Being on time Essay Example for Free

Being on time Essay One of my pet peeves is people who aren’t on time for things. Just how much this upsets me was brought home to me twice today, and I decided it was time to rant about it. The first was a meeting I was supposed to have with the director of a local non-profit organization. The plan was that he would give me a call â€Å"before noon†, to arrange a meeting shortly after noon. I was offering to put some scripts together on their website so they could post news more easily so people would know what’s up with this organization. Off the top of my head, I’d guess it was an offer of about a thousand dollar donation of services. He finally called at 12:30, calling my cell-phone (after I’d given him my home number, saying that was the best way to reach me), leaving a message saying we’d have to reschedule. I left for lunch and a walk to clear my head at 12:45, and finally got the message at 2:45 when I got home and wondered if maybe he’d called the cell-phone. At this point, I don’t know if I’m even going to bother trying again. Apparently my offer of services isn’t worth enough for him to call me when he said he was going to, which makes me wonder why I should bother helping out. The second was the president of a company for which we did some web design work. He was impressed with our work, and asked if we might want to put in a bid for some future work. The problem is that the person we had to work with at that company, â€Å"marketing guy†, had blown off every single in-person meeting we’d scheduled during the previous project, and had been late for numerous phone calls we’d also scheduled (about a quarter of the final cost to the client was time we spent waiting for marketing guy, rather than doing productive work). I replied that we’d be interested in looking at the work, as long as marketing guy wasn’t involved. And I’ll stick by that. I don’t think there’s enough money to convince me to work with marketing guy again. The third event (a couple days ago) is a company I’m contracting at. At this company, there’s a regularly scheduled weekly meeting. It happens every week unless people decide there isn’t enough to talk about and we cancel the meeting. One of the team members has not been on time for the meeting that I can remember. It bugs me enough that even though this is the client providing most of my income at the moment, I think about simply walking away from the contract almost every day. So why do I feel this strongly about being on time? Well, most of it has to do with the saying â€Å"A Man’s Word is His Bond.† If you tell someone you’re going to do something, then you do it. If you don’t, you’d better give notice ahead of time, and have a pretty good reason. But another part of it is respect. When schedule a meeting, I’m making a commitment to be there on time. When someone else is late to the meeting, I get the feeling that they figure they’ve got something more important than my time. â€Å"Sorry I’m late, but traffic was brutal† is an excuse I hear all the time. Well, I had to get to the meeting through the same traffic, and I was on-time. If I’ve got a meeting in the morning, I’ll check the traffic reports or look out the window and make sure I leave early enough to get to the meeting. I respect the other people at the meeting enough that I’m not going to waste their time by being late. I just realized that this also applies to monetary issues. I’ve had clients who never pay on time. They agree in a contract to pay my invoices net-30 and then checks arrive like clockwork 45-60 days after the invoice. I won’t work with that sort of client anymore. I’ve got yet another job that I put in a bid on yesterday, but I’ve heard through the grapevine that this client habitually pays late. When we meet to discuss terms, I’m going to make it very clear that late payment on their part will be considered breach of contract. Fuck it. It’s not worth my time to try and wheedle payment out of them, so if they don’t pay, work is stopping, and I’ll hand the collections over to the lawyer. It may cost me the job, but at least it’ll keep me from getting upset with the client. And I think that’s got to be my long-term approach. If a client’s not willing to honor their commitments, whether it’s showing up on time for a meeting, or getting a check in the mail, I’m not sure why I would want to work for them. I don’t need the headaches. Now I just have to figure out how to deal with the current client. Maybe changing the meeting to the afternoon will be the answer.

