Report choosing one of public limited company, which i chose Crawford Essay

Report choosing one of public limited company, which i chose Crawford & Co., and do research. You will then need to obtain a cop - Essay Example The evaluation has been done by comparing the performance of the stock of the company with other competitors. The analysis reveals that the share of Crawford and Company is not performing well and is price of the shares are much below that the other players in the insurance industry. Moreover, the earning for the investors is also low. The risk reward rating dismisses the expectation of the market for the future cash flow with the current cash flow. Finally the after conducting the technical analysis and looking at the P/E ratio, it has been suggested to the investors they might go with a purchasing decision. Furthermore, the company has been recommended to incorporate steps in order to make the shares more attractive. Introduction Crawford and Company is a multinational organization, headquartered in United States and provides claim management solutions to insurance and risk management industry on global scale. ... It also provides services to self-insured entities in more than 70 countries. The company aims at offering claim services, consulting services and business process outsourcing for a range of product lines. These include casualty claim and property management techniques, compensation claims for the workers, medical claim management and administration of legal settlement. The company has employed around 8478 hard working employees who contribute to the development company. The company belongs to the financial sector and insurance brokers industry (Crawford and Company, 2013b). The company has earned revenue of $1,266.1 million as of 2012, experiencing a rise in revenue by 4.5%. The operating profit of the company has however increased by 42.8% in 2012 from 2011. The net profit is measured as $48.9 million in 2012, which has also increased by 7.7% from 2011 (Crawford and Company, 2013a). Strategic capabilities In order to attain the strategic objectives Crawford and Company focuses on t heir strategic capabilities by highlighting on their mission and vision statement. The company wants to establish itself as the premium company that provides administrative solutions and custom claims in each and every market they operate. For this they aim to act with integrity, honesty and responsibility, provide value added services to their customers, encouraging positive communication with the customers and the employees and recognising the value of the contribution made by the employees. They consider the employees as an integral part in achieving their strategic objectives. In this respect, they aim to provide safe and healthy working environment for them and

Summarize the political, economic, and social developments from 1763 Essay

Summarize the political, economic, and social developments from 1763 to 1775 that led to the war between the American colonies and England - Essay Example The annihilation of the Stamp Act and unpopular taxes in 1765-1766 have improved the relations between American provinces and Britain but the American agents have felt that they are able to claim greater economic and political independence in creating and controlling the inner market. When William Pitt became the head of administration the tensions decreased to some extend in summer 1766, especially taking into account his Declaratory Act in which the American colonies were granted freedom in terms of inner taxation. Business and politics in England during the 18th century was based on the personal relations, such bonds as amity and marriage were of high importance in developing the trading community. For example, the religious beliefs tied men in economic ventures - Quakers dealt only with co-religionists. The Currency Act of 1764 was introduced by the Board of Trade and it was less severe than intended by the commission. Unlike the Act of 1751 which established the rules for bills, the new Act of 1764 was more a compromise among the merchants, agents and commissioners of trade. Such bill of credit was beneficial for the colonies because the money was already retiring and in the years 1766-1768 the amount of cash circulating was continuously decreasing. When the French and Indian wars were at the concluding stage, the protection of American colonies was perceived as the major task - the British government has sent 10,000 troops to North America in order to defend the new territories1. It has led to the constitutional disputes. The Grenville ministry realised that the price for protection was too high - the debt increased while the participation of American troops in colony protection was minimal. As the result, the colonial assemblies had devoted all their efforts to limit the agent's freedom of action and challenged their political authority in America. The arrival of the British troops caused the constitutional and political debates about the rights and freedoms of colonies. The Mutiny Acts were regularly passed as the part of the Revolutionary Settlement of 1688 while when there was an attempt to extend these acts to America, the questions regarding the personal freedoms of individual and the questionable power of Parliament in colonies were raised. Moreover, the troops had no permanent facilities and the local population was expected to support them with food and housing, however, in many colonies the civil authorities refused to