Structuring a Sales Team of Any Size

Structuring a Sales Team of Any Size © Shutterstock | Rawpixel.comIn this article we discuss the best structural approach for a sales team regardless of its size, big or small. The article also takes you through the importance of proper structuring of a sales team, the various structuring options, and how sales teams determine the performance of any business in an increasingly competitive world.INTRODUCTION INTO SALES AND SALES TEAM STRUCTURINGWhen it comes to time for structuring or restructuring your sales team, leaders ought to be very aware of what specialists they should recruit and, more importantly, under what criteria these intended team members should be brought on board.Note, structure does not simply imply the outside framework or hierarchy; structure is how the whole sales team fits together and works together to avail the best possible results for the business.With an excellent approach in structuring your sales team, the results will be excellent delivery in sales, enabling you to get even further ahead i n the business world. The question of how to structure a sales team demands that a person take a close look at their current sales team if one was already in place.At its most basic, structuring an effective sales team entails taking the team through three stages regardless of its size:Attract: This is pulling in essential members of your sales team. These are, content creators, creative team, social media managers, among other members of a sales team. Despite the fact that skill set is not what definitively makes a person best suited for a sales team position, it is the best place to start looking. Therefore, ensure that each individual recruited in different functions of the sales team is highly skilled in order to be able to bring the best value the business as well as the consumers.Convert: Every individual in this prototype of a sales team is taken through conversion and optimization in the art of lead scoring, nurturing, and customer retention regardless of their designated ro le in the structure. Attracting the rightfully skilled personnel is only the first step. It is important to ensure that each team member is highly conversant with the purpose and goals of the sales department in order to be able to bring the utmost value to the team, the business, and the consumers. This stage will normally involve some level of training of the recruited personnel in the art and strategies of sales.Close: Creating a team that not only does the talk but does the talk; gearing the team members to close on all or most of the opportunities that come your business’s way. Bluntly, this is the purpose of a sales team; to be able to make sales and not just attempt. It is important to ensure that every team member has the capacity and is properly equipped to effect or enable sales in their different functions within the team. A team that is not equipped to close the deal, no matter how well structured, or how vast it may be, will be a liability to the business as opposed t o the asset it should be.More of this will be expounded in subsequent sections of the article. In any business organization, the sales department is the lifeline. The sales department generates revenue for the organization. Regardless of how much you have perfected the manufacturing or production operation of your businesses, or how up-to-date you are with technology, how properly you are managing your financial goals, how progressive your management techniques may be, or how extensive your business and sales team may be, you have to have an effective sales team or everything else will slowly but gradually begin to become redundant. All other efforts made in the various departments of your business will gradually become frustrated.Most businesses under-invest in their sales teams, treating their sales departments as though they were an afterthought, to be considered after all the production, distribution, and financial issues have been taken care of.The best sales teams comprise of carefully selected individuals who are properly structured, passionate, reasonably autonomous, and properly motivated. Well structured sales teams serve clients or consumers interests; they form and maintain strong personal relationships with key consumers in addition to attracting and creating new relationships for your business.LINK BETWEEN SALES TEAM FUNCTIONS AND ACTUAL SALES/IMPORTANCE OF A PROPERLY STRUCTURED SALES TEAMThis section will describe in detail how sales teams have influence on the sales/revenue made by any business:To start with, a sales team serves as the Inbound Promoters of a business. The sales team takes up the task of analyzing consumer personas and identifying what entices and interests them. As Inbound Promoters, the sales team proceeds to attract them with elements of their interest by influencing conversion of the business’s goods and services into valuable commodities for consumers. The sales team also nurtures the relationships formed between the busi ness and the consumers and in the process conduct research necessary for the business to identify areas of untapped market; areas in which the business brand can infiltrate and expand.Expounding on the above point, a sales team acts as the Market Researcher of the business. The sales team gathers and analyzes data, identifies consumers, finds social influencers to liaise with, and closes deals with targeted buyers. For example, a sales team will do the research and make connections with companies or individuals that your organization can draw business from but who are either unaware of your brand or who have no idea that they are in need of your product or service.Further, the sales team is the Closer of the business. The sales team has been tasked with the primary function of ensuring that the business makes the best sales possible. They do their homework, acting in their Market Researcher capacity, and engage the consumers in conversations that eventuallyenable suitable change in the business and, hence, expand its sales volume and enable it to ultimately reach its goals. The personnel of a well structured sales team are skilled in listening, posing questions, and tactfully