Tuesday, January 28, 2020

USS Lead Superfund Site

USS Lead Superfund Site The environmental regulatory agencies in Indiana are the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the IDEM (Indiana Department of Environmental Management), which split regulatory responsibility for the local environment. This balance leans more heavily towards the IDEM, since the EPA has to divide its attention amongst six states in the region while the IDEMs sole focus is just the state of Indiana. Additionally, each agency contributes to Indianas environmental regulation in different ways, each playing to the strengths of their individual legal jurisdictions. The EPA develops and enforces regulations, awards federal grants, studies environmental issues in its numerous nationwide laboratories, sponsors partnerships with local agencies (like the IDEM), teaches people about the environment, and publishes information. Their mission is multi-faceted, but in regards to Indiana the EPA works to ensure all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn, and work and takes statewide efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific information. The EPA differs from the IDEM since it is a federal institution and as such it monitors federal laws (as opposed to state laws), ensuring that laws protecting human health and the environment in the region are enforced fairly and effectively. On the other hand, IDEMs mission is to implement federal and state regulations to protect human health and the environment while allowing the environmentally sound operations of industrial, agricultural, commercial and government activities vital to a prosperous economy. The IDEM is relatively newer than the EPA, being founded only in 1986. Interestingly, there is a unique relationship between the two agencies since the first administrator of the EPA, William D. Ruckelshaus, was a native Indianan who drafted the Indiana Air Pollution Control Act of 1963 which laid the groundwork for what would later establish the Indiana Stream Pollution Control Board. Before the IDEM was created, environmental regulations were administered by the Indiana State Board of Health and, before that, by the Indiana Stream Pollution Control Board. The IDEM in Indiana might have not emerged had it not been for the EPA and its founding administrator. Today, the IDEM employs about 900 environmental professiona ls who perform numerous functions, including assessing air and water quality, issuing environmental permits, inspecting permitted facilities, developing state environmental rules, responding to environmental emergencies, overseeing cleanups of contaminated properties, managing voluntary pollution prevention programs, and raising public awareness about environmental protection in Indiana. Both the EPAs and IDEMs offices and programs in this region are similar in the fact that they both ensure compliance with environmental laws and rules that help protect Indiana and its environment. Both agencies complement each other since they must both be equally ready to deal with environmental emergencies, ensure effective communications with the public, provide for public participation in its decisions and activities, and investigate environmental crimes. Of the ten U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys regional offices, the office for EPA Region 5 is in charge of handling environmental issues in Indiana. Aside from Indiana, Region 5 includes the states of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and an area dedicated to the 35 Native American tribes. While not the biggest EPA region geographically, Region 5 deals with some of the nations biggest environmental issues, including the Grand Rapids vapor intrusion, the Flint drinking water response, the Great Lakes restoration initiative, and studies on petroleum coke and lead in drinking water in Chicago. But perhaps most importantly in Region 5, the EPA is dealing with managing the USS Lead Superfund Site, a large scale environmental accident area in Indiana. A Superfund site is defined as any land in the United States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA as a candidate for cleanup because it poses a risk to human health and/or the environment (toxmap). These sites are placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). This is the case with the USS Lead site that is located in East Chicago, Indiana, which was listed on the National Priorities List of the worst contaminated sites in the country in 2009. [The Superfund] site includes part of the former USS Lead facility along with nearby commercial, municipal and residential areas.ÂÂ   The primary contaminants of concern are lead and arsenic (EPA Superfund 2). Lead contamination at Superfund sites presents a threat to human health and the environment. Lead, a naturally occurring element, can be harmful to humans (particularly children) when ingested or inhaled. Over time, lead has become a common environmental contaminant at Superfund sites across the country (EPA Superfund 1). While much of our lead exposure comes from human activities such as emissions of fossil fuels from leaded gasoline and past use of lead-based paint in homes, lead can also be emitted into the environment from industrial sources and contaminated sites, such as former lead smelters. While natural levels of lead in soil range between 50 and 400 parts per million, mining, smelting, and refining activities have resulted in substantial increases in lead levels in the environment, especially near mining and smelting sites (EPA Lead). This was precisely the case with U.S. Smelter and Lead (USS Lead), our first key player and biggest culprit in the Indiana Superfund environm ental disaster. A brief look at USS Leads history shows that smelter operations began at the site in 1906, with the smelting of copper. In 1920, title to the property was transferred to USS