provide any services to the British troops. In addition, very little was done to reduce the three-pence duty - the tax the Americans believed was prohibitive and slowed down the development of the Northern colonies. The ministry did not accept this analysis and passed the duty into practice, as the result, many of the officials executing this law were seized and imprisoned by the local authorities. Weakness of the British Administration During the winter 1765-1766 the British colonial policies were influenced the most both by the colonial agents and British merchants2. The Stamp Act was annihilated, the taxes on imports were reduced and the trade laws became less strict. Even though these changes seem to be not important and small, they became the beginning of separation from the motherland - Britain. The American Whigs have boycotted the British goods and managed to put

Hilton Hotels Challenges Faced

Hilton Hotels Challenges Faced Hilton Hotel, Reading hotel facilitates a very homely atmosphere which invites people to live in their own houses. It is just four minutes away from Readings historical city centre, The Thames River and the renowned shopping centre. This hotel is located on the Kennet Island Development and has walking distance to Madejski Stadium. This hotel is close to the Reading train station. And it hardly takes twenty-five minutes to reach Heathrow airport. This is very convenient for the customers. Hilton Hotel Reading provides spacious, air-conditioned rooms which have large units. This hotel is decorated and attracts large number of the tourist. It also provides wired and wireless internet access for their customers. They have the latest audio-visual technology. A large customer service desk and comfortable Hilton beds. Dinner in a fabulous Larder Restaurant, which provides a mixture of domestic and inter-continental dishes which persuades both modern and traditional dishes and finishing the delicious meal with a cocktail in the tranquil bar K.Tone . There is a flattering twenty-four living well health club characterising Living well by precor gym equipment, swimming pool indoor as well as out door, sauna and a dance studio for various fitness classes. Customers can celebrate or have business occasions at the Hilton Reading Hotel which has eight large meeting rooms and a large ballroom which can cater up to four hundred guests. Literature review: Hilton hotel Reading is just few minutes away from Reading station and twenty five minutes away from the Heathrow Airport. www.hilton.co.uk/reading. Hilton hotel is a service industry and in the service. In a service industry customers are of great importance. Without the customers the organisations dont work. Online banking has become a very important technological development not only for business but also for general public. Food and beverages of Hilton Hotel is branded and of very good quality. They higher people who perfectionists in their jobs. Their standard is highly maintained. But as it is said nobody is perfect. There are some problems faced by the food and beverages of Hilton hotel Reading. There are some customer complaints for the food and beverages staff of Hilton hotel, reading. Hilton Hotel Reading has an emerging problem and complaints. The positive impact of the complaints on the staff The staffs try their level best to provide best services to customers but due to some mistakes committed by them, customers complaint. Customers have full rights to complaint as they are paying for their stay and the facilities. If they are not satisfied about spending their money at good place they have to give feedbacks. The feedbacks of the customers help to analyse the staff performance. The complaints of customers helps the hotel to understand that what went wrong and what can be done so that these complaints are not repeated.Nita Umashankar, Raji Srinivasan, and Dustin Hindman Journal of Service Research, May 2011; vol. 14, 2: pp. 164-179. First published on March 7, 2011 Hilton hotel take keen interest in solving the problems of the customers. Customer satisfaction is the basic objective. Hilton Takes the complaints positively and puts in their best so that the mistakes are not repeated again. As per the interview of a manager, who said that if they wont have complaints how they will proceed? And criticism is very important because they always cannot be perfect. Without having complaints they cannot know about the problems in the staff. They cannot maintain their standard. As per the information the staff has always been trained if there are complaints from the customers. http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/hilton www.hilton.com International Journal of Hospitality Management, Volume 25, Issue 1, March 2006, Pages 69-90 Osman M. Karatepe Negative impacts of the complain Staff of Hilton Hotel reading is highly qualified. They pay keen attention towards satisfying their customers. When there are complaints about their services in food and beverage they feel very bad and loose their self-confidence. They get demotivated. They are afraid to face their managers. In this fear they perform even more badly and sometimes even leave the job out of frustration. There is lot of pressure on them so that they provide good services to the customer in this pressure they make even more mistakes. The staff members are scared of getting fired from their work. They loose their attention and sometimes with this fear even of loosing their job they get stressed. Due to