Modern Poetry Comparison Essay

Over the past few weeks, my class and I have been studying a bank of poems, all of the same theme, they all deal with racist issues in modern life. I have chosen two of these poems to compare, these are, ‘The Negro’ and ‘Prayer of a black boy’. Throughout the coursework I shall be calling ‘Prayer of a black boy’ Poem ‘A’, and ‘The Negro’, poem ‘B’. Poem ‘A’ uses imagery contrasting white and black cultures, lots of words and expressions in the poem underlines the wonder and amazement of the Negro’s natural environment, and the barrenness and unproficness of the white man’s. I will be disusing these and pointing out the affects they have. Poem ‘B’ is in 6 clear stanzas but uses imagery of a symbolic and/or historic kind, and so I will also explain the affects this has upon the poem, and although Poem ‘A’ is written continuously, it can easily be broken into six stanzas for comparison. Also both poems are written in the first person, we know this because they say ‘I’. Due to Poem ‘B’ being in six stanzas it is very quick and easy to read and understand, so I have split Poem ‘A’ into six parts as well to make it easier to compare. Poem ‘A’ tells us that the mans roots are very black, and that he is proud to be Black and that him and his people originated from Africa, I concluded this from the line â€Å"Black as the depths of Africa†. In poem ‘B’ the man says â€Å"he is tires of this world†, he is saying a prayer, which means he is fed up of the way white people act and live and he wants out, also he says â€Å"since the cock crew he wandered†, this means he is worn out of looking for a better place of peace amongst the white people. Poem ‘A’ explains that the man in the poem has always been used as a slave and that he has been treated like a second class citizen because of his race. Also he says â€Å"Caesar told me† this means that black people have been slaves for a very long time, even when Caesar was around. But he seems to be proud of what he and his race have done to get where they are now. During the second part of Poem ‘B’, the man describes a beautiful scene of where and what he wants to be, but then he thinks about what will really happen, which is that his people are slaves and workers all day then he says they are spat out of the factory in which they work. He also dreams of going back to his own country and living freely amongst his people, but he then awakes with great disappointment to se he is still stuck in a white mans world. In the third part of Poem ‘A’ the man explains that he worked on ancient buildings as well as very modern buildings, which shows us a sense of time, of which he and his people have been treated with a lower standard from the white people, and over a long period of time. The man in Poem ‘B’ tells us that what the so called gentleman is, he doesn’t want to be, because he can see the real white people and they are not kind and generous as a real gentleman is thought to be. Also he compares his brown skin with the brown sugar bags in the street, which are from his country and makes yet again think of being at home with black people. The forth part of Poem ‘A’, tells us that he is a singer, and this shows he is proud of the situation he is currently in. We have a mention that he worked his way up from his homeland (Africa) to Georgia, where he sings ragtime for white people and they like it, and this makes him very proud to be who and what he is, a Negro. In the forth section of Poem ‘B’ the Negro explains that he really wants to be back where he knows is a lot better place, which is his country, because in this country there is nothing better than his home, Africa. In section five of Poem ‘A’, he tells us that he and his race have been victims all their lives, he tells us the horrors oh what has happened in the past to him and his race. They have been treated unfairly and with no trial they are punished. Poem ‘B’ section five, tells us that the man doesn’t want to learn the ways and religion of the white people, he wants to know his own history and practise his own religion, the religion of the black people from his home country. He asks why he should read about things he doesn’t know or understand of. The white people’s religion comes from a book, (the bible), whereas black religion is carried through time in stories and songs. The final section of Poem ‘A’ is the exact same as the first stanza, he repeats how proud he is of where how hard him and his race have worked, and that he is proud of his wonderful country, his wonderful home, Africa. The final section of Poem ‘B’ isn’t the same as it’s first, in this final part, the black man explains that white people are too sad for his kind, and that his culture are in touch with there countries natural habitat and that the white people are far too industrious. The final line tells us that the white culture needs to lighten up a bit.