Lead. Between 1972 and 1973, the USS Lead facility was converted to operate exclusively as a secondary lead smelter, recovering lead from automobile batteries and other sources of secondary lead (EPA Case Summary). Even though USS Lead ceased operations in 1985, the environmental damage was already done and a nearby public housing complex and several residential properties suffered severe lead contamination. According to the EPA, the other two key players that caused this problem are the Atlantic Richfield Corporation (ARC) and E.I. du Pont De Nemours and Co. (DuPont). The USS Lead Superfund Site is located on a 79-acre tract of land in East Chicago, Indiana, and includes both the former USS Lead facility and ARC and DuPont, all of which operated facilities in the same area. While USS Lead was the most significant contributor to contamination in the area, the EPAs investigations indicate that the other two facilities were also significant sources of contamination to the residential area. Specifically, ARC and DuPont contributed through arsenic contamination which contains different pollutant properties than the aforementioned USS Lead contamination. According to the EPA, when lead is released to the air from industrial sources or vehicles, it travels long distances before settling to the ground, where it usually sticks to soil particles. Lead may also move from soil into ground water dep ending on the type of lead compound and the characteristics of the soil (EPA Lead). But sometimes small quantities of elemental arsenic are added to other metals with the goal of forming metal mixtures or alloys with improved properties. In fact, the greatest use of arsenic in alloys is in lead-acid batteries for automobiles. Therefore, similarly to lead, when those arsenic alloys were heated in smelters at the ARC and DuPont sites, most of the arsenic went up the stack and entered the air as a fine dust that again settled on the ground and stuck to soil particles. This sets the stage for additional health problems in the nearby community, including dangerous levels of arsenic accumulation in soil, water, plants, animals, and ultimately even humans who consumed anything exposed to arsenic. On October 28, 2014, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana approved a consent decree between the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the state of Indiana, Atlantic Richfield Company, and E.I. du Pont De Nemours and Co. (DuPont). Under the settlement, Atlantic Richfield and DuPont agree to pay 100 percent of the costs incurred to implement the cleanup and will spend an estimated $21 million to clean up contaminated soil in the Calumet neighborhood of East Chicago, Indiana (EPA Case Summary). Before work begins, EPA officials will meet with property owners to discuss details of the cleanup on their property. In general, workers will dig up and remove contaminated soil up to two feet deep and replace it with clean soil, including six inches of topsoil. As a final step, workers will put grass seed or lay sod on the topsoil, restoring each yard to a healthful and clean condition all at no cost to the homeowner. The responsible parties will transport the contaminated soil to a licensed landfill for proper disposal. EPA anticipates that approximately 723 residential yards will be cleaned up (EPA Case Summary). References https://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/faq/2009/08/what-are-the-superfund-site-npl-statuses.html https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/case-summary-epa-agreement-will-start-clean-contaminated-soil-us-smelter-and-lead https://www.epa.gov/lead/learn-about-lead https://www.epa.gov/superfund/lead-superfund-sites https://www.epa.gov/uss-lead-superfund-site

Sunday, January 19, 2020

William Blakes London Essay -- William Blake London Poem Poetry Ess

William Blake's "London" Works Cited Not Included William Blake's "London" is a representative of English society as a whole, and the human condition in general that outlines the socio-economic problems of the time and the major communal evils. It condemns authoritative institutions including the military, royalty, new industries, and the Church. Blake's tone creates a feeling of informative bitterness, and is both angry and despondent at the suffering and increasing corruption of London's society. Blake's sophisticated use of notation like capitalization, his specific change in meter, and the point of view all clearly develop London.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The point of view in which Blake employs to London is significant to the understanding of the poem. Blake chooses to give the poem a persona, a person who appears to have extensive knowledge of the city and helps give credibility to the poem. (Foster, 1924) The use of first person in all three stanzas allows the poem to be more opinionated and less objective, drawing the reader's attention by making it more personal. Blake's London is to be the reader's London as well. In addition to point of view, Blake further sophisticates his piece by presenting specific tone to each section of the poem. Blake sets the tone early in the poem by using the word charter?d which shows the condition of London as repressive. The speaker refers to the people or ?faces? he meets with ?Marks of weakness, marks of woe.? This diction advocates the probability of the city being controlled by a higher authority. The faces of the people, or the face of society reveals the feelings of entra pment and misery in the population. This in itself could propose, "humanity itself is being commercialized" (Damon, 1965). One of the interesting aspects of Blake's poetry is the layers of meaning his words connote.