Communication Goals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communication Goals - Essay Example In order to improve my communicative abilities with other people, I need to assess my current strengths and weaknesses. My strengths in communication consist of my ability to say what I really need to say in certain situations, being honest, being clear and concise, and being on-topic when it is necessary. My weaknesses in communication arise directly from my strengths. My directness in communication puts some people off, such as with my brutal honesty. Sometimes being too clear and concise in what I am saying leaves people unable or unwilling to connect to me. The underlying key to my communication goals and success, I have decided is to remain conscious of context. Context is important in establishing expectations for both the speaker and the listener. The barriers I face to successful communication with my peers and superiors lie in how I am accustomed to speaking to others. Being so short with words is a habit, and like all habits, it has to be broken for me to achieve my goals. The means of breaking habits and realizing success in communication is in practicing the opposite of the current practice. Doing the opposite of what I usually do will leave me open to a new way of doing things, which should hypothetically allow me to pursue communication methods that are less direct, more friendly, and more context-driven. My first goal in communication is being more dynamic in my speaking. By â€Å"dynamic†, I mean being full of energy, enthusiasm, and sense of purpose. Being dynamic with one’s communication leaves one able to both get things going and to get things done. Of course, being dynamic also means being agile as well, which goes back to the concept of context. Knowing one’s context is perhaps the most important factor for all successful and productive interaction: it defines expectations and shapes the message being conveyed. Dynamicity defines whether one is able to be fluid in how he or she sends the

Functions of Management at Ska-Arabia Oil Company Essay

Functions of Management at Ska-Arabia Oil Company - Essay Example Planning Planning is the first function of management that has been fundamental to the success of SKA-ARABIA. Cole (2003) observes that all the aspects of management depend on planning to a large extent. It involves conducting an analysis of the present situation of an organization, as well as its future. After this analysis, the managers set the strategies for accomplishment of the organizational goals that are based on where the management would like the organization to be in future. Planning is a continuous process through out the company’s life especially due to the fact that changes may be necessary so that an organization can cope with the dynamics of the operating environment. In other words, planning helps Basrah managers to strategize and to develop solutions to emerging issues. It has been significant to the managers in dealing with challenges facing the business as well as the utilization of opportunities for the success of the organization. I am involved in the pla nning process through provision of fuel consumption forecast to the management to maintain proper level quantities of fuel at SKA-ARABIA. I am also involved in scheduling any preventative maintenance beyond our responsibilities within the Fuels Department and forwarding to the Maintenance Department of the company. I assisted in planning the establishment and administration of a bulk fuel storage site with 660cbm in Jet A-1 and 26k in JP-8 Aviation fuel in line with stockage objectives. Bradford (2000 p 58) observes that strategic planning is the practice whereby an organization changes its course of action to accomplish upcoming objectives. The managers in SKA-ARABIAÂ  are in charge of constantly evaluating the operating environment and the internal factors that affect business through strategic planning to ensure that the organizational goals are accomplished. This involves conducting a SWOT (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats) analysis to ensure that the business rem ains on track. The analysis is conducted quarterly and recommendations implemented immediately. This flexibility in planning has maintained profitability and constant growth since the company’s inception. Organizing Organizing is the second function in which the managers prepare for implementation of the plan. This is accomplished through evaluating and allocating the available resources to facilitate the accomplishment of organizational goals. Shen (2005) observes that without proper organization, a company may face the problem of insufficiency of resources in some departments while others may be operating with a surplus of resources. Such a situation may hamper the realization of organizational goals. Resources are significant for accomplishment of organizational goals. The organization requires diverse resources to maintain competitiveness in the market. The management of SKA-ARABIAÂ  Oil Company ensures consistency in regard to the availability of resources to avoid shor tages of inputs. These resources include assets such as premises, employees, equipment and finances among other resources that facilitate production and the organization’s competitive advantage. Through organization, managers in the company are able to establish working teams and assign tasks to the workers. Departments are assigned roles and the organizational hierarchy is distinct in the organization. I am in charge of liaison with the Ministry of Oil, local and international airports

