Online Gaming 7cs of Customer Interface Essay Example

Online Gaming 7cs of Customer Interface Essay Online Gaming Part A Online gaming has become a culture in its own, there is an entire industry for online gaming that incorporates itself in the console gaming, gambling and the pc gaming. Almost every game you buy in shopping centres will have an online gaming option whether it is a console game or a pc game. Online entertainment has become a form of human communication and is taking the internet industry by storm. World of war craft has hit the online gaming demographic with huge success and therefore is the best example of this ever growing industry. For my half of the website audit I investigated the online gaming craze as a whole industry and did not limit myself to a specific company or topic, I looked at children’s online gaming sites, manufacturer sites for the online the gaming option on consol game units, aggregate sites for free online games and a manufacturer site for the largest online game, world of war craft. The 7Cs of Customer interface Context In investigating the context of these websites navigation, ecommerce and promotion seemed to be the priority and general purpose of both aggregate and manufacturer websites. The manufacturer websites like, http://www. blizzard. com/ and http://www. xboxworld. com. au/games/xbox-360/show/b where very product based in the aesthetical side of the website, all of the images and themes for these website appealed to the larger demographic that uses this kind of entertainment. The aggregate sites are basically used as portals for the online games and are centred around ease of navigation and feedback on the services available. Content Apart from the popup advertising there was not much video or animation involved in any of the homepages for these websites. We will write a custom essay sample on Online Gaming 7cs of Customer Interface specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Online Gaming 7cs of Customer Interface specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Online Gaming 7cs of Customer Interface specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The home page seemed to be the centre unit for navigation and was essentially made up of still imaging and text. The only website that offered any kind of detailed background on the company was the wiggles website which had an about us option in the navigation toolbar. All of these websites are high stimulating and, depending on the end users, appealing to the consumer. It seems that online gaming websites are highly individual and highly interactive with the consumer and promotes pull advertising as opposed to push promotion. Each website offered a product in a different stage in its product lifecycle, blizzard offered a product well into its commitment stage where as xboxworld. com offered a new and innovative product that has yet to be explored. The wiggles websites is more into the exploration stage of its product lifecycle and therefore promoted easy navigation for easy exploration and as the targeted demographic for this site are children under the age of 10 it needs to be easy to use which they have accommodated for. Community Some of these websites offered user forums for members of the site to voice their opinions on the products and services available. Whereas others offered a rating system that foregrounds the previous users opinions of the services available Customization All of these sites have membership options for frequent visitors to the sites. Being a member allows the user to view in more detail the ratings for games and the popularity of the games available. Communication Mostly forums on the products and five star ratings are the only forms of cross user communicate. Connection Apart from blizzards slow connection time in the opening of the website most of the other sites seemed to be pretty efficient when it came to the riginal opening of the site. The two aggregate sites had navigation points and links to other sites containing the games available which meant a short wait before playing the games as the site had to connect with other websites. Commerce All these sites have membership options. Manufacturer sites offered discounted online purchasing for their products like xboxworld. com offered discount on games and the consols where as to become a member of blizzard you have to register with world of war craft game which cost money to set up your blizzard account. Webqual Evaluation There are four categories to the Webqual website audit; ease of use, usefulness, entertainment and complementary relationship. In applying this style of audit to these websites no individual website stood out conclusively. All seemed to excel in different areas. Shock wave was easy to use in that it was easy to read and navigate through the programs. Xbox world was the most useful as it catered for the consumer looking for info on available products and discounts instead of jumping straight into the online gaming. The wiggles and the blizzard website provided good form of entertainment in that it was innovative and had appropriate visual appeal for the demographic they were designed to attract. And all of them foregrounded the same kind of image the company behind them strives to achieve. Online Marketing Tool Out of the possible e-commerce option available to the users of these sites, the five star rating seemed to be the best form of ecommerce and consumer behavi our evaluation. This option allowed a user to give a game or a service a rating out of five. This allowed for user to administration communication and user to user communication. The administrators of the sites are able to see which services or games are most popular and which are not worth keeping on the site, this is a good way of understanding the consumer behaviour of a site majority target market between online and offline services and products. Online Gaming Part B The five websites that I evaluated were all aggregate sites of the online game known as ‘World of Warcraft’. I chose to do this in order to compare all five aggregate sites which provide similar types of service to assess which of them excels from the rest. The 7Cs of Customer interface Context Context is defined as the look-and-feel of a screen-to-face customer interface. The sites are all designed to focus on the navigational aspects rather than the use of excessive graphics or animations. All five sites feature a nice simple layout with minimal graphics and contrasting colours however thottbot. com is the only site that makes use of a clear white background which creates a sense of calm and draws the eye to the products. The information being provided by all the sites are all nicely categorized and broken down into smaller segments for a more organized presentation. The search tab is one of the most useful tools when gathering information as it enables fast and easy access to information which allakhazam. com, thottbot. com and wowguru. com makes use of. Content Since the primary role of the sites is to provide users with information, the main mediums used were primarily text and images via the offering mix however wowguru. com takes it one step further by adding audio and video aspects to its contents where users can actually view movies that others have posted on the