Concepts of Sustainability and Environment

Question: Discuss about the Concepts of Sustainability and Environment. Answer: Introduction The concept of sustainability and environment is not new in todays society. Sustainability is the ability to endure. As such, the concepts of sustainability and environment of the human ways of life refers to the ability of the environment to endure those ways of life. It is an obvious fact that the global population is in a consistent increase especially now that technology developments have reduced mortality rates and increased the average life span of humans. In line with this context, the idea of urban planning and policy has been to create and assist in the definition of a location within an urban environment. In so doing, urban policy can influence the decisions to craft and construct urban sites through the spatial construct mechanism and a manipulation of the existent activities within the space. The contemporary urban policy has to provide advanced mechanisms that allow individuals, policymakers and planners to fully explore the possible ways of planning and developing commu nities capable of meeting the long-term needs of people and those of the environment within the human society (Wheeler, and Beatley, 2014). This is what is known as the idea to deliver sustainable cities- that is, an urban environment that is capable of providing todays resources without compromising the availability of resources for future generations (WCED1987 in Williams, 2013). Achieving the idea of sustainable cities in urban policy and planning developments is a complex endeavour. The idea of sustainability consists of a wide variety of interrelated issues that are challenging to the ingrained beliefs concerning the interaction between governance, nature and cultures (Spaargaren, 2011). As such this study reviews Ebenezer Howards Garden City vision of an ideal city in his book Garden Cities of To-morrow which looks at how sustainable urban policy can be achieved. Howards work remains an important reference tool for modern policy decisions. However, the compact design is in critic of Howards ideas and is representation of modern ideas to sustainable urban policy and planning. Still, Howard is revolutionary icon whose utopia in urban planning is still evident in many of the worlds cities. Discussion Though Howard pioneered modern urban development planning contemporary urban policy continues to shift more compact approach. Garden Cities of Tomorrow Ebenezer Howard developed the Garden Cities of Tomorrow in 1898. Therefore, the idea of sustainable urban policy and planning is not a new concept; however, it still attracts growing importance in contemporary societies the world over. This is because Howards work is one of the most visionary and influential exploration of urban planning. The vision of Garden Cities detailed an approach to address the issues of the industrial city in fashion that had no prior execution before it. This work was so influential that it inspired the construction of eleven satellite cities around London through the British New Town Programme and two garden cities, Welwyn and Letchworth, in the early years of the twentieth century (Wheeler, and Beatley, 2014). Howards book was revolutionary as a breakthrough in the planning of urban settings, as it delivered the earliest record of ideas attempting to balance rural and urban developments. This vision can be utilized in evaluation of modern urban policy atte mpting to develop sustainable cities on a global scale (Wheeler, and Beatley, 2014). Garden City Origins A rapid growth in urban areas was being experienced as a result of the industrial revolution, posing major problems to British country planners. With the overwhelming movement of people to urban areas in search of employment, the urban population grew fast and resources were strained. City resources like housing and infrastructure quickly became unsanitary, polluted and expensive because of overcrowding. At the same time, there was a decline in wages for the farming community hindering developments in rural areas. These circumstances led to an uncontrollable migration of people from rural to urban areas, leaving many to question their decisions on whether to live in isolated rural areas or to move to a city (Hall, 2014). Consequently, the industrial cities of the nineteenth century continued to be congested and polluted with unplanned slum areas of impoverished proletariat (Culpin, 2015). This fashion continued to characterize British urban areas changing the face of its landscape. Contemporary Urban Growth Patterns Growth patterns seen during the industrial revolution are today mirrored in developing countries that are continuously emerging on global markets. There has been more than a double increment in the global population since 1950 and the United Nations