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Thursday, January 23, 2020

Use of Biblical Imagery in Cather’s Sapphira and the Slave Girl :: Cather Sapphira Slave Girl Essays

Use of Biblical Imagery in Cather’s Sapphira and the Slave Girl Throughout "Sapphira and the Slave Girl", Cather uses Biblical imagery to depict critical events. Specifically, Nancy's flight to freedom, and Mary's overcoming a potentially fatal illness. Cather continually uses Biblical imagery when describing Nancy's journey out of slavery and into freedom. For example, Mr. Colbert sees Nancy as going "up out of Egypt to a better land", clearly connecting her with flight of Hebrew slaves out of Egypt in the Bible. Connecting Nancy's escape to the Biblical pilgrimage of Moses to the "promised land" serves to reinforce the underlying righteousness of her actions-- as well as the inherent evil of slavery. In depicting her actual journey, the reader once again encounters Biblical allusions. This occurs in Cather's description of the black preacher who will protect Nancy on her way to Canada. Cather portrays this man almost as a disciple, his voice being described as "solemn yet comforting" sounding "like the voice of prophecy" (239). Ascribing such a sage-like persona to this man solidifies the righteousness of both Nancy's, and Mrs. Blake's, efforts to defy slavery's bonds. Mary's "communion" strikes me as another important event whereby Cather uses Biblical imagery. In this particular incident-- which invariably saves Mary's life-- she "walking in her sleep" drinks the bowl of broth intended for Mr. Fairhead (259). Cather depicts Mary as preternatual, being "a white figure" which "drifted"--rather than walked-- "across the indoor duskiness of the room" (259). Mary, seemingly in an altered state, in guided by what one can interpret as instinct, or "divine forces", which lead her to the soup. Similar to the black preacher's voice, Mr. Fairhead sees Mary's actions as "something solemn. . . like a communion service" (259). From a Catholic perspective, the purpose of communion is receiving the "body" and "blood" of Christ, thereby receiving "new life". One can see, in this instance, why Cather would deliberately paint this scene in Biblical terms, because Mary-- wuote literally-- receives a new chance at life from the soup she drinks. Similar to Nancy's flight from slavery, Mary's drinking of the soup is an instance of an individual defying detrimental societal conventions. While taken as correct, the remedy for Mary and Betty's illness is not only wrong, but fatal. Cather thereby uses Biblical imagery to reinforce the righteousness of Mary's actions, even though they go against what society--specifically medicine-- sees as the "correct" course of treatment.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Ilm Developing Yourself and Others

Know how to identify development needs 1. 1 Identify own learning style(s) and the learning style(s) of another team member To identify the learning and development style of myself and a team member we both completed a Multiple Intelligence (MI) test developed by Howard Gardner. After completion of the test on myself I have discovered that I have a learning style of Logical – Mathematical, with a majority score of 37, closely followed by Interpersonal with a score of 32, (see Appendix 1). People who are strong in logical-mathematical intelligence are good at reasoning, recognising patterns and logically analyse problems.These individuals tend to think conceptually about numbers, relationships and patterns. Characteristics of Logical-Mathematical Intelligence are: * Excellent problem-solving skills * Enjoys thinking about abstract ideas * Likes conducting scientific experiments * Good at solving complex computations The conclusion of the test does not come as a revelation to me . As I am the Finance & HR Manager with an accounting qualification this examination confirms my knowledge and learning style as being logical thinking with ability to evaluate and solve problems.During the course of my career and training aspects I believe that I learn and develop in a methodical and analytical way. I execute mathematical calculations, detecting irregularities and patterns, creating resolutions to issues that have been identified, plus producing a strategy to achieve successful working systems within my role. After completing the MI test myself I then requested a member of my team (Jane Doe) to complete the same learning styles questionnaire to see what type of style they were. On completing the questionnaire she scored equally n 3 areas; Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical and Intrapersonal, (see Appendix 2) People who are strong in linguistic intelligence are able to use words well, both when writing and speaking. These individuals are typically very good at wri ting stories, ability to learn languages, memorizing information and reading.They tend to learn best by reading, taking notes, listening to lectures, and by discussing and debating about what they have learned. The characteristics of Linguistic Intelligence are as follows: * Good at remembering written and spoken information * Enjoys reading and writing Good at debating or giving persuasive speeches * Able to explain things well * Often uses humour when telling stories Individuals who are strong in intrapersonal intelligence are good at being aware of their own emotional states, feelings and motivations. They tend to enjoy self-reflection and analysis, including day-dreaming, exploring relationships with others and assessing their personal strengths. The characteristics of Intrapersonal Intelligence are: * Good at analysing their strengths and weaknesses * Enjoys analysing theories and ideas * Excellent self-awareness Clearly understands the basis for their own motivations and feeli ngs 1. 