Drug Abuse Among Teens Essay - 1323 Words

A commercial once aired on television describing the effects of smoking on the brain. It began with a person holding an egg and saying, This is your brain. The person then cracked the egg into a frying pan and as the egg sizzled the voice was heard saying, This is your brain on drugs. The message was powerful while at the same time informative. Smoking not only affects a person physically, but mentally as well. However, most people do not know the severe mental damage smoking inflicts since the focus is primarily on the physical effects. Drug abuse is becoming a growing problem among teenagers. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuses 1999 survey of 2,000 teens, about 14 million teens ages 12 to†¦show more content†¦They can become very distant and quiet or loud and violent. No one can be certain how drugs will affect their behavior, but the change is not usually for the better. Many people enter a state where they stop caring about everyth ing including the things they once treasured more than anything. In as little as two weeks, nicotine can change the brains chemistry and thus change a persons behavior. In order to understand the effects of smoking, researchers have examined the change drugs impose on the brain. The brain stem controls basic functions such as heart rate, breathing, eating, and sleeping. When one of these basic needs must be fulfilled, the brain stem structures can direct the rest of the brain and body to work toward that need. While these structures may be simple, they wield powerful effects on our behavior. On top of the brain stem lies the limbic system. The limbic system deals with our emotions, motivations, feelings, and survival needs. The two largest limbic structures, the hippocampus and the amygdale, are essential for memory storage. Sensory information flows from the cortex to these brain regions, which take into account what is going on inside the brain and body and then instruct the cortex to store what is important.2 Drug abuse plays such a powerful role in a persons emotions and behavior because it acts directly on the limbic system and brain stem, which override the cortex in controlling behavior. The feeling ofShow MoreRelatedTeen Prescription Drug Abuse Among Teens1462 Words   |  6 PagesTeen Prescription Drug Abuse Doesn’t matter what age, drugs are going to be used and abuse. From the time we are born, till the day we die, prescription drugs are prescribed for doctor approved use. Most prescription drugs are given to help control a disease, an imbalance, sickness, etc. With teenage drug abuse on the rise in most US high schools, it has become a problem parents are facing amongst their children. 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The Change Management Using Transformational Leadership Theory

Question: Discuss about the Change Management using Transformational Leadership and Lewin's Change Theory. Answer: Introduction Change in any organization is inevitable for efficient service delivery and profitability to be achieved. With every change comes resistance and overcoming the resistance is one step to successful implementation of a proposed change. Involving all stakeholders in every phase of a change process is another critical step to a successful change implementation(Gilbert, 2009). In this paper, the implementation of a Bar Code medication system is proposed as the ideal solution to minimizing medical errors and improving patient service delivery. The paper discuses two different leadership styles: transactional and transformational- and concludes that the transformational coaching leadership style will be most effective in realizing the proposed change. The role of nurses as change agents is also discussed with practicality of the coaching leadership style acting as a link between effecting change among the nurses and between the nurses and patients. The proposed change management theory to be used is the Kurt Lewin theory. The implementation of the Bar Code system will require that nurses are weaned off the current methodology of medication delivery and administration (unfreezing), educated on the new Bar Code system (freezing), and evaluated on their use of the same in the final stage of refreezing. The Role of Leadership Formal leaders in an organization that command the faith of their employees tend to have the subordinates look up to them for several things. During times of necessary and drastic changes, employees will often expect sensible and effective planning decision-making, that is effective, confident, and complete as well as regular communication that is made in a timely manner. In addition, during these times when there is change being effected, employees will view the leadership as being committed, concerned, and supportive of their welfare, while simultaneously recognising that there is need for tough decisions to be made. In summary, a climate of trust should exist between the employees and the leaders which in turn brings hope for the future and which make coping with the change easier (Kellerman, 2007). In organizations that have poor leadership, there are no positive expectations by the employees. Where there is distrust, employees perceive that leaders' actions will be indecipherable and in ways that have no-one's interest at heart. Poor leadership results in a lack of hope, which in the long haul results in a non-functioning organization. The organization ought to handle the unpleasant change practical impact and more so, must do it under the weight of employees that have no hope in the leaders' ability or the entire system altogether. The key to a successful change is the involvement of leadership prior to, during, and after the implementation of the change. The leadership therefore needs to have laid a foundation of trust prior to embarking on any changes (Llopis, 2013) Leadership styles The manner in which a leader provides direction, plan implementation, and people motivation, is referred to as leadership style. Leadership styles need to be adopted with regard to a specific situation , the specific needs of the people, and the particular challenges that the origination is facing (Martindale, 2011, p. 32). This paper will look at two leadership styles,: transformational leadership and transactional leadership and then determine the most suitable leadership style for the proposed change. Transformational leadership A transformational leader does not work under the confines of his/her employees' perceptions. The main goal that such a leader has is to transform or change the needs of the employees