Ethical Considerations Reflection Paper Essay

  Teachers must take into consideration the school policies and the code of conduct that is appropriate in the educational work place. These policies and codes affect the ethical thinking of teachers and how they must act towards their co-workers, parents, and students. It focuses on what is considered as good decisions and the correct actions as well as the moral responsibility teachers must uphold. However, the opinion of the public is also a contributing factor to what is considered as acceptable/unacceptable conduct for teachers both in and out of the work place. So what is primary ethics? What are the primary ethical considerations for teachers in a K-8 educational setting? One definition for primary ethics is a branch of philosophy (a theory or system of moral values) that examines ethical concepts and issues within a profession (Primary Ethics Ltd, 2013). Every school sets a standard or code of ethics that every teacher must adhere to and use as a guide which can help teache rs perform effectively while setting an example for their students. Teachers must acquire the ability to support the goals and mission under the code of ethics. This means acknowledging a commitment to the students, the profession, and to the community. The Oklahoma Department of Education (the state in which I live in) requires a standard for performance and conduct for teachers. The site lists three main principles for teachers to follow which include: a commitment to students, the profession, and to the provisions of the Teacher Due Process Act of 1990 (The State of Oklahoma, 2013). The first two principles of the ODE correspond with the National Education Association principles from the code of ethics. Both share a commitment to the students and to the profession. The primary ethics that K-8 teachers should consider is to serve the needs of all students by providing an educational environment that will promote the interests, social growth, and learning of the students as well as promote academic integrity, respect for others and the accountability for their actions.

Production analysis and strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Production analysis and strategy - Essay Example sand units every day, our production strategy was diverted to other initiatives to ensure profitability; we commenced carefully controlling prices, intensified marketing & product promotion and more importantly also concentrated on repaying our loan. Improvements in the lean manufacturing were particularly useful when we needed to switch production and therefore expended some significant amounts on the strategy. There were very few changeovers; we switched to the production of 500g varieties. Lean manufacturing also played an advantageous role by allowing the exploitation less competitive areas quicker than the other companies. We also spent a lot on production which translated to a high capacity in production; eventually this was one of our greatest competitive edge as compared to the other firms in the market place. When competition started cutting into our margins, we were able to maintain volumes in sales thanks to our strategies of continued diversification, investment in marketing & product promotion and strategic pricing. We therefore maintained a steady production and sales volumes despite the entry of other firms in the market. A critical factor in our strategy was production capacity; a steady and increasing production capacity gave us the much needed economies of scale. We managed therefore to spread costs through higher production capacities with net effect of reduced cost of production. With the increasing production capacity and reducing costs of production our team should be able to keep up with customer demands and also venture into new markets. Strategic gaps can be seen more especially with the decreasing production capacities of team D and this is therefore a potential markets for future entry. In the framework of VRIN analysis, our production capacity proved to have a very high value as it presented us with a unique opportunity to venture into underserved markets. We therefore were in a position give value to customers by ensuring their

Raising the minimum wage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Raising the minimum wage - Essay Example should not be increased because this will main that small business, which are said to play a very crucial role in the USA economy will be affected negatively and this will have a negative impact on the economy. As Hasset and Strain (Para 15) say, it is â€Å"†¦.because it will make it more expensive for businesses to hire young and low-skill workers at a time of crisis-level unemployment†. The truth is that the minimum wage is a problem in the USA. With big corporations such as Wal-Mart and McDonalds taking advantage of the minimum wage to take advantage of their employees despite the fact that these companies can afford to pay better salaries, there is a need to consider this issue. However, the solution is not to increase the minimum wage for all employers, but to address the issue with much more wisdom. However, there are experts who do not see this is this way. For instance, Cassidy (Para 2) argues that he minimum wages must be raised because of two major factors. First the inflation rates have increased over the years while the minimum wages have remained constant. This means that the workers are getting lower pay than can meet their daily needs because the inflation has reduced the value of the dollars. While the minimum wage does not increase as fast as the inflation rate reduces the value for the dollar, the firms that sell products and services to the consumers increase the prices of their products as soon as the inflation rate has reached a significant level to affect their bottom-line. Secondly, he shows that the American minimum wage is so much lower in comparison to the other first world nations like those in Europe and in Australia. However, what people like Cassidy do not realize that that there are more complicates issues when it comes with macroeconomics. This has bee n addressed by (Finnegan Para 5). Finnegan (Para 3) argues that increasing the minimum wage is not necessarily a poverty panacea and that those who think that this will solve