subduing consumer objections. In addition to this the personnel build trust with consumers by consistently delivering value directly to the consumers through consultation, education, and occasional project involvement with the consumers.You are probably thinking that putting together a team that comprises of personnel with the above discussed qualities is an easy enough task. How hard could it be, right? However, consider this; how many individuals are really going to be good at more than one of the above mentioned tasks? For individuals that happen to posses multiple strengths, how many can adequately divide their time between those roles to sufficiently complete the purpose of each? Placing functional specialists in a team is the first step, however it is necessary to make sure that eac h of the individuals regardless of their particular role are conversant with the overall objectives and roles of the sales team. This way you will have leveraged the skill sets of each team member and incase a team member is unavailable or underdeveloped their role will effectively be supplemented by other team members; hence covering all the bases.The efficiency of a sales team structure is significantly diminished when there is no such structure implemented; when aspects of the sales team functions are being redundant and not compensated for by other team members. The efficiency of a sales team also diminished when team members have been assigned more tasks than they can effectively divide their time amongst.Note, it is extremely important not to rely too heavily on one function of the sales team. For example, if your business emphasizes too much on the Inbound Marketing function of your sales team it will be difficult to attract high-profile potential clients such as companies. T his is because established companies will rarely spend their time looking for new product or service providers since they already have entrenched solutions and possibly internal departments that are opposed to change.In that case, a balanced emphasis of functions within your sales team would ensure that the Market Research function is properly executed and hence your business would be better positioned to gain entry and acquire the targeted company as your business’s new client. Maybe it is time to reconsider your sales team structure along the lines of functionality as opposed to the basic lines of skill set alone. By ensuring that your sales team works as one organically flowing unit that supplements its shortcomings at every turn within itself, your business will be able to connect with its target population, make projected sales, and eventually accomplish its goals.With so much emphasis on the structure of a sales team, the following section of the article avails a structuring approach that can be adopted for a sales team of any size in order to bring it to its full potential.SALES TEAM STRUCTURING OPTIONSThere are several structuring options that a business can adopt for its sales team. The suitability of each option differs from organization to organization. These sales team structuring options are described as follows:Customer-Centric StructureA Customer-Centric sales team refers to one that places its primary focus on meeting the needs of the consumers. This sort of sales team enables the business to create the best solutions for consumers as opposed to simply availing the best products or services from the business’s perspective. Customer-Centric sales teams are focused on the product/service packaging, consumer training and education, as well as provision of consultative services to the consumers. This way the consumer’s experience is enriched and hence customer loyalty is achieved.In order to grow the business, the Customer-Centric sales team constantly searches in untapped markets for new consumers whose needs need to be met. The sales team looks for new ways to constantly increase the business’s market share. In businesses that adopt a Customer-Centric structure for their sales team, marketing and profits are measured in terms of consumers as opposed to products.Similarly, success is measured by the lifetime value of the business’s consumers. The biggest reward to the business in applying this option is that it is able to nurture and sustain a large base of consumers, which implies higher profits in both the short -run and the long-run.[slideshare id=683221doc=tpmcustomerfocusedsalesorganizationhewitt-1224708006762196-9w=640h=330]Product-Centric StructureA Product-Centric sales team is one that places its focus on the products and services that it introduces to the market as opposed to the consumers who purchase those products. Product-Centric sales teams are driven by an urge to develop the product or service they represent.The advantage of this structuring option is that one can exploit the talents and skills already found within the business without having to look outside of the business at the consumer’s unmet needs. The sales team simply gathers information that it relays to the business and in turn the business invests to have the best product or service; with the best features in the market.Success for a business that adopts the Product-Centric approach is measured by the portfolio of products or services it presents, the sales volume of those products and services, and the market share that the business holds. Presenting the numerous applications your product or service has is an essential part of your sales pitch, making the Product-Centric approach a potentially effective structure for any sales team.