Category: Goals

Analysis of leadership style

A senior executive whose leadership style has affected me positively is the director of the department that I work for in my current organization. His leadership style appears to be a combination of three leadership theories, namely, contingency, path-goal, and leader-style. The Contingency leadership theory supposes that by addressing leader-member relations, task structure, and position power, you are at the same time attending to the effectiveness of a leader. The director mediates between departmental staff members and the topmost executive of the company creating a productive relationship between these two organizational entities. In this manner, the staff members of the department feel that they are part of the company and are motivated to be more productive. The path-goal theory stresses increasing subordinate motivation by taking into account their ideas and making it clear to them how they can perform at their best.

The director encourages departmental staff to share with him the ideas that they feel will improve job productivity. Personally, I felt motivated when I suggested a flexible working arrangement to the director when I had a pressing personal commitment and he agreed to it on the basis that it would not compromise my job performance. The leader-style theory guides leaders in making suitable decisions and also provides a measure of the extent to which subordinates can be included in the decision making process. The advantages of this style are that subordinates are committed to the organizations objectives and it encourages leader-subordinate interaction. The director appreciates the importance of including staff members in making departmental decisions that will affect them. To him, cautiously winning staff support is a critical element in managing the department efficiently.

Analysis of organizational structure and culture

The organizational structure in question is a functional organizational structure. As such, it builds on job functions, with the direct aim of improving job and cost efficiency (Suttle, 2013, para. 3). The main organizational units in this structure are departments, whose heads are directors. The departments comprise of a team of employees with specific job skills. The director of the department reports to upper company executives and in addition mediates between them and his staff members. The organizational culture of the company inspires and supports continuous professional development (CPD). A professional setup demands that an individual maintains, advances, and broadens his or her knowledge and skills. Also in the same setup, it is imperative that this individual develops personal qualities that not only enable him or her to fit in but also to become very effective and efficient. CPD is the means through which individuals accomplish both of these. The company is striving towards achieving global standards of excellence and so it feels it has to encourage professional growth among its personnel.

Organizations approach to team development

Considering that CPD is an important element in the company, team development as becoming of vital importance. The company generally uses all sorts of approaches to team development since team building is mainly an in-house activity. The CPD program implemented mainly consists of a mixture of team development approaches. I personally consider this approach effective in helping me develop workplace relations for the reason that I have learned to develop myself professionally through a CPD plan. Professional development planning involves a carrier reflection period, gaining self-awareness, and seeking outside input (Andragogy, n.d.).

Reflecting on your career assists in thought organization and synthesis (Andragogy, n.d.). A state of self-awareness means you are self-empowered to prefer a particular job to another because you have done a self-analysis to identify aspects of work that you are comfortable with and those that you are uncomfortable with (Andragogy, n.d.). Seeking outside input serves to ensure that you know all there is to know about yourself. A list of people that you can seek outside input from can include your mentor, supervisor, peers, or staff at your workplace. These three vital elements of a CPD plan are very useful in creating productive workplace relations among staff members.

Rating directors performance

In terms of performance, I would rate the director as being very effective in motivating and empowering me to improve on my work performance. Ethics are the principles by which a person decides what is right and wrong. The ethical conduct of the director as encouraged me to choose him as one of the individuals from whom I seek outside input from in accordance with my CPD plan. The director possesses remarkable decision-making abilities that I mainly attribute to his ethical conduct and critical thinking culture. Critical thinking skills help an individual or organization act purely objectively and rationally (Kurland, 2000, para. 5). As mentioned earlier, the director encourages his staff to share ideas with him. To reassure staff that all ideas are welcomed he practices the best communication skills, which enable him to ensure that he listens and responds in time to all ideas and suggestions brought forward. Personally, I proposed an alternative working arrangement for myself and for others that might face a similar problem for which the director listened to, appreciated, and responded to in written form and on time. Being an important constituent of my CPD plan and a good communicator I rate the director as being effective in aiding me to improve my work performance.

Best practices for motivating employees

Three best practices that organizational leaders can use to motivate employees are equity, suitable team-working arrangements, and employee recognition. Equity in the organization ensures there are equality and fairness among employees. Suitable team-working arrangements ensure that an employees input in a team context is recognized and appreciated. Employee recognition ensures that there is recognition and rewarding of employees who put significant efforts in improving their job productivity. One of the potential benefits of these best practices is improving employee job performance. Clearly, motivated employees will perform better at their jobs than unmotivated employees. Another potential benefit of these best practices is reducing an organizations operational costs by discouraging internal employee turnover, which occurs when an employee in an organization abandons his or her current position for a new position that is available to him or her in the same organization and more likely in a different department.

Challenges facing leaders in managing diversity

One of the challenges that leaders face in managing diversity in the workplace is dealing with individuals who resist diversity (Holt, 2013, para. 2). Such individuals refuse to take the organizations diversity plan with seriousness. Their negative attitude towards diversity can undermine positive change and productivity in the organization. If employee integration workshops are unable to remedy the attitude of such individuals, it is a good management practice to lay them off. Poor communication is another challenge that organizational leaders face in managing diversity in their workplaces (Holt, 2013, para. 2). A diverse workplace commonly hosts multiple communication styles. As such, two employees with different communication styles can easily misunderstand each other. This can be a potential source of bad relations among employees and even conflict. According to Holt (2013, para. 3), encouraging the staff of an organization to learn more about their coworkers and their communication methods remedies poor communication due to diversity.

Another challenge that organizational leaders face in managing diversity in the workplace is developing and implementing an organized diversity plan. According to Holt, it is imperative that managers with respect to diversity plans take an organized approach, implementing a plan that is well-thought-out and well-communicated to the staff (Holt, 2013, para. 4). An organized approach to diversity planning can include hiring the services of a consultant who is well vast with the subject. Holt states, one of the biggest mistakes managers make is not effectively communicating the diversity plan with the staff (Holt, 2013, para. 4).