site for additional information purposes. Most of the sites use promotions on their front page to advertise their content on the other hand worldofwar. net takes advantage of the appeal mix creating emotional reactions to promote their site. Thottbot. com is the only site that struggles in this category not because it lacks content but due to the fact that the information it provides is inaccurate or out of date. Community Forums are the most used type of medium for user-to-user, user-to-admin and admin-to-user communications. Most of the sites aside from thottbot. om and worldofwconline. com makes use of forums and breaks them down to simple categories for more convenient communications. Additional features were provided by allakhazam. com where IRC chat was used for instant communication between users and admin. Customization All the sites that has access to forums enables personalization by creating login registrations primarily used so that users can post on forums and also to receive personalized e-mails through the sit e however further personalization are offered by allakhazam. com and worldofwar. et through upgrading of membership which means that users that upgrade their normal membership to premium membership for a small amount of fee have access to more additional features and customization. Communication Hybrid communication makes use of both broadcast which is a one-way information exchange from organization to user and interactive communication which is a two-way communication between the organization and the user. All the sites use this form of communication aside from worldofwconline. com which only uses broadcast communication. The main medium for hybrid communication is via the forums or IRC chat option through allakhazam. com. Connection Load times of the sites are fairly quick depending on the internet connection speed of the users however thottbot. com always loads the fastest due to its simple layout and design which consist mainly of a search tab located in the middle of the page. All the sites have links and affiliates to major online stores and other online gaming sites as well increasing traffic and user base. Commerce Worldofwar. net and allakhazam. om are the only two website where registration, security and credit card approvals are utilized via paypal. This is mainly due to the users wanting to upgrade their regular memberships to premium membership for additional features and more customization. Webqual Evaluation Most of the sites featured a very nicely designed layout with navigational options arranged and categorized neatly having said that the site that excels the most is allakhazam. com d ue to the consistent balance of both text and graphics. On the other hand worldofwconline. om uses too much text with small fonts making it hard to read and understand. Users would find sites that use the search tab to be more convenient to operate and navigate. The most useful site would probably be allakhazam. com as it provides all the relevant information accurately in a secure environment. The response time however varies in all the sites as post in the forums would only be answered when members log in. Wowguru. com dominates the entertainment category as it is the only medium that features audio and video aside from the text and graphics that all the rest of the other sites posses. All the sites have a good complementary relationship as there is good synergy between the internet and the company images. Online marketing tool The online marketing tool that is chosen to evaluate the sites is the forums as it is the best form of ecommerce and consumer behaviour evaluation criteria for these sites. The number of posts and user profile accounts were the main determinants in determining which website was the best. With over 1,358,243 user profile accounts and still growing allakhazam. com clearly dominates this field as the closest rival to it which is worldofwar. et only has 172,873 user profiles. The Comparisons Part C A combined effort SWOT Strengths * Most sites are compatible with a large amount of other websites and software. * Well organized forums and ecommerce options * Visually appealing * A large amount of loyal consumers * A good depth in user customization Weaknesses * Majority of sites lack audio and video capabilities * Differentiation is difficult as a lmost all of the services are available through other companies * Hard to establish steady cash flow * Must keep up with technology and updates. Opportunities Possible target market for services are ever growing * Innovative games and services are easier to promote due to a larger demographic learning to use the internet, innovation in online games is not hard to create awareness for Threats * Increasing of competing companies providing similar services * It is easy for a company to become obsolete in this industry as technology is always advancing. * It is easier for companies to commit reverse engineering on a service or product and provide generic copies. Porters’ Five forces 1 Competition between rival companies is a constant issue for the online gaming industry. It is hard for any one business to get a competitive advantage over their competitors. A lot of companies are even teaming up in order to cope better with the increasing amount of competition. This will always be a negative force on a online gaming site. This force cannot be avoided as competition is evident in ever industry. The best that can be done is to offer competitive prices and incentives for consumers to continue to use the company’s services or products. 2 The threat of new entrants and innovation with both the technology and reativity of the products available will make it increasingly hard even for a well established company to stay on their feet. The online gaming industry is not a safe industry to penetrate and will never be. The best way to avoid this force from effective the possible success of any one company is to use people’s creativity and continue with good e-commerce and market research that way a company can stay on top of possible incoming trends and fads. 3. Reverse engineering is a constant problem in the electronic world and the online gaming industry is no exception. The threat of the competition copying your services or products and offering generic products to consumers that could have created cash flow for the original creators is a constant issue. The best way to deal with this negative force is to use the government and protect your company’s ideas and innovations with copyright. 4. Suppliers are always looking to charge more for their products whereas consumers are always looking to get a cheaper price; it is a loose, loose situation for any one company and can only be tackled by either sacrificing the customer satisfaction or risk loosing your supplier and having to find another. A balance between the two is the most opportune way to handle this dilemma. The rules of supply and demand come into particular focus here. Proper market research and preparation work can help to avoid this issue. 5. As was discussed in the previous issue; consumers are always after a lower price, and ounce again the best way to handle this situation is to conduct decent consumer behaviour research and market research to avoid missing the next big opportunity in the market.