NIVEA Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

NIVEA - Case Study Example optimization, it is important for the company to ensure that its budget is well allocated so that it can effectively meet its objectives in meeting the objectives outlined in its marketing mix (Jaccard 2013). This includes ensuring that besides achievement of the objectives, it should have a good and reliable supply chain for delivering the products to markets at the most convenient times as needed by the customers. Having made a good household brand, it is the company’s duty to ensure that it consolidates on its management and marketing strategies to consolidate its market share in the increasingly competitive world. With proper planning, Nivea Company can manage to rely on the success of this brand by creating and implementing growth and development strategies (Nivea Visage Young 2015). One of the ways to achieve this goal will be a consistent market research, which will ensure that the company understands knows new competitors emerging in the market as well as their competitive strategies (Jaccard 2013). In this regard, Nivea Company will be better placed to develop counter approaches that will ensure that it retains its market share and competitive advantage. Another important approach that the company will have to implement includes understanding methods of employee satisfaction, which will ensure that it has a pool of highly dedicated employees, who can discharge their duties in the interest of the company (Nivea Visage Young 2015). This is because, in many instances, the success of a company does not just rely on the best and innovative strategies that it develops but rather, it is their full implementation. Having the best and productive staff is as good as having monopoly over an essential resource in the industry, thus excellent company success. As the company heads in the future, its managers have a duty to ensure that they develop growth strategies ad systems that will cement its position as the market leader in the industry. According to Jaccard

Planning, Scheduling and Control

Planning, Scheduling and Control Business or business organizations involve conceptualization of implementation of a specific plan designed for particular business outcomes. This particularity of business outcomes envisages putting up a well coordinated system for realization of the same. Forming a conglomeration of peoples, activities work schedules, methods, processes, all geared towards achieving a specific business objective, work or assignment, it works according to a plan to achieve the objective within a particular time-frame, with the available or additional resources. This whole process is given the generic name of Project, and coordinating all the activities within it to achieve the desired objective to perfection within the time frame is known as Project Management (Heerkens; 2001). Given the generic nature of the work as well as the outcome it can be said that every activity requiring a particular work to be completed within a particular time by using a particular amount of resources takes the shape of a project. In that way every activity, be that of building a township, a bridge, a subway project, oil refinery, steel production, manufacturing facility erection or even conducting a study to seek some particular information, data or have some desired outcome, all can be termed as projects. In that way projects are distinguishable from continuing work processes like manufacturing process, routine management work or doing daily chores, which are continuing in nature, with the distinguishing factor being a specific time for start and completion of a particular work. So, essentially, time is the core element of a project. As a result the inseparable part of a project is adoption of proper management systems and processes to complete the project within the particular time and cost (Levine; 2002). For this it is imperative that there should be proper planning to execute a project within the allotted time, cost and resources for which there should be proper planning for its implementation . Project planning and implementation within the allotted time by properly organizing it to maintain quality of execution, avoid risks and adhere to the project schedule by proper utilization of resources is key to the success of a project (Hillson; 2003). This study essentially pertains to discussing the key aspects of project planning and control activities in order to successfully complete a project by adhering to the quality of execution of projects. Project Management: Project management essentially is the process of planning, organizing and managing the allotted resources given to a project in order to successfully complete the projects objectives and program. As said, a project is one time work unlike a continuing process, and has a particular period of execution with a starting and ending time in order to meet particular goals and objectives that is aimed at bringing about a particular outcome(Kerzner; 2009). It means that the projects are different from usual business processes that have repeat value and are of permanent nature requiring routine functional work that is envisaged to produce different products and services. In actual practice, the two systems are quite different, thereby requiring the development of specific technical skills and