Ways in which diversity helps business to compete in the global market

One way in which diversity helps an organization to compete in the global market is through increasing the productivity of an organization (Andrade, 2012, para. 12). Diversity allows an organization to recruit diverse talent (Andrade, 2012, para. 12). The diverse talent while working towards a common goal tends to be more loyal and this subsequently facilitates increased productivity in an organization. Another way in which diversity helps an organization to compete in the global market is through increased creativity and problem-solving in the organization (Andrade, 2012, para. 14). As diverse individuals put their minds together creativity widens, which inspires the development of a wide range of solutions. Another way in which diversity helps an organization to compete in the global market is through the attraction and retention of high-value talent. Andrade states, making employees in an organization feel included as well as appreciated increases their loyalty to the organization (Andrade, 2012, para. 15).

Attraction and retention of high-value talent is an effective way of reducing external employee turnover, which has the potential of increasing an organizations operational costs. Another way in which diversity helps an organization to compete in the global market is through helping to build synergy in teams and enhancing communication skills, that brings in new attitudes and processes that profit the whole team (Andrade, 2012, para. 16). Another way in which diversity helps an organization to compete in the global market is through good public relations. A diverse organization avoids discrimination lawsuits and therefore maintains a positive public image. Another way in which diversity helps an organization to compete in the global market is it increases market share and creates a satisfying diverse customer base by relating to people from different backgrounds (Andrade, 2012, para. 18).

An effective business strategy for addressing the above challenges

An effective business strategy that is useful in addressing the challenges raised above is the corporate business strategy. With this approach, an organization defines what it does, why it exists, and what it aims to become in the future. In addition to this, the organization further defines its operating market and business. The reason for choosing this approach is that it focuses on meeting stakeholder expectations; therefore, an organization manages a robust capital base that can fund consultancy and integration workshops.

References

Andrade, S. (2010).6 advantages of workplace diversity. Web.

Andragogy: Creating a professional development plan. (n.d.). Web.

Holt, M. (2013). Challenges of diversity management. Web.

Kurland D. J. (2000). What is critical thinking?. Web.

Suttle, R. (2013). Types of organizational structure in management.Web.

Summary of the Main Points

Budgeting is the expression of our companys plans, goals, and objectives, in relation to necessities to cover all the operational aspects. This budget is a master budget that will consider the mentioned constituents for the next fiscal period (one year) (Shim et al., 2011). It will consist of a number of sub budgets for all of the interrelated departments. Major components of the master budget involved staff will be gathering information for are: income and expenses, overhead and production costs, and the monthly, annual, average, and projection totals. The instructions regarding that particular type of data shall be collected to create the specific sub budgets as described below.

The past budget revision and control shall also be performed and a development plan built.. An employee (manager) will be assigned a specific task, with respect to one of the described below constituents, by the head of each responsibility sector, according to the bottom-up approach.

Detailed Instructions

Necessary Information for Sub Budgets

To create the complete master budget for the upcoming fiscal year, the following information shall be gathered and provided, by the responsible persons, to the senior manager. For the direct labor sub budget that is used for the number of labor hours ad their costs calculations, there are several types of the required data in quarterly format. Anticipated departments product (number of units), total machine operator and other labor hours, machine operator and other labor costs, their totals, and grand total direct labor cost (Master budget definition, 2021). For the direct materials budget that contains calculations for the materials that shall be purchased in the next period, there is another set of the required data.

The quantity of units, raw materials needed, planned ending amount for the current period, amount of the starting inventory and the one that shall be purchased, total cost (Milano, 2019). Manufacturing overhead budget is applied to display all manufacturing costs without previously described two direct ones. It contains the following information: administrative salaries and payroll taxes, depreciation, freight in and out, rent, supplies, travel and entertainment, utilities, and calculation of the total.

Finished goods inventory budget is intended to estimate the cost of the final product based on the previous three budgets. Necessary information is direct materials, labor, and manufacturing overhead costs, their total, finished goods units, and their multiplication by the mentioned total cost per unit, which is ending finished goods inventory (Master budget definition, 2021). Production budget assists in forecasting the quantity of units that need to be manufactured in the next period. The information to be gathered is: forecasted unit sales, planned ending quantity of units, beginning number of units, the total number of units to be produced (Carlson, 2020).

Sales budget represents the companys expectations regarding the number of items to be sold for the next period (Milano, 2019). It includes the following types of data: forecasted unit sales, price per unit, their multiplication that is total gross sales, sales discounts and allowances, and total net sales.

Finally, the selling and administrative budget for every distinct non-manufacturing department is used for the calculation of the expenses for all the sectors maintenance. It includes advertising, insurance, payroll taxes, rent, salaries, supplies, travel and entertainment, utilities, other expenses, and the total of all the mentioned (Master budget definition, 2021). The ending result of all the information gathered and summarised together is the complete master plan, in the quarterly format as well. It consists of the following types of data: beginning cash, net profit of loss, depreciation, capital expenditures, working capital changes, and cash at the final point, calculated with the mentioned information.

Additional Requirements, Instructions, and Clarifications

The provided above details regarding the required information to be gathered for selling and admirative budgets is to be comprehensive and may include other, not mentioned types of expense. However, it is vital to minimize costs, to achieve the balance between the optimal operation of the department and its financing. It is also necessary to provide a development plan that considers the companys expectations regarding the development of future products, services, or markets, to include potential costs to the budget as well. It includes identification of what will be developed, identification of financially lucrative areas, ascertaining what resources are needed, and determination of the feasibility of expanding into new areas (Shim et al., 2011, p. 39).