Why Career Planning is Important With Expert Dorothy Tannahill-Moran

Why Career Planning is Important With Expert Dorothy Tannahill-Moran While using online job sites are an important component to a well-rounded search, it’s even more important that those hunting for new positions invest time and energy into professional relationships. Many job seekers don’t realize that networking is THE critical component to their job search and then fail to do it or do it effectively, says career development expert Dorothy Tannahill-Moran.â€Å"It’s important to understand that you must nurture your network all the time, not just when you need something like a job,† she adds. â€Å"The saying that you need to plant a tree 20 years ago and not when you need it applies. If you wait to network when you are looking for a job, it most likely isn’t going to work too well for you.†As far as where to network, Dorothy recommends seeking people you have something in common with – ideally through a professionally aligned organization, which should help more directly connect you to where you want to work. These people will know what opportunities exist.â€Å"Avoid ‘generic’ networking groups, as they tend to not be a good source for expanding your network. You have nothing in common, and that is key to forming relationships,† she says.What do you think are the most common mistakes people make when it comes to their careers?The first mistake is to lack planning and to make huge, sweeping assumptions about careers. It is fairly inaccurate for an outsider to look at a job and think what they see is the job. Usually they only see a small portion of it, much like an iceberg. When they finally get to that career, many people are in for a rude awakening.Another fairly common mistake is to not realize that the biggest path to career success is how well you interact with others – your boss, management, peers, etc. It’s called emotional intelligence. It can be learned, but a big issue is not mastering, much less realizing you need to. We go to school to learn specific things, but the one thing we’re left to figure out on our own is soft skills. Very little is actually taught to help people with this aspect. Some people figure it out on their own; others sputter along being victimized by their own lack of insight.What advice do you have on using online job searches to find your next job†¦what are some best practices?A job candidate can’t rely solely on posted jobs to find a job. They want to still connect with people inside the companies they want to work in. You have to assume that the posted jobs are only a small representation of what actually exists for available jobs. That means you do want to obtain referrals to people you can connect to and do informational interviews with.In terms of online job search, you need to ensure your resume has key words specific to the position you are seeking. About 80 percent of most companies use some form of applicant tracking system, which means your resume needs to be à ¢â‚¬Å"computer friendly† so it can be found in the system. Key words help the computer find your resume when the hiring person is ready.How do you think online job sites can make the job-hunting process easier for both employers and job seekers?The job sites don’t just have job descriptions; they are a rich search engine that a job seeker can use to find appropriate jobs. The job seeker should be able to search on all types of variables ranging from location, industry to job requirements. Some job seekers make the mistake of thinking they improve their chances by applying to jobs they really aren’t qualified for. In fact, they are wasting their time, as their resume will never be selected due to lack of qualifications that the computer can search for.An employer needs to take advantage of communicating all types of information about the job and the company in order to allow candidates to not just find the job but to self-select in or out of the process. Itâ€℠¢s important for employers to think not just in terms of the candidate flow in to them but that the flow is of highly qualified candidates. Part of that is providing enough information that some people will not opt to apply.What other tools or resources do you recommend for people in search of a new job?There are many good career sites with valuable information for a job seeker. Career Attraction is one of the best sites and offers good content and programs especially for job seekers.Can you offer some dos and don’ts for effective networking?You must first think of the other person and what is important to them. That means you need to get to know them. This will allow you to be a good support and resource to the other person. All relationships exist due to reciprocity, and if that isn’t in place, you can’t make any demands on the relationship. Again, there is a time component to relationships. It does take time to meet people and form a relationship, which means you can’t expect to go somewhere and instantly meet people who can help you find a job or new clients.Follow Dorothy on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Put Adjectives in Their Place

Put Adjectives in Their Place Put Adjectives in Their Place Put Adjectives in Their Place By Mark Nichol Where does an adjective go? It can appear virtually anywhere in a sentence, but the particular placement depends on its particular function. The most common placement of an adjective a word (or a phrase, known as a phrasal adjective or an adjectival phrase) that modifies a noun is immediately before that noun: â€Å"I ordered a chocolate milk shake. It was my first one. It was the most delicious thing I’ve had in my life.† However, the word order is sometimes reversed: â€Å"I left none untasted.† This reversal is typical of more lyrical content (â€Å"She left things unsaid†) but is appropriate for more functional text as well. (Thanks to the French influence on English, some standing phrases include what are called postpositive adjectives. Examples of these expressions are â€Å"body politic† and â€Å"heir apparent.†) When the adjective describes a noun referred to as being a possession, it is inserted between the possessive noun and the noun identifying the possession: â€Å"He stole my friend’s strawberry milk shake! The culprit’s milk shake mustache gives him away.† An adjective, as part of the predicate (the part of a sentence describing an action) can be the last word or phrase in a sentence: â€Å"He was sneaky. However, his guilt is obvious.† It can also, as a participial adjective, begin a sentence: â€Å"Pink and frothy, it’s as obvious as (and just below) the nose on his face.† But writers must take care in matching the object of the sentence to the participial adjective: â€Å"Pink and frothy, I noticed it right away† is an example of this error, known as a dangling participle, so called because the participial adjective’s connection to the subject is tenuous. The subject of a sentence referring to the milk shake mustache should refer to that, not to the person noticing it: â€Å"Pink and frothy, the evidence was obvious right away.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good WithPeace of Mind and A Piece of One's MindWriting a Thank You Note

THeater Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