The Gunpowder Plot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Gunpowder Plot - Essay Example The failed plot to assassinate James I and the ruling Protestant elite tainted English Catholics with claims of treason for centuries thereafter. In this paper I describe the infamous Gunpowder plot before discussing its resolution and the implications for English Catholics before their emancipation. The year 1603 marked the end of an era where Catholics were in a transitional phase between rulers and had the opportunity to fundamentally alter their subjugate role within society. After nearly 45 long years as Queen of England, Elizabeth I was nearing death. It was assumed that her successor would be James VI of Scotland. Had this have been the scenario, Catholics would have been able to celebrate increased freedom as James VI was more lenient towards catholicism (Smith 1998). This was pleasing to the English Catholics as this could have marked an end to their suffering. They had suffered severe persecution since 1570, when the Pope had excommunicated Elizabeth, releasing her subjects from their allegiance to her. Additionally, The Spanish Armada of 1588 continued to make matters worse. To the Tudor State, it was held that each and every follower of Catholicism were potential traitors (Adams, 2005). They were forbidden to hear Mass, forced instead to attend Anglican services, with steep fines for those recusants who persistently refused (Smith 1998). Since James was more warmly disposed to Catholicism than the dying Queen Elizabeth. His wife, Queen Anne of Denmark, was a Catholic, and James himself was making vocal about his empathy with the plight of the Catholics. Moreover, historians contend that the early signs were encouraging to catholics as he ended their political dissatisfaction. In fact, he immediately ended recusancy fines and awarded important posts to the Earl of Northumberland and Henry Howard, another Catholic sympathizer (Questier, 2006). Catholics began to openly practice their beliefs as they became increasingly optimistic about their future in England (Smith 1998). While some individuals indicate that Catholics should have never felt any sense of security, others indicate that the Catholics were well on their way to emancipation. In his attempts to accommodate different religious demands, James was dissatisfied at their growing allegiance. This is because of his religious devotion to his own beliefs. Moreover, the uncovering of the 2 plots in 1603 created obstacles to James’ capacity to further empathize with the Catholic followers. The situation deteriorated further at the Hampton Court Conference of January 1604 where James I was explicit in his show of hostility against the Catholics in order to satisfy the Puritans, whose demands he could not wholly satisfy. Furthermore, in the following month he publicly denounced Catholicism. This was followed by every priests and Jesuits had being expelled as well as the resurgence of recusancy fines. The taste of freedom coupled with the abrupt 180 created an aura of despe ration that hit home with some of the most devout followers. Specifically, Robert Catesby was a devout Catholic whose father had been imprisoned for harboring a priest. Moreover, he had had to leave university without a degree, to avoid taking the Protestant Oath of Supremacy. Yet he possessed immense personal magnetism, crucial in recruiting and leading his small band of conspirators. James’ discontent is arguably because of the fact that the Catholic followers were so devout to the pope. He assumably didn’t want to have his constituents loyal to another leader. This perhaps caused him to be more cruel to the followers. Moreover, many sources indicate that there were fears of the pope attempting to take over. This is why kings did not want to allow this religion to proliferate within their borders. As kings

What are the main changes that the music industry has gone through Personal Statement