2 Use a simple technique to identify own development needs and the development needs of another member of the team To identify any development needs that would enhance my current skills and abilities I decided to complete a development needs analyses in the form of a SWOT analysis (Strengths; Weaknesses; Opportunities; Threats). Strengths: * Very organised and meticulous with excellent prioritisation skills * Always willing to help others, friendly and approachable * Ensures protocol is followed by me and others at all times * Quick learner *Conscientious * Finance / Accounts * Excellent communication skills with all levels of people| Weaknesses: * Expect others to be very tidy and meticulous like myself * Sometimes try to take on too much work, as I don’t like to say no * Forget people have different learning speeds * Perfectionist * Health & Safety management * Management training| Opportunities: * Work closely with the Director of Support Services * ILM Course * Job Opportunities * Network meetings with other business managers * External / Internal training| Threats: * Funding for courses due to funding cuts * Unexpected things in personal life * Out of comfort zone * Policy Changes| I then requested for a member of my team (Jane Doe) to carry out a development needs evaluation by completing a SWOT analyses. Strengths: * A willingness to learn * Always happy to help others * Quick learner * Can work at a quick pace * Good IT skills (Excel / Word)| Weaknesses: * Not always very confident with others * Need to have confidence in my answers, so I don’t need to check I am doing things correctly * Stress easily under pressure * Works too quickly at times and make trivial mistakes|Opportunities: * Take work from others to learn new roles * Study AAT * In-house training with colleagues. Shadow colleagues to learn new roles * Read policies / bulletins / news to keep up to date with rules and regulations * Customer Service courses| Threats: * Not enough time to learn new tasks due to busy office environment * Not enough funding to pay for training * Training too expensive to pay from personal income * Confidence| After completing the SWOT for me and Jane the following development needs were identified: * Myself – Leadership & Management Training; HR development training; Health & Safety development * Jane – Customer Service Training; AAT Qualification; In-house training to improve skills. 1. 3 Identify potential barriers to learning. After considering the DELTA model and barriers to learning I have found that there are potentially a various number of barriers that Jane and I face. I have listed the potential barriers below: My Self Time /Workload – Work is extremely busy and the amount of work is exceptionally high, therefore to take time out of work to attend training would mean work could suffer, get backlogged and deadlines missed. * Personal Commitments – This is due to home life being very busy and possibly not having time to complete studying on an evening or weekend. * Resources / Funding – due to funding cuts with the LA, the school has had to reduce budgets therefore depending on the costs of courses there may be no funds available to pay for training. Jane Faulkner * Time / Workload – Work is extremely busy and the amount of work is exceptionally high, therefore to take time out of work to attend training would mean work could suffer, get backlogged and deadlines missed.Costs for AAT training is expensive and she is unable to afford the full costs from her personal income * Confidence / Fear / Self-esteem – Jane is very quiet and shy, and she feels very uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings and may shy aware from learning. * Personal Commitments – This is due to home life being very busy and possibly not having time to complete studying on an evening or weekend. * Mobility / Transport – Jane doesn’t drive t herefore if a course is some distance she may have difficulties getting there. * Resources / Funding – due to funding cuts with the LA, the school has had to reduce budgets therefore depending on the costs of courses there may be no funds available to pay for training. 1. 4 Explain how barriers to learning can be overcome.There are a number of solutions for Jane and I to be able to overcome the barriers to learning that was mentioned above: 1) Time / Workload – Some courses/training aspects are important and workload should not be a reason for not attending any coursers. Jane and I need to ensure workload is organised and prioritised, and possibly get other staffs assistance to ensure work load does not get behind. 2) Expensive Training Costs – Contribution or full costs of any training development should be paid for by the school or at least a contribution towards the costs if the training will benefit the school and improve Jane and the service she provides th e school. 3) Confidence / Self Esteem – Put Jane at ease and give her ownership of and pride in what she can do.Also have regular progress reviews in order for her to measure her personal achievements and progress. 4) Personal Commitments – Undertake training through the school day or provide time off in lieu if the training is beneficial to the service we provide. 5) Funding – Free training may be available, if very beneficial to the school funding should be located. 6) Transport – Training can be provided in local colleges or at school, therefore there would be very little travel required. Jane would be able to get local public transport and costs would be reimbursed by the school. Section 2: Know how to develop self and others to achieve organisational objectives 2. Briefly analyse learning/development options to meet need(s) of self and another member of the team. After studying and analysing the SWOT analyse and appraisals completed earlier in the ye ar, I have identified various learning opportunities for Jane and I. After undertaking my appraisal in December 2011 it was identified that I required further training on leadership and management of others. I felt that this was a significant area to develop as I had never received any training on managing staff, yet I have line managed several numbers of staff over the years. I am now currently undertaking the ILM