Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups

80 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW By now, most executives have accepted that emotional intelligence is as critical as IQ to an individual's effectiveness. But much of the important work in organizations is done in teams. New research uncovers what emotional intelligence at the group level looks like-and how to achieve it Building the Emotioncil Intelligence of Groups W by Vanessa Urch Druskat and Steven B. Wolff HEN MANAGERS EIRST STARTED HEARING ABOUT the concept of emotional intelligence in the 1990s, scales fell from their eyes. The basic message, that effectiveness in organizations is at least as much about EQ as IQ, resonated deeply; it was something that people knew in their guts but that had never before been so well articulated. Most important, the idea held the potential for positive change. Instead of being stuck with the hand they'd been dealt, people could take steps to enhance their emotional intelligence and make themselves more effective in their work and personal lives. Indeed, the concept of emotional intelligence had real impact. The only problem is that so far emotional intelligence has been viewed only as an individual competency, when the reality is that most work in organizations is done by teams. And if managers have one pressing need today, it's to find ways to make teams work better. MARCH 2001 81 Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups It is with real excitement, therefore, that we share these findingsfromour research: individual emotional intelligence has a group analog, and it is just as critical to groups' effectiveness. Teams can develop greater emotional intelligence and, in so doing, boost their overall performance. Why Should Teams Build Their Emotional Intelligence? No one would dispute the importance of making teams work more effectively. But most research about how to do so has focused on identifying the task processes that distinguish the most successftil teams-that is, specifying the need for cooperation, participation, commitment to goals, and so forth. The assumption seems to be that, once identified, these processes can simply be imitated by other teams, with similar effect. It's not true. By analogy, think of it this way: a piano student can be taught to play Minuet in G, but he won't become a modem-day Bach without knowing music theory and being able to play with heart. Similarly, the real source of a great team's success lies in the fundamental conditions that allow effective task processes to emerge-and that cause members to engage in them wholeheartedly. Our research tells us that three conditions are essential to a group's effectiveness: trust among members, a sense of group identity, and a sense of group efficacy. When these conditions are absent, going through the motions of cooperating and participating is still possible. But the team will not be as effective as it could be, because members will choose to hold back rather than fully engage. To be most effective, the team needs to create emotionally intelligent norms -the attitudes and behaviors that eventually become habits-that support behaviors for building trust, group identity, and group efficacy. The outcome is complete engagement in tasks. {For more on how emotional intelligence infiuences these conditions, see the sidebar â€Å"A Model of Team Effectiveness. ) at more levels. To understand the differences, let's first look at the concept of individual emotional intelligence as defined by Daniel Goleman. In his definitive book Emotional Intelligence, Goleman explains the chief characteristics of someone with high El; he or she is aware of emotions and able to regulate them-and this awareness and regulation are directed both inward, to one's self, and outward, to others. â€Å"Personal competence,† in Goleman's words, comes from being aware of and regulating one's own emotions. Social competence†is awareness and regulation of others' emotions. A group, however, must attend to yet another level of awareness and regulation. It must be mindful of the emotions of its members, its own group emotions or moods, and the emotions of other groups and individuals outside its boundaries. In this article, we'll explore how emotional incompetence at any of these levels can cause dysfunction. We'll also show how establishing specific group norms that create awareness and regulation of emotion at these three levels can lead to better outcomes. First, we'll focus on the individual level-how emotionally intelligent groups work with their individual members' emotions. Next, we'll focus on the group level. Andfinally,we'll look at the cross-boimdary level. Working with Individuals' Emotions /(†¢// Kasper, head ofher company's customer service department, is naturally tapped tojoin a new cross-functional team focused on enhancing the customer experience: she has extensive experience in and a real passion for customer service. But her teammatesfind she brings little more than a bad attitude to the table. At an early brainstorming session, Jill sits silent, arms crossed, rolling her eyes. Whenever the team starts to get energized about an idea, she launches into a detailed account of how a similar idea went nowhere in the past. The group is confused: this is the customer service star they've been hearing about? Little do they realize shefeels insulted by the very formation of the team. To her, it implies she hasn't done her job well enough. Three Levels of Emotional Interaction Make no mistake: a team with emotionally intelligent members does not necessarily make for an emotionally intelligent group. A team, like any social group, takes on its own character. So creating an upward, self-reinforcing spiral of trust, group identity, and group efficacy requires more than a few members who exhibit emotionally intelligent behavior. It requires a team atmosphere in which the norms build emotional capacity (the ability to respond constructively in emotionally uncomfortable situations) and influence emotions in constructive ways. Team emotional intelligence is more complicated than individual emotional intelligence because teams interact 82 When a member is not on the same emotional wavelength as the rest, a team needs to be emotionally intelligent vis-ci-vis that individual. In part, that simply means being aware of the problem. Having a norm that encourages interpersonal understanding might facilitate an awareness that Jill is acting out of defensiveness. And picking up on this defensiveness is necessary if the team Vanessa Urch Druskat is an assistant professor of organizational behavior at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Steven B. Wolff is an assistant professor of management at the School of Management at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Building the Emotional Intelligence of Croups A Model of Team Effectiveness better decisions, more creative solutions, higher productivity study after study has shown that teams are more creative and productive when they can achieve high levels of participation, cooperation, and collaboration among members. But interactive behaviors (ike these aren't easy to legislate. Our work shows that tbree basic conditions need to be present before such behaviors can occur: mutual trust among members, a sense of group identity (a feeling among members that they belong to a unique and worthwhile group), and a sense of group efficacy (the beliefthat the team can perform well and that group members are more effective working together than apart). At the heart of these three conditions are emotions. Trust, a sense of identity, and a feeling of efficacy arise in environments where emotion is well handled, so groups stand to benefit by building their emotional intelligence. Group emotional intelligence isn't a question of dealing with a necessary evil-catching emotions as they bubble up and promptly suppressing them. Far from it. It's about bringing emotions deliberately to the surface and understanding how they affect the team's work. It's also about behaving in ways that build relationships both inside and outside the team and that strengthen tbe team's ability to face challenges. Emotional intelligence means exploring, embracing, and ultimately relying on emotion in work that is, at the end ofthe day, deeply human. articipation, cooperation, collaboration trust, identity, efficacy group emotional intelligence wants to make her imderstand its desire to amplify her good work, not negate it. Some teams seem to be able to do this naturally. At Hewlett-Packard, for instance, we learned of a team that was attempting to cross-train its members. The idea was that if each member could pinch-hit on everyone else's job, the team could deploy efforts to whatever task required the most attention. But one member seemed very uncomfortable with learning new skills and tasks; accustomed to being a top producer in his own job, he hated not knowing how to do a job perfectly. Luckily, his teammates recognized his discomfort, and rather than being annoyed, they redoubled their efforts to support him. This team benefited from a group norm it had established over time emphasizing interpersonal understanding. The norm had grown out of the group's realization that working to accurately hear and understand one another's feelings and concerns improved member morale and a willingness to cooperate. Many teams build high emotional intelligence by taking pains to consider matters from an individual member's perspective. Think of a situation where a team of four must reach a decision; three favor one direction and the fourth favors another. In the interest of expedience, many teams in this situation would move directly to a maMARCH 2001 jority vote. But a more emotionally intelligent group would pausefirstto hear out the objection. It would also ask if everyone were completely behind the decision, even if there appeared to be consensus. Such groups would ask, â€Å"Are there any perspectives we haven't heard yet or thought through completely? † Perspective taking is a team behavior that teamwork experts discuss often – but not in terms of its emotional consequence. Many teams are trained to use perspectivetaking techniques to make decisions or solve problems (a common tool is affinity diagramming). But these techniques may or may not improve a group's emotional intelligence. The problem is that many of these techniques consciously attempt to remove emotion from the process by collecting and combining perspectives in a mechanical way. A more effective approach to perspective taking is to ensure that team members see one another making the effort to grapple with perspectives; that way, the team has a better chance of creating the kind of trust that leads to greater participation among members. An executive team at the Hay Group, a consulting firm, engages in the kind of deep perspective taking we're describing. The team has done role-playing exercises in which members adopt others'opinions and styles of interaction. It has also used a â€Å"storyboarding† technique, in 83 Building ttie Emotional Intelligence of Croups which each member creates a small poster representing his or her ideas. As team members will attest, these methods and others have helped the group build trust and increase participation. Regulating Individuals'Emotions Interpersonal understanding and perspective taking are two ways that groups can become more aware of their members' perspectives and feelings. But just as important as awareness is the ability to regulate those emotions-to have a positive impact on how they are expressed and even on how individual team members feel. We're not talking about imposing groupthink or some other form of manipulation here-clearly, the goal must be to balance the team's cohesion with members' individuality. We're simply acknowledging that people take their emotional cues from those around them. Something that seems upsetting initially can seem not so bad – o r ten times worse depending on whether one's colleagues are inclined to smooth feathers or fan flames. The most constructive way of regulating team members'emotions is hy establishing norms in the group for both confrontation and caring. in a meeting where one team member arrived angry because the time and place of the meeting was very inconvenient for him. When another member announced the sacrifice the man had made to be there, and thanked him, the man's attitude turned around 180 degrees. In general, a caring orientation includes displaying positive regard, appreciation, and respect for group members through behaviors such as support, validation, and compassion. Interpersonal understanding, perspective taking, confrontation, caring-these norms build trust and a sense of group identity among members. And all of them can be established in teams where they don't arise naturally. You may ask, But is it really worth all the effort? Does it make sense to spend managerial time fostering new norms to accommodate a few prickly personalities? Of course it does. Teams are at the very foundation of an organization, and they won't work effectively without mutual trust and a common commitment to goals. Working with Group Emotions Chris couldn't believe it, but he was requesting a reassignment The team he was on was doing good work, staying on budget, and hitting all its deadlines – though not always eleIt may seem illogical to suggest that an emotionally gantly. Its leader, Stan Evans, just got a promotion. So why intelligent group must engage in confrontation, but it's was being on the team such a downer? At the last major stanot. Inevitably, a team member will indulge in behavior tus meeting, they should have been serving champagne -so that crosses the line, and the team must feel comfortable much had been achieved. Instead, everyone was thoroughly calling the foul. In one manufacturing team we studied, dispirited