Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Career Development Plan Summary

Kudler Fine Foods is creating new responsibilities for certain teams within the organization. The team that I am responsible for will begin ordering for the Bakeries of all three stores. This is a role that Kathy Kudler has previously held. The responsibility that my team currently has for Kudler Fine Foods is to run the Bakery of the La Jolla, California, store. The team will increase from four to nine employees. This report will provide an explanation of the current and new job responsibilities. Training requirements for the existing and new employees will be provided. The performance evaluation process for both individual associates, and as a team will be reviewed. Challenges that may be presented with the evaluation process will be included. Items such as incentives, benefit packages, career development, and compensation plan will conclude this report. Current and New Roles The Bakery Team of La Jolla’s store currently consists of four employees plus myself. Jeff Lynch and Sue Anderson are both lead Bakers. April Cox and Sarah Byrd are the Bakery Sales associates. The team members who will be ordering for the other two stores will work from the store for which they will be placing orders. The exception will be that they will be expected to attend the bi-weekly team meeting that will be held at the La Jolla store. The new roles added are described below. First Level Manager: Tracey Willingham will fill this role. Tracey has been with Kudler Fine Foods since Kathy Kudler opened the La Jolla Store. She has held many positions during this time. She has a vast knowledge of all areas of the store and will be an asset to the team. She will be the manager of both existing and new associates. Order Clerk for La Jolla Store: Sarah Ross was selected for this role as she has also been with the La Jolla store since the beginning. She began as a cashier and has advanced to her current position of Lead Sales Associate for the Wine Division of the La Jolla Store. Order Clerk for the Del Mar Store: April Fett is new to Kudler Fine Foods. She has experience working with Fine Foods stores in the New York area. She has recently moved to California to be closer to her family. April will continue in this role once the Del Mar store is closed and the transition is made to the Carlsbad store. Order Clerk for Encinitas Store: Jesse Driscoll will be responsible for placing the orders for the Encinitas store. Jesse worked for Kudler Fine Foods when he was in high school as a stocker. He has completed college and will return to Kudler Fine Foods in this new role. Trainer, Reports, Backup: The last position to be filled in the reorganization of the team is to be filled by Mary Johnson. Mary has been with Kudler Fine Foods for three years. She has had experience as a Baking, Fruit, and Wine Sales Associate. She will be responsible for providing training to those who will be ordering. She will also be responsible for tracking the ordering process of all three stores. She will keep Tracey and myself updated each week with the orders that have been placed by each store as well as any trends she finds while creating the reports. Mary will also be a backup order associate for Sarah, April and Jesse when they are take vacation time. Training Plans Because Kathy has always covered the ordering for all stores, our first training steps will be for Mary to spend time with Kathy over the next month to learn the ordering process. After completing this training, the next week she will refresh her memory of how the Bakery operates. Her days will be split between time with the Bakers and the Sales Associates. During this time, she will also ask customers for any suggestions of items they want to see at the Bakery, so that the team can consider making improvements to the items offered. After Mary has finished spending time becoming familiar with what the Bakeries in each store are responsible for and how the ordering process works, she will take two weeks to create training plans. I have asked Mary to create two different training plans. The first will be held for the new members of the team and will provide training of the Bakery process. The second will be held for the current team members so an understanding of the new roles is provided. Tracey and Mary will spend time with each associate after the training sessions are held to provide coaching sessions. April and Jesse will also have online training sessions to complete within the first two weeks of their employment. The courses to be taken will be those required for all associates to complete. The name of the courses are Ethics, Diversity, and Business Conduct. Kathy is also planning a new training course for associates of all stores on Customer Service Skills. Mary will coordinate this training for the La Jolla store and for April and Jesse. Performance Appraisal Systems Feedback Official feedback as a part of the Performance Appraisal System will be completed twice a year. The first will be a mid-year review and the final will be a year-end review. This feedback will be provided in the form of a written performance appraisal. The meetings will be held one-on-one, away from the work area. During the one-on-one meeting the associate and I will discuss feedback received from clients, peers, and me. The feedback process will be a standard process for all associates. The first feed back shared will be from me and will include what I have observed, giving specific examples. The discussion will include speaking of the impact of their performance. This will allow a time for the associate to acknowledge the need for possible improvements. It will be important for the associate and me to come to an agreement on possible improvements or next steps for advancement. The most important part of the feedback discussion will be to reinforce the support that I will provide them and the resources available to him or her (SelfGrowth, 2009, pp. 1 & 2). A job description for the current position as well as other roles within the team will be shared during the review meeting. This will allow the associate to review the current requirements and discover what steps may be needed to advance. This will also offer the employee the opportunity to ask questions about advancing or the benefits of education. The local community college offers several courses for Sales Training. A pamphlet from the local college will be made available to each associate who wishes to learn more about the classes. An additional step toward feedback will be put in place at the same time. This step will be to provide any feedback received at the time it is received. This will apply to both good feedback or suggestions for improvements. Offering this to the associates more than twice a year will help him or her monitor his or her progress. Any feedback received from trainers will also be shared with the associates. Team Evaluation Process and Incentives In addition to be evaluated as an individual, the team will be evaluated for the progress made of working together and to identify any opportunities for improvement. Working as a team is important to the success of Kudler Fine Foods. A team that works well together and supports each other will provide better customer service. The steps of evaluating a team provide needs for a different appraisal system. When evaluating an individual you can address individual goals and progress. With a team, the results are based on more than one person trying to obtain a personal goal. The team has goals and needs each person to help meet the goals. While an individual may be great at his or her own position, the manner in which he or she works within a team could provide issues for the team. The most important part of a team evaluation is to remain fair. While the team is to be evaluated for success, the individual contribution must also be taken into consideration. How each person helps the team meet the goals will be considered. The opportunity to be a good team player has to be offered to each associate. One motivation that will be provided for meeting team goals is by providing a luncheon for the team each quarter if goals are met. The team will be considered for an end of the year bonus if all quarters within the year are met as a team and as a company. Strategies to Discourage Social Loafing Social Loafing in the team environment refers to the team member or members who do not perform his or her fair share of the work. The social loafer on the team may believe that he or she can cruise along whereas the rest of the team performs each member’s given duties, then the loafer expects the same credit as the other members (Dayton Business Journal, 2001). What the loafer in any of the instances fails to realize is that their lack of participation has a negative effect on the other members of the team. To discourage social loafing, all team members should understand that his or her individual performance and participation is observed and assessed. Members, who do not fairly contribute should not expect the same credit. Assessing the contributions of every member of a team eliminates loafing. Besides the team lead or the manager assessing the team member’s performance, each member can have the chance to critique the performance of fellow team members. References http://www.selfgrowth.com/print/583277