Effective Management course. Another area that I found to have a weakness in is Health and Safety Management.I currently line manage a member of staff who has the responsibility for the Health and Safety of the school, pupils and staff. I currently have limited knowledge in this area and believe that this is an important area to improve to ensure I can manage the member of staff and her role efficiently. The member of staff is currently attending a diploma course in Health and Safety, which was organised by me through school. I have also arranged for myself to attend a 2 day workshop on Health and Safety within the workplace. A further area for development for me is HR & Recruitment policies and procedures. As a HR manager I feel that I have not received adequate training relating to HR Law, rules and regulations and Recruitment policies.I also feel this is the same for my team that manages the day to day processing of personnel matters, including contracts, sickness, maternity leave and much more. I have therefore arranged a one day seminar with a HR Adviser from OMBC to talk to myself and the team on HR & Recruitment policies and procedures to develop my team and I. Through Jane’s appraisal completed earlier this year and the SWOT analyses I feel that a vital area for development is her confidence with people, including staff and pupils. With her lack of confidence this sometimes affects her customer service, therefore I have arranged for a customer service course to be done at the school so Jane and 14 other staff receive training in this remit.Also to improve her confidence within the work place I ensure I give her tasks that encourages her to leave the sanctuary of the office and work with other colleagues in the school. Another development for Jane, which she is keen on is to commence her AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) qualification. This is an expensive course and I have arranged for the school to contribute funds towards the costs of this course. Jane will also be attending a one day seminar that I have arranged in relation to HR and Recruitment policies and procedures. She currently works in the Finance & HR office and all staff come into the office asking questions in relation to contracts, pay, special leave, recruitment and I feel this is an area for her to develop.I have also arranged for some training to be provided to Jane, by me, on the payroll system so she can learn how to process timesheets, unpaid leave, and sickness pay. Again this is another vital area for Jane to develop i n to enable her to progress in the future in her career. The development of my needs and the needs of my team are always connected to the service provided to the school and to improve their professional development. 2. 2 Identify support mechanism for the development of self and another member of the team. For me, Jane and all other members within my team there are a number of significant support mechanisms in place. These are: * Annual appraisals where discussion on past progress and future development takes place. Termly (3 times a year) 1:1 meets take place to discuss any issues, training requirements, any difficulties they may be facing. * Monthly team meetings providing updates, and any questions, queries or ideas the staff may have to improve service or themselves. * Termly www. ebi (what works well & even better if) feedback from staff in relation to the office or themselves. * Regular in-house training provided by me to improve necessary skills for their development of t hemselves and the team. *Flexible working arrangements if necessary. * Engraining a whole school Continuous Professional Development (CPD) attitude and constantly reminding staff that school funding is available for self-development. 2. Prepare a development plan to achieve a learning objective either for self or another team member. The below table has been extracted from the staff appraisal which is completed every year and referred to throughout the year to review and monitor the development of the staff members development. Development Need| Development Action. | Approx. Cost| Measure of Success (Training Outcomes)| Evaluation Outcomes (Individual Outcomes)| Who to take action /By| Customer Service training to improve confidence and service| Arrange training course to come to school and provide training for 15 staff (including Jane)| ? 800 for 15 staff| Jane to attend and complete course. Improvement to Jane’s customer service| Line ManagerCourse booked for March 2013 ins et day| AAT Qualification training for work and self-development| Oldham College contacted and course information, dates and costs sent out to me and Jane. Jane to commit to 2 evenings per week at college| ? 1200 approx. for 1st year. This is a 3 year course. | Jane to attend course over the year and enrol for year 2. | To improve knowledge of basic accounts, improve self-confidence with attending college. | Line Manager & Jane Doe. Information obtained by December 2012. Funding secured by February 2013. Enrol during August 2013. | HR & Recruitment Training| HR Adviser from OMBC contacted by Helen Sharples.They are to provide training in the school conference room for HR team| Free| Jane & other HR staff member to attend one day seminar| To improve knowledge of HR/ Recruitment policies and procedures for whole of the team| Line ManagerNovember Inset training day. | 2. 