Separate Peace Essays (2068 words) - Phillips Exeter Academy

Separate Peace Dealing with enemies has been a problem ever since the beginning of time. In A Separate Peace by John Knowels, the value of dealing with your feelings and dealing with your enemies is shown by Gene Forester, a student in Devon during World War 2 dealing with few human enemies, but his emotions create a nemesis far greater than any human enemy. "I never killed anybody," Gene had commented later in his adulthood, "And I never developed an intense level of hatred for the enemy. Because my war ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at Devon; I killed my enemy there." Now about the enemies that Gene had put into his own life. Gene had a best friend, his name was Finny, they were roommates and did many activities together. Finny was never the source, but the core of most of Gene's feelings, both good and bad. First, one of the biggest problems that Gene had, that is jealousy. Gene was jealous of Finny's confidency, openness, modesty, superb athletic abilities, his natural leadership skills, his ability to deal with stress easily, his care free attitude, his people skills and, of course, his good looks. Early in the story Finny demonstrated his openness by when asked for his height, he said 5 foot, 8 inches, while Gene replies 5 foot, 9 inches. Finny pointed out that they were the same height and you shouldn't be ashamed to tell anybody your real height. Later that day, they skip dinner to go swimming in the river, by Finny's choice, and are asked where they were on return. Finny quickly replied that they were swimming in the river, something that is forbidden, right down to the last detail, and they got away with it. Gene said that the rules are very bent during the summer session, but it was actually Finny's people skills that had kept them out of trouble. Finny was very bold, as Gene many a time wished he was, on one occasion Finny wore a bright pink shirt "symbolizing the first U.S. bombing in Europe. Gene called him a "faerie" but really envied him. Later Finny wore the school tie as a belt and when questioned he claimed that it represented "Devon in the war." Gene was hopeingly awaiting a scolding for Finny, but again, he got in no trouble. Another day the two were walking and came across a plaque near the pool claiming that A. Hopkins Parker held the record for swimming across the pool the fastest, Finny took one look at and thought he could beat it, so without any practice at all he plunged into the pool, Gene timed him and he beat it, just like that. Gene wanted to get an official scorekeeper so Finny could get a plaque but Finny said "no, in my head I know that I did it, that's all that matters," thus demonstrating that Finny is very modest and secure. The next day Gene and Finny went to the beach, which wasn't allowed. This was done at Finny's request, Gene was going to study for a test, but he felt that he can't say no to Finny so hey went. At the beach Gene noticed a lot of people looking at them, he knew they were looking at Finny because of his well built body and his golden tan but Finny said that they were looking at Gene. Before they return, Finny calls Gene his "best pal" and Gene wanted to reply, but he wasn't sure about it himself and he also has a hard time expressing his true feelings. That was his first enemy, now the next, anger. Gene's anger isn't too bad alone but when jealousy and anger are lurking in the same domain, they prove to be a deadly combination. Gene was angry about such things as Finny's ability not to get in trouble, and Gene's unwillingness to say "no" to Finny, but the real war started when he got the idea that because Finny has low grades, he wanted to lower Gene's grades as well so he will better than Gene. Gene believed that Finny was trying to wreak his studies with games, an organization they had formed-the Secret Suicide Society, going to the beach and all this "you're my best friend stuff." Other than that, there is little anger between Finny and Gene. One day, Finny wanted Gene to come jump off a high limb into the river

Chills Bar and Grille Essay Example

Chills Bar and Grille Essay Example Chills Bar and Grille Essay Chills Bar and Grille Essay Chills Bar and Grille is a family dining restaurant specializing in southwestern recipes. Like many other restaurants Chills strive to provide the best customer service along with quality food and a Inviting atmosphere. What sets Chills apart from other chain restaurants Is their extensive on-boarding training and the family atmosphere wealth the company. With such a close knit staff, Chills employees are able to Integrate this quality Into providing the best customer experience for Its patrons. Strengths and Weaknesses are very important components when determining the strategy for a company. Luckily Chills is fortunate to have many strengths to compensate for their weaknesses. For example, one of Chills many strengths is their Brand portfolio. Chills operates under a parent company which is Bringers who also runs and operates On the Border Mexican Grill and Magicians Little Italy. (Salad, 2009). This strength is Important because with all three restaurants each is getting exposure through advertisement . Gift cards to the restaurants identify that the customer can use the card at any of the three restaurants mentioned, which heightens curiosity and the opportunity for new customers. Another notable strength Is the strong worldwide business. Today Brinier Is one of the largest casual addling restaurant companies In the world with more than 1,500 restaurants In 50 states and foreign countries. (Salad, 2009). However like other restaurants one of Chills weaknesses is inconsistent sales volumes. Restaurants usually follow a trend where sales volumes fluctuate seasonally and are generally higher in summer months and rower in the winter months. (Salad, 2009). Chills like many other organizations does have a strategy. However their strategy isnt one that is very extensive as other companies but is tailored to achieve the results that they set forth for the company. This strategy Is simply to stay relevant among chain restaurants through brand recognition and creativity . This is achieved by theme songs, the bright logo of the chill pepper, and specials and promotions tailored to the demographic area. Chills overall objectives can be seen In their Nilsson statement. The company loud like to achieve their goals of becoming a profitable well recognized company by, focusing on employees, expansion, and customer service. Employees are the backbone of customer orientated businesses. Brinier states Our teams and our guests represent a broad range of cultures , each bringing their own experiences, ideas, and insights to our table. (Brooks, 2012). This shows how patrons and employees collectively work together to move this company forward. One way to insure more profits is expansion. Bringers is always expanding, with currently 1500 assistants and 100,000 team members the company is destined to reach more guests to share this experience. Brooks, 2012). Last but not least customer service, Bringers and all participating restaurants could not have achieved the success theyve earned without excellent customer service. This objective Is also described In the Nilsson statement, At Brinier were about serving from our hearts, serving our communities, and serving the world a great taste of life through the power of As an employee I believe I fit into the implementation of Chills strategy because I exemplify the companys mission statement. I carry out the simple goals of providing excellent customer service which ultimately boost sales because guests are more likely to return. How I contribute to the companys business strategy may seem very small but its also the most important.

