Object-orientation , The Unified Modelling Language (UML) Essay

Object-orientation , The Unified Modelling Language (UML) - Essay Example As a result, to extend novel modules that have different implementations can be established even without making changes to the existing modules. Modules should not be too thick so that reusing it becomes a bigger problem. In addition, they should not be extremely light as to offer very little value. Thus, it is vital for any design to put into consideration the weight of the module in concern. To attain a good module, it is necessary to reduce the number of dependencies as we aim and achieving the most out its capacity to be reused. In modularity, when one module fails the others do not fail. Through this, it is easier to control composite systems that are codependent. The principles employed include modular composability, decomposability, understandability, continuity, and protection. The latter case concerns that something out of the ordinary happening is to the concerned module. It does not affect other modules. Decomposing on the other hand concerns with breaking a software maniac into sub-smaller problems that can be linked through an independed framework allowing each to be worked on separately. To be understandable means a human being can read and comprehend the functionality of that module without relating to the other modules. Continuity conforms to the idea of a problem remaining or affecting the module that is. When it comes to what the software is off, different modules developed in various environments are integrated into novel systems. In PHP, a framework provides the starting point to build modular systems. Most of the structures already existing have the capability of breaking up the application and organizing the files. Some like Symfony2 are based on models that rely on injection. It is excellent for modularity (Powers, 2008). To perform best at adding, and removing components, a better framework would

Professional Development At Premier Inn Management Essay

Professional Development At Premier Inn Management Essay Award-winning Premier Inn is a subsidiary of Whitbread PLC and is considered as the UKs largest and fastest-growing hotel brand with 578 budget hotels and more than 40,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland at reasonable prices. In 2008 Premier Inn launched in Dubai and will be opening in India later this year. On a domestic front, Premier Inn is set to be the largest provider of budget hotels in London by the 2012 Olympics. As Premier Inn consists of huge number of employees, it has to manage all of them in better way since success of the company significantly depends on their people management efficiency along with their career success. As a proud team member of UKs largest and fastest-growing hotel brand, I would like to explain my career /professional development plan in detail by this report. 1.2 Premier Inn philosophy A cornerstone of the Premier Inn philosophy is all about widening employee career paths or access new roles; further, all open positions are advertised internally prior to searching for outside candidates and we will always look to promote members of the team where possible the development of employees is the key aspect, though we are all motivated by different aspirations. Moreover, Company share the same commitment to quality of work carried out by the employees as it has been recognized the fact that rewarding employees is a crucial factor in terms of motivating employees. 1.1.1. Premier Inn Values Genuine We really care about our customers Confident We strive to be the best at what we do Committed We work hard for each other 4 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Premier Inn Core Values 1.3 What is Personal Development Plan Personal Development Planning refers to the creation of an action plan based on a reflection of personal, career, and academic objectives. In addition to a PDP, these reflections are typically a portfolio containing evidence of the skills gathered over a particular timeframe. It is presumed in education that undertaking POP will assist in creating self-directed independent learners who are more likely to progress to higher levels of academic attainment. It is also used in Human resource management. Continuing Professional Development is just a method of ensuring that you attain the right abilities to do your job and maintain/enhance your skill. It embraces everything that you perform to get better your job performance and your lifelong employability. Many Professional organizations and Societies have a obligation for their members to stay a record of their professional updating and growth. It can also assist those who are, or will be undertaking nationwide Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) in the UK. This is also high-quality practice for an association striving towards creature World Class, a Learning Organization. Most of these professional societies have a obligation that you demonstrate personal development and learning representing 3-5 days (25-35 hours) per year. Increasingly, your professional culture is asking to see evidence of continuous growth in order to maintain your registration/ expert status. If your professional corpse does not yet have an obligatory requirement for this the length of with a monitoring/ auditing system they soon will Have. 5 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 1.4 Who is responsible for personal development To be successful it is fine practice to work in partnership with your employer. You be supposed to realize however that ownership of your CPD proof is yours and no one elses. The plan you set up will need to be flexible and change as your job requirements and aspirations change. It should also be realistic, not each one can become the Director of Nursing or Executive Director but everybody with forethought and some planning can discover challenge, diversity and interest in their job and vocation. Change is continuous in all aspects of life and efforts you put into keeping abreast of new knowledge and expanding your abilities will reap rewards when opportunities arise. It will have become obvious that a key feature of CPD is training but the significant difference between CPD and training is that CPD is prearranged to suit you and your career. 1.5 Job Profile I am working as the Hotel Manager and responsible for achieving optimal guest satisfaction and a good working environment to attain all set objectives. To achieve this, Im responsible for running the hotel in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures and Policies as set out by Premier Inn. Further, Im responsible for the Implementation of optimal and attractive products and services required to address the hotels target groups, based on pre-agreed marketing plans and budgets while ensuring the correct production and distribution of information and promotion materials as agreed to. Guard the efficiency/productivity and the company results: Draw up plans and budget concepts (revenues, costs, etc.); Safeguard the realization, tracing and adjustment of deviations; Developing improvement actions, carry out costs savings; Guard/ controlling of cost price Delivering of data and proposals for the budgets and investments. Safeguard quality of operations (internal external audits) Manage the various Department Heads Coordinate planning of Department Heads and Assistant Managers with regard to time-tables, work schedules, employment of employees within the different services; solving of bottle necks; Coordination of the execution of activities via instructions to the Heads of Departments/ Assistant Managers, supervision of the execution; Determination of the workforce, recruitment and hiring of new staff, supervision of sufficient introduction, execution of performance reviews and training of staff. Be accountable for responsibilities of department heads in their absence. 