adoption of separate management practices. Projects adhere top specific phases or stages of work processes. According to Horine, project management process includes conducting feasibility studies, defining the project scope and objectives, planning the model to attain those objectives, implementing the plan according to design and scope, evaluating the process of implementation to ensure that the project is being implemented according to guidelines and quality along with provision of proper support and maintenance backup to protect against any hiccups in the implementation process (Horine; 2009). All these are required because project management is a meticulously planned and organized effort to attain a specific and single objective like building a flyover, implementing a software system or building a thermal power plant. It is for this reason only that the project management process includes developing a project plan, which includes defining the project goals and objectives, identifying tasks and goals to be achieved, quantifying the resources needed, and determining budgets and time peri od for completion and managing the implementation of the project plan, along with establishing control procedures to track the proper implementation of the project according to the objectives relative to the plan and intervene to restore the quality of implementation wherever required (Lewis; 2006). All these aspects constitute the project planning and control process. Project Planning, Scheduling and Control: Planning: According to Lewis, project planning and control includes developing a standardized management methodology to implement the objectives of a project that can be comfortably adapted to any project and be flexible enough to be customized for such projects but for which there should be a specific system with checks and balances to proceed with the project according to the plans and objectives (Lewis; 2005). This means that the project management function has a specific process and stages of implementation as is given below: Project Planning: Contents Project Planning: Key Stages Source: F Harrison; Advanced Project Management: A Structured Approach; Gower Publishing; 2004 The project planning and control process therefore pertains to defining the scope and responsibilities accruing to a project, scheduling the time and resources, estimating the cost and budget and analyzing the risks associated with the project implementation process and planning to handle those risks. Suppose there is a project to construct a new administrative building for a certain organization. In this case the management of the organization will define the scope of implementation of the building plan, estimating the time needed to complete the project and the resources in terms of materials, money and time needed for it. There would also be measures to analyze the risks that can come in the way of constructing the building in terms of escalation of costs, time, materials and inadvertent incidents that would hamper the e smooth construction of the building. For this the manager of the project will have to make a blue print and accommodate all the factors while planning the impleme ntation of the project. In such cases the planning process is properly delineated and documented for the benefit of all the members of the project team as well as the client or the organization for whom the project is being implemented (Turner; 1998). This process also becomes beneficial in taking steps to control the project according to the requirements and preventing it from going from its planned path that would necessitate intervention in terms of cost and materials by the project manager. In order to achieve all these objectives the project management process includes key elements to the project planning process i.e. the products, activities, resources, schedule, budget, risks and assumptions. Accordingly, the project planning process determines what are the products and sub-products that a project must deliver ad what quality aspects it must adhere to, what are the activities and the resources needed to carry out the project, what is the sequence and schedule that must be fol lowed to complete the project, what is the budget needed for implementing the project, what are the risks associated with implementing the project and what are the assumptions that are part of the project(Burke; 2003). The projects management planning process therefore incorporates all these aspects to formulate the plan of implementation. Broadly speaking the project plan includes all the aspects that are needed to properly implement a project according to the specifications of the client. Accordingly the actual requirements of a project may vary but there is no dichotomy with regards to the planning process that needs to be applied of such projects. For this the project implementation and planning process includes some fundamental principles, like breaking down the whole project into cohesive work packages, defining the desired results and encouraging the team members to work towards the plans to achieve the results (Williams et. al.; 2008). All these aspects of the planning proce ss follow certain basic objectives of the project plan that includes ensure that all the work and products need to achieve the project objectives included in the plan. For this the project planners include a framework to integrate the key planning and control functions i.e. scope, quality, cost, time and risk at different stages of