Evaluate the Value of the Personal Development Plan

When creating my personal development plan I found many advantages and disadvantages that could occur. Even though I know the best ways that I learn and know what I need to do to improve my personal development plan to make it the most effective it could possibly be. There are many advantages of the personal development plan. Once creating the personal development plan you can always go back and change it, add improvements or completely change the aspects of the plan to apply to certain events or challenges throughout your life.This means that when you go through the life you are always able to have the same plan with you so you will be able to just keep adding to it and improving it. Having the personal development plan throughout your life will show any weakness that you may have or weaknesses that may occur often, meaning you can see the pattern and change what you do to effectively sort it. However keep seeing the same weakness may have a negative effect on you as you will start to believe that you cannot improve on it.This could get people down as they will feel that you can’t achieve personal goals you have started or created. Personal development plans are very beneficial to each person and have to be individual. Everyone could not have the same personal development plan as individuals are so different to one another. One person’s strengths may be another’s weakness and vice versa. Your own strengths and weaknesses make you who you are meaning that you have different goals and targets which you want to achieve.I don’t think that anyone else could ever write a personal development plan for someone else, for example a teacher writing one for a pupil. I think this as only you know your true strengths and weaknesses even though you may not always want to admit them. A teacher may make several weaknesses and smart targets for you to work on but may not give you a long enough time scale. Only you as the individual know how long you will take to complete the task or target and having these set by someone else may put unneeded pressure upon yourself.

City vs. Country

Podcasts – Themes – City vs. country Introduction Download the LearnEnglish Themes podcast. You’ll find more information on this page: http://www. britishcouncil. org/learnenglish-podcasts-themes. htm This support pack contains the following materials: †¢ the article that you can listen to in the podcast †¢ an optional language activity based on the article †¢ links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (city vs. country). Read the article Town or country mouse? by John Russell Once upon a time, there were two mice – cousins. One lived in the town and the other in the country.The town mouse was a very superior mouse, who thought that living in the town was far better than living the country. So one day, he invited his country cousin to stay with him in his town house and experience the civilized lifestyle of the town. They sat down to a meal, which to the country mouse was a feast. â€Å"Goodness me† he said. à ¢â‚¬Å"If I was in the country, I would be having only simple bread and cheese in the quiet of my peaceful home. † Suddenly, there was a loud noise at the door. â€Å"Don’t worry,† said the town mouse, â€Å"that’s just my neighbour – the dog, he wants to join us for dinner. The country mouse ate a little faster. Another noise was heard outside, even louder this time. â€Å"Oh dear† said the town mouse, â€Å"the cat who lives facing my house wants to join us too. † Quickly eating the last of his meal, the country mouse said, â€Å"thank you, but I think I will return to the peace and quiet of my own house after all! † Then he ran back home as fast as his legs could carry him. This simple tale (taken from Aesop’s famous stories) shows that what may be a good place to live for one person, may not be good for another.A modern version of this story might look like this: Maria lives in a big city surrounded by the speed and c onvenience of urban life. She works in an office with 1000 other employees, and travels too and from there on a crowded Metro. Her home is a flat overlooking a busy city-street, which is always alive with the sound of traffic and people passing by. After work she meets with friends in a bar or restaurant before going on to a disco or nightclub. Weekends are spent in the shopping mall with its numerous shops, multi-screen cinemas, fast food and entertainment complexes. Alex, however, lives in a small village in the countryside.He cycles to work down country lanes every morning, the sound of tractors, birds and animals in his ears. In the evening, he relaxes at home in front of the fire with a good book to read. At weekends, he goes for long walks in the fields with his dog. Unfortunately, life is not as simple as stories make it. A lot of today’s ‘town mice’ such as Maria would be happy to live in the country. Many modern cities have very large populations (Tokyo or Mexico City – over 25 million) and can be crowded, dirty and dangerous places to live. More than half the world’s population now lives in cities.In much of Europe and North America this can be as high as much as 80% of a country’s population. (According to the United Nations, approximately 1 billion people in cities are living in slum conditions – overcrowded and unhealthy). The 18th Century marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the depopulation of the countryside, and the move to towns. The towns became places of mass employment in factories and offices. Today, many town dwellers wish to The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.