Population Division indicates that approximately two-thirds of the total human population will be living in urban areas by 2030 (LeGates, and Stout, 2015; Heilig, 2012). These growth patterns are very similar to those of the industrial revolution and similar problems in urban policy can be expected with continued straining on urban resources. Developing countries are already showing similar symptoms with the observed growth of slums (Kabisch, and Haase, 2011). Slum areas are typically characterized by the common lack of basic services, overcrowding, unsafe living environments, and poor sanitation. Therefore, it is necessary that urban policy consider alternatives to turn observed urban growth patterns into plans that can become sustainabl e environments while ensuring that the needs of the society are met. Sustainability of the Garden City Design Garden cities have been identified as appropriate examples of sustainable urban developments with vital lessons for contemporary urban planning and policy. For a city to be termed a sustainable urban environment, its structure must be able to create an environment thats friendly and resourceful in terms of form, energy efficiency and general life activities (Goldewijk, Beusen, and Janssen, 2010). More, sustainable urban environments need to achieve aspiration concerns of retaining a buffer stock of its basic resource within regenerative capacity (Ignatieva, Stewart, and Meurk, 2011). In line with this findings, Hartig et al. (2015) reports that sustainable urban principles should entail: acknowledgement of the idea of environmental thresholds; develop social justice and equity; forming inclusive decision making approaches. Howard was able to see the intense overcrowding during industrial revolution, and the problems that came with it such as pollution, sanitation, public health, and services. His concept of Garden Cities was responding to this, planning communities to ease the congestion in the city and the declining numbers in the rural areas. Together with the various founders, Garden City was an effort at creating a modern day utopia in urban planning (Echenique et al., 2012). Evaluating Howards design in relation to contemporary urban policy design reveals the origin of the idea of sustainability. His idea includes a wide space of green areas-for agriculture as well as recreation practices. These green areas are advantageous in terms of social advantage and carbon sinks in the journey towards sustainable urban planning. Sustainable Development in Contemporary Urban Environment Modern sustainable development aims at public policy and urban planning. Until the 1970s, modern city plans and designs focused on future developments. Focus was on fresh start- new cities built in a manner free of the provincialism and commotions of the nineteenth century cities associated with Howards Garden City development (Ahern, 2011). The characteristic of Garden Cities was a pattern of spatial zoning with different land uses being given to different areas (see figure 1). However, current patterns of urban planning seem to be shifting away from this approach since it has been considered that the new compact city idea is a better way of creating a more sustainable urban plan. Compact city suggests the use of high density wholly integrated mixed-use urban forms. The preference of this urban form by many planners can be attributed to the perceived pros of mixed-use planning like commuter distances reduction and the associated impact of reduced emissions, conservation of the green belts, more efficient provision and use of public infrastructure, as well as the rejuvenation and revitalization of inner urban areas (Dempsey, et al., 2011). Essentially, more and more urban planners create and adopt mixed-use developments so as to achieve sustainable economic stability and improve the vibrancy and vitality of areas that would probably not be achieved through spatial development. Figure 1: Garden Cities pattern of spatial zoning Evaluating this approach against the Garden City idea reveals several advantages. First, the brownfield development is better utilized through the preservation and protection of Greenfield locations from associated urban development threats. Because of the increased need for urban policy to employee a sustainable approach, brownfield sites have continued to be important strategic targets for the achievement of housing needs and development across urban regions through the reuse of lands previously developed. The Planning and Policy Guidance Note 3 (2010) further emphasized these, advocating for planners to build 60% of new housings on brownfield locations (Spaargaren, 2011). New communities developed on Greenfield are lesser concern to the long-term environmental effects. The effects of land loss to urban development are typically not thoroughly developed into the cost of the