and re-direct the way that they think. A transformational leader inspires and challenges the employees with a sense of excitement and purpose(Schultz Schultz, 2010, p. 201). Transformational leaders have a vision which points at what they are aspiring to become and communicates this vision to the employees. There are three characteristics of a transformational leader and these include: charismatic leadership posses a wide knowledge field, has an energy level that is high, a personality that is self promoting, and is a risk taker who uses irregular strategies that aim at stimulating the followers to be independent thinkers; intellectual stimulation; and individualized consideration (Schultz et al., 2010,p.201) Transactional leadership A transactional leader focuses on motivating employees through a punishment and rewards system. The two foundational basis for this type of leadership include: management-by- exception and contingent reward. The leader maintains a status quo by using management-by-exception and intervenes when there is failure of employees to meet set goals and proceeds to initiate corrective action that aims at improving performance. This helps in reducing the manager's workload as they only step in to deal with a deviant employee. Contingent reward on the other hand, offers psychological and materialistic rewards for employee effort and also recognizes their good performance (Liu, Liu, Zeng, 2011, p. 282). A transactional leader will identify the needs of the employees and offer rewards in response to meeting those needs in exchange for a specific performance level. A transactional leader will focus on enhancing efficiency of already established procedures and routines. Such a leader is more concerned with abiding by existing organizational rules as opposed to making changes within the organization. The transactional leader will standardize and establish practices that aim at driving the organization to achieve maturity, operations efficiency, productivity increase, and operations efficiency (Liu et al., 2011, p. 282). Based on the proposed change, transformational leadership will be the most appropriate . The current leadership at my place of work is both transactional and transformational. There are leaders that are transformational and those that are transactional. However, in this particular proposed change, transformational leadership will be most effective. Transformational leadership in Nursing Evidence-based research shows that in healthcare, transformational leadership increases nurse satisfaction, reduces turnover of staff, and promotes an environment for positive work environment (Lin, McLennan, Hunt et al., 2015). Transformational leadership forms a critical element in the implementation of change or toward the achievement of work environments that increase the safety of patients. There are four sub styles that are encased within transformational leadership: coaching, affiliative, democratic, and authoritative (Benincasa, 2012). Authoritative leaders will steer people toward a vision and are the most effective leaders (Benincasa, 2012). The leader communicates the vision in a vivid manner to employees and motivates them by demonstrating the individual employee's work role in the bigger vision. Latitude is offered to the employees on achievement of the vision. The authoritative leader is most effective in nursing practice when a clear turnaround and direction is needed (Benincasa, 2012). Democratic leaders will always encourage the employees to give their input and hence, build a consensus when all persons are involved. It is also referred to as participative leadership as all persons, excluding the leader, have a final say on the final decision. In nursing practice, this kind of leadership style is useful when the leader is uncertain about the right steps to take and therefore, seeks ideas from others. It allows nurses to feel that they have a voice when it comes to decision-making; builds nurses' morale; and reduces disruptive behaviour and workplace bullying (Benincasa, 2012). Affiliative leaders create emotional bonds with employees through creation of a sense of belonging and offering feedback that is positive. This style is ideal for the building of team harmony, repairing broken trust, or increasing morale. In nursing practice, this leadership style allows for improvement of communication. For affiliative communication to be more effective, it is combined with authoritative leadership (Benincasa, 2012). Coaching leaders aim at developing future leaders. These leaders identify the employees' weaknesses and strengths, set goals for development, and assist employees in achieving them. A coaching leader is interested in the employees' career and personal aspirations as well as in achievement of personal growth. According to King (n.d.), nursing practice should revolve around setting of goals by nurses together with the patients rather than planning care without involving the patient Innovation in healthcare The proposed change will use Kurt Lewins theory of change management and apply it to the introduction of Bar Codes technology of medication delivery and administration at the hospital facility. By using Lewin's theory, a better understanding will be gained in the change effect on the organization, identification of successful implementation barriers, as well as identification of actions of human behaviour opposing forces. SWOT Analysis ASWOT analysisis used in providing prompts to nurse tutors, clinical leaders managers, staff, and nurse mentors involved in analyzing what clinical procedures are effective and which ones are not, in preparation of a particular plan (such as quality checks, assessments, CQC) (Morrison, 2011).A SWOT analysis is used in planning or analyzing activities that have a potential impact on the management, planning, and financial decision. It enables the clinical staff and management to do a comprehensive analysis. Strengths these are the factors that potentially have a positive effect or can enable the achievement of the hospital's objectives Weaknesses these are the factors that potentially have a negative effect or can be a barrier to the achievement of the hospital's objectives Opportunitiesthese are the external factors that can potentially have a positive effect on the achievement or surpassing of the goals or objectives of the hospital which had not been considered previously. Threats these are the external factors that can potentially have a negative impact on the achievement of the hospital's goals or objectives, or making them unachievable or redundant. Strengths