stress they have tensions which lead to illness and low performance at work, absenteeism, less participation at work. [emailprotected] Difference between Complaints and Requests Requests: Request is when the customer politely orders for a service. For which he/she has paid. Complaints: Even after requesting a service for which the customer has already paid, doesnt get a good response then there is a complaint of dissatisfaction. The disappointment to the customer lead them to complaint. What measures have to be taken by the manager to solve the problem The staff members get demoralized when they hear about the complaints from their manager. It is very inappropriate to disclose the facts in front of the staff. As per the Manager of Hilton Hotel, Reading the staff has to be tackled carefully because they are the jewels of the company. They cannot be thrown away by the hotel. Instead of that the term diplomacy is brought into practice with the help of which the food staff and beverages staff can be handled. Recruiting is not easy they value their staff and will put full efforts to train them as per the customer requirements. How can you motivate your employees in a Service industry? To support your employee he/she have to be given a pay-raise. He must feel vital. Manager should make him understand his significance in the company. In a hotel fabrication which is a service industry customers are very significant. They recruit the best people to hand round customers. A practical theory of motivation applied to the hotels Having meeting, seminars, incentives, motivational trips, get-together planners , organising events. Employees should be given training, education apparatus, minimalism of task and both inherited cerebral and substantial competence. Give me enough medals and Ill win any war Napoleon Bonaparte Darren Lee-Ross (Lecturer in tourism and hospitality management; South Cross University) Levels of employee motivation Path of an member of staff actions: It relates to those behaviours which the individual chooses to execute The level of endeavour: How firm the individual is enthusiastic to work The level of determination: It refers to the individuals readiness to follow the behaviour in spite of barriers Motivation theories Maslows theory Self Actualisation: achieving the basic goal of a persons life. Esteem: The self confidence of the person. Of motivation applied to the hotels Belongingness/love: Attainment of love from friends, family Safety: the security of life. Security of employment Physiological needs: Food, clothing and shelter. Theory X and Theory Y Douglas McGregor Theory X According to theory X, the employees are satisfied with whatever they have. They dont like to contribute in meetings. The only work for what they are paid and have no interest after their working hours are over. They dont participate in the business meetings. They obey the boss, if the boss says stand the employees stand if they say sit then they sit. This is a traditional theory. Obey the boss and never speak anything in front of him. Boss is always right. So the employees never bothered to interfere in companies matter they were pleased with whatever they get. Employees depend upon the boss to take decisions. And follow the instructions given by them. The boss is very dominating in theory X. And the employee has to follow his instruction or else he/she will be removed from job. So the employees are passive without any interest and happiness to work. Theory Y According to theory Y, the employees are not satisfied they crave for more and more. They love to participate in the meetings. The employees are very innovative. They come up with new ideas and share it with the top level management for the progress of the company. They work than hours, they have hunger of success. The employees are very enthusiastic and are always willing to help and participate. Employees love to take responsibilities, they like when the manager shows trust in them. This modern theory where an employee can speak in front of the high authorities. He can share his views unlike theory Y. The boss doesnt dominate the employees he lets them free and guides them for the responsibility handed over to them. Such employees are bothered about the companies well being. They love to serve for the company. They have great chances of getting promoted because they are very flexible and are very loyal with the business or the company. They are always appreciated by their managers and promoted. Taylors theory of scientific management Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856 1917) motivating the employee increasing the remuneration of the employee. Workers or employees dont like working so the managers have to have supervision and split their work. They should be trained properly and should have good environment for working. If the pay scale is increased workers work with enthusiasm. Mayos Elton Mayo (1880 1949) believed that employees are not only concerned about money but about social needs. He considered that workers having feelings and like to be noticed. Mayo concluded that Better communication between the employees and employers. Involvement of the employees in making decision Working in groups. http://tutor2u.net/business/gcse/people_motivation_theories.htm Importance of motivation to an employee Service industry recruits qualified people. The key of an organisations success is its employees. If the employees are motivated they work with enthusiasm and that is good for the