Primark faces inquiry over use of illegal labour 'Research proposal' Essay

Primark faces inquiry over use of illegal labour 'Research proposal' - Essay Example This increased awareness of the consumer in terms of ethics and its impact on buyer behaviour is a relatively new phenomenon and is gaining momentum with each passing year. This research proposal discusses the impact of ethical conduct by a business on its consumer’s buying behaviour and if there is any impact on the brand acceptance of a product caused by negative publicity related to ethics. Primark has been chosen as the organization for which this research will be conducted. This organization is perfect for this research as there have been controversial issues related to their business practices in the past. The literature review provides a complete background of the issue, followed by the research design of the proposed research. Ethical and practical considerations are named after, followed by the timetable of activities and a brief of data collection instruments that will be used for this research. Literature Review: The organization chosen for this research proposal, o wing to the recent controversy that they are in, is Primark. Primark is a 200 plus store clothing retailer working in the European region; this includes Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Ireland (where it is branded by the name of Penneys). There are mammoth stores present across Europe providing consumers with cheap clothing retail products. Their tag line â€Å"Look Good, Pay Less† is reflective of their strategy and their target market. They are segmented to target the young population passionate about looking their best, for the prices that they can afford. They are known to be selective in providing only the most popular sizes of their target market, buying and selling in bulk in order to save for themselves and for their consumers (Company Website, 2011). Throughout the past decade, Primark has been the subject of intense investigative actions by freelancers as well as government authorities for their suppliers and if their products meet ethical standards set by the Ethical Trading Initiative. In fact, Primark joined the ETI after they had been calculated at 3.5 out of 20 in an ethical index by Ethical Consumer (Press Release, 2006). ETI is an initiative that works on labour rights issues in supply chain; members have to make sure that they only employ suppliers that follow the code of conduct based on International Labour Standards and ITE’s core conventions. However, reports in 2008 and 2009 further exposed that their suppliers were not following the code of conduct and the company faced tremendous criticism from major stakeholders in their business environment. Empirical research has continuously shown that organizations that are ethical in their conduct and business processes are rated as favourites among the masses. The general population is highly appreciative of organizations that boast about their ethical standards and provide quality service to such an extent that they are willing to pay extra v alue for the product. In today’s generation, working unethically can be disastrous for an organization. Still, organizations are involving themselves in cost cutting, low standard methods that make sure they are able to provide product at a lower price. Price still dominates as the primary factor for many people; for the same

The Choice in Consumerism to the Choice in Technological Aspects Research Paper

The Choice in Consumerism to the Choice in Technological Aspects - Research Paper Example In regards to the consumer’s choice, there is a lot of opinions that can be said. It is true that the life of a consumer is usually encompassed with choices, which have no boundaries and as such, in the long run, the state becomes a life full of hyper calculations, which are intended to pursue a state of perfection and as such, this perfection can be said to be always unreachable (Glasser 2009). For instance, when a person needs to buy a space consuming item, he or she will be upbeat not to make the wrong choice (Roberts 2002). As a result, that person will end up bearing down and at the end becomes engaged in conducting research, which is comparative in nature. It is only when consumers do the right choice that the fantasy takes not only the right direction but also assumes the right shape. As such, it follows that there will be a prevalence of a global beatitude (Roberts 2002). In contemporary times, the citizens of the U.S spend more time while doing shopping more than othe r people in other countries in the world. According to the recent researches, it has been found that people in America go to do shopping at least once a week and this exceeds the number of times that the hoses of worship are visited (Elizabeth 128). When these shoppers are requested to do a ranking in regard to what they achieve from being involved in various activities, it is amazing that shopping is usually ranked among the last activities (Kanazawa 2004). This is supposed to mean that, people tend to shop more but what they get from that in terms of enjoyment is usually less.