natural environment. However, the idea of urban forms is more than simply the density and green/brown choices - the main concern is on spatial forms of human activities (Berardi, 2013). Future Urban Policies Howard designed the Garden City structure in a pragmatic and cautious manner that appeared reasonable to the common citizen (Hall, and Pfeiffer, 2013). Even though Howards approach to balance rural and urban development is still widely important to the development of sustainable communities, developed countries seem to have taken a shift. Rather than the intense dense city of the nineteenth century characterized by a shortage of decent housing, basic sanitation, and clean water, there are now relatively low density cities with suburbs that are heavily dependent on automobiles, infrastructure and quality housing but with a lot more other problems (Barthel, and Isendahl, 2013). The pragmatic application of the Garden City in developing countries needs to put to question since Howards settlements were basically designed for development of extremely low density housing. Howard cites in his work that the ideal population size for the garden City is 32,000 people on a 6,000 acres site of t he cheap rural lands. This land would be divided into 1,000 acres for the city surrounded by 5,000 acres of farmland (green-belt) (Li, et al., 2012). Clearly, this figures are not sustainable in modern times within, still many dont take note of Howards social cities vision of a multi-centred Garden City with green space. Figure 2 shows the illustration to this approach for a 58,000 central town surrounded by six garden cities around its perimeter, each with a population of 32,000 (19). Figure2: Design of the Garden Cities Conclusion The experiments of the British Garden City were largely influential policy-expression during the industrial revolution era, concerning the immediate problem of large cities (Spaargaren, 2011). The growth of highly populated and unsanitary urban environments was a great concern to urban planners who sank themselves into developing alternatives to make urban development sustainable. This revolutionary idea put Ebenezer Howard on the map of sustainability and environment. Howard envisioned Garden Cities that were humane, social and surrounded by farmlands, thereby developing an idea with a new balance between the natural environment and the cities. Utopian or visionary writings of this nature give more than just help in the expansion of the framework of probable ideas for a generation of urban planners. Though literatures tend to be scornful of idealism of every nature, it has often proved to be vitally influential and successful (Wheeler, and Beatley, 2014). Howards ideas on Garden Cit ies were so successful that he actually witnessed several of this cities built before his demise. Though his ideas were not practical beyond his vision, his ideas on the development of sustainable communities are to be considered the foundation of modern urban policy and planning. Howards vision might have failed to materialise as a whole but influenced the development of modern cities, and the twentieth century city life (LeGates, and Stout, 2015). This study recommends that further studies should be conducted to establish a way to integrate the Garden City model in the modern context as it could go a long way to assisting policy makers achieve sustainability goals. Recommendations The study is in agreement with LeGates, and Stout (2015), that Howards ideas are of paramount importance in urban planning. Therefore, contemporary urban planners need to consider Howards visions in urban policy for city developments. As such, further studies need to be done to integrate modern ideas of compact urban policy with Ebenezer Howards ideas for a more sustainable development. References Ahern, J. (2011). From fail-safe to safe-to-fail: Sustainability and resilience in the new urban world. Landscape and Urban Planning, 100(4), 341-343. Barthel, S., Isendahl, C. (2013). Urban gardens, agriculture, and water management: Sources of resilience for long-term food security in cities. Ecological Economics, 86, 224-234. Berardi, U. (2013). Clarifying the new interpretations of the concept of sustainable building. Sustainable Cities and Society, 8, 72-78. Culpin, E. G. (2015). The Garden city movement up-to-date. Routledge. Dempsey, N., Bramley, G., Power, S., Brown, C. (2011). The social dimension of sustainable development: Defining urban social sustainability. Sustainable development, 19(5), 289-300. Echenique, M. H., Hargreaves, A. J., Mitchell, G., Namdeo, A. (2012). Growing cities sustainably: does urban form really matter?. Journal of the American Planning Association, 78(2), 121-137. Goldewijk, K. K., Beusen, A., Janssen, P. (2010). Long-term dynamic modeling of global population and built-up area in a spatially explicit way: HYDE 3.1. The Holocene. Hall, P. (2014). Cities of tomorrow: An intellectual history of urban planning and design since 1880. John Wiley Sons. Hall, P., Pfeiffer, U. (2013). Urban future 21: a global agenda for twenty-first century cities. Routledge. Hartig, T., van den Berg, A. E., Hagerhall, C. M., Tomalak, M., Bauer, N., Hansmann, R., ... Bell, S. (2011). Health benefits of nature experience: Psychological, social and cultural processes. In Forests, trees and human health (pp. 127-168). Springer Netherlands. Heilig, G. K. (2012). World urbanization prospects the 2011 revision. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Population Division, Population Estimates and Projections Section, New York. Ignatieva, M., Stewart, G. H., Meurk, C. (2011). Planning and design of ecological networks in urban areas. Landscape and ecological engineering, 7(1), 17-25. Kabisch, N., Haase, D. (2011). Diversifying European agglomerations: evidence of urban population trends for the 21st century. Population, space and place, 17(3), 236-253. LeGates, R. T., Stout, F. (Eds.). (2015). The city reader. Routledge. Li, Y., Li, Y., Zhou, Y., Shi, Y., Zhu, X. (2012). Investigation of a coupling model of coordination between urbanization and the environment. Journal of Environmental Management, 98, 127-133. Planning and Policy Guidance Note 3 (2010) Spaargaren, G. (2011). Theories of practices: Agency, technology, and culture: Exploring the relevance of practice theories for the governance of sustainable consumption practices in the new world-order. Global Environmental Change, 21(3), 813-822. Wheeler, S. M., Beatley, T. (2014). Sustainable Urban Development Reader. Routledge.

Master Harold Differing Influences On Fugard Essays -

Master Harold: Differing Influences on Fugard Athol Fugard's drama, "Master Harold" . . . And The Boys, was written during a time of great conflict in South Africa, where he was raised. Fugard was torn between his mother, who was "Afrikaaner," (1291) and his father, who was "of English decent" (1291). These differing influences caused Fugard to use the discussions between Sam and Hally to demonstrate the religious, racial, and political tensions of his lifetime in South Africa. The discussion between Sam and Hally about who was "a man of magnitude" (1300) represents the religious tensions of Fugard's lifetime in South Africa between the growing belief in evolution and Jesus Christ's teaching of Creation. Hally says that Charles Darwin was "a man of magnitude," (1300) because he was "somebody who benefited all mankind" (1301). He admires Darwin "for his Theory of Evolution" (1301), which according to Hally, proves "where we come from and what it all means" (1301). Sam totally disagrees with Darwin's "Theory of Evolution" (1301) because evolution is in contrast to the Bible's teaching on Creationism, and he says that just because it is in a book it "does not mean [he's] got to believe it" (1301). Sam believes that "Jesus Christ" (1302) was "a man of magnitude" (1300). Hally is obviously against Sam's suggestion of Jesus Christ, because Hally makes it clear that he is "an atheist" (1303). This disagreement between Sam and Hally is really just an example of the religious tensions in South Africa during Fugard's lifetime between the "Theory of Evolution," (1301) which was becoming more accepted, and Christianity, which was taught by Jesus Christ. A second discussion between Sam and Hally that occurs after Hally learns that his father has gone home demonstrates the racial tensions of Fugard's lifetime in South Africa. When Sam starts lecturing Hally about how he treats his father, Hally becomes angry and tells Sam that he is "treading on dangerous ground" (1321). Hally also tells Sam that his "mother is right"(1322) about "warning [him] about allowing you to get to familiar" (1322). The climax of the argument is when Hally tells Sam that he is "only a servant" (1322). This is the first noticeable statement that Hally makes that demonstrates the racial tensions experienced in South Africa. The next racial statement Hally makes is when he tells Sam that his father is his boss because "he's a white man and that's good enough for [him]" (1322). Hally then takes things even further by commanding Sam to "start calling [him] Master Harold" (1323). Hally tells Sam that if he doesn't follow this command that he "might just lose [his] job" (1323). Hally really makes matters worse when he tells Sam his father's favorite joke. His father would ask Hally, "It's not fair, is it, Hally" (1323)? Then Hally would ask, "What, chum" (1323)? Then his father would say, "A nigger's arse" (1323). Another example of the racial tensions during the argument is made when Sam points out that when Hally's father got drunk at a bar, that Hally had to go "in first . . . to ask permission" (1325) for Sam to be able to go in to get his father. A