6 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Implement the Golden Tulip franchise formula optimally in the hotel and act as a flagship establishment for the Golden Tulip brand. Prepare a monthly financial reporting. Ensure an adequate administration, for the outgoing and incoming invoices, for the payment of invoices and for drawing up periodical management data. Justify deviations and differences. Other tasks; Handling complaints, in the last resort. Other reliable to the above mentioned, tasks in order of the executive; Handing over opinions and beliefs, decisions etc. to the executives; Leading various internal and external meetings; Supervise the fulfillment of the regulations of the employment legalization, Occupational Health Safety Act, HACCP, legionella, fire regulations and other legal requirements Correct use of Golden Tulips corporate identity. Maintain contacts with public authorities 7 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2 Task 2 2.1 Job Analysis A lot of people go blank when you ask them regarding their skills. Thus sometimes it is easier to exertion backwards from what you have done to work out and what you are good at. This is where a job analysis can assist. (Personal-skills-audit; 2010) Step One Take a divide sheet of paper for each of the jobs you have done and mark the job title at the top. Divide each piece into two columns. Use the first pillar to brainstorm all tasks each role involved. Include as much feature as you can. Dont just list the bureaucrat duties but include everything you turned your hand over to in that role. Avoid minor road terms similar to produced a monthly newsletter. Break it down into the stepladder concerned wrote articles, canvassed team for ideas, convinced pictures/photos, liaised with print room, etc. Dont be troubled about whether they are significant or Insignificant; just try to capture as much of what you did as probable. Observe out for any unenthusiastic self-talk here (well, it was only or I just did a little bit of ). The reason of brainstorming is to squeeze out as much information as possible. You can evaluate the activities later. Step Two The second step of your personal skills appraisal involves looking at these tasks to search what skills you contain developed. Make a list of the skills you needed to take out all these tasks. Were you showing an ability to deal with people? Were you using and analysing in sequence and data? Were you coming up with ideas and being original? Were you using sensible abilities such as repairing things? If you are not sure what skills you were using, take a look at the checklist of individual skills I have created. You will find that it also helps if you come up with a friend or your Career modifies Buddy two heads are always better than one. Step Three Dont discontinue with work. Do additional sheets for former unpaid roles you play in your life e.g. parent, sports club secretary, gardener, and the list could be fairly long! 8 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT A personal skills audit of what you have ended outside of work can be extremely revealing and help you to value the skills you have gained from all areas of your existence. You may find that there are skills you comprise developed here that you just dont give yourself recognition for. For example, you may be the trainer for a local football team using skills like management, motivation, encouragement, training etc.. If you really enjoy this, but do not hold a management or team leadership role at labour this might propose that this could be a new direction for you in your career. And you by now have many of the skills you require. Personal Skills Audit An optional strategy is just to sit yourself down and make a list of what you be acquainted with you are good at. This will come easier to a number of than to others. 2.2.1 Step One Just begin writing. You already know at smallest amount some of the things you are good at. Youll find there are some skills you feel very sure with and others where you think you can do them a bit. Dont be introvert this is not an exercise where you can be shy. Be proud to list what you be acquainted with you do well. Step Two You will come up with several skills without any prompting, but there will be many further. As I mentioned on top of, if you are the kind of someone that prefers working with a checklist, take seem at the list of personal skills I have shaped as a punctual. Another basis of ideas is job ads. Start scrutinizing newspapers for any kind of job and see what kinds of skills come up frequently. Recruiters know the importance of skills this is why they list the ones they need in their occupation ads. Step Three I already talk about brainstorming with your Career modify Buddy in the previous exercise. Dont stop there. Why not in a straight line ask some of your associates and colleagues what they think are your chief strengths and skills as they see them. Give them a bit of time to think concerning it and ask them to highlight what they think are your top 3 or 4 skills. It can be a genuine self-assurance booster to hear others reflect backs what they worth in you as a friend or colleague. 9 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT When you have done your individual skills audit, take a look at what I propose at the beginning of the personal skills checklist. A list is not sufficient. It is important that you speed your skills by level of ability and level of enjoyment Personal Development Learning Style Cognitive styles pass on to the preferred way an individual processes in order. Unlike individual differences in capabilities (e.g., Gardner, Guilford, Sternberg) which describe peak recital, styles describe a persons typical mode of thinking, remembering or trouble solving. Styles are regularly considered to be bipolar dimensions whereas abilities are unipolar (ranging from zero to a most value). Having extra of ability is usually considered beneficial while having a exacting cognitive method simply denotes a tendency to perform in a certain manner. Cognitive style is a usually described as a character dimension which influences attitudes, values, and social communication. A huge number of cognitive styles have been identified and studied in the history. Field self government versus field dependence is almost certainly the most well known style. It refers to a propensity to approach the environment in a logical, as opposed to global, fashion. At a perceptual level, field self-governing personalities are clever to distinguish figures as discrete from their backgrounds compared to field dependent persons who experience events in an undifferentiated way. In adding, field needy individuals have a greater social orientation relative to field self-regulating personalities. Studies have identified quantity connections between this cognitive style and learning. For example, meadow independent individuals are likely to learn more effectively beneath conditions of intrinsic motivation (e.g., self-study) and are influenced less by social reinforcement. Kolb and Lewin Model I would like to introduce this method to measure personal performance. Learning styles specifically transaction with characteristic styles of learning. Kolb (1984) suggests a theory of experiential learning that involves four major stages: tangible experiences, reflective observation, theoretical conceptualization, and vigorous experimentation. The CE/AC and AE/RO dimensions are glacial opposites as far as learning methods are concerned and Kolb postulates four types of beginners (divergers, assimilators, convergers, and accommodators) depending upon their location on these two dimensions. For example, an accommodator prefers tangible experiences and vigorous experimentation CAE,CE). An ordinary approach to viewing learning styles is linked to a learning series of experience, surveillance and mirror image, configuration and then testing of concepts. Although commonly referred to as the Kolb Learning Cycle this round was proposed by Kurt Lewin who got the idea from manage engineering. David Kolb (1984) popularized Lewins proposal (hence the common title). 