In addition, to enable the effective presentation of the budget for the executive for approval, with respect to the past period, two more reports are needed to be prepared. Statement of revenue and expense by-product to evaluate the amount of net income per product (Shim et al., 2011). Company divisional performance evaluation, to reveal how the expectation of the company correlates with actual net income.

The outlined task seems to be complicated because of its extensiveness, but I am confident that responsible persons will manage the information gathering with the highest possible accuracy and in a timely manner.

References

Carlson, R. (2020). What Is a Master Budget? The Balance Small Business. Web.

Master Budget Definition. (2021). Web.

Milano, S. (2019). Major Components of a Master Budget. Chron. Web.

Shim, J. K., Siegel, J. G., & Shim, A. I. (2011). Budgeting basics and beyond. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Environmental analysis is necessary to assess the position of healthcare organizations within their areas of operation. A common technique for this assessment is the SWOT analysis that examines the organization, its environment, and how they interact. The analysis considers factors on both the broader social environment and narrower competitive environment. The analysis examines strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats relative to the healthcare organization. This analysis should help the organization in the further development of its strategic plan. The strategic plan developed determines the public perception of the organization. The strategic plan adopted should be able to support the organizations mission statement and reflects the strategy embodied in the strategic plan.

According to Fortenberry & Fortenberry (2010), the organizations main strength is the good reputation that it has earned through the provision of quality healthcare to its client. The organization also rides on the excellent location that it is stans because this ensures high accessibility by many people in its catchment. The healthcare unit has a good cash reserve and financial position; this ensures employment of quality personnel and equipment in their service delivery (Fortenberry & Fortenberry, 2010).

The excellent laboratory is a plus in that it ensures proper diagnosis resulting inappropriate treatment. The occupancy rates are good ensuring that they cater to a considerable number of patients. The increasing cost of operating healthcare services results in increased charges to patients, thus reducing the patient numbers. Underutilization of some facilities in the hospital due to administration indecisiveness resulting in the institution incurring losses. Poor relationship among administrative and medical staff hampers service delivery (Fortenberry & Fortenberry, 2010). The board of trustees consists of very old individuals that can come up with innovative ideas that can make the company move forward.

The institution should seize the opportunity to acquire other institutions to spread out its services in the region. Increasing population in this locality means more clients to the institution, so they should come up with a strategy to serve them better (Thomas, 2008). The new businesses that come into the institutions location offer them the opportunity of serving their workers as corporate clients. The organization should do away with the underutilized sections of the facility by leasing out or selling to interested parties.

The increased government regulation means that the hospital cannot offer other services because it does have prerequisite personnel and equipment (Thomas, 2008). Increasing healthcare costs result in a negative reaction from clients to the institutions services. Increasing competition from other healthcare players means that the company must enhance its quality and reduce its charges resulting in low-profit margins (Fortenberry & Fortenberry, 2010).

Currently the health institution majors in serving only the local communities especially the outpatient clients. There is a plan to start serving corporate clients with other businesses opening up in the area. They will do this by incorporating company workers into their healthcare program thereby offering them treatment at a negotiated rate. The organization is planning operateting mobile clinics that will be serving patients in rotation from one village to another. This way the organization aims at reaching the weak that cannot travel to their institution facilities (Fortenberry & Fortenberry, 2010).

According to Thomas (2008), the social and consumer factors such as consumer tastes, preference, culture, and personal income influence the consumers choice of a healthcare provider. Competitiveness of the organization in price and service quality ensures the continued satisfaction of clients thus their loyalty to the institution. The technological advancement in the flow of information and medical services providers ensures that the institution gives its clients the best medical care at an affordable rate.

Economic factors have both a negative and positive impact on the healthcare service. Factors such as employment, inflation, land values, and the location of the healthcare facility determine how many clients that they receive. Legal and regulatory factors determine the personnel that the institution can employ, funding sources that they can use to expand, and more importantly patient confidentiality (Thomas, 2008). Thereby, the legal and regulatory issues have a substantial impact on the operation of healthcare facilities.

Environmental analysis is the evaluation of the circumstances under which the health care organization is operating or will be carrying out its activities in the future. Environmental analysis helps shape the relationship between the organizations present and potential capabilities and the needs and desires of the communities they serve (Thomas, 2008). Environmental analysis determines the failure or success of the healthcare organization in meeting its mission, values, and vision. In carrying out environmental analysis, healthcare organizations are able to come with strategies for their survival and prosperity based on their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (Thomas, 2008).

Environmental analysis helps in the creation of the organizations strategic plans in that it provides direction for the organizations present and future healthcare programs. It helps organization focus its efforts on the core activities in the healthcare provision.

The environmental analysis helps the organization has uniform coordination of its programs. Environmental analysis has the potential of helping the organization realize its differentiating values, which make it, stand out from the rest of the organizations (Williamson, Stevens & Loudon, 1997). It helps customize the organizations promotions in line with its mission, vision, and values. It helps realize the importance of different sections of the organization thus guiding in the allocation of resources. It helps organizations come up with programs that give them a competitive edge in healthcare provision.

Thomas (2008) asserts that incorporation of Competitive analysis in the organization strategic plan helps in the identification of the five competitive forces that might impinge on their performance. These five forces are a threat of entry by a competitor, rivalry intensity amongst existing competitors, pressure from other stakeholders, patients bargaining power, and their suppliers bargaining power (Thomas, 2008).

Competitive analysis helps come up with strategies to overcome these forces. The organization can adopt overall cost leadership by aggressively constructing efficient facilities, reducing cost, tight control of cost and overhead expenses, and minimization of cost in areas where there are no god returns (Thomas, 2008). The organization should also aim at differentiating itself from the rest by providing something unique to patients. Healthcare can lay emphasis on patient treatment relative to disorders and patient care. The competitive analysis also allows the organization to focus on a narrow segment of the market that they are best in, for instance establishing a clinic dealing with eating disorders(Thomas, 2008).