A Thousand Splendid Suns Essay Example for Free

A Thousand Splendid Suns Essay â€Å"Come. There is a way to be good again,† said Rahim Khan to Amir. In the novel the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir, the main character, expresses his thoughts and actions due to his baneful choices. The tribulations he faced were all repercussions of the sin committed by his disdainful youth. His sins ravaged the early stages of his life and gave him a troublesome memory full of guilt. As the novel progressed, Amir attempted to disengage the memory of his sin and forget about it. Amir soon faced the long over due road to redemption. Khaled Hosseini’s novel the Kite Runner is about redemption, and that the lifelong pursuit of happiness will never be fulfilled without it. At a young age Amir and Hassan were best friends, even though Amir was roughly expressing it. Amir and Hassan enjoyed many activities together as Khaled expressed in his novel: â€Å"I spent most of the first twelve years of my life playing with Hassan. Sometimes, my entire childhood seems like one long lazy summer day with Hassan, chasing each other between tangles of trees in my father’s yard, playing hide-and-seek, cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, insect torture†¦ We saw our first Western together, Rio Bravo with John Wayne, at the Cinema Park†¦,† stated Amir. Amir stated all these â€Å"friend-like† activities, yet witnessed the sexual abuse administered by Assef and his goons on Hassan without a peep from his mouth. At this point Amir’s lust for obtaining the kite, so he could finally enjoy love from his father had over come his friendship. That temporary love given to Amir by his father was enough for Amir to attempt to get rid of Hassan permanently, which worked. Amir’s sin committed in his early years set the stage for the rest of his life, for he would seek redemption for his acts. Many years passed, Amir was on his own now in America, with his wife Soraya that could not bare children. Amir received a call from Rahim Kahn who was dying and wanted a last visit from Amir. Amir had jumped at the chance to visit an old friend/father figure and flew to see Rahim. Little did Amir know he was about to face all of the tribulations he had seemed to forget of his past ten fold. Rahim Khan reveals â€Å"Hassan, Amirs childhood friend, the presumed son of the family servant was in reality, Amirs half-brother, his fathers illegitimate son with Alis wife. † He also reveals that the prolonged redemption is just around the Taliban by saving Amir’s half-nephew Sohrab (Hassan’s son) from Kabul. Amir was in a state of confusion, he expressed his plead to Rahim: â€Å"I can’t go to Kabul,† I had said to Rahim Khan. â€Å"I have a wife in America, a home, a career, and a family. † But how could I pack up and go and go back home when my actions may have caused Hassan a chance at those very same things (talking to himself)? I wished Rahim Khan hadn’t called me. I wished he had let me live on in my oblivion. But he had called me. And what Rahim Khan revealed to me changed things. Made me see how my entire life†¦had been a cycle of lies, betrayal, and deceit. ‘There is a way to be good again’ he’d said. Thus started Amir’s road to redemption. Amir searched through Kabul for Sohrab and an orphanage leader had stated that Sohrab had been sold to a Taliban leader. The Taliban Leader who showboated John Lennon glasses and conducted the stoning ceremony at halftime of the soccer game was the man that Amir had to speak with. As Amir conversed with the Taliban lead he learned of his cruel ways of massacring the Hazaras. Then the Taliban leader revealed, â€Å"What did you think? That you’d put on a fake beard and I wouldn’t recognize you? I never forget a face. Not ever. † The Taliban revealed himself as Assef, Amir’s childhood enemy. Assef created an ordeal stating that if Amir were to overcome him in a blood brawl, then Sohrab would be Amir’s boy to take. Assef completely demolished Amir by breaking several ribs with his brass knuckles. Amir was barely able to stand, but he withheld the beating for he knew that destiny had brought him to this moment. The moment came when Sohrab had pierced Assef’s eye and he and Amir escaped. Amir had finally accomplished his self-turmoil and had almost completed his redemption by saving his half-brother’s son, and almost dying for him. Amir knew that he had to adopt Sohrab when they got back to a safe haven. This caused some trouble with the embassy for they required legal documents of the orphaned child. Sohrab believed that there was no possible way for him to come to America and he did not want to return to an orphanage, so he attempted suicide. Amir had gone through a father’s worst nightmare when he thought his soon to be adopted son would die. Sohrab survived though, leaving a reckless, unrighteous Muslim, self- centered Amir behind. Amir’s pursuit of happiness was fulfilled as he and his son were flying kites in America. He had redeemed himself as he said to Sohrab, â€Å"Do you want me to run that kite for you? †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦A nod from Sohrab†¦ â€Å"For you, a thousand times over,† and a smile cracked open on Sohrab’s face.