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blake's advanced use of notation is evident through his utilization of capitalizing specific words to emphasize a point. Capitalization is repeatedly used in "London" to stress a higher meaning than the literal interpretation. Blake's use of the phrase ?every Man? again alludes to Blake?s intention that the poem represents not just the common, man but also, common society. Similarly the title "London" is used to represent the state of English society and to symbolizes the condition of every human society (Hirsch Jr., 1964) Aga... ...en with gonorrhea and other diseases, which blinded the newborn babies (Damon, 1965) Hence the diction ?Blast the new-born Infants tear?. The poem reaches its climax as the speaker exposes the infants who were born into poverty. When Blake uses the contradicting phrase ?Marriage hearse? in the last line it is significant because he combines something good with something bad (Lambert Jr., 1995) Blake proposes the possibility that as long as powerful institutions corrupt society, marriage is always cursed. Even though the joy of a new life is present, the fact that the child is born into a corrupt and evil society is discouraging. Blake suggests to the reader that until there is change this loop will continue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?London? is a poem of serious social satire directed against social institutions. According to Blake author Michael Phillips ?it is a poem whose moral realism is so severe that it is raised to the intensity of apocalyptic vision.? Blake becomes more specific in his descriptions of the prevalent evil and moral decay of society as the poem progresses. Blake?s informative nature is clearly evident in ?London? as he ?points the finger? and exposes powerful institutions.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Assessing your own leadership capability Essay

Understand leadership styles within an organisation 1.1 Review the prevailing leadership styles in the organisation There are a range of leadership styles that can be adopted by organisations in order to try to achieve their goals. Each of these is often suited to certain situations and has drawbacks preventing any one style being the best style of leadership for all situations. Even within organisation different styles of leadership can be identified with this being more prominent in larger organisations with a longer chain of command. One â€Å"study suggests that differences in the leadership styles practised by managers may be blurred in organisations with short chains of command, while it will tend to be pronounced in organisations with long chains of command, other things being equal.† (Oshagbemi T & Gill R, 2004) Within Dacorum Borough Council there are different prevailing leadership styles present at different levels of the organisation. On a corporate level senior management are trying to adopt a transformational style of leadership, which would reflect the changing nature of the organisation. However a trait style of leadership is far more prevalent, with this being of a task orientated nature. This is due to that although ambitious new projects are planned and underway, often work is set in a very formal manner or very inflexible due to the demand of the politicians who have a large influence on how work is undertaken. This is reinforced by the way telling, rather than selling, or preferential gaining true buy-in, has been adopted with very little staff engagement within the senior levels of the organisation. Even since major management changes four years ago when 50% of the senior management team were made redundant the council has still struggled to fully move to the transformational leadership style that it is clearly trying to establish. When the senior management team was reorganised managers were kept who were flexible and could identify and act on opportunities. However given the political constraints I have mentioned above this is often  problematic with the council needing to fulfil often bureaucratic processes. Although much of the work directed from senior management levels is task orientated, once these have been set the middle managers vary across the organisation in their own styles of leadership. The amount these vary is quite dramatic with some areas adopting a laissez-faire approach and others taking a much more autocratic approach to the leadership style that is used. Much of this can be down to personality and the types of work that are being delivered. Tannenbaum & Schmidt looked at the issue of leadership styles within organisation and developed a leadership continuum. The model demonstrates the relationship between the level of freedom that a manager chooses to give to a team and the level of authority used by the manager. (Tannenbaum, Robert and Schmidt, 1973) This model assists leaders and managers in their choice of leadership pattern by making them aware of the forces which are most relevant. At a middle manager level there are different levels of freedoms within the organisation corresponding to the leadership styles that have been adopted and the service area staff work in. Within my service there is less freedom, as the head of service has a very hand on attitude to certain elements of work, often meaning that rather than having full control over a situation that at best this is done via consultation and more frequently direction. There are three sub teams in my area and even between these different approaches are taken as the head of service is a specialist in one of the areas but has very little interest in another which is reflected in the way that they interact with the managers below. This allows some mangers in the team more freedoms and others less so, thus restricting their own abilities to do there jobs. 1.2 Assess the impact of the prevailing leadership styles on the organisation’s values and performance The task orientated leadership that is demonstrated by Dacorum Borough Council effects the values and performance of the organisation, with