Outstanding nursing staff Highly committed to hospital mission Excellent facilities Healthcare quality is outstanding High level of efficiency at the hospital and ward Utilization of state-of-the-art technology Hospital has invested in healthcare informatics Focused improvement of community healthcare Personnel are highly committed Employees have a clear understanding of the hospital's goals Hospital is focused on improvement of quality. Weaknesses Inadequate resources Clinical staff shortage Clinical processes lack continuity leading to effort duplication Poor communication resulting in disrupted patient care Utilization of health informatics is poor Insufficient training of management management training Patient data lacks relevance and is untimely Opportunities Growing urban community Increased business in managed care Growing numbers of programs in community healthcare Introduction of protocols to improve efficiency and quality at the hospital Threats Government reimbursement has reduced Speciality physicians as a competition Provider networks in the healthcare industry offering increased competition Increasing deficits in the federal and state budgets Uninsured population is growing Change and change management Kotters 8 Step Change Model The 8 step model transforms a change to a campaign where the employer pitches the change to the employees who are expected to eventually buy into the need for it. The 8 steps involved include: Increasing the change urgency; building a dedicated team that spearheads the change; creating a vision for the change; communicating the need for the change to take place; empowering the employees with the ability to embrace the change; creating short term goals; staying persistent; solidifying the change (Kotter International, 2017). The process is a simple step by step that focuses on preparation for accepting the change. Transition to a change is simplified in this model. However, the proposed change for the hospital in question will not use this model because the process takes a relatively long time and no one step can be skipped. The McKinsey 7S Model The McKinsey 7-S model is one that offers and approach that is holistic with regard to organizational change. The collective change agents in this model: skills, staff, style, systems, structure, strategy, and shared values. The model offers an effective diagnostic method that illuminated the organization; offers guidance in change; combines emotional and rational components; and requires all parts to be addressed in unison. However, the main downside of this model is that it is complex, differences are overlooked, all parts are interrelated hence one change cause change in all others (Mindtools, 2016). This makes the Mckinsey 7S model unsuitable in implementing change in the hospital. Kurt Lewin's Change Theory Many organizations have used the Lewin's change theory in understanding human behaviour in relation to change and resistance to it (Houson, 2015, p.55; Hoogendoorn, 2007, p.147). The theory is also known as the Force Field analysis(Lewin, 1947) and encompasses three phases namely: unfreezing, freezing and refreezing. The model's intention is the identification of factors that can hinder the occurrence of the change; opposing forces referred to as static or restraining forces, and forces which drive or promote change known as the driving forces. When a healthcare organization has a complete understanding of what behaviours oppose or drive change, they are better able to strengthen the forces that drive the change for the successful implementation of the expected change. In the first stage of unfreezing, there needs to be an understanding of the challenges in relation to the problem that has been identified and subsequent strategies developed for enhancing the driving forces while simultaneously weakening or reducing the restraining forces. Unfreezing involves the identification of the major players that will be most impacted by the change and then summoning them in one common ground and communicating the ideas to them. The static and driving forces are listed down during the common ground meeting. The second stage -Moving- is when the change is put into practice after the opposing forces have been equalized which in turn allows the support for the change by the driving forces. In the moving stage, the project implementation results in the desired change therefore, it is critical that communication lines are kept open between the management and the nursing staff. Finally, once the expected change is achieved, the refreezing takes place where the cha nge stability is evaluated as well as its overall effectiveness in the healthcare practice. Application of Lewin's Theory of Change Unfreezing Stage Identification of the focus of change is the first step of the Kurt Lewin analysis and more specifically implementation of the scanning system that uses Bar Codes, for the delivery of medication in the healthcare facility. The main component in this stage is communicating the proposed change with all the stakeholders including administration, managers, and frontline nurses. It is critical that all lines of communication between stakeholders remain honest and more importantly open, as this will create a sense of trust and security among all that are involved in the change process (Gilley, Gilley, McMillan, 2009, p. 75). By including front line nurses in the key decision making and planning groups, a feeling of being empowered will be promoted . This empowerment helps in overcoming change resistance and enables the frontline nurses to understand the project's importance and its potential benefits with regard to client care. During this stage of unfreezing, identification of restraining and driving forces can be listed down during discussions held in informal, open, roundtable meeting, which will enable identification of barriers that may need to be worked out. In the healthcare facility in question, some perceived restraining forces include: staff resisting utilization of computer based devices; inexperience with computers, distrust within the organization, and user aversion to new systems. The driving forces will be those that help in propelling the project toward completion such as upper management level support, adequate financial resources, potential improved time management, and ease of use. The key point is that the exercise will engage all stakeholders in an active way to work toward enhancing the positive drivers while minimizing the restraining forces so that the Bar Code system is adopted successfully while eliminating the dangerous workarounds, and