10 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEARNING STYLE 2010 The four steps of the Experiential Learning Cycle are:- Concrete experience Observation and Reflection Abstract Conceptualization Testing concepts in new situations The cycle is a continuous course with the present concrete experience being the basis for observations and reflections, which allow the expansion of a theory, The theory is then tested in new situations to direct to more concrete experience. Kolb developed from the Lewin sculpt the idea that students have a overriding phase of the cycle during which they prefer to learn and therefore will contain preferred modes of learning. In order to identify the preferred learn and learning styles, Kolb developed a Learning Style record that identified students preference for the four modes corresponding to the stages in the learning series. 11 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 3 Task 03 3.1 Personal Development Plan To obtain all goals and objective should have proper personal development plan. I have to be more relevant to the companys requirements. Especially should be practical member who is practicing and matching companys values and code of ethics while improving my personal skills. Therefore I have to use proper personal development planning model as follows; Developing a Personal Development Plan My Needs How Can I meet those needs? What are the Challenges in my job current that I need to meet? Where do I want to be in 2 years? Where do I want to be in 5 or 10 years? How does that fit in with what the practice wants? What adjustments will other people need to make for me to achieve what I want? What else should I consider? PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN: 2010 3.2 Personal Analysis (SWOT) A personal SWOT analysis is a powerful technique that can be used when seeking a career change in the Unilever. Linked to a strong and powerful goal, it can enable to take advantage of skills, talents and abilities to take career to the next level. Look at each area and consider the questions that follow and write down the answers that come into the mind. 12 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 3.2.1 Strengths Personal strengths form an innate part of who are I and my characteristics. Consider my strengths as I see them and talk to your colleagues and friends for a further source of support. What are the skills and capabilities do I have? Leadership, teamwork, rational thinking In what areas do I excel? Leadership handling people and innovative thinking What qualifications, accreditations or experience make me unique? Marketing professional qualifications and marketing experience What would other people consider to be my strengths? Friendliness negotiation ability What qualities, values or beliefs make me stand out from others? Politeness, honest and self discipline Weaknesses Consider my personal weaknesses and how I may be seen by others. It is important to list any areas I feel may be holding me back. What are the gaps in your capabilities and what skills do I need to develop? Language skills In what areas could I improve? Speaking writing skills What would other people consider to be my weaknesses? Language skills What personal difficulties do I need to overcome to reach my goal? Practicing the language Opportunities Opportunities are normally external and may relate to changes in technology, people that may influence decisions, or training, development or support that may support my aspirations. What opportunities are available to me? Higher marketing post in the industry in Hospitality industry Recognition in the business field What external influences can help you to achieve success? Marketing environmental influences Pressure from customers Who could support you to help you achieve your goal? Professional trainers Professional courses 13 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 3.2.4 Threats Threats are also normally external and are the things that get in the way of my success. What obstacles am I facing? Bad economical crisis market down turn What external influences may hinder my success? Unemployment competition for better jobs Who or what could get in the way of you achieving my goal? Organizational structure How Develop My Professional Success I have to be more relevant to the companys requirements. Specially should be practical member who is practicing and matching companys values and code of ethics while improving my personal skills. 3.3.1 Leadership Skills To maximise cooperation and increase productivity within the firm, a few issues should be considered to improve team leadership. Therefore i have to improve my leadership skills with taking support from the company. While the firm has development conversations in place, constructive feedback conversations that work as a two-way process can assist to increases self-awareness of individuals and offers options and encourages development. By taking the conversation to a more informal level and the consequently building of relationships encourages trust between team members. Specific and descriptive feedback on exemplary and not acceptable behaviour should be given to avoid conflict in an organisation and increase performance levels. By starting with a positive point, people are encouraged and using particular examples of behaviour will assist in bringing the point across. An effective feedback process is particularly important for the firm as it addresses the need to build relationships to not only increase the sharing of information, but also build loyalty and retention of people in the long term. Ø Be a leader in my area of responsibility, with a deep commitment to delivering leadership results. To have a clear vision of where we are going. Focus my resources to achieve leadership objectives and strategies. Develop the capability to deliver our strategies and eliminate organizational barriers 14 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 3.3.2 Teamwork Skills To be a successful employee in the Premier Inn i have to improve m team work capabilities. To create a culture of teamwork will encourage collaboration, cooperation and sharing of information as well as empower individuals. Expectations as to teamwork need to be communicated; one of the benefits of introducing this culture is that leaders and managers model teamwork in their interaction with each other and the rest of the organisation. It can have a positive impact on work behaviour and ethics. A performance management system needs to emphasis teamwork and the impact on behaviours which will also need to be reflected by the rewards system. Collaboration through teamwork saves time and money as research efforts are not duplicated, issues can be resolved quicker and beneficial solutions and processes transferred which is a particular issue within the firm. Regular meetings to review project and progresses and to share work will assist in the implementation of the team work culture. Successes will need to be celebrated, by using communications channels such as the Premier Inn News for the firm. This will not only set a positive example for others but also make individuals feel valued and increase their motivation and loyalty. 