Critique 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critique 1 - Essay Example For this Partita there were six individual movements announced in the recital program: sinfonia, allemande, courante, sarabande, rondeau and capriccio. Sinfonia part is a kind of introduction, or prelude for the following four individual parts. â€Å"A partita is made up of popular Baroque instrumental dances† and thus, next four parts naturally were stylized as different dances of 16-17th centuries, and named after them (The Bach Partitas). The last part, capriccio is a flexible academic form of music, which in case of this Partita was also composed by Bach in a style of Baroque dance. At the beginning of this Partita, a piano served to convey a melody and a rhythm in turns. Naturally, a melody was played by Pavey right hand, while rhythmically accompanied by a left one and was absolutely distinguishable, until the very technical end of a first part. There were a lot of short notes, so Pavey tried not only to play them right, but play them light. Yet I noticed, how focused on a technique Pavey was when playing some fast parts of this Partita. Compering to other music performed that night, Pavey’s Bach sounded most full of notes, most technically, but less complicated. Though melody did sound distinguishable, it was sounding very inseparably from dance rhythms, even in the most â€Å"free† capriccio part. I think it was the most academic sounding part of a recital and most successfully performed by Pavey. When Pavey started performing a second piece of music, - Sonata in E Major, Op. 109 by Ludwig van Beethoven, - he revealed how more independent a piano sounded in 1820 when Beethoven composed this Sonata, comparing to Baroque piano. It no longer required a dance activity. Pavey used piano to convey Beethoven’s specific idea, which was highly lyrical and emotional. Sometimes it was undistinguishable where the rhythm was, because more attention was paid on a melody development. While developing melody,

Outline the differences between negative and positive freedom.which do Essay

Outline the differences between negative and positive freedom.which do you see as more persuasive - Essay Example Moreover, based on the differences the paper will also discuss which kind of freedom persuades me more. In order to differentiate the two kinds of freedom it is necessary to understand their definitions. Negative freedom revolves around the concept of freedom without any interference. On the contrary positive freedom is a much complex phenomenon that is difficult to understand compared to negative freedom. This belief states to do something according to rules and regulations with system interference (Stanford Encyclopedia of Phiolosphy, 2012). Political systems across the world have been using negative and positive freedom simultaneously. When the systems are free from regulations that prevent their ability to act, they use negative freedom, similarly, when the system has enough resources to act as they want to, then they enjoy positive freedom. This increases the complexity for the audience to easily differentiate the two liberties effectively (Institute for Humane Studies, 1996). Different societies have their own understanding on how they differentiate the two kinds of freedom. For this reason these freedoms are sometimes peculiar with each other. When there are no barriers negative freedom takes place. It also highlights the absence of limitations, obstructions, or intrusions from any authority; in short a failure of a political system. One the contrary, positive freedom takes places under the legislative rules and regulations. In this kind of freedom a person or state acts autonomously (MacCallum, 1967). This can be understood with the help of an example. A person can enjoy a freedom over the property as long as no one interferes in it; this will fall under negative freedom. At the same time a person also has freedom over some property if he owns it and has control given to him by the laws; this will fall under positive freedom (Gray, 1978). Many philosophers and thinkers also studied and presented the differences

Cost-Benefit and Cost-Effective Evaluation Methods Useful for Evaluating Effective Training Essay Example for Free

Cost-Benefit and Cost-Effective Evaluation Methods Useful for Evaluating Effective Training Essay For over a hundred years the concept of both cost-benefit evaluation and cost-effective evaluation methods has been used for numerous fields and industries to see the positive and negative sides of undertaking a project. These methods has been used to analyze public health; transportation; and etc. Each and every company would rather see more of profits than losses. Employers see that their employees and the trainings are investments to their business. Hence, employers need to have assurances that the trainings that they give out to their employees would be both beneficial to the employers in terms of profit and as well as return of investment (ROI). In order to gain much profit, the employers need to have their employees be up to par with industry standards with avant-garde skills through effective training. Employers do take note that in order to have highly qualified employees they need to give effective and quality training. Using the above mentioned evaluation methods would let the employers know: how much it would cost them to train their employees; the duration of the training – would determine the effectiveness and implementation of the skills. Then again these methodologies are not full-proof as there are numerous factors to be taken note of, to guarantee one hundred percent success rate of these trainings such as: the capabilities of their employees, the willingness of their employees to learn these trainings; and finally applying them during operation. The use of these evaluation methods can be a rough guide to corporations and institutions, to name a few, to see the quality and assess projected costs of trainings and steps to be taken. With such projections yielded by these methods one may be on track with their project management and asset management.