the two heavily linked together. With Dacorum being a large complex organisation, which needs to fulfil statutory responsibilities to the tax payers, the senior management need to establish a leadership style that then can both do this but also strive to establish the vast changes that are planned for the organisation in the coming months and years. However this is sometimes at odds with the values that Dacorum have recently been promoting of becoming more innovative and transformational, to match the way in which future working and the physical surroundings themselves will be changing. The task orientated approach leads work and key projects being defined at a senior level with often one of the senior managers taking an active role in the project to oversee these. This has led on occasion to middle managers being disillusioned by having little say over decisions they could be involved in and being told what action is required. This approach may have more positive impacts in areas such as finance and benefits, as this approach would be more suited to a more highly regulated service area which would add certainty in the way work is carried out. One of the core values that the council is fostering is that of creating a high performance culture. However, as I have mentioned above, the style of leadership shown by the senior management can be stifling to the middle level managers below them and not motivate them to want to work towards the vision that they have very little influence over. Middle management at Dacorum has adopted democratic and bureaucratic styles within different areas of the council. Input is taken from lower level managers and a selling approach, rather than telling, used when setting goals and targets. This has a better impact on employees with an understanding of what is trying to be achieved and gains some buy in from those expected to deliver the work programme. This approach will harness better results as the performance of staff under a task orientated or autocratic style when not in a time of crisis. (Unknown (2013)) Be able to review effectiveness of own leadership capability and performance in meeting organisational values and goals 2. 1 Assess own ability to apply different leadership styles in a range of situations Different leadership styles are required for different situations as each style has its own benefits and drawbacks. Examples of when different styles would be required can be seen through Tuckmans (1965) model where teams are forming, storming, norming and performing. As a team is forming, this can be a new team or when new employees have joined the team, the employees need to be given clear direction with reliance upon the leader for both guidance and instruction. During this stage it would be appropriate to adopt a more autocratic approach to leadership; this would be shown towards the left hand side of the Tannenbaum & Schmidt model. Once formed the team would then move to the storming stage where individual’s roles are established. This stage requires coaching to help with uncertainties that could exist within the team and the leadership style to start moving towards the right on the Tannenbaum & Schmidt model. After the storming stage the team will enter the norming, this is where the roles and responsibilities are understood and the team encourage each other with the leader gaining respect. At this stage a democratic style of leadership can be adopted where the leader acts to facilitate rather than give firm direction. The final stage, which some teams may never achieve, is the performing stage. During this stage instruction is no longer required as independence is achieved and the team moves towards shared goals. At this stage a laissez faire style can be adopted where each team member knows what they are doing and needs little guidance. FORMINGSTORMINGNORMINGPERFORMING Team Focus Inclusion: â€Å"Why are we here?† Control: â€Å"I want to have my say.†Openness: â€Å"Let’s do it.† Success: â€Å"Wow, we’re great!† Typical Team Behaviors Dependent on leader/facilitator Uneven/tentative participation Quiet defiance Polite conversation Conflict Question leadership, authority, rules Verbal/nonverbal resistance Dysfunctional behaviour Frustration Give/receive feedback Encourage others Active listening Recognize and discuss differences Trust and comfort Task appears to be effortless Interdependence develops Balanced, supportive participation Differences valued and discussed candidly Facilitator Focus To model openness, disclosure, and active listening To help the team recognize group dynamics and address conflict positively To uncover unspoken issues and encourage self-critique To teach the team to self-facilitate Facilitator Behaviors Listen, especially to what is not said. Be attuned to nonverbal cues that signal apprehension. Intervene. Demonstrate disclosure by expressing your feelings. Ensure objective, goals, and agenda are clear. Use icebreakers to encourage disclosure. Ask team members to clarify their assignments at close of meeting. Pay particular attention to group dynamics. Be specific when describing behaviours. Encourage team members to discuss their feelings. Encourage team members to discuss their interests versus their positions. Immediately point out non-conformance to ground rules. Encourage self-critique. Encourage the full exploration of ideas. Explore inferences. Plan with the team leader how to share leadership role. Coach the team in facilitator skills. Plan brief sessions for the team to recognize progress. Encourage reinforcing and redirecting feedback. As well as this different styles may be appropriate for other reasons, such as adopting a more autocratic approach in times of crisis to speed up decision making without dissent, such as in times of war. When I first started out as a manager I was managing three members of staff, all of which were new to their