Canterbury Tales Essay: The Character of the Prioress -- Canterbury Ta

The Character of the Prioress in The Canterbury Tales  Ã‚     In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer writes a prologue in which characters are given at face value.   Then, he writes tales that are spoken by these characters.   Perhaps Chaucer is commenting that people should not judge others by their outward appearance because the differences in the outward character of Chaucer’s travelers are often greatly different than the personality that is shown through their tales.   The Prioress is one character that appears differently than her tale reveals.   The Prioress’s tale is about the brutal murder of a young Jewish boy.   It is a tale of deep-seeded anti-Semitic hatred and fierce violence.   In the general prologue, the narrator has a very different surface impression of the Prioress.   Perhaps it is simply because the presumed male narrator is so taken by the Prioress’s beauty that he failed to see any cues given that may have led him to see the Prioress’s true identity.   However, the Prioress is portrayed as being beautiful and refined, feminine and sensitive, innocent and sweet.   One of the first things that the narrator mentions in the prologue about the Prioress is that she is seemingly educated.   He says, â€Å"She sang the divine service well, entuning it in her nose in a most seemly way.†Ã‚   This means that she was probably at least educated in the ways of the church, if not at a school.   He goes on to mention that â€Å"she spoke French well and properly, after the school of Stratford-at-Bow—† She knew how to speak French but he goes on to say that â€Å"the French of Paris was unknown to her,† so while she was very book educated, she was not worldly.   In the ta... ...ch that she may have led a much happier life in Germany in the 1940’s.   What is it that has made this seemingly polite, caring woman hate a group of people she most likely has never met?   We never find out in the tale or the prologue, but we can suspect that Chaucer wants us to believe that the evil church has poisoned this innocent mind with hatred towards Jews, amongst other things.   The Prioress is just one example of the many flip-flop characters in Chaucer’s tales.   On the outside, the Prioress appears to be someone who your parent’s wish you were like.   However, once you get to know the Prioress through her tale, you wonder if she should instead join Hell’s Angels.   Her thirst for the death of the young Jewish boy makes her frightening, if not almost evil, but at least she wipes her mouth neatly with a napkin.       Canterbury Tales Essay: The Character of the Prioress -- Canterbury Ta The Character of the Prioress in The Canterbury Tales  Ã‚     In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer writes a prologue in which characters are given at face value.   Then, he writes tales that are spoken by these characters.   Perhaps Chaucer is commenting that people should not judge others by their outward appearance because the differences in the outward character of Chaucer’s travelers are often greatly different than the personality that is shown through their tales.   The Prioress is one character that appears differently than her tale reveals.   The Prioress’s tale is about the brutal murder of a young Jewish boy.   It is a tale of deep-seeded anti-Semitic hatred and fierce violence.   In the general prologue, the narrator has a very different surface impression of the Prioress.   Perhaps it is simply because the presumed male narrator is so taken by the Prioress’s beauty that he failed to see any cues given that may have led him to see the Prioress’s true identity.   However, the Prioress is portrayed as being beautiful and refined, feminine and sensitive, innocent and sweet.   One of the first things that the narrator mentions in the prologue about the Prioress is that she is seemingly educated.   He says, â€Å"She sang the divine service well, entuning it in her nose in a most seemly way.†Ã‚   This means that she was probably at least educated in the ways of the church, if not at a school.   He goes on to mention that â€Å"she spoke French well and properly, after the school of Stratford-at-Bow—† She knew how to speak French but he goes on to say that â€Å"the French of Paris was unknown to her,† so while she was very book educated, she was not worldly.   In the ta... ...ch that she may have led a much happier life in Germany in the 1940’s.   What is it that has made this seemingly polite, caring woman hate a group of people she most likely has never met?   We never find out in the tale or the prologue, but we can suspect that Chaucer wants us to believe that the evil church has poisoned this innocent mind with hatred towards Jews, amongst other things.   The Prioress is just one example of the many flip-flop characters in Chaucer’s tales.   On the outside, the Prioress appears to be someone who your parent’s wish you were like.   However, once you get to know the Prioress through her tale, you wonder if she should instead join Hell’s Angels.   Her thirst for the death of the young Jewish boy makes her frightening, if not almost evil, but at least she wipes her mouth neatly with a napkin.      