companys welfare. So it is very important to motivate employees. If the employees are satisfied, customers will be satisfied. If the customers are satisfied company is satisfied. Management style being followed at Hilton Group Hilton Hotel is a part of a very big corporation of Hilton group. It follows civilization of a Multi National Company. The Staffs at the hotel are well qualified and highly experienced employees and from this time forth, the management style being adopted by the managers in the hotel is Laissez-Faire. The manager delegates the work to the staff and he sets the time and responsibility of completing the task success on the employees. The manager keeps on supervise and advising the staff whenever it is required but he himself does not take the decision. This method motivates the employee. The workers here are dedicated towards their work as they find an surroundings where they see their individual and specialized enlargement. The staff here gets more of job and proficient contentment as he not only learns by taking the accountability but has also being salaried when he completes the task on time. Management Structure theories The management structure of an organisation can assist or put obstruction in the advancement towards achieving the long term objective. The organisations can attain their business aim by examining their needs and then corresponding them with the suitable management structure. The management structure plays a major role in fascinating the staffs and maintains long term growth. It also helps in getting better the decision making performance. The three main types of management structure are Matrix, Functional and Divisional Structure, (Small Business, 2011). Functional Structure: This structure is generally formed by considering the purpose of each part of organisation and then groups them accordingly. In this type of structure, for example, there could be a marketing department, a food and services department, home services, Security, etc. This structure is good when the organisation is smaller in size, as the department will be able to rely on the experience and knowledge of its staff and will be able to support itself. But, the disadvantage of functional management structure is that, the harmonization and communiquà © between different section can become difficult and thus leading to miscommunication or trouble when more than one department is involved in completing the task, (Small Business, 2011-04-29). Divisional Structure: Generally, the organisations which are overweight in size and operate at different locations or they have separate organisations but beneath one umbrella group to handle diverse market areas, use this type of management structure. In case of warmth industry, like we have taken Hilton Hotel, which has a variety of twigs at diverse location, they cant rely on central office for every decision. In this case, each hotel follows their own strategies, as each of them may be administrating in different business marketplace and may be facing different confront. The prevalent advantage of this arrangement is that, the decisions are made quickly and are more detailed towards the needs of that particular hotel. But, the difficulty is the statement is self-conscious as the employees of different divisions are not working together, (Small Business, 2011). Matrix Structure: This type of management structure is a mix of both functional and divisional structure. This is generally used in multinational companies or organisations which has presence in various part of globe. This structure allows the advantages of functional as well as divisional structure. But the biggest drawback here is that, it creates power struggle as most of the areas of organisation has dual management. The functional manager and the divisional manager at a time holding same area thus causing confusion and tensions at times, (Small Business, 2011). Management Structure in Hilton Reading Hotel Hilton Hotel, Reading is a part of Hilton HOTELS group which has process in around 90 nation. Being part of such a big corporation, it was classically not possible for the top executives to design a functional or matrix management structure. Henceforth, they chose the Divisional management structure to give liberty to each of the hotels in force at different geological locations and also to make decision making procedure easier. The Hilton Hotel thus follows divisional management structure where each hotel is accountable for its business. This has given more sovereignty to the managers in taking the decisions based on the ground and day today state of affairs. This has also kept the staff and the mangers at the hotel level more work acquaint you with and stimulated towards the task. Globalization and its effects on Hospitality Industry Globalization leads to more reciprocally supporting world financial system and thus it becomes a major driving factor in the hospitality and tourism industry. The people of one nation itinerant to other parts of the world and vice versa have given a chance for the hotel industry to tap this occasion. Cultural diversity is one of the belongings of the globalization. And bearing in mind various chances which have come due to globalization, management has become aware of this occurrence while deciding the intended plans for their corporation. Its the effect of globalization only, that you can get any continental food in any benchmark hotel. Its easier to find diverse varieties of foods while visiting a