Film review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Film review - Essay Example In 2012 the film won prize in the nomination for best director in Sundance and was nominated for â€Å"Oscar† as best feature-length documentary. The documentary film starts with acquaintance with the narrator Emad Burnat, who experienced many events in his life, which he could name a â€Å"hot flame†. His life once became a mix of hope and pain. He made this film to â€Å"hold onto the memories† (â€Å"Five Broken Cameras†). For these purpose he had five cameras of different size. Each camera was filming one episode of Emad`s life. He was born in Bil`in – a village surrounded by hills - and spent all his life there. In childhood he used to work the land with his strict father and, like all urchins, he was not in delight of such activity. He wanted to walk with friend in the open valleys. Once he saw the Israeli survivors, which came to build a protecting wall in the middle of his family land, and his life changed. The first days after bulldozers arrival seemed hard for him. However, Emad has happy memories from this time too – his fourth son was born. The narrator bought his first camera for this occasion. We see the episode, how Emad is filming his family, his elder sons. Emad says that each of his boys was â€Å"a phase† in his and his wife`s lives and â€Å"each boy experienced a different childhood† (â€Å"Five Broken Cameras†). He notices his first son was born in 1995 â€Å"in the time of hope after The Oslo Peace Accords†. The urbanization came closer and closer during the childhood of Emad and the birth of Gibreel, his fourth son. This process was taken more and more territory for the purpose of movement of Israeli settlers. The newest settlement rapidly doubled its population, it took only five years for this and the barrier was finished to separate the settlers. The following minute we hear the sound of gun. â€Å"Soldiers are in the village†, says Emad`s wife (â€Å"Five Broken

Good Driving Habits

Good Driving Habits Introduction: The paper is aimed at forming a backing about the good habits of a driver. It explains the combination of driving practices and actions of which a driver is conscious of, for forming good driving habits. People have always a difference of opinion on what is good or bad. This applies at the driving habits too, perception about good and bad of a driver and his habits may differ, yet a common approach is generally under study in the following report. The report includes the background of the topic, explaining its virtues and driving habits in detail. It will then include the concluding comments and recommendations based on the discussed topic. The topic is important as driving is the serious matter and people need to develop proper skills of driving before they turn their vehicles on the road. Proper driving skills are mandatory in case of saving oneself and others from the minor to major road accidents. Thus, a driver needs to follow the rules and regulations to keep him, and others save from any kind of injury and trouble. Background Good driving abilities, like all other aptitudes and skills, can fade or weaken without practice. Therefore there are specific propensities that can make the whole process much smoother over the long haul. Taking after certain driving consideration instructions may very well improve a driver and enhance his security on the open street. Numerous drivers fall into the propensity for doing whatever feels most good concerning controlling. Some like to control their autos with single hand, while others want to place both hands at the â€Å"steering† wheel. Its amazingly vital to have both active; the hands on â€Å"steering†, and in the best possible position, at all times so as to get ready for a minute ago moves. (Molla, 2015) Vehicles experience a gigantic measure of troubles with starting and breaks consistently, so it’s no big surprise that mechanical issues can now and then leave the woodwork. Its generally a decent propensity to tap the brakes much sooner than the ceasing point as opposed to hammering on the brakes finally, which can deliver a great deal of superfluous wear and tear. Falling into these great propensities can make driving more secure, more pleasant and less upsetting. (Good driving habits. (n.d.), 2015) For developing safe driving habits and being a good driver, one needs to follow the below points; Learn Defensive Driving Watch out for other awful drivers Stay away from in auto diversions Dont drive when tired Utilize your turn signals Keep a separation between the autos before you and yourself. Lessen your rate of speed when passing close street perils or in terrible climate. Keep your auto tuned up and kept up. Check your blind sides. Verify your safety features. (Top 10 Habits of Safe Drivers | Alternative, 2014) Driving issues related to UAE: The most recent measurements reported by traffic control administration in UAE, has claimed a noteworthy change in movement security in the course of recent years. As per the reports, it is noted that because of this noteworthy decrease, fatalities created by run-over mishaps dropped by 54%, auto collisions by 40%, fatalities brought about by car crashes by 35%, and genuine wounds diminished by half. Likewise, movement related fatalities diminished by 59% every 100,000 occupants, notwithstanding the expanded number of enlisted vehicles by 12% over the period. There is a consistent change in the levels of activity security as indicated by the directorates constant and thorough endeavors in executing the complete arrangement, which was produced and sanction in 2010. As a main driving concerning activity, awareness messages are telecasted through different radio stations over the UAE in three separate dialects (Arabic, English and Urdu). The â€Å"Awareness messages† will be conveyed by students of both genders (male and female) around 11-14 years of age and were prerecorded at â€Å"Security Media Department† radio. In conclusion, the activity goes for upgrading and advancing the movement security society among folks and additionally the different fragments of street clients. (SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT TRAFFIC AND LICENSING, 2015) Issues and Problem: Speeding is a major issue in the UAE, and especially so in Dubai. The citys transient populace and a regularly changing gathering of drivers mean the way of life of Dubai driving is deficient with regards to development. Dubai has a general more youthful driver demographic than numerous different nations, and more youthful individuals are clearly less experienced than more seasoned individuals, and mentally more obligated to make misguided thinking calls while driving. The UAE has a much higher extent of new drivers over a wide age range, and the probability of new drivers having a mischance amid their initial year and a half of driving is high, he clarifies. At that point there are the issues under focus: A few drivers dont understand motoring is a genuine hobby that obliges 100 percent fixation. Decreased â€Å"visibility† because of tints, shades, roller-screen blinds and a mixture of different dangers is an alternate reason for concern. A few drivers can barely see out of their vehicles in sunlight, not to mention nightfall or night. Nobody less than 25 years old ought to be permitted in the drivers seat of such an effective vehicle, and particularly not without extra preparing to handle a high-fueled auto. A few merchants offer supplementary preparing to drive execution autos securely, however in this district individuals dont take up the offer of such offer assistance. (AroundTown, 2015) Comments: What are general precautions and measures taken by the UAE government to take control on youth behavior? What has caused to decrease the rate of accidents and roadside mishaps in the region? Why is there a need for broadcasting the awareness message and to what extent the message has been made viral so that it influences the people? What will lead to the future of driving? My research at college will help answering these questions by providing a brief note on the overall statistics about UAE policing of traffic control. Speeding is becoming a major concern among youth who likes to drive fast as an adventure. My study highlights the dangers and threats along with the precautions to drive safe. Bibliography Top 10 Habits of Safe Drivers | Alternative. (2014, July 11). Retrieved Feb 25, 2015, from http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2012/07/top-10-habits-of-safe-drivers-2373393.html Good driving habits. (n.d.). (2015). Retrieved Feb 25, 2015, from https://www.keys2drive.com.au/learning/driving_skills__tips/forming_good_driving_habits/a_list_of_good_driving_habits.aspx SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT TRAFFIC AND LICENSING. (2015, Mar 3). Retrieved Mar 15, 2015, from UAE- Interact: http://www.uaeinteract.com/german/news/?ID=295 AroundTown. (2015). What causes accidents on Dubais roads. Retrieved Mar 15, 2015, from http://www.timeoutdubai.com/aroundtown/features/45764-what-causes-accidents-on-dubais-roads Molla, T. (. (2015). Better Driving Habits Help Family Finances and the Environment. Retrieved Feb 25, 2015, from http://www.ase.com/News-Events/Publications/Glove-Box-Tips/Better-Driving-Habits-Help-Family-Finances-and-the.aspx