[slideshare id=316676doc=productcentric-versuscustomer-centric-organization-1206131150535568-3w=640h=330]The downside of having a Product-Centric sales team is that the vision of the business is limited since the outlook is only from the product lens. For this reason a business that applies this option can easily be blindsides from changing its product’s or service’s focus. In addition, the business may be gaining from short term product sales and missing out on the benefits of long-term customer loyalty.Geographic StructureThe Geographic Structure is where a sales team is structured and divided to focus on geographical specialties. This option can be useful for understanding markets and meeting consumer needs more thoroughly.For example, the business can have territories for each one of its sales people or group of sales people; after which those sales people have the mandate to work their individual territories thoroughly and amass the maximum number of sales possible. This structuring option is highly suitable in industries such as telecommunications and advertising.One strength of this sales team structuring option is that since different areas will poss ess different demographics, sales will require a different approaches and techniques in order to be successful. As such, the Geographic Structure allows the sales team to hone in on their individual markets through specialization.Regardless of which sales team structural option one chooses, there are several questions that a business owner ought to consider to aid in their decision. These questions ought to be answered with the utmost consideration; they must just be the determinants of how your business performs.There are additional options on how you could structure your sales organization as discussed in the following video. What kind of efforts will be necessary to meet the business’s needs? How many sales personnel will be necessary for the achievement of those goals? Which structural option is the most suitable for handling the particular product or service that the business provides?STRUCTURING APPROACH FOR AN EFFECTIVE SALES TEAMThe times of the rigid, overly populated, an d slow to act business departments have continued to haunt businesses even in a time when there is so much advocacy for agile and adaptive business organizations.In a time when even small organizations have gained the capacity to reach potential clients in their millions through the internet, the business organizations that are performing the best are those that have been able to market and sell to the clients with the utmost degree of precision and this new dynamic is not going to change any time soon.These technological changes imply that the best performers are able to attract, serve, and retain a bigger market and, therefore, reap the largest share of that market’s revenue. The key, as discussed above, to effectively attracting potential clients to a business lies significantly on the competence of a business’s sales team.How are hyper effective organizations such as Google and Valve structuring their sales teams to gain exceptional performance? Here are some of the pointers /approaches in sales team structuring that can ensure that your business’s performance improves remarkably.Intimately Internalize the Concept of SalesIt may not seem as important but the very first step towards building a properly structured team lies in understanding sales just as intimately as you understand your area of specialty in your business; you should be the best sales person in your business.What is a sale? A sale, very unambiguously, refers to the act of closing a deal with the consumer. Without understanding and internalizing this concept it will be difficult to make any sales. Ineffective sales persons do nothing but speak but they rarely close deals; they have been termed crocodile sales persons and can be very dangerous for the growth of your business. An effective salesperson understands that sales involve the business and the customer, where a foundation of a relationship is laid first.When this relationship has been established, the sales person can then commenc e to inquire the consumer’s needs. If this process is ignored, it is likely that a consumer will feel that the sales person has no interest in their wellbeing and withdraw.However, ‘sales’ is not just about consumers, on the contrary, sales is something we encounter everyday in business. It is something one does when they approach their partners or investors because even in that context one is selling themselves.For this reason, it is important to understand sales, develop and cultivate a working sales process even before putting together or restructuring a sales team. Otherwise, how will you be able to oversee the functionality of your sales team?Self InvolvementIf your idea of creating an effective sales team is hiring someone else to implement your structure and manage the team for you in your business; it would be advisable to change tact.You ought to involve yourself very actively in the selling of your product or service, not just to potential investors but also to consu mers; do not assume that you are too high up in the hierarchy to get down and dirty with your sales team.The importance of this involvement when putting together and structuring your sales team is that it enables you to understand the various challenges that your salespeople encounter. This way, once you have recruited and structured the team you are equipped with experience to manage them and help them succeed.If you do not already have a sales team and/or have not involved yourself actively in the activities of the sales team, you can get a start by practicing how to sell your business product or service by creating your own presentation; it does not have to be too long. All it needs to show is what your business has to offer and why consumers need your product or service. That is, strive to learn how to sell what your business has to offer better than anyone else in the business.Additionally, every time you encounter consumers, incorporate their interests in your product or servi ce and encourage other sales team members to do the same because it will enable you and your sales team to perform better in future encounters with consumers. Growing this culture will not only enable you to be an excellent sales person, but you will be better positioned to structure and manage your sales team for optimum performance.Recruiting Growth Inclined TeamNote, just because an individual has been successful in a sales team for a different business or organization, does not translate to great performance in your business’s sales team. Therefore, do not let potential recruits sway your judgment by narrating how good they are as sales personnel.What is important is to spot the passion in them; a passion for constantly improving and competing at a higher level