over a setback they hadn't foreseen, which turned a member told us about the day she selfishly decided to out later to be no big deal. It seemed no matter what hapextend her break. Before long, one of her teammates pened, the group griped. The team even saw Stan's promostormed into the break room, saying, â€Å"What are you dotion in a negative light: â€Å"Oh, so I guess management wants ing in here? Get back out on the floor-your team needs to keep a closer eye on us† and â€Å"I hear Stan's new boss you! The woman had overstepped tbe bounds, and doesn't back this project. † Chris she got called on it. There were had a friend on another team no hard feelings, because the woman knew the group valued Inevitably, a team member will who was happy to put in a good word for him. The work was inher contributions. indulge in behavior that crosses herently less interesting â₠¬â€œ but hey, Some teams also find that a at least they were having fun. little bumor helps when pointing out errant behavior. Teasing Some teams suffer because someone who is habitually late they aren't aware of emotions comfortable calling the foul. or meetings, for instance, can at the group level. Chris's team, make that person aware of how for instance, isn't aware of all it has achieved, and it doesn't acknowledge that it has fallen important timeliness is to the group. Done right, coninto a malaise. !n our study of effective teams, we've frontation can be seen in a positive light; it's a way for found tbat having norms for group self-awareness-of the group to say, â€Å"We want you in-we need your conemotional states, strengths and weaknesses, modes of intribution. And it's especially important when a team teraction, and task processes-is a critical part of group must work together on a long-term assignment. Without emotional intelligence tbat facilitates group efficacy. con frontation, disruptive behavior can fester and erode Teams gain it both through self-evaluation and by solicita sense of trust in a team. ing feedback from others. Establishing norms that reinforce caring behavior is often not very difficult and usually a matter of concenSelf-evaluation can take tbe form of a formal event trating on little things. When an individual is upset, for or a constant activity. At Sberwin Williams, a group of example, it may make all the difference to have group managers was starting a new initiative that would require members acknowledge that person's feelings. We saw this higher levels of teamwork. Group members hired a con- the line, and the team mustfeel 84 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Building the Emotional Intelligence of Croups sultant, but before the consultant arrived, they met to assess their strengths and weaknesses as a team. They found that merely articulating the issues was an important step toward building their capabilities. A far less formal method of raising group emotional awareness is through the kind of activity we saw at the Veterans Health Administration's Center for Leadership and Development. Managers there have developed a norm in which they are encouraged to speak up when they feel the group is not being productive. For example, if there's a post-lunch lull and people on the team are low on energy, someone might say, â€Å"Don't we look like a bunch of sad sacks? With attention called to it, the group makes an effort to refocus. Emotionally competent teams don't wear blinders; they have the emotional capacity to face potentially difficult information and actively seek opinions on their task processes, progress, and performance from the outside. For some teams, feedback may come directly from customers. Others look to colleagues within the company, to suppliers, or to professional peers. A group of designers we studied routinely posts its work in progress on walls throughout the building, with invitations to comment and critique. Similarly, many advertising agencies see annual industry competitions as a valuable source of feedback on their creative teams' work. Croups are most creative when their members collaborate unreservedly. People stop holding back when there is mutual trust, rooted in emotionally intelligent interactions. Regulating Group Emotions Many teams make conscious efforts to build team spirit. Team-building outings, whether purely social or Outward Bound-style physical challenges, are popular methods for building this sense of collective enthusiasm. What's going on here is that teams and their leaders recognize they can improve a team's overall attitude-that is, they are regulating group-level emotion. And while the focus of a team-building exercise is often not directly related to a group's actual work, the benefits are highly relevant: teams come away with higher emotional capacity and thus a greater ability to respond to emotional challenges. The most effective teams we have studied go far beyond the occasional â€Å"ropes and rocks† off-site. They have established norms that strengthen their ability to respond MARCH 2001 ffectively to the kind of emotional challenges a group confronts on a daily basis. The norms they favor accomplish three main things: they create resources for working with emotions, foster an affirmative environment, and encourage proactive problem solving. Teams need resources that all members can draw on to deal with group emotions. One important resource is a common vocabulary. To use an example, a group member at the Veterans Health Administration picked up on another member's bad mood and told him that he was just â€Å"cranky† today. The â€Å"cranky† term stuck and became the group's gentle way of letting someone know that their negativity was having a bad effect on the group. Other resources may include helpful ways to vent frustrations. One executive team leader we interviewed described his team's practice of making time for a â€Å"wailing wall† – a few minutes of whining and moaning about some setback. Releasing and acknowledging those negative emotions, 85 Building the Emotional Intelligence of Croups the leader says, allows the group to refocus its attention on the parts of the situation it can control and channel its energy in a positive direction. But sometimes, venting takes more than words. We've seen more than one intense workplace outfitted with toys – like soft projectile shooters-that have been used in games of cube warfare. Perhaps the most obvious way to build emotional capacity through regulating team-level emotion is simply to create an affirmative environment. Everyone values a team that, when faced with a challenge, responds with a can-do attitude. Again, it's a question of having the right group norms-in this case, favoring optimism, and positive images and interpretations over negative ones. This doesn't always come naturally to a team, as one executive we interviewed at the Hay Group knows. When external conditions create a cycle of negativity among group members, he takes it upon himself to change the atmosphere of the group. He consciously resists the temptation to join the complaining and blaming and instead tries to reverse the cycle with a positive, constructive note. One of the most powerful norms we have seen for building a group's ability to respond to emotionally challenging situations is an emphasis on proactive problem solving. We saw a lot of this going on in a manufacturing team we observed at AMP Corporation. Much of what this team needed to hit its targets was out of its strict control. But rather than sit back and point fingers, the team worked hard to get what it needed from others, and in some cases, took matters into its own hands. In one instance, an alignment problem in a key machine was creating faulty products. The team studied the problem and approached the engineering group with its own suggested design for a part tbat might correct the problem. The device worked, and the number of defective products decreased significantly. Building Norms for Three Levels of Group Emotional Intelligence Group emotional intelligence is about the small acts that make a big difference. It is not about a team member working all night to meet a deadline; it is about saying thank you for doir)g so. It is not about in-depth discussion of ideas; it is about asking a quiet member for his thoughts. It is not about harmony, lack of tension, and all members liking each other; it is about acknowledging when harmony is false, tension is unexpressed, and treating others witb respect. The following sidebar outlines some of the small things tbat groups can do to establisb tbe norms that build group emotional intelligence. take them down a notch. And what was with that name, anyway? Some kind ofinsidejoke, Jim guessed. Too bad nobody else got it The last kind of emotional intelligence any high-performing team should have relates to cross-boundary relationships, just as individuals should be mindful of their own emotions and others', groups should look both inward and outward emotionally. In the case of the Bugs, This kind of problem solving is valuable for many reathe team is acting like a clique – creating close emotional sons. It obviously serves the company by removing one ties within but ignoring the feelings, needs, and conmore obstacle to profitability. But, to the point of our cerns of important individuals and teams in the broader work, it also shows a team in control of its own emotions. organization. It refused to feel powerless and was eager to take charge. Some teams have developed norms that are particularly helpful in making them aware of the broader organizational context. One practice is to have various team members act as liaisons to important constituencies. Many Jim sighed. The â€Å"Bugs† team was at it agair. Didn't they see teams are already made up of members drawn from different parts of an organization, so a cross-boundary perthat while they were high-fiving one another over their impressive productivity, the rest of the organization was paying spective comes naturally. Others need to work a little harder. One team we studied reahzed it would be imfor it? This time, in their self-managed wisdom, they'd deportant to understand the perspective of its labor union. ided to make a three months'supply of one component. No Consequently, a team member from HR went to some changeover meant no machine downtime and a record low lengths to discover the right channels for having a union cost per unit But now the group downstream was swamped with inventory it didn't need and worried about shortages of member appointed to the group. A cross-boundary perspective is especially important in situations where a something else. Jim braced himself for his visit to the floor. eam's work will have significant impact on others in The Bugs didn't take criticism well; they seemed to think they were flawless and that everyone else was just trying to the organization – for example, where a team is asked to Working with Emotions Outside the Group 86 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups Individual Interpersonal Understanding 1. Take time away from group tasks to get to know one another. 2. Have a â€Å"check in† at the beginning of the meeting – that is, ask how everyone is doing. 3. Assume that undesirable behavior takes place for a reason. Find out what that reason is. Ask questions and listen. Avoid negative attributions. 4. Tell your teammates what you're thinking and how you're feeling. Perspective Taking 1. Ask whether everyone agrees with a decision. 2. Ask quiet members what they think. 3. Question decisions that come too quickly. 4. Appoint a devil's advocate. Group Team Self-Evaluation 1. Schedule time to examine team effectiveness. 2. Create measurable task and process objectives and then measure them. 3. Acknowledge and discuss group moods. 4. Communicateyour sense of what is transpiring in the team. 5. Allow members to call a â€Å"process check. (For instance, a team member might say, â€Å"Process check: is this the most effective use of our time right now? â€Å") Seeking Feedback 1. Askyour†customers†howyou are doing. 2. Post your work and invite comments. 3. Benchmark your processes. Cross-Boundary Organizational Understanding 1. Find out the concerns and needs of others in the organizati on. 2. Consider who can influence the team's ability to accomplish its goals. 3. Discuss the culture and politics inthe organization. 4. Ask whether proposed team actions are congruent with the organization's culture and politics. Norms That Create Awareness of Emotions Norms That Help Regulate Emotions† Confrortting 1. Set ground rules and use them to point out errant behavior. 2. Call members on errant behavior. 3. Create playful devices for pointing out such behavior. These often emerge from the group spontaneously. Reinforce them. Caring 1. Support members: volunteer to help them if they need it, be flexible, and provide emotional support. 2. Validate members' contributions. Let members know they are valued. 3. Protect members from attack. 4. Respect individuality and differences in perspectives. Listen. 3. Never be derogatory or demeaning. Creating Resources for Working with Emotion 1. Make time to discuss difficult issues, and address the emotions that surround them. 2. Find creative, shorthand ways to acknowledge and express the emotion in the group. 3. Create fun ways to acknowledge and relieve stress and tension. 4. Express acceptance of members' emotions. Creating an Affirmative Environment 1. Reinforce that the team can meet a challenge. Be optimistic. For example, say things like, â€Å"We can get through this† or†Nothing will stop us† 2. Focus on what you can control. 3. Remind members of the group's important and positive mission. 4. Remind the group how it solved a similar problem before. 5. Focus on problem solving, not blaming. Solving Problems Proactively 1. Anticipate problems and address them before they happen. 2. Take the initiative to understand and get what you need to be effective. 