Ageing and Disability in New Zealand

Ageing and Disability in New Zealand History of Ageing in New Zealand On a National level during the 1860s there were charitable institutions set up by charitable aid boards to help older people in New Zealand. But prior to the 1880’s, the New Zealand government did not have health or welfare policies aimed towards older people. Mortality rates then were high than it is today. The service delivery for aged care in New Zealand historically developed on a regional basis causing variable differences in the type of delivery and services for the health of older people. In 1885 the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act made a policy that distinguishes the connections between ageing , illness and impairment which led to ageing becoming a medical terminology. Then in 1889 the first publicly provided pension was created and called a pension for â€Å" persons of good character† that were aged 65 and above. It was seen as a better alternative than the exiting â€Å"civil list† which relied on grace and favour which meant that only a few people will be able to get it. This reform was made to recognize the contributions of Maori and Pakeha in the land wars and this was handled mostly on a Regional level where government handled the funding , the local courts decided the eligibility and the post office sent out the payments. This strengthened the institutionalisation as the best way to care for the elderly and 65 was the statutory age for for retirement and pension has become a source of income which also led for ageing to be assessed medically for an older person to be eligible for support. Nationalisation for the welfare of the elderly was realised with the creation and passing of the Social Security Act of 1939, by this time New Zealand was world renowned for it’s advanced social welfare policies including old-age pension. It introduced free healthcare services to the elderly and and provided a wide range of welfare benefits. The establishment of the act made it less restrictive for older people to receive their pensions and medical benefits. The Act introduced a concept that every New Zealand citizen had a right to an appropriate standard of living and that it was the responsibility of the community to make certain that every member is safe against the pitfalls of a struggling economy from which the people cannot protect themselves. It was thought of as a solution that will end poverty in New Zealand. It had three main objectives: as a substitute for the existing system of non-contributory pension system and change it to a monetary benefits system where its ci tizens would be contributing according to their means and could take from according to what they need; to provide a nationalised superannuation or pension; and to start a universal system for the delivery of medical care benefits. In 1949 subsidies and grants was offered to religious and welfare organizations to build and run rest homes which resulted in the growth of services available for older people in particular to residential care. In 1955 the Advisory Committee on the Care of the Aged was established but changes were still far from being made as the care for the elderly is still focused on medical issues so it remained institutionalized. But in the 1960s, subsidies increased to help for the care of the elderly and it was recognised that support in the community level was needed. The 1970s and 80s saw the change in funding for elderly care and it moved away from charitable and voluntary to the private sector which led to more than 30% increase in the number of licensed rest homes in the country. The Geriatric Hospital Special Assistance Scheme was introduced, this scheme allowed hospital boards to put patients seeking public care into private ones and by the end of 1985 81% of patients in Auckland’s elderly population was under the GHSAS. In 1993 the Regional Health Authorities was established and introduced a division between the health care providers and purchasers. Funding was separated into acute and chronic care. The RHA contracted with public providers regarding acute care, rehabilitation and clinical services and religious or welfare while chronic care was contracted to private providers. This saw a marked in increase in the establishment of rest homes reaching up to 460% in some areas. In 2002 a new certification system saw the deregulation of the aged care industry and allowed facilities to develop their own staffing ratio. This year the Health of Older People Strategy was drafted, the strategy sets out a program to refocus health and support services to meet the needs of older people in the current and future situations. It is designed to be a guide to providers, planners and funders of health support services in the integration of the continuum of care. This ensures that the right services are provided at the right time in the right place by the right provider. This calls on everyone in the health industry to work together in the interest of providing quality health services for older people. Policies , Strategies and Funding New Zealand’s Health of Older People Strategy outlines policies, strategies, guidelines and how funding will be provided in the care of older people. The strategy has eight core objectives: Older people and their family/whanau are able to make well-informed choices on their options for a healthy living, healthcare and their support needs. Quality health and disability support programmes will be integrated around the needs of older people and they will be helped by policy and service planning. 3. The funding and service delivery will provide promotion of prompt access to a quality integrated and disability support services for older people, their family or their carers. 4. The health and well being of older people will be promoted through programmes and health initiatives. Older people will have access to primary and community based health services that will promote and improve their health and functioning. Access to health services in a timely mainly to improve and maitain the health of the older people. Integration of general hospital services with any community based care and support. Older people that has high and complex health and disability needs shall be given access to flexible, prompt and well coordinated services and living options that will take into consideration the needs of their family and carers. The Ministry of Health and the District Health Boards is responsible for implementing the Health of Older People Strategy. The District Health Boards need to implement these strategies by 2010 and each of the District Health Boards will need to determine on when and how these strategies will be implemented. A few number of DHBs, especially those with a high number of older people in their population have already began and established working groups to plan and develop integration of all services for older people. They work closely with the Ministry of Health to ensure that continuum of care for the elderly is achieved. The Ministry of Health will be the monitor to the DHBs progress in implementing the Health for Older People Strategy against the plans they have set out on a yearly basis. They will also initiate a review of the progress every three years that will coincide with the status reports for the implementation of the Positive Ageing Strategy from the Ministry of Social Develo pment. The Ministry will also undertake three-yearly reviews of progress to coincide with Ministry of Social Development status reports on implementing the Positive Ageing Strategy. The Ministry of Health will provide advice to the government on future funding for older people’s health and disability support services including the level of public funding and individual contributions and incentives for clients and service providers. The Ministry of Health is the one undertaking the responsibility of heading three funding projects to contribute to this strategy. 