than they are in. Potential sales team recruits ought to display eagerness to attain greater levels of experience.In addition to this, the sales persons ought to be most comfortable interacting with consumers and potent ial consumers, listening to their comments, and receiving constructive criticism. They ought to be persons who are looking forward to receive consumer feedback over and over again in order to facilitate your business with the information necessary for creating a product or service consumers will love.Shrinking the HierarchyAfter the recruitment has been done, more focus can be laid on the actual framework around the sales team. As opposed to placing focus on creating multiple layers of a management system for the approval or disapproval of tasks within the sales team, each employee can be allowed an increased level of autonomy in their individual roles.Allowing selected sales personnel to exercise a reasonable level of autonomy will grow their passions, increase their motivation, and gradually enhance their performance. It is very important to skim away at the management hierarchy of your sales team in order to support an increasingly horizontal sales structure that empowers the sal es personnel in the performance of their duties.An example of where one could shrink their hierarchy is when you identify an opportunity to restructure and reduce a managerial layer in the sales team, thereby, lowering the cost of sales without affecting the value of the product or service. This would in turn attract more consumers to the business and substantially boost that business’s performance all around.All this can be achieved without taking up additional costs or costs incurred in fresh training of personnel.Focus on Strong PerformersAs much as it is important to focus on the all round performance of your sales team, a little bias might be encouraged in terms of placing a little more focus on the strongest performing members of your sales team. For optimum performance of the team, promoting the growth of the best performing sales persons can significantly increase the overall performance of the team.Hyper performers make up less than 50 percent of the team; these performer s produce revenue and value in large amounts and for this reason, you should take some extra time to coach and develop their talents and possibly improve the sales team’s performance even more.Reconsidering Information Intake and ApplicationOver half of the information that businesses obtain is of little or no value to them. Because of this, businesses end up missing a lot of information that is most relevant and valuable to their particular line of business. The presence of information ought to be a promotional factor for your business’s sales team as opposed to an inhibiting factor in order to make informed sales judgments.Therefore, for the sales team you put together, ensure that you pay close attention and control the manner in which sales metrics are managed and used on a daily  basis by the members of your sales team.This will involve cleaning your businesses database and ridding it off duplicates, reinstalling lost and missing information, adding relevant and useful inf ormation, and amending incorrect data in order to eliminate the likelihood of acting upon poorly informed decisions for your sales team. As signing a member of the sales team, tasking them with the duty of eliminating information errors in the business’s database system can ensure that there is a constant of valuable and beneficial information for the performance of the sales team’s duties.[slideshare id=7987075doc=ncvojan2010-theimportanceofdataaccuracy-slidesharevn-110516172822-phpapp01w=640h=330]IN BRIEFSo, what is the perfect Sales Team Structure for your business? As much as it is important to structure your sales team for success, it is equally important to carefully consider how the personnel have been structured in order to work fluidly as a team. As a business owner, it will also be extremely important for the success of your sales team to intimately understand sales and actively engage yourself in the activities of your sales team department.As a business grows, so doe s the need for additional sales personnel. The common notion would be that the more salespeople you employ the more sales your business will generate. However, remember that without a strict modus operandi of structuring the sales team members, such as the one presented in the discussion above, the expense of running a large-sized sales team may end up overwhelming that team’s value to the business.As mentioned, the sales team is the lifeline of the business; it gives the business its consumer base. With such a critical role, it is one of the most critical resources that any organization has. Therefore, do not make the grave mistake of assuming that one can grow in their business without promoting growth in the structure and efficiency of their sales team. At the end of the day, efficiency and value should be the primary focus for your sales team.Even in times of technological advancement and ease of access to a vast population of people, a winning sales team remains the key engin e of a business’s growth. A sales team is also a costly resource and creating one and structuring it takes a significant amount of time and effort. Structuring your sales team carefully and evolving the personnel to be able to handle the dynamics of various roles in the team when the need arises and supplementing and complimenting one another where need be, is what will enable your business to rise above its competition and capture a larger portion of the market. How one structures their sales team might just be the difference between a successful organization and an unsuccessful one. Note; structure follows strategy.Too often, we will place focus solely on market strategies of our businesses and spend our time trying to come up with new and better ones. We train our people in this art but we rarely evaluate our sales team structures; a vital organ of our businesses. Proper structure for a sales team of any size, big or small, can bring about substantial returns to your business w ithout having to make exaggerated investments for that purpose.