What are the main changes that the music industry has gone through since the 1980's - Personal Statement Example The technological development in recent years, has bankrupted record companies with the rise of legal downloading and the demand for live performances. What is more artists who try to sell their CDs during their concerts realized that fans prefer to buy a T-shirt for $20 instead a CD for $10. Therefore, artists now focus their attention on how to market T-shirts and other extra-musical extensions. Word of mount and internet sites like MySpace play a huge role in boosting popularity and music consumerism. Many groups decide to undertake the marketing of their music by themselves and succeed. An example is Take to the Skies which was the second unsigned band to sell out 2000 seats in London. In the past groups often tour to present their music losing the investment. Nowadays, is the other way round.Free downloading is perceived as excellent promotional tactics which will increase the audience and will stimulate the fans to attend concerts. Prince, is giving his fans a free copy of his newest CD if they come to his concerts at O2 in London. Music business analysts comments that record sales are in decline because of the wider music market today - live performances, video-clips, social networking, merchandising - they all influence the transformation of the consumer attitudes. Because of this the four big labels - Sony/BMG, Warner Music, Universal and EMI are struggling to keep up and apply cost-cutting operations for many years now. The publishers are trying to gain profits through different licensing, advertising, additional charges for films and outlets that try to open music stores. An example of the decline of record sales in given with Spice Girls debut album in 1996. Virgin a subsidiary of EMI sold the album for 13 GBP and the company's profit was more than 5 GBP. Today a CD costs no more than 9 GBP, and the actual expected profit (if the label is lucky) might be 2GBP. In comparison, the market for top-selling CDs in Great Britain decreased with 20% in the first quarter of 2007, as to the same period in 2006. The label's hope is that the demand for physical formats will be replaced by the growth of the download market. The last figures in the U.S show that the digital download was worth $ 981 million. The author notes that the music moved from being a high-margin product, into low-margin commodity. Buying an album with 10 songs when you like only three of them is an old-fashioned and uneconomical way of constructing a MP3 player music library. At the end of 1990s a single is sold for $5, today you can get a track for 99 cents at the iTune music store. The authors explains that the creation of the CD, brought it to its own destruction. Record companies manufactured CDs in remote places and sold them as more expensive format than the cassette or vinyl LP. CD burning software made it the easiest task to produce thousands of copies in just few minutes. Yet, another reason which ruined the music industry was the emergence of "file-sharing" illegal websites like Napster in the late 1990s. The industry underestimated the damages that this can cause and said that these activities were no harm to the music sales. The ultimate drop-off of the CD sales coincided with the emergence of the iTunes and the portable MP3 players. There is another fact which blames the music industry for the decline of the CD and that is the free distribution of albums through newspapers and magazines, which devalued the recorded music in general. Live music and tickets for live performances soared in comparison, however, it is difficult to prove that this directly affected the record companies. Finally music appreciation should be something more than just consuming, buying and listening to the song, music is sharing and that is why people shifted from individual at home consumption to attending live concerts. B) To what extent do you agree with the author's explanation for the current state of the music business Justify

Position of Comcast Corporation in the Environment Assignment

Position of Comcast Corporation in the Environment - Assignment Example This justifies why in its value statement, ‘As we shape the future of media and technology, our 139,000 employees strive to earn the respect and trust of our customers, our shareholders and members of the communities we serve’ has captured major stakeholders including shareholders, employees, clients and the general public. Nonetheless, from this value statement, it is evident that the primary stakeholders of the company are employees, customers, and the public. It highlights what needs to be done to each of these stakeholders based on their diverse demands, interests, and expectations. Actually, the consideration of the welfare of these stakeholders is very important. It is a good decision that was made by the management because it can help in motivating everyone to enable the company to achieve its objectives. Personally, I am convinced that the company’s value statement is in alignment with the demands of its primary stakeholders. By stating that it is committe d to earning respect from them, it is proven that it is not focused on profit-maximization, but cares about each of its stakeholders. I believe that this has been the driving force in the company because it has been taking a lot of measures and initiatives to satisfy its clientele. This has been achieved by offering exceptionally high-quality services at affordable rates at all times. Although it has been accused of focusing too much on profit-making, the truth is that the company treats its stakeholders in a better manner.