enhancing full investment of the nurses in t he long haul. Moving Stage This is the stage when the actual change is taking place and includes planning and implementing project stages. Implementation of the Bar Code system in the healthcare system requires sustained team effort which will include: clinical information services, pharmacy, information technology (IT), clinical nursing educators, program managers, nursing, and administrators. This project is sizeable and will affect all the aforementioned departments in diverse ways hence, a roll out that is effective needs to be planned with the inclusion and assistance of all stakeholders being critical. Actively involving frontline nurses creates a sense of ownership which contributes to the success of the project. At the healthcare in question, some of the areas that need consideration include timeline on implementation, equipment reliability, educational training requirements, impact on workflow, and organizational leadership and culture (Spetz, Burgess Phibbs, 2012, p.157). It will also be critical fo r a project leader to be appointed who will monitor and oversee all the phases of the project. The main challenge that may be experienced in this stage may be the discovery of the utilization of workarounds which can be resolved with additional training.. Refreezing stage This last step requires the refreezing or freezing the desired change and leads to evaluation and stability of the practice. Frontline nurses are accorded ongoing support and the stakeholders are accorded technological support in a continuous flow, to a point when the change is completed and all users are able to use the technology comfortably. Once the technology is completed and is live, a summary and evaluation of the challenges encountered, the successes encountered, and the different problems faced through the entire duration of the project, should be done as a source of reference in the future. The inclusion of frontline nurses in all phases of the project is necessary as the nurses' major function is being change agents. Nurses have close contact with patients and are able to see the effects of the healthcare system and medicine on the patient (Keyes, 2014). In this project, the coaching leadership style will come into play where the real objective will be to help the already competent nurses to become even more successful. The nurses will be expected to be mentors to those that will find challenges in understanding and utilizing the Bar Code system. By coaching them, the final result will be that all nurses being capable of using the system effectively, reduced turnaround time, reduction of medication errors, and precise patient care. The nurses will also be responsible for patients' uptake of the new system; they will be open to the patients with regard to the change and encourage them to embrace it. The coaching leadership will improve the bottom line. Why the change is needed Medication safety is an issue of concern and a priority in long term care and hospital facilities as medication errors pose a serious threat to the safety of patients. Several studies have shown that fatality rates linked to medication errors in the US exceeded 7000 deaths per annum and affects 3-5% of hospital in-patients ( Dennison, 2007, p. 176; DeYoung, Vanderkooi, Barletta, 2009, p. 1110). Medication errors' ramification affect all healthcare units, result in mistrust by consumers, increased costs of healthcare, and patient death or injury(Andel, Davidow, Hollander et al., 2012, p.2) . Occurrence of medication errors can be at any administration and dispensing process stage however, only approximately 5% are recorded in nursing documentation, which is suggestive that there are many errors that have not been catastrophic and which have gone unreported (Wilkins Shields, 2008). Medication errors can be defined as any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer. Such events may be related to professional practice, health care products, procedures, and systems, including prescribing; order communication; product labelling, packaging, and nomenclature; compounding; dispensing; distribution; administration; education; monitoring; and use(NCCMERP, 2016). These are common in healthcare facilities across the world with serious consequences resulting in patient harm or death, prolonged stay of patients in the hospital, trust erosion between healthcare organization and the consumer, and elevated economic expenditure (Dennison, 2007, p. 176). The estimated economic impact that is as a result of medication errors is approximately 5,000 dollars for every error, and when litigation is involved, this amount can escalate to millions of dollars (Dennison, 2007, p.176). Besides the harm done to the patient, nurses too face harm in their morale after involvement in a medication error which can lead to potential work time lost (Dennison, 2007, p.176). Although medication errors can happen at any point of the patient care process, the nurse is most times the final defence line for capturing errors as he/she administers medication at the patients' bedside. This can be translated as the nurse having responsibility of ensuring that the right medication is administered to the patient and when drug errors occur, the nurse should be held liable (Wilkins Shields, 2008). There have been several strategies introduced in an effort to reduce occurrence of errors in the process of administration and dispensing of medication and these include electronic medication records and patient identification, among others. One such tool is the proposed Bar Coded medication system that can potentially reduce errors in a significant way, when correctly used (Dennison, 2007, p. 176). One of the top priorities of healthcare facilities is patient safety and delivery of safe medication, which are a critical aspect of complete patient care. The current system of administration and delivery of medication at the healthcare facility in question involves dilapidated medication carts and is reliant on manual checks to ensure correct drug administration at the right dosage, site, route, and time by the nurse. The healthcare facility in question should embark on a complete pharmacy system overhaul and incorporate automated dispensing machines, together with medications bar coding, and electronic medication records, to improve and modernize patient safety and care. The frontline nurses will feel the greatest impact despite the possibility of some feeling sceptical or lacking confidence in the change and their ability to embrace the new technology, hence, careful implementation