the project management and implementation stage and specify the team and the responsibilities of the team members   to deliver the requirements of the project (Kendrick; 2004). In this whole planning process there includes factors such as scheduling the project to bring the desired outcome of the project. Scheduling and Control: Scheduling of a project essentially signifies managing the implementation of the project, keeping in view the time factor in primary sense, and adjusting the men, material and activities into the whole process (Berkun; ; 2005). This means that the project must follow a regimented routine according to daily weekly and monthly basis so that the project is effectively implemented according to the controls of its requirements and other factors. It is also important that the different activities associated with a project planning and implementation process are well coordinated so as to avoid delays and chaos in the implementation of the project that would result is costs and time overruns. A typical project schedule divides the work associated with a project into different activities all coordinated to the overall whole. In this the works are divided into areas of activities and the tine taken as well as the mode of operation is determined accordingly with the most easy path and the criti cal yet effective path of each activity of the path is determined with assessment as to the time lapse that can happen in the event of the time and work pace not keeping up with the allotted time schedule. Source: : F Harrison; Advanced Project Management: A Structured Approach; Gower Publishing; 2004 Accordingly the project implementation stage and control stage is divided into various activities and the time allotted is measured accordingly as is shown in the diagram above. In it the works are divided into critical and non-critical activities and the milestone is to be achieved with the overall work process along with the float time that can emerge due to unavoidable time delays. Along with all these factors it is also likely that without proper scheduling of the project it may happen that it may drag along beyond the manageable limit and therefore become unviable. So, the core part of effective implementation of a project is its proper scheduling so that unnecessary delays and cost overruns area avoided and there is harmonious coordination between all aspects of the work process of the project as well as the different stakeholders and service providers associated with it. Project Documentation: As mentioned in the preceding scheduling of a project is done in order to achieve all the factors the project planning process breaks down the project into a particular schedule as per its desired outputs in order to facilitate the proper implementation and control as well as help in maintaining quality of implementation of the project. Accordingly the project is divided into different sub-structures and process in order to effectively maintain quality of implementation such as primary outputs of a project a supplementary outputs of a project (Berkun; 2008). Along with it the project manager needs the proper documentation and processing of the activities in order to effectively track the implementation of the project as well as communicate with the team members and the management to articulate the progress of the project, give directions to the members to work according to an accepted framework and measure the progress of the project at different stages of implementation for which th ere should be proper documentation of the project planning, scheduling and control process. In the primary outputs the documentation process includes defining the product breakdown structures, product descriptions, work breakdown structures (WBS), work package descriptions (WPD), organization breakdown structure (OBS), responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) and assumptions documentation. In the secondary outputs of a project planning, implementation and control process the documentation and processing those are needed pertain to creating a product flow diagram (PFD), work flow diagram (WFD), control accounts (CA) and dependency structure matrix (DSM) (Berbee; 2009). All these aspects of the project process are properly documented in order to properly implement a project. For this the project manager establishes a proper structure and accessories for documentation as well as recruitment of relevant persons to manage such processes, which brings to the human resources aspect and the management structure of a project planning and implementation process. According to Leach, the most critical part of a project management process is the management part itself which means that if the management structure and the people manning it are not competent enough to effectively plan and implement the project than all the other factors even if they are of highest degree of quality, will fail to deliver the results (Leach; 2004). It is for this that the project planning and implementation process gives utmost importance to the management structure and team as well as the human resources aspect of the overall project structure and process. Management Structure: A typical product management structure incorporates the following management structure as mentioned below, with necessary customization as per the requirements of the individual projects: Source: Self Designed The typical project management team therefore consists of a project head who takes part