Is it Ethical Essay - 1465 Words

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Organizational Stress Positive or Negative - 1656 Words

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Life History Project Free Essays

string(73) " things run more smoothly and we have spare time for leisure activities\." LIFE HISTORY PROJECT By Lorraine Ward PSY 355 5/14/09 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Life History Research †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. We will write a custom essay sample on Life History Project or any similar topic only for you Order Now 4-8 Works Sited Page †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 Appendix †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10- 15 Photo of Interviewee †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 16 ABSTRACT: This research delves into the special concerns of aging. I look at options that to be explored to make life more satisfying for senior citizens. Harry Lo Vette was my interviewee and his answers are similar to others his age, depending on ducational background, socioeconomic status, mental and physical health. Programs need to be implemented for older adults and their f amilies to discuss the lifespan. Lorraine Ward 5/1/2009 PSY 355 Life History Paper I chose to do the life history interview. I interviewed my neighbor/family friend, Harry E. Lo Vette. I learned a lot of interesting facts about Harry. He is the type of person that you can have a conversation with for hours and lose track of the time. Our interview took at least two hours. I have decided to have my parents fill out a questionnaire. This will be great to look back on, when my children have their own children. I am going to fill one out, too. I think it is a great way to record people in your family. My great, great, great-grandchildren may find it comforting to hear that we started cleaning up our planet or that cars ran on gas or moon hotels hadn’t developed, yet. These could be included in time capsules to show how we’ve evolved through generation to generation. There are many similarities between my interview and what we discussed in class. The one that bothers me the most is the acceptance of pain. Harry said he had overall good health but later in the interview said â€Å"I hurt. I take a few pills it makes you feel dumb in the head the pain goes away for half an hour. † I know my grandmother suffers with pain, too and she takes hands full of prescription medication. A man at my job takes 15 different vitamin and medications, twice a day. He suffers with pain. I don’t understand why take the pills if you are still going to hurt? Why prescribe a medication that obviously doesn’t work? Why are we not looking for alternative methods to take their pain away, if medications/pain relievers aren’t working? It seems to me that the physicians are just dealing with the pain and not the cause. Do we just put our elderly on a shelf? â€Å"Here, take these. Go home and come back when these are gone. † Your children and grandchildren have their hectic lives and visit between PTA meetings, softball, and soccer games. Your friends either can’t drive, have passed on, go south for winter, or are in a nursing home, possibly suffering more than you. We treat animals better than we treat our elderly and our country is supposed to be a great place to live†¦.. We must look into changing this. â€Å"†¦there is more to aging than meets the eye! † (Althoff, pg. 9) â€Å"For some, later years are a time of struggle, while others enjoy greater success† (Crosnoe, pg. 310). This may be because of good physical and mental health or because of their socioeconomic status being a positive one. According to Crosnoe, three criteria must be met to have a successful adaptation to aging. These criteria are; family engagement, occupational success, and civic involvement. We must remember that everyone is unique in their aging process, also. These factors are relevant to a subject’s differences in longevity and aging; biological background, education, occupation, marital status and family life, ethnic group, geographic location, housing, recreation, religion, and social class. (Althoff, pg. 9) Family interactions are important throughout life (Brubaker, pg. 212). Time spent with one’s family is important and so is accomplishing career goals (Crosnoe, pg. 311). Harry was successful in his career and enjoyed his job at the telephone company. He had a bad fall but went back on the job after he could walk, again. Also, he was involved with Boy Scouts from the time he was a child. I can recall many stories he has told my family and I about his camping trips with the Boy Scouts. He really enjoyed teaching the young boys important life skills and respect. He has had a lot of civic involvement. Marital status can have a positive influence on aging, also, especially if it’s a long term marriage to only one partner. It enhances a person’s security and provides social networks, especially for men (Crosnoe, pg. 312). Harry has been married twice but he realizes his first marriage dissolved because of his alcoholism. â€Å"Alcoholism is disruptive†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Crosnoe, pg. 312). He still visits his first wife (Rose) in the nursing home she resides at. Donna his current wife understands because she realizes Rose has Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. Harry has been married to Donna for over twenty five years. Religion can be beneficial to aging subjects. It can provide comfort, direction, a sense of community, and an anchor in social networks, which can increase social