will be critical. Conclusion Change is inevitable yet any change often meets resistance. Careful planning and inclusion of key stakeholders throughout the entire change process is critical for the successful implementation of any change. In this paper, the introduction of a Bar Code medication system has been discussed as a necessary change that can potentially reduce medication errors. The inclusion of frontline nurses as the agents of change is necessary as they act as the point of contact between the patient and the healthcare facility as a whole. By empowering nurses through transformational coaching leadership, nurses can effect change in the medication delivery and administration in the healthcare facility by first assisting each other in gaining an understanding in the workings of the system; and secondly, through education of patients on the new changes which will in turn increase acceptability of the system among the patients. It is clear that transformational leadership is key in implementing change and the Lewin's theory of change management is the ideal way of ensuring the change is successful. By keeping communication lines between all stakeholders open and honest, and from the freezing stage to the final unfreezing change, resistance is minimized and adaptation potential is enhanced manifold times. References Andel,C., Davidow, S., Hollander,M., et al.,( 2012). The Economics of Health Care Quality and Medical Errors. Journal of Health Care Finance 39(1) (Retrieved on 17th April 2017) from https://www.wolterskluwerlb.com/health/resource-center/articles/2012/10/economics-health-care-quality-and-medical-errors Benincasa, R. (2012). 6 Leadership styles and when you should use them. (Retrieved on 16th April, 2017) from Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/1838481/6-leadership-styles-and-when-you-should-use-them Dennison, R. (2007). A medication safety education program to reduce the risk of harm caused by medication errors.Journal Of Continuing Education In Nursing, 38(4), 176-184. DeYoung, J., Vanderkooi, M., Barletta, J. (2009). Effect of bar-code-assisted medication administration on medication error rates in an adult medical intensive care unit. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 66(12), 1110-1115. doi:10.2146/ajhp080355 Gilbert, J., (2009). The Change Management Life Cycle; Involve Your People To Ensure Success. (Retrieved on 16th April, 2017). https://www.batimes.com/articles/the-change-management-life-cycle-involve-your-people-to-ensure-success.html Gilley A, Gilley JW, McMillan HS. (2009).Organizational change: Motivation, communication, and leadership effectiveness.Performance Improvement Quarterly.21(4):7594. Hoogendoorn, M., Jonker, C. M., Schut, M. C., Treur, J. (2007). Modeling centralized organization of organizational change. Computational Mathematical Organization Theory, 13, 147-184. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10588-006-9004-5 Imogene KingBiography. (n.d.). (Retrieved on 16th April, 2017). https://king.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=22club_id=459369module_id=59920 Kellerman, B. (2007).What every leader needs to know about followers. (Retrieved on 16th April, 2017). from Havard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2007/12/what-every-leader-needs-to-know-about-followers Keyes, L. (2014). Nurses as change agents. (Retrieved on 16th April, 2017). Mastersinnursing.com. https://www.mastersinnursing.com/nurses-as-change-agents/ Kotter International(2017). 8 step process for leading change. (Retrieved on 17th April, 2017). www.kotterinternational.com/8-steps-process-for-leading-change/ Lewin, K. (1947). Frontiers in group dynamics. In Cartwright, D. (Ed.), Field Theory in Social Science. London: Harper and Row. Lin, P.-Y., MacLennan, S., Hunt, N., Cox, T. (2015). The influences of nursing transformational leadership style on the quality of nurses working lives in Taiwan: a cross-sectional quantitative study.BMC Nursing,14, 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-015-0082-x Liu, J.; Liu, X.; Zeng, X. (2011). Does transactional leadership count for team innovativeness?.Journal of Organizational Change Management.24(3): 282298.doi:10.1108/09534811111132695. Llopis, G (2013). 5 Ways leaders earn respect from their employees.(Retrieved on 16th April, 2016). Forbes Magazine. https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2013/07/22/5-ways-leaders-earn-respect-from-their-employees/#4a8f07561bb5 Martindale, N (2011). Leadership Styles: How to handle the different personas.Strategic Communication Management.15(8): 3235. Mindtools.com (2016). The McKinsey 7-S Framework: Ensuring That All Parts of Your Organization Work in Harmony. (Retrieved on 17th April, 2017) https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_91.htm Morrison, M (2011). SWOT analysis in nursing and healthcare. (Retrieved on 16th April, 2017) Rapidbi.com. https://rapidbi.com/swot-analysis-in-nursing-health-care/ NCCMERP (2016). About Medication Errors. (Retrieved on 17th April, 2017) https://www.nccmerp.org/about-medication-errors Schultz Schultz, Duane (2010).Psychology and work today. New York: Prentice Hall. pp.201202.ISBN0-205-68358-4. Spetz, J., Burgess, J. F., Phibbs, C. S. (2012). 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How to Effectively Roll Out an SOP - The Writers For Hire

HOW TO EFFECTIVELY ROLL OUT AN SOP Rolling out a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a big deal. You are, after all, changing the way employees handle the processes in your company. A successful SOP rollout includes testing the SOP and troubleshooting it, training your employees, and updating it as needed. But as complicated as the process can be, any growing company occasionally has to create a new or updated SOP. But did you know that if you roll out your SOP the right way, you may get less resistance from your staff? Let’s take a look at an ideal rollout plan. Then think about using it to implement your new SOP. Test It Before the Official Rollout You’ve worked on your new SOP for a long time, and all you want to do is roll it out and be done with it. But it would be counterproductive to roll out the plan unless you first test it to ensure that all the procedures are correct. We’ll get into the specifics of an effective test program for SOPs in another post, but if you’re about to roll out your new SOP, make sure you’ve done the following at a minimum: Have someone from each department perform a live test for their segment of the SOP. When you test the SOP department-by-department, you will get usable and