Strengthsquest My Five Strengths English Language Essay

Strengthsquest My Five Strengths English Language Essay StrengthsQuest is an activity that people can do to find out the five major qualities that they posses. This process includes taking a test that requires you to answer questions like, Would you ratherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦orà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? And I am more likely toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦thanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Answering these questions gives the StrengthsQuest program information to determine what a persons top five themes are and also provides you with a description of each of the characteristics. Some possible products of finding out your strengths might include higher levels of engagement in the learning process, learning to take the perspective of others who are very different from oneself, higher levels of academic achievement, ability to make an informed career choice, or the development of leadership (Schreiner). I agree with Schreiner because once a person knows what their strengths are and what they could possibly do with the rest of their lives, they could really get started on a successful pa th. Another point that she mentioned was that by using this tool, it could help a person to make an informed career decision. This is a very good point because students with an undecided major may need just a little input about what would be right for them, and by doing the StrengthsQuest test they could find what they are really good at and what career pathway would work best for their personality. When I took this SrengthsQuest test, I was very pleased with the results that I received. My five themes turned out to be includer, restorative, communication, woo, and empathy. In the future, I want to become a dental hygienist and I believe that my five strengths are going to help me be very successful in my career choice. Themes Includer. By the definition of StrengthsQuest, being an includer means, Stretch the circle wider. This is the philosophy around which you orient your life. You want to include people and make them feel part of the group. In direct contrast to those who are drawn only to exclusive groups, you actively avoid those groups that exclude others. You want to expand the group so that as many people as possible can benefit from its support. You hate the sight of someone on the outside looking in, you want to draw them in so that they can feel the warmth of the group. You are an instinctively accepting person. Regardless of race or sex or nationality or personality or faith, you cast few judgments. Judgments can hurt a persons feelings. Why do that if you dont have to? Your accepting nature does not necessarily rest on a belief that each of us is different and that one should respect these differences. Rather, it rests on your conviction that fundamentally we are all the same. We are all equal ly important. Thus, no one should be ignored. Each of us should be included (StrenthsQuest). This description of an includer sounds like the kind of person I am. I am always willing to let other people in on what is going on in my life and I feel like this is an important attribute for being a dental hygienist. Dental hygienists need to have an interest in working with people and working as a member of a team (alis.alberta.ca, 2007). For example, if you find that there is something seriously wrong with a childs tooth or mouth when you are working on them, it is important for the dental hygienist to be able to include the guardian of the child and your boss with what is going on. The best option is to include the people around you to find out what is best to do in a situation like this. If you are a person who does not like to include people with what is going on around you, and would rather try to fix it yourself, you could get yourself into trouble by not attempting the right proce dure to fix the problem with the childs mouth. This could cost you your job, so you need to include your boss to receive a second opinion. Being an includer as helped me in the past by always bringing in new faces to my group of friends. By doing this, I have always had a new perspective on what people think or feel. This has helped me bring new ideas to the table, which has made me realize what I really stand for. This has also helped me make sure I am doing the right thing by getting other peoples advice to see what I should do in a serious situation, like I will in my career pathway. If something is needing to be done that is serious enough to hurt my patients health, or my career, I will always ask the patient, patients guardian, or my boss. I feel like I recieved my includer trait from my mother. She always told me to never leave anyone out, and in the long run it is paying off. Restorative. This was my second result from StrengthsQuest. According to StrenghtsQuest restorative means, you love to solve problems. Whereas some are dismayed when they ecounter yet another breakdown, you can be energized by it. You enjoy the challenge of analyzing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong, and finding the solution. You may prefer practical problems or conceptual ones or personal ones. You may seek out specific kinds of problems that you have met many times before and that you are confident you can fix. Or you may feel the greatest push when faced with complex and unfamiliar problems. Your exact preferences are determined by your other themes and experiences. But what is certain is that you enjoy bringing things back to life. It is a wonderful feeling to identify the undermining factors, eradicate them, and restore something to its true glory. Intuitively, you know that without your intervention, this machine, this technique, this person, this company-might have ceas ed to function. You fixed it, resuscitated it, rekindled its vitality. Phrasing it the way you might, you saved it (StrengthsQuest). I would consider myself a restorative because I have never enjoyed conflict. Whenever I see someone or a group of friends fighting, I always love to resolve the problem by talking it out with both sides of the situation. Dental hygienists also need to have the ability to work with people (mhcc.edu, 2010). With my ability to work with people and solve their problems, I can resolve problems in the office. If a fellow employee is discussing some issues that they are having with someone in the office, I will feel like it is my duty to resolve the problems that they are having. I know that other people may think that it is none of my business, but I like to resolve problems. I will feel like I have to solve the issue in order to work in a peaceful working environment. Being a restorative has helped me in the past by almost never having conflict