3. Do ityourself if others aren't responding. Rely on yourself, not others. Building External Relationships 1. Create opportunities for networking and interaction. 2. Ask about the needs of other teams. 3. Provide support for other teams. 4. Invite others to team meetings if they might have a stake in what you are doing. MARCH 2001 87 Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups design an intranet to serve everyone's needs. We've seen gaining the confidence of outsiders, adopting an ambasmany situations in which a team is so enamored of its so- sadorial role instead of an isolationist one. lution that it is caught completely by surprise when othA manufacturing team we saw at KoSa displayed very ers in the company don't share its enthusiasm. high social skills in working with its maintenance team. It recognized that, when problems occurred in the plant, Some of the most emotionally intelligent teams we the maintenance team often had many activities on its have seen are so attuned to their broader organizational plate. All things being equal, what would make the maincontext that it affects how they frame and communicate tenance team consider this particular manufacturing their own needs and accomplishments. A team at the group a high priority? Knowing a good relationship chemical-processing company KoSa, for example, felt it would be a factor, the manufacturing team worked hard needed a new piece of manufacturing equipment, but seto build good ties with the maintenance people. At one nior management wasn't so sure the purchase was a pripoint, for instance, the manufacturing team showed its ority. Aware that the decision makers were still on the appreciation by nominating the maintenance team for fence, the team decided to emphasize the employee safety â€Å"Team of the Quarter† recognition-and then doing all benefits of the new machine-just one aspect of its desirthe letter writing and behind-the-scenes praising that ability to them, but an issue of paramount importance to management. At a plant safety meeting attended by high- would ultimately help the maintenance team win. In turn, the manufacturing team's good relationship with level managers, they made the case that the equipment maintenance helped it become one of the highest prothey were seeking would greatly reduce the risk of injury ducers in the plant. to workers. A few weeks later they got it. Sometimes, a team must be particularly aware of the needs and feelings of another group witbiin the organizaA Model for Group Emotional tion. We worked with an information technology comIntelligence pany where the hardware engineers worked separately from the software engineers to achieve the same goalWe've been discussing the need for teams to learn to faster processing and fewer crashes. Each could achieve channel emotion effectively at the three levels of human only so much independently. When finally a hardware interaction important to them: team to individual memteam leader went out of bis way to build relationships ber, team to itself, and team to outside entities. Together, with the software people, the two teams began to coopthe norms we've been exploring help groups work with erate – and together, they achieved 20% to 40% higher per- emotions productively and intelligently. Often, groups formance than had been targeted. with emotionally intelligent members have norms like these in place, but it's unlikely any group would unconThis kind of positive outcome can be facilitated by sciously come up with all the norms we have outhned. norms that encourage a group to recognize the feelIn other words, this is a model for group emotional intelings and needs of other groups. We saw effective norms ligence that any work team for interteam awareness at a could benefit from by applying division of AMP, where each it deliberately. Nee seen many situations manufacturing team is responsible for a step in the manufacWhat would the ultimate in which a team is so enamored emotionally intelligent team turing process and they need one another to complete the look like? Closest to the ideal of its solution that it is caught product on time. Team leaders are some of the teams we've there meet in the morning to completely by surprise when seen at IDEO, the celebrated understand the needs, resources, industrial design firm. IDEO's and schedules of each team. If others in the company don't creative teams are responsible one team is ahead and another for the look and feel of products share its enthusiasm. is behind, they reallocate relike Apple's first mouse, the sources. Members of the faster Crest toothpaste tube, and the team help the team that's behind and do so in a friendly Palm V personal digital assistant. Thefirmroutinely wins way that empathizes with their situation and builds the competitions for the form and function of its designs and relationship. even has a business that teaches creative problem-solving techniques to other companies. Most of the examples we've been citing show teams that are not only aware of but also able to influence outThe nature of IDEO's work calls for high group emosiders' needs and perspectives. This ability to regulate tional intelligence. Under pressure of client deadlines and emotion at the cross-boundary level is a group's version of budget estimates, the company must deliver innovative, the â€Å"social skills† so critical to individual emotional intel- aesthetic solutions that balance human needs with engiligence. It involves developing external relationships and neering realities. It's a deep philosophical belief at IDEO 88 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Building ttie Emotional Intelligence of Croups that great design is best accomplished through the crerelationships with those individuals and groups. On disative friction of diverse teams and not the solitary pursuit play at IDEO is a curious model: a toy truck with plastic of brilliant individuals, so it's imperative that the teams at pieces on springs that pop out of the bed of the truck IDEO click. In our study of those teams, we found group when a button is pressed. It turns out the model comnorms supporting emotional intelligence at all three levmemorates an incident that taught a variety of lessons. ls ofour model. The story centers on a design team that had been working for three weeks on a very complex plastic enclosure First, the teams at IDEO are very aware of individual for a product. Unfortunately, on team members' emotions, and the Thursday before a Monday they are adept at regulating A team can have everything client deadline, when an engithem. F or example, an IDEO deneer was taking it to be painted, signer became very frustrated going for it-the brightest and it slipped from his pickup bed because someone from marketand exploded on ing was insisting a logo be apmost qualified people, access to 70 mph. The team the road at was willing plied to the designer's product, to work through the weekend to which he felt would ruin it visuresources, a clear mission – but rebuild the part but couldn't finally. At a meeting about the prodish it without the help of the still fail because it lacks group uct, the team's project leader outside fabricator it had used picked up on the fact that someemotional intelligence. on the original. Because they thing was wrong. The designer had taken the time to build a was sitting off by himself, and things â€Å"didn't look right. The project leader looked into the situation and then initiated a negotiation that led to a mutual solution. IDEO team members also confront one another when they break norms. This is common during brainstorming sessions, where the rule is that people must defer judgment and avoid shooting down ideas. If someone breaks that norm, the team comes down on him in a playful yet forceful way {imagine being pelted by foam toys). Or if someone is out of line, the norm is to stand up and call her on it immediately. If a client is in the room, the confrontation is subtler- perhaps a kick under the chair. Teams at IDEO also demonstrate strengths in groupfocused emotional intelligence. To ensure they have a high level of self-awareness, teams constantly seek feedback from both inside and outside the organization. Most important, they work very closely with customers. If a design is not meeting customer expectations, the team finds out quickly and takes steps to modify it. Regulating group emotion at IDEO often means providing outlets for stress. This is a company that believes in playing and having fun. Several hundred finger blasters (a toy that shoots soft projectiles) have been placed around the building for employees to pick up and start shooting when they're frustrated. Indeed, the design firm's culture welcomes the expression of emotions, so it's not uncommon for someone – whether happy or angryto stand up and yell. IDEO has even created fun office projects that people can work on ifthey need a break. For example, they might have a project to design the company holiday card or to design the â€Å"tourist stop† displays seen by visitors. Finally, IDEO teams also have norms to ensure they are aware of the needs and concerns of people outside their boundaries and that they use that awareness to develop tWARCH 2 0 0 1 good relationship with the fabricator, its people were willing to go above and beyond the call of duty. The lighthearted display was a way for teammates to show the engineer that all was forgiven-and a reminder to the rest of the organization of how a team in crisis can get by with a little help from its friends. Where Do Norms Come From? Not every company is as dependent on teams and their emotional intelligence as IDEO. But now more than ever, we see companies depending on teams for decisions and tasks that, in another time, would have been the work of individuals. And unfortunately, we also see them discovering that a team can have everything going for it-the brightest and most qualified people, access to resources, a clear mission-but still fail because it lacks group emotional intelligence. Norms that build trust, group identity, and group efficacy are the key to making teams click. They allow an otherwise highly skilled and resourced team to fulfill its potential, and they can help a team faced with substantial challenges achieve surprising victories. So how do norms as powerful as the ones we've described in this article come about? In our research, we saw them being introduced from any of five basic directions: by formal team leaders, by informal team leaders, by courageous followers, through training, or ft-om the larger organizational culture. (For more on how to establish the norms described in this article, see the sidebar†Building Norms for Three Levels of Group Emotional Intelligence. â€Å") At the Hay Group, for example, it was the deliberate action of a team leader that helped one group see the importance of emotions to the group's overall effectiveness. Because this particular group was composed of managers 89 Building ttie Emotional Intelligence of Groups from many different cultures, its leader knew he couldn't assume all the members possessed a high level of interpersonal understanding. To establish that norm, he introduced novelties like having a meeting without a tahle, using smaller groups, and conducting an inventory of team members'various learning styles. Interventions like these can probably be done only by a formal team leader. The ways informal leaders or other team members enhance emotional intelligence are typically more subtle, though often just as powerful. Anyone might advance the cause, for example, by speaking up if the group appears to be ignoring an important perspective or feeling-or simply by doing his or her part to create an affirmative environment. Training courses can also go a long way toward increasing emotional awareness and showing people how to regulate emotions. We know of many companies that now focus on emotional issues in leadership development courses, negotiation and communication workshops, and employee-assistance programs like those for stress management. These training programs can sensitize team members to the importance of establishing emotionally intelligent norms. Finally, perhaps more than anything, a team can be influenced by a broader organizational culture that recognizes and celebrates employee emotion. This is clearly the case at IDEO and, we believe, at many of the companies creating the greatest value in the new economy. Unfortu- nately, it's the most difficult piece ofthe puzzle to put in place at companies that don't already have it. For organizations with long histories of employees checking their emotions at the door, change will occur, if at all, one team at a time. Becoming Intelligent About Emotion The research presented in this article arosefromone simple imperative: in an era of teamwork, it's essential to figure out what makes teams work. Our research shows that, just like individuals, the most effective teams are emotionally intelligent ones-and that any team can attain emotional intelligence. In this article, we've attempted to lay out a model for positive change, containing the most important t3'pes of norms a group can create to enhance its emotional intelligence. Teams, like all groups, operate according to such norms. By working to establish norms for emotional awareness and regulation at all levels of interaction, teams can build the solid foundation of trust, group identity, and group efficacy they need for true cooperation and collaboration-and high performance overall. 9 Reprint R0103E To order reprints, see the last page of Executive Summaries. To further explore the topic of this article, go to www. hbr. org/explore. (A^^l^ j-iywi 1 â€Å"I'm in a rut They throw the ball, I bring it back. They throw it again, I bring it back again. What's the point of it ail? † 90 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW

Mental Health Counseling

Professional competence among practicing mental health counselors has not been resolved yet whether it is attained through a licensure or higher educational training of this field.   As per many researches that have been conducted, it takes a lot of training and experience before one could get competence.   Besides, counseling a person with a mental health problem requires adequacy and expertise because irrelevant referral may result to a more aggravated condition on the part of the patient.   Thus, the issue of competence among mental health counselor requires a more rigid consideration for comprehensive trainings designed to develop competency. Professional competency is not acquired easily after four years of education in college nor if someone practicing it finds counseling a less difficult one.   Even highly experienced therapist may also seek professional help or doubt their abilities as counselors according to Gerald Corey, Marianne Schneider Corey and Patrick Callanan (p. 315).   This is why; many experts recommend a kind of training for these counselors in order to meet criteria of a competent counselor especially in dealing with mental health problem. There are practical ways in approaching difficult cases that requires good judgment.   In the first place, a counselor must identify whether he can do something about the problem, and refer that client to another therapist long before the allotted sessions end and not at the last day of therapy.   This only annoys the client and causes him to be disappointed further because of irresponsible referral. Based on the common issues observed in counseling sessions, the therapist must understand two factors that may contribute to his effectiveness: his judgment of the case and adequate training. Personal judgment of the case involves how a counselor evaluates the case and his own capability to handle it.   This also engages whether the case needs referral and when or how to communicate that to the client.   Referral is the last option when all the possible resources have been used up or exhausted. Training on other hand, is one basic component of competence.   Training must be comprehensive and organized in terms of selection of trainees, content, and best approaches to ensure desired results (Corey, Corey & Callanan, p. 319).   Meanwhile, the kind of training to obtain licensure is under the jurisdiction of the accreditation committee; however, in most cases, licensure is given to those who obtained degree of psychology in college.   Here, the necessary trainings to develop a student are incorporated in the curriculum.   Generally, hands-on training is the transition point of students to have him acquire knowledge and skills. The content of a training program should be structured around a specific theoretical orientation that revolves around challenges as seen by concerned groups such as schools and practicing practitioners. Corey, et.al. pointed out that content must be objective and practical enough to offer students a variety of therapeutic techniques and strategies that can be applied to variety of problems (p. 332).   Training program then must provide theoretical explanation to given problems in order to help them formulate rationale for every situation. Professional licensing may indicate that a person is competent as long as a comprehensive program is offered to students by the school and licensing department of the government.   – stated, â€Å"Licensing examination generally contains a written component which may be supplemented by oral examination or practicum exam (patient diagnosis or counseling).   These examination are commonly written or administered by the state board which also provides for scoring them and determines what â€Å"passing† scores are (p. 132). Also, on the part of the school, â€Å"The supervision work experience or practicum is meant to ensure that during the initial years of practice, the professional has the guidance necessary to deal with the complexities of practice.   It is a transition period between the intense supervision that is supposed to be part of academic training (p. 132). Work Cited Corey, G., Corey, M., & Callanan, P. Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions 7th Edition. Smith, S. & Meyer, R. 1987.   Law, Behavior, and Mental Health: Policy and Practice. USA: NYU Press.      

Journalism portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Journalism portfolio - Essay Example The gathered information shows that there must be unique factors behind the popularity of the Ray-Ban sunglasses, helping it beat competition in the market. The portfolio therefore, mainly aims at establishing these factors, which have contributed to the success of the Ray-Ban sunglasses worldwide. In the portfolio, there is different information, and findings about Ray-Ban, including its other products, challenges, and its marketing strategies. First, it was important to understand and be familiar with the Ray-Ban Company and its history, before delving deep into its business operations. It is established that Ray-Ban brand stepped in the market in 1937, with Bausch & Lomb, an American company, as its founder. Although sunglasses in this era were meant for pilots, this company started manufacturing sunglasses and other fashionable products, for ordinary people. Later, Ray-Ban became popular for the Aviator and Wayfarer sunglasses, which came in various colours and lenses, for both p ilots and ordinary people (â€Å"Timeless fashion† 2012) Ray-Ban sunglasses are stylish and fashionable, but quite expensive, yet still manage to acquire a large global market (â€Å"Ray-Ban† 2013). ... However, the company has dealt with this by informing its customers of the unique features of its sunglasses, such as the lenses, frames and hinges, and the company logo on the sunglasses, which make it easy to differentiate between the real and fake Ray-Ban sunglasses (â€Å"Aticle Alley† 2011). This is the main information in the portfolio, which has helped demystify the success of Ray-Ban brand. This whole exercise of researching Ray-Ban has been a fulfilling one. To a greater extent, it has been like a learning process in the field of business. On the other hand, personal fulfilment came about in terms of making some discoveries about a concept that I had no idea about. For instance, I could have been wondering why Ray-Ban is so popular, but had never taken the initiative of finding out the phenomenon by myself. Therefore, this process has made me learn about the Ray-Ban company in detail, something I could have not achieved were it not for this project. Through this resea rch, I have achieved considerable academic knowledge. First, I have gained more knowledge in the field of journalism. Journalism is all about researching and finding out the truth and facts about aspects that had never been addressed before (Hartin 2004). This is exactly what I did on my personal level, as I had not attempted to research about Ray-Ban before. In the field of business, this project has imparted in me business knowledge. Basing on facts about Ray-Ban, I have learnt the strategies a company can use to ensure a successful and popular brand. In the case of Ray-Ban, this is putting the needs of customers first, to ensure customer satisfaction (Evans & Berman 2003). In the context of media production, the findings of this

SUMMARY Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

SUMMARY - Article Example In the developed world, older siblings are mandated to take care of their younger siblings in circumstances where the parents have gone to work and other rare situations when the parents are away. On the other hand in less developed countries it is an obligation for the older sibling take care of the younger siblings in all situations which include meeting some of their financial needs, mentorship, seeing them transit from one level to another. The nature of sibling relationship is influenced by factors such as age, sex, order of birth, number of siblings and treatment by parents. Researchers have shown that birth order has a lot to do with how siblings relate with each other. Being a firstborn is attached to a lot of expectations and responsibilities as opposed to other order of births. Firstborn have a lot of duties to fulfil as well as several points to prove not only to their parents but to the entire society. Birth order therefore has a strong influence on the personality and behavior of an individual throughout their entire lives. However other factors that influence character and behavior such as heredity, competency, and peer influence among others should also be considered in equal measure when analyzing behavior among

