Their eyes were watching God :: Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story of many dreams and ambitions that were setback due to the slavery age. Nanny, Janie's grandmother, being a slave in her youth is an example of this fact. Always wishing for what she could've had, she tries to stress to Janie the importance of freedom. Although Nanny dies after the first couple of chapters, it is seen throughout the book that other characters that counteract with Janie, have common thoughts and emphasize on the idea that Nanny ones had. When it comes to love Nanny believed that wealth and protection came before the actual meaning of love, the idea that a strong emotional bond exists between a man and a woman. As much as Nanny cared for Janie and what she stands for, she wanted Janie to marry a man who can give her a lifetime of luxury and protection. This idea only stands due to the fact that Nanny never had this in her life, being a slavery made her always fight for what she had and look out for her well-being as well as her c hildren?s. Consequently Nanny grew to teaching the idea to Janie that marriage should be about power, wealth, and protection even if the emotional part of the relationship doesn?t exist. Janie marries Logan Killicks for she believes he offers protection, she then marries Jody Starks for she believes he brings vibrant wealth and power, but not so much do these two bring emotional bond Janie utterly desires and as a result Janie spends the rest of her life trying to experience the emotional side of love. Logan Killicks was Janie?s first husband. He was chosen by Nanny because she thought he offered a black woman everything she would want, a lifetime protection from the outside world. Logan was an older man who knew what was good and what was bad just as Nanny did. He wanted Janie to love him and feel his importance because he offered her a home in which she can feel safe. Nanny being forced to have sex with her master at an early age as a result gave her Leafy. Furthermore Leafy was raped at an early age as well which brought about Janie. From these two facts one can conclude that Nanny feared the idea that Janie can be a repeating cycle of her and her child Leafy, thus giving Janie?

High Performing Teams

Introduction This paper will cover several topics related to high-performing teams and work groups. It will discuss how these two kinds of workplace people sets and how they differ in their pursuit of organizational strategy and compare these differences to virtual teams. It will identify the characteristics of successful leaders of high-performing teams and finally discuss why high-performing teams are important to organizations. High-Performing Teams and Work Groups Before we can define high-performing teams or work groups, we will need to define the term team first. A team can be defined as a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. â€Å"That definition lays down the discipline that teams must share to be effective (Katzenbach, 2005). Organizations utilize teams to perform operational and project based tasks. People working in teams have the capacity to solve complex problems that cannot be solved by individuals working alone. People working in teams bring more resources to a task, including a variety of perspectives, knowledge, skills, and experience (Capella University, 2008). This diversity of perspectives, knowledge, skills, and experience allows a team to outperform the sum of its parts and is a critical component of a team being labeled as a high-performing team. Teams come in many forms, they can be permanent or temporary, they can be leader-led or self-managed, and they can be co-located or virtual. Regardless of their purpose and form, all teams are made up of individuals interacting interdependently to achieve common organizational goal. Furthermore, all teams share the following: clear boundaries, common tasks, differentiated member roles, autonomy, dependence on others, and collective responsibility (Capella University, 2008). Teams definitely are forms of work groups, but not all work groups are teams (Brounstein, 2011). A work group is also a collection of individuals however; they may not have complementary skills, a common purpose or a set of shared goals. In a work group, each member is responsible for only their own individual contributions. He or she achieves outcomes or makes their contribution to the organization in (relative) isolation. Individuals need not have any concern about what other members of the group achieve. Within a work group, there is not the interconnectedness and shared responsibility you see between team members. Each member of a group can say ‘I did my best; it is not my fault that others did not pull their weight (www. leadership-development-coaching. com, 2011). ’ To add more context to the difference between work groups and teams refer to Table 1 (Brounstein, 2011). Work Groups| Teams| Individual accountability| Individual and mutual accountability| Come together to share information and perspectives| Frequently come together for discussion, decision-making, problem solving and planning. | Focus on individual goals| Focus on team goals| Produce individual work products| Produce collective work products| Define individual roles, responsibilities, and tasks| Define individual roles, responsibilities, and tasks to help team do its work; often share and rotate them| Concern with one's own outcome and challenges| Concern with outcomes of everyone and challenges the team faces| Purpose, goals, approach to work shaped by manager| Purpose, goals, approach to work shaped by team leader with team members| Table 1: Difference between Work Groups and Teams High-Performing teams have deeper characteristics that separate them from any team with the ‘team’ characteristics mentioned previously. Members of high-performing teams tend to develop a collective purpose that goes beyond that which the organization has established for them (Capella University, 2008). According to Harvard researcher Richard