Economic issues that may potentially affect the healthcare organization strategic plan are changes in personal income, employment, inflation, land values, and location of the healthcare facility. Legal issues that may affect the organization strategic plan are: increased government regulation of the healthcare funding, issues of liability and compensation for improper treatment, privacy and security issues relating to sharing of patient information through electronic exchange, licenser and credentialing, medical device regulation, fraud and abuse, and corporate practice in medicine.

The organization has a strong reputation for providing the population in its locality with high-quality healthcare, and this means that it will continue to have more clients for its current and future services (Schulz & Johnson, 2003). The excellent location of the health facility is making it more accessible to patients because of the excellent infrastructure network (Schulz & Johnson, 2003).

Strong cash reserves and financial position make it possible for the company to invest in state of art equipment and be able to handle exceptional cases, which the neighboring facilities cannot. Above-average occupancy rate allows the facility to serve many members of the society, and this means that they have a bigger share of the market, which can translate to bigger margins for the organization (Schulz & Johnson, 2003). The excellent laboratory used for carrying out various diagnostic tests thus ensuring better diagnosis for better treatment.

The healthcare facility has a strong financial base thereby can invest in innovation, equip their laboratories well, and purchase better pharmaceutical products to serve their clients efficiently (Schulz & Johnson, 2003). The organization can also invest in advanced computer and electronic equipments. The organization has to be involved in the service market development by employing the three generic strategies to respond to competition namely; overall cost leadership, differentiating its services from the others, and focusing on a narrow segment of the market share. To solidify the organization grasp of the market share, they can involve in both vertical and horizontal integration by forming merger and joint ventures.

This can help the health organization in service delivery and marketing (Schulz & Johnson, 2003). Another thing is making sure that the organizations board has persons with necessary skills and interest that can encourage strategic planning and management, appreciate efforts of the staff, as well as focus on the formulation and implementation of the strategic plans. To avoid incurring cost in underutilized sections of the organization, they should just eliminate them (Schulz & Johnson, 2003).

The first year the hospital wants as to enhance service delivery in its diagnostic imaging, laboratory, and inpatient subdivisions. The diagnostic imaging subdivision will improve through developing a continuous flow through the department, reducing cycle time, increasing equipments uptime, and developing a pull system for reports (Schulz & Johnson, 2003). Laboratory service subdivision will improve by establishing work cells, implementing one-piece flow for specimens, and reducing the changeover time. Improving the inpatient unit will be through the establishment of pull system of beds, reduction of average length of stay in hospital, and reducing rooms changeover time (Schulz & Johnson, 2003).

According to Schulz & Johnson (2003), increasing population in the organizations locality has made it necessary for them to put up more facilities. The facilities should be well equipped to enhance the quality of services that they offer to their clients. The organization should also aim at acquiring more institutions to collaborate with to ensuring availability of their services in various centers. This will increase accessibility and create more job opportunities to members of the community in its catchment area.

According to Williamson, Stevens & Loudon, 1997), for the organization to increase its market share should engage in thorough marketing. The adage build a better mousetrap and the whole world will beat a path to your door just never hold. A reliable service is not a guarantee for outstanding results. It requires decent marketing, and the good marketing come because of good marketers. The organization should focus on employing personnel with marketing know how and avail financial resources for marketers to carry out their job to ensure that they thrive. Marketing should be a continuous process (Schulz & Johnson, 2003).

In the second year, the organization wants to launch the adolescent preventing pregnancy program whose objective is that by 2015, reduce pregnancy rates in adolescents by 29% in the surrounding communities. Another objective for the goal of reducing pregnancy rates is that by 2013 the rate should have reduced by 15% (Schulz & Johnson, 2003). By the third month, 100% of the program staff will have had training on the health education for the program.

In conclusion, strategic plan helps organization align it services to the satisfaction of consumers and to close the gap in service discrepancy with its competitors. Strategic plan help organization rise to its feet when threatened of losing business resulting in diversification to other service provision (Schulz & Johnson, 2003). A strong strategic plan results in stability, internal and external growth, and turnaround on the performance of the organization. With a thorough environmental analysis, organizations can come up with strategic plans that when well implemented ensures long-term success of the healthcare provision to the patients.

References

Fortenberry, Jr. & Fortenberry, J. (2010). Health Care Marketing: Tools and Techniques. Ontario: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Schulz, R. & Johnson, A. (2003). Management of hospitals and health services: strategic issues and performance. Washington: Beard Books.

Thomas, R. (2008). Health Services Marketing: A Practitioners Guide. New York: Springer science + business media.

Williamson, S., Stevens, R. & Loudon, D. (1997). Fundamentals of strategic planning for healthcare organizations. New York: Routledge.

Introduction

The three leaders in the case study operate under different work conditions, group norms and employee-types. Consequently, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness eminent in each of the shifts depends on the leaders ability to merge his or her leadership style with these variables.

Model description

The model chosen for analysis is known as the Path-goal model. In this school of thought, leaders ought to motivate their followers in order to facilitate goal accomplishment. The theory has four major aspects that include goal definition, path clarification, elimination of obstacles and support provision. Furthermore, leaders ought to alter their leadership style in response to employee characteristics and task characteristics.

In the path-goal model, one can be a directive, achievement oriented, supportive, and participative leader. A directive leader clarifies goals, timelines and all other aspects of work. He or she manages various aspects of work. The achievement  oriented supervisor causes workers to feel challenged through high goal  setting and by urging them to accomplish those goals.

A supportive leader focuses on subordinates human needs while the participative leader seeks ideas and opinions from employees. These characteristics are not mutually exclusive as one may choose a different type of behavior depending on the situation under consideration. In addition, one leader can demonstrate more than one type of style at any one time.

For one to become a successful leader, one must know the characteristics of ones followers. Subordinates traits change depending in their preferences for structure, their desire for control, their need for affiliation as well as the confidence they have in their ability to complete tasks.