in the conceptualization planning and overall control of the project followed by a project manager who actually oversees the implementation of the project with a team that consists of technical head, operation head quality control head resource head who do the actual work of implementing the project and directly supervise the work   through a team consisting of managers workers, technicians, suppliers and stakeholders along with support staff(Rothman; 2009). In the case of a building project the management would consist of a project head having wide experience in managing building projects, same is the case with the project manager who must have ample experience in managing projects associated with the construction industry. The different heads of the project should also have adequate experience in their area of activity and desirable experience in actual projects involving the construction indu stry. In this place it may be convenient to argue as what would happen if some people with general project management experience are taken into projects involving construction if buildings. In normal sense it would not make that much of a difference. But in actual stage of implementation and the critical factors associated with it the hands on experience of a person comes in handy. Along with it there is the factor of scheduling for efficient management of time and resources. In such a situation it if great advantage if personnel with hands on experience in specific projects are included in the project planning implementation and evaluation process rather than having general project management experience (Wong; 2007). Nonetheless the underlying spirit for proper implementation of a project is management of time and quality. Nowadays there are various technologies, tools and methods to manage project planning, implementation, quality control and delivery.   Techniques and Technologies: The present day project management exercise is a highly technical function involving a number of complex tools and processes as well as advanced software systems to effectively implement, schedule, track and maintain the quality aspects of a project. It is immaterial whether the project is a brick and mortar concept or an academic concept, what is important is that there have emerged methods that can effectively coordinate all the activities and effectively establish communication channels between all the stakeholders of a project in order to maintain the time, quality and overall objectives of a project. At the outset there are basic operational tools like PERT and CPM which effectively schedule the project into different activities and measure the time, cost and materials required for completing the project (Kendrick; 2009). Along with these basic tools there are some methods that quantify the time required for completing the project along with the costs required. Some allied disciplines and tools are also used like the financial forecasts, statistical measurement of lead and lag time for completing a project as well as the application of quality tools like six sigma to ascertain that the project is going according to the accepted quality standards. But the most profound effect of technology on the project management discipline has been the development of various software for proper management of the overall project planning, scheduling, implementation, quality control, budgeting and assumption processes. One of such tolls is the Project Management suite developed by Microsoft that is known as MS Projects, which is a complete software package to manage the entire project management process. In it there are various functions and techniques to effectively plan, schedule monitor and implement various projects by adhering to all the functions and disciplines required for implementing a project (Microsoft Inc; 2009). Besides MS Projects there are other software applications designed to manage projects that are developed by different software companies for specific projects by different companies. Along with all these developments there have been instances where companies have developed their own software and techniques by applying a host of discrete software processes to create their own project management tools that cater to all its aspects including budgeting and quality control. In essence all these softwares have made the project management with overall planning, scheduling, quality control budgeting and monitoring, a smooth and hassle fee process by which the managers can hope to achieve expected outcomes without leaving anything to chance. This goes a long way in achieving efficiency in project planning scheduling and control process as well as its proper implementation. Conclusion: Project management is a complex and complicated   process requiring coordination of a host of disciplines along with men, money material that are to be coordinate within a proper time frame to achieve all the objectives of a project without compromising on the quality aspect of it. In that way it becomes necessary to design proper planning, scheduling and quality control mechanisms to give proper implementation to it. In this it becomes necessary to take the help of different tools techniques, documentation processes and technologies so that the project gets implemented successfully and according to its objectives. -x- Reference: Gary Heerkens; Project Management; McGraw Hill Professional; 2001; 250 pages H Levine; Practical Project Management: Tips, Tools and Tactics; John Wiley