Grotesque View of the British Society in Howard’s End and Women in Love

Grotesque View of the British Society in Howard’s End and Women in Love Eleanor Roosevelt once said that â€Å"a little simplification would be the first step toward rational living.† (Heartquotes.net) After reading Howard’s End and Women in Love, by E.M. Forster and D.H. Lawrence respectively, it has become quite clear that a little simplification could do the characters of both novels a great deal of good. In these â€Å"condition of England† novels, the ideas of love and marriage, how industrialization has affected British life and the revolution of women’s rights are all presented, analyzed, and even criticized by both authors. However, if one digs deeper, there are less obvious themes which make up the background of each story. Perhaps the most colorful background detail of each author’s portrait of England is the extreme intellectualism displayed particularly by the characters of the upper class. Through both of these pieces, it is revealed that the characters’ analytical approach to life paralyzes the ir ability to take action, has social ramifications, and has a potent effect on the attitudes the characters hold toward love. The importance of discussing how to help society is undeniable. It is fair to say that those who belong in the â€Å"haves† category have a certain moral obligation to provide some aid to those in the â€Å"have nots† category. The paradox comes in when the discussion of how to relieve the poor takes the place of taking that action. A fine example of this paralyzing intellect can be seen in Margaret and Helen from Howard’s End, as they engage in discourse regarding the poor with other members of the elite. The discussion of whether or not giving money to the poor â€Å"would be pauperizing them† (For... ... Whether the characters of Howard’s End and Women in Love have a hard time just loving another person, are paralyzed in action, or affected socially, it is clear that the new intellectualism portrayed in both novels muddles the beauty of their lives’ pictures. Instead of creating a simple, yet elegant portrait of English life, the characters of both novels allow their over-meditation to add blotches of undesirable color to their picture. Instead of a stunning depiction of England’s state, Forster and Lawrence provide the audience with a gaudy, grotesque view of British society. Though the intelligence of the upper-class may give the appearance of a more rational society, it is obvious that the characters if Howard’s End and Women in Love could live more balanced lives if they would, simply, simplify. Works Cited Heartquotes.net. HeartMath LLC. 2004.

Global Wine War Case 2009 Essay

How were the French able to dominate the worldwide wine trade for centuries ? What sources of competitive advantage did they develop to support their exports ? France and the Mediterranean region is closely tied to the Wine History. It has started since the Roman Empire, and has been fully integrated to the European culture with the Christian era : Monasteries planted vines and built wineries. The nobility started also planting vineyards as a mark of prestige. In this early market, France has been dominant thanks to key advantages : 1. Factors Conditions : First, their geographic and climatic features played significant role. As France is in the middle of Europe culture with suitable climate and soil condition for harvesting grape, had accrued first-mover advantage and established its place as the dominant competitor in the global wine industry. 2. Demand Conditions : The Distribution and Marketing made the fame of French wine. The nà ©gociants traded wine between France and other countries and this worked as word-of-mouth effect, increasing the reputation and dominance of French wine. 3. Innovation. In the late 18th century, French producers had experienced a massive innovation in the market. Mass production of glass bottles, the use of cork stoppers and the development of pasteurization revolutionized the industry. Those innovation got the distribution and Marketing easier. These innovations increased the stability and longevity of wine which allowed the transportation of wine to distant places, and birth of global wine market. 4. Government : Protection from the government. As the industry developed, the French government controlled the wine production and quality, regulations like AOC and VDQS, set detailed and quite rigid standards for vineyards and wine makers. Doing so, the local producers were protected with labels. This classification contributed to make the fame of many wine producers (Bordeaux,†¦) Given the longstanding dominance of Old World wine producers, how were the New World producers, such as the Australians, able to expand their market share so rapidly in the 1990’s ? The wine production has turned global. Nowadays, the wine production is no longer the preserved domain of France and other Old World countries. Some countries such as Australia have seen many strong producers challenging the French dominance. The expansion