in my group of friends and making my life more positive. I remember I was always being the one to resolve the problems, and I feel like this has helped me out in my past by always having a positive feeling around me so I could concentrate on what I really wanted to achieve. The source for me being a restorative would be myself. I have always felt the need to never have negativity around me so I would always make the initiative to resolve problems. Communication. My number three strength is communication. According to strengthsquest, this is what it means. You like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write. This is your communication theme at work. Ideas are a dry beginning. Events are static. You feel a need to bring them to life, to energize them, to make them exciting and vivid. And so you turn events into stories and practice telling them you take the dry idea and enliven it with images and examples and metaphors. You believe that most people have a very short attention span. They are bombarded by information, but very little of it survives. You want your information-whether an idea, an event, a products features and benefits, a discovery, or a lesson-to survive. You want to divert their attention toward you and then capture it, lock it in. this is what drives your hunt for the perfect phrase. This is what draws you toward dramatic words and powerful word combinations. This is why people like to lis ten to you. Your word pictures pique their interest, sharpen their world, and inspire them to act (StrengthsQuest). Communication has always been the key in my life. I have always believed that the best way to work things out is to talk it out. Communication is going to be a positive attribute when I am a dental hygienist. Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills are required for being a dental hygienist (alis.alberta.ca). I am going to need to be able to talk to my boss, co-workers, and my patients. Not only am I going to have to talk to them, but I am going to need to be on their level of communication, and my strength in communication will make me very successful in this category. As a dental hygienist, you should possess strong interpersonal skills because you will be working with patients on a consistent basis (dhschools.com). Communication has helped me get through every aspect in my life. Through my good communication skills, I could always ask people questions if I didnt know the correct one, I could get on a persons level and become better friends with them, and I always got along with my parents because I would always tell them what was really going on in my head. Like being an includer, my mom also has also always taught me to communicate with the people around me so there is less unknown and more known. Communication will be my key to success in my dental hygiene career. Woo. Woo is my fourth outcome of my StrengthsQuest test. Woo stands for winning others over. You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like you. Strangers are rarely intimidating to you. On the contrary, strangers can be energizing. You are drawn to them. You want to learn their names, ask them questions, and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport. Not only are you rarely at a loss for words; you actually enjoy initiating with strangers because you derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection. Once that connection is made, you are quite happy to wrap it up and move on. There are new people to meet, new rooms to work, new crowds to mingle in. in your world there are no strangers, only friends you havent meet yet-lots of them (StrengthsQuest). Woo is an important attribute to posses in a field that I chose. It is important to make sure that people like you at your job, from your boss to y our patients. If you are rude to the people you are around at your job, you could bring down the business of the place because people do not like to be around rude people. Wanting to be liked is a very good quality to have if you desire to become a dental hygienist. With the attribute of wanting to get to know people and more about them, you could really create great relationships with your patients. By doing this, your patients could tell their friends or family about how friendly and comfortable you have made them, and that could bring more business to the office. I have always enjoyed meeting new people and getting them to like me, and I feel this will be a very positive trait for me to have for my future. Empathy. My last result is empathy. Empathy isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦you can sense the emotions of those around you. You can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are your own. Intuitively, you are able to see the world through their eyes and share their perspective. You do not necessarily agree with each persons perspective. You do not necessarily condone the choices each person makes, but you do understand. This instinctive ability to understand is powerful. You hear the unvoiced questions. You anticipate the need. Where others grapple for words, you seem to find the right words and the right tone. You help people find the right phrases to express their feelings-to themselves as well to others. You help them give voice to their emotional life. For all these reasons, other people are drawn to you (StrengthsQuest). Empathy is a positive characteristic to have when dealing with patients who might be nervous or scared about coming to the dentist. A dental hygienist should also be caring and compassionate, as well as hard working (dhschools.com). By being able to put yourself in their shoes, you can understand why your patient might be scared, and try to make them understand the process. This might make them less afraid. I consider myself to be very caring and understanding when people talk to me about their problems, and when this happens in my career I feel like I can be successful in making my patients feel more comfortable with going to the dentist office. Conclusion StrenghtsQuest is a great way for people to find out what their strengths are. Sometimes people do not realize what strong qualities that they possess, so just pointing them out can have a great affect on them. Some positive outcomes include higher levels of engagement in the learning process, learning to take the perspective of others who are very different from oneself, higher levels of academic achievement, ability to make an informed career choice, or the development of leadership (Schreiner). Strengthsquest has narrowed my top five strengths to be includer, restorative, communication, woo, and empathy. All of these characteristics have helped me in a positive way throughout my life so far and I believe that all of these attributes will have a positive influence on my career as being a dental hygienist, also.

