Rrrrrrrr

Introduction

Today more than ever, organizations have an overwhelming requirement to be founded upon strong Values, Ethics and Principles. This becomes even more critical for publicly funded organizations.

All too often, an organization can believe that it is founded upon a set of values that is known and understood by all its employees. When one scratches the surface, it soon becomes clear, however, that much of this ethical, principled foundation is not so well understood and in fact may only exist in the minds of those within the organization.

If one is to insist upon ethical conduct within the organization, such conduct can only be described and assessed against a backdrop of organizational values.

This, then, becomes the starting point for any organization in its efforts to strive for highly principled, ethical employees.

The Process

Moving any organization along the ethical continuum involves some well defined and meaningful processes; not necessarily significant in terms of cost or time but significant in terms of consistency in outcomes, attitudes, organizational commitment and organizational learning.

As the processes evolve, there are dynamic effects on participants in that they develop a sense of ownership or buy-in, and on the organization in that it created an opportunity to test the viability of existing beliefs, as well as form the basis for new, perhaps more responsive and reflective organizational principles.

It has been determined that a very viable methodology that can be employed is that of soliciting the views and opinions of a variety of people and groups in a focus group environment. The groups ought to include members of the following groups:

* Client groups

* Partners

* Community members

* Civilian oversight bodies

* Significant ethnic and/or cultural groups

* Education professionals

* Others

The Foundation

As previously stated, every effort toward moving an organization toward ethical excellence involves either defining, reconfirming or creating the foundation of values.

Frequently, organizations either make comment or at the very least tacitly imply that their people are their most valuable resource. This cannot be simply a catch phrase; indeed, it must be a demonstrable reality within the various levels of the organization.

If the Values of the organization are to be subscribed to by all members of the organization, there must be a process designed whereby the significant levels of the organization will have meaningful, observable input into the creation of the values.

One may be tempted to simply adopt a set of values that appears to fit. With a modest amount of research, the values of a variety of organizations can be obtained and adapted to the organization. Although this may appear to be more effective in the short term, in the longer term, this process has some inherent weakness, not the least of which is a total lack of buy-in and ownership throughout the organization.

A Typical Ethics Project - The Six-Week Plan

Steps:

1. Clarification of Project Charter

2. Collection of external data

3. Focus Group Activity Design

4. Focus Group Activity Testing

5. Focus Group Participant Identification

6. Focus Group Activities (on site)

7. Collation of Focus Group Results

8. Classification of Focus Group Results

9. Draft Values Document

10. Vetting Process - Up, down, across

11. Communications Plan Draft

12. Implementation Plan Draft

13. Implementation Plan Testing

14. Communications Plan Testing

15. Training Strategies

16. Communication, Implementation, Training

Best Practices Review

This entails reviewing information collected during a private sector search of corporate Best Practices.

External Data Collection

This entails amassing information available from sources other than the research mentioned above. This includes Internet search, literature search and other research sources.

Design Focus Group Exercises

This entails the creation of exercises to be utilized during the focus group discussions. The exercises will be designed to solicit information and/or personal views from participants relative to the services being provided, the appropriateness of these services, the clients’ priorities, other points of view, etc.

The intent is to make certain that numerous and varied points of view are solicited from a variety of sources, including stakeholders, clients and partners.

Focus Group Activities

These activities will entail providing the participants with information relating to values statements and other similar documents from the private and the public sectors. They will be asked to translate these values into a form that would be useful to the client organization.

Participants from client group and other stakeholders will be asked to provide the information and points of view relative to public expectations, community priorities, etc., that will be useful in determining the proper focus of the eventual deliverable.

The relationships that need to be analyzed include the following:

* Service-delivery personnel with the client group

* Service-delivery personnel with their supervisors

* Supervisors with Managers

* Managers with Executive

* Executive with CEO

* CEO with Board of Directors

When determining the expectations of each group, care must be taken to ensure that expectations are described in observable, measurable terms. This will eventually enable inclusion of the expectations in a performance evaluation system. Care must also be taken to robustly facilitate these group discussions to ensure that they remain factually focused, future focused and constructive. Initially, there may be some difficulties encountered regarding the airing of ‘dirty laundry’. Strong leadership and patience will be required to move through this portion of the process.