Effective Career Management and Planning Essay

For individuals career management is one of the important tasks which should be arranged in order for theme to be employable, and successful in their work and life. This essay introduces terms career management, career planning and explain how these two tasks are linked together. Subsequently it also explain how to effectively manage careers. Lastly conclusion and explanation will be given on who is responsible for managing careers, as well as who should plan individuals career to improve effectiveness. There is many ways to describe career management. As it is described by American Management Association it is a cycle of events that enables individuals and companies to achieve their goals (HR Focus 1999). Good management of careers would preferably put employees in most profitable and competitive situation for the businesses, at the same time employees are required to understand what skills will help them to improve and develop in order to achieve rewards from work and personal life. There are two different career managements: organizational and individual (De Vos, A et. all 2008). Organizational career management is set to improve workers effectiveness, this is achieved by findings what workers want and helping them in achieving the goals, at the same time selecting the employees who deserve opportunities the most, in order to motivate them. Individual career management is effort which individual puts to improve career aspiration, it is also very important that employees, while satisfying their personal goals, also satisfy the goals of the organisation. In changing economy of 21st century, people are not able to remain in only one job for the duration of their life. As Handy (1976) said traditional careers are not compatible with new organisation structures. It is also proven by Guest and Mackenzie (2006) that the number of the opportunities of work promotion decreased which would make it more difficult for the employees to move up the ladder in their organisation (Newell 2000). Due to the changes in the organisations, and the fact that employees are not able to work for one employer for the duration of their career, puts more responsibilities for managing careers on the employees themselves in order to achieve their life ambitions. Career management in today’s world requires people to learn continuously for the duration of their career due to increasing amount of technology being used in day to day work. To be competitive in the work, employees have to be current with new technologies and skills, which will increase their employability. Another very important skills employees have to develop are relationships with colleagues and competitors, which will help in observation how the industry is changing, to be modern and competitive in the workplace. Psychological contract is a mutual obligation of employees and employers, this obligation can include promises and expectation from both parties of the contract. Over the years Psychological contract has changed dramatically due to changes in the economy. Psychological contract no longer gives job security, and mainly focuses on short term financial relationship (Atkinson, 2002). These changes put more responsibilities on employees and demand from them to be highly skilled, and marketable. Career planning is a part of career management which consist of activities which lead to achieving career goals, as well as finding their strength and weaknesses (Orpen 1994). Tasks are associated with exploring people’s interests and abilities; it also should include identifying new skills people want to develop. Career planning also involves drawing action plans and making sure the plans are realistic. Planning is one of the tasks which are compulsory to remain employed and competitive in employment market. Planning of career must include variety of strategies carried out in order for the individual to be successful. In order to develop a career plan individual have to go through four steps: self assessment which helps people identify their skills and qualities, research which is design to introduce individual to job from inside, decision making requires individual to choose one of the options available, and lastly taking actions such as looking for jobs as well as keeping in touch with the people in the field (Zigelstain, T). Each of these steps is design to help individual find his ideal career based on skills and attributes of individual. Research conducted by Orpen (1994) shows that the employees who plan and use different tactics are more successful in their careers even if the tactics do not work. The responsibility of managing and planning the careers for individuals lies between the employers and employees, mainly because employment is seen as a relationship between these two parties. It is very important that there are different tasks assign to this two parties in order for them to work effectively. Then again career management on the organization side helps empl oyee become more successful, encourages workers to identify what they want, it also support self-development (Barnet & Bradley 2007). Involvement of the organisation in career management brings confidence to an employee which makes them feel their careers are better. Taking in the account the fact that in today’s world people will frequently change jobs- as indicated by Bureau of Labour Statistics 64% of individuals change job between 5 to 14 times in their life (Loretto 2010)- responsibility of managing career is principally placed on the individuals themselves. In the conclusion it is vital to saying that the career management and planning is very important in individuals’ career. Tasks associated with planning and managing help people to uncover their skills and attributes which then can be used in their career. Managing careers is broadly responsibility of employees, but in order for the employees to take the right steps in managing the career help from employers in form of various activities is needed. If the help from the organizations is not significant there will be only little progress made in managing the careers (Newell 2000). At the same time due to changes in economy and organizations themselves people have to take control in planning and managing their careers on their own in order to make career effective and gain benefits as well as satisfaction from work and personal life. Without participation in the tasks associated with planning and managing careers individuals will find it very difficult to find the precise occupation in which they will feel comfortable. Concurrently share responsibility of career management improves performance as well as increases benefit for organization and individuals. There will be help available from your employer in managing and planning career but before individual or graduates get job they should take control of their career and life.