hotel these days than it was few years ago. Now the industry has adopted itself and has developed its business as well which not only comprise the forces and products but the organisation as a whole, which further consists of management and the labour force. Benefits to Hotel Industry Globalization has benefitted the hotel industry. The customers are from different countries coming and living in Hilton. Globalization has developed relationships with the customers globally. Methodology: In order to obtain sufficient amount of information about Hilton Reading hospitality and service industry number of methods have to be followed. There are two methods which relate to the research methodology which are as follows:- Primary search : The primary research consists of personal interviews and questionnaires. There was a questionnaire conducted and the detailed information of the interview is as follows: Male customers 56% and female customers 44% Ages of the customers was from 20-25 years of age 10% 25-40 years of age 60% 40 and above years of age 30% and the rest age group people are not extraverts. Businessman 60% , Retired 20% , Professional 20% Have you ever been to Hilton Reading? Yes____ No____ How was your experience? Good____ Bad____ Dont know____ If your experience was good then please give the reason to it. If your experience was bad then please give a reason to it Will ever go back to Hilton for a stay? Yes____ No____ If yes please give the reason for the stay.. If no please give the reason for not staying.. Will you recommend your friend to Hilton Reading? Yes____No____ How many stars will give to the staff of Reading Hilton? ___% Do you have any complaints about the hotel? yes___ No____ If you have any complaints please fill in the complaints How was the food of Hilton Reading? Good____ Bad____ Dont know___ How well maintained is the Hilton Building is? Good____ Bad___ Dont know____ How much will you grade for cleanliness? Good____ Bad ____ Dont know___ Did you feel like home? Yes___ No___ How comfortable where the beds? Good___ Bad___ Dont know____ How was the staff behaviour at Hilton Reading? Good ___Bad ___ Dont know__ Did you find the staff friendly? Yes___ no ___ 2) Secondary search: The secondary research was conducted as to support the primary research. The research or investigation also depends on resources which were drawn from published materials such as prior studies, e-journals, bank reports and websites. Time Table of work Duration Steps taken Week 1 Reading the topic and understanding what is necessary. Week 2-3 Choosing the topic and sending the proposal Week 4-5 Aim of the study and objectives of the company Week 6 Literature review, methodology data collection Week 7 Analysing the data collected. Week 8 Rough draft of assignment and corrections made by the lecturer. Week 9 Correcting mistakes and Final submission. Conclusion The complaints of the customers have both negative effects and positive effects on the employees or staff members. The positive effects to company is they will be able to correct their mistakes. But it is not good to have customer complaints it ruin the brand image of the company. People think ten times before going to the hotel. If there are complaints the hotel industry has to pay attention and give proper reply to their complaints. They should be instant. Hilton hotel has to maintain its standard by reducing the complaints. Due to complaints hotel loose their loyalty with the customers. In order for customers to be loyal they have to minimise their complaints. When a customer files a complaint the employers have to be very careful about discussing it with the staff. This can demoralize the staff. Managers/ employers have to be very careful in dealing with employees. He should motivate them to do better. He should find out why the employee made a mistake and such a mistake that the customer had to complaint about it. Food and beverages have to be of high standard. If any mistakes in these areas the customers can sue the company. The issue is about handling the positive and negative aspects of complaints on the employees. It is very much known to the employer and if the problem of de-motivation arises the employees loose their self confidence and keep repeating their mistakes. And sometimes they even leave the job. This can cost a fortune to the company if their entire employee keeps leaving the job. The manager has to be polite enough and not aggressive. He should train the employees again and start give awards to the employees who work will. In Hilton Reading this procedure has been followed. As per the interview of an employee it was said that Hilton has always been good to their employees. They have been faithful and have always realised their importance. Recruiting and training is not an easy task. So the old employees already know the welfare and standar d of the company Hilton doesnt want to loose their employees. So to conclude the manager should keep things calm and be tactful and make the employees work well under their guidance. Recommendation After study and investigate on the guidance and organization styles and its arrangement, following proposal has been not compulsory: The Hotel management needs to be supportive towards the employees. The employees should be given a chance to interact often with the management to reduce the miscommunication. The consumers should be given more educational varied surroundings, to make their stay more relaxing and give them comfortable feeling.