The exercises are carried out in a hierarchical fashion, i.e., beginning at the front line and moving in an ordered fashion up through the organization to the most senior level. The initial exercises must be thoroughly analyzed before the subsequent exercises are undertaken. The results of the initial exercises form the basis for subsequent discussions as the exercises move up through the organization. At each stage of the process, by-in and/or official agreement of the subject groups must be solicited and received before moving on.

Focus Group Information Analysis

This involves the collection, collation, analysis, interpretation, and summarizing of the information collected during the Focus Group Exercises.

Communications Strategy

This document is intended to act as a formal strategy for communicating the focus of the project. It is intended to supplement or augment the implementation plans. Senior Executive will be the sponsoring entity for the final Communications Strategy.

Implementation Strategy

This is intended to act as a step-by-step process for implementing the deliverables of the project. This will be tied hand in glove with the Communications Strategy. This portion of the project will lead the organization toward the Training Strategy and Evaluation Strategy.

Testing

This phase of the project involves testing the assumptions and/or analyses arrived at during the Focus Group Information Analysis phase. It will involve returning to the site of the Focus Group activities and discussing the resulting document with a portion of the original group. This phase moves the organization toward the buy-in required by all employees, clients and stakeholders.

Organizational Inoculation

Once the Organizational Values are defined, there must be methods devised that permit these values to be injected back into the organization and all of its employees at every opportunity. The Values must be reiterated at each and every opportunity, in various organizational documents, in recruiting and selection, training, promotion, succession planning, etc. Performance evaluation must also have values-based criteria in order to ensure that the adherence or subscription to the values is being observed, measured and valued.

Training Strategy

This is an open-ended, conceptual document that will be intended to stimulate discussion around the issues of information transfer within the organization. A hypothetical approach will be presented to the appropriate decision-making body for discussion and potential action.

Summary

Defining Organizational Values can and does set the tone for all operational and administrative efforts. It is only through a comprehensive analysis of a host of relationships, within and involving the subject organization, that a true picture of the appropriate values comes into focus.

There is much to be gained through active participation of clients and other stakeholders in these dynamic exercises. There is a great deal to be lost, however, if the results of the focus group activities are not taken seriously or if they are minimized or altered to any appreciable degree.

The result of all of this effort will be a Values Statement that is truly reflective of the clients’ expectations of the organization. It will also reflect the organizational culture that needs to be fostered to create an entity that is credible and trustworthy.

R.J. Fitches Inc.
(705) 325-6164
Toll Free: 1-888-325-6164

Bob Fitches consults with small and large corporations on a variety of issues. He has extensive experience in creating and/or recreating an organization’s values from a client and employee perspective. He is a much sought-after public speaker and is also heavily involved in Personal/Life Coaching. He can be reached by email at rjfitchesinc@bellnet.ca, by phone at (705) 325-6164 or toll free at 1-888-325-6164.

Comments Off

There are abounding reasons that can often make the lovely hair on your crown fall out, the prime factor is hereditary hairloss. Hereditary hair loss might often hit as many as 4.5 in 10 of guys under the age of thirty eight years old. The normal chap has beyond ninety thousand hair stands on their head and might well very easily drop 50 to 140 hair follicles every twenty four hours through combing, washing, and exercise. This might often come across like loads but actually it is pretty normal.

The abnormal rate of your hair falling out is when guys and girls are losing more hair follicles than what is growing back. And people will soon begin to realise you have abnormal hair follicle loss when you shockingly start to see your hair not coming back. It is always best to go check with a hair care professional to make sure folk aren’t suffering from any hair disorders or under major illness.

The most common cause though is pattern baldness. This happens when the genes in your body force the hair follicles to die. This disappearing effect makes the hair strand unable to grow.

If men and women are concerned you will go and chat to a specialist and see what type of hair follicle loss you are seeing the side effects from and also explore what wonderful hair follicle loss treatments are available to balding people. Visit Advanced Hair Studio and get a free hair and scalp check.

