Initial Personal Development Plan Essay Example for Free

Initial Personal Development Plan Essay Study skills. During my GCSEs I wasn’t sure what I wanted out of life. I chose to study French, Graphics and History. I enjoyed French the most and did quite well in it, however if I had concentrated more I could’ve done a lot better. I was also working in my dads’ cafà ©. I enjoyed working at the cafà © a lot. It was hard at times to manage my time between School, working at the cafà ©, going to football practice and also making time to do homework and revision. In class I enjoyed myself a lot and got my work done fast so went on to do extra question or ‘bonus questions’. When I was in the classroom environment I felt more confidant in my work as I had the teacher to double check if I had any doubts but because I didn’t go over my work at home I feel it put me really behind .However having to juggle school, work, football and revision was very stressful and I didn’t do well as well I would have liked which put education in a negative light for me. I did consider at one point to stop my education after leaving school while I was at school because I didn’t believe I would be able to handle the pressure, however I knew that education is a very big part of my life and my family’s life as everyone has been to university in my family so I felt I had to go to college and further my education. Through this time my teachers were very helpful, I found it hard to ask for at first but when I did seek advice it was definitely the right choice. It made it clearer what I wanted in the long term and helped boost my confidence a bit in my work. After school had finished, in the summer I worked full time in my dads’ cafà © and learned a lot of new skills. I worked at the front of the shop. This made me in charge of taking orders, making sure the customers were happy, making sure the chef understood what the customer wanted, deal with complaints and come up with a fair solution. I got to experience what it’s like to run a business first hand, I got experience in taking stock, ordering stock, deliveries, cash handling, making targets, pushing sales, customer service and sorting the rotas out. This was my first time having a proper full time job, it was hard at times as at the beginning it a new environment and I wasn’t used to it, however I soon realised that one of my strengths is that I can adapt to new environments rather fast which has helped me in other jobs. While at college I studied Psychology, Sociology and English language/literature. I preferred psychology to my other subjects as I find behaviour very interesting and the cause behind it. Studying at college was a completely new environment, I didn’t have the same pressure as I did at school from my teachers, but however I had more pressure on me to get my work done on my done. I got a part time job as sales assistant in a mens shirt shop. The job was a one person shift job, so it was all up to me to make sales, attending to all the customers, making sure the shop was in a selling state. I soon moved from being just a sales assistant to supervisor which gave me more responsibility, I opened and closed the shop, cash handling, did the banking, ordering stock, sorting the delivery and sorting the rota. Again working and studying was quite stressful, but as I was enjoying my courses at college I did not find it as stressful as I did at school. I had more freedom and also more time so I was able to manage my time a lot better without the pressure. When it comes to my strengths and weaknesses, I sometimes feel my strengths can by my weaknesses. I have a strong sense of empathy which makes it a lot easier for me to get along for with different people and be able to communicate with them on their level. Also being able to speak more than one language has helped too, I speak English, Kurdish, Arabic and a bit of Swedish. Having a strong sense of empathy can be a weakness as I can be too pleasant towards people and can be a push over, but I can stand my ground if need be. I am very strong about my morals and I know where to draw a line between what’s right and wrong. I believe one of my biggest strengths is my will power. I’m very driven when it comes to my work, when I’m in a selling environment I’m very comfortable. Sometimes I am too driven and I can ignore things on the side. Being a very goal oriented person I sometimes forget to enjoy myself and spend too much time achieving my goals. Coming for the middle east a region that is very rich in oil and gas, I am inspired to work in the field. Not very many people from my part of the world work in managing our local resources, I wish to be able to work managing oil and gas and ensure all members of society benefit from the riches of the industry. One of my life’s dreams is to open an orphanage and educate the less fortunate. I firmly believe that an education is the only way to eradicate the social ills affecting my region. I am a firm believer in the fact that education is the cure for all evils. I hope by educating myself as a women from a region where education is not very common I hope to able to stand on my own two feet so as to be able to help others better themselves.