amalgamation over time and aid in successful adaptation Crosnoe, pg. 313). Harry is active in his church, the Salvation Army. His church gives to the less fortunate and Harry finds this important. He came from a family that believed in giving. â€Å"†¦to the extent that aging includes a greater concern with others’ welfare. † (Silver, pg. 13). Harry’s mother brought food to those without, during the G reat Depression. It’s fulfilling to help others, out of the kindness of your heart. Organization within the family unit is important at any age. â€Å"Well-organized families weathered even severe losses, while disorganized families suffered severe disruption. (Duvall, pg. 131). Every family has conclusive essential tasks that must be met: (a) provide physical care, (b) allocate resources, (c) arbitrate who does what, (d) assure members’ socialization, (e) authenticate interaction models, (f) incorporate and extricate members, (g) relate to society through its institutions, (h) and affirm morale and motivation (Duvall, pg. 131). I know in my own family if we stay organized, things run more smoothly and we have spare time for leisure activities. You read "Life History Project" in category "Life" If we don’t stay on top of things, then it’s very chaotic. Psychological well-being and social engagement is a lifelong process. (Crosnoe, pg. 309). â€Å"A positive view of the world may not be crucial for the young, but seeing the world as more than good and people as more trustworthy than not is a source of well-being for older adults. † (Silvers, pg. 14). I see this in Harry. During my interview with him, I asked if he had experienced any prejudice against him due to his age and he had said no. He went onto explain that a younger person needs to be taught to respect others. This is a positive view of the world. I do wonder if this is across the board or if only by those who have adapted well to aging. Also, I wonder if this occurs across multicultural backgrounds or just those of European decent. The Great Depression and World War II greatly affected the current generation of senior citizens. They probably knew someone who served in the armed forces at this time or they themselves served. Combat experience and family death are traumatic events that affect a person for the entirety of his/her life (Crosnoe, pg. 313). â€Å"Combat in World War II increased odds of eing less adjusted (289%)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Crosnoe, pg. 321). Those who served in WWII or had suffered a loss of a child were less likely to be satisfied with their life than others (Crosnoe, pg. 323). War veterans have a less effective style for aging, even years later (Crosnoe, pg. 324). The end of WWII brought more problems with it. â€Å"American families were in disarray. † (Duvall, pg. 127). The men came back from the wa r changed by the event. The women had experienced a newfound independence of being employed outside the home. Children were either left fatherless (during the war) or went off to war. President Truman formed the First National Conference on the Family for 1948. The enlistment of participation of 123 national agencies centered on the family was called on. (Duvall, pg. 127). Truman actually acknowledged that families were in need of help. I wish our President or past President would acknowledge this. Our troops are coming home with many confusing thoughts and addictions (Heroin is cheaper in Iraq and Afghanistan. ). They have never been faced with these kinds of traumatic events. A person must ascertain a certain amount of habits to insure they live a fulfilling life, even into old age. One must moderate food, drink, and physical pleasures (Althoff, pg. 11). Too much of a good thing, is not good. A person should avoid grief, drugs, tobacco products, and an excess of alcohol (Althoff, pg. 11). These are toxins. It is wise to exercise daily, get plenty of sleep, get good medical care, have good personal hygiene, and breathe pure air. Quality medical care is hard to come by for lower income adults, especially the elderly, in America. It is recommended that one achieve a balance of physical and mental work throughout their lifespan (Althoff, pg. 11). It is a fact that as we age our bodily functions decrease. â€Å"The resolution of early stages greatly influences the outcomes of later stages. † (Dunkel, pg. 13). This would be along the same lines of Psychoanalytic theory, also. Erikson has eight stages in his theory. The one that affects this paper, though, is integrity versus despair. In old age the individual must assess their lives and have a sense of contentment or sorrow. Wisdom arrives with integrity as strength (Dunkel, pg. 4). According to Dunkel, a basic sense of trust develops an understanding of autonomy, industry, identity, intimacy, generativity, and integrity (Dunkel, pg. 14). Harry seemed comfortable with his childhood and therefore, I assume this is why he is adjusting well to aging. My grandmother, too, has adapted well to aging, even though she suffers through a lot of pain. Is it possible that surviving great hurdles like war and economic struggles can bring a family closer and help a person to learn coping mechanisms to deal with adaptations needed in aging? Listening to the power point presentations in class, those who had a closer family network and had to struggle at some point in their life had a better outlook on aging. Is it generational or a theory we need to further research? The next generation to reach old age is the baby boomers. They are facing a different set of problems than their parents did. There is a higher rate of single