Comments Off

Bathing

Unlike humans, who shower on a daily basis, your Great Dane should be bathed on a “as needed” basis. The frequency of bathing varies depending on the individual pet. Naturally, you’ll want to wash your Great Dane when his appearance is unkempt or when he starts to give off an odor. In the colder months, never wash your Great Dane and let him go outside afterwards. Make sure that he is completely dry first, as this will prevent him from getting sick. NEVER use shampoo intended for human use. Dog shampoos are specially formulated for your Dane’s skin, which is very sensitive. Human shampoos can cause excessive drying and skin irritations. Take precautions when washing your Great Dane to make sure shampoo doesn’t get in their eyes.

Brushing

You should introduce a dog brush to your Great Dane when he is a puppy. Let him get comfortable with brushing early and he’ll look forward to it as he matures. Brushing will prevent matted hair and remove excess fur. It will also remove pet dander, preventing build-up on your dog’s skin and coat.

Ears

Examine your pets ears regularly for dirt and wax. Use a soft cotton ball on the ear. Never lodge the cotton ball into the ear. NEVER stick a Q-tip in your Great Danes ear. The cotton applicator can damage his ear drum to an irreparable state. If you’re unsure how to clean your pet’s ears, ask your veterinarian to demonstrate for you.

Nails

It’s very important to keep your Great Dane’s nails trimmed. Remember, there are veins in the nails. If you’ve never clipped a dog’s nails before, take him to a groomer. When you feel more comfortable you can purchase clippers and do it from the comfort of your own home. Failure to keep your Dane’s nails clipped can result in painful in-grown nails. Prevent your Great Dane from experiencing such pain and/or infection by keeping up with their nails.

Jen Carter is staff writer for Dynamite Danes - a professional qualified Great Dane Breeder. You may publish this article only if you do modify it in any way.

Comments Off

Broadband is super speed internet access, and is decidedly faster than snail pace dial-up access over a modem. If you are reading this www guide then you are maybe looking at acquiring internet access for the 1st time, or wanting to increase your internet speed to broadband.

The perk of fast broadband is users are able to watch TV over the net, this has became particularly popular with the BBC launching their new website which will allow people to watch the most current shows of Supernatural. With high speed broadband users might also get pop music and scary movies at a much better speed than dial-up access.

Broadband is easy to set up. The very first action you will need to do is register with an ISP, of course known as an Internet Service Provider, and the company will supply you with an internet connection through your telephone line. If surfers already have a broadband provider then please make sure you try an internet provider comparison service for unprejudiced advice on the best provider offers. You can quickly see the very best deals with an internet provider comparison site by just putting in your town and then the service will come back with a list of internet packages in your postcode. surfers will be under no contract to register with any broadband provider while surfers look through the supplier offers.

Once you have signed up with your ISP the broadband business will probably arrange a time period for turning on the connection and supply you with any required wireless routers and broadband software. The routers and software may come with step by step guides & most internet organisations will offer surfers IT support if needed.

Once people have successfully connected to the internet surfers will start to delight in the quick speeds of broadband. If surfers are going to download music, television shows such as Cops or romantic movies please be aware of any download allocations users may have on your high speed internet package. Classical music and television downloads such as Golden Girls will probably take up most of your ‘download allocation’ as the internet corporation are big in file size. Get the cheapest broadband deals available with Compare Broadband UK.

Comments Off

Body contouring is a group of cosmetic surgery procedures that enable you to reshape your entire figure. Typically this is done after massive weight loss. Many times a patient is dissatisfied with the original shape of their body and multiple cosmetic surgery procedures can alleviate their discomfort and provide them with an aesthetically pleasing figure. Body contouring is also a very effective way to combat the sagging skin that occurs after massive weight loss.

Body contouring treatments can occur in the upper body, thighs and face. Upper body treatment usually involves treating redundant skin in the upper arms and sometimes even elbows. This extra skin is removed and the breasts are repositioned to a more natural position. Sometimes a breast reduction is desired as well. This results in more attractive breast that better fit the person’s body size and image.

Thigh treatment involves treating the extra fat hanging from the groin area. This redundant skin and fat can cause chafing and blistering (and sometimes even skin rashes). Many times there are two incisions that are combined for an improved removal of fat and skin. The patient will generally have to spend a night or two in the hospital and can return to normal activity within a couple of weeks.

Treatment of the face usually involves a rhitidectomy surgery to rejuvenate the face and eliminate signs of aging. Procedures can include anything from a neck suspension, face lifts and brow lifts. These procedures can be performed as office based surgeries and can take anywhere from six to seven hours depending on the specific nature of the procedures. Patients can usually go home that night, but probably can’t get back to everyday activity for a couple of weeks.