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Module 5 Lab (5.09) Essay

Your first lab link can be found at Temper Tantrums. A written transcript is also available for this lab. 1.How can parents avoid temper tantrums? ⠁Æ'To avoid temper tantrums parents can be better prepared for the situation so when it happens they know what to do. 2.What are the A, B, Cs? ⠁Æ'A stands for the attributes you want your child to have ⠁Æ'B stands for the behavior you want to go along with those attributes. ⠁Æ'C stands for the consequence that will be given, positive or negative. 3.Do you think using consequences and following the ABC process will help shape a child’s behavior? Why or why not? ⠁Æ'Yes, I think using consequences and following the ABC process will help shape a child’s behavior because it gives the child a set of expectations you want from them and because naturally humans are born to please they are going to try their hardest to live by those expectations you have provided them. Your second lab link can be found at Developing Language Skills in Babies. A written transcript is also available for this lab. 1.What are some of the reasons why people may not talk to babies as much today as they used to? ⠁Æ'We don’t really know the exact reason why people are not talking to their babies as much some may say it is due to the busy life style we have or that everyone is isolated within the house and not together as a family in a room. 2.Why do you think developing language skills is important for a child? ⠁Æ'Developing language skills as a child is important because when children are younger it is easier for them to learn and develop and they should learn to be good communicators. 3.What are some of the ways that parents can encourage the development of language skills? ⠁Æ'One way parents can help encourage development of language skills is by giving them their undivided attention and contently talking to them because most of their learning is through imitation. Your third lab link can be found at The Importance of Bedtime Reading. A written transcript is also available for this lab. 1.How many parents never read to their children at bedtime according to the study? What might prevent parents from reading to children? ⠁Æ'One in ten parents never read their children bed time stories. Being busy with other things is what prevents parents from reading their children bedtime stories. 2.What are some of the benefits of reading to children? Include infancy through young school age children. ⠁Æ'Some benefits is it teaches children skills such as concentrating and listening. 3.Did your parents or other caregivers read to you as a child? What effect do you think this had on you? ⠁Æ'Yes my parents read to me when i was a child and i think the affect it had on me was it made me a better listener.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Text analysis and report based on a systemic functional linguistic and Essay