final and the most noticeable example of the racial tensions in South Africa is made by Sam when he informs Hally about the reason why he didn't stay with him the day they flew the kite. Sam tells Hally that the bench he had sat on was a "Whites Only" (1325) bench and Sam wasn't allowed to sit on it. All of these examples are used to represent the racial tensions that were present in Fugard's lifetime in South Africa. The final discussion between Sam and Hally about their experiences during the day and the dance championship that Sam and Willie are going to participate in demonstrates the political tensions in the world during Fugard's lifetime. Sam points out to Hally that people are "bumping into each other all the time" (1317) and nobody "knows the steps and there's no music playing" (1317). Sam said, "I've bumped into Willie, the two of us have bumped into you, you've bumped into your mother, she bumping into your Dad_(1317). Sam is using their experiences that day to represent how countries are in constant conflict. He points out to Hally that "America has bumped into Russia, England is bumping into India, rich man bumps into poor man" (1317). Sam says that at the dance, they're "going to see six couples get it right, the way we want life to be" (1317-1318). Sam uses the dance to represent the hope that was held

There Is No Frigate Like a Book Essay Example

There Is No Frigate Like a Book Essay Example There Is No Frigate Like a Book Essay There Is No Frigate Like a Book Essay In the poem â€Å"There is no Frigate like a Book†, Emily Dickinson uses words with particular connotations to give her poem a more rich and meaningful aspect. Her belief that literature is powerful enough to allow one’s mind to distance itself from reality and its immediate surroundings is enforced in the poem throughout her use of words like â€Å"frigate† â€Å"traverse† which connate a sense of journey or adventure. Dickinson compares books to means of transportation to emphasize this idea of the power of imagination. â€Å"There is no Frigate like a Book; To take us Lands away† Here the word â€Å"frigate† though its literal meaning is a warship, is used to connote a sense of adventure and exploration while â€Å"land† gives off an intriguing idea of exotic and unknown. By selecting these words and comparing them to books Dickinson expresses how powerful literature is over one’s mind for it to can take us to distant places. The poem follows by expressing the spirituality and joyfulness that can be found in literature â€Å"Nor any Coursers like a Page; Of prancing poetry† Dickinson substitutes â€Å"coursers† for horses in this passage to conveys a stronger emphasize of majestic, beautiful and elegant also describing poetry as â€Å"prancing† thus giving it a sense of spiritual, harmony and energetic. The connotations implied by these words and their comparison to poetry in this line help imply the beauty that Dickinson beliefs to find in literature In the following line Dickinson reminds us how books are able to touch anyone no matter from what stratus they come from. â€Å"This Traverse may the oppress may the poorest take; Without oppress of Toll† Here â€Å"traverse† which literal term means to travel through is used to express a sense of danger and mystery, while â€Å"oppress† connotes a sense of a powerlessness, something that holds us back or keeps us down and â€Å"toll† suggest a meaning of a limit or burden that one must suffer through. The words in this passage work together to give the idea off the idea of the troubles that goes with traveling by comparing it to books, Dickinson is able to show how literature can do take us away without any of these burdens. In the last lines Dickinson again reinstates her idea how powerful books are, in that they can take us away. â€Å"How Frugal is the Chariot; That bears the Human soul. † By comparing books to a chariot she gives books a more magical, romanticizes tone for â€Å"chariot† connotes a sense of fantasy and fairytale, Dickinson uses â€Å"frugal† to describe the how economical book are while implying a aspect of moral goodness to them. Her use of â€Å"bear† in this passage also suggests the importance of the human soul for bearing something connotes an idea of carrying something with great significance or meaning this works with the final word â€Å"soul† for soul connotes an idea of beauty and one’s whole self by using soul instead of mind Dickinson emphasizes how literature is able to take its readers and transport them not just mentally but also emotionally and spiritually into a completely different world. Dickinson uses connotation powerfully in her poem to give it a more elegant and magical feel to it, by carefully selecting her words Dickinson’s focuses more on their connotations than their denotations to give the poem the sense of power and adventure she wants to express about literature.