Assignment - Discussion Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

- Discussion - Assignment Example Apple’s product can be marketed to a single general audience, yet Apple still targets specific segments. In targeting the parents of small children, Apple has found probably some of the most willing buyers of their product. This segment has more money, more interest in the utility of the product, and may even buy more than one. Demonstrating the applications on the iPad and their positive influence for children as a learning tool is an excellent strategy that targets that market—these parents want a toy that also provides educational value. Finally, the product positioning of the iPad, for this segment, stresses how it is revolutionary among modern computer technology as well as learning software. Alone, use of computers and software is not a new idea—but Apple shows that the iPad as a whole is entirely new. Overall, we see that this is a case of differentiated marketing, and this specific article talks about Apple’s appeal to a certain segment by making their product appear youthful, educational, revolutionary, and completely

Advantages and disadvantagess of power point presentation Research Paper

Advantages and disadvantagess of power point presentation - Research Paper Example 377); ease and convenience in use; simple and concise to relay highlighted points to be discussed; assists in effective cognitive recall; and assisted in increasing classroom attendance (James, Burke, & Hutchins, 2006, p. 376). On the contrary, PPTs were likewise revealed to â€Å"â€Å"trap† instructors into bad teaching practices† (Klemm, 2007; cited in Gurrie & Fair, 2010, p. 24); â€Å"not all students are learning from PowerPoint presentations† (Gurrie & Fair, 2010, p. 29); minimizes interaction and rapport between teachers and students (James, Burke, & Hutchins, 2006); and restricts the use of other innovative and creative technological applications which could provide enhanced learning and stir students’ interests on diverse subjects and endeavors. Overall, as much as PPTs have been proven to be beneficial in classrooms and organizational settings as a tool to provide enhanced learning, there are set-backs on relying too much on them. As such, users and presenters must think of ways to entice audience appeal to ensure that technological applications such as PPTs would continue to serve its ultimate purpose and to maximize the potentials for learning. Gurrie, C., & Fair, B. (2010). Power Point--from Fabulous to Boring: The Misuse of Power Point in Higher Education Classrooms. Journal of the Communication, Speech & Theatre Association of North Dakota, 23,

Mangmnt 3010 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mangmnt 3010 - Essay Example The company can maintain itself through the effect of the implementation of this leadership style by hiring new employees. So, if the company engages in mere routine and unskilled jobs, it is easy to hire new employees without ill effects to company management and production. The tactical plan and actions to address Autocratic Leadership has its basic foundation in ensuring that the leadership style suits company goals and the company’s capacity to maintain such leadership style. From this, other plans may arise to ensure employee loyalty. This system of rewards has been proven as a good means to keep employees under control. A system of rewards as defined by a business dictionary as â€Å"procedures, rules, and standards associated with allocation of benefits and compensation to employees† may be put into play. The company can devise steps for the giving of incentives, bonuses, and benefits to those who will continue to work well and obey management. Rewards may also b e given for employees who continue to stay with the company, perhaps a bonus for every three year anniversary. A government agency, NASA, defines employee relations as â€Å"involving the body of work concerned with the maintenance of employer-employee relationships that contribute to satisfactory productivity, motivation, and morale.† This leaves no room for conflict or problems between co-employees and management. Management must ensure and maintain employees happy, creative and enthusiastic. By keeping employees in such a state, they will work better for the interests of the company. It is for this reason that the Florida Atlantic University promotes the creation of a positive environment and relationships based on good management practices and workplace behaviors. There are courses of action to create a positive environment and

A critical discussion of the role of organisational memory on Essay

A critical discussion of the role of organisational memory on innovation - Essay Example ith implementation; the more innovative a function, the thinner the time gap between creating and executing, planning and creating, or conceptualizing and applying. Researchers have identified innovation as a variation from current customs or understanding (Mooner & Miner, 1997, p. 95). As advancement involves some level of design or plan, it is believed that is a type of innovation. Nonetheless, it is just one type of innovation. For instance, if an organization innovates a fresh technique to store chemicals by analyzing its requirements, collecting details, planning the fresh storage utility, receiving proposals, and ultimately creating it, the organization has innovated. In addition, innovative activities may involve quite different levels of improvement; a very huge percentage or comparatively tiny percentage of the activities may be novel. Some level of innovation is necessary for an activity to meet the chronological order classification due to its stress on plan or design of activity. These concerns propose a fine connection between innovation and organizational memory. On the other hand, they as well mean that treating them as the same could decrease the capability to appreciate the particular concerns of chronological order by confusing level of organizational memory with level of innovation. Clarifying these differences highlights the notion that the â€Å"proposed definition makes no predictions or assumptions in and of itself regarding the consequences of innovation† Mooner and Miner, 1997, p. 96). This makes innovation more helpful as a study field, because it is then possible to hypothesize as well as check ideas regarding the situations in which innovation is and is not important. It is argued here that organizational memory signifies one of the major determinants of the environment of innovative endings. One thing that is clear with respect to organizational innovation is the effect of earlier practices as well as understanding of the innovating

Case analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Case analysis - Essay Example apacity of other top flying English Premiership league clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal, who are the main competitors of Tottenham Hotspur. For this reason, the club plans to build a new stadium that can have a capacity of more than 36,500 so as to remain competitive as the other premier league clubs. Daniel Levy, the current and longtime chairman of Tottenham Hotspur football club, was therefore contemplating on building of the new stadium. He believed that by building new Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur will be able to accrue additional revenue that will make them have a voice in the transfer market for good players. The Tottenham Hotspur football club has a stadium whose capacity is small as compared to the stadium capacity of other top competitors such as Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United. This makes them disadvantaged as they are not able to accrue enough revenue from the stadium attendance as compared to their competitors. This is evidenced because despite having 20 million of fans worldwide and 2.1 million of fans in the United Kingdom, few attendance revenues are always raised as the stadium has no capacity to accommodate all the fans who are willing to watch a Tottenham Hotspur match. For instance, when all the 36500 seats are occupied during the match day, 20,000 people are always on the waiting list for the tickets. Because of the limited stadium capacity, the club accrues less revenue as compared to the other top competitors. The fewer revenues accrued make the club less competitive in the transfer market as compared to the other clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United. For this reasons, the club will not be able to purchase good players who can make the club be top four in the league. Lack of top four positions in the league makes the club lose television broadcast revenue and champions league revenues. To increase the attendance revenues of the club, the club intends to build a new stadium that can increase the stadium

The Popol Vuh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Popol Vuh - Essay Example They have cut a tree for certain structural additions in the hut. Zipacna met the four hundred boys and offered to take the log to their hut all by himself, straightaway to the mountain-top. The boys were alarmed at his physical strength and instead of expressing gratitude, hatched a conspiracy to kill him. They were so jealous of his physical prowess. They decided to dig a hole and throw him there. After digging up to some depth, the boys requested him to go down on the plea that they were unable to dig further to remove the dirt. He responded to their request and went deep, but realized that he would be killed and he dug another hole beside, for his safety. When the hole was deep enough, they engaged him in some futile conversation and at the appropriate time, the boys pushed the wooden log into the hole and believed that it was the end of Zipacna. As soon as the boys saw the ants swarming over the hole, they thought ants were enjoying the meal of the decayed flesh of Zipacna. Zipa cna outsmarted them in that area also, and misled them. He â€Å"cut the hair of his head and chews off his nails† (Orozco n. p.) to feed the ants. ... behavior of Zipacna of helping the four hundred boys is repaid by improper behavior by the four hundred boys, by hatching a plan to kill him, and how this time, Zipacna repays them in the same coin by pulling down their hut to finish them all. The boys suffer for the evil deed and paid with their lives and died an inglorious death. On the first reading, this story does not seem to possess any hidden meaning. However when properly decoded and the true interpretation is made, one can come to the conclusion â€Å" that the ancient Maya were able to derive an orbital period value for the Earth tropical year to an extreme level of accuracy, and also a value for the time cycle that captures recurring synodic conjunctions between the Earth and Mercury.† (Orozco n. p.)They explained the harmony in the calendar system. The story is a metaphor of how to track successive Earth-Mercury conjunctions. The mention of four hundred boys is a significant number. Zipacna represents one solar yea r. Four hundred boys represent four hundred days. Their waiting period above the ground to put the pole into the shaft indicates a four hundred day correction. So, one should approach the mythological stories of the Mayans with the knowledge that they are based on scientific truth, and the results obtained are mathematically correct. The details in the Popol Vuh story have a distinct astronomical accuracy and the mysticism articulated in the story is verifiable though scientific calculations. The leap years come in calculations once in 4 years. It has the impact on the tropical year of Planet Earth and will have repercussions on its accurate value about its duration; therefore corrections of one day to the formula governing the leap year once in 128 years are necessary. The accuracy of the