Human Resource Change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Human Resource Change - Research Paper Example Historically, Jack Cohen (Tesco, 2011) was the person who founded Tesco in East London in late 1910s. From a small retail outlet in East London in the year 1919, Tesco has now approximately four thousand eight hundred locations around the world. In specific, Tesco (2011) began from selling grocery items; however, now involved in selling of consumer goods, as well as financial services globally. Initially, during its beginning, Tesco Tea was the only brand product that was available at Tesco (2011) in 1920s. By proving it as a leader, in the year 1979, Tesco (2011) was successful in reaching the annual sales of one billion pounds. However, within three years, the annual sales doubled indicating its success in the global retail market. On international level, Tesco (2011) enjoys the credit of becoming the first retailer to indicate nutritional values of its products. During 1990s, Tesco began its journey towards Asian countries, and it has been successful in Asian region until today. I n the year 2000, Tesco (2011) launched its official website, and in the year 2007, Tesco (2011) was able to launch its first outlet in the USA. In this regard, from 1919 to 2011, Tesco (2011) has been successful in becoming a global retailer giant. Besides such achievements, Tesco (2011) has been offering a motivational workplace environment to its employees as well. According to its website (Tesco, 2011), the company offers a training and development opportunities to its workforce by allowing them to continue their education while working at the same time, which is an efficient way of the company to encourage its employees to develop themselves while putting efforts to... This essay stresses that autonomy indicates the level of freedom that individuals get during their different tasks in the organizations in terms of their decision-making power. Lastly, the last trait refers to the extent to which managers give value to feedback of the employees in an organization. From recognition of these five core job traits, it is an understanding that the organization will be able to employ the most appropriate motivational strategy on the employees, and will be able to acquire most efficient outcomes. HR managers now face a greater responsibility of dealing with the employees according to their social and cultural values. The paper included analysis on some of the major issues that HR managers at Tesco and several other organizations confront while dealing with their employees. Although Tesco has now become one of the leading organizations globally, however, still, its managers face several issues while bringing out change in their different procedures and processes. In specific, to ensure high-productivity and quality-performance employees, it is very important that managers should endeavor to understand the situation first and then put efforts in employing a motivational strategy. Although money plays an important role in motivating humans, however, several other factors are imperative in ensuring success in an organization. Finally, HR managers have the major responsibility to evaluate and decide about the tools and strategies that can result in the most efficient outcomes.

Consent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Consent - Essay Example Treatment review occurs only when treatment is new, controversial or bordering on the experimental. Ethics and credential committees perform such reviews. Other licensing or regulatory bodies that require adherence to similar guidelines govern organizations not receiving funds from the Canadian or American federal governments. Individual researchers who do not receive government funding and who do not belong to an organization are not required to adhere to such regulations. However, adherence to the guidelines is recommended for good practice, research and citizenship and to avoid legal liability. When organizations or groups without ethical review boards propose research, a university, hospital, licensing or professional organization, or another institution does reviews. Psychologists performing research or working within provincial or state agencies may need to follow additional guidelines. Individual researchers and practitioners are required to follow consent guidelines in lock step. Thus, consent information is usually given through a typed document with a set order of information. Unfortunately, these documents are often long and complex and require a college education in order to be understood by the participant. In addition, the order in which information is presented can make comprehension difficult for the participant. The complexity of informed consent documents prompts many to return to old complaints about the intrusion of ethics review bodies into research or treatment and the impracticality of consent. In order to improve the consent process, empirical studies of the efficiency and value of current methods are necessary. Instead of spawning such research, complaints have led to a lessening of consent requirements. For example, an exempt-from-ethics-review status for research designated as no risk has been introduced other jurisdictions simply maintain existing general guidelines. Coal of Consent The cause for this requirement of accomplishment comprise: a partial view of consent, bewilderment over what constitutes "informing," the techniques of achieving consent, the lack of a comprehensive theoretical base for consent, and reluctance by researchers. The imaginary view that individuals have the right to make assessment for themselves forms the root for well-versed consent. Nevertheless, this philosophy was included into consent guidelines only after frequent subject and patient mistreatment. Changes in consent processes have often been reason by political view rather than empirical study of informed consent. As a result, many researchers and practitioners view consent as a necessary burden rather than a useful adjunct to good research or practice. At the same time, current consent methods are perceived as optimal, even in the face of contrary evidence. Just as past guidelines, new requirements for ensuring scientific integrity have been established without empirical study. While some rules have been