Those with a high need for affiliation require a supportive leader while employees with an internal locus of control (those who believe in their ability to control their lives) require participative leaders. Individuals with great confidence in their ability to perform tasks need to have less directive leaders. Employees who exhibit authoritarian traits and work in uncertain situations require directive leadership for clarity.

Task characteristics can also alter leadership behaviors. Situations with ambiguous tasks require structured leadership, hence directive managers. On the other hand, repetitive tasks require supportive and human-centered styles. Work places with weak group norms and formal authority require less directive styles.

The model is useful in facilitating motivation among employees. Additionally, if applied correctly, employees will find great satisfaction in their work. They will have rewards and payoffs that they can work towards. It helps to put goals at the center of work activities and thus enhance results. Leaders can eliminate obstacles and support their followers to optimize their potential through this model.

Analysis of the case study

Art appears to have a number of leadership challenges. His employees are bored and lack motivation to carry out their duties. They also know their tasks inside out. The path goal theory states that directive leadership is suitable to dogmatic subordinates who have unclear, complex and ambiguous tasks. In the first shift, employees are not authoritarian at all. They are already confident about their ability to complete tasks. Additionally, they seem to have an internal locus of control.

The last thing they need is a directive leader, yet Art has selected the directive leadership style. His behavior is incompatible with his employees and well as their work environment.

Art needs to minimize his level of involvement in the employees work. He should borrow some of Bobs ideas by dealing with his subordinates human needs. Art ought to work on his likeability as well as his ability to relate to his subordinates. These workers need a human touch and they have a high need for affiliation, which is the perfect scenario for supportive leadership.

Conversely, Bob, who supervises the second shift, has a different set of leadership challenges. Bob is a supportive leader as seen through his interactions with workers. He remembers his followers birthdays, takes them out for lunch, and praises their performance. However, this approach does not suit their task characteristics as outlined in the path-goal model. The employees are uncertain about some of their tasks especially when the computer is poorly calibrated.

They seem to have ambiguous goals and work under a lot of pressure. Their set up changes very frequently, so they require a supervisor who will clarify their goals. Additionally, these employees have low confidence in their ability to perform tasks as they keep talking about how difficult the job is. This scenario requires a directive leader who will provide structure and guide them in their daily tasks. Bob ought to get more involved in his subordinates tasks so as deal with this challenge.

Lastly, Carol seems to have mastered her situation and her employees quite well. She is a participative leader in certain circumstances, a supportive leader at other times, and an achievement-oriented supervisor in certain circumstances. She knows when to solicit for ideas or when to support workers. Carol represents the ultimate path-goal leader; she works on employees personal needs while focusing on the ultimate goal in the enterprise. She also eliminates obstacles and clarifies path in the way that the matter has been described in the theory.

According to the post of Mary, strategic compensation is a type of employee compensation system that is designed to align with the overall business strategy of an organization. It involves analyzing the organizations goals, objectives, and culture, as well as the needs and motivations of employees, and then developing a compensation plan that supports those goals and objectivesOne way in which differing perspectives can affect our views of compensation is by causing us to prioritize different aspects of the compensation package. For example, some individuals may place a greater emphasis on the monetary value of compensation, while others may be more interested in non-monetary benefits such as work-life balance or opportunities for career development (Martocchio, 2018). It is essential for organizations to consider the needs and preferences of their employees when designing a compensation strategy in order to ensure that it is effective and motivating for the workforce.

Collaboration among key stakeholders, including HR, senior leaders, and employees, is crucial for creating a more aligned and effective compensation strategy. By involving all of these groups in the process, the organization can gather a diverse range of perspectives and insights, which can help to ensure that the strategy takes into account the needs and preferences of the entire workforce (Martocchio, 2018). Additionally, involving employees in the process can help to build buy-in and ownership of the system, which can be crucial for its success (Martocchio, 2018). In my personal experience as an HR Manager for Keeprite Refrigeration, I have seen firsthand the value of collaboration in creating an effective compensation strategy. By working closely with senior leaders and employees, we were able to design a package that was both competitive and motivating for our workforce.

One question I have for Mary is how she has seen collaboration among critical stakeholders impact the effectiveness of a compensation strategy in her own experience. Additionally, I would like to hear about any challenges or best practices she has encountered when involving employees in the design process. Overall, open and ongoing communication is key to making our discussions an open forum for classroom talks. By actively listening to and considering the perspectives of our peers and by asking questions and sharing our own experiences and insights, we can create a rich and engaging discussion that is beneficial for all participants.

Reference

Martocchio, J. J. (2018). Strategic compensation : a human resource management approach (9th ed.). Pearson.

Introduction

SMART goal-setting was first introduced by Dr. Edwin Locke in the 1960s (Griffin, 2017). According to Locke, setting goals that fit into the SMART criteria provided motivation and empowerment to people, which was crucial to ensure that the goals are achieved (Griffin, 2017). Today, SMART criteria are applied to the goal-setting process in many organizations, regardless of their size and area of business. The rules are universal and can also be applied to personal goals, which makes them an excellent tool for developing a career plan.

SMART Objectives

Specific

The first criterion emphasizes that goals need to be specific and relevant to the desired outcome (Joseph, 2017). Setting general goals may reduce motivation, as the path to achieving them becomes unclear (Joseph, 2017).

Measurable

In order to achieve success in pursuing a goal, there has to be a way to measure success, which is why the second point of SMART goals theory is that the goals need to be measurable (Joseph, 2017). By measuring success, it is possible to monitor the progress towards the goal, which ultimately improves motivation.

Attainable

The third criterion to be applied to goals is attainability. A goal that is impossible to achieve becomes a burden rather than an opportunity, as all the efforts put in by the person will not help him or her to attain the goal. If the goal is achievable, on the other hand, it is possible to devise a clear strategy to ensure that it is reached.

