – Goals The second step involves establishing goals, with the active participation of the team. Goals are also stated in unmeasurable terms, but they are more focused. For example, â€Å"The organization must reduce transportation costs. † This establishes the framework of the your vision.Step 3 – Objectives Definable objectives provide a way of measuring the movement towards vision achievement. This is the real strategy of turning visions into reality. It is the crossover mechanism between your forecast of the future and the envisioned, desired f uture. Objectives are stated in precise, measurable terms such as â€Å"By the end of the next quarter, the shipping department will use one parcel service for shipping items at or under 100 pounds and one motor carrier for shipping items over a 100 pounds. † The aim is to get general ownership by the entire team. Step 4 – TasksThe fourth step is to determine the tasks. Tasks are the means for accomplishing objectives. Tasks are concrete, measurable events that must occur. An example might be, â€Å"The transportation coordinator will obtain detailed shipping rates from at least 10 motor carriers. † Step 5 – Timelines This step establishes a priority for the tasks. Since time is precious and many tasks must be accomplished before another can begin, establishing priorities helps your team to determine the order in which the tasks must be accomplished and by what date. For example, â€Å"The shipping rates will be obtained by May 9. † Step 6 – Follow-upThe final step is to follow-up, measure, and check to see if the team is doing what is required. This kind of leader involvement validates that the stated priorities are worthy of action. For the leader it demonstrates her commitment to see the matter through to a successful conclusion. Also, note that validating does not mean micro-managing. Micro-management places no trust in others, where as following-up determines if the things that need to get done are in fact getting done. Supervision for Leaders Supervision is keeping a grasp on the situation and ensuring that plans and policies are implemented properly (U. S.Army Handbook,1973). It includes giving instructions and inspecting the accomplishment of a task. There is a narrow band of adequate supervision. On one side of the band is over-supervision (micro-management); and on the other side is under-supervision. Over-supervision stifles initiative, breeds resentment, and lowers morale and motivation. Under-supervision l eads to miscommunication, lack of coordination, and the perception by subordinates that the leader does not care. However, all employees can benefit from appropriate supervision by seniors with more knowledge and experience who normally tend to see the situation more objectively.Evaluating is part of supervising. It is defined as judging the worth, quality, or significance of people, ideas, or things (U. S. Army Handbook,1973, p304). It includes looking at the ways people are accomplishing a task. It means getting feedback on how well something is being done and interpreting that feedback. People need feedback so that they can judge their performance. Without it, they will keep performing tasks wrong, or stop performing the steps that makes their work great. Inspiring Your Employees Getting people to accomplish something is much easier if they have the inspiration to do so.Inspire means â€Å"to breathe life into. † And in order to perform that, we have to have some life ours elves. Three main actions will aid you in accomplishing this: 1. Be passionate: In organizations where the is a leader with great enthusiasm about a project, a trickle-down effect will occur. You must be committed to the work you are doing. 2. Get your employees involved in the decision making process: People who are involved in the decision making process participate much more enthusiastically than those who just carry out a boss' order. Help them contribute and tell them you value their opinions.Listen to them and incorporate their ideas when it makes sense to so. 3. Know what your organization is about! : The fundamental truth, as General Creighton W. Abrams used to say in the mid-1970s, is that â€Å"the Army is not made up of people. The Army is people. Every decision we make is a people issue. † Your organization is the same. It may make a product or sell a service, but it is still people! A leader's primary responsibility is to develop people and enable them to reach t heir full potential. Your people may come from diverse backgrounds, but they all have goals they want to accomplish.Create a â€Å"people environment† where they truly can be all they can be. Training and Coaching As a leader you must view coaching from two different viewpoints: 1) coaching to lead others and 2) being coached to achieve self-improvement. Training and coaching are two different things, although some people use them interchangeably. Training is a structured lesson designed to provide the employee with the knowledge and skills to perform a task. Coaching, on the other hand, is a process designed to help the employee gain greater competence and to overcome barriers so as to improve job performance.You might picture it as when you were in school. During physical education, the gym teacher (trainer) taught you how to play basketball. Next you went out for the school team. You had a basic understanding of the game and its rules, but the coach personally taught you ( coaching) the finer points of the game. Training and coaching go hand-in-hand. First you train people with lots of technical support, and then you coach them with motivational pointers. Both training and coaching help to create the conditions