reliable test results. Don’t allow the SOP writers to test the processes because they may do what they meant to say instead of reading the actual instructions. Instead, ask people who perform the tasks in their daily jobs to do the tests.Ask for feedback and adjust the SOP if necessary. If the testing exposed any weaknesses or inconsistencies in the plan, you can make changes before the official rollout. You may have to go through the testing process several times, but once you’ve arrived at a point where the employee can perform the actions perfectly using the SOP instructions, it’s time to roll it out. Step One: Use the Right Platform Using project management software is an excellent way to park an SOP library. Many corporations use SharePoint because it was the first on the scene and is widely recognized. But others use different software for various reasons. For example, many smaller companies want a more streamlined and easy-to-use tool. If that’s what you need, take a look at Google Drive, Workzone, or Box. Most of the programs are customizable, so you can only add the features you need. And each one has its benefits and limitations so you will need to determine the right program for you. Once you’ve uploaded your SOP to the platform, it’s time to get your department heads on board. Step Two: Train Your Department Heads Before you disseminate the SOP throughout all the layers of your organization, you should ensure that the department heads understand it. If you train them now, they will be able to answer any questions their team has. You can do this in several ways. For example, hold workshops for department heads that teach them the basics of the SOP. If you can predict and anticipate the most common staff questions, you will save a lot of time by addressing them with the department heads. Then instruct the department staff to go to the department head if they have any questions. You can also train your department heads one-on-one. This method is more time-consuming, but it allows you to address specific compliance issues for each department during the training. Step Three: Ask Department Heads to Inform the Staff Now that the department heads understand the new SOP, it’s time to inform the staff about its existence. When you use your newly-trained department heads to spread the word, it will allow them to address any department specific questions the staff may have. Department heads can inform their staff about the new SOP in a number of ways. When do doing so, they should explain the reasons for the new SOP, what it means for them, how to access it, and when that access will be available to them. To get the word out, department heads can: Hold a department-wide meeting Use department emails to inform their staff of the new SOP Issue a memo to the entire department Now that your department heads are equipped to answer staff questions, it’s time to distribute the SOP. Step Four: Make the SOP Available to Staff The department heads have already informed the staff that a new SOP was coming, and now all that’s left to do is make it accessible to them. Instruct your department heads to point staff toward whatever platform you’ve chosen and ask them to read the SOP. With some programs, your staff will have to log on to the program while others will allow you to distribute it to everyone at once via email. You will need to ensure that all staff members read the SOP. But instead of tracking their compliance the old fashioned way via emails and phone calls, why not automate the process? It will make it easier on you, and less of a hassle for your staff. If you use SharePoint, you can enable DocRead to distribute the SOP to your staff easily and then receive a confirmation for every employee who reads it. Screenshot from Collaboris.comï » ¿ But when you distribute the SOP, don’t assume that all your employees learn the same way. The truth is that we all have different learning styles and some of us absorb information better by reading it, while others learn more by watching videos. To ensure that your staff learns the new SOP, offer them the chance to read it or watch a video. Step Five: Test Their Understanding It’s too easy for staff to glance over the SOP because they’re having a hectic day. But that won’t do anyone any good, and it certainly won’t ensure SOP compliance. To ensure your staff has read and understood the SOP, you should test them on the knowledge. SharePoint’s DocSurvey allows you to create and attach quizzes to the SOP document or video. The quizzes can be made up of multiple choice questions or open-ended questions. After you’ve created the quiz, you upload it to SharePoint. Then, you can require your employees to complete the quiz before the SOP is marked as read. Doing this ensures that the staff takes time to absorb the information. You can also assign a passing grade. If an employee reads the SOP, takes the quiz and doesn’t pass it, you can require them to take the quiz again. And remember, the department heads have been trained on the SOP, so if a staff member has questions, they will have been instructed to reach out to them for answers. Step Six: Track the Results Now that you’ve distributed the SOP, all staff has read it and passed the quiz; you would think your job is complete, right? Not so fast. Just because your employees read the SOP, that doesn’t mean things are flowing smoothly in every department. You will need to follow up with staff and ask how the changes are affecting their workflow. Do this by assigning ownership for each process of the SOP. You can do this by department or however it makes sense for your organization. For instance, if customer service processes have changed, assign ownership to that department head. That person will be responsible for tracking the SOP’s effects on procedures. They should document every incidence of non-compliance as well as any issues that arise from the new procedures. To streamline the process, you can use issue tracker software like Zoho or Incident Monitor. You can also ask the owners to use DocSurvey, or whatever project management tool they use, to send periodic surveys to employees asking for feedback about the SOP. If the same issue is brought up more than once, you should take a look at it. Chances are, it’s an opportunity to improve the system even more. To ensure that the reviews are done in a timely manner, you can input expiration dates into the program. That’s the end of the SOP process. While it took a lot of work to implement, you now have a structure that will keep staff on track and in compliance. That is, until your procedures change again.