Asians Looking Again At Comercial Real Estate :: essays research papers

\ Commentary on the article: Asian looking again at Commercial real estate In the beginning of the last year, Taiwanese and Singaporeans came to Vancouver with a lot of money looking for prospects in the real estate market. These business people were looking for rental building, which were the "hot ticket" in real estate according to Vancouver relater John Gee The part of the city, which is attracting these buyers, is the West End of Vancouver, where the vacancy rate is about 1%. Even though some people feel real estate is really strong, others are trying to sell their buildings citing that the real estate market is stagnant. After reading this through I think that the Asians are doing the wrong thing by getting in to the real estate business because it is slow. It may take along time to recover their investment off the rental buildings. I also that the property value could decrease in price because most of the properties in Vancouver, especially commercial real estate, are overpriced. However, factors attracting overseas investors include low vacancy rate, low interest rates, and a future increase in the cost of rent. For investors who want security and a modest return the commercial real estate market offers great opportunities. On the other hand Asian investors can receive larger returns in their homeland. In summary, the real estate market in Vancouver provides a secure investment climate for Asian investors, however they should be wary of the market stabilizing over the short term. Commentary on the article: Asian looking again at BC Commercial real estate In the beginning of the last year, Taiwanese and Singaporeans came to Vancouver with a lot of money looking for prospects in the real estate market. These business people were looking for rental building, which were the "hot ticket" in real estate according to Vancouver relater John Gee The part of the city, which is attracting these buyers, is the West End of Vancouver, where the vacancy rate is about 1%. Even though some people feel real estate is really strong, others are trying to sell their buildings citing that the real estate market is stagnant. After reading this through I think that the Asians are doing the wrong thing by getting in to the real estate business because it is slow. It may take along time to recover their investment off the rental buildings. I also that the property value could decrease in price because most of the