4 Describe a method that could be used to monitor the development of self and another member of the team . One method that can be used to monitor the development of people, myself and team members is an appraisal system. This is what is currently used in my place of work. The main objective of an appraisal system is to review performance, potential and identify training and career planning needs. Performance reviews give managers and employees opportunities to discuss how employees are progressing and to see what sort of improvements can be made or help given to build on their strengths and enable them to perform more effectively.They are also used to look back on what has been achieved during the specific period and agree objectives for the next year. By using the appraisals system this can help to improve a team member’s job performance by identifying strengths and weaknesses and determining how their strengths can be best utilised within the organisation and weaknesses overcome. They can help to reveal problems which may be restricting employees’ progress and causing i nefficient work practices. As a manager I appraise my team on an annual basis setting target and development needs. In their initial or annual appraisal the staff member and I talk about how they wish to develop and progress within their role and the team.The areas of development are then discussed to ensure training is provided, either in-house or an external provider, to meet the development needs. Target dates are then set to ensure the training has commenced or completed before the next appraisal. Throughout the year I monitor the progress of the team member on a regular basis to ensure they are developing as discussed and no issues have come up. When monitoring I review their targets through 1:1 meetings which are done every half term. At the end of the 12 month period the training and development of the person is reviewed and assessed to ensure the training has had a beneficial impact on the person and the service the team provide. They cycle then commences again with a new se t of targets for the next 12 months are agreed.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Work book for sh6000 leadership and management in professional contexts - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 14 Words: 4289 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Case study Did you like this example? Part 1: Management Style Description and feelings This essay aims to reflect on my experience when working with a group of seven students tasked to critically analyse a case study and develop a group presentation. The Gibbs (1988) model of reflection will be used to discuss and analyse the lessons gained from my experience. At the start of our group meeting, a leader was selected and helped the group in planning and implementing the task. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Work book for sh6000 leadership and management in professional contexts" essay for you Create order However, my experience with the group was marked with difficulties and challenges. In the first stages of our group formation, or the norming stage, we had difficulties meeting as a group due to differences in university schedule. During the meetings, some of the members chose not to participate while others were more demanding and tried to dominate the discussions. The leader tried to create some sense of order in our first meetings and demonstrated the authoritarian leadership style. Throughout our team meetings, some of the members were absent, while others who were present continued to depend on the more dominant members to accomplish the tasks. I was frustrated in the beginning of our meetings and felt that we could have been successful in our presentation if we managed to work more effectively. Our team presentation was not what I expected. I was disappointed with our overall team performance. Discussion and Analysis Management is described as a process where leaders govern and make decision-making within an organisation (Bach and Ellis, 2011). This also involves planning of tasks, organising work, staffing, directing activities and controlling (Belbin, 2010). The main aim of management is for managers to influence or encourage team members to accomplish a task (Belbin, 2010). On reflection, my team leader demonstrated the authoritarian leadership style. This type of leadership is described as one where the leader provides the direction of the team and gives specific instructions and directives on how to achieve the team goal (Daly et al., 2015). An authoritarian leader also supervises the activities of the subordinates and strongly discourages members to validate or question his or her directives (Bach and Elllis, 2011). This type of leadership is appropriate in workplaces where there is a highly-structured setting with routine operations (Bishop, 2009). Autocratic leadership is also favourabl e for activities that are simple and of shorter duration (Marquis and Huston, 2012). On evaluation of my experience in the team, we had very little interaction and cohesion during the first few stages of the team working. According to Tuckman’s model of team development, there are four stages of group formation (Clark et al., 2007). These include the following: forming, norming, storming and performing. Our lack of cohesion and difficulties in conducting team meetings may reflect the first stage of group formation, which is the establishing stage. In this this step, Clark et al. (2007) has explained that team members are still beginning to form their team roles and tend to be polite and diplomatic. At this stage, a team leader was chosen, who in turn reflected the authoritarian leadership style. Since most team members were reluctant to accept a task, our leader decided to assign team roles and ensured that each team member would attend the team meetings. The leader also s upervised the entire group. On reflection, the authoritarian leadership style was appropriate in the first few stages of our team working since this ensured that tardiness and absenteeism were prevented (Belbin, 2010). Further, the authoritarian leadership style was also appropriate since our assigned task was not complex and was of shorter duration (Bishop, 2009). Our group leader was able to make follow-ups on our assigned task. However, as we progressed towards the second stage, which is the storming stage, conflicts soon arose. There were members who tended to dominate the discussion and did not agree with our leader on our assigned team roles and how the case study should be presented. Although Goodman and Clemow (2010) argue that conflicts in teams are natural and may