Sons; 2002 D Hillson; Effective Opportunity Management for Projects; Marcel Dekker; 2003 Harold Kerzner; Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling;Wiley; 2009 1120 pages Greg Horine; Absolute Beginners Guide to Project Management;   Que publications; 2009; 432 pages James P. Lewis; Fundamentals of Project Management; AMACOM; 2006; 160 pages James Lewis; Project, Planning, Scheduling and Control; McGraw-Hill; 2005; 550 pages F Harrison; Advanced Project Management: A Structured Approach; Gower Publishing; 2004 R. Turner; The Handbook of Project Based Management; McGraw Hill; 1998) R Burke; Project Management: Planning and control Techniques; John Wiley Sons; 2003 Mary Williams, William Meri; The Principles of Project Management; Site Point; 2008; 224 pages Tom Kendrick; Project Management Toolkit; AMACOM; 2004; 256 pages Scott Berkun; The Art of Project Management; OReilly Media; 2005; 374 pages Scott Berkun; Making Thngs Happen: Mastering Project Management; OReilly Media; 2008; 392 pages Davis Berbee; 97 Things Every Project Manager Should Know; OReilly Media; 2009; 250 pages L Leach; Critical Chain Project Management; Artech House; 2004 Johanna Rothman; Manage Your Project Portfolio; Pragmatic Bookshelf; 2009; 250 pages Zachary Wong; Human Factors in Project Management; Jossey-Bass; 2007; 368 pages Tom Kendrick; Identifying and Managing project Risk; AMACOM; 2009; 368 pages Microsoft Inc., MS Projects 07; 2009; cited in http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project/default.aspx

Rebel Without a Clue in John Updikes A&P Essay example -- Updike A&P

Rebel Without a Clue in Updike’s A & P  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Adults always stress that it is important to make a good first impression. That is what Sammy was trying to accomplish in John Updike’s "A & P." Although some people believe that Sammy is a hero for standing up for his beliefs when he quit, there is conclusive evidence that he quit in an attempt to impress a girl he was obviously attracted to, Queenie. We know he is attracted to Queenie because he goes to great lengths to tell us what she looks like, what her mannerisms are, and the way that the other girls follow her. For example, he says, "She was the Queen. She kind of led them, the other two peeking around and making their shoulders round" (1026). This simple quote shows that Sammy immediately identified Queenie as the one in charge. Another quote that describes this perfectly is, "but you got the idea that she had talked the other two into coming in here with her, and now she was showing them how to do it, walk slow and hold yourself straight" ( 1026). Naturally Sammy is attracted to Queenie and wants to be noticed by her. Sammy thinks to himself "She must have felt in the corner of her eye me and over my shoulder Stokesie in the second slot watching, but she didn’t trip. Not this queen" (1027). Sammy is surprised to see something like this in his town. He says, "and the women generally put on a shirt or shorts or somet hing before they get out of the car and into the street. And anyway these are usually women with six children and varicose veins mapping their legs and nobody, including them could care less" (1027). Sammy’s descriptions also indicated he had a lot of sexual interest in Queenie. He describes her as vividly as he can. He starts with saying, "With the s... ...will be from there on. Sammy was able to bring attention to himself, but it did not work the way that he had hoped it would. The girls most likely didn’t even acknowledge that he even quit. He tried very hard to get Queenie to see him and accept him, but that didn’t work either. Since Sammy’s attempt to impress the girls did not work, he was left standing in a deep shadow called life. I agree with Nathan Hatcher who wrote, "Sammy quits his job not on a matter of ideals, but rather as a means of showing off and trying to impress the girls, especially Queenie" (37). Works Cited Hatcher, Nathan. "Sammy’s Motive." Ode to Friendship & Other Essays: Student Writing at Virginia Wesleyan College. Ed. Connie Bellamy. Norfolk, Virginia, 1996. 37. Updike, John. "A&P." Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed Sullivan Barnet. NY: HarperCollims, 1989. 1026-1030.      

Leadership from the Bible Essay

The pages of History are littered with stories and legends of societies’ great leaders: Napoleon Bonaparte, a brilliant and charismatic military strategist; Mahatma Ghandi, the peaceful revolutionary; Pope John Paul II, the vibrant Roman pontiff that continues to inspire millions; Ronald Reagan, the â€Å"Great Communicator†; and the list goes on and on. And these leaders are looked upon, revered, and modeled in today’s society as those having exemplary leadership skills, having the keys to motivating, influencing, inspiring, and moving the masses to accomplish great and mighty things. But there was only one perfect, righteous leader; one who led by example, and implemented the wisdom keys from the Word of God: Jesus Christ. And He gave to us His Word, the Bible, the perfect manuscript for life, including key leadership concepts that we can be apply today. Using the life of Christ as the primary example and combining His life with God’s word, one finds perfect, holy, and successful leadership treasures that excel in relevance and effectiveness beyond history’s secular leadership examples. This paper is my exploration into how the Word defines a great leader and those wisdom nuggets that we can