Realistic

The next criterion emphasizes the need for the goal to be realistic, which means that a goal has to be set with consideration of the current circumstances. If the goal is set too high comparing to the current career level, reaching it will be hardly possible.

Time-Bound

The final stage of goal-setting is ensuring that the goals are time-bound. Setting a definite time limit by which the goal has to be achieved creates a sense of urgency, which may become a substantial motivating factor.

SMART Career Goals

My ultimate aim is to become a Registered Nurse. However, there are three main stages that have to be completed before I can reach the desired position.

Stage One: Graduate from Regis Health Care Administration

The first step in my career plan is to graduate from Regis College with a degree in Health Care Administration. In order to do that, I need to complete all of the program requirements and courses, which is a specific objective. The goal can be easily measured, and the result of completing the goal will be receiving a Diploma that marks the successful ending of the course. I believe that this aim is also attainable, as I am working towards completing the course and so far my grades have been acceptable. Completing this stage of the plan is realistic, as the goal is set based on my current level of education and abilities. Finally, the expected time of completion is Summer 2018, which makes the goal time-bound.

Stage Two: Enroll in an Accelerated Nursing Program

After I receive my certificate in Health Care Administration, I will need to enroll in a nursing program to continue my nursing education. I plan on applying for an accelerated nursing program at Regis, Metro, or Denver School, which is a specific objective. Acceptance into the program will be the ultimate measure of success, which means that the goal is measurable. It is also attainable and realistic, as it is the next step after I graduate from my HCA program; I am aware of the requirements of these schools and believe that I can attain the results needed for acceptance. Finally, the anticipated start of the program is in Fall 2018, which sets a specific time limit for the goal.

Stage Three: Work as an RN in Sandalwood Rehabilitation Center

The ultimate goal of my career plan is to achieve an RN position at Sandalwood Rehabilitation Center, where I currently work as a CNA. This aim is specific, as it mentions the position and place of work. The goal is also measurable, as I will know when I receive this position. The goal is attainable, as I have been successful in my work here so far and I believe that upon completion of the nursing course, I will be accepted to work as an RN. The aim is also realistic as I understand the requirements of the position and the path to achieving certification. Finally, the time limit of the goal will be estimated as soon as I complete the second stage of the plan, as it depends on the length of the nursing program that I will complete. As soon as I receive the certification, I believe it will take me up to six months to gain an RN position.

Conclusion

Overall, I believe that separating my career plan into three SMART goals is a useful practice to gain more understanding of how to achieve the ultimate career aim. SMART goal-setting ensures that the goals are not unrealistic, which provides more motivation to work towards the goals. I feel that my current abilities and the chosen path of development will help me to reach my final goal and to receive an RN position at Sandalwood Rehabilitation Center.

References

Griffin, D. (2017). The SMART goal-setting process. Web.

Joseph, C. (2017). Elements of S.M.A.R.T. goal setting. Web.

Setting goals is an important activity that everyone should engage in to achieve growth and development. In setting our goals, we should think critically on the type of goals we set to avoid disappointment which can reduce ones morale to develop.

We should make sure the goals we are setting are ours and are not as a result of the influence of another party.

One should also have a reason for setting the goals and the goals set should be encouraging to engage in, because if they are boring, then one might lose interest in developing the goal.

When the goal is set, one should be able to visualize himself enjoying the benefits from the target after the specified time has elapsed, to avoid engaging in unachievable ventures (Robbins & Coulter, 2009)

In setting goals, we should have a method or some kind of approach to enable one to choose fruitful goals. The best method of goal setting is the SMART goal setting process. The acronym stands for:

S-Specific

M-Measurable

A-Attainable, but challenging

R-Rewarding

T-Timely

This model can be used to set any type of goals, and whether personal or professional they are all achievable. For example, I would like to set a specific goal which is opening a new branch for my fashion business, and I expect to be worth half a million dollars by the end of this year.

T hat is not enough to set a specific goal; hence I should set a measurement to determine my success in the undertaking.

I should be able to measure the operations of the new branch to determine my progress. Measuring the goal would entail taking into account all the sales, costs and revenues from the new branch.

My goal should also be attainable in that; it should be easy to achieve and manage to avoid discouragement, but they should not be too easy to achieve otherwise that would be wastage of resources and time.

However, our goals should not be complicated or set to a very high mark that is not realistic.

In setting my goal I considered that it took me a year and a half to achieve a half a million worth business in my first venture hence now that am more experienced, I should be able to achieve that in a year if all other things remain constant (Robbins & Coulter, 2009).

One should also be able to predict whether the goal will be achievable through measurement and if it appears otherwise, then the strategies used should be changed. Goals set should also be rewarding; they should yield benefits or revenues.

This is the main reason for setting goals, and hence one should evaluate the progress of the venture.

Rewards depend on the type of goal, or venture one is involved in, and for my purpose, I should be able to determine the revenues of my new parlor to know whether am making profits and how I can to make the profits more so that the business can expand more.

The achievement of goals should be timely, and this involves setting deadlines or a time frame in which the goals should be achieved. Otherwise one can spend too much time on one venture instead of using that time to perform other activities.

The time frame will also be determined by the type of goals set; for example, one can not expect to lose weight in two weeks nor can you wait for five years without any change in the weight.

My goal is business oriented, and in setting the time frame, I should consider all eventualities that characterize the fashion market and also consider previous experience; my time frame is one year. The approach is very effective because it is easy to analyze, logical and applicable.

Once we have set the goals we need to make plans on how to achieve them and planning can be managerial or operational; managerial planning is done by the managers and in my case am obligated to do that, while the operational planning involves the first level managers and who are not present in my business because it is not very big to have such employees hence I and the sales staff will do that since they are the only employees.