The Creation of Disneyland Essay -- Walt Disney 1950s

The Creation of Disneyland Walt Disney: The Early Years Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901. He was the fourth of five children born to Elias and Flora Disney. Elias was a fairly unsuccessful businessman, who moved the family from city to city in search of financial success. When Walt was four, they moved from their home in Chicago to a farm in Marceline, Missouri. Walt's time in Marceline provided him with the vision for Main Street USA (Francavigilia, 1981). His frequent associations with animals would also become evident in his later cartoons (Bryman, 4). In 1910, the family left Marceline and moved to Kansas City. Elias was a strict taskmaster who often beat his children. This led to Walt's two oldest brothers deserting the family. Another brother, Roy, left to go help an uncle on a farm. Although they were no longer living together, Roy and Walt remained close. In 1919, Walt got a job as a cartoonist at a commercial art studio in Kansas City. That job did not last long, and following a failed attempt at starting his own business, Walt began to work for the Kansas City Film Ad Company. During this time, he seriously explored the world of animation. Success, however, did not come easily to Walt, and he soon decided that he had to leave Kansas City. In 1923, he carried just $40 in his pocket and left for Hollywood. Walt's brother Roy, who was already living in Los Angeles, provided Walt with some financial backing and contacted a distributor about Walt's first animation Alice's Wonderland. Working together with Roy, the brothers opened "Disney Bros. Studio" (It would later be known as Walt Disney Studio). Roy handled the business operations and Walt specialized in the animated productions. Although produ... ...jects. James Rouse, an accomplished architect has credited Walt Disney for providing much of his inspiration. In addition to suburban malls, Rouse has created Baltimore's Harborplace and Boston's Faneuil Hall Marketplace (Hine, 152). Although Walt Disney died in 1966, his ideas can still be found across the globe. Works Cited Adams, Judith A. The American Amusement Park Industry. Boston: Twayne, 1991. Bryman, Alan. Disney and his Worlds. New York: Routledge, 1995 Francavigilia, R.V. (1981) "Main Street USA: a comparison / contrast of streetscapes in Disneyland and Walt Disney World", Journal of Popular Culture, 15: 141-156 Justdisney.com. 18 Apr. 2004 http://www.justdisney.com/disneyland/history.html Thomas Hine, Populuxe (New York: Knopf, 1986), 152. Works Consulted Marling, Karal Ann. Designing Disney's Theme Parks. New York: Flammario, 1997.