of their market share has been made possible thanks to key advantages : 1 – Factors Conditions : Geographical and climate factors : suitable lands was widely available and less expensive than in France. This fact, matched with a cheaper labor force, contributed to get the price per bottle lower. Innovation have permitted to get the production cost lower. Controlled drip irrigation allowed expansion into marginal land and reduced vintage variability. The harvesting has been mechanized 2 – Demand conditions : The intern demand has kept growing since the post war period. In Australia, the annual consumption per capita grew from 2 liters in 1960 to 24 liters in 2006. This demand enable producers to built their marketing expertise in their home market during the 1970’s, then they export it. 3 – Firm strategy, structure and rivalries Reinventing the Marketing Model : innovative in packaging and marketing. The Australian developed : the â€Å"wine in a box† package which is more suitable for the current market. screw caps Australia took advantages of a differentiation strategy. They made their bottle more appealing for unaccustomed wine consumers. In addition, new-world producers learned the value of product differentiation and consumer focused attitudes to create mass appeal. The New World companies controlled the full value chain, extracting margins at every level. new-world producers moved away from multilevel value chains that caused operating inefficiencies. Instead, the new-world producers typically controlled the full-value chain, extracting margins at each level and retaining bargaining power. On a contrary, The main vulnerable aspects of French wine industry were highly fragmented vineyard and wine production, increasing vineyard prices per acre, complex distribution and sales system, long multilevel value chain, risk of bad weather and disease; and poor roads and complex toll and tax system. Those aspects contributed to the decline of French wine on the market. What advice would you offer today to the head of the French wine industry association ? The extent of differentiation was a governmental classification system of quality based on rules and controls. => The wine market was complex and highly fragmented. The classifications helped customers understand purchase Focus was on large volume production, not quality => Wine became culturally and economically significant. In 1750’s, France was the 2nd largest exporter after Italy. As the Global Wine Wars article mentions, marketing style, freedom and willingness to innovate, wine style, and business models of the New World are good starting points for the Old World to copy. In order to compete effectively with the â€Å"New World† markets, the â€Å"old world† wine producers need to cooperate on various levels. Deregulation of many of the existing laws that appear to be competitive barriers would be a starting point. Getting the European Union to review the AOC, DOC, and WDQS classifications to create a vastly simpler system would make it easier for them to p enetrate the mass market. Allying with some of the â€Å"new world† markets such as Argentina and Chile would help offset some of the advantages the U.S. and Australia have with regards to land, mechanization of labor, and low cost labor. Taking these markets under their umbrella would lend credence and value to Chilean and Argentinean wines and also open doors to penetrate the growing South American wine market which is not nearly as saturated as other markets. Trading industry know how for access to cheap land and labor is becoming more and more of a necessity with the growth of globalization. Taking advantage of established new world innovations would also be seen as an easy way to increase productivity of small lots. The relatively small lot size which divides the old world into many distinct regions is a crippling handicap. If the smaller wine lots were able to coalesce into cooperatives, they would be able to market more efficiently due to increased resources. Also, despite the originality of the Old World wines, perhaps a break with traditional methods could increase the marketability with the fresh generation Y market. Focusing these revamped marketing efforts in the Asian market with a keen eye towards ensuring the â€Å"distance† problems are resolved as they arise would also give an edge to the old world. By attempting to pull out of the â€Å"red ocean strategy† and moving more towards the â€Å"blue ocean strategy† the old world could feasibly remove many of the aspects of competition that are harming it currently. Besides the Far Eastern market, there are possibilities in Canada (who shares many old world ties), the Middle East, Africa, and perhaps Latin America. Reanalyzing the â€Å"government solution† for flaws that hurt the old world wine countries would also be a viable means of making the old world more competitive. If all else fails, old world growers could band together to fund and support the CAV on an international level and see if positive results could be had from the CAV’s worldwide efforts.