roles, with two new to the council. The team at this point was very much in a forming stage where clear direction was  needed from all members of the team and a decisive autocratic style was needed to give stability and assurance to the team. Of the three employees it was clear that each had different strengths and weaknesses as well as goals and ambition within their roles. Naturally I have a tendency towards a theory Y (McGregor, 1960) style of management which offers more coaching rather than taking such an autocratic approach. This situation required this firm approach and it was only was each team member was confortable in their roles and the storming process had finished that I was able to move towards my natural tendencies. It was noted that while all team members joined at approximately the same time some settled and became familiar with their responsibilities and objectives quicker than other team members. This meant I could take different approaches when dealing with different members of the team, as some where still storming while others had a clear grasp on their role and were now performing. Moving forwards the team will be changing as will how we work at the council. While we move through this process a transformational style of leadership will be of most benefit to the team, who are now well formed. Rather than continue to use a situational style, the team understand how their work fits in to the organisation goals and with the wider vision. By fostering the feelings of trust, admiration, loyalty and respect, and because of the qualities of the transformational style of leadership, staff are willing to work harder than originally expected (Bass & Riggio, 2006). This style requires the leader to act as a role model for followers, to inspire them while challenging them to take greater ownership for their work. This will be explored in more detail under section 3.1. 2.2 Assess own ability to communicate the organisation’s values and goals to staff in own area Dacorum Borough Council has both clear values and goals. The goals are set out through the corporate vision as well corporate documents by both senior management and middle managers. The values come through from the vision of the council as well as more formalised values within corporate policy documents, although many values, such as performing a good public service  are not explicit in corporate documents. To communicate these values and goals to staff within my own area I use range of communication tools and methods. The most important thing to establish is the individual needs of each member of staff to make a judgement on which methods will work best to get the messages through that I would like to deliver. With all staff in my area who I manage I hold regular 1-2-1’s and appraisals, This helps me understand what types of communication and interaction suits them best as well as giving a clear opportunity to talk about their objectives and demonstrate how these fit in to the wider goals and then to the vision of the organisation. Commitment to goals & values are built through these meetings, where action plans are linked to the key delivery documents (PID’s) which are focused around delivering the organisation goal, which creates the ‘golden thread’ through all the work we do. Feedback through these 1-2-1’s is an important mechanism as this can reinforce positive behaviours that are in keeping with the corporate values and goals although once again the level of feedback will need to be different for different members of staff depending on how they like to be managed. Another method that I regularly use to help communicate the key goals is through regular team meetings. At these meetings it is also important to recognise that the way one speaks to a group may need to differ from interacting with individuals, as it is important to find the best method that helps communicate the goals and values to the group as just using the same techniques may alienate some members of staff. To reinforce the values it is important to ensure that when the goals are set they are grounded in the values of the organisation. This helps that when setting individual objectives with staff that the link between all of this work is clear and easy to identify and understand. Gaining the buy in from the staff ensures that they will By using the corporate values in the work we set it helps to create a consistency and fairness when dealing with all members of staff so that one approach is adopted. As well as this we also hold annual or bi-annual service events where the key messages and values from the organisation are reinforced, with this giving members f staff to not only give feedback on their objectives but also ion the goals which have set. 2.3 Assess own ability to motivate others and build commitment to the organisation’s values and goals In motivating a team the first aspect is to identify what it is that motivates the individuals. When holding regular 1-2-1’s with staff I would look to establish what motivates them so I can look to develop a framework for how I can create the conditions for them to be motivated. It is important to remember that rather than trying to motivate staff we should be trying to create the conditions where staff will be motivated. Maslow (1943) stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fulfil the next one, and so on. This model can be used to assist in the understanding of human behaviour and understanding motivation by listing the key driving forces for individuals. Following this framework it shows how manages nee to create the correct environment for their staff and the staff will then act to motivate themselves. Now the team I manage is settled, with all the members of staff settled in their roles, I am able to identify mechanisms that will help create the conditions to motivate each member of staff. Although each member of staff is