Text analysis and report based on a systemic functional linguistic and - Essay Example Clearly, the courageously defiant tone and message of Invictus was born of the extreme hardships that dogged the heels of Henley throughout his life. Despite the loss of his leg, Henley attained some moderate success as the editor of the London Observer, and counted among his close friends the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson and Rudyard Kipling. He married and was blessed with a daughter named Margaret; unfortunately, fate caught up with him and he lost five-year-old Margaret to cerebral meningitis. Then in 1902, his dormant tuberculosis condition resurfaced, from which he died in 1903 at the age of 54. Understanding the travails of the poem’s author makes its legacy all the more remarkable for being the inspiration for Nelson Mandela, during his 26-year incarceration as political prisoner who championed the cause of human rights. The poem sustained the imprisoned man who, upon the lifting of apartheid in South Africa, became the nation’s President. For the purposes of this paper, the text of the poem was chosen because of the several contexts in which the poem found relevance in the lives of many people. Images connected with it are presented herein, with the text of the poem, in Appendix A. The text shall be analysed using the systemic-functional theory, and the multimodal approach. Textual analysis may only be meaningfully carried out within the context of the purpose for which the text is articulated. â€Å"Language is said to be functional because its organisation quire fundamentally reveals the purposes for which any natural language came into being† (Christie, 1999). In the analysis of the chosen text, the poet’s purpose in composing the poem and choosing his words will be given focus. Traditionally, language is described in terms of grammar and lexis viewed separately. On the other hand, lexico-grammar approach regards language as â€Å"meaning conveyance of words working in

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Legalizing Euthanasia Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legalizing Euthanasia - Article Example From the discussion euthanasia has been regarded as that which promotes dignified deaths for patients and that protects patients from unnecessary suffering and pain. The practice has been found to be one that though inexpensive, it gives so much power to healthcare givers, fails to respect the sacredness of life, and patients’ right to live, reduces the effectiveness of palliative care, increases the number of involuntary and non voluntary euthanasia and demoralises healthcare givers from providing quality end of life care to terminally ill patients. The arguments against this practice are definitely more and stronger than those in support of the practice. This paper has strongly put the stand that euthanasia should not be legalized and that palliative care is the most efficient and ethically appropriate way of reducing suffering and pain in terminally sick patients. Legalizing Euthanasia Introduction Euthanasia, also called mercy killing, is defined as the act of intentionall y taking away the life of another human being with an aim of reducing the pain and suffering of that person (Larson, 2004). The practice of euthanasia is one that has escalated a lot of debates not just in America, but in other parts of the world as well with different groups and persons arguing for and against the practice. As the debates increases, some of the regions and states such as Oregon have gone ahead to legalize the practice of euthanasia with some others strongly opposing its legalization. This paper provides my views on the legalization of euthanasia, an act which I strongly oppose. Argument The word euthanasia is a Greek word for the phrase ‘good death’. With this, the practice has always been viewed by some as that which ends the suffering and pain of a patient and that which brings him relief as a result (Larson, 2004).However, this is not necessarily the case. The practice has been attributed to a number of benefits. I believe these benefits, however, c annot in any way be used to justify its legalization putting into consideration that some of them are still questionable. One of the key reasons that supporters of euthanasia give for supporting the act is that the practice allows the patient to die a dignified death. According to these supporters, giving a dignified death to the patient is better than leaving them to suffer in pain for an unknown period of time. This argument is, however, not sufficient to support the legalization of euthanasia. Palliative care serves the role of ensuring that patients are able to comfortably and peacefully live during the last days of their lives. In this case, palliative care can be said to be an effective way through which pain and suffering can be reduced to the lowest possible levels. The provision of good end of life care according to Foley & Hendin, (2002) is a better choice over euthanasia. Almost every form of pain can be decreased through medication and other forms of care, hence, mercy k illing should not an only means to reducing pain in patients. This view is further supported by the American Medical Association (AMA) which strongly stands in opposition to mercy killing. According to this body, it is evident that there is need for all patients to receive quality end of life care but not to have them undergo euthanasia. According to the AMA, nurses and other healthcare givers play the significant role of treating and keeping people alive. Going against that commitment to save life by taking away life questions their integrity and breaks patient- doctor trust. AMA strongly believes that giving alternative care and treatment during the last years of a patient’s life will be a good way of reducing the need for euthanasia, a reason why they introduced