Problem Solving and Decision Making Essay

Background I work for a company called npower and we are an energy supplier in the UK. Specifically, I work within the Blended Services department and we deal with various types of inbound contact from our customers such as email, letters and telephone calls. I manage a team of 15 people advisors and their role is to effectively deal with customer enquiries that come in via the different methods of contact. Due to the large volumes of correspondence that we have come in, it’s not always practical to respond to customers via a written response and we therefore ask the advisors to call as many customers as possible and resolve their enquiries by phone, this allows the advisors not only deal with the customer’s original enquiry but to also answer any subsequent questions that may arise when they are presented with the answer we give them. Description of the problem When advisors call a customer there are regulations around data protection and also keeping customer contact details up to date that we must adhere to, we refer to these regulations as compliance. This is a very black and white subject, we must be compliant in all we do 100% of the time. The problem that has come to light that in our department, is that our advisors are not 100% compliant 100% of the time. They will fully cover data protection and request up to date contact information on some calls but not others. This presents a problem for the department and me as a manager as well as the advisors in question as these inconsistencies can lead to varying degrees of disciplinary action for the advisors and the company. The impact of this for the advisors is that it can lead to disciplinary action such as informal warnings, up to more formal action such as written warnings and even loss of their job. In extreme cases offending advisors can even face personal fines. As a manager, I then have to consider the potential knock on effects of such action which can include loss of advisor confidence, a reduction in staff morale, and opportunity for progression may be reduced or taken away and all of these in turn may affect an advisors attendance. For me as a manager the concerns are that these actions could affect my time as I am required to carry out investigations in to each case of non-compliance. This is turn could leave other members of my team to feel neglected as my time becomes consumed with investigations and carrying out disciplinary action. Potentially, this could lead to a general loss of morale within my team as a whole and go on to impact their performance. This issue also affects our customers as if we are seen to be breaking such important regulations as data protection, and then this could cause an increase in complaints, damage our customer’s confidence in us as a company, lead to a decrease in customer loyalty and ultimately the loss of their business. From a company point of view the impacts are possibly the greatest. Just a few potential knock on effects from non-compliance are loss of customers, brand damage, legal consequences including large fines and potentially losing out license to trade. Disciplinary action can lead to loss of staff and this brings further impacts such as the time and cost of recruiting and training new staff and all of these could eventually impact our ability to provide a desired service to our customers. Analysis of the problem In trying to identify options to solve the problem of advisors inconsistently adhering to compliance regulations, I first looked at gathering as much information as I could in to how much it was affecting my department and if there were any contributing factors to the problem. I liaised with our quality analysts. The QA team had recently marked a sample of the calls we make within the department and informed me that in the month of September they sampled four calls from each team within the department. This was made up of one inbound call (calls where the customer calls npower) and one outbound call (calls where we call the customer) for two advisors on each team. There are 18 teams so this is 36 advisors that were sampled and scored. The results showed that of the advisors monitored only 69% were fully compliant. This is cause for concern then as the target is 100%. Following on from this, I needed to do further investigation. My time, however, is very valuable and for me to take on such an investigation alone is not feasible. I discussed the problem with my manager and we came up with an idea to help us follow up the results from the QA Teams quality checks. Within our own operations group (5 Teams) we asked each manager to mark two calls for each of their advisor focussing solely on whether or not the advisors were following compliance regulations that we must adhere to. In the first week of October, each manager carried out the quality checks for their teams. The results showed that we were 50% compliant as an operations group. Following these results each manager went out to the advisors that were not following the compliance regulations and gave them a training session as well as an informal warning that this kind of action was not acceptable and that compliance must be adhered to at all times. The managers including myself then left the advisors for a couple of weeks and then went back and completed the same quality checks once more. The second time around we noticed an improvement as we scored 70%. However, we were and still are a long way short of our ultimate goal. Following on from this, I devised what I saw to be a simple yet effective questionnaire that would be completed by a sample group of advisors. The purpose of the questionnaire was to establish possible reasons why the advisors failed to be consistent in regards to meeting compliance when speaking to customers on the telephone. I looked to address such matters as how confident they were that they were personally 100% complaint 100% of the time, were they aware of the tools that npower provide to assist them in being complaint, what barriers they have encountered that make it difficult to be compliant and what do they feel would ensure that they were 100% compliant 100% of the time going forward. The results of the questionnaire showed that the advisors knew what was required of them to be compliant and that they recognised the implications of not being compliant. It also showed that all of the advisors were aware of the various support tools that npower provides them to help with compliance though not all of them used them. This suggests then that the problem of being inconsistent in regards to compliance may be down to advisor attitude or focus but at this point I wanted to avoid making assumptions. With all of this information, I used a simple fishbone to drill down for possible reasons for these inconsistencies. I looked at the following headings and then added the possible reasons: Confidence (lack of) * Inconsistent message * Unclear on what’s expected * Cannot deal with conflict (from customers) * DPA doesn’t feel natural (in call structure) * Situations outside of the norm (3rd party calling on behalf of the customer) Knowledge (lack of) * No or little training (new to business) * Lack of communication (not advised of possible changes) * Inconsistent message (unsure what is correct) Skill * Unsure how to resolve conflict * Not certain how to incorporate data protection in to their call structure * Not able to control a call (allows a customer to drive a conversation, potentially skipping past vital areas for not wanting to interrupt) Attitude/Behaviour * Doesn’t understand potential consequences * Doesn’t like change * Refuses to comply After considering all of the above the potential solutions to my problem could be creating a guide that points out to advisors what they must do to be fully compliant but that isn’t rigid in its delivery so that the advisors can make it their own. Ensuring that the guide and its use is trained out in a clear manner that makes sure there are no questions unanswered. Providing the advisors with additional training to enable them to capably and confidently deal with situations of conflict i.e. if a customer refuses to go through data protection. Finally, making sure that the consequences of non-compliance for both advisors and the company are clearly communicated. Resolution of the problem I went to manager with my findings and stated what I wanted to achieve. I needed the goal to realistic and to be measurable. Remembering that QA Team reported the department to be 69% compliant for the month of September my goal statement was this: * To decrease the compliance fail rate in our department by 15% during the month of November based upon 36 evaluations. In making this statement, I ensured that if would be a fair reflection since it would match the original investigation completed by the QA Team. It’s SMART, because I have a specific goal that can be measured against previous findings. It’s both achievable and realistic as all managers will make numerous quality checks throughout the month and I’m trying to achieve the ultimate goal of 100% compliance but instead make a small but reasonable step towards it and finally, it’s time bound as all steps will be put in place and measured throughout November. Once the goal had been set, my manager and I held