not always have a negative impact on the function and development of the team, in my experience, the conflicts had negative impact on our team development. Members who disagreed with our team leader on how the case study should be presented chose not to participate in our succeeding meeting and role-playing. Since the authoritarian leadership style was adopted, our team leader did not consider the team member’s suggestions. Morgan et al. (2015) reiterate that conflicts could help in the development of a team if each team member acknowledges the differences of the team members and learn to adjust to their individual roles. On reflection, most of my team members chose not to adjust to our individual differences. In turn, this created a discordant team, which also reflected on our final presentation. I felt that our presentation was chaotic and reflected poorly on our role as team members. On consideration, our team would have benefitted with the transformational leadership style. This type of leadership encourages members to actively participate in decision-making and is associated with achievement of goals and objectives (Bach and Ellis, 2010). Conclusion The authoritarian leadership style was not the most appropriate style in managing our team since this failed to encourage team members to participate in decision-making. This type of leadership is also not applicable in actual healthcare settings since patient-centred care is promoted and team working and participation highly encouraged. Action Plan When managing a team in the future, I will ensure that I am aware of my own team role. Conflicts should be used to develop and not destroy teams. I will also adopt a leadership style that allows teams members to actively participate in decision-making. Specifically, I will develop the transformational leadership style since this ensures that all members have opportunities to be actively involved and valued during achievement of a task (Bishop, 2009). References: Bach, S. Ellis, P. (2011) Leadership, Management and Team Working in Nursing. Exeter: Learning Matters. Belbin, R. (2010) Management of teams: why they succeed or fall. London: Butterworth-Heinemann. Bishop. V. (2009) Leadership for nursing and allied healthcare professionals. Open University Press: Milton Keynes. Clark, P., Cott, C. Drinka, T. (2007) ‘Theory and practice in interprofessional ethics: a framework for understanding ethical issues in health care teams’, Journal of Interprofessional Care, 21(6), pp. 591-603. Daly, J., Speedy, S. Jackson, D. (2015) Leadership and Nursing. Contemporary Perspectives. 2nd ed. Chatswood: Elsevier. Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods, Oxford: Further Educational Unit, Oxford Polytechnic. Goodman, B. Clemow, R. (2010) Nursing and collaborative practice: A guide to interprofessional learning and working. Exeter: Learning Matters, Ltd. Marquis. B. Huston. C. (2012) Leadership and management tools for the new nurse. A case study approach. Lippincott: Philadelphia. Morgan, S., Pullon, S. McKinlaey, E. (2015) ‘Observation of interprofessional collaborative practice in primary care teams: An integrative literature review’, International Journal of Nursing Studies, doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2015 03.008 [Online]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25862411 (Accessed: 15 May 2015). Part 2: Leadership, Management and Change Description and Feelings In our team meetings, the concept of change management surfaced since our team leader struggled in influencing team members to assume different team roles. I also realised that I used to complete tasks individually and not as a team. Although I was not the team leader, I also have to learn how to reflect an appropriate leadership style that will be used in future team working. During our team meetings, I was frustrated since we were accomplishing little, but in the end, I felt that I have developed my ability to work in a team. Discussion and Analysis Change is described as a transition that involves movement from the present state of an organisation to a desired, future state (Marquis and Huston, 2012). Changes often occur in healthcare settings and require change management. During the role-play and team meetings, collaborative team working was encouraged to achieve the goals of the team. This represented a change in how I accomplish tasks. From completing assigned tasks individually, I have to learn how to complete tasks as a group. Apart from changes on how to complete tasks, there was also a suggested change on leadership style from authoritarian to the transformational leadership style. On evaluation, change management was necessary in our group since this could have addressed the factors that caused our poor performance and increased the factors that would lead to a successful group performance. Practising change management is crucial since this would help prepare myself in my future role as a registered nurse and as a nurse leader. At least three theories have been proposed in managing change. These include the Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle (PDSA), Kotter’s Model and Lewin’s change model (Bach and Ellis, 2010; Appelbaum et al., 2012; Reed and Card, 2016). The PDSA cycle is often used in the NHS and allows nurse leaders and other healthcare practitioners to create a plan on how to implement a change while the ‘do’ stage constitutes the actual performance of the plan. In the third or ‘study’ phase, nurse leaders and team members analyse the performance and whether this needs to be enhanced or changed (Reed and Card, 2016). In the ‘act’ phase, the proposed changes in the action plan and performance are implemented. The entire process is then repeated until change has been integrated within an organisation. A critique of the PDSA is the difficulty in repeating this cycle, with Reed and Card (2016) noting that only 20% of healthcare groups using PDSA actually repeat the cycle. The applicability of the PDSA is limited with some healthcare settings