Criminal Justice Essay Example for Free

Criminal Justice Essay In my essay I will explicate how the various aspect of criminal justice relate to one another as well as why it so important in society. Criminal Justice refers to the facet of social justice that concern violators of criminal law. The community interest within the criminal justice system demands the apprehension and punishment of law violators (Schmalleger, 2012, pg. 7). The concept of criminal justice is that someone or persons accused of crimes are innocent till proven guilty though the proof is overwhelming. The three major elements of the criminal justice system are the police, the courts and the correctional facility and everyone play a major role within the criminal justice system. These processes involve a series of steps starting with a criminal investigation and ending with the discharge of a convicted offender from correctional supervision. The primary element of the criminal justice system is law enforcement. Police are public agencies whose functions are to take care of order within the community, manage crime by implementing the criminal law, and supply accommodations. They assist the prosecution by getting proof compulsory to convict an offender in court. Within the policing method the subsequent problems are dealt with: the crime, initial contact either with the victim or the suspect, investigation, apprehend and custody. The second element is that the court system. This is where the person charged with committing a criminal offense has their case determined by a judge or jury. Its within the court system where justice and truth prevails. Its the prosecutors’ job to ascertain his or her case. The defense is there for the offender and therefore the judge is there to stay order on each side. Within the court process charging, preliminary hearing perceiving of whether or not or not an arraignment or grand jury hearing, bail or detention, plea negotiations, trail/adjudication and sentencing takes place. Lastly is the correctional facility. At Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility we’ve been told that our agencies purpose is to up hold the penalization that was imposed by the court, to rehabilitate, and maintain safety. Whether public or behind the fence, we must maintain safety. During this stage its determined whether or not you go home or to jail, parole/probation or house apprehend. These agencies process suspects, defendants, and convicted offenders and are interdependent insofar because the selections of one agency have an effect on different agencies. The importance of criminal justice system in our society goes without verbally expressing. If you take a glance around without those systems in place crime rates would be at an all-time high. Applied to society, criminal justice is the system that guarantees fairness and equal treatment to any underneath its guidance. The agencies directly or indirectly associated with the criminal justice system have an effect on everything that transpires in our everyday lives. Law enforcement ascertains that laws are being obeyed; judges ascertain that people who transgress the law are penalization fairly and attorneys ascertain that everybody has a voice in a court of law. The components of the criminal justice system are the police, courts and corrections. All of these components have on common goal and that’s to protect society from crime and criminals. Our criminal justice system plays a vital role in ensuring that this is done. Without our criminal justice system it would be like the quote from Dr. Martin Luther King; â€Å"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere†.