To learn more about body contouring and Baltimore cosmetic surgery please visit our website at http://www.resource4cosmeticsurgery.com This article may be freely reprinted as long as this resource box is included and all links stay intact as hyperlinks.

Comments Off

I recently spent an enjoyable week in Bergamo! I fell right into the atmosphere and didn’t want to resurface when it came time to pack my bags and leave! The hotel I stayed at was the Excelsior San Marco in the Lower City (Citta Bassa) directly beneath the all-imposing view of the Upper City (Citta Alta); the old and the even older parts of Bergamo!

Every evening after my work had finished I would shun the local Funicolare, the tram service that navigated the steep climb to the upper city and climb the many cobbled steps to the top. Walking around the winding streets first I would work up an appetite, mulling over the varied choice of small pasta places to eat at!

NB: At this point I would like to make it clear that Bergamo does not associate with or have any connection to Bergamo Pizza & Pasta; Kennesaw, Atlanta: “Your friendly neighborhood pizza place”!

Bergamo restaurants do not resemble a Pizza Hut or serve up tinned pasta and certainly do not have plastic chairs and an “eat all you can for five-pound menu”! The food and eateries in Bergamo are special! They are steeped in history, run by families and passed down through the generations. They are often snuggled into or under the many floors of a 300 year old stone structure that balances faithfully on one of the steep and winding streets and they come resplendent with local specialties, regular customers, great wines and a plate full of polenta (a mushy mass of corn meal, the staple food of Northern Italy - the “poor mans” meal but now widely served up in a variety of disguises!)

Most of the tourists to Bergamo seem to be Italians as invariably I was the only non-Italian speaking customer present amongst the five or six tables that most establishments cater for! In fact most of the customers seemed to know each other, a gossip meeting in progress and between trying to decipher the menu and watch expressions I would sip wine and enjoy the atmosphere in style!

My favorite spot was Trattoria Da Ornellas nestled along Via Gombito and were pasta is served up with a flourish by an ‘electric’ waiter! The first time I ate there I chose a plate of Tagliolini and whilst waiting I opted to ignore the domed heap of Polenta and to attack the fresh bread residing in a basket on the table! And when in Rome do as the Romans do……………

There was no butter on the table, so in what I thought was true Italian fashion I ripped off a piece of bread in the basket and as there was no plate on the table I gently poured a drop of two of olive oil onto the piece that was soon going to work its way into my mouth! With my mouth salivating at the corners I started to lift the bread only to hear this loud shout (shriek) from behind me! I whipped my head around to confront the assault to see the waiter charging towards me, shouting “mama mia, mama mia” and “no,no,no,”; his graying and lengthy hair was standing up like he had just unplugged himself from the toaster socket!.

My first reaction was to bolt outside to escape the fire, hit the man at the next table for stealing the bottle of vinegar and more-so to make sure that I did not come in-contact with the waiter incase I got an electric shock! As I did not have enough time to make an escape I stayed put! My waiter reached the table and pointed wildly at my bread and from what I could gather through his hysterical shouting and finger-pointing was that I had breached protocol by using olive oil in such a fashion!

It seems that Italians in Bergamo do not dip their bread in olive oil!

Whilst my breathing was returning to normal and whilst my waiters hair was slowly being influenced by gravity once again I looked around at the other families and customers present; not one head had turned, not one customer had shown any reaction or interest in what had just occurred! Later on, after keeping away from the bottle of Olive Oil, I heard the waiter shouting madly at some poor family! Turning around to find the reason I learnt that one should always finish the bottle of wine before leaving! The departing family though just laughed through his hysterics and despite his now sky-reaching hair they left without complying with his hand-gestures and shrieks!

The language barrier is difficult though! Not only for communication but for ordering food! The Bergamo Ravioli was always easy and over time I began to recognize many of the dishes and what they consisted of. I must admit that my lunch one day was not quite the salad that I expected! What I read on the menu went something like this, “Piastra del formaggio et frutta dell’salata”! So, I immediately thought that I would receive a lovely salad with fruit and cheese! Erm, I received the cheese - a whole plate of different sorts of cheese but minus the essential fruit and the salad! But very nice indeed!