that cause someone to learn and develop.People learn by the examples of others, by forming a picture in their minds of what they are trying to learn, by gaining and understanding necessary information, by applying it to their job, and/or practice. Both coaching and training have a few points in common: Evaluate to determine knowledge, skill, and confidence levels. Define objectives that can be measured periodically. It helps to break them down into step-by-step actions (action steps). Clarify direction, goals, and accountability. To foster accountability, involve the person or team in the decision making.Encourage peer coaching by reminding them that everyone has a stake in each other's success. Coaching is more than telling people how to do so mething, it involves giving advice, skill-building, creating challenges, removing performance barriers, building better processes, learning through discovery (the aha method), etc. Deal with emotional obstacles by helping them through change, reviewing and pointing out ways that they hold themselves back, comforting them when they become confused, etc. Give feedback by pointing and hinting towards solutions; try to stay away from critiquing errors. Lead by example! demonstrate the desired behaviors.Learning The first condition of learning is that the person must be motivated to learn. You cannot teach knowledge or skills to people who are not motivated to learn. They must feel the need to learn what you are teaching. Most employees are motivated to do a good job. They want to be able to perform their tasks correctly. Their motivation is being able to perform their job to standards in return for a paycheck, benefits, challenges, job satisfaction, etc. The next condition of learning i s to involve them in the process. Keep their attention by actively involving their minds and emotions in the learning process.Have them participate through active practice of the skill or through discussion. You cannot keep their attention with a long lecture. Normally, people pay attention for a short time — less than 30 minutes. They need to use what is being taught or their minds will wander. If you lecture for an hour, very little will be remembered. Instead, give a brief lecture (less than 10 minutes), demonstrate, and then have them practice. Provide feedback throughout the practice session until they can do it on their own. If it is a large complicated task, then break it down into short learning steps. The Five Points of Leadership PowerAl Capone once said that â€Å"You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone. † However, while almost anyone can use power, it takes skill to use leadership. Leadership power is much mor e than the use of force. Leadership is influencing others to truly WANT to achieve a goal, while power forces others to achieve a goal. Power refers to a capacity that a person has to influence the behavior of another so that he or she acts in accordance with the his or her' wishes. This power is a capacity or potential as it implies a potential that need not be actualized to be effective.That is, a power may exist, but does not have to be used to be effective. For example, an officer in the Army has certain powers over enlisted personal, but that power does not have to used to be effective. The mere knowledge of an officer's power by an enlisted person has some influence over him or her. Coercive Power — Power that is based on fear. A person with coercive power can make things difficult for people. These are the people that you want to avoid getting angry. Employees working under a coercive manager are unlikely to be committed, and more likely to resist the manager.Reward Po wer — Compliance achieved based on the ability to distribute rewards that others view as valuable. Able to give special benefits or rewards to people. You might find it advantageous to trade favors with him or her. Legitimate Power — The power a person receives as a result of his or her position in the formal hierarchy of an organization. The person has the right, considering his or her position and your job responsibilities, to expect you to comply with legitimate requests. Expert Power — Influence based on special skills or knowledge. This person earns respect by experience and knowledge.Expert power is the most strongly and consistently related to effective employee performance. Referent Power — Influence based on possession by an individual or desirable resources or personal traits. This is often thought of as charisma, charm, or admiration. You like the person and enjoy doing things for him or her. Raven (1965) later came up with a sixth power, Infor mational: Providing information to others that result in them thinking or taking acting in a new way. Knowing this points of power allow you to determine what you and others have available in order to achieve full negotiation skills. Leadership & DirectionThe PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) Cycle was developed by Dr. Walter Shewhart as a plan of action for creating processes and products. It is a four-step method that uses not only direction and control to execute, but also provide an iterative process for continuous improvement: It is often called the Shewhart Cycle or Deming wheel. While the four steps of the cycle look easy, it actually takes a lot of work by all team members to complete the cycle correctly. One of Shewhart's students, W. Edwards Deming later used it extensively, thus the PDCA cycle is often known as the Deming Wheel (Smith, Hawkins, 2004).Deming used a modified version—PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) as he believed study (analysis) provided a better description