Inherent Fallacies Essay

We humans live in a world were illogical fallacies run rampant. In 12 Angry Men the author illustrates everyday illogical fallacies people have in the setting of a court jury. Jurors: 3, 4, 7 and 10 have their own fallacies that are unique to them in the play; but can be found in common people in everyday people. In 12 Angry Men the illogical fallacy for Juror Number 3 is a general fallacy. This fallacy is the result of an emotional prejudice by juror 3 has as he compares the defendant with his own child. Juror 3 says in the play, You’re right. It’s the kids.  The way they are—you know? They don’t listen. I’ve got a kid. When he was eight years old, he ran away from a fight. I saw him. I was so ashamed, I told him right out, â€Å"I’m gonna make a man out of you or I’m gonna bust you up into little pieces trying. † When he was fifteen he hit me in the face. He’s big, you know. I haven’t seen him in three years. Rotten kid! You work your heart out†¦. All right, let’s get on with it. (Reginald Rose 8) His emotional prejudice gets in the way of his critically thinking through the evidence because he has emotional conflict with his own son. He is grouping all teens together because of his altercation with his son, and Juror 3 is just punishing the young man on trial because he cannot come to turns with his own failings as a parent with his child. Towards the end of the play Juror 3 is all alone on the vote count; he â€Å"looks around at all of them for a long time. They sit silently, waiting for him to speak, and all of them despise him for his stubbornness. Then, suddenly, his face contorts as if he is about to cry, and he slams his fist down on the table† †¦ (thundering) All right† (30). Juror Number 4 and 10 each has prejudices about slum dwellers. This prejudice gives way to genetic fallacies in each juror’s thinking that at the beginning of the deliberations cause them to vote guilty in the initial preliminary vote. Juror 4, for example, says, We’re missing the point here. This boy—let’s say he’s a product of a filthy neighborhood and a broken home. We can’t help that. We’re not here to go into the reasons why slums are breeding grounds for criminals. They are. I know it. So do you. The children who come out of slum backgrounds are potential menaces to society. 23) The play says that he is a man of wealth and position. We can also determine this by his attitude about people from the ghetto from his previously mentioned statement. Juror 10 is prejudice for the fact that he came from the slums,I don’t mind telling you, mister. We don’t owe him a thing. He got a fair trial, didn’t he? You know what that trial cost? He’s lucky he got it. Look, we’re all grownups here. You’re not going to tell us that we’re supposed to believe him, knowing what he is. I’ve lived among ’em all my life. You can’t believe a word they say. You know that. 5) This line of thinking also can be seen when Juror 4 tells them, â€Å"Next, the boy claims that on the way home the knife must have fallen through a hole in his coat pocket, that he never saw it again. Now there’s a story, gentlemen. You know what actually happened. The boy took the knife home and a few hours later stabbed his father with it and even remembered to wipe off the fingerprints† (9). Juror Number Seven has no need to go over the facts again; he votes with whatever the majority of the vote is deciding. Juror 7 is in a hurry to get to the play he has tickets for as noted on page 3, â€Å"Right. This better be fast. I’ve got tickets to The Seven Year Itch tonight. I must be the only guy in the whole world who hasn’t seen it yet. (He laughs and sits down. ) Okay, your honor, start the show† (3). His prejudice that gets in the way of him critically thinking through the case is selfishness, which leads to a slippery slope illogical fallacy in the play. He says to the foreman,I don’t know, most of it’s been said already. We can talk all day about this thing, but I think we’re wasting our time. Look at the kid’s record. At fifteen he was in reform school. He stole a car. He’s been arrested for mugging. He was picked up for knife-fighting. I think they said he stabbed somebody in the arm. This is a very fine boy. (7) This statement highlights the laziness of juror 7 to mean for not necessarily do any of those things correlate with killing his father. The prejudices of all jurors are the basis of the story. These prejudices lead to many illogical fallacies that are shown and resolved throughout the play for each juror. They are attempts by the author to show how every day are riddled with fallacies of logic and how people’s personal conflicts cloud their critical thinking to reason. This play suggests that we all need to examine ourselves before we rush to any type of judgment.