use today through the concepts of small beginnings, vision, service, and time management. When Israel returned from captivity to rebuild the Lord’s Temple, the Lord said through the Old Testament Prophet Zechariah, â€Å"[Do not] despise the day of small [beginnings]† (New King James Version, Zechariah 4:10). Referencing this verse, Pastor Mac Hammond of Living Word Christian Center rhetorically asks the question, â€Å"If it can’t be instantly huge, why bother? (â€Å"Small Beginnings†). The world is consumed with the concept of instant gratification, the desire to be the biggest and the best without enduring the struggle that comes with growth, but Jesus started his ministry small, with 120 passionate, committed followers. The LORD also started the Hebrew Nation with just one man, Abraham. And from that man, a great nation has grown and endured for thousands of years. And even before that, God created the first family, one man and one woman, to fill the earth and subdue it. Our God, the Christian God, is a God of small beginnings. I attend the mega-church Family Worship Center in Lakeland, FL. The church’s pastor and charismatic shepherd is Reggie Scarborough. Like the greater church body, the nation of Israel, and the beginnings described in Genesis; Pastor Reggie did not despise Family Worship Center’s day of small beginnings. In fact, I believe, he embraced it. Nearly 26 years ago, the church began with exactly 100 members and has flourished to a congregation of nearly 4,000. Great leaders do not despise or forsake the day of small beginnings. For those who suffer those small beginnings the Lord is faithful to yield much. In the financial world there are three mutually owned financial firms that separate themselves from the rest: New York Life, Massachusetts Mutual Life, and Northwestern Mutual Life. All three companies were founded in the mid-19th century with a strategy for small, slow, conservative growth. Today, the â€Å"Big Three Mutuals† are Fortune 100 companies with credit ratings and assets that surpass most other rivals in the financial markets. These companies saw the value of small beginnings, and the payoff has been a good, strong name. For me, leadership key number one is â€Å"do not despise the day of small beginnings. † To the prophet Habakukk, the Lord said, â€Å"Write the vision and make it plain†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hab 2:2). This was the Lord’s reply to Habakukk’s complaint of the wickedness befalling Judah. Habakukk was seeking justice from the Lord and an answer on Judah’s future. In similar measure, the Lord spoke through Proverbs to say, â€Å"Without a vision, the people parish†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Prov 29:18). A great leader must have a vision for the future. The text uses the phrase â€Å"mission statement [to] summarize ‘why’ an organization exists† (Kiniki and Kreitner 459). In like manner, the Word of God uses â€Å"vision† to give the people a purpose, an answer to the question, â€Å"Why do we do what we do? † A vision or mission statement also allows those in the organization to glimpse the â€Å"big picture. † Pastor Mac Hammond encourages his readers to, â€Å"Find out where you fit in the grand scheme of things. † (â€Å"The Big Picture†). It also allow for goal-setting. How will the organization accomplish the vision? Referring to the passage from Habakukk, Pastor Mac Hammond states, â€Å"Setting specific, measurable goals is a powerful exercise†¦ It’s one of the most important motivational tasks for winning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"The Exercise of Goal Setting†). Just as Pastor Reggie started Family Worship Center with small beginnings, he also had a vision for the congregation. That vision is espoused in the mission statement of Family Worship Center which reads: Our mission is to create a worship environment through a union of the Word of God and the Spirit of God that will stimulate a progressive Pentecostal community. â€Å"Our Mission†). Its vision allows its congregants to know why they are there and how they fit in. The vision also helps Pastor and his Board of Advisors create and manage goals for Family Worship Center’s growth. And from that growth through goals formed from the vision, Family Worship Center has grown to a mega-church that sows into ministries throughout the world. Likewise, the Big Three Mutuals all had separate, yet similar, visions. All of their stories are alike in that each of their founders laid out a vision or mission for long-term financial security and conservative growth. The following mission statement was released in 1911 from the Northwestern Mutual Life (NML) Board of Trustee, and reads as follows: The ambition of the Northwestern has been less to be large than to be safe; its aim is to rank first in benefits to policyowners rather than first in size. Valuing quality above quantity, it has preferred to secure its business under certain salutary restrictions and limitations rather than to write a much larger business at the possible sacrifice of those valuable points which have made the Northwestern pre-eminently the policyowner’s company. Shannon and Poley) This mission statement has allowed NML to grow in an efficient conservative manner for nearly 100 years, and its reputation and name is revered in the industry. Like Family Worship Center, NML’s vision has giving its policyowners and staff the ability to see NML’s big-picture, and the vision has been the guidebook NML uses when setting