an individual it is possible to sometimes group individuals together if they share the same individual motivations, e.g. if two members of the team were both seeking further social needs through work then it may be possible  to use the tools to help achieve a situation to motivate both of these employees. Setting clear goals which jointly created objectives can feed into helps in this process of staff understanding why certain tasks are being carried out and helps to create greater ownership of the work they are doing. The CMI motivating the demotivated checklist offers other examples of how staff can be addressed to increase motivation within the work place. The checklist includes offering help with planning, involve the unmotivated, try to get buy in, and make sure the rules are clear. These examples have been carried through to help identify when these approaches can be used to address individual situations. Be able to adopt an effective leadership style to motivate staff to achieve organisational values and goals 3.1 Justify the most effective leadership style to motivate staff in own area, to achieve the organisation’s values and goals While one needs to ensure in a given situation the leadership style that is chosen be explicit in order to remain consistent and ensure that a clear message is delivered, the leadership style chosen must be correct for the situation and be able to be reviewed as a situation changes. Given the range of leadership styles that have been identified it will be important that the correct style is chosen by a leader in order to get the most out of staff. Theories have evolved from the â€Å"great man† notion of heroic leaders, through trait theories, behaviourist theories, situational leadership, contingency theory and on to transactional and transformational leadership. As I have described in previous questions the team are currently in a state where each member knows their roles and are comfortable in the job they are doing. Dacorum Borough Council will be changing the way we work over the  next two years and this will affect all staff in the council including those who work in my area. This will mean that the leadership style that I take on will need to be able to accommodate these changes and motivate staff to get the best results in a time of change. Given the changing nature of the team and the changes due to take place in the future a contingency-situational theory may be appropriate. These theories were developed to indicate that the style to be used is contingent upon such factors as the situation, the people, the task, the organisation, and other environmental variables. (Boulden & Gosling (2003)) A situational style of leadership, such as through the Hersey-Blanchard model of leadership, allows the developmental levels of a leader’s subordinates to play the greatest role in determining which leadership styles are most appropriate. From here four leadership styles develop: Directing, Coaching, Supporting and Delegating. This approach was used when the team first formed and as the team matured and moved towards performing, on the Tuckman stages of team development, so I could change my style to reduce task behaviour and increase relationship behaviour until the followers reach a moderate level of maturity A more recent approach would have been to use a situational model as described by Tannenbaum & Schmidt. Rather than responding to the maturity of subordinates they view leadership along a continuum from one extreme of autocracy to the other as democracy with subordinate’s participation and involvement increasing as you move along. This approach allows you to change based on the situation you are in and more readily respond to changes in the environment. The theories mentioned previously describe ways in which could be used to successfully manage my team, however the leadership style that has the potential to motivate staff in my area most will through a transformational style of leadership. Employees in my area are now well established and performing well but in the future more will be expected from each of us and I feel that this form of leadership has the most potential to give  subordinates genuine self-esteem and self-actualisation. This style of leadership requires me, as the leader, to take actions to increase employees awareness of what is right and important to raise their motivational maturity and to move them to go beyond their own self-interests for the good of the group and the organisation. Transformational Style Leader Behaviour 1) Idealized Behaviours: living one’s ideals †¢ Talk about their most important values and beliefs †¢ Specify the importance of having a strong sense of purpose †¢ Consider the moral and ethical consequences of decisions †¢ Champion exciting new possibilities †¢ Talk about the importance of trusting each other 2) Inspirational Motivation: inspiring others †¢ Talk optimistically about the future †¢ Talk enthusiastically about what needs to be accomplished †¢ Articulate a compelling vision of the future †¢ Express confidence that goals will be achieved †¢ Provide an exciting image of what is essential to consider †¢ Take a stand on controversial issues 3) Intellectual Stimulation: stimulating others †¢ Re-examine critical assumptions to question whether they are appropriate †¢ Seek differing perspectives when solving problems †¢ Get others to look at problems from many different angles †¢ Suggest new ways of looking at how to complete assignments †¢ Encourage non-traditional thinking to deal with traditional problems †¢ Encourage rethinking those ideas which have never been questioned before 4) Individualized Consideration: coaching and development †¢ Spend time teaching and coaching †¢ Treat others as individuals rather than just as members of the group †¢ Consider individuals as having different needs, abilities, and aspirations from others †¢ Help others to develop their strengths †¢ Listen attentively to others’ concerns †¢ Promote self-development 5) Idealized Attributes: Respect, trust, and faith †¢ In still pride in others for being associated with them †¢ Go beyond their self-interests for the good of the group †¢ Act in ways that build others’ respect †¢ Display a sense of power and competence †¢ Make personal sacrifices for others’ benefit †¢ Reassure others that obstacles will be overcome Transformational Leadership Styles and Behaviours (Bass and Riggio, 2006) This approach allows for the elevation of the needs for employees (from security needs to needs for achievement and self-development) which in turn will allow for greater productivity with well-motivated staff and allow for high performance. 