What Is Executive Coaching And Its Benefits Management Essay

What Is Executive Coaching And Its Benefits Management Essay This report has been structured around the changes and concerns that are currently impacting Cassidys as an organisation, such as our decision to develop Cassidys into an international organisation. The first international store to open will be in Auckland, New Zealand, which is set to open early 2011. International growth will continue with opening of Cassidys in Canada in late November 2011. In order for business growth and the expansion of Cassidys, we need to make sure our executive leaders are ready to lead our organisation within a new environment. Due to the growth of Cassidys our needs are changing. We now require a larger and more flexible leadership team that has the skills and knowledge to succeed in an ever changing environment. Organisations will always benefit from having highly trained executives who possess exceptional leadership skills. Investing time and money into the development of executives are a necessary expense if an organisation aims to excel. The success of Cassidys requires that our current and future leaders perform to their maximum potential. Developing the skills and knowledge of executive leaders can benefit the whole organisation, as they have the ability boost our sales, profits, revenues, consumer recognition and loyalty. Executive staff retention is also critical to the success and growth of Cassidys. Last financial year it was recorded that our organisation spent over two million dollars on costs related to staffing retention. Failing to retain a key employee is costly, various estimates suggest that losing a middle manager costs an organisation up to 100 percent of his salary. The loss of a senior executive is even more costly. It is important for Cassidy to work on staff retention if it wants to grow .2 There has been a phenomenal increase in use of executive coaching over the past decade or so. A 2004 survey of the HR/Training community conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in the UK showed that four-fifths of respondents now use coaching in their organisations. The Australian Institute of Management claims 70% of its member companys hire coaches. Berglas (2002) stated that there were more than 10,000 professional coaches in the United States, and this figure was expected to exceed 50,000 by 2007. What Is Executive Coaching and its Benefits? Executive Coaching is a specialized form of coaching that is becoming one of the fastest growing trends within employee development. Executive coaches work with an organisation to help highlight and develop a plan that works in conjunction with the needs and objectives of the organisation and members of the executive team and supporting staff. In an increasingly fast-paced and complex corporate world, there are few places where an executive or senior manager can step back and reflect on the range of issues facing them. Having a coach provides a wider perspective, additional points of view and a degree of objectivity that can be difficult to obtain when youre leading an organisation. Coaches are seen as a sounding board outside of the organisation, having this option benefits the executive as they have a listening ear that provides a safe way for them to voice their frustrations, explore their options, and talk through new courses of action. Kilburg (1996) describes the relationship o f a coach and client as: A helping relationship formed between a client who has managerial authority and responsibility in an organisation and a consultant who uses a wide variety of behavioral techniques and methods to help the client achieve a mutually identified set of goals to improve his or her professional performance and personal satisfaction and., consequently, to improve the effectiveness of the clients organisation within a formally defined coaching agreement Kilburg (1996, p.142) He also describes key benefits that clients and organisations achieve through executive coaching: Executive coaching can assist executives to find new and productive ways to manage the interpersonal aspects of leading others Coaching can provide executives to find powerful ways to influence others Reduce turnover and retain top performing staff Enhanced individual and organisational performance Improved organisational strength Perception of management as being committed to employees and their growth and success Improved employee morale, more committed employees, thus greater productivity Retention of high potential talent and talent magnet Better client relationships Positive work environment, thus  greater productivity Executives learn coaching techniques  which they can implement with their teams for improved relationships and productivity, as well as  enhanced employee development Positively affect organisational culture Ability to  recruit key talent through enhanced reputation within the industry Executive coaching helps the executive to expand leadership skills Who coaches are trained facilitators, not consultants, counselors, trainers or mentors What coaches do produce positive changes in business behavior within a set schedule with a limited time frame. The process of executive coaching Whilst it is important to understand the benefits that Cassidys can achieve using executive coaching, we also need to understand some of the methods and practices coaches use. Kilburg (2000) suggests the coaching process is a kind of circle of awareness within which the coach engages the client in a series of single-loop, double-loop, and triple-loop learning experiences to assist the client to understand the nature of the current organisational environment, the leadership situation, and his or her experiences with it: Learning in action: The ability to be self-aware as the client is performing a task. Reflection on learning in action: The ability to be aware of different ways to approach a task and how to modify approaches as the task is being performed. Reflection on reflection on learning in action: The ability of the client to be aware of multiple levels of complexity, paradoxes, and polarities in the situation with the intent of learning how to better perform in the future Internal and external coaches To select the correct type of coach of the right saturation both internal and external coaches need to be explained. An external coach is an external consultant to the company. An internal coach works for the company and usually a senior manager, a persons line managers, or members of the HR department. Each type of coach excels in supporting the executives for a board range of scenarios. External coaches excel in these areas: Coaching clients at the higher end of the corporate ladder If there is an environment of low trust and/or hostility between staff Navigate attitudes and little expectation of success When objectivity is critical for helping the executives Confidentiality between the coach and client External expertise and knowledge Unbiased and impartial opinion Internal coaches excel in these areas: Interment knowledge of the company is required Culture issues are affecting the client and internal knowledge is required The budget on coaching is limited or other Financial constraints Large amount of coaching is required The need to provide a Consistent approach provided by the company A mixture of internal and external coaches will provide Cassidys with the greatest flexibility. The external coach should be used to train the more senior members of the team, while also training and mentoring the internal coach. This will enable the internal coach to gain experience and knowledge, while still providing useful corporate and culture knowledge about the organisation. Leadership The skills and behaviour of organisation leaders