THeater - Assignment Example Although it is not the purpose of this brief response to elaborate upon the ways in which a playwright or filmmaker can attempt to differentiate without deviating to greatly from the original inspiration, it must be understood that one of the more effective means that this can be accomplished is by subtly yet clearly differentiating the characters from the original in such a way as they provide a level of understanding and nuance as compared to the work to which they are referencing. Within this brief analysis, the author will consider the means by which two of the characters in Rough Magic are distinctly differentiated and represented in a unique way as compared to two of the characters within William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Finally, at level of analysis will also be given with regards to whether or not this author believes that Rough Magic has the innate potential to be a great film. With regards to the first character which will be discussed, that of Prospero, Rough Magi c portrays him in an entirely different light than did William Shakespeare within The Tempest. Within Shakespeare’s play, Prospero is portrayed as a bellowing, drunken, and un-poetic brute. This of course as a unique dynamic Shakespeare’s play the fact that the other characters are invariably forced into action and reaction based on the bombastic and rather infantile choices and actions that Prospero makes. Without deviating too far from the Shakespearean interpretation of Prospero, Aguirre-Sacasa defines him in a more nuanced manner as individual caught between an ongoing family feud in which he must take an active part. Rather than setting Prospero apart as the embodiment and personification of evil, the playwright reveals a more postmodernist interpretation by which absolute good or bad is not laid squarely upon the character of Prospero (Rough Magic, pg 4). In such a way, the level of differentiation and the means by which absolute good and bad are determined withi n Aguirre-Sacasa’s play as compared to Shakespeare’s are definitively noted with regards to the totality of Prospero’s character. In much the same way, the character of the Ariel is differentiated from William Shakespeare’s character as well as. Whereas the Ariel of Shakespeare’s play is something of an ethereal demigod that is suffered the torture of imprisonment, the Ariel of Aguirre-Sacasa’s play takes upon many of the less than favorable qualities that are somewhat unexpected. It is the understanding of this particular author that the main reason for doing this was to create something of a differential regards the way in which Shakespeare presented the character as compared to the way it was presented within this particular flight. In short, the representation of Ariel within William Shakespeare’s The Tempest was the quintessential woman scorned. Although the same can be true with regards to Rough Magic, the key differential is th at the damsel in distress dynamic is far less evidenced (Rutter, 2003) Within such an understanding, Ariel are self comes represent a horrific and terrifying creature that is

The United States African Development Foundation Research Paper - 1

The United States African Development Foundation - Research Paper Example Though US funds many of the international development programs via UN, but USAID (United States Agency for International Development) is one of the most prominent organizations working directly under the US government towards the goal of democracy promotions and economic development of various states. United States African Development Foundation was conceived by the US congress in 1980, as a complimentary organization to USAID and other functional programs directed at similar goals. However, this organization was developed with the focus over the impoverished states of Africa, to empower the marginalized population of the areas under focus. The groundwork for the USADF`s legislation is laid upon the model of the Inter-American Foundation, however the scope and background of both the organizations differ to a great extent. USADF is an independent, though federally run organization committed at the goal of formulating strategies specific to the African communities to assist the marginalized societies by granting economic as well as technical assistance at the grassroots level. Going into the history of the organization, the initiation period was quite shaky as it took almost four years to bring the organization into its functional shape. Right in the beginning the appointment of the board of governors for this organization were delayed and it wasn’t until 1983 that these appointments took place. Later in 1983, most of the high level staff resigned due to some issues which again made the functional capacity of the organization restricted to some extent. The organization again gained momentum when the General Accounting Officer (GAO) was asked to take over the look after the management needs of the organization. In 1984 however, the relevant officers presided over the desired positions and reforms in procedures took place to bring the organization into its current shape (Grassroots Development: The African Development Foundation).

Evaluation Of Strengths And Weaknesses Education Essay

Evaluation Of Strengths And Weaknesses Education Essay Everyone has special qualities about themselves that give them their individuality. These qualities can be dissected into specific qualities called strengths and weaknesses. To grow as a person, we have to identify our own strengths to help us overcome our weaknesses. Understanding the learning types and behaviors of each makes me more aware of how I should pattern myself to learn more effectively, and not punish myself for thinking one way of learning would be better than another. I will discuss my personal strengths and weaknesses and explain how I plan to overcome my weaknesses in my personal and professional life. My strengths have always allowed me to be successful in everything I have attempted in my life. EVALUATION OF STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Life is a never ending learning experience. One of the most important lessons we can ever learn from comes from within. As we go through life, it is important that we learn who we are, and have the ability to identify and grow from our own personal strength and weaknesses. Knowing what we are good at and what we are weak in is the only way we can truly grow as individuals. This knowledge helps us to achieve the goals we set for ourselves in life. Through taking this personal inventory of my strength and weaknesses, I have determined what I need to do not only to better understand who I am, but how to improve my life. In order to assess my strength, Skill audits assessment has shown me where I can play to my strengths, and bring in others to fill my weaknesses. (docshare.com) Marcus Buckingham (ezinearticles.com), a bestselling author and business consultant, defines strengths and weaknesses by the emotions that they evoke. Paraphrasing, he states: Strength is something that makes you feel stronger after you complete the task. It energizes you.  A weakness, on the other hand, is something that physically drains you- in other words, you may very well be good at a particular task or skill, yet when you complete it, it leaves you more tired than when you started. (ezinearticles.com) I would like to show evaluation of my strengths and weaknesses below on the basis of the skills audit which is finished and submitted: Communication:- Any act by which one person gives to or receives from another person information about that persons needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or affective states. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, may involve conventional or unconventional signals, may take linguistic or non-linguistic forms, and may occur through spoken or other modes. (unm.edu) I consider as strength my communication because I communicate effectively with the guest, colleagues and my managers. I understand the guest need either speaking or in writing. And I deliver the service according their need. As I work in Room Service so most of the time I communicate to the guest via phone. My colleagues and managers understand clearly what I am trying to say to them and there is more verbal communication than writing in my job profile and have never misunderstandings in communication with my colleagues and guests. Sometimes I write emails and reports effectively to my manager so it shows that I communicate effectively. Working with Others:- A tight knit team is a group of competent individuals who care deeply about each other. They are fiercely committed to their mission, and are highly motivated to combing their energy and expertise to achieve a common objective. (ezinearticles.com) Usually I worked in Room Service. But I helped in the restaurants and bar as team member. I have always enjoyed working within a team of individuals that have come together to be more productive. Since joining the hotel, the experience of working within a team has enhanced my ability to work with others in a wide variety of situations. I often provide assistance to fellow employees when they are in bind. I am appreciated by my peers for always lending a helping hand when needed. If someone criticised me I have accepted because it helped me to learn from criticism because you wont do same mistake again next time. I always kept me looking for the opportunity to be involved in a productive team. Improving Own Learning and Performance:- I have handled my studies, part time job and social life because my college attendance 95% and I never got late to my job and social life is fine as well. As I worked in R/S alone without any supervisor but I worked in restaurant and bar as well at the same time. It shows us that I performer several task and I have ability to work alone. I always plan my own work and completed my work within deadlines. Sometimes, I achieved my goals but most of time I didnt achieve goal due to no time management and other reasons. But unfortunately I never got any delegate task. I always am willing to learn from my studies, managers, colleague and work. Therefore, I am able do multitasking job in F B depts. Problem Solving:- Problem solving is a set of activities designed to analyze a situation Systematically and generate, implement and evaluate solutions.(training.fema.gov) some time I have to dealt with awkward guests so, first it is necessary to understand the guest that what the guest is wanting and accordingly I deliver the service/solution to, while keep in mind my hotel policies and values. It is important to keep you calm in under pressure because it gives you strength to handle the situation effectively. It is important to identify the problem carefully and to think about best solution with alternative solution as well before you take any action or decision because it gives you more choices of solution to help you making good decision. I made good decision most of time but when I took wrong decisions then I tried to learn from them and converted into right decision. I consider problem solving is my strength. Application of Numbers:- it is necessary to make the appropriate calculations or interpret data when serving customers because it helps you to understand how many customer are coming to your restaurant and you make yourself ready accordingly in terms of Mise n place. Sometimes I do breakfast shift and I calculate early in the morning from the room occupancy/ guest list that how many guest will do breakfast today then I tell to chefs and they cook the breakfast according to the no. of guest which saves the energy and food wastage. I believe that its one of my strength. Information Technology Proficiency:- Information Technology (IT) has not left untouched most aspects of our business and life. Therefore it is necessary to have knowledge of IT for everyone in competitive world. I consider IT as strength of mine because I am very proficient while using Microsoft office and PMS. I know how to create chart and tables on MS Office. I use IT for making report, presentation, writing Email to guest, order taking, billing etc. Motivation:- Internal and external  factors  that stimulate desire and  energy  in people to be continually interested in and committed to a  job,  role, or  subject, and to exert persistent effort in attaining a  goal. (businessdictionary.com) I am very motivated personally as well as professionally. It helps me to achieve the goals. I always try to learn new things from my manager and colleagues. I work every shift according to the Rota. I always show positive attitude to my managers. I believe in honesty and hard work which make me stronger at work. Flexibility and Adaptability:- A role with flexible boundaries can be enacted in various settings and at various times (Ashforth, Kreiner,   Fugate, 2000, p. 474) another one of my strengths is my ability to adapt to nearly any type of environment, which allows me the flexibility to be comfortable talking to many different levels of people. I always shows can do attitude to my manager and keep positive attitude to work at any time and any place. I work according to Rota whether its morning or evening or night shifts. I learn new things being flexible and adaptable at workplace. Leadership:- Warren Bennis definition of leadership is focused much more on the individual capability of the leader : Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential. (www.teal.org.uk) I do leadership sometimes but not often. Actually I do supervising in breakfast shift. I take responsibility my own work, whether its correct or not. Whenever, new entrants join the restaurant or R/S. I always approach and try to help effectively to new colleagues when they needed. I believe that leadership is my strength as well. Creativity Initiative Creativity is marked by the ability or power to create, to bring into existence, to invest with a new form, to produce through imaginative skill, to make or bring into existence something new.  (uwsp.edu) I am creative and take initiative at work place. I like to give new ideas to my supervisor and managers. I have taken initiative to change my Room Service menu. I got an opportunity to rectify the breakfast setup. And I took initiative to set right setup of breakfast, lunch and dinner in R/S which was appreciated by my managers. Self Confidence:- Giacomo Casanova states that   It is only necessary to have courage, for strength without self-confidence is useless. (brainyquote.com) I am highly confident personally as well as professionally to talk and handle the customers. I got appreciation on comment card by guest so many times. I am confident enough to talk diplomatic way with my colleagues and managers when needed. On the other hand, I consider judgement and sensitive issues as a weakness due to lack of experience because sometimes I could not able to take right judgement. I couldnt able deal with sensitive issue. My time management skill is my greatest weaknesses because I know that this causes me great stress in my professional life. I often tend to stay up all night late. This leads to some fairly exhausted day. The home environment is just full of distraction, which cause me to procrastinate. There is always a reason to watch television, spend time with my friends, clean the house etc. My other negative trait would be that I likely to be a perfectionist. When I do things I do them in such a methodical way that I am not satisfied until they are just right in my eyes. When working on group project, I sometimes get frustrated when other does not put forth the same level of effort that I do. Often I find myself losing patience with those who dont share my same ideas. Conclusion Research has shown that life is a learning experience. The strengths and weaknesses I have discussed are part of what makes me an individual. By identifying them, I am able devise a plan to improve my areas of weakness, while using my strength to my advantage. My objective is that through reinforcing my strengths and overcoming my weaknesses, I will be more successful in both my personal and professional life. Recommendation I would like to recommend myself that I should have to check my strength and weaknesses time to time in order to check my strength and weaknesses in order to achieve my goals. I should set a personal goal aimed toward correcting my weaknesses. I should decide to work on my time management skills. I should plan to start this process by pushing myself to dedicate more of my free time to college work. This is the area that is most negatively affected by my delay needlessly. I will also try to be more effective in the way I manage my schedule at work. I should plan to work on my patience and understanding of others different styles and perspectives. Last, I should work on my judgement as well.