3.2 Implement the most effective leadership style in order to motivate staff in own area to achieve the organisation’s values and goals As there are significant barriers that exist in order to implement a change in leadership style at the senior management level within the organisation this approach will be first adopted within my service to use as a test case for the wider organisation. Based on whether this style of leadership is successful this can then be reported back through the organisation through the various senior management meetings. A first step to adopting this within my service area will be to meet with other managers of people, as this approach will need to be adopted across the service area to become effective. Once the buy-in of front line managers and the middle managers has been secured I will meet with staff to discuss the organisational values and see how these fit with theirs. At these meetings I will also again set a clear direction of where and what we want to achieve and reiterate how their specific objectives are working towards our goals of making Dacorum a better place to live and work. These themes will then also run through team meetings and 1-2-1’s to further reinforce this message. The next step will be to set the example of a positive new direction and embracing the changes that we are about to face both for the team and for the council as a whole. Regular communication of these messages will be made through regular meetings and as the changes draw closer team days to look at how we can take the most out of these future opportunities. Some of my time will be allocated towards both mentoring and coaching of staff to help bring out their strengths and to work on any areas which the staff feel require further development. References: Bass B M & Riggio R E (2006). Transformational Leadership (Second ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Bolden R & Gosling J (2003), A review of Leadership theory and competency frameworks, Centre for leadership studies: University of Exeter. Hersey P & Blanchard K H (1969), Life cycle theory of leadership, Training and Development Journal, 23 (5), pp 26-34 Maslow A H (1943), A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), pp370-96. McGregor D (1960), The human side of enterprise. McGraw Hill Higher Education Oshagbemi T & Gill R (2004), Differences in leadership styles and behaviour across hierarchical levels in UK organisations, Emerald 25. Tannenbaum R & Schmidt W (1973), Choosing a leadership pattern. Harvard Business Review, May-June 1973, Cambridge, Mass Taraschi R (1998), cutting the ties that bind, Training and development USA, Nov vol. 52 no. 11, pp. 12-14. Tuckman B (1965), development sequence in small goups. Psychological bulletin. 63, pp 84-99, Bethseda Unknown (2013), Various ILM 5 course handouts, May-July

Friday, January 3, 2020

What Is E-Commerce Is Vercing Business To Business

As consumers spend most of their time engaging in online shopping apps, scheduling business appointments and playing online games on the mobile phones, business owners have tapped into this bandwagon to develop apps tailored to their customer needs. This is a smart move by businesses especially in the 21st century where virtually everything is reliant on social media networking. In the last decade, mobile apps are enhancing business to business (B2B) and business to customer (B2C) collaborations. It is the age that e-commerce is inevitable for every entity that seeks to connect with its customers and trading partners alike. In this context, the business is seeking to assess the suitability of creating an app for its customers to use. This†¦show more content†¦In modern-day B2B apps, there is heightened focus on core functionalities as compared to design. Unlike B2C apps, business to business apps will be utilized mostly by professionals who are in search of solutions for th e company. On such requirement of B2B apps is a stellar user experience which entails fast loading and minimal lag time. The efficiency with which the user can access information is what differentiates a user-friendly app from a non-user friendly one. Thus, it is important for Company X to focus on a high-end mobile app that solves customers’ needs on the spot with minimal or no delays. This is because such delays constitute to loss of business and may tarnish the reputation of the company. Another key requirement is the visual presentation of the app which revolves around the graphical user interface. It is important that the company cover all the aspects of the project and any changes that it may elicit in the course of software engineering (D. and K., 2012). The study covers objectives and additional methods that highlight the requirements of Company X in the development and creation of the B2B mobile application. The total of all these activities will involve the input of various fun ctional areas will form the backbone of the study. Moreover, it is of fundamental importance to borrow from past case studies on software project management to understand the gravity of the process. Objective 1: Evaluation of