We should always set well-written goals for easy planning of their implementation.

In planning developing plans to pursue a goal, we should always consider the level of the business the environmental uncertainties and any other future commitment because this is some of the major factors that are likely to influence the implementation of our plans (Robbins & Coulter, 2009)

In making good goals we should review the mission of the organization, in this case, the business, we should also consider the available resources required for the implementation of the goals and finally other people that will be involved in its implementation should also be involved in setting the goal.

Goal setting is very important to achieve success hence the need for proper planning, implementation, and evaluation of our goals. By using the smart approach, one will always stay motivated to achieve the goals and is less likely to fail.

The approach encourages creativity and allows for flexibility hence enables you to work at your pace and capacity while still keeping you alert. It is a good method and very recommendable especially for in setting business goals.

Reference list

Robbins, J & Coulter, M. (2009) Management, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

The name impressionism basically attempts to help people understand the work and achievements of impressionist painters. This artistic approach was more prevalent in the 1870s and 1880s.The painters applying impressionism intended to focus the direct impressions of color and light that a person sees and feels when interacting with the environment (Cunningham & Reich, 2010). The ideal themes originated from sunlight, water reflections, mist and fog among many others.

In this art the artists were less concerned with the emotional reactions of the viewers but focused more on visual and intellectual responses. Their artworks were very significant but the most memorable of all events is when the reformation of painting process was done. During this event, painters went out of their studios to the open air to construct and paint nature from direct watching. These artists had various goals and made a number of achievements which will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

There were a variety of artworks that were developed by different artists, originating from a diverse scope of the artists perception. One of the great artists was a Frenchman called Claude Monet whose artwork mainly involved painting. Most of his paintings illustrated his assets in Giverny, where he lived.

Monet would paint one item that was replicated in so many other ways with an aim of depicting a diverse effect of aspects such as light and atmosphere. Initially, Monet concentrated on paintings that were related to industrialization, famous recreational sites and people. Later on he switched to artwork that revolved around landscapes whereby he focused on the aesthetic character of light and the abundance of nature.

One of his renowned paintings is referred to as the painting by the Seine river side featuring Vetheuil, Lavacourt, and Poissy (Reich, et al, 2009). This piece of artwork came up due to the great interest that Monet had on the way the waters of Seine River appeared. He was really intrigued by the transparency waters and how it reflected light.

Monet had stayed by the river side for quiet some time hence he was able to learn the appearance and relate with it. The time spend made him have a complete view of the image that he wanted to paint. The painting was mainly intended to show the beauty that various aspect of nature brings to the eyes of man when integrated. Such an artifact still holds a lot of significance to this date (Klein & Monet, 2006).

The view of this painting brings a person into terms with nature which is very difficult to happen in the direct observation of the environment. It also helps people to see the importance of conserving the natures freely given beauty since it contributes a lot to the livelihood of human beings and other habitants. Such artificacts should be passed from one generation to the other so as to make sure that each generation is able to see the importance of conserving the nature with the aim of maintaining its beauty.

In conclusion, it can be clearly seen that many of the artistic works that were prepared by various artists hold a lot of meaning even to this date since most of the works were related to the things that were so familiar and touched the lives of the natural habitat. It is therefore very important to uphold the significance of every single depiction that these artworks try to portray. Every item should possibly be preserved in its original state so as to maintain the same information that was initially intended by the artist, thus impressionism.

References

Cunningham, L. & Reich, J. (2010). Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities, Vol. II, With Readings (7th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage.

Reich, J, Cunningham, S & Lawrence. (2009). Culture & Values, Volume II: A Survey of the Humanities with Readings [With Access Code], Volume 2 of Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities, 7th ed., New York: Cengage Learning. Print.

Klein, A, & Monet, C. (2006). Claude Monet, Great artists, Adam G. Klein, Chicago: ABDO.

Introduction

In order to properly understand why goals are important to set for any position within an organization let us briefly examine why organizations seek staff. Staffing is a process of finding, assessing, placing and evaluating individuals within a workplace (Ployhart, Schneider and Schmitt 2). Based on the nature of the organization the staffing process will seek a specific kind of person or people for a job.

In the process of recruiting the correct set of individuals therefore a properly defined set of goals will allow an organization evaluate whether individual performance conforms to the organizational objectives (Ployhart, Schneider and Schmitt 2). For this reason therefore it can be said that the goals that will be defined within this report will help the medical clerk recruited to satisfy organizational objectives.

Goals for medical records clerk

It has already been mentioned that one of the tasks the clerk will be expected to carry out is the extraction of daily charts to be used in appointments the next day. In addition to this a target of 100 charts has been identified to be completed within 6 months. This target can be used to make daily goals that have to be attained by the employee in question.

For example the target of 100 charts in six months suggests a weekly goal of 4 charts. This goal setting procedure is important as it can be used as a measuring apparatus to gauge performance of the candidate (Ployhart, Schneider and Schmitt 39).

In addition to extraction of files the employee is expected to return files on a daily basis into the filing cabinet. Based on the organizational objectives it has been assumed that this will require an ability to file about 90 to 150 charts daily within an hour and half each day.

This suggests that a suitable candidate should be able to return at least chart into the filing system each minute. As mentioned above measurement of performance is essential in evaluating employee performance within an organization (Ployhart, Schneider and Schmitt 39). A goal in relation in this task could be to ensure that no more than 20 charts remain on the desk at the end of each day.

It has also been pointed out that the task requires the clerk to handle between 6 and 8 new intakes daily to be completed within a 6 month period. This suggests that the clerk must quickly become conversant with the procedure of opening new files. This task can be transformed into a measurable goal as it can be assessed on a periodical basis.

In relation to this the clerk will be required to find missing files required for next day appointments. This task requires knowledge of the path a file follows within the organization. The goal for the clerk should thus be to identify possible causes of delays in returning files and suggest solutions to speed up the procedure.