Virgil and Dante Essay example -- Virgil Dante Inferno Essays

Virgil and Dante In the note to Canto V regarding Francesca and Paulo, the Hollanders exclaim that â€Å"Sympathy for the damned, in the Inferno, is nearly always and nearly certainly the sign of a wavering moral disposition† (112). Indeed, many of the touching, emotional, or indignation rousing tales told by the souls in Hell can evoke pity, but in the telling of the tales, it is always possible to derive the reasons for the damned souls’ placement in Hell. However, there is a knee-jerk reaction to separate Virgil and, arguably, some of the other souls in limbo from this group of the damned, though, with careful perusal of the text, the thoughtful reader can discern the machinations behind their damnation. Although the dynamic between Virgil and Dante shifts dramatically through Purgatorio, throughout the Inferno, Virgil is the teacher and Dante the pupil, often bordering on an almost father-son relationship. It is the Roman, in Canto V, who asks the famous guiding question, â€Å"What are your thoughts?† (V.111), forcing the Florentine to pause and reason through what he is learning. Again, in Canto XXIV when Dante begins to weary, which is of little wonder: the poem begins at dawn with Dante lost from already being â€Å"so full of sleep† (I.11), Virgil manages to revitalize Dante’s spirits, calling for him to â€Å"Cast off sloth† (XXIV.46) and â€Å"Get to your feet† (XXIV.52), while reminding him of the â€Å"longer stair that must be climbed† (XXIV.55), Purgatory, which lies only a mere ten cantos ahead. Unarguably, this close relationship which forms between the two poets makes the reader’s heart pity Virgil’s damnation. This pity is doubled when one considers Virgil’s special situation: he is in Limbo, the circle of the virtuous pagans, thos... ...le to consider that Dante has erred in his placement of Virgil, noting how successfully that works with the rest of the allegorical levels. Perhaps then the answer and the problem which demands this answer, lies not with Dante or the poem, but within the reader. It is easy to identify with Dante, a man riddled with flaws; Virgil then becomes closer as a father figure. Thus, all the complex emotions wrapped in the bizarre web of paternity are translated onto Virgil. When one sees Virgil, one sees oneself; one sees one’s father. The damnation of the Roman I puzzling, paradoxical, and confusing, but not unjustified: many other souls in Hell fall under the same category. That to pity Virgil is to pity the part of ourselves which fears damnation and to pity our family before considering justice, is a lesson which can only be learned in the fire and ice of Hell. Virgil and Dante Essay example -- Virgil Dante Inferno Essays Virgil and Dante In the note to Canto V regarding Francesca and Paulo, the Hollanders exclaim that â€Å"Sympathy for the damned, in the Inferno, is nearly always and nearly certainly the sign of a wavering moral disposition† (112). Indeed, many of the touching, emotional, or indignation rousing tales told by the souls in Hell can evoke pity, but in the telling of the tales, it is always possible to derive the reasons for the damned souls’ placement in Hell. However, there is a knee-jerk reaction to separate Virgil and, arguably, some of the other souls in limbo from this group of the damned, though, with careful perusal of the text, the thoughtful reader can discern the machinations behind their damnation. Although the dynamic between Virgil and Dante shifts dramatically through Purgatorio, throughout the Inferno, Virgil is the teacher and Dante the pupil, often bordering on an almost father-son relationship. It is the Roman, in Canto V, who asks the famous guiding question, â€Å"What are your thoughts?† (V.111), forcing the Florentine to pause and reason through what he is learning. Again, in Canto XXIV when Dante begins to weary, which is of little wonder: the poem begins at dawn with Dante lost from already being â€Å"so full of sleep† (I.11), Virgil manages to revitalize Dante’s spirits, calling for him to â€Å"Cast off sloth† (XXIV.46) and â€Å"Get to your feet† (XXIV.52), while reminding him of the â€Å"longer stair that must be climbed† (XXIV.55), Purgatory, which lies only a mere ten cantos ahead. Unarguably, this close relationship which forms between the two poets makes the reader’s heart pity Virgil’s damnation. This pity is doubled when one considers Virgil’s special situation: he is in Limbo, the circle of the virtuous pagans, thos... ...le to consider that Dante has erred in his placement of Virgil, noting how successfully that works with the rest of the allegorical levels. Perhaps then the answer and the problem which demands this answer, lies not with Dante or the poem, but within the reader. It is easy to identify with Dante, a man riddled with flaws; Virgil then becomes closer as a father figure. Thus, all the complex emotions wrapped in the bizarre web of paternity are translated onto Virgil. When one sees Virgil, one sees oneself; one sees one’s father. The damnation of the Roman I puzzling, paradoxical, and confusing, but not unjustified: many other souls in Hell fall under the same category. That to pity Virgil is to pity the part of ourselves which fears damnation and to pity our family before considering justice, is a lesson which can only be learned in the fire and ice of Hell.