3.3.3 Evaluation Analytical Skills Create a vision of where your area is going, together with supportive objectives and operational plans communicate regularly, making effective use of a range of different communication methods Develop a range of leadership styles and apply them to appropriate situations and people Give people in your area support and advice when they need it especially during periods of setback and change Encourage people to take a lead in their own areas of expertise and show willingness to follow this lead Ownership To accept personal accountability to meet our business needs, improve our systems and help others improve their effectiveness. Act like owners, treating the Companys assets as our own and behaving with the Companys long-term success in mind 15 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Passion for Winning Determined to be the best at doing what matters most Be a healthy dissatisfaction with the status quo. To have a compelling desire to improve and to win in the marketplace Trust Respect our Premier Inn colleagues, customers and consumers, and treat them as we want to be treated. To have confidence in each others capabilities and intentions. Believe that people work best when there is a foundation of trust. Integrity Always try to do the right thing. Be honest and straightforward with each other. Operate within the letter and spirit of the law. Uphold the values and principles of Premier Inn in every action and decision. Should data-based and intellectually honest in advocating proposals, including recognizing risks. 16 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Green Laws Boost Clean-up Industry :: essays research papers

Green Laws Boost Clean-up Iindustry Engelskaflevering d. 01.09.95 I Have companies around the globe really become "house-proud", or is planet earth just in for a spring cleaning? It is hard to say - but one thing is for sure; the environmental sector is en-joying a boom. The market for pollution control technology is on a steep exponential growth curve, which seems to be interminable. Especially the European companies put down their names for an immense part of the expansion. But what is the precise nature of this sudden environmental con-cern? After all the deteriorating state of the environment is hardly a novel phenomenon, to say the least. Just how vigorous this potential goldmine is going to be for the clean- up industry ac-tually depends on law and order, so to speak. That is to say that one of the main reasons for the turn up is new legislation. Recent EU-directives as to pollution may cause heavy demands on the purse of one company and consequently pour that money down the pockets of the clean technology indu-stry. Moreover the deadlines for plants to meet EU-directives are getting close, and everything se-ems to show that the laws will be enforced. Yet far from all companies have to meet with the raised finger of the law to start investing in their environmental responsibilities. Investments on a volunta-ry basis are often due to the fact that it makes good ecnomic sense or because it gives the corporate image a face- lifting. Seen from a geoprahical point of view Germany and primarily eastern Europe form tremendously good breeding ground for the sale of clean-up equipment. As a result of opencast mi-ning of lignite coal in Poland, for example, a huge clean-up is left, which will amount to billions of dollars. However accidents also occur at sea, where a spate of oil tanker disasters are likely to fill out the order book at oil cleaning industries. Nevertheless a stroke of bad luck is far from necessary in order to make firms under-stand their green obligations. The power of the consumers has been on the increase over the last few years, and the public environmental image means more to a firm than ever before. The average con-sumer going down to the grocer's for a few necessaries is starting to attach importance to something else than just the product itself. How is the detergent wrapped - is the paper bleached? Is this bottle reusable? Are these outdoor tomatoes? - and so on. Personally I don't think that you notice it, as you're walking alongside the shelves in the local supermarket - but you do pay

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 2

For a few seconds, I was no longer at the party. My mind's eye flashed back to where I stood on a cliff outside the town I'd grown up in, barely old enough to be called an adult by today's standards. And Niphon was there, smiling at me, promising me he had all the answers and could make my problems disappear†¦. I shook my head, driving off the memories and returning to the party at hand. His smile grew, an evil smile that promised even more evil things. I could have been facing Eden's serpent himself. â€Å"I knew you had it in you,† he continued, stepping toward me. His voice stayed soft. â€Å"I knew it the minute I saw you. I can't wait to find out firsthand just how†¦experienced you've become.† My defenses snapped into place, and I stepped back. â€Å"Touch me, and I'll break your fucking neck.† â€Å"Such ingratitude, considering I made you what you are.† â€Å"Stay away from me.† He started to move forward again, and my heart leapt to a pace that would have killed most humans. Suddenly, Jerome's voice fell over us, and I realized the room had become silent. â€Å"Leave her alone, Niphon. She said no.† The imp paused and made a pleading face. â€Å"Aw, come on, Jerome. What kind of demon doesn't share his goods?† â€Å"You aren't here to fuck my succubus. If you can't do your job, I can replace you.† Jerome's voice held a warning note that even an asshole like Niphon couldn't ignore. Maybe someone would be consigned to Hell tonight after all. Disappointingly, the imp inclined his head in obeisance and backed off. The look he gave me warned we would have a later conversation. I walked over to Jerome. â€Å"Maybe you should have given me a heads up earlier.† â€Å"And ruin things for you lovebirds? Hardly something a die-hard romantic like me could do. Besides, I told you to come early.† Hugh snapped his cell phone shut and wandered over to join us. He kissed my cheek. â€Å"Hey, sweetie. Big things going on here.† My already enormous sense of dread grew by leaps and bounds. â€Å"Such as?† â€Å"Re-org. Seattle's lines have been redrawn. We're getting another succubus. Or, well, we've got one.† My jaw dropped, and I replayed Niphon's earlier words. â€Å"You are so joking.† â€Å"Afraid not. This is Tawny.† Robo-Blonde pranced over on her stiletto heels and tried to shake my hand again. I kept it out of reach, fearing for my bones. I forced a smile. â€Å"Hi, Tawny.† I turned back to Jerome and jerked my head at Niphon. â€Å"Why is he here then?