t han check. A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline. And that goal will remain a dream unless you create and execute a plan of action to accomplish it. Every goal that gets accomplished has a good plan behind of it. — Harvey Mackay Plan Good plans start with a brainstorming session that includes all the people involved with the project. This allows everyone to be part of the solution, in addition to gathering the best ideas.Two key questions must be asked when planning (Army Handbook, 1973): What are all the ingredients necessary for its successful execution? What are all the possible forces or events that could hinder or destroy it? As much as possible, get all the answers to these questions. Listen carefully to the judgment of your team. Then plan the positive forces and events, and then take action to prevent any obstructions that might hinder the project. A detailed plan normally includes the who, what, when, where, how, and why: Who does it i nvolve and who will do what? What are we going to do? What will happen if we do not do it?When does it start and end? Where will it take place? How will it take place? Why must we do it? Also, the plan must be organized. Organizing is the process of creating and maintaining the conditions for effectively executing plans. It involves systematically defining and arranging each task with respect to the achievement of the objective. It includes three major steps: Determine all tasks Set up a structure to accomplish all tasks Allocate resources All essential information must be brought out. It is also important to consider timing—when each task must be started and completed. A helpful approach is to use â€Å"backward planning.†Look at each goal and decide what must be done to reach it. In this way you plan from the moment of the project ending point and then work your way back to the present in order to determine what must be accomplished for each condition. Backward plann ing simply means looking at the big picture first, and then planning all tasks, conditions, and details in a logical sequence to make the big picture happen. Include all the details of support, time schedule, equipment, coordination, and required checks. Your team must try to think of every possible situation that will help or hinder the project.Once the process of mentally building the project has begun, the activities will come easily to mind. Now, organize all these details into categories, such as needs, supplies, support, equipment, coordination, major tasks, etc. List all the details under the categories. Create a to-do list for each category. This list will become the checklist to ensure everything is progressing as planned. Do Your team cannot do everything at once; some tasks are more important than others while others have to be accomplished before another task can begin. Set priorities for each checkpoint and assign someone to perform each task on the list.Develop a syste m for checking each other and ensuring that each task is accomplished on time. Plan for obtaining all the required resources and allocate them out. Not having the required resources can stop a project dead in its tracks. For this reason you must closely track and monitor costly or hard to get resources. Trial the plan through a prototype (experimental scale). This allows you to actually check the plan on a small scale. Check or Study Throughout the project's execution there are three things that you must be involved in: standards, performance, and adjustments.The standard means, â€Å"is this project being completed or accomplished as planned? Are all the check marks being completed as stated in the planning process? The standard, which is set, must mean the same to you and your people. Performance is measured by completing the tasks and objectives correctly. While the standard relates to the project, performance relates to the people working on the project. If performance does not meet standards, then adjustments can be made in two ways—improve the performance or lower the standards. Most of the time, improving the performance is the appropriate choice.However, a leader may face a situation where the standard is unrealistic or costly, which means it may be lowered. This is usually caused by poor estimates or the inability to obtain the proper resources. Act Now you are ready to execute the plan. If your plans are solid, things will go smoothly. If your plans are faulty, then you might have a very long and hard project ahead of you! Problem Solving There are seven basics steps to problem solving (Butler, Gillian, Hope, 1996): 1. Identify the problem: You cannot solve something if you do not know what the problem is.Ensure you have identified the real problem, not an effect of another problem. One method is the â€Å"five why's. † You ask why five times. By the time you get to the fifth why, you should have found the ultimate cause of the problem . 2. Gather information: Investigate the problem and uncover any other hidden effects that the problem may have caused. 3. Develop courses of action: Notice that courses is plural. For every problem there are usually several possible courses of action. Identify as many as you can. There are always at least two: fix it or don't fix it.Brainstorming with your team will normally generate the most and best courses of action. 4. Analyze and compare courses of action: Rank the courses of action as to their effectiveness. Some actions may fix other problems, while others may cause new problems. 5. Make a decision: Select the best course of action to take. 6. Make a plan: Use the planning tool covered in the first part of the section. 