Two Languages and Two Cultures Essay -- immigration, China, Two Kinds,

Two Languages and Two Cultures United States was built on immigrants and some of the immigrants were pushed from their homeland because of some reasons while other reasons such as America dream pulled them to the United States. Most of these immigrants came from China in 1949, when the communist party took over. These immigrants came with their cultures and languages which are significant in everyone's lives because they play a major role in the development of individual’s characteristics. Many observers believe that these cultures and languages lead to conflict between immigrant parents and their American-born children. This is certainly the case. Interestingly enough, while history and culture contribute to the American way of life, they also create disagreements between the immigrant’s culture and American culture. Perhaps this is why Amy Tan's story, â€Å"Two Kinds,† explores the conflicts and confusions of relationships in the Chinese immigrant communities through the effects of Chinese immigrant’s ethnic heritage, child performance during this time of American culture and, communication divide during this period. First, Amy Tan successfully demonstrate how Chinese immigrant’s ethnic heritage contributed to the conflicts and confusions of relationships in the Chinese immigrant communities during that era. Back in China, the Chinese culture during the narrator's mother's era encouraged social stratification and as such no one can move out of their respective social class. Consequently, this way of thinking remained part of the narrator's mother's life when she arrived into the United States. For example in the story, the narrator's mother believed that she could be anything in America. Consequently, she wanted her daug... ...cessive control is not a forced decision. With the adequate public information and dedication, parents can guide their children to become productive citizens. When a parent confront an obstinate child, all it takes is for her not to take it personally. Works Cited Bloom, H. (Ed.). (2001). Amy Tan. Philadelphia: Chelsea House. Huntley, E.D. (1998). Amy Tan: A Critical Companion. Wesport, CT: Greenwood Press. Jottedlines.com. Literature, Critical Analysis of â€Å"Two Kinds.† February 7, 2013. Kazdin, Alan E., Phd. Encyclopedia of Psychology, Volume 8, March 2000. Tan, Amy. â€Å"Two Kinds.† Literature Reading, Reacting, Writing. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. 8th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2013. 687-695. print. Nelson, E . S. (Ed.). (2000). Asian Amerincan Novelists: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Management studies Essay

Introduction Since starting the DMS in September I have found the workshop programme very useful. I have learnt many styles and techniques of management and from this have applied to my workplace with very effective results, also using my workplace as an experimental ground for practising my new techniques. From this, I have learnt from my mistakes and errors and rectified them to continually improve my own performance, and thus improve the performance of my department within the business. From leaving school with four â€Å"o† levels, I started my working career as an engineer; attaining an apprenticeship at Phillips Components. After four years of completing this, along with a higher national certificate in computer aided engineering, I acquired a position of Toolmaker in the Toolroom. I then continued working as a Toolmaker for the next eleven years without ever considering a managerial position. After many years of Toolmaking I acquired the position of Improvement Technician within the Sub-components department (press shop) and after Twelve months was offered the position of Shift Leader within this department. From taking the leap from Engineering to production/people management it was recommended that I returned to college to complete a Diploma in Management Studies to gain the academic qualifications to compliment my new role. Learning Style and Teamwork Theory One of the first workshop sessions was based on learning style and teamwork theory. For this we completed questionnaires on learning style and the Belbin self perception inventory, a questionnaire based on individual’s team role profile. The learning style questionnaire was designed to understand your preferred learning style and help you pinpoint your learning preferences so that you are in a better position to select learning experiences that suit your style. The results are broke down into four different styles: Activists, Reflectors, Theorists and Pragmatists. After scoring myself on the questionnaire, the results suggested that I had a very strong preference towards being an Activist, a strong preference towards a reflector and moderate preference towards Theorist and Pragmatist. An Activist is a person who is very open-minded and enthusiastic about new ideas or experiences. They tend to act first and consider the consequences later. They tackle problems by brainstorming and thrive on the challenge of new experiences. They are gregarious people constantly involving themselves with others but, in doing so, they seek to centre all activities around themselves. With the learning style of an Activist I find it very hard work to sit down and study, I also find it very difficult