11 Tips for Surviving a Miserable Job

11 Tips for Surviving a Miserable Job Work is work, not play. That’s why it’s called work. But there’s a difference between work being work and having to work a really miserable job. We’ve all been there. Here are 11 ways to tough it out in a job you hate- at least until you can get another one.1. Vent it OutAs long as you don’t do it at the office or with your coworkers or too publicly (ahem, on social media), it can be a really good thing to rant and rave and get your feelings off your chest rather than letting them fester. If you’ve already annoyed your friends with your work gripes, try a forum like jobvent.com.2. Realize it’s Only TemporaryYou’re only stuck there until you can find another job. Start looking. The average number of jobs a typical worker has in their career is growing to five. And there is no longer a stigma about switching jobs or careers like there used to be. Get out there and start working on your resume and soon this bummer job will be way i n the past.3. Make Time for YourselfAll work and no play will make you miserable, no matter what your work is. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself and taking time to do things you find enjoyable. If you build these activities into your day, it’ll be a lot easier to get through.4. Find Something Fun in Your WorkdayGive yourself a daily treat at the office, whether that’s listening to music at your desk, buying yourself  a snazzy lunch, keeping track of your sports team, playing the occasional round of chess against your computer†¦ just something to break up the day. Find something you like that will give you a few minutes of fun among the drudgery.5. Keep LaughingYour sense of humor is your best friend in rough times. Don’t lose sight of it. Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine. Find a way to keep a hold on perspective and keep laughing. Your situation is manageable and can be changed. Just keep your chin up and stay positive.6. Focus on Your Real LifeChances are you have plenty going on outside the office. Put your main focus on that stuff for a change. Don’t take your bad job home with you; leave work at work and make sure your outside life is rich and rewarding. And fun.7. Try to Do BetterIf you hate your job, it’s probably really hard to motivate yourself to excel. But being better at your job will actually help you move jobs- whether up the ladder at your current company, or to another one entirely. Put your hating energy into working harder and your problem might just solve itself.8. Don’t Screw UpYou hate your job, but the last thing you want to do is get fired. Be doubly careful not to put your job in jeopardy while you’re figuring out what to do next. Whatever you do, don’t let your performance slip. You’ll probably need a reference.9. Organize a Fun Night OutGet your coworkers to all go bowling, or to a movie, or to have a potluck picnic in the park. Chances ar e they’re probably as miserable as you are on the job. Get together, share some laughs, and feel a little better about life.10. Get HelpWorkplace stress can be a major factor in depression. Check to see whether your company has an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) and get some professional help to see you through. A happy worker is more productive, obviously. Plus, it never hurts to talk things out with the pros.11. Be PatientYour bad job sucks, but you only have to cope long enough to find a new job. Devote yourself to that, but leave the rest of it at the office. You can get through 9-5 every day for a few weeks until you find something new. Hang in there.