not benefitting from this type of change management (Taylor et al., 2013). Meanwhile, the Kotter Model of change adopts the top-down approach and is often used in corporate settings (Appelbaum et al., 2012). It is difficult to use this model of change in actual healthcare settings since the NHS encourages all team members and patients to actively participate in planning and implementation of a change initiative (NHS Leadership Academy, 2011). However, a reflection of my own group would show that the Kotter Model of change was demonstrated as our team leader exercised the authoritarian leadership style. The change came from the leader and trickled down to the team members. Finally, the Lewin’s model of change proposes three stages of change: unfreezing, change and refreezing (Gopee and Galloway, 2013). This model is often used in healthcare settings since it takes into account the factors that enable or deter change in actual practice. Force-field analysis is done and factors that enable change are increased while factors that deter change are reduced (Gopee and Galloway, 2013). On reflection, employing this type of change management is crucial in my future role as a registered nurse leading a multidisciplinary team. In the NHS, it is recognised that there are several factors that deter or promote change in practise. For instance, the perception that a proposed change initiative only increases paperwork could deter the uptake of change in practice (Bach and Ellis, 2011). This perception is supported in literature with the Royal College of Nursing (2013) reporting that nurses spend an average of 2.5 million hours per week completing clerical tasks. Hence, I have to be aware of factors that deter or enable change. On reflection, the autocratic leadership style, coupled with the top-down approach to change did not lead to a successful performance of my gr oup. The Lewin’s model of change would have been more appropriate in helping my team members accept their individual roles and in changing their own way of completing tasks. This model would have helped our team leader investigate the factors that lead to poor attendance to our team meetings and the team members’ refusal to resolve conflicts. Conclusion Effective leadership and change management are crucial when implementing a change initiative and in completing group tasks. Using the Lewin’s model of change would have helped the team leader identify the factors that enable and deter change. Successful use of this model would lead to achievement of the goals of the team. Action Plan I will develop my leadership skills and abilities to carry out Lewin’s change model. I will find opportunities to practice change management skills in my own healthcare setting and report regularly to my mentor and colleagues on my progress. I will ask feedback from my mentor and colleagues if I have achieved leadership and change management skills. References: Appelbaum, S., Habashy, S., Malo, J. Shafiz, H. (2012) ‘Back to the future: revisiting Kotter’s 1996 change model’, Journal of Management Development, 31(8), pp. 764-782. Bach, S. Ellis, P. (2011) Leadership, Management and Team Working in Nursing. Exeter: Learning Matters. Gopee, N. Galloway, J. (2013) Leadership and Management in Healthcare. 2nd ed. London: Sage. Marquis. B. Huston. C. (2012) Leadership and management tools for the new nurse. A case study approach. Lippincott: Philadelphia. NHS Leadership Academy (2011) Clinical Leadership Competency Framework. Coventry: NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. Reed, J. Card, A. (2016) ‘The problem with Plan-do-study-act cycles’, British Medical Journal Quality and Safety, 25(3), pp. 147-152. Royal College of Nursing (2013) Nurses spend 2.5 million hours a week on paperwork- RCN Survey [Online]. Available at: https://www2.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/press_releases/uk/cries_unheard_-_nurses_still_told_not_to_raise_concerns (Accessed: 10 May, 2017). Taylor, M., McNicholas, C., Nicolay, C., Darzi, A., Bell, D. Reed, J. (2013) ‘Systematic review of the application of the plan-do-study-act method to improve quality in healthcare’, British Medical Journal Quality and Safety, doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2013-001862. Part 3: Leadership, Management and Decision Making Description and Feelings In our group work, our team leader did not make a decision to identify the factors that deterred participants from resolving conflicts and adjusting to team roles. There was also no decision to reflect on why team members were reluctant to accept the assigned tasks and the reasons for poor attendance to the team meetings. I felt that these non-decisions heavily influenced our team performance. As a group, we made the erroneous conclusion that our team leader can handle all the required tasks. This group conclusion might have also contributed to our failed group presentation. During our meetings, I was anxious and apprehensive that we were not accomplishing our tasks with the given time frame. Discussion and Analysis The indecision to identify factors that deterred the group from participating in meetings and accepting tasks had a negative impact on our team performance. The ability to make decisions is crucial when completing tasks as a student nurse and in preparation for my role as a registered nurse or a nurse leader. Marriner-Tomey (2009) has argued that decision-making is crucial in healthcare organisations and within teams. In actual healthcare settings, decisions are made constantly and range from decision on whether to admit a patient to decisions on which interventions to use for a specific healthcare condition. These decisions are influenced by legislations, policies, leadership styles and the practice of patient-centred care (NHS Leadership Academy, 2011). On analysis, it is crucial to make decisions within groups. However, it is cautioned that collective decisions might reflect ‘groupthink’ and lead to failure instead of success (Marriner-Tomey, 2009). The theory of gr