Nature and Victor Frankenstein

Nature plays an important role In Frankincense, although to the deader familiar with romantic poetry, it may seem that nature Is somewhat less Important or less central than the role It plays, but from the novel's opening, the importance of the reader getting a sense of physical place is established by situating the text within a particular environment, the qualities of which will both mirror and contradict the inner states of the main characters. Even from the very beginning of the novel, theme of nature is incorporated into Shelley work. The icy wilderness in which the novel begins and ends is the barren land of isolation from human warmth ND companionship, Into which Walton foolishly sails and Into which Frankincense Is Inexorably led by the monster, whose inescapable destiny is It†. Later, on the morning after Victor gives life to his creation, he says, â€Å"Morning, dismal and wet †¦ As if I sought to avoid the wretch whom I feared every turning of the street would present to my view'. When Victor is scared or upset the weather is nasty to complement the way that he is feeling in certain situations.And also Victor notes that the landscape of the Orkney and that of his native country are quite distinct. His ascription of the Orkney Is cold, barren, gray, and rough. In contrast, he recalls Switzerland as colorful and lively and the landscape as teeming with blue lakes that reflect the brilliant blue sky. It is symbolic, of course, that Victor has chosen such a barren place to create the companion for the Creature. The contrast between the two places is as stark and distinct as the differences between Frankincense's Creature and the human world.The Creature occupies a world that is bleak, that Is attacked on all sides by an unforgiving set of conditions. Victor, his family occupies a world that as beauty, even though each has had to deal with occasional harsh realities. These appropriate pairings of characters with their environments will be re-e mphasized throughout the novel, and the physical qualities of the environments will provoke contemplative thought for most of the main characters, especially Victor. By chapter five of the first volume, Shelley creates a connection between Victor and nature.Instead of describing his moods with metaphor, as In earlier images, she describes his recovery from grave Illness through his affinity with nature. Although nursed by is closest friends, It Is the breathing of the alarm that finally gives him strength: We passed a fortnight in these perambulations: my health and spirits had long been restored, and they gained additional strength from the salubrious air I breathed, the natural incidents of our progress †¦ The air is not simply necessary for life; Victor is so taken with it that he actually gains strength from it that he had not had before.Another role of nature is a deep understanding of the mysterious forces of nature by Victor Frankincense. So Victor acknowledges tense Tor tes when en says: It was ten secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things, or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my inquires were directed to the metaphysical, or, in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world. It is the great force of nature that drives Victor into his scientific pursuit in the first place.When lightening shreds the tree in front of Victor's eyes he is doomed for life. On the night that Victor first gives life to his creation, it is dark and dreary. Victor makes his declaration of purpose hen he says, â€Å"more, far more will I achieve: treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation†. In Victor's case, an obsession with the nature of science pushes him to cross the boundary that separates the forces of human power and nature when he decides to co nstruct his creation.Along with his own feelings of ambition, Victor also constructs his creation because of the want to bring about change in his society. And when he creates life from lifeless matter to bring change n his society, readers are forced to use their imagination to give life to this creation themselves. Later, when Victor returns home on receiving word of Williams death, he notes that â€Å"Night closed all around; and when I could hardly see the dark mountains, I felt still more gloomily.This picture appeared a vast and dim scene of evil, and I foresaw obscurely that I was destined to become the most wretched of human beings†. At the end of the novel during Victor's honeymoon, â€Å"the wind, which had fallen in the south, now rose with great violence in the west†, before Elizabeth is ordered by the creation. In conclusion, the natural settings in â€Å"Frankincense† play a vital role in enhancing the impact of the story and progression of the plo t and characters.What has been said so far, then, is that man attempts to control nature believing to be the master over all. In fact, man's effect is Just that, an unnatural one, in that it works against nature instead of with nature. The question then, is why man is unable to emulate nature, why he is unable to work with nature without harming it in some way, as we have seen above. One answer is that man is unable to see ahead, hat he refuses to see the purpose in everything that nature does.Victor Frankincense is so obsessed with his mother's death and with his desire to remove it, that he does not see the purpose that death has. So, Just because mankind has the power to do something, does not necessarily mean that he must, or should. Instead, perhaps he should respect the natural course of things. And nature surrounds us during our whole life, and it has a great influence on us, as well as on our mood and behavior. Resources: http://www. Gutenberg. Org/files/84/84-h/84-h. HTML h ttp://Ankara. English. Upend. Demesnes/nature. HTML