Churchill Was A Great War Leader Essay

In the fateful spring and early summer of 1940 the people of Britain clustered around their wireless sets to hear a defiant and uplifting speech from their new Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. On May 13th, having just assumed the burden of power from a, â€Å"weak and cowardly† Neville Chamberlain, Churchill promised a regime of â€Å"blood, toil, tears and sweat.† On June 4th After the evacuation of the defeated British Army from Dunkirk, he pledged, â€Å"We shall fight on the beaches.† On June 18th he proclaimed that even if the British Empire were to last for a thousand years, this would be remembered as its â€Å"finest hour.† Over the course of the ensuing months Britain alone defied the vast conquering appetites of Hitlerism and, though greatly outclassed in the air, repelled the Luftwaffe’s assault with a handful of gallant fighter pilots. This chilling engagement-â€Å"The Battle of Britain†-thwarted Nazi schemes for an invasion of the island fortress and was thus a hinge event in the great global conflict we now call World War II. Before the start of World War II Winston Churchill had already completed many great achievements, which some people could not complete if they were allowed to live twice. When Winston Churchill was born in 1874 his parents did not have any time for him and he spent most of his time with his nanny. In school he rebelled and had no time for Maths, Latin or Greek, the school he attended was Harrow on the outskirts of London. He did not get on well with the other students and he recalls how he once had to hide behind a tree while fellow students threw cricket balls at him. After this he vowed to be strong, as strong as anyone could be. He later entered the Royal Military School at Sandhurst and passed with honours. When he was eighteen Churchill jumped off a bridge and fell 29 feet whilst being chased by his brother and cousin, thus showing his strength and determination. While doing this he ruptured a kidney and was unconscious for three days and could not work for two months. Then when Churchill turned twenty, his father died and shortly after Churchill was appointed as second lieutenant in the 4th Queens Own Hussars, a regiment of the British Army. As he turned twenty-one Churchill reported on military happenings throughout the world in countries such as Cuba where he travelled with the Spanish Army. In 1896 when his regiment was sent to India, he secured a temporary transfer to the turbulent North West Frontier where a tribal insurrection was under way. When the Boer War (1899-1902) broke out in South Africa he went as a journalist, was captured by the Boers while defending an ambushed train and imprisoned in a military prison. His subsequent escape made him a national hero. In 1900 he was elected to Parliament as a member of the Conservative Party. Churchill’s support of free trade against Joseph Chamberlain’s tariff proposals led to his defection in 1904 to the Liberal Party. Through out these years he wrote and published five books, which were all based on his accounts and newspaper articles, they were very successful and echoed his oratorical skills, which later proved a great success. When war broke out in 1914 Churchill was First Lord of the Admiralty and already a major national figurehead. As Europe was thrown into stalemate Churchill strongly suggested a huge flanking attack of Turkey through the Dardanelle’s. But his attempt to force the straits using only ships floundered, leading to the awful Gallipolli landings and costing Churchill his job. Instead of laying low Churchill pulled himself together and joined the Western Front. In January 1916 he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel commanding the 6th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. Between 1922 and 1924 Churchill left the Liberal Party and rejoined the Conservative Party. To his surprise he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer in Stanley Baldwin’s government, a position he held until the Tory defeat in 1929. During the 1930’s Churchill fell out with Baldwin over India’s greater self-government and was yet again more isolated in politics. His dire warnings about Hitler and the dangers of the appeasement policy fell on deaf ears. Churchill had been out of the government for nearly ten years by the time war broke out in September 1939. Chamberlain was furious at the fact that Churchill’s theory had been proved correct. The mood of the people and Parliament changed so Chamberlain reluctantly made Churchill First Lord of the Admiralty. Winston Churchill possessed such impressive oratorical skills that historian Arnold Toynbee believed his wartime speeches were absolutely essential to the Allied victory in WWII. During the darkest days of the war, Churchill’s words, so expertly crafted, so superbly delivered, buoyed the spirits, and restored the resilience of the beleaguered English people. When the U.S. Congress voted to confer honorary American citizenship on Churchill in 1963, President Kennedy said, â€Å"He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.† There is no doubt that some of Winston Churchill’s ideas were impractical and extremist, but on the other hand some of them were very well thought out and took a lot of planning and preparation. He was surely right; that the generals were slow and tried to plan their attacks to solidly. Without Churchill’s eagerness Britain would have fallen back into an even more defensive state. Had the war ended in 1940 (as some people hoped it would, even though this would of meant sacrificing Poland in the light of Czechoslovakia) we would have never known Churchill as he is known today, he would have been an average First Lord with part responsibility for the embarrassing failures of the Norwegian campaign. By a strange turn of events, this increased failure made Neville Chamberlain extremely unpopular and gave Winston Churchill the perfect opportunity to stake his claim. On the 8th of May 1940 the Commons met for a meeting over the poor performance of the Government’s campaign. After a powerful speech from Lloyd George, Chamberlain resigned. On May the 10th the phoney war ended when Germany invaded France and the lower countries, Churchill was announced as the new Prime Minister. Churchill’s reign begins. Churchill was chosen for the job of Prime Minister not for his appeasement, but for his all round knowledge and past experience making him perfect for the job. An example of this is his days in Cuba where he miraculously escaped from the group holding him and was pronounced a national hero. His survival and leadership in WW I made him an asset to the British Government. He was brave, had no fear of Hitler, and was determined from the start to bring him down. His training at the Military School and his past education gave him more than enough qualifications for this situation. He was the man they had been waiting for. C.V. for Winston Churchill’s War Experience: 1874 – Born 1888-92 – Harrow School (a public school) 1893-95 – Sandhurst Military Academy 1895-99 – Soldier 1899 – Journalist in South Africa 1900 – Elected Conservative MP 1904 – Joined the Liberal Party 1905-08 – Junior Minister 1908-15 – Cabinet Minister (held 4 different posts) 1917-22 – Cabinet Minister (held 3 different posts) 1922-24 – Fails to be elected MP 1924 – Returns to the Conservative Party and elected MP 1924-29-Cabinet Minister (Chancellor of the Exchequer) 1929-39 – MP on backbenches 1939-40 – Cabinet Minister 1940-45 – Prime Minister 1945-51 – Leader of the Opposition 1955-65 – Prime Minister 1955-65 – Retirement