2.2 Terminology for older people Older people Aged 65 years and over and where superannuation or pension starts Baby boomers refers to people who were born after World War 1 and World War 2 where there was a marked increase in births per year Ageism the negative stereotype or discrimination against people of older age Age Discrimination the unfair and unequal treatment of people on the basis of age. Gerontology is the study of social, psychological and biological aspects of ageing Geriatrics the study of diseases in older people Elderly advanced beyond middle age Senior a person who is more advanced in life Attitudes , Stereotypes and Barriers Towards Older People In general people have negative views and attitudes towards older people. Like ageism which can be defined as systematic way of stereotyping and discriminating against people just because they are considered of old age. They are typically stereotyped as frail, weak, ill, that they are suffering from mental health issues and mental deterioration, they are poor and dependent, they are called senile and ancient, elderly are thought to have no sexual desires . On the other hand some people view old people as people living in extravagant lifestyles and that they just take from the welfare of the state. In addition to this since old people have benefits that they can get from the government especially special services from the health and welfare sector people see old people as a burden to society. These stereotypes are in fact in direct contrast to the reality that in fact the majority of older people are leading fit, healthy and independent lives. It is said indirect forms of discrimination, such as barriers to access of services where older people are not being prioritized when they are accessing some form of service like for example wanting to have a phone line connected, inadequate transportation as a form of structural barriers where elderly does not have access to convenient ways of transportation, waiting in emergency or outpatient departments in hospitals and community services that are underfunded and frequent. There are cultural barriers in meeting health needs like for example for the Maori, they perceive health in a holistic approach and they have the four cornerstones of Maori health that includes the mind, the spirit, the body and the family, and they believe in the practice of rangoa or traditional Maori medicine, often times this becomes a barrier because health care providers does not take this into consideration and therefore Maori are not able to access health services because they believe that Pakeha does no t understand how to treat them. Financial barriers are also experienced by the elderly especially if they have no family to support them and they have no savings to use. Another type of barrier is the communication barrier wherein the younger generation does not understand how to deal with the older people. It is often that some practices that were not done in the past are being accepted today , like for example male carers caring for female elderly, this causes a barrier in providing care for them. The Governments Positive Ageing priorities are outlined where the The Minister for Senior Citizens has identified three priority areas that are linked to the goals of the New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy which are : Securing employment opportunities for mature workers where they are given flexible working hours Encouraging a change in attitudes towards ageing and older people by promoting intergenerational programmes and to reinforce the important contributions of older people to society The protection of rights and interests of older people by raising awareness of the abuse of the elderly and the prevention of neglect The New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy helps promote and reduce barriers experienced by older people. They also improve services that older people can access. They have Ten Goals which are: 1. Income provide adequate income for older people 2. Health fair, prompt and accessible health services for older people 3. Housing provide an affordable and proper options for housing to older people 4. Transport provide transport services that older people can afford and have adequate access to 5. Ageing in the community older people can be safe and secure as they age within the community 6. Cultural diversity older people are given choices that are appropriate for cultural diversity in the community 7. Rural services when accessing services in the rural communities , it will ensure that older people are not disadvantaged 8. Positive attitudes to ensure and propagate awareness so people of all ages have a positive attitude towards ageing and older people. 9. Employment opportunities it aims to eliminate ageism and promote work opportunities that have flexible work hours for older people. 10. Personal growth and opportunities to increase opportunities for personal growth for the older people Up to today even if there are strategies and programs being rolled out by the government to increase awareness about understanding people with old age but because of these negative attitudes, stereotypes and barriers older people perceive that they are denied to participate in making decisions about their life and their health. Elder abuse in the form of physical, verbal , emotional and neglect is common in the home and in residential facilities because of the wrong way people think about the elderly. 2.3 Service provisions and access frameworks Older people find it hard to cope on their own especially if they do not have any family to support them. The Ministry of Health along with other agencies has service provisions and access frameworks that older people can utilise to help maintain their independence and quality in life, be able to stay in their own home as long as they can, and to be able to participate in their respective communities. Support services are funded and can be accessed through District Health Boards and these services are supplied by the Ministry of Health Disability Support Services, DHBs and Accident Compensation Corporation that usually hires a private contractor to provide services. These services include assistance with personal cares, household support, support for the older persons carer and support with equipments that older people may need to help with their safety at home. To be able to access these support services an older person must be a New Zealand citizen or resident who is eligible to re ceive publicly funded health services and they must meet the criteria after needs assessment. Older people who wish to access the services can coordinate with their local DHBs to be able to assessed on what support they are eligible for. The Ministry of Social Development also has service provisions and frameworks that are put in place to benefit older people like: Providing policy advice , research on retirement income and advice on a whole range of issues that affects the older people Promoting positive ageing Providing income security for veterans Administer SuperGold Card, Community Services Card and Residential Care Subsidy Provide funding for services that reduces the occurrence of elder abuse and neglect 2.4 References Auckland District Health Board. (2013). Health of Older People. Retrieved from http://www.adhb.govt.nz/planningandfunding/health%20of%20older%20people.htm Ministry of Social Development. (2007). Older People. Retrieved from http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/corporate/statement-of-intent/2007/older-people.html Ministry of Social Development. (2001). Positive Ageing Goals and Key Actions. Retrieved from http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/planning-strategy/positive-ageing/goals-and-actions.html Ministry of Health. (2013). What can you expect from home support services. Retrieved from http://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/services-and-support/health-care-services/services-older-people/support-services-older-people/what-you-can-expect-home-support-services Ministry of Health. (2014). Health of Older People. Retrieved from http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/life-stages/health-older-people Ministry of Health. (2002). Health of Older People Strategy. Retrieved from http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/health-older-people-strategy New Plymouth District Council. (2010). Positive Ageing Strategy. Retrieved from http://www.newplymouthnz.com/CouncilDocuments/PlansAndStrategies/PositiveAgeingStrategy.htm#nz Oregon Department of Human Services. (n.d.). Myths and Stereotypes of Aging. Retrieved from www.oregon.gov/dhs/apd-dd-training/EQC Training Documents/Myths and Stereotypes of Aging.pdf Jaqueline Villaflores Civil ID 13161001

Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry :: Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry Essays

Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry An important idea in the novel "Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry" written by Mildred D Taylor is racism. This idea is important because it tells us how life was in the 1930s for a little black girl who matures with racial conflict around her. "Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry" is about a young, black girl, Cassie Logan who tries to understand with her family, why the blacks are different to the whites. Cassie, the narrator leads us through all the disaster and trouble that her and her family have been through in relation with the white folks in Mississippi. The first example that shows racial conflict between the blacks and whites is the Jefferson Davis School bus, which is full of white children. Blacks do not have a bus so Cassie and her brothers have to walk to school. However, each morning the children would be threatened by this bus, "a bus bore down on him spewing clouds of red dust like a huge yellow dragon breathing fire". This is surely because of racism. The whites in the bus seem to find it amusing with "laughing with faces" to see the black children run for their lives. Another example is the incident Cassie takes a trip to Strawberry to the market. There she is made to apologize to Lillian Jean Simms (a white girl) for bumping into her. Cassie does not like to get pushed around and she stands up for herself. She says, "I ain't nasty, and if you're so afraid of getting bumped, walk down there yourself" to Lillian Jean after she is told to "get down in the road". This example tells us how the whites can tell the black people to do whatever they want them to do. In return, the black person would do what they are told but Cassie is strong and stubborn, and she refuses until her Big Ma tells her to apologize. Overall, life in the 1930s for the black people was very difficult as they were pressured and pushed around as if they were animals.