goals and future plans. A Vision does multiple things for any organization: It gives the organization purpose, it shows the people where they fit in with the big-picture, and it gives a clear path for goal-setting. For me, leadership key number two is â€Å"have a vision. † Another prominent leadership concept is servant-leadership. Although the term â€Å"servant-leadership† was coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970, the concept was espoused by Christ two millennia before (â€Å"What is Servant Leadership†). Jesus promoted the idea of servant-leadership when He said to His disciples, â€Å"†¦whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (New International Version, Matt 20:26). His focus was putting others before oneself. I like the way John MacArthur describes the passage: In this rich text, the Lord was teaching the disciples that the style of greatness and leadership for believers is different [than for none believers]†¦ [Christians] lead by being servants and giving themselves away for others, as Jesus did. (1430) Servant-leadership gives the leader influence, builds moral, and provides him or her understanding. Through Jesus’ example, He did all those things. He had influence; He inspired the crowds; and His leadership style showed understanding. From a business point of view, there is an old saying, â€Å"He who serves best, profits most. † (Source unknown). And it’s true in any organization. Leaders in a church must serve the sheep, just as Pastor Reggie has done at Family Worship Center. Leaders in business must serve their clients, just as the Big Three Mutuals. For me, leadership key number three is â€Å"service. † The Apostle Paul said to the church at Ephesus, â€Å"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Eph 5:15 – 16). In comparison, the New King James uses the phrase â€Å"redeeming the times† instead of â€Å"making the most of every opportunity. † For the leader, what Paul may be inferring here is, â€Å"Use your time wisely. † In support of Paul’s letter, John MacArthur opines: â€Å"We are to make the most of our time on this evil earth in fulfilling God’s purposes, lining up every opportunity for useful worship and service (1812). In Scripture, we constantly see Jesus â€Å"redeeming the time† and â€Å"making the most of every opportunity. † He had priorities in place, taking care of the most pressing matters, first. Many of his miracle healings were interruptions in His schedule, but He often turned aside from His journey to touch the sick and heal the blind, making the most of the opportunity. He redeemed the time He had on the earth. For the Christian, Pastor Mac Hammond says, â€Å"†¦one of the most crucial lessons any leader can learn is how to use time wisely. † (â€Å"Time Management†). For me, leadership key number four is â€Å"time management†. Although this paper has addressed four keys to successful leadership, the wealth of leadership treasure in the Bible is without end. It does not matter the type of organization that applies these concepts. Whether a church like Family Worship Center, or one of the Big Three Mutuals; biblical leadership keys work. For me, if I only master these four, I believe I will be successful in both Christian ministry and the secular business world: small beginnings, the willingness to forgo instant gratification; vision, the idea that gives me purpose; service, putting others before myself; and, time management, making the most of every opportunity.

New England Towns and Southern Plantations essays

New England Towns and Southern Plantations essays New England towns and southern plantations share various similarities and have countless differences. A typical town in the north had a large open area of land that colonists referred to as the common. The common could be used by everyone. Facing the common was a church and nearby the church were the ministers house and a schoolhouse. The remaining land around the common was divided into house lots. Every family had a strip of farmland outside the town that they could use to grow crops of their own. The climate of the New England colonies was colder than that of the south since they were farther north. This cold climate served as a positive factor in New England towns because it prevented the spread of life- threatening diseases. It also worked as a negative factor in how its severe winters killed many colonists. The geography of New England was mostly hills with rocky soil. Natural resources in the towns consisted of fish, whales, trees and furs. These natural resources were more i mportant that agricultural crops to colonists in the north because of the poor, rocky soil and the short growing season. The economy of the towns relied on fishing, lumber, rum, and triangular trade. Most towns in the north were located along the coast for quick access to the Atlantic Ocean. Towns were tightly clustered together giving early English settlers a sense of security since the wilderness was inhabited by people with different customs. The main function of New England towns was to support the religion of the Puritans. The Puritans did not believe in religious freedom and did not tolerate other religions. A typical plantation in the south consisted of a main house where the owner of the plantation lived. Smaller houses used as offices or living quarters for slaves were assembled around the fields where the crops were grown. The climate in the southern colonies was the warmest climate of all 3 colonial regions (north, middle & ...