until death The people needed a leader and if they were going to be put through the britches of war then they needed someone powerful and determined, that person was Churchill. The people trusted Churchill due to his past experience and history of wartime situations. His repertoire of good deeds included the Battle Of Dunkirk, where he also visited bombed areas and offered people his sympathy. He also had strong relationships with other countries, which later came to his advantage. Strong alliance with Russia made him a partner in war duties. All of this would be enough, but Churchill also gave the public faith with his magnificent oratorical skills, which boosted British hopes and led them more determined into the bloody war. The Newspapers were also very unbiased towards Churchill and supported him as their leader; a good example of this is Source 7 where the title is ‘This Is The Man’ with a picture of Churchill by its side. Posters were also used to give Churchill a strong image, they used pictures of him as a bulldog and as a cowboy (Sources 9 & 11) to present Churchill with the image of a strong and fearless man, and this again was used to boost their faith in him. These all helped boost his image and made people respect and trust in him. Three men in this booklet have put down Churchill and they are Charmley, David Irving, and Clive Ponting. These men are mere historians working off the basis of facts and articles from the time; this means that what they say, their opinions are not totally accurate making them unreliable sources. I will start off with the information presented by Charmley, he has mixed views on Churchill, although he recognises Churchill’s achievements, he always finds away to put him down, here he says, â€Å"Lord Selbourne . . . had been impressed with his vision and power of drive and thought courage was his great asset but the motive power is always self and I don’t think he has any principles. He was clever but quite devoid of judgement.† Also, â€Å"For Churchill to castigate the Admirals for their lethagy and complete absence of positive effort in failing to come up with a workable plan is a fatal inability to distinguish what was practical and what was not . . .† The first quote shows how Churchill had impressed Lord Selbourne, but Charmley doubts his decision and questions Churchill’s principals and says he is void of judgement. This is not true as in World War II Churchill must have had to make many a judgement to stay on top of the enemy; judgment is an act which requires great skill and the art of knowing what your opponent may be thinking. One example of Churchill’s judgement skills is a time before the war when he told Neville Chamberlain that Hitler was not to be trusted, but Chamberlain ignored him thinking peace could be achieved, later Churchill’s judgement was proved correct. Quote two tells us how Churchill criticises the Admirals for their complete lack of effort and ideas being produced, and that the ones being produced are not good enough. He then goes on to say that it is Churchill’s fault for not being able to distinguish the difference between a practical, well thought out idea, to an idea that was completely imperceptive. This is suggesting he cannot distinguish the difference between a good or bad idea, which once again is incorrect and is used to make him appear a man who leaves everything to his Generals. Charmley always tried to create an image of Churchill as a man who had no idea of what he was doing, which is untrue as he alone inspired and led millions of men not only to death, but also to victory, something Chamberlain or other political leaders could not have done. Chamberlain had the ideal idea of peace and love where Churchill knew war was the only way forward, showing his vast experience over Chamberlain and Charmley’s ridiculous comments. Charmley although criticizing makes a few good points against Churchill’s ideas and plans, â€Å"At this stage of the war Churchill grossly overestimated what could be achieved by sea power. It was Churchill who fixed upon the Narvik as the object of the Allied campaign. The Norwegian campaign was flawed in concept and muddled in execution. The command structures might have been designed to result in chaos.† Charmley here outlines the flaws in Churchill’s plan, he tells us that the plan was overestimated and badly structured and that Churchill’s campaign had flaws in it from the beginning, showing that Churchill’s ideas were not all good ones and he was not always the great leader people said he was. Charmley then describes the ‘End Of Glory’ celebrations, â€Å"Pursuing the slogan ‘Victory at all costs’, Churchill was casually indifferent to what the costs might be.† â€Å"Churchill stood for the British empire, for British independence and for an anti-socialist vision of Britain. By July 1945 the first of these was on the skids, the second was dependent solely on America and the third had just vanished in a Labour victory.† Charmley at this point tells us that Churchill was celebrating his victory but the costs could have been very different. What Churchill stood for in 1945 was then either on a down, relying on America or vanished in the Labour victory. So everything Churchill once stood for was now gone. For Charmley this is was a good point about Churchill as it reflected the victory and joy that was in the country. Charmley then obtains a source from another interpreter such as himself and analyses it into what he thinks the truth is, â€Å"Whatever Churchill may or may not have done wrong, he had won the war, obtained the American alliance and helped save us all from the Soviets.† Charmley interprets it as, â€Å"Churchill did not win the war; the Russians did with help from the Americans. Churchill did not bring the Americans into the war, the Japanese and Germans did. Indeed, Churchill’s first ally was the Soviet Union, an unlooked-for-one who provided the western allies with a real problem when it came to claiming their war was a sort of crusade against totalitarianism.† This sums up Charmley’s image of Churchill, he always found faults in his plans and ideas. He outlines how the war formed itself around Churchill and that he did not win it single-handed as people seemed to think, Charmley shows that it had little to do with him. It all happened by the incidents around him, he just amplified them as his own achievements so he could mould the perfect image for later generations to come to know him by, as proved by Clive Ponting who is my next historian. Clive Ponting shows Churchill’s good and bad side, but he tends to favour against leaders and has an anti-establishment view. His two bad sources come of the Naval war ships, â€Å"In dealing with the U-boat threat Churchill continued with the sanguine opinion formed before the war that there was no longer a menace, he therefore opposed the convey system, wanting instead to reduce the number of escorts, and concentrate on what he optimistically described as â€Å"hunting packs† of destroyers to attack the U-boats while in transit. The results were almost a complete failure, although the merchant ships sinkings were, at about 10,000 tons a month.† â€Å"The Royal Navy tactics which rarely detected a U-boat and their attacks when they happened were largely ineffective, about a 5% success rate.† â€Å"The Americans gave 50 not 96 ships and they were explicitly given in return for bases. The bases were in seven colonies not three and were not commercial facilities but military bases on very long leases (99 years). And they had obtained an explicit assurance that, in the worst circumstances, the fleet would sail to North America, the one commitment Churchill had rejected ever since he became Prime Minister.