† â€Å"I acquired her,† the imp explained. â€Å"Acquired† was a nice way of saying he'd bought her soul for Hell, just as he'd purchased mine. â€Å"It's my job to stay and watch her until she's settled in and taken her first victim.† â€Å"No one ever did that for me,† I recalled. â€Å"You sort of threw me to the wolves.† I'd had to be some innkeeper's sex toy in Constantinople for a few years until I'd learned the succubus ropes. Niphon shrugged. â€Å"HR's new policy. Just think of all the time it'll give us to catch up.† Giving Tawny a sidelong glance, I hoped her adamant desire to destroy men everywhere meant she'd be a quick study. Eyeing her leopard-skin skirt, I had my doubts. â€Å"Well. Fantastic. Now that I'm up to speed, I guess there's no need to stay – â€Å" Hugh shook his head, suddenly becoming my-friend-the-imp as opposed to the all-business imp. I could tell from his expression that I wouldn't like what he had to say next. â€Å"There's something else you need to know. For the next year or so, you have to be her†¦uh, mentor.† â€Å"Mentor,† I repeated flatly. He nodded, looking sympathetic. Jerome watched our exchange with amusement. â€Å"What, um, does that mean for me exactly?† Hugh set his briefcase on a coffee table and pulled out what looked like the kind of copied-and-bound manual Kinko's would run off. He tossed it to me. I caught it and nearly keeled over. The thing had about eight-hundred pages. Mentor's Official and Complete Procedural Handbook on Initial Succubus Intake and Probationary Period (Abridged). â€Å"Abridged?† I spun toward Jerome. â€Å"Tell me you're getting back at me for the time I accused you of wearing Old Spice.† â€Å"That one's still coming,† said the demon. â€Å"This one's for real.† â€Å"I can't do this, Jerome. I don't have the time! Do you know how much stuff I've got going on? I'm still training the new assistant manager at work – â€Å" He stood up with speed a vampire might have admired. He leaned toward me, the amusement gone from his face. â€Å"Oh gee, Georgie. How inconsiderate of me to take you away from your human boyfriend and your crucial-to-the-world bookstore job and all the other fucking absurdity in your life! Let me just go ahead and tell my superiors that you've got more important things to do than answer to the powers who control your immortal soul and could wipe out your existence in the blink of an eye.† Heat flooded my cheeks. I didn't really appreciate being verbally bitch-slapped in front of Niphon and Seattle's entire dream team of evil. â€Å"I didn't mean it like that. I just – â€Å" â€Å"It's not up for debate any longer.† His words crawled over my skin. I swallowed. â€Å"Yes, Jerome.† Even I knew when to back down. Silence fell. A smirk played over Niphon's face. â€Å"A human boyfriend. How terribly quaint. I can't wait to hear all about it.† â€Å"I think it's cute,† said Tawny. â€Å"I hope you're making him suffer.† â€Å"Their romance is a great tale of self-exploration,† remarked Hugh, straight-faced. I shot him a glare. As a sexual workaround, Seth and I found we could do unto ourselves what we couldn't do to each other. I'd never actually told my friends about this solution, but they'd kind of figured it out. With the drama complete, the rest of the room lost interest in me. Tawny did not, however, and immediately began talking to me about the joys of ripping out men's hearts and watching them cry. I left her as quickly as I could, working the room and talking to those I hadn't seen in a while. I was good at smiling and making people laugh while all the while, my mind spun and processed this new complication. When I finally found Cody, Peter, and Hugh huddled in a corner, I breathed a sigh of relief. I could tell from the looks on their faces that this was the most hilarious thing they'd seen in a while. Cody, young for a vampire but ancient compared to Tawny, threw an arm around me. His shaggy blond hair was tamed into a short stub of a ponytail. He was perpetually laidback and upbeat, and his â€Å"youth† always made the rest of us want to baby him. â€Å"Oh, man. This is going to be great. You are so screwed.† â€Å"As if,† I said, squirming away. â€Å"You think I'm afraid of her?† â€Å"I am,† said Peter with a shiver. He had thinning brown hair and wore casual yet exquisitely coordinated clothes, all the way down to his argyle socks. He was an old vampire, close to my age, and was Cody's mentor. I'd never thought much about their mentor-apprentice relationship before. It always seemed pretty effortless, but then, Cody was no Tawny. I followed Peter's gaze to where the new succubus animatedly told a story to a stone-faced demoness named Grace. From the dangerous jiggling of Tawny's breasts, it looked as though the structural integrity of her shirt could only last so long. â€Å"I don't think you're afraid,† said Hugh slyly. â€Å"I think you're jealous.† â€Å"Of what exactly? Bad fashion sense? An ergonomically unsound bustline? I have nothing to be jealous of.† â€Å"Whatever. I saw your face when you heard we were getting a new succubus. Looks like someone isn't going to be the only girl in our little clique anymore.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So, we'll have a new little sister to fawn and fret over. You'll have to share the spotlight.† â€Å"I'm not sharing anything,† I said huffily. Peter laughed. â€Å"So it does bother you. Can't wait until the fur starts flying.† â€Å"Her fate is in your hands,† said Cody. â€Å"You should make her call you ‘Miss Georgina,'† added Hugh with a mocking southern drawl. â€Å"Or at least ‘ma'am.'† Niphon's presence and Jerome's lecture had put me in a grouchy mood. â€Å"I'm not doing any mentoring. She's so gungho to take on the world's male population, she doesn't even need me.† The three men exchanged more smirks. Cody made some hissing and meowing sounds, scratching at the air. â€Å"This isn't funny,† I said. â€Å"Sure it is,† said Cody. â€Å"Besides, don't you want to help others? Where's your sense of goodness and charity?† â€Å"I think I cashed that in when I, you know, sold my soul to Hell.† Peter waved his hand. â€Å"Details, details. ‘Tis the season to put aside petty rivalries and animosity. You've got to get into the holiday spirit. You probably haven't even put up your Christmas tree yet.† â€Å"I'm not getting a tree this year.† The smile slipped from Peter's face. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Oh, shit. You've done it now,† said Hugh. â€Å"I already got lectured earlier for not having one.† â€Å"You're a Scrooge,† Peter told him while still looking at me. â€Å"No one expects that kind of festive cheer from you. But Georgina†¦didn't you have a Christmas tree last year?† â€Å"Yeah. Somebody burned it down. At my Christmas Eve Martini Party.† â€Å"I was there,† said Peter. â€Å"I don't remember that.† â€Å"You were drunk. You'd already passed out.† â€Å"What kind of sick bastard burns down a Christmas tree?† Hugh and I exchanged glances. â€Å"That's an excellent question,† I said dryly. Peter looked startled. â€Å"Was it you?† he asked Hugh. â€Å"No,† said the imp. â€Å"It was Carter.† â€Å"Your Christmas tree was burned down by an angel?† asked Cody. He hadn't been with our group last December, so this was all new to him. And Peter too, apparently. â€Å"Yup. The irony isn't lost on me,† I said. â€Å"He had his ashtray too close to where a branch was hanging down.† â€Å"Well, I think he did you a favor,† said Hugh. â€Å"You can get a fake one now. They're easier. No watering. No woodland animals. Besides, you can get them to match your d? ¦cor. Did you notice Peter's is ‘pissed-off ocean green'?† Peter sighed. â€Å"It's ‘jaded sea green.'