parents, divorced, multiple marriages, extramarital activities, women that had entered the job force, and live in households where both parents were working (Giordano, pg. 11). This generation was more likely to have parents still alive and live close to them (Giordano, pg. 411). They are the recipients of advanced medical research, greater economic security, more open to alternative lifestyles, rising social security payments, and achieved higher levels of education (Giordano, pg. 412). Harry’s daughters are examples of how true this is. All three of them are teachers and that is a higher educa tion than Harry achieved. This generation has developed a more positive attitude on aging. They have adapted well and have increased their leisure activities, enjoy happier marriages and family relations (Giordano, pg. 412). There are (and will be) more fourth and fifth generation families. These subjects will require more counseling, health and enrichment programs (individual and marriage), and family therapy techniques will need adjusting to compensate for larger family networks (Giordano, pg. 413). They will be the pacesetters for the increase use of technology. They will not suffer from as many serious health issues, as previous generations had (Giordano, pg. 14). My parents are baby boomers and I agree with Giordano on most of what he wrote about on this generation. My mother goes to Curves for fitness. My father gardens, and remodels their home. This is form of enjoyment. They both like to travel via car to different castles and other places of interest to them. I know my grandparents never did this. In fact, I don’t believe they could afford to. â€Å"Health may be the most important factor associated with an older person’s well-being. † (Brubaker, pg. 212-213). Retirement is a major influence in an older adult’s life. It adds to the possible confusion that accompanies growing older. There need to be support groups that are community based and accessible to all ethnicities and genders, surrounding the topic of retirement. â€Å"Women have more difficulty adjusting to retirement than men. † (Brubaker, pg. 215). These support groups need to address financial planning (retirement income), â€Å"empty nest† syndrome, leisure activities, smaller households/larger family networks, medical care, intergenerational issues, accessing new technologies, social changes, fitness for the mind and body, and emotional changes (Brubaker, pg. 13). â€Å"Concurrent with the changes in spousal interaction, older parents need to develop new patterns of communication and interaction with their independent children. † (Brubaker, pg. 213). Issues pertaining to retirement programs are: â€Å"theoretical assumptions that under pins the programs’ rationale†, significance of the agenda, timin g of such learning occasions, teaching patterns, and accessibility of the program (Brubaker, pg. 215). There are stereotypes encompassing senior citizens that need to be altered because so many are negative. The assumption that older subjects don’t engage in sexual activities is false, for the most part. Many may not realize that holding hands, caressing each other, massages, and foreplay can astute to sexual activity. Intercourse does not need to be the only way to relieve sexual tension. Also, they may need to hear that it’s perfectly normal and okay to engage in sexual activity. Previous generations may have been told that it was not okay and this may have been passed down to other generations. As long as a physician has not said to refrain from sexual activity, it should be safe to do so. Other stereotypes include hearing loss, memory loss, control of bladder, perversion (â€Å"dirty old man†), and the necessity to call them â€Å"honey† or â€Å"dear†. There is hearing loss but not in everyone and not to the extreme pictured in cartoons. Short term memory loss is common but generally, long term memory is intact and sharper than some younger persons. Bodily functions do decrease but not everybody loses control of their bladder. The â€Å"Depends† and â€Å"Serenity† commercials would have you believe this occurs with all older adults, but it just simply isn’t true. The â€Å"Viagara† commercials play on people in the same way. Old people are no more likely to be perverted than anyone else. It is okay to be sexually attracted to another adult at any age. The person the attraction is aimed at should feel honored to be noticed by a more distinguished person. The older adult should feel proud that these feelings can be evoked still. Many older adults are living to see their children’s children and some have no idea how to deal with this. â€Å"Nearly 75% of older people are grandparents and nearly half are great-grandparents. † (Brubaker, pg. 216). Classes should be offered on how to be adequate, functional grandparents. Issues to be taught through family education classes ought to include: what to do with a grandchild, different grandparenting styles, intergenerational differences/similarities, how these bonds will strengthen the family structure, gender differences, listening to views of younger people, lifespan development, generativity, increase satisfaction of having grandchildren, and how to improve family communication (Brubaker, pg. 216-217). A grandparent’s role is very different from a parent’s role. They are more nurturing and less disciplining. A grandparent can teach a child more than a parent can, though. A child can learn about a generation that has past, with more detail than a textbook. Grandparents offer a wide array of learning experiences for their grandchildren. Environment influences how a subject adapts