† † In practice the US destroyers turned out to be of little immediate value. Only 9 out of the 50 were in service by the end of 1940 and only 30 by May 1941.† These sources are very lengthy but go into great depth on the situation of the warships and trading. It shows how Churchill’s plans were a complete failure and how the success rate was minimal for the Naval fleet. He wasted bases and money on warships, none very effective, when overall the British Navy was meant to be one of the strongest in the world. Churchill also shows disregard towards other people’s opinions. He shows this when he says, † Stop grinning at me you bloody ape!† To Captain Talbot when he dares to contradict him, Talbot was dismissed at 10 minutes notice, although this cannot be verified, as Ponting was not there at the time. Ponting then describes Churchill’s story of leadership in a good and bad way showing his mixed views of Churchill. â€Å"After May 1940 he had come to symbolise the nation’s resistance and had been readily endorsed as a wartime leader. In 1945 Churchill remained true to his limited view of politics.† The change in years still showed how Churchill’s ways of tackling the problem at hand and his views of people’s ideas had not changed and that he had stuck to the same attitude throughout the war. Ponting thought this showed Churchill as a powerful leader who would not yield on the work he was doing, but saw it through until it was finished. Ponting then says, â€Å"His inability to provide an inspiring message to the nation in the last years of the war demonstrated by his lack of broadcasts only increased popular perceptions that he was not the man to win the peace.† When I first started to read this it appeared to me it was criticizing Churchill as it starts off negatively, but as you read towards the end you see how this was to Churchill’s advantage as it won him respect and people thought of him as the man that was tough and not afraid to fight. This was well written by Ponting as it reflected Churchill’s image. This next section could be called Churchill’s image, â€Å"Churchill certainly saw his biographers coming and was determined to mould the view that later generations would have of his life.† This and various other quotes from the paragraph, show that Churchill would not let his hard work and devotion to the war go unnoticed and wanted to make sure people heard about his accomplishments for many years to come. Churchill with his oratorical skills virtually wrote the biographies for the publisher. Clive Ponting is a good historian as he uses the facts and evidence of the events; he discusses and does not have a one-sided view, he uses multiple views, good and bad, giving reason and evidence. Unlike Charmley who has a very anti-establishment view of Churchill and leaders in general. We now come to our last historian David Irving. There is only one source in this book from David Irving but I felt it relevant to include him as it contained pertinent arguments and claims, â€Å"Churchill thought he was somehow above international law. The situation he argued gave Britain the right and duty to abrogate the very laws she sought to reaffirm by attacking German ships in Norwegian waters; forcing the French to transfer German POWs to Britain; attacking the French fleet and recommending the use of dum dum bullets and poison gas. Irving points out Churchill’s defiance in obeying the rules they were trying to re-establish. Fair play was not an option to Churchill; it shows how he went into international waters without permission and threatened his allies into giving him what he wanted, he liked to be in control of what was happening. Having the prisoners of war also gave Britain a cautious edge in case France was taken over; Britain still had a bargaining option. This gave Churchill the image of being a bully and ruthless leader, one who took tremendous risks. Irving through only one source manages to show the ruthless and deceitful side of Churchill, showing it was not all just fighting that helped Britain to victory but also his cunning plans. Irving is quite reliable as a source as he uses actual events and does not back these up by people’s comments, meaning it is purely his feelings on the matter. The other sources in the booklet are just different views of many people who all have their own interpretations, I chose these three as I found them to be the most intriguing and interesting to explain. There are some actual comments from Churchill himself and his colleagues but there are not many of them. Newspapers and posters just convey a tough image of Churchill, e.g. Churchill as a British Bulldog and a Sheriff. In conclusion I think no matter how you look at Churchill, he will always be considered a great man due to his commitment and encouragement to the armies which gave them hope and determination. He also drove the country through the war, something Chamberlain could not have done. Many of Churchill’s contemporaries and advisors tried to tell him what to do. He pushed all of these people aside and they did not respect him for it, they felt he was over ambitious. The people thought this was the image of a good leader, a strong man who made his own decisions. After the war was over everyone including world leaders, respected him and his decisions however far fetched they seemed at the time. He had got them through this most dangerous and trying time, he was a hero. The Historians I reviewed were correct in some of the things they said, for instance, when they give the good and bad points of Churchill and not just a one-sided view. Some of the quotes Charmley’s used were very biased against Churchill and seemed only to focus on the bad points of his career to make him seem a lesser individual. Irvine and Ponting both displayed good reliable points, showing his weaknesses and strengths. I can not call the contemporaries wrong because they do give crucial points, but also none of them actually say whether he was a good or bad leader, leaving the answer open for you to decide, but they do try and influence the way in which you answer. I would say the contemporaries were right in their opinions but everybody including the Historians had different views. Historians are more likely to be critical of Churchill than the people at that time as they were just happy to have won the war and read of his exploits in the newspapers. He to them saved their lives and they considered they owed him a great debt. Historians were not there and did not know the pressures he was under. They criticize him because people say he was a great leader and they try to put him down and show his flaws not just the good points. They show the public the truth about what happened, and what people of the time blanked out, due to victory and patriotism. Here are advantages and disadvantages of Churchill’s contemporaries and Historians: Advantages – Censorship, morale, newspapers, and victories. The need to believe in their leader. Disadvantages- Narvik campaign, ignored advisors, unworkable ideas, knew about bombings of places such as Coventry, USA took advantage of GB in lend lease agreement. If you notice the advantages are from or to people at the time. Disadvantages are from the historians. I think if you look closely enough into Churchill’s campaign you will find flaws, but nobody is perfect both the Contemporaries and the Historians have every right to question this but never should they say he was a bad leader, as he got them through and helped win the war, something no one else dared do.