Active Listening

* We listen to understand. * We listen for enjoyment. * We listen to learn. Given all this listening we do, you would think we’d be good at it! In fact most of us are not, and research suggests that we remember between 25 percent and 50 percent of what we hear. That means that when you talk to your boss, colleagues, customers or spouse for 10 minutes, they pay attention to less than half of the conversation. This is dismal! Turn it around and it reveals that when you are receiving directions or being presented with information, you aren’t hearing the whole message either. You hope the important parts are captured in your 25-50 percent, but what if they’re not? Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. By becoming a better listener, you will improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What’s more, you’ll avoid conflict and misunderstandings. All of these are necessary for workplace success! Good communication skills require a high level of self-awareness. By understanding your personal style of communicating, you will go a long way towards creating good and lasting impressions with others. About Active Listening The way to become a better listener is to practice â€Å"active listening. † This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent. In order to do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully. You cannot allow yourself to become distracted by whatever else may be going on around you, or by forming counter arguments that you’ll make when the other person stops speaking. Nor can you allow yourself to get bored, and lose focus on what the other person is saying. All of these contribute to a lack of listening and understanding. If you’re finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, try repeating their words mentally as they say them – this will reinforce their message and help you stay focused. To enhance your listening skills, you need to let the other person know that you are listening to what he or she is saying. To understand the importance of this, ask yourself if you’ve ever been engaged in a conversation when you wondered if the other person was listening to what you were saying. You wonder if your message is getting across, or if it’s even worthwhile continuing to speak. It feels like talking to a brick wall and it’s something you want to avoid. Acknowledgement can be something as simple as a nod of the head or a simple â€Å"uh huh. You aren’t necessarily agreeing with the person, you are simply indicating that you are listening. Using body language and other signs to acknowledge you are listening also reminds you to pay attention and not let your mind wander. You should also try to respond to the speaker in a way that will both encourage him or her to continue speaking, so that you can get the information if you need. While nodding and â€Å"uh huhing† says you’re interested, an occasional question or comment to recap what has been said communicates that you understand the message as well. Becoming an Active Listener There are five key elements of active listening. They all help you ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are hearing what they say. 1. Pay Attention Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also â€Å"speaks† loudly. * Look at the speaker directly. * Put aside distracting thoughts. * Don’t mentally prepare a rebuttal! * Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations. â€Å"Listen† to the speaker’s body language. 2. Show That You’re Listening Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention. * Nod occasionally. * Smile and use other facial expressions. * Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. * Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh. 3. Provide Feedback Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and belie fs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions. * Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. â€Å"What I’m hearing is,† and â€Å"Sounds like you are saying,† are great ways to reflect back. * Ask questions to clarify certain points. â€Å"What do you mean when you say. † â€Å"Is this what you mean? † * Summarize the speaker’s comments periodically. If you find yourself responding emotionally to what someone said, say so, and ask for more information: â€Å"I may not be understanding you correctly, and I find myself taking what you said personally. What I thought you just said is XXX; is that what you meant? † 4. Defer Judgment Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message. * Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions. * Don’t interrupt with counter arguments. 5. Respond Appropriately Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. * Be candid, open, and honest in your response. Assert your opinions respectfully. Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated. Listening is the ability to accurately receive messages in the communication process. Listening is key to all effective communication, without the ability to listen effectively messages are easily misunderstood – communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated . Listening is so important that many top employers give regular listening skills training for their employees. This is not surprising when you consider that  good listening skills can lead to: better customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes, increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative and innovative work. Good listening skills also have benefits in our personal lives, including: a greater number of friends and social networks, improved self-esteem and confidence, higher grades in academic work and increased health and wellbeing. Studies have shown that, whereas speaking raises blood pressure, listening brings it down. Listening is not the same as hearing. Hearing refers to the sounds that you hear, whereas listening requires more than that: it requires focus. Listening means paying attention not only to the story, but how it is told, the use of language and voice, and how the other person uses his or her body. In other words, it means being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages. Your ability to listen effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and understand these messages. â€Å"The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. † Rachel Naomi Remen We spend a lot of our time listening Adults spend an average of 70% of their time engaged in some sort of communication, of this an average of 45% is spent listening compared to 30% speaking, 16% reading and 9% writing. (Adler, R. et al. 2001). 10 Principles of Listening A good listener will listen not only to what is being said, but also to what is left unsaid or only partially said. Listening involves observing body language and noticing inconsistencies between verbal and non-verbal messages. For example, if someone tells you that they are happy with their life but through gritted teeth or with tears filling their eyes, you should consider that the verbal and non-verbal messages are in conflict, they maybe don’t mean what they say. Listening requires you to concentrate and use your other senses in addition to simply hearing the words spoken. Listening is not the same as hearing and in order to listen effectively you need to use more than just your ears. 1. Stop Talking â€Å"If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two tongues and one ear. † Mark Twain. Don’t talk, listen. When somebody else is talking listen to what they are saying, do not interrupt, talk over them or finish their sentences for them. Stop, just listen. When the other person has finished talking you may need to clarify to ensure you have received their message accurately. 