reading a book as I tend to find my mind wandering off on to other activities I could be doing. Analysing my learning style within the workplace, I would tend to agree with these results. I have a reputation at work for being very enthusiastic and passionate about my department and also about the company I work for, also preferring to physically â€Å"get stuck in† with problems we encounter, rather than sitting down and discussing them. Within each learning style there is a set path we need to progress through in order to get the most out of any learning experience, these are as follows: Step one, having an experience In step one there are two easy in which we can have an experience; one is to be passive and allow the experience to happen and you needing to react, two is to deliberately seek them out in a proactive manner. Step two, reviewing the experience I tend to think this is the one we most often miss out on, we tend to jump this one and come to a conclusion before we’ve reviewed an experience in a none judgemental manner (with an open mind and no preconceptions). Time needs to be taken out to properly review any experience to gain anything from it. Step three, conclusions from the experience This involves looking at the reviewed experience step to understand and see what lessons can be learnt. Step four, planning the next step There would be little point in reviewing or coming up with any conclusions from the experience if we did not apply this newly gained knowledge to future events. The Self Perception Inventory The Belbin self perception inventory specifies nine roles for the efficient working of a team. Once the questionnaire is completed, a team role profile is then calculated for the individual and a counselling report is created. The chart below shows how I scored: Roles and Descriptions Team-Role Contribution Percentage Score Specialist 93% Plant 81% Resource Investigator 73% Shaper 69% Complete Finisher 63% Monitor Evaluator 50% Team Worker 25% Co-Coordinator 9% Implementer 2% My profile shows that I gain great intrinsic satisfaction from the nature of work in which I am engaged. For me work is like a hobby, offering me a chance to exercise my creative disposition and achieving professionalism all at the same time. As far as the outside world is concerned, I will be known and respected for my knowledge and special skills and for the fact that I am in the forefront of most new developments. My limitations I may have to accept apply to my administrative and managerial skills. I may have to make a conscious choice in terms of the direction of my career. A wider arena would offer broader prospects of advancement, but would also face stiffer competition, with the chance of me loosing some of my professional expertise. The alternative would be to build up my personal reputation in my own special area and carve out my own job within it. Reflecting on my results from the self perception inventory, I must realise that to become a better team player, I must understand my allowable weaknesses from the roles I scored high in. Also I must work on increasing the lower end scores, by becoming a better co-ordinator and implementer, also increasing my team worker skills. Residential To start the course off, our first learning experience of working within teams was the residential activity at Dove Nest. After a brief introduction (and cup o’ tea) we were soon split into four groups and given the mine field activity to complete. This being a perfect ice-breaker to the course, testing our teamwork skills and also a perfect opportunity to get to know other students. Instantly, different individual’s personalities and trends were noticed and within minutes different traits were easily recognised as some members co-ordinated whilst others problem solved or challenged ideas. Our team decided it would be an advantage to amalgamate with the adjacent team to create a synergy were by we would attain greater power due to the creation of synthetic energy, i.e. the understanding that to join forces more than twice the power of each individual team would be achieved. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Although we did manage to complete task, we didn’t a ccomplish it in the fastest time. Before to long we were soon split into other groups and given different tasks to complete with goals clearly set. One task I thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from was a task where all team members had to run up a hill (about 20 metres) to a square marked out on the floor (approx 3m sq.). Inside the square was 18 randomly spaced tags pinned to the ground, numbered 1 to 18. Our task was for all team members to run up to the square, then all the tags had to be touched, respectively from 1 to 18, but only one member was allowed into the square at any one time. Once this was complete, all the team then had to run back to the start point and cross this point within a specified time. We were given an allocated time to plan the task and also only given three timed attempts to achieve our target. Instantly we conducted a brainstorming session to assess all our different options. Then after heated debate about which ideas we thought would be the most efficient we then decided to perform what we thought would be the fastest trials. After timing each option we then chose the fastest and analysed this to see if we could