oupthink is described as faulty decision made by a group that represents deterioration in reality testing, mental efficiency and moral judgment (Wilcox, 2010). Groups who demonstrate groupthink often do so without realising the impact of their decisions on other groups and in the process, ignore alternatives or actions (Cooke and Young, 2002). It is important to note that groupthink often occurs when members have similar background, when rules for decision-making are not clear and when members do not consider the opinions of others (Wilcox, 2010). In my experience, we were not able to make a decision or demonstrate groupthink despite the similarities of our background. I felt that our lack of cohesion prevented us from also making faulty decisions, which are common when a team ‘groupthinks’. An analysis of our group revealed that we were not able to examine the power relations within the group. Power relations could have an impact on who make the decisions and whethe r these decisions are followed (Bach and Ellis, 2010). Power is described according to who has the formal authority to make decisions for the group and according to who has access to resources (McDonald et al., 2012). Power is also described according to who has less ability to control ideas (McDonald et al., 2012).   In teams, there may be power imbalance especially when professional systems, social and cultural factors reinforce these imbalances (Martin-Rodriguez et al., 2005). This power imbalance may be more evident in hospital settings where medical dominance is seen. For example, medical doctors have traditionally retained their independence and professional autonomy and status when collaborating with other groups of healthcare workers (Hudson, 2002). This may create power imbalance as doctors tend to have more power in decision-making compared to the rest of the group. This is in contrast with what is often seen in community healthcare settings where each member of a health care team tends to share power and make decisions according to what is best for the patient (Hudson, 2002). Meanwhile, Weir-Hughes (2011) asserts that in order for a therapeutic relationship to develop, there is a need to consider the power relationships between healthcare practitioners and patients. It is suggested that power may be used negatively (i.e. through coercion and force) or positively (i.e. through encouragement and empowerment).   On analysis, my ability to understand power relations through my experiences in team working will be essential when caring for actual patients. In our team, power was used negatively since our team leader had to force our team members to accept assignments. However, I realised that in actual settings, it is important to encourage and empower patients and my colleagues to improve patient care. It has been shown that patient empowerment tends to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes (Sullivan and Garland, 2010). On analysis, ther e was power imbalance in our group since the team leader made all the decisions and the top-down approach to change was followed. Conclusion Making decisions is crucial in team working and when caring for patients. However, the ability to make decisions would depend on one’s power. Those with more access to resources and power have greater ability to influence decisions. In healthcare settings, it is crucial to use power positively and empower patients and other members of the healthcare team to make decisions. Positive use of power is also important in preventing ‘groupthink’, a phenomenon that tends to result to negative consequences for the group. Action Plan When faced with a similar situation in the future, I will ensure that I actively participate in decision-making. However, I need to empower others and myself to make good decisions. Empowerment is necessary to prevent power imbalance. I will continue to engage in training on how to practice effective leadership and management skills in order to empower others to actively engage in decision-making. References: Bach, S. Ellis, P. (2011) Leadership, Management and Team Working in Nursing. Exeter: Learning Matters. Cooke, M. Young A. (2002) Managing and Implementing Decisions in Healthcare. London: Healthcare Balliere Tindall/RCN. Marriner-Tomey (2009) Guide to Nursing Management and Leadership. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier. Martin-Rodriguez, L., Beaulieu, M., D’Amour, D. Ferrada-Videla, M. (2005) ‘The determinants of successful collaboration: a review of theoretical and empirical studies’, Journal of International Care, 19(2), pp. 132-147. McDonald, J., Jayasuriya, R. Harris, M. (2012) ‘The influence of power dynamics and trust on multidisciplinary collaboration: a qualitative case study of type 2 diabetes mellitus’, BMC Health Services Research, 12(63). Doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-12-63. NHS Leadership Academy (2011) Clinical Leadership Competency Framework. Coventry: NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. Sullivan E., Garland G. (2010)   Practical Leadership and Management in Nursing. Pearson Education, Harlow. Wilcox, C. (2010) Groupthink: An impediment to success. USA: Xlibris Corporation. Part 4: Reflection on Development of Skill Description and Feelings I participated in a second group activity where I was chosen as the leader. In the second group, I was able to practice leadership skills such as effective communication, motivation, change management and integrity. During one of our discussions, I assigned a group member to search for evidence-based interventions for a specific healthcare condition. Following some research, my team member decided to use the case of a real patient to explain the interventions. However, she identified the name of the patient and the context of her care, including the names of the nurses who were involved in her care. I talked to my colleague privately after our discussion and informed her of the NMC (2015) code of conduct on patient autonomy and the need to observe the privacy of the