† I followed their gazes to Peter's monstrosity of a Christmas tree. Nine feet of perfectly shaped needles draped in gold tinsel and red glass ornaments. Everything on it coordinated. In fact, I suddenly realized, it matched Peter's outfit. The tree looked like a display model from a department store. The green in the multicolored bejeweled star on top even seemed to bring out the blue in the ‘jaded sea green.' â€Å"At least you don't have an angel on top,† I said. â€Å"Because that would have been kind of wrong. And possibly a fire hazard.† â€Å"Joke all you want,† the vampire said, â€Å"but you have to have a Christmas tree. Oh, yeah – you also have to draw a name for Secret Santas.† I groaned. â€Å"Are we doing that again?† â€Å"Let me go get the cup,† he said, trotting to the other side of the kitchen. I looked at the other two. â€Å"A vampire obsessed with Christmas. That has to be the weirdest thing I've ever heard.† â€Å"No weirder than an angel burning down a Christmas tree,† pointed out Cody. Peter returned with a reindeer mug that held a few folded pieces of paper. He held it out to me. â€Å"Not many left. Pick.† I pulled out a slip and opened it. Carter. â€Å"Son of a bitch,† I swore. â€Å"I hate Christmas.† â€Å"You do not,† said Peter. â€Å"You just have to get a tree. Then you'll feel better.† My eyes drifted from the star, down to Tawny and Niphon. â€Å"What I have to do is get out of here,† I told them, setting my glass on the counter. I made my good-byes to them and endured a bit more teasing about my new mentoring job. As I walked to the door, I overheard Jerome saying to Grace, â€Å"†¦but I'll be out of town for a few days.† I suddenly realized I needed to ask him something. â€Å"Hey, Jerome.† He turned from the demoness, shooting me an impatient look. In as few words as possible, I recapped how I'd woken up without the energy I'd stolen the previous night. Jerome listened, looking bored. â€Å"What'd you do last night? Bursts of shape-shifting? Rocket science? Heavy lifting?† I didn't need him to tell me what sorts of things would burn through my energy. â€Å"I didn't do any of those things. I just slept. I did dream, though.† â€Å"Dreams only suck the life out of humans, not us,† he remarked dryly. â€Å"It's what keeps Hell in business.† Seeing my expression, he sighed. â€Å"It's probably nothing, Georgie. Mental exhaustion'll do it. You probably spent the whole night unconsciously wrestling with sexual temptation.† I didn't appreciate his flippant answer, but there was nothing I could do about it. I left the party, driving home at a reasonable speed limit this time. As soon as I cleared the door, I tossed that ridiculous manual to the floor. It landed with a ground-shaking thump that made my cat Aubrey puff up her tail. â€Å"Sorry,† I mumbled, scratching her black-speckled head in consolation. Traipsing to the bedroom, I promptly dialed Seth on my cell phone. â€Å"Hey,† he said. â€Å"Hey. You have to come over here tonight.† A pause. â€Å"Well, I could, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh, come on! You won't believe what I just went through. We're getting another succubus.† He paused again. â€Å"I'm not really sure how to respond to that.† â€Å"Respond by getting your ass over here. I need you.† â€Å"Thetis†¦I'm so close to the end here. Four chapters away. And I got this idea while we were having breakfast†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I groaned. Cady and O'Neill had defeated me again. Before actually meeting Seth, I'd worshipped him from afar as a literary genius, reading his novels over and over. Now I knew the dark truth about being a bestselling author's girlfriend. Hearing my silence, he reluctantly added: â€Å"But, I mean, if you really need me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No, no. Don't worry about it. It's okay.† â€Å"You don't sound like it's okay. I know how women work. You say that, then you'll hold a grudge against me forever. Literally.† â€Å"No, really. It's fine. I'll be seeing you tomorrow anyway. Besides, as soon as I get out of this dress, I'm just going to pass out anyway.† No way was I starting that procedural tome. â€Å"You're wearing a dress?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"You weren't wearing one earlier. What's it look like?† I started laughing. â€Å"Ooh†¦are you trying to have phone sex with me?† â€Å"Phone sex? Hardly. We haven't even had a phone first date.† â€Å"It's not that hard. You see, I tell you how the dress has a really low neckline with nothing underneath. Then, you tell me how you'll reach out and peel it off and stroke my – â€Å" â€Å"Oh my God. No. We are not doing this.† Typical Seth. He could write sex scenes that set the page on fire or dialogue clever enough to impress even me. Make him vocalize any of it, and he choked up. He was shy around others, fearful in large groups, and much happier staying an unnoticed listener. I sympathized but sometimes had trouble really comprehending it, considering how often I became the center of attention. I liked to think he'd improved a bit since we got together, but he had a long way to go. â€Å"It just takes practice. Here, I'll help you. Picture it. I'm getting on my knees and slowly unfastening your pants – â€Å" â€Å"Okay, look. If you really want to go through with this, I'd be happy to, you know, go get on my computer and IM it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh good grief. Go work on your book.† I hung up the phone and sat down on my bed. Good Lord. My weekend had taken an abrupt U-turn. Like it or not, I supposed it had been only a matter of time before a new succubus joined the ranks here. Seattle had grown significantly over the years, and I could only do so much. But a green succubus? One I had to train up? If I hadn't known such administrative decisions were out of the demon's hands, I would have accused Jerome of doing it on purpose. It was on par with his sense of humor. Why couldn't we have just gotten some antisocial pro who did her job without ever interacting with me? And Niphon†¦well, that was the coup de gras. I didn't like being reminded of my past, and I didn't like him. Something told me he had it in for me, though I couldn't entirely fathom why. He'd bought my soul and recruited my eternal services. What more was there? Wait and see, a warning voice whispered in my head. I shivered. Tawny couldn't make her first score a moment too soon. Suddenly, I didn't feel like passing out after all. I wanted to go out. Not for a victim or anything†¦just to, well, be out. Grab a drink. Do a little flirting. It might salvage the train wreck I'd just endured. I headed downtown to the Cellar, a favorite watering hole for local immortals. After Tawny's coming-out party tonight, I doubted anyone I knew would be there. A little alone time suited me just fine. Yet, as I entered the crowded bar and slipped through the drinking, laughing patrons, I felt a cool sensation tickle my immortal senses. It made me think of crystal and ozone. Scanning around, I finally found Carter sitting across the room at a round table. Seattle's most powerful angel – and the one who had burned down my Christmas tree – had sensed me too, and a slight smile curled his lips in greeting. Although he naturally hadn't been at Hell's all staff meeting, he did have a tendency to hang out with my little clique. It had weirded me out at first, but I'd since come to view him as a normal fixture in my life, albeit a strange and badly dressed one. More startling than seeing him out tonight, however, was his assortment of companions. Three angels and a human – none of whom I'd ever met before. All of them watched me, displaying curiosity and – for one of them – scorn at my presence. Whatever. He could scorn all he wanted. It would take more than an angel posse to get to me after everything I'd experienced today. Carter's company did strike me as odd; I'd never known him to work with others. A grudging curiosity rose up within me, wondering what could have brought them all together – with a human, no less. Noting my scrutiny, Carter winked and made a small gesture of invitation, much to the astonishment of two of the angels. I nodded back in acknowledgement, first stopping by the bar to get a vodka gimlet. When I walked over a minute later, I put on my best saucy succubus attitude and pulled up a chair beside Carter. â€Å"Well, well,† I said. â€Å"I feel like it's Rush weekend or something. We're all entertaining guests, huh?