improve on the practiced times. Once we thought we couldn’t improve any more we then attempted to reach our goal. Of the three timed events, the first one was about twenty seconds overtime, the second just under, but by the third attempt we had shaved about forty seconds off our original time, also clearly beating the goal set. We achieved this through everybody committing to the teams needs to achieve the goal set, where everybody knew their place within the team, even though everybody did not agree with some of the decisions. A great sense of satisfaction and camaraderie was achieved by the conquering of this task, with all the team thoroughly motivated and geared up, ready for the next task. Finally on day one we were given the task of running our own business, the final goal, to manufacture and sail a raft on Lake Windermere. Different roles of team members soon developed, one person accounting, another designing, whilst others negotiated with opposing teams to acquire either more money or materials. Once enough materials were obtained, the raft was ready to be manufactured. Again, different team roles were seen, as some members built the raft whilst others delegated different tasks, and others stood back, saying â€Å"that’ll never float, you’ll not get me on that†, only to be proved wrong once the race got underway. For me, there were many learning points from Dove Nest even though at this point we had not covered these techniques at college. It was an excellent opportunity to improve my listening and negotiating skills, as well as improving my delegating techniques. The best learning experiences for me were teamwork and motivation. Working within teams were nobody knew other people’s knowledge or capabilities, or what specialities they may possess created an atmosphere were by to achieve the goals set, individuals roles had to be rapidly appointed. I also found the problem solving activities very stimulating, probably through my engineering background. Dove nest was also an excellent starting point to the course as many students (myself included) were novices to the styles and theories ahead, thus giving everybody a perfect foundation to the year ahead. Reflecting on how each team member performed on the residential, I think it would be an excellent idea to perform a similar residential exercise at the end of the year to recognise the improvement of individual’s performance. Presentation Skills A great learning point for me was the workshop on presentation skills. When confronted with the task of presenting to the group I was keen to improve my ability as presentations are a key role in my position at work, whether presenting a fortnightly team brief or a project presentation to senior Management. Previous to workshop I have encountered some bad experiences in the workplace, due to inadequate planning beyond my control. After watching the video on presentations, I came away with a greater knowledge of what creates a good presentation. The key learning points for me being preparation, content and delivery. What is the purpose of the presentation and why? Know your subject – do your homework. Know your audience, the objective being to keep them interested. A good presentation should have a suitable introduction, main theme and conclusion. The delivery is also essential, confidence being the key, keep to a specified time and remember that you are the person presenting and the effect of it is upon your audience. I found it very beneficial to be able to watch and judge people’s presentation skills reflecting with the rest of the group on how to improve these skills, not feeling under any pressure whilst doing so; an option not available at work. The experience of having someone give feedback to a presentation allowed me to fully focus myself on the need to learn from, and understand my shortcomings, is also gave me the opportunity to scrutinise the way in which I should deliver a presentation. As I have a learning style of an Activist, and therefore wanting to try anything once to gain a new experience, I chose to give my presentation on a non-work related matter. I decided to give my presentation on what I labelled â€Å"The Millionaire Lifestyle Weekend† – a presentation on how to live a millionaire lifestyle for the weekend working within a budget that most people would find affordable. Fortunately I wasn’t presenting until the third week, which gave me plenty of time to plan my presentation. Also gaining more knowledge on this subject through analysing other student’s presentations and making observations as to how their presentation could be improved. A key observation from myself was never apologise when presenting as this may come across as being negative. Also, try to keep the audience interested and keep within the time specified. Provide a handout for any important information, but don’t distribute until the end of the presentat ion. When the time came to delivering my presentation, I was at first nervous, due to previous experiences, but after the first two slides I felt more at ease due to the environment in which the workshop was held and also due to the fact that I felt confident about what I was presenting thanks to sufficient planning and preparation. I think another added contribution was the fact that the first couple of slides grabbed people’s attention and instantly they were thinking â€Å"this