The future of warfare essays

The future of warfare essays Nuclear Deterrence and The Future of Warfare Throughout my life and in all of my history classes, I have heard about the Cold War. I would hear people talk of it on the news or would watch movies that took place in that specific era. I never had a course that was aimed to specifically teach national security or give organized lectures about the Cold War. Generally speaking, all I knew up to this course, was that the Cold War was a time when the United States and USSR were threatening each other by the action of using nuclear weapons. I was aware that there was much tension and citizens in this country were preparing for the worst. Not until I took this course did I learn about how much nuclear capability there was between the two countries and how close we actually came to a nuclear holocaust. The concept of deterrence is the most impacting and significantly interesting concept I have learned in this course. To say it was an effective defense policy is an understatement. The fact is, deterrence was the most effective a nd successful way to deter the use of nuclear weapons to this date. This paper will go in depth to explain the concept of nuclear deterrence; its effect in the Cold War and in the future, will it still work against the threats of today? The first nuclear explosion and the dawn of the nuclear age was born on July 16, 1945 in New Mexico when the Manhattan Project (name for atom bomb development) was tested. General Lesley Grove, commander of the Manhattan Project, was heard to say, This is the end of traditional warfare. This statement is false because traditional warfare still continued even after the new destructive capability was introduced. What did come about from the birth of the atom bomb was that this technology was going to dictate all wars in the future. The clear difference however, is that wars are now conducted under the shadow of the mushroom-shaped cloud, especially ...

Analytical Character comparison using epic similies Essay

Analytical Character comparison using epic similies - Essay Example Thesis Statement: The brilliance regarding the use of epic simile has emerged in the hands of Homer as an effective instrument though which he captured a complete impression of a situation, churned out the contrast among characters and finally led the audience to the layers of emotions dimensions of the character. The Use of Epic Simile to understand Ulysses’ character: The instances of Homer’s poetic magnificence regarding the use of simile to analyze the character, physical stature and emotional status of Ulysses are abundant throughout the Odyssey. However, in the book XI â€Å"The Descent into Hell† his craftsmanship has reached to its culmination. The character of Ulysses, in the Odyssey, has been presented by Homer in a unique way because the character, compared to the other epic heroes, does not appear to be invincible. While the humane side of his character has been presented through the shades of fear, deprivation, and agony, on the other hand, the stren gth of him has been projected through his courage, ruthlessness and anger. During his journey though the Hell, Ulysses has experienced several traumatic visions that evoked a sense of tremendous. However, the spontaneity of human morality and aspiration to overcome all the obstacles makes him a human being. Irrespective of the fact that he witnessed a fierce scene of human suffering in the Hell, however, the same could not stop him from rejuvenating his insatiable source of courage: â€Å"Now I the strength of Hercules behold, / A towering spectre of gigantic mould, / A shadowy form! for high in heaven’s abodes / Himself resides, a god among the gods;† (11. 741-11. 744). He feels himself in the same state like that of the great Greek God who is surrounded by â€Å"fowl†, â€Å"hovering ghosts† (11, 747). However, the prevailing evil though shrouded the divine glory but that could not stop him from fighting. The same courage that lurked in Hercules’ s heart, in the gloomy surrounding of the Hell Ulysses can feel the same: â€Å"Around his breast a wondrous zone is roll’d, / Where woodland monsters grin in fretted gold: / There sullen lions sternly seem to roar† (11. 751-11. 753). With the use of images from an array of references the poet has provided such an impression about Ulysses’ character that is empathetic in nature, gets troubled by the human angst and is ready to empathize with such situations. However, the moral strength of the character can be realized through his readiness to encounter all odds and through his confidence that with the traits of divine courage that every man possesses, he will be able to emerge as a triumphant against all evils; consequently he will be able to retain his dignity as a human being. Use of Epic Simile to understand Penelope’s character: Penelope, the wife of Ulysses, exists quite at a diametrically opposite pole compared to the features of her husband’ s nature as projected in the epic. Though the sings of respecting her self-dignity and empathy for other cannot be missed, however, Penelope seems to appear as a manifestation of traditional womanhood. Irrespective of