The Influence of Jazz Around the World Essay -- Music

Jazz music originated in the late 1800s in the southern area of the United States. Its’ specific birthplace is New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the first genre of music to adopt other genres of music and blend them together. When the topic of music is brought up, many artists often refer to New Orleans as being the Melting Pot of Sound. Genres that were adopted by jazz are opera, folk music, blues, a variety of church music, ragtime, and African drumming. All of those sounds merged together and became the face of jazz. â€Å"There is a tremendous variety in jazz; the music is rhythmic, has a forward momentum called "swing," and employs "bent" or "blue" notes† (Armstrong). My main argument is that jazz music has influenced other genres as well as cultures and artists around the world. Jazz music is formed within improvisation and other aspects of black music such as blues and ragtime to make a particular form of music (scholastic.com). In jazz, musicians often play whatever comes to mind on the spot, or they playback a specific melody or chord sequence. Before there was jazz, there was blues. It is an African American derived genre of music that displayed the pain of the lost and injustice and gave expression of relieving a broken heart and facing down adversity. The blues included hymns, work songs, and field hollers. Although this may not sound like it could be jazz, it very well is. Blues is actually the foundation of jazz as well as the prime source of rhythm and blues, rock ‘n’ roll, and country music. Even today it is still evolving and widely played. Jazz music started placing long melodic sounds between the established beat quite regularly. This technique, called syncopation, gives the music... ...Interwar Paris† (1940). Print. â€Å"Social Movements, Music, and Race† Princeton Press. http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s9210.pdf Peretti, Burton. â€Å"Creation of Jazz: Music, Race, and Culture in Urban America.† Board Trustee of the University of Illinois 1992. . "About Louis Armstrong." PBS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr 2012. . Armstrong, Louis. Swing That Music. 1995. Print. Mackin, Laurence. "'Jazz is the great grandfather of hip hop'." (2011): n. page. Web. 21 Apr. 2012.. "Hip Hop's Jazz Roots." n. page. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. . "Jazz- Music Of Puerto Rico." n. page. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. .

Harvard Concept (Fisher and Urgy)

â€Å"Getting to Yes† (also called the Harvard concept) describes a method called principled negotiation to reach an agreement whose success is judged by three criteria: 1. It should produce a wise agreement if agreement is possible. 2. It should be efficient. 3. It should improve or at least not damage the relationship between the parties. The authors argue that their method can be used in virtually any negotiation. Issues are decided upon by their merits and the goal is a win-win situation for both sides. Below is a summary of some of the key concepts from the book. The four steps of a principled negotiation are: 1. Separate the people from the problem 2. Focus on interests, not positions 3. Invent options for mutual gain 4. Insist on using objective criteria In principled negotiations, negotiators are encouraged to take the view that all the participants are problem solvers rather than adversaries. The authors recommend that the goal should be to reach an outcome â€Å"efficiently and amicably. † The steps can be described in more detail as follows. Step 1: Separate the people from the problem All negotiations involve people and people are not perfect. We have emotions, our own interests and goals and we tend to see the world from our point of view. We also are not always the best communicators; many of us are not good listeners. Getting to YES outlines a number of tools for dealing with the problems of perception, emotion and communication. However, the authors stress that separating people from problems is the best option. The keys to prevention are: â€Å"building a working relationship† and â€Å"facing the problem, not the people. † Think of the people you negotiate with on a regular basis. Generally, the better we know someone, the easier it is to face a negotiation together. We tend to view people we don't know with more suspicion: just what is â€Å"Bob† up to? Take time to get to know the other party before the negotiation begins. Think of the negotiation as a means to solving a problem and the people on the other side as partners helping to find a solution. Ideally both parties will come out of a negotiation feeling they have a fair agreement from which both sides can benefit. If the negotiation feels like a situation of â€Å"you versus them†, the authors suggest a couple of options: 1. Raise the issue with [the other side] explicitly†¦'Let's look together at the problem of how to satisfy our collective interests'. 