looks interesting†, a very important learning point, grasp people’s attention on the first two slides. I realised that in doing this, people sit up and listen, thus giving the presenter more confidence in what he/she is presenting. I also learnt that the rehearsal of a presentation is extremely important; I practiced this presentation about Ten to Fifteen at home in front of the mirror, finding this to be a great benefit to delivering a good presentation. Overall it gave value to me as I now know how to structure presentations. I felt, as did the others in the group that their subject would be boring for anyone else but to the contrary, as I listened to other presentations they were entertaining, informative, and all had flow to them. This tells me that if the subject to be presented is put over in the way we have been shown then the information within it is retained by the audience. Since this workshop, I have presented to management at work and felt a lot more at ease, having greater confidence in myself by understanding the correct way to performing a successful presentation, understanding the emphasis on planning as well as delivery. I have now learnt to improve my presentation skills at work a lot more by watching and analysing others present in the workplace. Time Management The time management workshop was also of great use to me with respect to my position at work. I am responsible for the production of nine different sub-components all used in the manufacture of a cathode, with present cathode production running at 300k per day, although due to losses on automation, with some components I have to produce 160 good components to make 100 good cathodes. I am responsible for a workforce of 45 people as well as providing assistance in other departments as and when required. I find myself in a position where I am constantly fire-fighting on a daily basis, going home feeling that I have taken two steps back rather than one step forward. When we had the workshop on time management I was instantly keen to increase my knowledge on this subject as time at work is sparse. I found the video a great learning tool, by watching the situation with the manager who never seemed to have any time. I instantly related issues on the video to my workplace and started to understand the important factors of managing time efficiently. Learning to identify, and then change, any bad practices such as taking on too much work that I could possibly delegate out to others, or failing to plan and organise my day correctly, understanding the difference between efficiency and effectiveness. The key points of time wasting have stayed fresh in my mind since this session understanding that I need to prioritise, delegate, plan and communicate more effectively. From watching the video, I returned to work ready to try out my latest technique. Understanding that to manage my time for that day I must spend the first five to ten minutes planning my day a head, prioritising what jobs have to be done, what jobs should be done, what jobs need not be done and what jobs I could delegate out to others. Also deciding which jobs are important, urgent, urgent and important and so on. Once I have done this, I then write a priority list in order of which jobs I shall do when, ranging from must do to least important. Since doing this on a daily basis I have found that I get through a lot more issues at work and seem to find a lot more time to take on extra tasks without the worry of not being able to complete in the required time. This has taken a large amount of pressure of my working day. Although I am sometimes still rushed off my feet, at least I’m not leaving for home with my head in a spin. Conclusion When first discussing the DMS to work colleagues, who had once been students on the course. They described the workshop sessions to me, explaining about people’s learning styles and teamwork theory and I have to admit I was very sceptical about the whole thing, not understanding about Activists and pragmatists, etc. But since attending workshop I have realised that what we have learnt is true to life and have found very useful. I do have the opinion that people who become successful managers do have that special gift and that managers are born and not trained. My opinion is that to be successful not only must you have that gift but you must also learn the different techniques learnt on workshop and understand how and when to apply them to daily life. I have found that a lot of what I have learnt a necessity in the role I am in at work. I also realise that not all situations in the workplace are the same, as people’s attitudes and characteristics all vary, some on a daily basis, and to be able to handle any situation without causing upset to the individual or the business is a skill only acquired over time. Dealing with issues can be a very delicate and tricky art, but with the correct personality, integrity and knowledge gained from the workshop, success is a not such a fantasy as a nearby reality. Bibliography. KELLET, P. (2002) Presentation Skills Workshop lecture notes KELLET, P. (2002) Effective Teamwork Workshop lecture notes KELLET, P. (2002) Time Management Workshop lecture notes KELLET, P. (2002) How to Improve Your Learning Style Learning style questionnaire BELBIN (2002) Self Perception Inventory Mk2 BELBIN (2002) Self Perception Team Role Profile