Hickman, high-performing teams must meet three effectiveness criteria (Capella University, 2008): * The team must consistently produce high-quality output. * The team must promote the personal growth needs and well-being of team members. The team must grow and learn as a unit. The Pursuit of Organizational Strategy It is not too much of a stretch to see which scenario is preferable when it comes to pursuing alignment with your organization’s strategy. Those in a workgroup, although maybe tied in roles and responsibilities to the organization’s strategic imperatives, is not concerned about others in his group or departm ent, and therefore has no vested interest in another succeeding. High performing teams, on the other hand, consider their team as equally or more important than themselves. A recent study of Fortune 1000 companies conducted by the Center for Effective Organizations at the University of Southern California concluded that 68 percent of the organizations in the study use self –managed or high-performing teams†¦but the study also shows only 10 percent of workers were in such teams (Capella University, 2008). Therefore, as much as we can agree there is a benefit from moving those in work groups into high-performing team environments, these environments are difficult to create, lead and maintain. A failed attempt to create a high-performing team could be more detrimental than keeping a group of individuals in the work group mode, and thus making each individual accountable for driving alignment with the organization’s strategy. Virtual teams can play an interesting twist on this strategic alignment anomaly. This author suggests that virtual teams are no different in driving alignment with organizational strategy than co-located teams, with one exception. In the role of operational support, where, for example a help-desk or call-center can take advantage of the â€Å"follow-the-sun† support methodology, you can find significant benefit by tying a virtual team’s performance as a team to an SLA, where individuals are working together to answer phones within a certain amount of rings, meet a certain first call resolution statistic etc. This type of virtual team, if lead properly can be a very high-performing team, as their bonuses and overall performance can be tied to these SLA results of the team. Successful Leadership Characteristics of High-Performing Teams Leadership of high-performing teams have been mentioned twice in this paper; once to summarize how difficult it is to maintain high-performing teams, the second to note how to lead a high-performing virtual team. Managing any team is not an easy task. Managing and maintaining high-performing teams is increasingly difficult. Creating and managing high-performing teams is as much an art as it is a science. There is no magic formula that will uarantee team success, nor is there one best way to lead a team (Capella University, 2008). We can define four team leadership skills that will help drive work groups and teams into high-performing teams: 1. Invest in ongoing personal development 2. Provide team direction, structure and resources 3. Help the team manage boundaries 4. Manage the type and timing of interventions The Importance of High-Performing Teams We have shown the significant benefit of creating and maintaining high- performing teams concerning an organization’s strategy and team accomplishment. High-performing teams tend to require less management since the team assumes a purpose as a whole and not individuals. These teams tend to be self-managed, or slightly managed by a leader, more so in a facilitation role than what we know as a daily manager. The most important task of the team leader is to create a work context that inspires and enables the team to do its work rather than directly intervening in the team’s day-to-day work (Capella University, 2008). This is increasingly important to organizations as the economic outlook continues to force reductions in departmental personnel. References Brounstein, M. (2011). Differences between Work Groups and Teams. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from Dummies. com; Making Everything Easier: http://www. dummies. com/how-to/content/differences-between-work-groups-and-teams. html Capella University. (2008). TS5160: Business Foundations (2nd Custom ed. ). Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing. Katzenbach, J. (2005, July 1). The Discipline of Teams. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from Capella University: http://web. ebscohost. com. library. capella. edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=3;hid=119;sid=0579d6ae-2d3d-4908-9971-cea2472130f6%40sessionmgr112 www. leadership-development-coaching. com. (2011). Team vs Group: implications for leaders. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from Leadership Development Coaching: http://www. leadership-development-coaching. com/team-vs-group. html

Should College Be Free For Everyone - 999 Words

Higher education can be considered a luxury for most people in the world. Attending college can cost up to $40,000 per person for all four years; and it can cost more if a person attends graduate school. According to statistics, about 3.0 million students will enroll in graduate school programs. Most people do not have the money to just go to college and finish. Based on my own experience, I have had difficulties finding ways to pay for my college funds and to keep finding funds to continue for the next semesters. College should be free for everyone because society itself would be more efficient, a college degree increases lifetime earnings, and it would still only affect the middle class society. We have all heard the term, â€Å"school is not for everyone† and that is true. Most of our society does not even want to attend college and just enter the workforce after high school. According to National Center for Education Statistics,† About 7.0 million students will attend 2-year institutions and 13.2 million will attend 4-year institutions in fall 2015.