† â€Å"So I hear,† he said. He absentmindedly ran a hand through his chin-length blond hair. Unless I was mistaken, it had been washed for the first time in six months. These guests must be serious. â€Å"I also hear one of yours is of a more permanent nature.† I pulled a face. â€Å"I don't really want to talk about that, if it's all the same to you.† â€Å"Can we expect a cat fight soon?† â€Å"That joke is so one hour ago. You want to introduce me to the rest of the class?† This made one of the angels laugh. She had deeply tanned skin and black hair that shone like silk. A merry glitter danced in her eyes as she extended a hand to me. â€Å"Yasmine. And you're Georgina.† I nodded back, unable to help a smile. The one she gave me in return filled me with warmth and joy. Maybe some angels weren't so bad after all. It was a good thing, too, because her companions seemed less thrilled to make my acquaintance. â€Å"I'm Whitney,† said another slowly, a pretty black woman whose hair consisted of myriad tiny braids. She dressed with a fashion sense that met my standards and wore cat-eye glasses that made her look both cute and wise. Her handshake took a moment in coming, but it did come. I glanced at the last angel expectantly. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes, paired with a long and narrow face. His expression conveyed clear disapproval and a haughty coldness. Now that was behavior I associated with angels. For a moment, I didn't think he'd speak at all. Then, with great stiffness, he said, â€Å"I'm Joel.† No handshake followed. I turned to the human. He grinned back with as much enthusiasm as Yasmine and flipped his longish dark hair out of his eyes. â€Å"Vincent Damiani. Nice to meet you.† â€Å"You too.† I cut Carter a sly look. â€Å"And all this time, I didn't think you had any friends.† â€Å"You're jumping to conclusions, Daughter of Lilith.† He sipped from what looked like whiskey straight up. â€Å"They're here on business.† â€Å"Ooh. Top secret angel business, huh? What're you going to do? Dance on a pinhead? Lobby for National Cute Puppy Day?† Joel's cold look dropped another ten degrees. â€Å"As if we would discuss our affairs with a dark seductress of evil.† Yasmine elbowed him with an eye roll. â€Å"She's joking.† â€Å"That's what she wants you to think,† he warned ominously. â€Å"I for one am not going to let my guard down while she attempts to use her wily and sinister powers of seduction on us.† Fixing him with a slow, languid smile, I leaned back in the chair, crossing my legs so the skirt rode up my thighs. â€Å"Baby, if I were using my wily and sinister powers of seduction, you'd be the first to know.† A dark flush stained his cheeks. He fixed his gaze on Carter. â€Å"I don't know what game you think you're playing, but you need to get rid of her.† Carter stayed unfazed. â€Å"She's harmless – unless you're a drug-pushing god or a nephilim. Or an introverted writer.† Yasmine flinched, her cheerful countenance becoming sober. â€Å"Don't joke about nephilim.† â€Å"In fact,† Carter obliviously continued, â€Å"she might fix that little logistical problem. Georgina, I don't suppose you'd mind playing hostess, would you? Vincent needs a place to stay while he's in town.† I arched an eyebrow in surprise. Misinterpreting my silence, Vincent hastily added, â€Å"It's okay if you don't want to. I mean, you don't even know me. I can see how that'd be weird.† â€Å"I don't know,† I told him, even more curious as to what was transpiring with this odd group. â€Å"If angels vouch for you†¦well, you can't really get a better recommendation than that. If you don't mind sleeping on the couch, it's fine by me.† â€Å"You're a pearl among succubi,† Carter declared. Joel nearly choked on his drink. Considering his stick-up-the-ass attitude, I doubted he had anything alcoholic. Probably Kool-Aid or Pepsi. Diet Pepsi, at that. â€Å"Are you out of your mind?† he exclaimed. â€Å"She's a succubus. You can't subject him to that. Think about his soul.† â€Å"She's not really into nice guys,† Carter said. â€Å"Usually. You won't have a problem.† Yasmine offered Vincent a playful look. â€Å"He's not that nice anyway.† â€Å"Carter – † began Joel. â€Å"I told you, she's fine. Let it go. You have my word. Besides, she won't ask any questions, and it'll give him an accessible place to stay while you guys search.† I jumped on the word â€Å"search.† Now we were getting somewhere. â€Å"What are you guys looking for?† Dead silence met me. Whitney crossed her arms. Vincent sipped his drink. â€Å"Okay, I get it.† I finished the gimlet with a gulp. â€Å"Need to know basis. Mum's the word. Hush-hush and all that.† Yasmine's easy grin returned. â€Å"I love her, Carter. No wonder you keep her around.† She then started talking about another succubus she'd met in Boston, smoothly changing subjects as deftly as Carter could. Guessing what I was thinking, Carter caught my eye and grinned. I rolled my own eyes in exasperation. Nonetheless, as the evening progressed, I found myself liking Yasmine immensely. She, Vincent, and Carter carried most of the conversation, and while angels weren't nearly as fun as the rest of my friends, I found this group entertaining in their own way. They also swore and drank a lot less, but well, nobody's perfect. When the bar closed, I took Vincent with me, but not before Joel issued warnings about the sanctity of the human soul. Vincent listened to it with a patient face, nodding along at the key parts. â€Å"Is he always like that?† I asked on the drive home. Vincent laughed. â€Å"He can't help it. He means well. He's just worried about me.† â€Å"Are you worried?† â€Å"Nah. You're pretty cute, but no, I'm not worried. I'm already in love with someone.† I started to joke that that was no protection against anything, that I'd seduced plenty of guys who thought they were in love. Something in his voice stopped my quip. The way he spoke implied that being in love was indeed protection from me and all the other evils of the world. He spoke like one who was invincible. I suddenly felt sad. â€Å"Good for you,† I said softly. He cut me a sidelong look. â€Å"You're okay for a succubus.† â€Å"Okay enough to tell me what you and the Super Friends are doing in town?† A smile flashed back over his face. â€Å"No.† At home, I set him up on the couch, producing piles of blankets to keep him warm. I kept my apartment at a steamy temperature most of the time, but it was December, and the part of me that still remembered huddling around meager fires in days gone by felt one could never have enough blankets. I soon went to bed, buried under my own stash of covers. This time, I didn't dream.