I ate my way around Bergamo and reveled in the atmosphere! The Italians give justice to the place through fire and the ability to relax in an easy and confidant manner. The Italians know how to live properly and maybe the British should take a leaf from their book!

The only real problem I had during my stay was when it came to choosing something to take back home to my wife! I looked around for some touristy things but not much appealed! Just to mention Italian ice-cream makes my wife salivate but that was not an option.

I thus departed Bergamo (I disposed of the bag of polenta at the airport - a present that I bought in a rash moment) with a bag full of delicious hand-made chocolates! A slice of Bergamo to take home along with the many memories which remain vividly with me till this day!

Ieuan Dolby is the Author and Webmaster of Seamania. As a Chief Engineer in the Merchant Navy he has sailed the world for fifteen years. Now living in Taiwan he writes about cultures across the globe and life as he sees it.

Comments Off

Before we begin asking if the celebrities are happy, let us first find out what is happiness? If I feel good for an hour a day, and horrible for the rest of the day, am I happy? What if I am happy for eight hours a day and horrible for the rest of the sixteen hours? Am I a happy person? For most of us happiness is a state that is not permanent. We are not happy throughout the day. At least majority of us are not.

What is happiness? Happiness means a sense of deep contentment. A cheerful outlook. An attitude of positive thoughts. A person who has these qualities is happy during all the times of the day.

How about celebrities then? They have name, fame and wealth. They can, not only buy whatever they desire, but they can also buy a loved one. They can buy anything. Their name is splashed around in the media most of the times. Every news about them is awaited by the general population. Celebrities may not have been born with a silver spoon in the mouth, but the current spoon is mostly that of gold. So they must be happy!

But sadly, happiness is away from most of them. Speaking of contentment, most of them are not only not feeling any contentment, but are frustrated. They are jealous at times. And they have no deep sense of peace in them. Rather their life and minds are full of turbulence most of the times. They are at times so dissatisfied with their own life that they wish to run away from themselves. This they cannot do, and therefore substances that take them away from their own realities are so often used by them.

Happiness has something to do with money, but only to an extent. Happiness has nothing to do with fame, if you are not satisfied with yourself. Whatever the world may say, unless one has self-esteem, one can never be happy. All of us sail in the same boat. Most of us are living unhappy lives most of the time. Let us get happiness that will give us a satisfied sense of living. Let us strive for happiness in our own inner world.

CD Mohatta is currently a dedicated content writer for screensavers, wallpapers and ecards in all the websites of screenenetwork.com. Some of them are Cupid Ecards, EcardUniverse and Inspiration Ecards.

Comments Off

Faro Airport is the principle airport for the Algarve on the south coast of Portugal. The next two nearest airports to the Algarve are actually in Spain: Seville and Jerez Airport.

Thanks to some of Europe’s best golf courses and some great sporting facilities, the Algarve is a year round destination and this year Vale Do Lobo on the Algarve is where the England Football team will be preparing for the world cup. (May 15th-20th 2006).

Getting to Faro from the UK and Ireland is getting easier and easier with all the main low cost and national airlines offering a wide choice of flights from 20 different airports. 17 in the UK, 1 in Northern Ireland and 2 in the Irish Republic.

Most of the main European airports have direct flights to Faro but if you are travelling from outside of Europe it is best to head for the UK or Lisbon (the main Portuguese Airport) and then get your flights down to Faro.

Below are details of all the main airports and airlines offering direct, non stop flights to Faro from the UK and Ireland.

The flights take between 2 hours and 30 minutes and 3 hours depending on where you’re flying from and The Algarve is on the same time zone as the UK and Ireland at all times of the year!

Norwich - Flybe
Manchester - Jet 2 & Monarch
Leeds - Jet 2
Doncaster Sheffield - Thomsonfly
Birmingham Monarch & Flybe
Nottingham East Mids - Easyjet & BMI Baby
Coventry - Thomsonfly
Bournemouth - Thomsonfly
Exeter - Flybe
Cardiff - BMI Baby
Bristol - EasyJet, Thomson Fly
Southampton - Flybe
Luton - Monarch & Easyjet
Gatwick - BA, Monarch, EasyJet
Stansted - EasyJet
Heathrow - TAP Air Portugal
Belfast - EasyJet
Dublin - Aer Lingus, Ryan Air
Cork - Aer Lingus

There is no train service from Faro Airport and the bus service is somewhat limited. The best way to get to your destination is via a taxi, by pre booking a private transfer or by hiring your own car.