How to eat Essay Example for Free

How to eat Essay Trash Trash by Andy Mulligan, an important event in the book is when the police go to the dumpsite looking for the bag. This event is important because it make Raphael, Gardo and Rat curious, it also makes the police angry because they can’t find the bag. The last reason is that it’s a catalyst to other events in the story. The story is about three boys in a third world country who earn a living by picking through rubbish. One day they find a bag, the contents of it put them into a terrifying adventure, fighting against corruption and authority. In the event I chose when the police go to the dumpsite looking for the bag. The police go to the dumpsite asking the residents including Raphael, Gardo and Rat if they found a bag, but the police didn’t get any answers. The first reason why the police going to the dumpsite looking for the bag is an important event, is because it makes Raphael, Gardo and Rat curious. It makes Raphael, Gardo and Rat curious because they had the bag and wanted to know why it was so important. The police said â€Å"We think this bag might have something important in it to help us solve a crime.† In other words, the police looking for the bag is an important part in the story, and if the police didn’t go to the dumpsite looking for the bag Raphael wouldn’t have gone looking for answers. The second reason why the police going to the dumpsite looking for the bag is an important event, is because it is a catalyst to other events in the story. If the police didn’t go to the dumpsite looking for the bag Raphael, Gardo and Rat wouldn’t have gone to the police station to find out why the bag is so important. Therefore, the police going to the dumpsite looking for the bag is a key part of the story. The last reason why the police going to the dumpsite looking for the bag is an important event, is because it makes the police angry because they can’t find the bag and that makes them interrogate Raphael and that shows how the police are corrupt because they beat Raphael. â€Å"What did you find?† said the boss â€Å"I didn’t find a bag, sir.† Raphael said. In summary the police going  to the dumpsite looking for the bag shows how the police are corrupt. In conclusion, in trash the police going to the dumpsite is an important event for three reasons. These are it is a catalyst to other events, it makes Raphael Gardo and Rat curious and it makes to police angry because they can’t find the bag. Andy Mulligan wrote this book to show the gap between the rich and the poor and how the police and government are corrupt. The police going to the dumpsite looking for the bag illustrates this by showing that the police will do anything to protect themselves and the government. This is a powerful life message.

Meeting Child Nutritional Requirements

Meeting Child Nutritional Requirements Unit 4 Health promotion and development. 1. Construct a table to indentify the main government guidelines on food and nutrition, and evaluate the ways in which they can be incorporated into child care settings. 2. Identify and describe the type of food that are unsuitable for babies and young children. You should specify the reason why these foods are unsuitable. There are many different food groups which should be avoided for babies from 0 to 24 months such as: Salt (Babies shouldn’t eat much salt as it isnt good for their kidneys.Dont add salt to your baby’s foodanddont usestock cubes or gravy as theyre often high in salt. Remember this when you’re cooking for the family if you plan to give the same food to your baby.) Sugar (Your baby doesn’t need sugar.By avoiding sugary snacks and drinks, youll help to prevent tooth decay. Use mashed banana, breast milkor formula milk to sweeten food if necessary.) Honey (Occasionally, honey contains bacteria which can produce toxins in a baby’s intestines, leading to infant botulism, which is a very serious illness. It’s best not to give your child honey until they’re one year old. Honey is a sugar, so avoiding it will alsohelp to prevent tooth decay.) Nut (Whole nuts, including peanuts, shouldnt be given to children under five as they can choke on them. As long as theres no history of food allergies or other allergies in your family you can giveyour baby peanuts once theyre six months old as long as theyre crushed or ground into peanut butter) Low Fat (Fat is an important source of calories and some vitamins for babies and young children. It’s better for babies and young children under two tohave full-fat milk, yoghurt and cheese rather than low-fat varieties. SeeUnderstanding food groupsfor more information.) Saturated Fat (Fat is an important source of calories and some vitamins for babies and young children. It’s better for babies and young children under two tohave full-fat milk, yoghurt and cheese rather than low-fat varieties. SeeUnderstanding food groupsfor more information.) Saturated (Dont give your child too many foods that are high in saturated orbad fat, such as crisps, chips, cheap burgers and cakes.) Shark, Swordfish and Marlin (Dont give your baby shark, swordfish or marlin.The amount of mercury in these fish can affect a baby’s growing nervous system.) Raw Shellfish (Raw shellfish can increase the risk of food poisoning so it’s best not to give it to babies.) Raw Eggs (Raw shellfish can increase the risk of food poisoning so it’s best not to give it to babies) It is equally as important to ensure that certain food groups are avoided for children between 3 to 5 year olds these foods could include: Salt (high salt intake may mean high blood pressure, osteoporosis, kidney stones, heart disease and strokes. Osteoporosis and kidney stones have even been detected in children – proving salt intake is a problem for their present as well as future health.) Fat ( Not all fats should be avoided as there are good fats and bad fats. Bad fats can lead to weight gain and obesity and later life could cause heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. Sugar (The ugly truth is that added sugar means empty calories that put kids at risk of obesity and health problems that can show up as early as adolescence.) Processed foods (Processed foods made with trans fats, saturated fats, and large amounts of sodium and sugar arent good for you. Theyre low in vitamins and minerals and eating too much of them is bad for your waistline and your health) 3.Design a child record form for a new child joining a home child setting with a specific dietary requirement. Describe the dietary requirements, and why it should be documented accurately Child record form Child Name: Record number:. Address. Post code. Emergency Contact1 Relation: Parent/Guardian. Contact Number Work.. Other Emergency Contact2 Relation: Parent/Guardian. Contact Number Work. Other Doctors Address.. Doctors Number.. Doctors Name.. Declaration I Declare that the information provided on this form about my child is a true and accurate reflection of the best of my knowledge. Parent/Guardian PRINT: Parent/Guardian Signature.. Date:. Child care Provider PRINT.. Child Care Provider Signature. Date. Medical Condition and allergies Form Medication.Dosage RequirementsDaily Intake.. Declaration I Declare that the information provided on this form about my child is a true and accurate reflection of the best of my knowledge. Parent/Guardian PRINT: Parent/Guardian Signature.. Date:. Child care Provider PRINT.. Child Care Provider Signature. Date.. It is always important to understand and document a childs dietary needs carefully and accurately. This is important to ensure that children are receiving care and safety to meet their individual requirements for example, if a child is to have a allergy towards nuts the care coordinator must ensure that they are meeting a nut free dietary requirement and ensuring that epi-pen and medication are correctly labelled. It is almost if not more important for all the care coordinators to understand how and when to administer medication when needed in case of emergencies. It is not just allergies that a care provider needs to be aware about but also about religious needs and beliefs. For example Adventis do not eat seafood and pork whereas a Muslim would require a Halal a meat. Depending on the type of child care setting the child attends, it may be necessary to share information on dietary and culture requirements with kitchen staff and additional member of child care staff. 4.Define the 4 chronic diseases identified in the course manual, and discuss the ways in which development can be affected. The 4 main childhood chronic diseases, asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and cerebral palsy. A definition of asthma is: A respiratory condition marked by attacks of spasm in the bronchi of the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing. It is usually connected to allergic reaction or other forms of hypersensitivity. Asthma can be a very serious and debilitating condition. It can restrict the air flow into your lungs thus causing asthma attack. It is a very common childhood condition as every 1 out of 10 children will have this. Asthma does not usually affect development of a child however, may hinder emotional and intellectual development. Serious asthmatic conditions could result in children in being away from school and missing a huge part of early education in order to control the asthmatic disease. a common factor of asthma is it is allergy relegated and is also linked with eczema. for young children this condition can be very emotional as asthma attacks could be frightening therefor e children and can lead to undue anxiety and distress. Diabetes is another chronic childhood disease Throughout the world, incidences of diabetes are on the rise, and consequently so is diabetes amongst children. Diabetes is a condition where the amount of glucose in your blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly.Most children are affected by type 1 diabetes in childhood. However, the number of children and young adults affected by type 2 diabetes is beginning to rise, particularly in America. Approximately 90% of young people with diabetes suffer from type 1 and the number of patients who are children varies from place to place. A figure of 17 per 100,000 children developing diabetes each year has been reported. As metabolic syndrome, obesity and bad diets spread, so too have the first incidences of type 2 diabetes, previously incredibly rare. Diabetes can affect retinopathy which can cause blindness and nephropathy which affects the nerves which can cause physical impairments. Cystic fibrosis also known as mucoviscidosis, is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder that affects most critically the lungs, and also the pancreas, liver, and intestine. It is characterized by abnormal transport of chloride and sodium across an epithelium, leading to thick, viscous secretions. Approximately 1 in 25 population have this faulty gene. This condition can be very physically debilitating for a child. Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects muscle control and movement. It is usually caused by an injury to the brain before, during or after birth. Children with cerebral palsy have difficulties in controlling muscles and movements as they grow and develop.