Saturday, July 27, 2019

History of Russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

History of Russia - Essay Example ever, later internal conflicts, political tension as well as socio-economic difficulties of the country forced it to go for a bloody revolution which brought into power Lenin and so called Bolsheviks. Joseph Stalin was part of the Communist Party of Russia, which was instrumental behind the revolution of 1917. Joseph Stalin was one of the most important characters in the history of Russia after revolution. The revolution that was materialized by Lenin and has comrades finally resulted into establishing the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin. He was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Russia until his death and rose to the prominence only after the death of Lenin. His rise to the power is a really interesting story because he carried forward the beliefs and values which he adapted as a child and as an adolescent. His era was one of the most important eras for Russia in terms of economic progress as there was a massive shift from rural based economy to more industrial economy within Russia. In order to assess whether the era of Stalin represented a significant break from the course begun by Lenin and his party, it is very important that we must first understand the circumstances behind the rise of Stalin to the power. Stalin’s early life wasn’t well as he was born in a family which was not financially well off however, as he grew, he developed himself as a person who has great liking for bank robberies, kidnapping, extortion etc. since his joining of the Communist party, he took active part into such activities and was jailed too. However, he continued to impress the leaders within the communist party for his superiority in executing such activities. The Russian revolution was largely a result of internal socio-economic conditions, which were mostly considered as oppressive and were against the interest of the common Russian. The Tsars of Russia was mainly behind creating political tension within the country which was also widening the class gap within

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) - Essay Example In earlier times it was considered that the business is only responsible for the shareholders’ interest and other investors who have invested in the business but later on it was realized that business is not only responsible for its shareholders but each and every stake holder who is affected by the activities of the company (Sacconi, 2004, p.6). Corporate social responsibility is a broader concept as per which the corporate organizations has some responsibilities towards the society as a whole and therefore should practice ethical behavior and should also work towards the development of the society. This is a way of paying back to the society for the resources it has used and the environment in which it operates (Murthy, 2007, p.13). Thus Corporate Social responsibility can be described managing business responsibly (The world business organization, n.d, p.4). As per the OECD guidelines CSR activities should be such which through which the MNCs can contribute in economies and promote social welfare and sustainable environmental development in the countries in which they are operating such type of activities in turn will reduce the obstacles faced by the companies like agency problems in those areas (Heal, 2004, p.12). The corporate social responsibility helps the company in a number of ways. For example by following the CSR activities the company can reduce the risk at the same time it can reduce the wastage of scarce resources as the CSR guidelines will lay down the principles which will be followed to while working. CSR activities also helps the company to gain the brand equity as the companies who contributes towards the society are favored more and are respected everywhere. CSR also helps in increasing employees’ productivity and performance by promoting staff welfare (Heal, 2004, p.13-19). Thus by ensuring corporate social responsibility the companies can also improve their own performance. As per Mr. Gerald

Friday, July 26, 2019

How the Structure and Culture of the Organization in which We Work Essay - 8

How the Structure and Culture of the Organization in which We Work Affects the Level of Stress Experienced - Essay Example As the paper highlighted above, stress has significant impacts on staff and the result is eventually noted on companies. Companies incur immense losses due to stress-related instances among staffs, which are reflected in absenteeism, accidents, healthcare expenses and a general decline in productivity (Handy 1999). It is worth noting that most occurrences of workplace stress are related to the events that take at different levels of the organization. It could be due to conflict among employees or between employees and their managers; or due to poor allocation of duties, which result in overburdening of some staff. Hence, stress at the workplace can be attributed to two broad attributes of the organization: the organization structure and organization culture. Generally, the distribution of work roles at the workplace affects the performance of employees since it determines whether they will be motivated or demoralized. This is the aspect of organizational structure. How work is distri buted in terms of working hours, amount of work, incentives for the work, adherence to deadlines and so on all affect the level of stress among individuals. The kind of environment created by employees, managers and all players at the workplace also affect the level of stress experienced by the aforementioned figures. This is the role played by organization culture in impacting on stress. It is undisputable that conflicting demand from different organizational stakeholders would affect greatly the performance staff, if not impose different levels of stress to them. Additionally, personal conflicts among employees are not a good picture in the purview of organizations. This paper will evaluate how the structure of organizations affects worker performance.