† But if college was free for everyone, people would have a choice to go to college. Our society would be more productive if our workforce was educated. In the article titled â€Å"Higher education: Should college be free for all?† Carol Christ makes a point by saying, â€Å"But individuals are not the only ones who profit from college; the nation, and the states that compose it, benefit from a more skilled and educated workforce and theShow MoreRelatedShould College Education Be Free?1266 Words   |  6 PagesThe Proposal: Should College Education be Free There are people who are in our nation right now that can t afford to go to college and gain the education they need to succeed. People have a deep conviction about this controversy. This issue has lead to the debate should the first two years of a college education be free. If college was free for the student the yes, it comes to the taxpayers to come up with the money. There should be rules and regulations in place and should be maintained byRead MoreCollege Education Should Not Be Free879 Words   |  4 PagesI argue that college education should not be free. While the cost of entering college for further study is really huge, many argue that college education should be free to prove everyone a chance to get a bright future especially for the poor, and some also wonder that going to college means going to success, they blame their failures to lacing of college educations . I disagree with these ideas and I insist college education should not be free because in the end, someon e will pay salaries of professorsRead MoreBenefits Of Community College746 Words   |  3 PagesShould community college should be free? Now everyone can get an education if they wanted to, community colleges or a university can help people get a career to succeed. Some students dont really have enough money to go to a university because is really expensive but there is a solution community college can help everyone earn their associates degree and transfer in the future. Community colleges gives students the opportunity to get the same education as a university but with less money. CommunityRead MoreEducation Be Free765 Words   |  4 PagesShould College Education Be free Everyone? Should education be free? As a parent do you ever ponder on wasting millions of dollars on you child? Yes it is a good cause, but that also includes where they live, food and other hobbies. Shouldnt the education be free? In my thoughts I think everyone wishes education was free. I think education shouldnt just be for the rich or the smart, it should be the ones who work hard as of everyone who does but no matter rich, poor I think education should beRead MoreShould College Be Free College?1688 Words   |  7 Pagesto cover the costs? Free college is now brought up as a debate whether or not students should receive free college tuition while attending college. Some individuals would like this idea, but I am definite the taxpayers would not like it or support it. If the government cannot afford what they are in debt with now, I am quiet uncertain how adding free college would help the debt go down. I am sure that the government would find some way to get their money back from allowin g free tuition, or twice theRead MoreShould College Tuition Be Paid?981 Words   |  4 Pagesalways been a complaint to people who are paying and attending college, most say it is too expensive, some say it should be free. Is that a good way to go? Making college something that anyone could attend? Some say that free college would allow students that are less fortunate, wealth wise, to attend college and have hope for a better future. College plays a very important role in the economy and in my opinion, I certainly believe that college tuition is there for certain reasons. The reasons for highRead MoreThe Benefits Of A College Education1032 Words   |  5 PagesA college education has become a necessity in today’s society. Students all around the country are putting so much effort into getting perfect grades. Trying to finance every students education has become difficult. Although, many students, teachers, and other people have wondered if giving students a free tuition sh ould be granted. I believe that students should be granted a free tuition and that it should be funded by the U.S government because this could help students focus more on their studiesRead MoreThe Importance Of Higher Education745 Words   |  3 PagesThe United states provides free public education for students kindergarten through the twelfth grade. Going to school for these years is now becoming a necessity, but now so is college too. In order to make a career for ones self it is necessary for them to attend a university, so wouldnt you say one needs college in order to make a career for yourself. Higher education is important because it can pave the path to a better economy and society, starting a career, and ensuring a better life, thatRead MoreThe Cost Of A University872 Words   |  4 Pageswhat college they may look into: locations, academic profile, graduation rate, school size, and ,to some the most important, the cost of the university. The cost of a university can pl ay one of the biggest deciding factors in furthering your educations. Many students don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars and there are many poor people in this world who want to attend college and earn a degree to support themselves and their family and be able to live a more comfortable life. Everyone shouldRead MoreFree Education May Not Cost Paper Money983 Words   |  4 PagesFree education may not cost paper money, but it will cost society dire consequences. With election season coming up, it has remained a hot topic amongst the candidates. The Democratic party believes in the idea of free education while Republicans are more concerned with the economic aspect of it and what it will do with our economy. The consequences facing free education could potentially include higher taxes, lowering the value of education, and limiting employment opportunities. When a person