Having driven around the Algarve quite a lot my recommendation would be to hire a car. The whole area is easy to navigate, the roads are well sign posted and in general the traffic is pretty light.

One other tip…if you are flying from somewhere like London Gatwick remember that you can travel each way with different airlines, in many cases the flight times are quite different and it can be quite a lot cheaper to get 2 one way tickets!

Gary Ingram runs Faro Airport Guide, an informative website that gives in depth information on Faro Airport, covering all services, facilties and flights to Faro

Comments Off

It is a widely known fact that the indubitable evidence of one’s taste is harmonious interior in sole color spectrum and exclusive furniture. If you want your house look modern and unique you should zest it with exquisite range of furniture.

Modern Bedrooms:

When the day turns into the night, you want to fell pleasure in your bed.

Some firms offer a range of beds that are made only in Germany, Italy and Israel and this fact proves the idea that they really cater for the interests of American clients as they advertise for sale only the best furniture. If you are looking for classic furniture but with a specific touch of different culture combined with innovative design and high quality you will surely enjoy their modern bedroom furniture.

When you hear a phrase Made in Italy immediately such words as elegance, sophisticated design and comfort come to your mind. Italian modern furniture is supposed to be found only in show rooms but there are companies that make all your dreams come true and be the happy possessor of exclusive bedroom furniture.

Germany is a country famous not only for its automobile industry and high tech systems but also for its furniture. German furniture is known for its practicality, availability, use of new techniques and materials, in other words, for everything that makes our life better.

If you are tired of European design and you are looking for new ideas and tendencies then Israeli modern furniture is just the right thing for you. Filled with slight odor of the Orient it reflects your individuality and desire to be unique and brings all the pleasures of the its culture.

However the most stylish and exclusive bed won’t make your bedroom ideal if you forget about handmade dressers, night stands, chests, tables, benches from solid oak or beech wood that would add some salt to your bedroom.

Pick the right bed and accessories and make it ideal! You should not save on beds, buy only the best!

The idea of creating a wonderful “furniture atmosphere” is very popular nowadays because a modern lay-out of the apartment is not enough - it should harmonize with the modern furniture that ideally should be made by Italian, German or Israeli manufacturers as they are undoubtful trendsetters in this sphere indeed.

Mike Zhmudikov is a copywriter for Lookluxe.com - the leading furniture store selling best modern furniture in the US.
http://www.lookluxe.com

Comments Off

The Nokia 6085 is available has earned a solid reputation as a reliable, easy to use Flip handset since its first appearance. The 6085 is an entry level mobile phone and, contrasted with alternative mobile handsets within this price bracket it is fairly well featured. The Nokia 6085 has a very good feel to it, and we really liked its cutting edge sleek styling.

Moving on to the all important battery cell duration the Nokia 6085 has 240 hours standby charge and 5:00 talk time. The Nokia 6085 is that is fitted to a Li-Ion 970 mAh (BL-5C) battery cell. The available ring-tones enabled on the 6085 are Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3, AAC plus a vibrating alert. The 6085 supports 2G GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 . A VGA, 640×480 pixels, video is integrated into this handset camera. A WAP 2.0/xHTML browser allows this mobile phone to be used for mobile Internet access. The Nokia 6085 comes equipped with bluetooth, making interactivity with a great deal of modern mobile phone accessories as easy as possible. The display is a CSTN, 256K colors. At 84 g in weight the 6085 is fairly light for a phone in this price bracket. The Nokia 6085 is also equipped with additional features such as, Push to talk, Java MIDP 2.0, To-Do list, Built-in handsfree, MP3/MP4/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA player, FM radio, Presence enhanced contacts, Voice dial/memo and Calendar.

This is now quite an old handset, but still does a great job. If you can find one, being sold off in a cheap end of line deal you can find yourself a truly fabulous buy. The most effective way to purchase a mobile phone currently is from the Internet as opposed to high street shops. Shopping online can lead to some big cost savings, it is even possible to get a Nokia 6085 with 12 months free , which will not cost you anything.

Comments Off