Alkali flies in the Mono Basin (Mono Lake) Article

Alkali flies in the Mono Basin (Mono Lake) - Article Example Alkali flies also known as brine flies or Ephydra hians are a very rare species to find (Eagen 29). This is attributable to the fact that the species breeds well only in certain habitats, especially in alkaline waters. This probably explains why the insect is called the alkali fly. Found in Mono Lake, California, the fly breeds well on the surface, shorelines, as well as beneath the lake. Most of these species of fly are dark brown in color with an adult measuring between 4 to 7 mm long (Carle, and Banta 25). The fly has segmented thorax, which is bluish in color, while the wings are brownish in color. Unlike the ordinary flies, alkali flies normally spend most of their life circles entirely beneath the water surface. This makes the fly unique in addition to the fact that it breeds well in alkaline environment. Mono Lake is one of the most dominant lakes in California. Circular in shape, Mono Lake draws most of its waters from the surrounding streams. However, since the lake has no outlet, the lake is highly alkaline (Eagen 29; Jiang, Steward, Jellison, Chu, Choi 19). This is attributable to the continuous accumulation of salt in the lake. A research conducted more than three decades ago indicated a correlation between the alkalinity of Mono Lake and the availability of alkali flies. According to the research, the alkalinity of Mono Lake provides a suitable breeding ground for alkali flies (Tierney 15). Other researchers have also demonstrated that salinity and alkalinity of Mono Lake has a huge impact on the algae found on the lake. The presence of these algae on the lake also influences the growth and development of alkali-fly. According to Wiens, Patten and Botkin (595), the salinity of the lake makes it difficult for algae to thrive. This leads to a reduction in the number of algae in Mono Lake, thereby compelling larvae to utilize high amount of energy to rummage. This normally leaves very little osmoregualation to take

Improving ones own performance Essay Example for Free

Improving ones own performance Essay Every fortnight on a Friday morning my line manager and I have a meeting to discuss my progress. This meeting is also for her feed back so she can see if there is anything I am struggling with, anything I need help with or I am not happy about. To the right is a picture of the scheduled meetings. This is on our Microsoft outlook account. The reason for this is so that if there are areas I am slipping with, for example my time keeping, we can discuss these issues comfortably and resolve them before they become an occurring issue. The need for these meetings is very important. They help monitor my progress by reflecting to my manager what I’ve been working on and how fast/slow I’ve been completing them. By doing these meetings it improves my performance by clearly showing my improvements giving me job satisfaction. I can also gain benefits from theses meetings too as I am improving my performance I may be more likely to be put forwards for a promotion because when my manager sees my hard work, she will inform the managing director and update him upon my progress. She gives me feedback on how I’ve been working and encourages me to do the same as without this I wouldn’t know what to improve or keep the same. Its adds value to my work as I am continuously improving, it also strengthens our relationship as I know what to do next time. During these meeting I have been asked to keep a record of achievement. I have also been asked to evaluate my own performance with a SWOT analysis every six months, so we can compare if there are any changes or areas of improvement. At times she suggest ways of possibly improving my work this helps me greatly as I may not have thought of the idea myself or even have tried it as I am not used to the method. It sometimes saves me a lot of time; this benefits my team and I as I can take on new tasks as I have spare time. Throughout my work I am constantly improving as I am learning new things all the time. As discussed by my manager and me, I have picked up a lot of important information just being in the office. When I am continuously learning it is helping me as when I learn something new I can apply it to situations, where needed. When I am enhancing my skills this helps me too as I know and understand more making my more aware. With my knowledge that has grown I will, in the future, apply it to other companies/organisations. This will benefit my career as I will know crucial information needed, not only to help me with an interview but help me secure another job. In my later life I would like to either study more business administration at university or possibly stay in the world of work and work my way up to become a manager in an office environment. At the end of my contract with Medilink I hope they would keep me on as I