patient. I asked her to use a pseudonym instead when discussing the case of a patient. My colleague accepted my suggestion and protected the identity of the patient during succeeding discussions. On reflection, I felt t hat my decision to inform my colleague on how to discuss patient care was based on the ethics principles of patient autonomy. Discussion and Analysis From my participation in teams/groups throughout the module, I was able to develop effective communication skills. Specifically, I learned how to listen and show compassion to my colleagues and my patients during placement when they converse with me. Kourkouta and Papathanasiou (2014) have emphasised that effective communication skills is crucial in healthcare settings and when working in teams. These communication skills include recognising both verbal and non-verbal messages (Johnston, 2013). Patients who feel that their nurses are listening intently tend to report higher patient satisfaction with the care they receive (Kourkouta and Papathanasiou, 2014). Effective communication skills are also necessary in resolving conflicts in teams and understanding the perspectives of others (Craig and Moore, 2015). In nursing teams or when working with patients, it is recognised that conflicts in ideas also occur. Hence, the ability to communicate effectively and resolve conflicts will be n ecessary in preparing myself in my future role as a registered nurse (Craig and Moore, 2015). Apart from effective communication, I also learned how to motivate my fellow team members. Motivation is crucial in team working since this would help team members to complete tasks. In my experience with my first group, team motivation was not practiced. In contrast, my second team was able to use motivation to help team members accept and carry out tasks. I realised that the main difference was the support that my team members received in the succeeding group. Craig and Moore (2015) state that team support is critical in team working since the absence of support could create dissatisfaction and loss of motivation. In addition to the skills on motivation, I also saw the importance of change management in our team. In my first group, change management was not practised. Managing change is critical in healthcare practice. Thorpe (2015) has stated that planned change, which is described as purposeful, requires collaborative effort and the presence of a change agent. The NMC (2015) has emphasised that nurses must deliver quality care that is based on evidence, suggesting that nurses have to continually update their skills and practice. This also means that changes in practice have to be made. However, in practice, implementing change is challenging. It is suggested that almost 70% of change projects do not succeed (Mitchell, 2013). In my experience with the group, I also realised the necessity of recognising factors that influence or deter change. Mitchell (2013) suggests that advances in science, shortages of the nursing workforce, an ageing population, the need to increase patient satisfaction and rising cost of treatment all influence change. Inappropriate leadership, poor communication and under-motivated staff also deter the uptake of change in practice (O’Neal and Manley, 2007). In my future practice, I have to identify factors that promote change in p ractice. On reflection, I was not able to promote change in our first group. I could have assisted the team leader in my first group in analysing the factors that deter my colleagues from accepting their assigned tasks. Integrity was also practiced in the succeeding groups that I was involved in. Specifically, power was not misused as all team members in these groups had equal chances to participate in decision-making. In addition, the team leader and group members exercised honesty and transparency in the decisions made. Finally, ethics in decision-making was observed. For instance, all personal information of patients discussed during case studies was not mentioned and patient autonomy was observed. The NMC (2015) has reiterated the importance of protecting the privacy and autonomy of the patients. Conclusion Practising effective leadership skills and ethical decision-making are important when working as teams and in providing quality care to the patients. Inability to work effectively could result to poor performance, which in turn could affect the quality of care that my future patients will receive. Developing these leadership skills early in my undergraduate years would help prepare me in my role as a registered nurse. Action Plan As part of my action plan, I will continue to engage in training on how to develop effective communication skills. Specifically, I will refine my skills on how to show empathy when listening to my patients and colleagues. The ability to demonstrate empathy is crucial since this would help my patients feel that they matter to the team (Fowler, 2015). References: Craig. M. Moore. A. (2015) ‘Providing support for teams in difficulty’,  Nursing Times.  111(16), pp. 21 23. Fowler. J. (2015) ‘What makes a good leader?’,  British Journal of Nursing, 24(11), pp. 598 599. Johnston, B. (2013) ‘Patient satisfaction and its discontents’, Journal of the American Medical Association, 173(22), pp. 2025-2026. Kourkouta, L. Papathanasiou, I. (2014) ‘Communication in nursing practice’, Materia Socio Medica, 26(1), pp. 65-67. Mitchell, G. (2013) ‘Selecting the best theory to implementing planned change’, Nursing Management, 20(1), pp. 32-37. Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2015) The Code: Professional Standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives [Online]. Available from: https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/nmc-publications/revised-new-nmc-code.pdf (Accessed: 12 May, 2015). O’Neal, H. Manley, K. (2007) ‘Action planning: making change happen in clinical practice’, Nursing Standard, 21(35), pp. 35-39. Thorpe. R. (2015) ‘Planning a change project in mental health nursing’,  Nursing Standard, 30(1), pp. 38 44.