Based on the tasks of the medical clerk one can see that the booking and managing appointments are the main focal point of the organization. For this reason another goal of the medical clerk can be to ensure that there are no conflicts in the appointments for the next day.

To achieve this may require that the medical clerk send out messages such as emails to the doctors responsible to alert them of any tasks scheduled for the following day. This can be included in the daily goals of the clerk and would ensure that each doctor knows about the following days schedule beforehand.

In relation to the filing task it has been noted that the clerk is required to place tags to indicate files that are currently in use and maintain files in their assigned sections. To achieve this may require that the clerk maintains a log of filing activity undertaken each day to allow for easy tracking of documents within the organization.

This can be used as a goal for the clerk requiring the creation and maintenance of a daily log of activity. The accuracy of this log can be used to measure the performance of the candidate based on their ability to properly complete this task.

Works Cited

Ployhart, Robert E., B. Schneider and N. Schmitt. Staffing Organizations: Contemporary Theory and Practice, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc., Publishers, 2006. Print.

Introduction

It is a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower families and young people to be successful through the care continuum that promotes growth and healing. Its vision is to lead in the creation of a community that provides every young person with an opportunity to thrive. It is working to end the homelessness of youths, serve young people whenever in crisis, and help babies with developmental abilities have the best possible start in life (Trauth, 2017). The organization has been operating since 1969 and is recognized nationally as an innovator in programs for youth learning to be self-sufficient and families in crisis. The services that this agency provides include community residential treatment facilities, opportunities through education, home-based services to children, early childhood services, fostering care, and adoption, among others. The organization also has values that it adheres to including optimism, adaptability, respect, diversity, excellence, and integrity.

Needs Assessment in the Community

The lighthouse youth and family services in Cincinnati, Ohio aim at enhancing the advancement of the dignity of youth, children, and families in need. This community agency works with health organizations in society to identify and consider the needs of the people. A highly skilled clinician assesses the condition in the first step by collecting information to ascertain who the persons are and the behaviors, concerns, and symptoms they have. This step helps in identifying ways to reach where these people want to be. The organization offers a direct link to what the people may need including its support services, housing for the homeless, shelter-disorder treatment, or therapy, as long as one is a young person below twenty-four years.

Determination of the need for therapy is done through a diagnostic assessment completion by the Lighthouse Integrated Access team. Children with mental health problems have to undergo a clinical evaluation. This analysis is in written form and is focused on evaluating the condition to determine whether the youngsters have mental health disorders (Pierce et al., 2018). Services are offered seven days a week via telehealth, at home, or in ones office. To assess the progress, this community agency develops healthier habits and communication with teens as well as builds a foundation that is scientific to parent the teens. The counselors from Scarlet Oaks School, which is working in partnership with the Lighthouse Youth and Family Services Agency, contact or book an appointment with the parents and discuss the therapys potential benefits.

Current Projects and Future Goals

Watch Me Rise (WMR) is a program that was started to end the recurrence of homelessness among young people. It serves young people facing homelessness and who were day program or shelter participants of Lighthouse Sheakley Center for Youth (Phiri et al., 2017). The initiative also caters to those children who are referred by the program of county child welfare aftercare due to homelessness. WMR focuses on helping young homeless adults with a history of child welfare to achieve the identification of their needs and goals.

WMR also assists in developing a formal team of natural support to help them achieve their goals of preventing homelessness in the future and also maintaining permanent residences that they find. The WMR used a team-based approach and put youth at the center of care so as to help them attain their goals (Ruggiero et al., 2021). It is composed of natural support drawn from both the youths interpersonal relationships and formally from the service providers for youths. Guiding the youth through the process of wrap-around and building supportive connections was done by the WMR intervention staff. The future goals for the Lighthouse Youth and Family Services Agency are to see that young peoples opportunities are expanded for them to have a productive and positive interaction in their community. It aims at ensuring that young people have a family to join them for dinner, a place where they feel safe, and a bed where they can sleep.

Healthy People 2020

More than 5000 people in Cincinnati will have access to behavioral and physical health services offered by Lighthouse Youth and Family Services. This program will be available at least for the next three years following the $840,000 grant by the United Health Foundation (Ruggiero et al., 2021). This helps in the transitioning of homeless children and young adults. Since the pandemic of coronavirus, it has been challenging to know the activities in which young people are involved and to know whether they are safe. These youngsters have remained homeless for the better part of their lives. They have also been sleeping in the cold and sometimes going for several days without food because of the restraining of the integrated access team to go to the streets and meet them.

Lighthouse Youth and Family Services Agency depend on grants from well-wishers for financial support towards helping young people who are homeless to get shelter and help them undergo therapy. Due to COVID-19, it has been difficult for the support group to finance the care activities, and that becomes one of the reasons why the whereabouts of most young people are not known. The well-wishers are affected by the negative economic effects of the country.

References

Phiri, S., Neuhann, F., Glaser, N., Gass, T., Chaweza, T., & Tweya, H. (2017). The path from a volunteer initiative to an established institution: Evaluating 15 years of the development and contribution of the Lighthouse trust to the Malawian HIV response. BMC Health Services Research, 17(1), 1-11. Web.

Pierce, S. C., Grady, B., & Holtzen, H. (2018). Daybreak in Dayton: Assessing characteristics and outcomes of previously homeless youth living in transitional housing. Children and Youth Services Review, 88, 249-256. Web.

Ruggiero, S., Busch, H., Hansen, T., & Isakovic, A. (2021). Context and agency in urban community energy initiatives: An analysis of six case studies from the Baltic Sea Region. Energy Policy, 148, 111956. Web.

Trauth, J. (2017). Lighthouse Community School: A case study of a school for behaviorally challenged youth. Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, 27(1), 60-65. Web.