could grow my skills to adapt to learning about the other opportunities such as finance or even international work. Throughout my working life I use a PDP to show my achievement that aren’t actually a credited for. This adds great value to me as when I am going for an interview I can show this to my possible new employer. When Sarah and I have our fortnightly meeting I ask for feedback and on the occasion I write this down in my note book as I can reflect on it at a later date. This is because I won’t forget what she has said. I accept it with open arms as this will help me and is not said in a spiteful manor to upset me. It is constructive criticism, this is being assertive. If she wasn’t being assertive then it wouldn’t be good within our working environment. The benefit to this is that she can put her point across without sounding nasty and putting her point across in a respectful manor. I myself also have to be assertive too, for example if I get given a task and I have too much on I simply have say no as I would miss my deadline from taking over someone else job. I will offer an alternative if I can help as we work as a team and if I can save time for someone else I will. Plus when someone one is helping me and I do not agree with a certain way I voice my opinion and suggest to improve their performance, like when Tina was helping me with finding contacts on our database I suggested to sure the search bar rather than looking under the subheadings and finding them by trial and error. When having this meeting sometimes my manager, Sarah and I discus targets for when work needs to be completed. The reason for this is so that I get used to deadlines and can work to realistic target as my input is as important in these discussions as hers. It benefits me as I know I can structure myself to meet these target and they are within my reach. For example: I was given a task to go through the international managers, charlottes, mailing list in correspond to the members list, and our data base to update all three and ensure they are all up to date. We decided because there was 217 contacts on charlottes list that I would be given 22 working days to complete as this allows me to complete 10 a day so I could pick it up and put down the task in hand here and there amongst other tasks. With these discussions about targets we also discus the quality of my work. I set high standards as there are always room for improvements and if I am constantly aiming for the highest possible standard then overtime I should up the bar of my skills. This resulting in be being more knowledgeable. During day to day work there are setbacks that I may come across to overcome these and move forwards I first must accept these otherwise I can’t overcome them. When dealing with them there is one major benefit, it makes me a stronger worker as I know how to tackle them if they occur in the future. Everyday at work there are new challenges and the reason why I adapt the taking them on is because it will be a learning curve and will benefit my future. By adapting to change I grow my personality and move with the time, I am constantly growing my knowledge base and understanding what I need to take in. Treating others with respect honesty and consideration add to the business environment it ensure that the atmosphere we working in is enjoyable. When it is comfortable it promotes more effective working. When helping and supporting others at work, it saves them time as they don’t need to look for the answers and it add to the relationship within the working environment. To do this it is useful and very helpful. To show my targets in order of priority for my own work; is attached a sheet, listed in a random order but there is a coloured key to follow on the back. As you can see I have highlighted them corresponding to the coloured priority. In one of our meetings with Sarah I renegotiated the dead line of the previously mentioned task, the mailing list for Charlotte, in conjunction with the members list and our database. The reason for this was because we had a lot on for the awards event and I slipped behind due to bad time management therefore not being able to complete my task. On a weekly basis I like to achieve the highest possible outcome I can, to do this I set myself high standards. Such as: exceeding my targets. When helping Paul with his signs I completed them up to a brilliant aesthetic look and before my deadline. I laminated each one and got them all ready before he needed them. I was so committed that I stayed behind on one of the days to finish them off before my deadline. This demonstrated my passion for my work. I use my own needs to complete a task and it is my own right to use my own time during work to finish what I have been given. Like last week for example, I used my time during work to start a task I have been given by one of our members of the PR team, Martin. I treat all of my colleagues with respect, as I speak to them all with the right tone. Like in our weekly team briefing, I talk with politeness and do not use harsh tones.