a brain storming session to look at possible options to resolve the problem. Further to those I mentioned earlier, we came up with these additional ideas: * Speech Analytics * Scripts for data protection * A specific inbound call team * A specific outbound call team * Feedback, coaching and evaluations * An inbound and outbound call decision making tree * Brief to include what’s expected and what the consequences are for non-compliance * Compliance champs * Compliance tick sheet After we had come up with these various options I went away and decided which would be the best course of action. To help me decide I used a simple Pro’s and Con’s method. I put each of the above options in to a table and then listed what the advantages and disadvantages were. Below, I have just briefly outlined some of the key points for each one. Speech analytics Pros * It saves time (it’s all automated, listening to and identifying key words and phrases in conversations) so managers don’t have to do manual checks. * A large sample is gathered (it pulls data from all recorded calls) therefore the reflection is very accurate. * Reports can easily be pulled, since all data is compiled and exported in excel spread sheet format. Cons * It’s not an immediate solution. Speech analytics for npower is in early testing stages and it’s unlikely to be available for at least another year. * Cost – It’s very expensive to implement and so even to run in a small test environment is currently unlikely. Scripts for data protection Pros * It would clearly set out what needs to be said (no grey area) * Advisors would have something to reference at all times * Can easily be updated when changes occur * Managers could easily cover this in a coaching session Cons * Advisors may not feel it comes across as natural * Advisors may forget to keep it on their desk each day * It would need to be updated with each new change (potentially old ones could be in circulation) * Repeat contact customers would have to go through the exact same process each time and may feel it comes across as robotic Specific inbound/outbound call teams Pros * Advisors would deal with only one call type (one set of compliance regulations, more specialised, less chance of failure) * Becoming specialised may increase confidence Cons * It may not be feasible to have a enough specialised teams to deal with the workload * We would lose multi-skilled advisors, impacting our ability to deal with other work volumes * Specialised teams leave us vulnerable to outside influences such as absence. Compliance Champs Pros * Position of responsibility for trusted advisors * Someone on hand to reference in uncertain situations Cons * Those not chosen may feel disappointed * The cost of taking advisors away from completing work may not be feasible in such a busy time * Having to wait for a ‘Champ’ may impact customer wait times and thus service * Takes ownership and responsibility away from the advisors Compliance Checklist Pros * Advisors already use something similar, so it would be familiar * Advisors could clearly track what they have and haven’t asked * Peace of mind as it states clearly what they must ask * Natural, as it states what they must ask but doesn’t tell them how to do it * Cheap and easy to implement * Easy to amend when changes occur * Advisors can easily keep it with them either paper based or electronically * Puts the responsibility on the advisor * Best use can be coached around Cons * Must be altered with each change (old ones could be left in circulation) * Puts the responsibility on the advisors (must be trusted to use it) After evaluating the options and the pros and cons to each. I decided to go with a compliance checklist. Once I had decided on what I believed to be the best solution I asked myself two important questions, in various decision making models these are also known as Acid Tests 1&2. Acid Test 1 – If I implement all of my plans for action will my problems be overcome? In considering the answer I thought back to areas that I had identified earlier that linked into the problem of inconsistent compliance. To recap these were things such as: * Advisors were unsure what they should be asking. * They lacked confidence that they were saying all the right things. * They could often miss important information if interrupted by a customer before the compliance checks were complete. * The solution needed to be simple and easy to implement, so that it was clear and simple to train out. The majority of my advisors already use a checklist of sorts to capture the work they complete and how they contacted the customer, by adding compliance prompts to this it creates a visual aid for the advisors reminding them of what they need to ask and it remains in a setting that they find familiar. Also, because the advisors are able to tick off the various requirements as they go along it makes it very clear what must be asked and it’s less likely that they’ll miss things out if they are interrupted as they can simply go back along the list and pick up where they left off. It’s also likely to come across as more natural when the advisors are talking to them customers as well as again it only prompts them with what they need to ask rather than telling them how to say it. Finally, it’s relatively cheap to implement, it isn’t very time consuming to put in place and it’s something that can be done immediately. A copy of the checklist is attached (Appendix A) Acid test 2 – If I get rid of all my problems will I achieve my objectives? Again, the answer should be yes. My solution will give advisors something black and white, that’s clear and easy to understand and familiar to them in their day to day role. This should in turn give them the added confidence when talking to customer’s on the phone. There is, however, a human element. This is that the solution once trained out and implemented, relies upon the advisor taking some ownership and making sure that use it every day even if they feel confident that they are fully compliant. Because this is a personal choice there is no plan that I can implement that will solve this. However, as a company we do have measures already in place to manage this. If an advisor is proven to have the skills and the knowledge to be fully compliant and yet for whatever reason chooses not to, then I or any other manager would need to ensure that this is managed in the proper fashion. Implementation and communication of the solution As previously stated the advisor already usage a data capture sheet in their day to day jobs. I have taken that and added some simple yet clear checklist boxes that prompt the advisors on what they need to be asking when speaking to customers on the telephone. I will start off with a trial in my operations group and then if the desired results are proven then I will discuss with my manager a plan to roll it out to the whole department. I’ll start by holding a small group meeting with my fellow team managers, briefly describing the problem that I’ve been looking in to. I’ll present my solution and tell them how I would like it to be used. The managers including me can then go out to our own teams and deliver the message in a brief team meeting. The compliance checklist will be distributed via email to the managers and advisors alike. This way the advisors can choose to print it off and fill it in manually or they can simply fill in in on their PC’S. This also means that they will always be able to access a copy even if they have to move desks as it will be saved to their email. Following this, I would plan to follow up with some side by side observations. This would be to ensure that the advisors are using the checklist as intended and it also gives me the chance to answer any questions that they may have as well as offer advice and praise where they are doing things well and hopefully begin to build that confidence in their ability back up. As far as monitoring and reviewing of the situation, this should be quite straight forward. I know what the problem is and I have identified a list of causes. I also know clearly what I expect to achieve from the solution. I perform at least one quality check on each of my advisors each week, so these will prove useful when monitoring progress in this area and the results should be clear to see. These quality checks are always given to the advisors as feedback and trends from multiple quality checks are used to build useful coaching sessions. The feedback that I receive from the advisors at this point should also allow me to monitor if they are using my solution as expected and how confident they feel with it. As a department, we also receive daily, weekly and monthly reports. These will enable me to view the progress of the other teams in my operations group to see if they are showing the results that are expected. I will raise the matter for discussion in the weekly operations group meeting and this will allow me to receive feedback from my fellow managers and get their thoughts on what is and potentially isn’t going well. Finally, the QA Team will perform another quality check across a random sample of the department. This will perhaps be the ultimate mark of whether or not my solution has been successful. If so, then there should be a significant increase in the percentage of advisors that pass compliance.