Brief Analysis Of Coca Cola And Pepsico Business Essay

Brief Analysis Of Coca Cola And Pepsico Business Essay Introduction The interest in corporate social responsibility, sustainable business practice, corporate governance, business ethics, and integrity and compliance management has grown markedly in the past decade (Waddock et al., 2002). It is not only stakeholders who expect companies to pay greater attention to norms, values and principles; companies themselves are acknowledging the importance of responsible business practice (Waddock et al., 2002). But what are a companys responsibilities? It is widely recognized that we are in an environmental crisis, no doubt about that. There is nearly unanimous agreement that the earth is getting warmer, and the consensus in the scientific community is that human activity, especially through activities that emit hydrocarbons, is the chief cause of climate change. Business ethic has become one of the strongest news stories of the past decade. Previously renowned companies such as WorldCom, Enron, Wal-Mart, Google and Starbuck have become link to a growing trend of unethical business behavior. Nevertheless the environmental issue has created a big impact on todays business organization. The EU has decreed that capitalism, and hence business practice within capitalism, should be environmentally sustainable. Financial success by itself is no longer sustainable therefore EU environmentally friendly business practices are considered a moral norm and consequently a moral obligation. Although corporations are primarily business organization run for the benefits of the shareholders, they have a wide range set of responsibilities, to their own employees, to the customers and suppliers, to the communities which are located, and to the society at large. Most corporations recognize these responsibilities and make a serious effort to fulfill them. Analysis of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Coca-cola The Coca-Cola Companys website contains sufficient amount of information on their segments of corporate governance, ethic, environmental and sustainability issue. Corporate governance Coca-cola has committed to strive and enforce the establishment of the principles of corporate governance. Corporate governance that has been adopted by them is based on the belief that maintaining and improving management efficiency and the fairness and transparency of their corporate activities is of utmost importance. Ethic and Environmental Sustainability Coca-cola detailed few guidelines about utilization of water on their business operation. They develop few objectives which the main aims are to return the water safely to the communities and nature as what the company consumes for their beverage production. The website also stated their roles on encountering water-scares problem around the globe. The Companys Website and Case Study Relation The Coca-Cola Company and WWF had combined their strength together on preserving nature mainly on conserving water. Several ideas and projects had been stated in order to improve global water efficiency. Focusing on the river Yangtze in China, their collaboration is vital because it is in line with their partnership main objective. The partnership goal in the Yangtze is to inspire better governance and sustainable river management practices across the basin. Coca-Cola Companys website. The Coca-Cola Company and WWF initially planned on these three initiatives: Supply Chain: Working with the supplier in order to sustain agriculture mainly sugarcane, oranges and corn. Water Stewardship: A fresh water conservation relating seven river basins including Yangtze River. The aim is to develop and implement comprehensive water stewardship plans that will serve as models for the Coca-Cola system. River Basin Conservation: To conserve the seven key freshwater basins on which our partnership is focused which include Yangtze River. PepsiCo PepsiCo Companys website contains an adequate amount of information on their segments of corporate governance, ethic, environmental and sustainability issue. Corporate Governance Referring to the website on corporate governance segment, PepsiCo has adopted strict corporate standards that govern their operations and ensures accountability of their actions. These corporate social responsibilities are also made as an integral part of their operations. The website of PepsiCo on corporate government segment detailed the corporate standards that have been strictly governed to guarantee the accountability of their action. Ethic and Environmental Sustainability [The] successful company in 2030 will be the one that recognizes the possible outcomes of the global crises we face, and one nimble and tenacious enough to embed this recognition into their strategy and business processes. INDRA NOOYI, PEPSICO CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, MAY 2009 The statement by the CEO of PepsiCo above shows the dedication on preserving the environment hence numerous efforts had been done by them for the past few years. Recently PepsiCo had released inaugural water report titled Water Stewardship: Good for Business Good for Society which explain the companys commitment to safeguard and replenish water use in their operations thus provide a better environment for future generation. PepsiCo has proclaimed on their website regarding their goal and commitment to protect the Earths natural resources. PepsiCo state that their part as a dynamic global business operator, they will remain committed in minimizing the impact of their business on the environment. The Companys Website and Case Study Relation PepsiCo and China Womens Development Function had united their forces on one purpose, which is to provide a clean water supply and to solve drinking water shortage especially in rural areas in China. PepsiCo Foundation had donated a sum of $ 1.5 million on Mother Water Cellars Project. The objective of the project was to design pilot water supply systems in order to conceive water and at the same time the project aimed to solve the problem on the difficulties of people in rural area to obtain safe drinking water. Water Cellar Sketch of a water cellar The main idea of the Water cellar is to accumulate rain and reserve the water for man and farm animals. It is also a kind of water-storing facility in Chinas rural areas. In relation on the case study, the PepsiCo has provide a huge-scale effort and this has been proven by the website and a report title Land of Love, Water Cellar for Mothers done for PepsiCo. They also had launched the project in 2000, and since then many water cellars has been built. PepsiCo believe that the planet is for all human kind to share and is their obligation to be a good citizen to the world. This project may have solves some environmental ethical issues that became a responsibilities among the big corporation. Differences in Experience and Perception China viewing Coca-Cola Morality consists of rules of human behavior and also specifies that certain actions are wrong while others are right. Actions can be seen and evaluated from moral perspective even in business since they involve human activity (George.R. 2005). Coca Cola has shown concern for the environment in China. The partnership between Coca Cola and WWF to protect Yangtze River is a non-profit one, which again reiterates Coca Colas concern about environmental issues. According to W. Michael Hoffman, a business has an obligation to keep the environment clean beyond what the law states. Companies should find methods to eradicate environmental problems caused by their production. Teleological ethics theory states that the consequence of an action will determine whether the action is good or evil. In the case of Coca Cola, if the teleological theory is applied, China will view Coca Cola as bad if the latter is polluting the environment. Moreover, Coca Cola owns around 33% of Chinas soda market. The companys representatives have predicted that there is still the possibility to grow. Products are being tailored only for the Chinese citizens. Given that Coca Cola is planning to grow, this will create more employment in China. By operating in China, Coca Cola has a moral right towards the government and the citizens, and the company should aim should aim at improving their standard of living. (Shaw, Barry) However, China needs to take into consideration what happened in India. The company had to close down for causing water shortages, and also for ignoring social and environmental foundations of consumer trust. A company may have different factories around the world, but its vision and mission statement should be the same. Given that we can consider Coca Colas actions as unethical, theres a reason for the Chinese government and citizens to worry about the Coca Cola Company established in China. What has happened in India can again be connected to the teleological ethics theory since the problems caused by Coca Cola has led to the closure of the company. As prescribed in this theory, only the ends or consequences of an action can determine whether the latter is good or evil. Coca-Cola viewing China Coca-Cola has experienced thoughtless ethical troubles with its affiliation amid their stakeholders in China. It is eager to expand its business in china and one of the ways has been the partnership with WWF with intentions of creating a relationship of trust favorable in increasing its market in china. The company launched a communication program aimed at educating people along the Yangtze River about environmental concerns, river basin management and water management. This shows the companys intention in exploring the moral responsibility to the community in situations people lack enough knowledge about. One of the principles which separate this right action from wrong is utilitarianism which emphasizes on bringing most happiness for everyone if not majority of the people through our actions ( Shaw.W, Barry.V,2010). Hence, this program is beneficial to farmers and the ongoing three Gorges dam construction which will be providing electricity to the community. Furthermore, Coca Cola is under the broad view of corporate social responsibility which identifies this company as one pursuing profits as well as having other responsibilities to its consumers and society at large. As argued by Konosuke Matsushita any business should make service to society as its objective and while serving society, profits will be generated automatically (George.R, 2005). For example the company has helped WWF contribute a major role in the Yangtze River Forum through uniting on a recommendation to deliver the Chinese government for implementing pollution regulations, which apparently are fairly uneven in the country. We support the case of Coca Cola viewing China because companies are motivated to become more socially responsible to their most important stakeholders such as consumers and the community because they expect them to understand and address the social issues relevant. In this case, Coca is contributing towards the conservation of the environment through the water security in China. Cross Cultural Ethical Decision-Making The business culture of a country is shaped by business practices and ways of thinking over a long period of time. Countries such as USA and China have different business cultures and ways of conducting their business partly because of their differences in history. Thus, it is absolutely vital for Coca-Cola and WWF to understand the cultures and practices of the Chinese society. In our point of view, Coca-Cola and WWF have been successful to a certain extent in cross-cultural ethical decision making. The Chinese society believes that everything should be in harmony (Kaptein, 2004). The efforts of WWF in collaboration with Coca Cola to clean the waters of the Yangtze River can be viewed as a decision based on the value of harmony within the Chinese society. This effort would thus be viewed as an ethical business conduct and improve the relationship between WWF and Coca Cola and China. The Chinese place high importance on human relationships or guanxi. As a result, the Chinese strive to work in groups to accomplish a common goal (Pitta, Fung Isberg, 1999). The groups in this scenario include a non-profit organisation, WWF, a profit making organisation, Coca-Cola, and the Chinese society. The common goal of these three groups is to ensure clean water is running through the lifeblood of millions Chinese, the Yangtze River. Therefore, this is seen as an informed decision by WWF and Coca Cola based on a good understanding of an important Chinese culture. Based on an American culture, business relationships can be separated from personal relationships because business transactions are bounded by legal contracts (Trevino Brown, 2004). In negotiating contracts and business transactions, signing a contract is seen by Americans as the final stage of business association. However, from the Chinese point of view, friendships are seen as lifetime commitments and as a first step to a deeper and improving relationship. The fact that Coca-Cola has been operating in China for so many years setting up 39 bottling plants is a testimony to Coca-Colas true understanding of the elements of friendship and negotiations within the business conduct of the Chinese society. Communication is seen as a way to bridge the gap that might exist between two different cultures. In their efforts to clean the Yangtze River, WWF and Coca Cola launched communication programs to educate the Chinese communities about environmental issues. According to McWilliams and Siegel, the combination of communication and persuasion can help the understanding of the two parties concerned. This presents WWF and Coca-Cola with cross-cultural benefits as they are able to earn the trust of the Chinese society by making efforts to improve the well being of China as a whole. Recently, the Chinese press were complimenting Coca-Colas effort in sponsoring Project Hope, a program that aims to improve education for disadvantaged children throughout China. The company aims to build 100 Project Hope Schools by 2011. This effort is in line with the Chinese culture of valuing and strengthening relationships. The news also highlighted that Coca Colas partnership with WWF to conserve the Yangtze River showed significant progress by galvanizing local communities to actively participate in river basin conservation (Press Release Coca Cola, 2010). Certain decisions made by WWF and Coca Cola were questionable as it did not fully consider the cross cultural implications. Firstly, Coca-Colas US$ 2.3 billion bid for China Huiyuan Juice suggested that the company was acting in its own self interest of gaining market share and monopolising the beverage industry in China. The Chinese society views a sudden and substantial change such as the takeover as disruptive because it does not consider the notion of harmony. Coca-Cola were acting according to the theory put forward by Adam Smith who advocated the pursuit of maximum self interest or ethical egoism. According to Garrett Hardin, the tragedy of commons explains that each individual believes their use of commons only has its own negligible effect. However, the collective result can be of gradual damage or destruction which makes everyone worse off. The fact that Coca-Cola uses 290 billion litres of water a year for production, might indicate that the company themselves might be at f ault for causing water pollution at the Yangtze River. http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/presscenter/nr_20101029_china_investment.html regulation Multinational Companies Balance Between Profits and Environment Multinational companies usually generate huge profits every year while they also need to contribute to the gradual improvement in the environment. One of the ways to balance those two elements, that is profits and good environment, is through sustainable development. The latter should meet the needs of the present without compromising the future generations ability to meet their needs. (United Nations Brutland Report). Sustainable development needs the integration of social, environmental and economic considerations to make long term decisions. As per Milton Friedman theory, the main social responsibility of a company is to increase profits. However, Coca Cola should make sure that it is not compromising the welfare future of Chinese citizens with its current production activities. Furthermore, there is the clichà © the business of business is business. (Business Ethics,, George). A corporation may ignore the moral demands of an individual, but it can hardly ignore the moral demands of the society it conducts its business in. This is because both parties are dependent on each other, for example in Japan, the business of large corporations recently changed, not only to produce goods and services but to also to care for the companys stakeholder such as a guarantee of lifetime employment to employees while providing a conducive environment to the people living in the region it is operating. Multinational Corporations today have a renewed interest towards Corporate Social Responsibility instead of prioritising profits at the apex of their pyramid. Some MNCs use the Corporate Social Responsibility perspective as a strategic tool to attain economic objectives which is ultimately wealth creation. These MNCs follow the approach of economist Milton Friedman who philosophised that the only one responsibility of business towards society is the maximisation of profits to the shareholders within the legal framework and the ethical custom of the country. However, the interests of people who have a stake in the firm also known as stakeholder must not be excluded by MNCs. Satisfying these interests will contribute in maximising the shareholder value (Odgen and Watson, 1999). An adequate level of investment in philanthropy and social activities will allow MNCs to bring in profits (McWilliams and Siegel, 2001). Stakeholders are the people who directly or indirectly affected an organis ations actions, objectives and policies. MNCs owe a fiduciary duty towards stakeholders as they can bring profit to the company. There is a social contract between the organisation and society. A straightforward contribution in order to balance these two elements would be by maximising the shareholders value as the highest priority to evaluate specific corporate social activity (Mele and Garringa, 2004). These values of shareholders may be seen from many different perspectives such as a greener environment. However, if this method imposes a cost or hinders the company from earning profit, it should be declined according to Milton Friedmans theory.