2. Prepare Yourself to Listen Relax. Focus on the speaker. Put other things out of mind. The human mind is easily distracted by other thoughts – what’s for lunch, what time do I need to leave to catch my train, is it going to rain – try to put other thoughts out of mind and concentrate on the messages that are being communicated. 3. Put the Speaker at Ease Help the speaker to feel free to speak. Remember their needs and concerns. Nod or use other gestures or words to encourage them to continue. Maintain eye contact but don’t stare – show you are listening and understanding what is being said. 4. Remove Distractions Focus on what is being said: don’t doodle, shuffle papers, look out the window, pick your fingernails or similar. Avoid unnecessary interruptions. These behaviours disrupt the listening process and send messages to the speaker that you are bored or distracted. 5. Empathize Try to understand the other person’s point of view. Look at issues from their perspective. Let go of preconceived ideas. By having an open mind we can more fully empathise with the speaker. If the speaker says something that you disagree with then wait and construct an argument to counter what is said but keep an open mind to the views and opinions of others. (See our page:  What is Empathy? ) 6. Be Patient A pause, even a long pause, does not necessarily mean that the speaker has finished. Be patient and let the speaker continue in their own time, sometimes it takes time to formulate what to say and how to say it. Never interrupt or finish a sentence for someone. 7. Avoid Personal Prejudice Try to be impartial. Don’t become irritated and don’t let the person’s habits or mannerisms distract you from what they are really saying. Everybody has a different way of speaking – some people are for example more nervous or shy than others, some have regional accents or make excessive arm movements, some people like to pace whilst talking – others like to sit still. Focus on what is being said and try to ignore styles of delivery. 8. Listen to the Tone Volume and tone both add to what someone is saying. A good speaker will use both volume and tone to their advantage to keep an audience attentive; everybody will use pitch, tone and volume of voice in certain situations – let these help you to understand the emphasis of what is being said. 9. Listen for Ideas – Not Just Words You need to get the whole picture, not just isolated bits and pieces. Maybe one of the most difficult aspects of listening is the ability to link together pieces of information to reveal the ideas of others. With proper concentration, letting go of distractions, and focus this becomes easier. 10. Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal Communication Gestures, facial expressions, and eye-movements can all be important. We don’t just listen with our ears but also with our eyes – watch and pick up the additional information being transmitted via non-verbal communication. Do not jump to conclusions about what you see and hear. You should always seek clarification to ensure that your understanding is correct. Active Listening * We listen to understand. * We listen for enjoyment. * We listen to learn. Given all this listening we do, you would think we’d be good at it! In fact most of us are not, and research suggests that we remember between 25 percent and 50 percent of what we hear. That means that when you talk to your boss, colleagues, customers or spouse for 10 minutes, they pay attention to less than half of the conversation. This is dismal! Turn it around and it reveals that when you are receiving directions or being presented with information, you aren’t hearing the whole message either. You hope the important parts are captured in your 25-50 percent, but what if they’re not? Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. By becoming a better listener, you will improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What’s more, you’ll avoid conflict and misunderstandings. All of these are necessary for workplace success! Good communication skills require a high level of self-awareness. By understanding your personal style of communicating, you will go a long way towards creating good and lasting impressions with others. About Active Listening The way to become a better listener is to practice â€Å"active listening. † This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent. In order to do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully. You cannot allow yourself to become distracted by whatever else may be going on around you, or by forming counter arguments that you’ll make when the other person stops speaking. Nor can you allow yourself to get bored, and lose focus on what the other person is saying. All of these contribute to a lack of listening and understanding. If you’re finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, try repeating their words mentally as they say them – this will reinforce their message and help you stay focused. To enhance your listening skills, you need to let the other person know that you are listening to what he or she is saying. To understand the importance of this, ask yourself if you’ve ever been engaged in a conversation when you wondered if the other person was listening to what you were saying. You wonder if your message is getting across, or if it’s even worthwhile continuing to speak. It feels like talking to a brick wall and it’s something you want to avoid. Acknowledgement can be something as simple as a nod of the head or a simple â€Å"uh huh. You aren’t necessarily agreeing with the person, you are simply indicating that you are listening. Using body language and other signs to acknowledge you are listening also reminds you to pay attention and not let your mind wander. You should also try to respond to the speaker in a way that will both encourage him or her to continue speaking, so that you can get the information if you need. While nodding and â€Å"uh huhing† says you’re interested, an occasional question or comment to recap what has been said communicates that you understand the message as well. Becoming an Active Listener There are five key elements of active listening. They all help you ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are hearing what they say. 1. Pay Attention Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also â€Å"speaks† loudly. * Look at the speaker directly. * Put aside distracting thoughts. * Don’t mentally prepare a rebuttal! * Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations. â€Å"Listen† to the speaker’s body language. 