Achilles in the iliad essays

Achilles in the iliad essays From the very beginning of The Iliad, the character Achilles becomes one of the main characters of the story. His actions have enormous effects upon how the plot unfolds. Starting with the fight with Agamemnon and his withdrawal from the battle, to the death of Patroclus, and finally to the slaying of Hector, the wrath of Achilles decided the fate of many Greek and Trojan warriors. Early in the Iliad Achilles made his decision not to fight for Agamemnon and he held true for almost the entire story. Even when his Greek comrades were taking heavy losses at the hand of the Trojans Achilles felt no remorse. Achilles brought up the fact that all the Greeks are at Troy to fight over the pride and honor of Agamemnons brother and is brave enough to stand up to the king and call him greedy and selfish. His lack of hatred towards the Trojans as a people is seen in his statements about how the people of Troy had never wronged him prior to the conflict. At the time of the falling out, Achilles is not concerned for the fate of the Greeks, but for himself and his grudge with Agamemnon. Such is shown when he tells Agamemnon: My honors never equal yours, whenever we sack some wealthy Trojan stronghold-my arms bear the brunt of the raw, savage fighting, true, but when it comes to dividing up the plunder the lions share is yours, and back I go. Agamemnon worried that the Greeks would be defeated at their ships, so he sent an envoy bearing gifts to persuade Achilles to rejoin the fight. Once again Achilles refused to fight even with his fatherly figure Phoenix, the wise Odysseus, and the great Ajax begging him to return. Even Achilles dear friend Patroclus feels remorse for the Greeks plight against the Trojans and decides to fight with them. Achilles pride forced the other heroes to beg for his help in the war. Ironically it takes the death of Patroclus at the hands of Hector to convince Ach ...

Stat 1350 HW Assignment 1 Unit 1 Lessons 1-2 Essays (1781 words)