Teens Must be Educated About the Consequences of Drinking :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

As binge drinking continues to increase every year so does the fatalities caused by car accidents, teen pregnancy, rape, and homicides. Obviously there is no way to completely stop binge drinking but if we could decrease the occurrence then we could make a difference. I strongly believe that in order to do this we need to make the consequences more severe. Teens get off too easily and that’s why they continue to drink irresponsibly. I also think that if teens knew about it before hand they would think twice about binge drinking. Billboards are a good way of sending out this message. If they appear on major highways with a catchy phrase or maybe even a picture of what could happen it would get people’s attention. I know that if I was to see what a fatal accident caused by alcohol can do to a person it would definitely affect me. There are always numbers under the billboard signs that you can call so you can make your own billboard and you can also look in the phone book. Many have already taken action on the subject by covering our highways with warnings about the consequences of drinking and with the holidays approaching the issue of teens drinking illegal is bound to increase. Billboards are seen by many people everyday and I think that one about a serious issue would make a huge difference. I believe that kids need to be informed about binge and underage drinking before hand. I would suggest that they be required to take a class about it in junior high and in high school. This way they are more educated on the outcomes of it and not that it’s just an adrenaline rush. The way I could spread the idea would be through flyers. Flyers are a real easy to make and with shocking information and real life stories and pictures I think the word will definitely get out. I could hand them out almost anywhere, such as the mall, a sporting event, at school, etc. the more that agree with my opinion the better the chances are of passing the law. And even if it doesn’t get passed it would at least get people thinking about it and maybe parents can inform their children about it before they get in a situation that is encouraging them to drink. There was recently a commercial on TV about a girl that got hit by a drunk driver.

Quentins Passion and Desire in The Sound and the Fury Essay example --

Quentin's Passion and Desire in The Sound and the Fury    As Quentin Compson travels through the countryside with his college friends, the reality of the situation becomes terribly confused by memories and past feelings. After a little girl follows him for miles around town, his own sexuality reaches the forefront of his consciousness and transforms itself into disjointed memories of his sister Caddy. Quentin's constant obsession in William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, surrounds a defining sexual act with his sister. Though the physical act never appears in plain language, Quentin's apparent lapse into an inner monologue demonstrates his overwhelming fixation with Caddy as well as a textured representation of their relationship. Sexual language pervades his inner consciousness - scents, sounds and colors represent his passion and desire. Elements of nature, when associated with his sister, become erotic; the tiers of description, no matter how seemingly mundane, tend to be steeped in sexuality. Quentin's lapse into past events with Caddy begins in the midst of typical conversation with his friends as they drive through town. His attention to reality is shattered by an unconscious slip into thoughts of his sister. As the eyes of the little girl snap Quentin into a reverie of sexual exploration, his words wander haphazardly, even before the image of his sister, prone on the banks of the river, comes to mind. "If I tried to hard to stop it I'd be crying and I thought about how I'd thought about I could not be a virgin, with so many of them walking along in the shadows and whispering with their soft girlvoices lingering in the shadowy places and the words coming out and perfume and eyes you could f... ... environment to evoke such passion. Although Faulkner rarely refers to sexual acts directly, the use of language through Quentin's consciousness and internal monologue is so rampant with erotic metaphor and passionate depth, that a simple object, such as a pocket knife, transforms into the most vital of symbols. Works Cited and Consulted Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. New York: Vintage Books, 1984. Harold, Brent. "The Volume and Limitations of Faulkner's Fictional Method." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 11, 1975. Hoffman, F. J. and Vickery, O. W.   William Faulkner:   Three Decades of Criticism.   New York, Harbinger, 1960. Irwin, John T. "A Speculative Reading of Faulkner" Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 14, 1975. Polk, N.   New Essays On:   The Sound and the Fury.   Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1993.  