Organisational Behavior Assignment

Groups and Organizational Dynamics Assignment Prof. Nafisa Kattarwala Submitted by – Ryan Pereira PT-MBA Div. B Roll No. 39 What are the types of groups you have worked with in an organization, what are the conflicts that had arisen and how did you resolve them? A group is defined as two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives. Groups can be either formal or informal. Formal groups are those groups that are defined by the organization’s structure, with designated work assignments establishing tasks.Informal groups are alliances that are neither formally structured nor organizationally determined. Informal groups are natural formations in the work environment that appear in response to the need for social contact. Formal groups are further classified into command groups, task groups and functional groups whereas informal groups are classified into interest groups and friendship groups. As an employee of JPMorgan, I had the privilege of working with a wide variety of groups ranging from functional (formal) groups to interest and friendship (informal) oriented groups.The formal functional group which I was associated with had been formed in order to achieve the organizational objective. As a part of the corporate actions and income processing team, my groups’ primary function was to ensure corporate action notices were sent out to clients in a timely fashion and ensuring payment of incomes (dividends and coupons) to all entitled JPMorgan clients were completed as per the specified deadlines. We were a group of 5 individuals (4 males and 1 female). The conflict that had initially risen within this formal functional group was the work allocation to males and females.As the team was usually heavily burden with volumes throughout the major part of the week and as the female in the group had to leave early to take care of household activities, she had informed the group that she w ould not accept additional work and will be working for only a fixed number of hours. This did not go well with the rest of the male employees who had to put in extra hours in order to complete the work. The male employees felt that she was taking undue advantage of the fact that she was a female and taking on less work and responsibilities as compared to them.As the team leader was on an extended leave, it was the operations analyst’s responsibility to handle the situation and maintain order in the group. As I was the operations analyst in the group, I ensured that the interests of all the parties in the group were met by requesting the female member of the group to do an early shift (early morning 7 AM to 5 PM) so that she could handle a majority of the workload in the morning and could leave at her scheduled time so that she could also complete her household activities.In this way the interests of the female employee was met as well as that of her male colleagues who had r elatively less workload at the latter part of the day as compared to before the conflict. The second group that I was associated with was informal in nature and was an interest group. JPMorgan has a wide variety of hobby groups that an employee can join, in order to enrich the employees’ interest in certain hobbies like reading, trekking, etc.I had enrolled myself in the reading group as I am an avid reader and knew that JPMorgan has an extensive collection of books and literature and could benefit extensively from my associations with the group. The group used to give out books (novels of all genres – management, science fiction, adventure, autobiographies, crime, detective, etc. ) to employees for a period of two weeks after which the employee would be requested to return the book to the group so that the group could lend the books to others.The group used to also hold book reviews and discussions on many occasions. The conflict that arose in this group was that a fe w group members felt that only they were actively participating in the reading group and the others were just there for name sake and were like sleeping partners. The members felt that there were individuals in the group who were not even responsible for the books lent by them to employees nor did they keep accurate tabs on those who had taken the books and had not yet returned the books as per the scheduled deadlines.As a result of this irresponsibility, the group had lost/ misplaced several titles from its collection and the books could not be replaced as the group was formed as a recreational group without any funding from senior management for purchasing books. The books that were in possession with the group were donated by employees and colleagues over the years and the collection had amassed to an impressive one.The group decided that as there were indeed individuals who were contributing relatively less as compared to the other individuals in the group, the group should list down all the activities that it entails and should allocate jobs/ tasks to each individual in the group. There should be primary, secondary and tertiary roles assigned to individuals so that no task/ group activity is left unchecked if one or two employees of the group were absent on a particular day.This way each individual in the group is given the responsibility of a certain group activity or task and no individual is sitting idle in the group without any work or with making any contribution in the group. Furthermore, it was decided that the tasks/ group activities would be rotated amongst the group members so that no one individual gets bored/ uninterested with the same activity and so that all the members in the group gets a hands on approach to all the activities of the group. The rotation was done on a month to month basis and quarter basis depending on the activity.The third group that I was associated with was an informal friendship group. In JPMorgan, I had the privilege of meeting some amazing and extremely talented people. I was fortunate enough to form a lasting bond of friendship with such individuals. These individuals were from different backgrounds and had different thought processes and hence I was able to learn a lot from them. We were a total of seven friends at JPMorgan – four males and 3 females. All of us were from different departments and used to sit on different floors of the same building, but we used to meet up to have lunch together as a group.We used to co-ordinate amongst ourselves and used to meet in the office cafeteria. In a span of one year we had become really good friends and had some truly memorable times with each other. One day when the entire group was seated for lunch at the office cafeteria, a conflict of sorts broke out amongst the group when one of the guys in the group made a general statement and one of the girls in the group took the statement personally and felt that the statement was directed at her as an insult.The guy in the group did not intentionally want to insult the girl but the girl took the statement in that manner. Due to this miscommunication, there was a cold war between the girl and the guy and those that were around them. The rest of the friends in the group did not understand why the two were behaving in such a negative manner towards each other. All those who were part of the group started acting differently around each other as they too were friends with the guy and the girl in some way or the other and they could not take sides.Due to this there were a lot of petty issues which were brought up and made into big issues as the group started fighting amongst themselves. In the end, we all split up and are no longer in touch with each other. We decided to stay apart as the incident created a riff in the friendship which could not be bridged. These are some of the groups that I was associated with along with the conflicts that had been faced and how they were resolved .