2. Sit on the same side of the table†¦. Try to structure the negotiation as a side-by-side activity in which the two of you – with your different interests and perceptions, and your emotional involvement – jointly face a common task. Step 2: Focus on Interests, Not Positions The authors use a simple example to explain the difference between interests and positions: â€Å"Two men [are] quarrelling in a library. One wants the window open and the other wants it closed. †¦. Enter the librarian. She asks one why he wants the window open: ‘To get some fresh air [his interest]'. She asks the other why he wants it closed: ‘To avoid a draft' [his interest]. After thinking a moment, she opens wide a window in the next room, bringing in fresh air without a draft. † The interests of the two men are the desire for fresh air and the desire to avoid a draft. The men's positions are to have the window opened or closed. The authors say we need to focus, not on whether the window in their room is opened or closed, but on how we can meet both the need for fresh air and the need to avoid a draft. More often than not, by focusing on interests, a creative solution can be found. In this little example, each man has one interest but in most negotiations, each party will have many interests and these interests will likely be different than yours. It's important to communicate your interests to the other party. Don't assume they have the same interests as you or that they know what your interests are. Don't assume you know what interests the other party has. Discussion to identify and understand all the interests is a critical step in the process. Step 3: Invent Options for Mutual Gain The authors feel that a common problem with many negotiations is there are too few options to choose from. Little or no time is spent creating options. This, they feel, is a mistake. There are four steps to generating options: 1. Separate inventing from deciding. Like in any brainstorming session, don't judge the ideas people bring forward, just get them on the board. 2. Broaden the options on the table rather than look for a single answer. Remember the men at the library? The only option they saw was opening or closing the window in the room they were both sitting in. In fact, there are many options: borrow a sweater, open a window in another room, move to a different spot, etc. 3. Search for mutual gain. In a negotiation, both sides can be worse off and both sides can gain. Principled negotiations are not about â€Å"I win† and â€Å"you lose†. 4. Invent ways of making the other party's decisions easy. Since a successful negotiation requires both parties to agree, make it easy for the other side to choose. This is where putting yourself in the other person's shoes can be very valuable. What might prevent â€Å"Bob† from agreeing? Can you do anything to change those things? Step 4: Insist on Using Objective Criteria Principled negotiations are not battles of will. There is no winner and you don't need to push your position until the other backs down. The goal is to â€Å"produce wise agreements amicably and efficiently†. Use of objective criteria helps remove the emotion from the discussion and allows both parties to use reason and logic. You may have to develop objective criteria and there are a number of ways that can be done, from â€Å"traditional practices†, to â€Å"market value† to â€Å"what a court would decide†. Objective criteria â€Å"need to be independent of each side's will. † Once objective criteria have been developed, they need to be discussed with the other side. The authors provide some guidelines: 1. Frame each issue as a joint search for objective criteria. 2. â€Å"[Use] reason and be open to reason† as to which standards are most appropriate and how they should be applied. 3. â€Å"Never yield to pressure†, only to principle. Common Challenges Following these steps should lead you to a successful outcome, but it isn't always that easy. The authors then go on to address three types of common challenges negotiators face. Sometimes the other party is more powerful than you: â€Å"The most any method of negotiation can do is to meet two objectives: first, to protect you against making an agreement you should reject and second, to help you make the most of the assets you do have so that any agreement you reach will satisfy your interests as well as possible. † To protect yourself, develop and know your BATNA: Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. The reason you negotiate is to produce something better than the results you can obtain without negotiating. † The result you can obtain without negotiating is your BATNA. â€Å"The better your BATNA, the greater your power† so it's essential to know your BATNA and take time to make sure it's as strong as it could be. The same will hold true for the other party. There are three steps to developing your BATNA: 1. Invent a list of actions you might take if no agreement is reached† 2. Improve some of the more promising ideas and convert them into practical alternatives. 