Let It Pour: My First Assignment as Executive Assistant :: Critical Thinking Case Study

Introduction Just starting a new position as executive assistant, working directly for the CEO of Faith Community Hospital I receive my first assignment as executive assistant. I am charged with solving specific problems, delivering the solutions and describing my rationale for my proposed solutions, my boss, the CEO of the Community Hospital is requiring the information next Monday. In my following report I will take steps to identify the problems and to solve each of the problems described using the critical thinking skills I have learned at State University. I will be using my decision making skills along with a brainstorming technique to help me solve these problems. The two problems that I have identified are as follows: The first problem I have identified to solve is the moral and ethical differences our practitioners have towards administering care to patients resulting in different levels of care provided by different practitioners. The second problem that I have identified is our increa sed costs per patient. I need to brainstorm what we can do to reduce or avoid the potential continuing increased costs. Critical Thinking Case Study To begin, I need to study the problems thoroughly and efficiently. Then I will need to isolate each of the problems that the CEO and I discussed in the meeting. I will need to analyze each problem and evaluate alternatives for each problem. After that is done, I will make recommendations with corrective actions prepared for the CEO by Monday. In my CEO's assignment I have identified the two separate problems and I will be evaluating them each independently. Problem #1 First, I have to identify the problem. The hospital and regulators are seeing inconsistent decisions that are implemented for the patients based on the particular doctors' or nurses morals, and ethical beliefs. As the CEO said "On one hand, we have particular patients who refuse to take certain medical services, and on the other hand, particular staff members who refuse to provide certain services." The doctors are not following any set standards for issuing care for our patients. This problem needs to be immediately rectified. To solve this issue I need to break down the problem into its different elements. I have identified the problem, now I have to define the goals. Goals The goals that we need to accomplish are to have each practitioner administer consistent care for our patients regardless of personal morals and ethics. We also need to make sure that no patient is refused care, regardless of the doctors' beliefs, medical coverage or lack of coverage.

Kurt Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-Five :: essays research papers

A Look into the Human Mind In his powerful novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut tells of a man named Billy Pilgrim who has become unstuck in time. He walks through a door in 1955 and comes out another in 1941. He crashes in a plane in 1968 and ends up displayed in a zoo on the planet Tralfamadore making love to Earth porno-star, Montana Wildhack. He ends up in the cellar of a slaughterhouse when Dresden is bombed to ashes during World War II; Billy, his fellow Americans, and four guards were the only ones to live through the bombing. The Boston Globe best explains the book when it says it is â€Å"†¦poignant and hilarious, threaded with compassion and, behind everything, the cataract of a thundering moral statement† (back cover). Vonnegut looks into the human mind of a man, traumatized by war experiences and poor relations with his father, and determines insanity is the result. Billy’s father is a source of his instability from the beginning. Mr. Pilgrim treats Billy as if he has no feelings and he is a disgrace to him. Unfortunately for Billy, fathers are very influential in a boy’s growing up. In a terrible encounter with his father when Billy was young, Mr. Pilgrim sets the stage for Billy’s insanity: Little Billy was terrified because his father had said Billy was going to learn to swim by the method of sink-or-swim. His father was going to throw Billy into the deep end, and Billy was going to damn well swim. It was like an execution. Billy was numb as his father carried him from the shower room to the pool. His eyes were closed. When he opened his eyes, he was on the bottom of the pool and there was beautiful music playing everywhere. He lost consciousness, but the music went on. He dimly sensed that someone was rescuing him. Billy resented that. (43-4) Billy is also traumatized by the extreme loss in his life. Everywhere he looks, he experiences great loss. First his father dies in a hunting accident, then he gets in a plane crash and everyone aboard dies but him, and while he is in the hospital recuperating, his wife dies of carbon monoxide poisoning. There is so much death surrounding his life, that it is no wonder Billy has not tried to kill himself yet. Billy proves throughout the book that he is not mentally stable, yet somehow, he is persuasive in his interpretation of the truth.

me :: essays research papers

West Africa was soon to be convulsed by the arrival of Europeans and become the advent of the transatlantic slave trade. Ships from Europe, bound for America, appeared on the horizon, and their captains and sailors-carrying muskets, swords, and shackles-landed on the coast, walked up the beach in their strange clothes, looked around, and demanded slaves. A horrific chapter in history had begun, and neither Africa nor America would be the same again. Approximately ten million Africans were brought across the seas to the Americas to be manipulated into slavery. It became apparent that these African men, women and children were meant to generate money. They were meant to work harsh labor, yet they were no longer meant to have a voice. A few Americans took the time to appreciate the hard work performed by the slaves; however, appreciation is a short step in the long road to equality. It was not until the late 19th century that America began to repair the damages done by this immoral trading of human beings. Once the slaves were â€Å"freed† after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it did not do much to end the oppression and prejudice against their race. Their freedom did not give them a heart; it did not prove they had soul. This is where their music becomes significant, and this is Blues music. Throughout their music, it took much less time for the black race to prove that they were not unlike the rest of humanity; in f act, they did have a voice, and a haunting one. Once Blues music was not only recognized, but also comprehended, admired and imitated, it opened the gates of immigration, and the nation to this day has matured in its ability to see gray. Included in the mass of faceless slaves, the boats entrapped and migrated a large number of griots. A griot was an African version of the European wandering minstrel. They spent their lives traveling from village to village, playing the role of a musician, storyteller and wise man. They typically carried an instrument similar to a guitar or banjo. However, due to their rapid change in environment, they could no longer sing the songs that they used to sing in their old villages; they invented new songs. The griots invented new songs that addressed their new and terrifying circumstances. Songs about being chained on the ships below deck like animals, about those who did not survive the brutal crossing to New World, and about the homes they would never see again.