7. Implement the plan: Take the steps to put the plan into action. The Communication Process Communicating with others involves three primary steps: Thought: First, information exists in the mind of the sender.This can be a concept, idea, information, or feeli ngs. Encoding: Next, a message is sent to a receiver in words or other symbols. Decoding: Lastly, the receiver translates the words or symbols into a concept or information that he or she can understand. During the transmitting of the message, two elements will be received: content and context. Content is the actual words or symbols of the message that is known as language — the spoken and written words combined into phrases that make grammatical and semantic sense. We all use and interpret the meanings of words differently, so even simple messages can be misunderstood.And many words have different meanings to confuse the issue even more. Context is the way the message is delivered and is known as paralanguage — it is the nonverbal elements in speech such as the tone of voice, the look in the sender's eyes, body language, hand gestures, and state of emotions (anger, fear, uncertainty, confidence, etc. ) that can be detected. Although paralanguage or context often cause messages to be misunderstood as we believe what we see more than what we hear; they are powerful communicators that help us to understand each other. Indeed, we often trust the accuracy of nonverbal behaviors more than verbal behaviors.Barriers to Communication Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood. — Freeman Teague, Jr. Anything that prevents understanding of the message is a barrier to communication. Many physical and psychological barriers exist: Culture, background, and bias — We allow our past experiences to change the meaning of the message. Our culture, background, and bias can be good as they allow us to use our past experiences to understand something new, it is when they change the meaning of the message that they interfere with the communication process. Noise — Equipment or environmental noise impedes clear communication.The sender and the receiver must both be able to concentrate on the messages being sent to each other. Ourselves â €” Focusing on ourselves, rather than the other person can lead to confusion and conflict. The â€Å"Me Generation† must be tossed aside for effective communication to occur. Some of the factors that cause this are defensiveness (we feel someone is attacking us), superiority (we feel we know more that the other), and ego (we feel we are the center of the activity).Perception — If we feel the person is talking too fast, not fluently, does not articulate clearly, etc., we may dismiss the person. Also our preconceived attitudes affect our ability to listen. We may listen uncritically to persons of high status and dismiss those of low status. Message — Distractions happen when we focus on the facts rather than the idea being communicated. Our educational institutions reinforce this with tests and questions. Semantic distractions occur when a word is used differently than you prefer. For example, the word chairman instead of chairperson, may cause you to focus on the word rather than the message.Environmental — Bright lights, an attractive person, unusual sights, or any other stimulus provides a potential distraction. Smothering — We take it for granted that the impulse to send useful information is automatic. Not true! Too often we believe that certain information has no value to others or they are already aware of the facts. Stress — People do not see things the same way when under stress. What we see and believe at a given moment is influenced by our psychological frames of references — our beliefs, values, knowledge, experiences, and goals. Active ListeningHearing and listening are not the same thing. Hearing is the act of perceiving sound. It is involuntary and simply refers to the reception of aural stimuli. Listening is a selective activity which involves the reception and the interpretation of aural stimuli. It involves decoding the sound into meaning. Listening is divided into two main categories: passiv e and active. Passive listening is little more that hearing. It occurs when the receiver of the message has little motivation to listen carefully, such as we often do when listening to music, television, or when being polite.Nonverbal Behaviors of Communication Eye contact: This helps to regulate the flow of communication. It signals interest in others and increases the speaker's credibility. People who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth, and credibility. Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm and approachable. Smiling is often contagious and people will react favorably.They will be more comfortable around you and will want to listen more. Gestures: If you fail to gesture while speaking you may be perceived as boring and stiff. A lively speaking style captures the listener's attention, m akes the conversation more interesting, and facilitates understanding. Posture and body orientation: You communicate numerous messages by the way you talk and move. Standing erect and leaning forward communicates to listeners that you are approachable, receptive and friendly. Interpersonal closeness results when you and the listener face each other.Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided as it communicates disinterest. Proximity: Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with others. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading the other person's space. Some of these are: rocking, leg swinging, tapping, and gaze aversion. Vocal: Speaking can signal nonverbal communication when you include such vocal elements as: tone, pitch, rhythm, timbre, loudness, and inflection. For maximum teaching effectiveness, learn to vary these six elements of your voice.One of the major criticisms of many speakers is that they speak in a monotone voice. Listeners perceive this type of speaker as boring and dull. Motivation and Drive A person's motivation is a combination of desire and energy directed at achieving a goal. It is the cause of action. Influencing someone's motivation means getting them to want to do what you know must be done. (U. S. Army Handbook, 1973) A person's motivation depends upon two things: The strength of certain needs. For example, you are hungry, but you must have a task completed by a nearing deadline. If you are starving you will eat.If you are slightly hungry you will finish the task at hand. The perception that taking a certain action will help satisfy those needs. For example, you have two burning needs — the desire to complete the task and the desire to go to lunch. Your perception of how you view those two needs will determine which one takes priority. If you believe that you could be fired for not completing the task, you will probably put off lunch and complete t he task. If you believe that you will not get into trouble or perhaps finish the task in time, then you will likely go to lunch.Allow the needs of your team to coincide with the needs of your organization Nearly everyone is influenced by the needs for job security, promotion, raises, and approval of their peers and/or leaders. They are also influenced by internal forces such as values morals, and ethics. Likewise, the organization needs good people in a wide variety of jobs. Ensure that your team is trained, encouraged, and has opportunities to advance. Also, ensure that the way you conduct business has the same values, moral, and ethic principles that you seek in others.If you conduct business in a dishonest manner, your team will be dishonest to you, for that will be the kind of people that you will attract. Reward good behavior Although a certificate, letter, or a thank you may seem small and insignificant, they can be powerful motivators. The reward should be specific and prompt . Do not say something general, such as â€Å"for doing a good job,† rather cite the specific action that made you believe it was indeed a good job. Set the example You must be the role model that you want others to grow into.As Mahatma Gandhi said, â€Å"We must become the change we want to see. † Develop morale and esprit de corps Morale is the mental, emotional, and spiritual state of a person. Almost everything you do will have an impact on your organization. You should always be aware how your actions and decisions might affect it. Esprit de corps means team spirit — it is defined as the spirit of the organization or collective body (in French it literally means â€Å"spirit of the body†). It is the consciousness of the organization that allows the people within it to identify with and feel a part of.Is your workplace a place where people cannot wait to get away from; or is it a place that people enjoy spending a part of their lives? Allow your team to be part of the planning and problem solving process This helps with their development and allows you to coach them. Secondly, it motivates them — people who are part of the decision making process become the owners of it, thus it gives them a personal interest in seeing the plan succeed. Thirdly, communication is clearer as everyone has a better understanding of what role they must play as part of the team. Next, it creates an open trusting communication bond.They are no longer just the doers for the organization — they are now part of it! Finally, recognition and appreciation from a respected leader are powerful motivators. Look out for your team Although you do not have control over their personal lives, you must show concern for them. Things that seem of no importance to you might be extremely critical to them. You must be able to empathize with them. This is from the German word, einfuhling, which means â€Å"to feel with†, or the ability to perceive anot her person's view of the world as though that view were your own.The Sioux Indian Tribal Prayer reads, â€Å"Great Spirit, help us never to judge another until we have walked for two weeks in his moccasins. † Also note that empathy differs from sympathy in that sympathy connotes spontaneous emotion rather than a conscious, reasoned response. Sympathizing with others may be less useful to another person if we are limited by the strong feelings of the moment. Character and Traits in Leadership Building Excellence To be an effective leader, your followers must have trust in you and they need to be sold on your vision.Korn-Ferry International, an executive search company, performed a survey on what organizations want from their leaders. The respondents said they wanted people who were both ethical and who convey a strong vision of the future. In any organization, a leader's actions set the pace. This behavior wins trust, loyalty, and ensures the organization's continued vitality. One of the ways to build trust is to display a good sense of character composed of beliefs, values, skills, and traits (U. S. Army Handbook, 1973): Beliefs are what we hold dear to us and are rooted deeply within us.They could be assumptions or convictions that you hold true regarding people, concepts, or things. They could be the beliefs about life, death, religion, what is good, what is bad, what is human nature, etc. Values are attitudes about the worth of people, concepts, or things. For example, you might value a good car, home, friendship, personal comfort, or