2. Show That You’re Listening Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention. * Nod occasionally. * Smile and use other facial expressions. * Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. * Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh. 3. Provide Feedback Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and belie fs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions. * Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. â€Å"What I’m hearing is,† and â€Å"Sounds like you are saying,† are great ways to reflect back. * Ask questions to clarify certain points. â€Å"What do you mean when you say. † â€Å"Is this what you mean? † * Summarize the speaker’s comments periodically. If you find yourself responding emotionally to what someone said, say so, and ask for more information: â€Å"I may not be understanding you correctly, and I find myself taking what you said personally. What I thought you just said is XXX; is that what you meant? † 4. Defer Judgment Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message. * Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions. * Don’t interrupt with counter arguments. 5. Respond Appropriately Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. * Be candid, open, and honest in your response. Assert your opinions respectfully. Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated. Listening is the ability to accurately receive messages in the communication process. Listening is key to all effective communication, without the ability to listen effectively messages are easily misunderstood – communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated . Listening is so important that many top employers give regular listening skills training for their employees. This is not surprising when you consider that  good listening skills can lead to: better customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes, increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative and innovative work. Good listening skills also have benefits in our personal lives, including: a greater number of friends and social networks, improved self-esteem and confidence, higher grades in academic work and increased health and wellbeing. Studies have shown that, whereas speaking raises blood pressure, listening brings it down. Listening is not the same as hearing. Hearing refers to the sounds that you hear, whereas listening requires more than that: it requires focus. Listening means paying attention not only to the story, but how it is told, the use of language and voice, and how the other person uses his or her body. In other words, it means being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages. Your ability to listen effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and understand these messages. â€Å"The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. † Rachel Naomi Remen We spend a lot of our time listening Adults spend an average of 70% of their time engaged in some sort of communication, of this an average of 45% is spent listening compared to 30% speaking, 16% reading and 9% writing. (Adler, R. et al. 2001). 10 Principles of Listening A good listener will listen not only to what is being said, but also to what is left unsaid or only partially said. Listening involves observing body language and noticing inconsistencies between verbal and non-verbal messages. For example, if someone tells you that they are happy with their life but through gritted teeth or with tears filling their eyes, you should consider that the verbal and non-verbal messages are in conflict, they maybe don’t mean what they say. Listening requires you to concentrate and use your other senses in addition to simply hearing the words spoken. Listening is not the same as hearing and in order to listen effectively you need to use more than just your ears. 1. Stop Talking â€Å"If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two tongues and one ear. † Mark Twain. Don’t talk, listen. When somebody else is talking listen to what they are saying, do not interrupt, talk over them or finish their sentences for them. Stop, just listen. When the other person has finished talking you may need to clarify to ensure you have received their message accurately. 2. Prepare Yourself to Listen Relax. Focus on the speaker. Put other things out of mind. The human mind is easily distracted by other thoughts – what’s for lunch, what time do I need to leave to catch my train, is it going to rain – try to put other thoughts out of mind and concentrate on the messages that are being communicated. 3. Put the Speaker at Ease Help the speaker to feel free to speak. Remember their needs and concerns. Nod or use other gestures or words to encourage them to continue. Maintain eye contact but don’t stare – show you are listening and understanding what is being said. 4. Remove Distractions Focus on what is being said: don’t doodle, shuffle papers, look out the window, pick your fingernails or similar. Avoid unnecessary interruptions. These behaviours disrupt the listening process and send messages to the speaker that you are bored or distracted. 5. Empathize Try to understand the other person’s point of view. Look at issues from their perspective. Let go of preconceived ideas. By having an open mind we can more fully empathise with the speaker. If the speaker says something that you disagree with then wait and construct an argument to counter what is said but keep an open mind to the views and opinions of others. (See our page:  What is Empathy? ) 6. Be Patient A pause, even a long pause, does not necessarily mean that the speaker has finished. Be patient and let the speaker continue in their own time, sometimes it takes time to formulate what to say and how to say it. Never interrupt or finish a sentence for someone. 7. Avoid Personal Prejudice Try to be impartial. Don’t become irritated and don’t let the person’s habits or mannerisms distract you from what they are really saying. Everybody has a different way of speaking – some people are for example more nervous or shy than others, some have regional accents or make excessive arm movements, some people like to pace whilst talking – others like to sit still. Focus on what is being said and try to ignore styles of delivery. 8. Listen to the Tone Volume and tone both add to what someone is saying. A good speaker will use both volume and tone to their advantage to keep an audience attentive; everybody will use pitch, tone and volume of voice in certain situations – let these help you to understand the emphasis of what is being said. 9. Listen for Ideas – Not Just Words You need to get the whole picture, not just isolated bits and pieces. Maybe one of the most difficult aspects of listening is the ability to link together pieces of information to reveal the ideas of others. With proper concentration, letting go of distractions, and focus this becomes easier. 10. Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal Communication Gestures, facial expressions, and eye-movements can all be important. We don’t just listen with our ears but also with our eyes – watch and pick up the additional information being transmitted via non-verbal communication. Do not jump to conclusions about what you see and hear. You should always seek clarification to ensure that your understanding is correct.