Port state control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Port state control - Essay Example Generally speaking, governments possess neither the inspection expertise required to uphold international standards nor the worldwide network of surveyors needed to ensure compliance. Contracting for the assistance of private actors indicates an effort to comply with international standards. But it might be asked whether some of the states attempting to pursue a survey and compliance regime on their own have an adequate infrastructure to fulfill their treaty obligations. The IMO presses on and multilateral efforts to improve the overall performance of flag states will undoubtedly bear some fruit. Nevertheless, it appears that effective global governance of shipping safety in the foreseeable future will rely heavily on the actions of responsible port states, working unilaterally and in groups, and on the industry's reactions to port state control efforts. (IMO, 295) The right of the port state to take action against a vessel when it violates port state regulations established in accordance with internationally agreed-upon standards is well established in international law.

East Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

East Asia - Essay Example One of the underlying reasons for why this particular text, known as â€Å"Art of War† has survived so many centuries is due to the fact that it seeks to apply tactics and strategies that specifically undermine and highlight weaknesses of one’s adversary. Within such a context, military strategists, cyber warriors, consultants, and even individuals utilize this text as a means of defining the problem in seeking to attack in a situation from the most effective angle possible. Essentially, Sun Tzu denoted that superiority in numbers, wealth, and many other aspects of superiority were not in and of themselves sufficient to guarantee that victory can be obtained. Whereas it is true that Sun Tzu specifically applied his knowledge and writings to the act of warfare, these very same writings are applicable to the way in which an individual orders their life and seeks to accomplish key goals. Whereas prior methods of war and engagement, at least those used within Europe, has the military fate of entire nations or empires arrest upon pitched battles between two opposing sides in a given field of conflict, Sun Tzu promoted the understanding that such a form of conflict was essentially wasteful and did not guarantee a positive outcome for an individual that may have a superiority or inferiority of forces, money, or more owl. Instead, Sun Tzu promoted the understanding that alternative approaches towards weakening the enemies row, attacking the when least expected, utilizing guerrilla tactics and a litany of other nonlinear approaches were the most effective means by which victory can ultimately be achieved. In many ways, the old English expression that there is more than one way to skin a cat or any other statement that denotes alternative mechanisms of achieving a goal was the main focus upon Sun Tzu’s â€Å"Art of War†; illustrating the fact that approaching a situation directly

How you would personally lead a team in times of changes Essay

How you would personally lead a team in times of changes - Essay Example Everything has changed over the time, and this has had a great impact on the way organizations function. As a leader, the responsibility of adopting the right strategy in these times of change fundamentally rests upon the shoulders of the leader. Change in leadership is inevitable. A leader is frequently exposed to circumstances that generate the need for change. A leader must be intelligent and proactive enough to adapt to these changes and make the wisest decision considering the needs of the changed circumstances. The experiences I have shared in this paper discuss what strategies I have employed to deal with the challenges arising as a consequence of changes that took place, and how those strategies helped me achieve my objectives. Each experience that I have shared demonstrates a different kind of change and accordingly, a different strategy I adopted to lead my team to success. Questions that I intend to answer by discussing my personal experiences of change and leadership incl ude but are not limited to; What type of change it was?What were the constraints and how they impacted my ability to lead the group? What was the best course of action to adopt in that change? Â  What rationale did I have to adopt that course of action in those circumstances? How have I incorporated the theoretical concepts of leadership in practice?What were the limitations of my leadership?The behavior of a leader plays a decisive role in the success of the leader as well as the followers.