relatives. Values are important as they influence a person's behavior to weigh the importance of alternatives. For example, you might value friends more than privacy, while others might be the opposite.Skills are the knowledge and abilities that a person gains throughout life. The ability to learn a new skill varies with each individual. Some skills come almost naturally, while others come only by complete devotion to s tudy and practice. Traits are distinguishing qualities or characteristics of a person, while character is the sum total of these traits. There are hundreds of personality traits, far too many to be discussed here. Instead, we will focus on a few that are crucial for a leader. The more of these you display as a leader, the more your followers will believe and trust in you. Traits of a Good LeaderCompiled by the Santa Clara University and the Tom Peters Group: Honest — Display sincerity, integrity, and candor in all your actions. Deceptive behavior will not inspire trust. Competent — Base your actions on reason and moral principles. Do not make decisions based on childlike emotional desires or feelings. Forward-looking — Set goals and have a vision of the future. The vision must be owned throughout the organization. Effective leaders envision what they want and how to get it. They habitually pick priorities stemming from their basic values. Inspiring — Disp lay confidence in all that you do.By showing endurance in mental, physical, and spiritual stamina, you will inspire others to reach for new heights. Take charge when necessary. Intelligent — Read, study, and seek challenging assignments. Fair-minded — Show fair treatment to all people. Prejudice is the enemy of justice. Display empathy by being sensitive to the feelings, values, interests, and well-being of others. Broad-minded — Seek out diversity. Courageous — Have the perseverance to accomplish a goal, regardless of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Display a confident calmness when under stress.Straightforward — Use sound judgment to make a good decisions at the right time. Imaginative — Make timely and appropriate changes in your thinking, plans, and methods. Show creativity by thinking of new and better goals, ideas, and solutions to problems. Be innovative! Attributes Attributes establish what leaders are, and every leader needs at least three of them (U. S. Army Handbook, 1973): Standard Bearers establish the ethical framework within an organization. This demands a commitment to live and defend the climate and culture that you want to permeate your organization.What you set as an example will soon become the rule as unlike knowledge, ethical behavior is learned more by observing than by listening. And in fast moving situations, examples become certainty. Being a standard bearer creates trust and openness in your employees, who in turn, fulfill your visions. Developers help others learn through teaching, training, and coaching. This creates an exciting place to work and learn. Never miss an opportunity to teach or learn something new yourself. Coaching suggests someone who cares enough to get involved by encouraging and developing others who are less experienced.Employees who work for developers know that they can take risks, learn by making mistakes, and winning in the end. Integrators orchestrate the man y activities that take place throughout an organization by providing a view of the future and the ability to obtain it. Success can only be achieved when there is a unity of effort. Integrators have a sixth sense about where problems will occur and make their presence felt during critical times. They know that their employees do their best when they are left to work within a vision-based framework.

“Bold Girls” by Rona Munro Essay

In her drama â€Å"Bold Girls†, Rona Munro has created a relevant and inspiring legacy of war-torn Northern Ireland. Her drama depicts the daily struggles and predicaments faced by four particular women, who seem to thrive on their fantasies and illusions all except Deirdre who is marked out as different from the drama’s beginning: â€Å"Deirdre is not in this room, she’s crouching on all fours on her own talking out of darkness in which only her face is visible.† Introduced as a surreal and somewhat eerie character it is no surprise that Deirdre contrasts greatly with the three other women. It is her persistent search for the truth that polarises her from the others and causes her to be at odds with them as they shut out truth and cushion themselves with their idealistic dreams. This idea of fantasy versus reality is a main concern within the play, and it is through monologues and stage direction that we are allowed a deeper understanding of each character’s situation and of the play’s themes. A particular monologue of Deirdre’s undoubtedly confirms that her search for truth will result in the hurt of others and possible confrontations and violent conflicts: â€Å"The lights change I need a knife a wee blade of my own†¦It was the knife he was talking about. It was the truth. I thought I’d like that. A wee bit of hard truth you could hold in your hand and point where you liked. The lights change† I believe this monologue verifies Deirdre’s role as â€Å"catalyst†. By this point we have been introduced to all four women and to their dreams and fantasies, which Deirdre’s â€Å"wee blade† of truth threatens to destroy. Deirdre’s yearning for the truth causes her to kill these dreams, bringing the three idealistic women crashing back to the harsh reality that surrounds them. Deirdre’s conflict is greatest with the central character, Marie. Compared with Cassie and Nora’s materialistic dreams of