Compare Article 5-109 (a) of the ( Amercian) Uniform Commercial Code Essay - 1

Compare Article 5-109 (a) of the ( Amercian) Uniform Commercial Code with the approach under english, the full question is in the attachment - Essay Example This also stands to be true in a scenario when the transaction being backed by a letter of credit does not actually take place. On the one side, the letters of credit extend to the sellers the assurance of a guaranteed payment, while on the other side they safeguard the interests of the buyers by necessitating the presentation of the right documents that to a large extent ensure performance. Such documents may be the like of insurance forms, transportation documents and quality related certificates. The underlying dogma supporting the autonomy principles associated with letters of credit is that the transaction backed by a letter of credit stands to be autonomous of the sales deed formalized by the buyer and the beneficiary. To put it simply, the two essentially contractual arrangements mentioned above are regarded as being independent of each other. In other words, the utility of a letters of credit is pragmatically solemnized by the severance of services and documents. It is this principle that is the legal ground on the basis of which banks agree to such transactions. As already mentioned, a letter of credit is the legal and financial instrument, which extends to the beneficiary the security of getting the payment due to one. Yet, this bolstering of security to the beneficiary in a way dilutes the security against risk or loss to the account party. Thus, in the letters of credit, the balance of risk is tilted more in favour of the seller. Though the autonomy principle practically assures the expected commercial results in business transactions, this principle stands to be defective and inequitable when the underlying transaction is vitiated by a fraud. Under such circumstances, the autonomy principle gets limited by the fraud exception. In the United States, in Maurice O’Meara Co v National Park Bank, the court of law simply denied the possibility of invoking a fraud exception.

Homeland Security - Predaredness & Prevention Assignment - 3

Homeland Security - Predaredness & Prevention - Assignment Example The model includes some of the most important steps which could be taken during emergency. The need of management for emergency circumstances is now evolving in almost every state of the world as terrorist activities have been noted to increase with extreme socio-political movements around the world. The need of the preparedness and prevention is thus important because threats can considerably cause devastation of infrastructures. One example of devastation could be taken from the attacks of 9/11 in 2001. The need of the preparedness and prevention model is due to the fact that people needs to have awareness and training regarding how to counter terrorist threats. Moreover, there are some of the preparedness plans and models for prevention of terrorist attacks which are already in action. One of the most widely used and effective preparedness and prevention plan is by National Incident Management System (NIMS) (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2004). Devastating incidents which could not be controlled by agencies separately might be solved by interrelated patterns joi ned together by different agencies. National Incident Management System is basically allowing the agencies to interface and work together to mitigate the threat, survey vulnerability and prevent the dangers of threat (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2004). The first and foremost step in the plan of preparedness and prevention is that assets of the organization are identified. Assets could include any material or structure which could be regarded as beneficial and valued to the company. Identification of assets could be done on the basis of prioritizing the organizational structures and belongings. In case of varied and large amount of assets, it is suggested that assess are characterized in terms of its value. Categorization is the most helpful way to identify assets as noted in other preparedness and