Planning Matrix Essay

The Decision Stage Analysis and intuition provide a basis for making strategy-formulation decisions. The matching techniques just discussed reveal feasible alternative strategies. Many of these strategies will likely have been proposed by managers and employees participating in the strategy analysis and choice activity. Any additional strategies resulting from the matching analyses could be discussed and added to the list of feasible alternative options. As indicated earlier in this chapter, participants could rate these strategies on a 1 to 4 scale so that a prioritized list of the best strategies could be achieved. The Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) is a high-level strategic management approach for evaluating possible strategies. Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix or a QSPM provides an analytical method for comparing feasible alternative actions. The QSPM method falls within so-called stage 3 of the strategy formulation analytical framework. [pic] The left column of a QSPM consists of key external and internal factors (identified in stage 1). The left column of a QSPM lists factors obtained directly from the EFE matrix and IFE matrix. The top row consists of feasible alternative strategies (provided in stage 2) derived from the SWOT analysis, SPACE matrix, BCG matrix, and IE matrix. The first column with numbers includes weights assigned to factors. How to Construct a QSPM Step 1 Make a list of the firm’s key external opportunities/threats and internal strengths/weaknesses in the left column of the QSPM. This information should be taken directly from the EFE Matrix and IFE Matrix. A minimum of 10 external critical success factors and 10 internal critical success factors should be included in the QSPM. Step 2 Assign weights to each key external and internal factor. These weights are identical to those in the EFE Matrix and the IFE Matrix. The weights are presented in a straight column just to the right of the external and internal critical success factors. Step 3 Examine the Stage 2 (matching) matrices and identify alternative strategies that the organization should consider implementing. Record these strategies in the top row of the QSPM. Group the strategies into mutually exclusive sets if possible. Step 4 Determine the Attractiveness Scores (AS), defined as numerical values that indicate the relative attractiveness of each strategy in a given set of alternatives. Attractiveness Scores are determined by examining each key external or internal factor, one at a time, and asking the question, â€Å"Does this factor affect the choice of strategies being made?† If the answer to this question is yes, then the strategies should be compared relative to that key factor. Specifically, Attractiveness Scores should be assigned to each strategy to indicate the relative attractiveness of one strategy over others, considering the particular factor. The range for Attractiveness Scores is 1 = not attractive, 2 = somewhat attractive, 3 = reasonably attractive, and 4 = highly attractive. If the answer to the above question is no, indicating that the respective key factor has no effect upon the specific choice being made, then do not assign Attractiveness Scores to the strategies in that set. Use a dash to indicate that the key factor does not affect the choice being made. Note: If you assign an AS score to one strategy, then assign AS score(s) to the other. In other words, if one strategy receives a dash, then all others must receive a dash in a given row. Step 5 Compute the Total Attractiveness Scores. Total Attractiveness Scores are defined as the product of multiplying the weights (Step 2) by the Attractiveness Scores (Step 4) in each row. The Total Attractiveness Scores indicate the relative attractiveness of each alternative strategy, considering only the impact of the adjacent external or internal critical success factor. The higher the Total Attractiveness Score, the more attractive the strategic alternative (considering only the adjacent critical success factor). Step 6 Compute the Sum Total Attractiveness Score. Add Total Attractiveness Scores in each strategy column of the QSPM. The Sum Total Attractiveness Scores reveal which strategy is most attractive in each set of alternatives. Higher scores indicate more attractive strategies, considering all the relevant external and internal factors that could affect the strategic decisions. The magnitude of the difference between the Sum Total Attractiveness Scores in a given set of strategic alternatives indicates the relative desirability of one strategy over another. Limitations of QSPM A limitation of the QSPM is that it can be only as good as the prerequisite information and matching analyses upon which it is based. Another limitation is that it requires good judgment in assigning attractiveness scores. Also, the sum total attractiveness scores can be really close such that a final decision is not clear. Like all analytical tools however, the QSPM should not dictate decisions but rather should be developed as input into the owner’s final decision. Advantages of QSPM A QSPM provides a framework to prioritize the strategies, it can be used for comparing strategies at any level such as corporate, business and functional.The other positive feature of QSPM that it integrate external and internal factors into decision making process.A QSPM can be developed for small and large scale profit and non-profit organizations. Cultural Aspects of Strategy Choice All organizations have a culture. Culture includes the set of shared values, beliefs, attitudes, customs, norms, personalities, heroes, and heroines that describe a firm. Culture is the unique way an organization does business. It is the human dimension that creates solidarity and meaning, and it inspires commitment and productivity in an organization when strategy changes are made. It is beneficial to view strategic management from a cultural perspective because success often rests upon the degree of support that strategies receive from a firm’s culture. If a firm’s strategies are supported by cultural products such as values, beliefs, rites, rituals,ceremonies, stories, symbols, language, heroes, and heroines, then managers often canimplement changes swiftly and easily. However, if a supportive culture does not exist and is not cultivated, then strategy changes may be ineffective or even counterproductive. A firm’s culture can become antagonistic to new strategies, and the result of that antagonism may be confusion and disarray. Culture provides an explanation for the difficulties a firm encounters when it attempts to shift its strategic direction.

The Issue of Transnational Aid Intervention - 3074 Words

The issue of transnational aid intervention has become a worldwide topic for debate regarding its role in ethics and legitimacy in international relations. Historically, international aid had been provided by developed worlds governments. However, aid provided by the developed world became problematic because of international treaties, violation of state sovereignty, and the spread of capitalist enterprises (Willetts). In addition to, many of the developing world leaders, consider the concept of aid intervention to be potentially threatening and an excuse for more powerful nations to undermine and threaten their state sovereignty through a change in the nations economic and social discourses (Willetts). In an attempt to counterbalance this predicament, institutions known as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) were formed to emphasize humanitarian issues, developmental aid and sustainable development (Willetts). An NGO is defined as a citizen-based association that operates independently of government, usually to deliver resources or serve some social or political purpose (Willetts 1). Currently, NGOs play a crucial role in providing mechanisms which enhance global human progress. To understand the work of NGOs one must know the history of humanitarian aid and developmental assistance. History of Humanitarian Aid and Developmental Assistance Humanitarian aid is defined as physical resources and or logistical assistance intended to save lives, alleviate suffering, andShow MoreRelatedTraditional And Non Traditional Threats Of State Security1650 Words   |  7 Pagesmulti-national government policies. Traditional security threats refer to issues of so-called ‘high politics’, such as national defence, sovereignty, territorial disputes and inter-state military posture. 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