Stat 1350 HW Assignment 1 Unit 1 Lessons 1-2 Essays (1781 words) Stat 1350 - Elementary Statistics Graded Homework Assignment 1 Unit 1 - Lessons 1 and 2 1. Athletes' salaries. Here is a small part of a data set that describes Major League Baseball players as of opening day of the 2011 season: (a) What individuals does this data set describe? (b) In addition to the player's name, how many variables does the data set contain? Which of these variables take numerical values? Which of the variables are not numerical variables? (c) What do you think are the units in which each of the numerical variable salary is expressed? For example, what does itmean to give Josh Beckett's annual salary as 17,000? ( Hint: The average annual salary of a Major League Baseball player on opening day, 2011, was $3,305,393.) 2. Sampling moms. Pregnant and breast-feeding women should eat at least 12 ounces of fish and seafood per week to ensure their babies' optimal brain development, according to a coalition of top scientists from private groups and federal agencies. A nutritionist wants to know whether pregnant women are eating at least 12 ounces of fish per week. To do so, she obtains a list of the 340 members of a local chain of prenat al fitness clubs and mails a ques tionnaire to 60 of these women selected at random . Only 21 questionnaires are returned. (a) What is the variable measured in this study? (b) What is the population in this study? (c) What is the sample from which information is actually obtained? (d) What percentage of the women whom the nutritionist tried to contact responded? (e) Is this an observational study or an experiment? 3. Oatmeal and cholesterol. Does eating oatmeal reduce the level of bad cholesterol (LDL)? Here are two ways to study this question. 1. A researcher finds 500 adults over 40 who regularly eat oatmeal or products made from oatmeal. She matches each with a similar adult who does not regularly eat oatmeal or products made from oatmeal. She measures the bad cholesterol (LDL) for each adult and compares both groups. 2. Another researcher finds 1000 adults over 40 who do not regularly eat oatmeal or products made from oatmeal and are willing to participate in a study. She randomly assigns 500 of these to a diet that includes a daily breakfast of oatmeal. The other 500 continue their usual habits. After 6 months, she compares changes in LDL levels. (a) One of these studies is an observational study and the other is an experiment. Identify with study it the experiment and which study is the observational study and explain why for each. (b) Why does the experiment give more useful information about whether oatmeal reduces LDL? 4. Choose your study type. What is the best way to answer each of the questions below: an experiment, a sample survey, or an observational study that is not a sample survey? Explain your choices. (a) Is your school's basketball team called for fewer fouls in home games than in away games? (b) Are college students satisfied with the quality of recreational facilities available to them? (c) Do college students who have access to audio recordings of course lectures perform better in the course than those who don't? 5. Choose your study purpose. Give an example of a question about college students, their behavior, or their opinions that would best be answered by (a) a sample survey. (b) an observational study that is not a sample survey. (c) an experiment. 6. Definitions. What is the difference between a census and a sample survey? 7. Instant opinion. On March 29, 2007, BusinessWeek ran an online poll on their Web site and asked readers the question "Do you think Google is too powerful?" Readers clicked on one of three buttons ("Yes," "No," or "Not sure") to vote. In all, 1336 (35.9%) said "Yes," 2051 (55.1%) said "No," and 335 (9.0%) said "Not sure." (a) What is the sample size for this poll? (b) At the Web site, BusinessWeek includes the following statement about its online poll. "Note: These are surveys, not scientific polls." Explain why the poll may give unreliable information. (c) Just above the poll question was the following statement: "Google's accelerating lead in search and its moves into software and traditional advertising are sparking a

Alan Turings method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Alan Turings method - Essay Example Alan Mathison Turing was born to an upper middle class British family in London, 23 June 1912. He was educated at Sherborne School. While in his school, he was criticized for his handwriting by his teachers. He also struggled at English and mathematics as he was too involved with developing his own ideas to produce solutions to problems using the methods taught by his teachers. From his early years of schooling he has amazed many of his teachers. He tried to always find his own solutions and in spite of producing unconventional answers, Turing did win almost every possible mathematics prize while at Sherborne. This has amazed many of his teachers. The one subject he liked was chemistry. However from a very early age, he carried out experiments following his own plan which did not please his chemistry teacher. As a result of these Turing's headmaster once wrote:- â€Å"If he is to stay at Public School, he must aim at becoming educated. If he is to be solely a Scientific Specialist, he is wasting his time at a Public School†. In spite of the difficult schooling years, Turing entered King's College, Cambridge, in 1931 to study mathematics. He had a much easier time in college than in school as he could explore more of his own ideas in college.   Turing studied mathematics with increasing distinction and as a result of his academics he was elected a Fellow of the college in 1935. The paper "On Computable Numbers with an application to the Entscheidungsproblem" (Turing 1936-37) was his first and perhaps greatest success.

Native Americans in Oregon 1800 - 1900 Research Paper

Native Americans in Oregon 1800 - 1900 - Research Paper Example Such rebellions led to loss of lives. This state of affairs also culminated into strikes like the ‘Trail of tears’. The results of these were poverty, outbreak of disease and loss of cultures. Following these unwelcoming events, a number of human rights campaigners and leaders such as Chiefs emerged to take up an important role of fighting for the rights of the Native Americans (Moton, pp.473). In 1860, there was a Civil war among self governing civilized tribes inside their territories .This was between those who were not sure who to support and who not to support. Others went to the North and others to the South. During such period, Red Cloud emerged as a Sioux Chief who was directly linked with the plain Native Americans transitions. He was a ferocious combat commander and a political leader, who was brave and fought without fear. He was born of white parents, but raised in the Native lands. He was determined to serve the Native Americans inhabitants homeland from invasion of white people. During this period he led the Native American warfare against the establishment of the Bozeman Trail (Douglas, pp.45). During his leadership, he led the Native Americans in offering resistance against the United States government. He was unwilling to allow the people to suffer from being pushed out of their lands. Under his leadership there were a series of attacks along forts trails, and this effort was one of the most successful offensives that were carried out in Native Nature. He led in the designing of a draft of Fort Lwamia treaty of 1868 that led to the possession of western half of South Dakota. He also opposed the movement of gold seekers and settles to the Black Hills. More so, he led a number of peaceful meetings and negotiations. In the beginning of 1870 an Okmulgan council was formed which was a federated structure to welcome and incorporate Native American protection and elevation from the plains. The