affects the entire organisation and its successes. It is vital to Cassidys future that we assist our leaders to develop and help them reach their maximum potential. Cassidys requires exceptional leaders to help change and run this organisation, while ensuring that leadership and inspiration are coming from the top and filtering down. With the expansion into our new overseas market, some of our executives will be required to lead these stores. Cassidys will need to provide extra assistance for these executives as they will be responsible for the growth of our international stores, faced with an array of obstacles such as developing the Cassidys name within a new market. Executive coaching could be a strategy used to enhance Cassidys leaders. By using executive coaching, our leaders can be coached to successfully change operational procedures, expand and emphasize their extensive corporate knowledge, develop their communication skills, and improve their influence on those around them. All of these are traits of an effective leader. Elizabeth Thach (2002) conducted a study using 360 feedback and executive reporting with the aim to determine the impact executive coaching has on leadership and its effectiveness. The study was carried out over three different phases with feedback on the leader being collected from direct reports, peers, and managers. The executives were also required to report the number of times they met with their coach, and their self-reported increase or decrease in leadership effectiveness. It was found that the executives reported a smaller increase in their effectiveness as compared to what was reported in the 360 feedback. Figure 1 shows what the impact of coaching has on increasing leadership effectiveness. Figure : The Impact of Executive Coaching on Leadership Effectiveness Executive coaches usually work with individual leaders encouraging them to lead by example, motivate, improve their focused and stay committed. Although individual executive coaching could be a key to Cassidys success, isnt the only method that can be used to develop its leaders and executives. Other methods Cassidys should venture into are executive team coaching and mentoring. Team Coaching helps a group of individuals to perform more effectively in their work as a group. Although often provided via one person who is in-charge of the team, Team coaching aims to discover major values and expectations, agree common goals and targets and helps improve communications/lessen disharmony/conflict between team members. With the expansion of Cassidy there will be new executive teams created in both national and international departments. To help the executives transition into their new roles and create a productive team Cassidys should be to providing extra support to executives so they can create a cohesive unit that can quickly build a foundation of trust. One method Cassidys could use to help executives build effective teams is to hire an executive team coach. Executive team coaching differs from executive coaching in a group setting in that the coaching client is the whole team as a system rather than each of the executives in turn. During executive team coaching sessions, the team works on its usual business, typically running a business meeting, and then is coached on its collective process to achieve results. The focus of the team coaching process is on improving operational interfaces between team members while they work on achieving their objectives, rather than focusing on developing each of the executives individually, or simply focusing on improving relationships. They are each expected to contribute according to their strengths and the needs of their team. The same goes for team coaching which is not meant to develop perfect teams, but teams that contribute better to their organisation. Further, the successful development of an executive team will yield more effective collaboration, greater alignment in strategy execution, improv ed quality, products or services for customers, and ultimately, financial returns for the team and organisation. Mentoring differs from coaching but is focused around the transmission of knowledge and the forming of relationships between the parties. This relationship is usually long running and typically is formed with a more experienced person transferring their corporate knowledge and understanding to a newer staff member, whilst also providing support. Cassidys could use mentoring when the international transition occurred to provide the newer team members with the corporate knowledge they will need to succeed in the international environment. Cassidys will also need to investigate the return on investment (ROI) before proceeding with the implementation of a executive coaching plan. Below is an extract from a case study that shows the great returns that could be gained: INTRODUCTION A Fortune 500 firm and Pyramid Resource Group, a coaching services company, recently engaged MetrixGlobal LLC to determine the business benefits and return on investment for an executive coaching program. A Fortune 500 firm launched an innovative leadership development effort that was expected to accelerate the development of next generation leaders. The participants in this effort were drawn mostly from the ranks of middle managers and from many different business units and functional areas. Leadership development activities included group mentoring, individual assessments and development planning, a leadership workshop and work on strategic business projects. Coaching was considered to be a key enabler for this approach to leadership development because the participants could work privately and individually with his or her coach to develop specific leadership competencies. The client organization engaged the Pyramid Resource Group to provide coaching to the leadership development participants. While participants spoke very highly of their experience with coaching it was decided to conduct a formal assessment of the effectiveness and business impact of coaching. As a result of coaching the participants reported that coaching significant improvements in: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Personal or workgroup productivity 50% à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Employee satisfaction (personal as well 50% favorable as being able to increase employee satisfaction of their team members) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Customer Satisfaction 50% à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Annualized financial benefits 50% of participants Most frequently cited significant impacts: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Work output 30% favorable à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Work quality 40% favorable The Bottom Line: Coaching produced a 529% return on investment and significant intangible benefits to the business. Our organisation is about to embark on one of its biggest developments in the history of Cassidys. As an organistation we need to prepare our executives with the skills and knowledge that will help them compete in a very competitive environment. Although coaching and mentoring can provide us with assistance in growing our department stores we need to remember that the upcoming pressures that could arise. Investing in making sure that our leaders have the best tools and skills to carry them through the could benefit from implementing all three programs if they are used correctly. For any of these methods to work the individual receiving the training needs to be willing to change and believe that coaching and mentoring can be a positive experience for those who are involved. It also needs to be understood that coaching and mentoring is not a solution to every problem within an organisation. A