3. Select, tentatively, the one alternative that seems best Sometimes the other party just won't play: In a principled negotiation, you don't want to play games with the other party and you don't want them playing games with you. The authors advocate three approaches to getting things back on track in this situation: 1. Concentrate on the merits: talk about interests, options and criteria 2. Focus on what the other party may do: try and identify the other party's interests and the principles underlying their position. 3. Focus on what a third party can do: bring in a third party to assist if steps 1 and 2 aren't successful Sometimes the other party uses dirty tricks: You may encounter a party who won't shy away from using dirty tricks. The process for dealing with this type of tactic is to follow the process for principled negotiations: 1. Separate the people from the problem 2. Focus on interests not positions 3. Invent options for mutual gain 4. Insist on using objective criteria 5. If all else fails, â€Å"turn to your BATNA and walk out† The authors close with three points: 1. â€Å"You knew it all the time. † Much of what goes into a principled negotiation is common sense. The authors have developed an understandable framework to share the approach with others. 2. â€Å"Learn from doing. † You won't become a better negotiator unless you get out there and practice. 3. Winning: â€Å"The first thing you are trying to win is a better way to negotiate – a way that avoids your having to choose between the satisfactions of getting what you deserve and of being decent. You can have both. â€Å"

Minny from the Help Essay

In the book â€Å"The Help† by Katheryn Stockett the author portrays Minny is one of the primary women representing â€Å"The Help†, the black women that make their employers life so nice and comfy. In Jackson the help or the maid as they are also called are expected to be obedient and respectful. Minny is the opposite of that. Minny is a bossy, hot headed maid who is unable to keep a job because of her mouth. She always states her mind and does not hesitate to sass-mouth anyone that crosses her. Her home life is difficult because of the fact that she has five children and a husband. Her marriage with Leroy is complicated since he often gets drunk and beats on her, and it is hard for Minny to look past this awful characteristic of Leroy because she is in love with him. Because Minny is courageous, fearless and loyal nothing can knock her down. Minny is a loyal person that worked for Miss Hilly’s mother, Miss Walter, throughout the beginning of the novel. They wanted Minny for a maid because she was â€Å"bout the best cook in Hinds County maybe, even all a Mississippi. But when Miss Hilly sends Miss Walters, her mother, to the old folks home and tells Minny that she needs to work for her. Minny does not accept so Miss Hilly goes out and tells her friends how Minny is a thief so she would have no choice but to work for her. Minny gets so outraged that she gives Miss Hilly that horrible pie. As fearless as Minny is she does not hesitate on taking action when someone crosses her. In the book â€Å"The Help† Miss Hilly crosses Minny by making everyone believe that Minny stole from her. Minny decides that she has had enough of Miss Hilly and that she needs to teach her a lesson so she puts it on herself to get payback. Minny as a way to get back at Hilly baked a cake with poop in it and fed it to Miss Hilly. Hilly didn’t even notice until Minny said â€Å"eat my shit†. As tension rises between Hilly and Minny. Minny decides to participate in the book, talking about the daily life of the help, since she has nothing to lose. As an act of courageousness Minny puts herself in danger by cooperating on the book as she puts her daily life on paper. But in Jackson that is a punishable crime because it is considered a rights movement and it is frowned upon. Since the maids are tired of being mistreated by the whites and having unfair laws they are ready for change. They are hoping to open everyone’s eyes so they can see how horrible African-Americans are being treated and Minny doesn’t hesitate on trying to accomplish that. So after she thought about it â€Å"every time we meet, I complain. I moan. I get mad and throw a ot potato fit. But here’s the thing: I like telling my stories. † Minny’s courageousness and actions influence major changes in Jackson, Mississippi. As an act of fearlessness Minny tamed Hilly without knowing it. By Minny being loyal she got respect from almost everyone. She has been through so much which has made her a better person.