Managing Human Resources (Reflecting on the issue raised by the Sales Essay

Managing Human Resources (Reflecting on the issue raised by the Sales Manager) - Essay Example These are important in order to build a successful manufacturer - sales agent relationship". Sales representatives also give importance to product package, quality product lines that are competitive in terms of effectiveness and affordability. They are particular in the quality and delivery of the products and most importantly, sales people seek to represent organization that has proven integrity and are supportive of agents (Spiegel 2006). While looking at the factors mentioned, sales management can conduct teambuilding for the sales representatives. Sales people are so vital to the organization that it is important to invest in them. Management should make the sales people feel they are important. Bonding and trust in each other are created during team building and sales people always look forward to this kind of activity. Feeling a sense of belonging make them stay long in the organization. Sales planning should also be conducted in a venue outside the company. In this particular activity, people give their sales commitment with the corresponding action plan that they would take to insure the achievement of the sales target. Improvement in the sales performance is observed after a sales planning. A medium-size streamer is displayed conspicuously at the lobby on the way to the conference room where orientation for new employees takes place. The text on the streamer says, "At NL&C, you're in good hands. We insure your future through the 401 (k) Retirement Plans". At this stage when new employees have just begun an episode of their lives with NL&C, they will know that obviously the streamer is exclusively for their curious eyes and questioning mind. The streamer was placed along their path for them to see and feel the caring hands of NL&C from the start and through their stay with their newfound company. Apparently, as in-charge of employees' benefits, I think I was able to effectively put the message across. My purpose of putting 401 (k) retirement plans in the text is to stir the curiosity of the new employees. Many of them, especially the first timer or those who come from another company which does not offer the same privilege, would ask what 401 (k) is. I understand that although 401(k) will benefit them, there will be a lot of questions and some opposition. I have to give them advance information of what will be discussed during the orientation. I want them to be excited so that the appetite to listen attentively will prevail as soon as they enter the conference room. After some explanation of the company rules and regulations, its time for the new employees to hear why it is worth partnering with NL&C. 401(k) along with other benefits will be explained this way: First of all, there are protections and benefits that go with the new workers everyday while they work with the company. On top of them there is the 401(k) retirement plans which afford them of a long term benefit. A portion of their salary will be put aside for their

Should the UK government restore the 50% additional rate of income tax Essay - 4

Should the UK government restore the 50% additional rate of income tax - Essay Example From a general perspective, one can easily identify the motives of the UK government in terms of pumping out fund flow from the economy. Observing with an economic perspective, the tax hike initiative of the UK government can be categorized as a major deterrent factor that has slowed down the pace of functionality of this nation’s economy by a considerable extent (Young & Saltiel, 2011). UK citizens, in the present market economic scenario, are literally forced towards paying high rates of taxes whereas the lower income groups are made to pay marginal amounts. Considering all these aspects, the discussion will majorly focus towards answering the currently rising question regarding whether the UK government should restore the 50 per cent additional hike of income tax rates. Maintaining correspondence, the details regarding these aspects have been elaborated in the underneath sections. As mentioned above, the objective of this paper is to analyse the impacts of income tax hike on the overall trade practices and economic pace of development of the UK. Based on the findings generated thereupon, appropriate conclusions will be made constructed as to whether the UK government should bring down its present income tax levels to 50% as previous. In contemporary macro-economic concepts, taxation is deemed as one of the fundamental tenets that holds significant influence on the stability and performance of any nation. It operates as a basic mechanism in the financial system of a country. The history behind imposing an additional 50% on the existing income tax rates can directly be linked with the hollow and un-rational mentality of the coalition government. The coalition government intended to impose a higher level of tax burden upon the richer income groups with the intention of attaining better revenue inflow along with stability in the overall wealth distribution process within

Triple Sugar Test in Microbiology Essay Example for Free

Triple Sugar Test in Microbiology Essay Triple sugar-iron (TSI) agar test- designed to differentiate among the different groups or genera of the Enterobacteriaceae, which are all gram-negative bacilli capable of fermenting glucose with the production of acid a. Differentiation is made on the basis of differences in carbohydrate fermentation patterns and hydrogen sulfide production. To facilitate observation of carbohydrate utilization patterns- TSI agar slants contain lactose and sucrose (1%) concentrations and glucose (0.1%) concentration which permits detection of the utilization of this substrate only. The acid base indicator phenol red- also incorporated to detect carbohydrate fermentation that is indicated by a change in color of the medium from orange-red to yellow in the presence of acids. a. Method to inoculate slant: stab and streak procedure which requires insertion of sterile straight needle from the base of the slant into the butt. Upon withdrawal, the slanted surface of the medium is streaked. Determining activities of the organism: a. Alkaline slant (red) and acid butt (yellow) with or without gas production (breaks in the agar butt): Only glucose fermentation has occurred. Glucose was degraded first. Since this substrate is minimally present, the small amount of acid produced on the slant surface is oxidized rapidly. Peptones in the medium are used in production of alkali. In the butt the acid reaction is maintained because of reduced O2 tension and slower growth of the organism. b.Acid slant (yellow) and acid butt (yellow) with or without gas production: Lactose and or sucrose fermentation has occurred. Since these substances are present in higher concentrations, they serve as the substrates for continued fermentative activities with maintenance of an acid reaction in both slant and butt. c.Alkaline slant (red) and alkaline butt (red) or no change (orange-red) butt- No carbohydrate fermentation has occurred. Instead peptones are catabolized under anaerobic and or aerobic conditions resulting in an alkaline pH due to production of ammonia. If only aerobic degradation of peptones occur, the alkaline reaction is evidenced only on the slant surface. If there is aerobic and anaerobic utilization of peptone, the alkaline reaction is present on the slant and the butt.