redecorating her living room (Nora) and leaving Belfast (Cassie), Marie’s delusions of her late husband’s heroic acts and credibility are not as empty as her friends’. These dreams are instilled within objects in the womens’ homes; for example Nora’s dream is symbolised by a â€Å"peach polyester mix†, Cassie’s by a wad of money hidden behind Michel’s photograph and Marie’s by a â€Å"grainy blow up† of her late husband, Michael. As the play progresses it becomes apparent that Deirdre is intent on destroying each character’s dream, but I think it is also suggested that she is somewhat linked with Marie and her dream. Munro again makes use of symbolism to connect these two characters. For example, Deirdre’s mini dress is reminiscent of Marie’s wedding dress: â€Å"Then other times she looks like me†¦you remember that dress I was married in, that wee white mini-dress?†¦She stands. And stares.† I believe it is as though Munro is depicting Deirdre as a ghost of Marie’s past. This becomes relevant later in the play when Deirdre reveals to Marie that she is in fact Michael’s daughter. The simple observation of Deirdre standing alone at the bottom of the path reflects how she appears isolated from the others in her search for truth; she longs to exploit the truth and become part of the family unit maintained by the three other women: â€Å"I’m wet, I’m cold. I want to get inside†¦I want to get inside. Can’t keep me out.† This monologue has quite a threatening undertone , it is as though Deirdre’s isolation causes her distress. I believe also that the use of â€Å"wet† and â€Å"cold† highlight the harsh environment and the fact that Deirdre is unloved. I think all of these factors – isolation and the longing for truth – cause Deirdre to act as catalyst. In taking on this role, Deirdre threatens to destroy the fellow women’s dreams. Her first act as catalyst is when she steals Cassie’s money hence ruining her dream of escape and freedom. Deirdre makes obvious to the reader that Cassie’s materialistic dream is false and unobtainable in a short, eerie monologue: â€Å"The whole town’s a prison, smash chunks off the wall ’cause we’re all in a prison.† Cassie’s dream of escape is obviously unrealistic and false and I believe Deidre’s destruction of the dream validates this idea. Deirdre also appears to be in conflict with Nora, Cassie’s mother, a she goes on to use her â€Å"wee blade of truth† to shed Nora’s â€Å"shiny peach polyester† fabric and ultimately her dream: â€Å"Deirdre†¦looks at the broad, smooth stretch of material then starts to slash at it, ripping it, trampling it till she’s breathless.† Deirdre’s violent reactions I believe show what harsh and abusive situations she has been exposed to. She desires to know the truth so much, that she finds happiness in destroying the illusions and fantasies of others, forcing them to face their reality and embrace the truth. Although Cassie and Nora do avoid the truth that their materialistic hopes will always elude them, it is Marie’s complete glossing over of the truth that causes her to be most at odds with Deirdre. Her lullaby that she uses to calm her son for example, shows how dependant she is on her delusions about Michael: â€Å"Your daddy was a good man and a brave man†¦that’s what keeps us all together, keeps me going, keeps me strong†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Marie finds comfort in her deluded memories of Michael. I believe this blanking of the truth angers Deirdre and causes her to react violently and destructively toward Marie and her dreams: â€Å"Deirdre hurls the clothes at her. She snatches the knife out of the chair and waves the blade at Marie. She advances on her slowly. I want the truth out of you. I mean it.† This I believe is symbolic in showing that Deirdre uses the truth as a harmful device and that Marie is threatened by its potential exposure. Marie’s reaction is shocking and uncharacteristic of her gentle, nurturing nature – she takes Michael’s picture and using Deirdre’s knife, destroys it. Marie in turn destroys Deirdre’s dream of knowing the truth about her father. These two characters, who are at the greatest point in their conflict portray through their actions the main concerns of the text – reality versus illusion – reality conquers over dreams and pointless fantasies. The unveiling of the truth brings these two closer together allowing them to reconcile. The conclusion of the play suggests hope and optimism for the recovery of these women. They share in a special, ritual feeding of the birds, their relationship to emulate that of a mother and daughter: â€Å"Did you ever feed the birds, Deirdre? â€Å"No† â€Å"I like the common wee birds†¦you’d need to be something special to build a nest around the Falls. Someone should feed them.† â€Å" Deirdre and Marie’s conflict is resolved by Marie’s embracing of the truth that she has for so long avoided. The central idea of â€Å"Bold Girls† of reality versus dreams is made obvious by the characters’ actions, they cope by padding their harsh reality and cushioning themselves with fantasies and illusions. These qualities are instilled within the characters of the play, Marie, Cassie and Nora thrive on fantasies and dreams; whereas Deirdre lives for the truth. The opposing forces I feel cause the characters to be in conflict with each other. Their compromising situations and contrasting ideas about reality create friction between the opposing characters of Deirdre and Marie. Munro expertly uses stage direction, soliloquy and the opposing forces of truth and fantasy to make apparent the concerns of the text and to heighten my personal appreciation of their importance in these womens’ lives.