Blink †Malcom Gladwell Essay

Among the thought provoking topics Gladwell presents in Blink, I found slicing as one the most interesting. The idea that short snippets of information can potentially allow more accurate perceptions of people and situations than longer periods with in-depth study and exposure to information. The awareness of the unconscious realizations occurring much quicker and more accurately than cognitive thought, inspires additional pontificate on ways to cut through the noise that interferes with conscious thoughts. Additionally, his identification of potential noise spurs the mind to ignore the slices offer opportunities to understand potential causes for historical perceptions that have proven to be incorrect. While reading Gladwell’s elaboration on the various methods of slicing, several historical business decisions come to mind. Gladwell’s review of speed dating offers many similarities to my experiences interviewing candidates to fill vacant positions on various teams I ha ve managed. My process for interviewing candidates is a multistep process, where my first interview is normally no more than 30 minutes, containing about 15-20 minutes of my explaining the position being filled and the needs of the company. Gladwell specifically identified the purpose was not to determine if both speed dating parties want to establish a relationship together. The purpose was to decide if each person has enough interest in the other, to at least learn more about him/her. In the 10 minutes where I directly interview candidates for skills and competencies, I am simply deciding if I want to bring this person in to learn more detail about their skills and competencies. Gladwell also identifies that slicing is not always effective, due to noise received by the conscious self, sometimes allowing cognitive thought to challenge the unconscious perception. Although I take detailed notes on each candidate, there are many instances where, despite the notes and the observed mannerisms, my ‘gut’ suggested an opposite direction from the logical choice. In retrospect, I realize that during these initial interviews, as I put significant effort into evaluating skills and competencies as a whole. There was just too much data reviewed, instead of focussing on individual slices of data. In some cases my mind even justified the potential issues, offering undue credit to candidates because of their persuasive discussions and mannerisms, thereby continuing the hiring process with candidates that should not have made it past the first round. During one interview in particular, I was filling a position as Category Manager and my pool of candidates was somewhat limited. My company’s push to hire diversity candidates made the pool even shallower. After bringing candidates in for first round interviews, I decided to post the position online for a second time. The subsequent candidates were not significantly better than the first round. I could not identify a specific reason for my disinterest in the candidates, they just didn’t feel right. Most did not offer the typical image I associated with a successful category manager. As a favor to a colleague, I agreed to interview a wild card candidate for my vacancy. She had no experience with category management, but her career history showed steady progression and 3.8 GPA throughout her chemical Engineering major offered evidence of her intelligence. My colleague spoke very highly of her abilities and during the initial interview her image was consistent with high performing category managers I have known in the past. In reviewing my notes after the interview, I documented her lack of experien ce as being a key opportunity. Although my logical decision should have been to remove her from the list going forward, I followed my ‘gut’ and continued the interview process with her. As the process continued, she was eventually hired for the position on my team. I had somehow convinced myself that she could learn the trade and excel at it in a short period of time. Within a few months of hiring her, we both realized she wasn’t going to meet the requirements of the position and eventually, she went back to her previous company. I couldn’t help but wonder how she could have performed so well during the interview compared to the other candidates, but not be able to perform the duties of the actual job itself. After finishing Gladwell’s elaboration on priming, I gained better insights as to potential reasons why I hired the wrong person. Gladwell offered great examples of priming and how key words can impact an individual’s performance on tests. During the interview process, I normally discuss my educational and career history in an effort to reduce anxiety in candidates. I can’t help but wonder if during my discussions, I primed candidates, thereby pushing them to perform at anticipated levels based on my initial perception as they entered the first interview. Based on this theory, the words I chose during the interview process could have unintentionally encouraged one candidate and discouraged others. I find the concept of priming to be very thought provoking and it will definitely impact my speech at the beginning of each interview. Although Gladwell’s discussion regarding interpretations of slices of time proposes a more accurate perception is achieved by the unconscious mind well in advance of the conscious mind. Key points perceived during the initial moments could potentially shape my perception and thereby cause the subconscious to choose priming words to reinforce that perception. Being aware of this possibility is a key part of addressing it. From my experience illustrated above, focusing on neutral wording during future interviews will be a priority going forward.