to aging. â€Å"People with particular needs search for the environments that meet them best. † (Text, ch. 5). Many different cultures hold the older generation as the wisest. Some are chiefs in their nations or kings/queens of their empires. The United States is one of the most powerful countries in the world but they hold very little respect for senior citizens. In fact, there are very few programs available to older adults. They often are challenged with high medical bills, high costs of mobility equipment, transportation costs (after they lose use of their driver’s license), and possible nursing home costs. Senior citizens may feel distraught over the obstacle of maturing. Our economy will determine if more programs are able to be launched or not. It will ascertain how well or not, the elderly live. (Frontline Video: Living Old)The length of time they live will be affected by the cost of living. Nursing homes need to get a facelift. Instead of being waiting rooms for death, they should be improved to be gazed upon as an oasis for the elderly. They have lived full lives and deserve to be treated with respect. Programs required in this environment are; life history therapies, training for staff, co-ed rooms, family education about lifespan development, technology training, discussions about aging (group therapy), memory builder games or skill training, course availability (of their choice) at a local college or learning institution, and options about dying with dignity (vegetable state, assisted suicide? , living wills). Presently, our economy is facing a possible depression. Medicare has been cut and Social Security runs the risk of running out of funding. Older adults are being forced either out of a job or into an early retirement due to budget cutbacks, the closing of companies, or the companies have moved out of the country. This leaves an older adult at a loss of coping skills. This needs to be addressed within every community because it affects everyone. Many of these people don’t have the required skills to achieve another job without a higher education. Some may not even have a high school diploma or GED. They are now faced with competing for jobs with younger, more viable adults that do have the required education and skills. This is a major stressor for these misplaced aging adults. Their risk for acute illnesses may rise due to this added stress leaving them even more vulnerable. I learned a lot from this course on adult development and aging, the life history interview, and this research paper. I realized how condescending I may sound to elderly customers who step into my taxi by calling them â€Å"honey† or â€Å"sugar†. I had never even thought about it until we learned it in class. I’m conditioning myself to use it less and to treat senior citizens like others in my cab and in general. I respect my elders, always. This is how I was raised and something I struggle to instill in my children. They seem so stubborn (lol). I tried to include approximately the same information in my research paper as I asked in my life history interview with Harry Lo Vette. This wasn’t difficult because most of the information I found on aging surrounded these same topics or topics we had already discussed in class. I’m going to interview my parents and myself for fun. The answers may be worth putting in a time capsule or away for future generations to reminisce over. It will be interesting to review and revise my answers when I’m 50 or 60. This course was rewarding for me because I learned more than I ever thought I would. The achievements that older adults have over me are that they have successfully lived longer than I have (to date). WORKS SITED: Althoff, Sally A. (1975). Preparing Teachers, Students, and Citizens to Deal Constructively with the Problems and Potentialities of Aging. 1-79. Brubaker, T. H. , Roberto, K. A. (1993). Family Life Education for the Later Years. Family Relations, 42, 212-221. Crosnoe, R. , Elder, Jr, G. (2002). Successful Adaptation in the Later Years: A Life Course Approach to Aging. Social Psychology Quarterly, 65, 309-328. Dunkel, C. S. , Sefcek, J. A. (2009). Eriksonian Lifespan Theory and Life History Theory: An Integration Using the Examples of Identity Formation. Review of General Psychology, 13, 13-23. Duvall, Evelyn M. (1988). Family Development’s First Forty Years. Family Relations, 37, 127-134. Giordano, Jeffrey. (1988). Parents of the Baby Boomers: A New Generation of Young-Old. Family Relations, 37, 411-414. Silver, R. C. , Poulin, M. (2008). World Benevolence Beliefs and Well-Being Across the Life Span. Psychology and Aging, 23, 13-23. APPENDIX Life History Interview DEMOGRAPHIC INFO: 1) What is your full name? Harry Edward Lo Vette 2) Where were you born? Corning Hospital, Corning, NY 3) What is your age? 79 (10/19/1929) 4) Oldest of 5 children: 3 boys 2 girls. I lost one brother here, 10 years ago. He worked with asbestos @ Corning Glass. He died of Cancer from the asbestos. 5) Where did you live as a child? Spent most of my life in 100 radius of Dundee area. Grew up in Monterey on a farm, during the Depression, for a number of years. Lived in the Chenango Forks down near Binghamton then we came back to Dundee area – Lakemont. Then we moved back to Binghamton area then back to Dundee, just before the War 1950. Then I graduated high school in 1949. Went to Korea, came home got married, 1st marriage, lived there until 1955 when I went to work for the phone company down in Corning. 6) What do you recall about your family home and neighborhood; you lived in as a child? We lived on a 500 acre farm. We didn’t have many cows. We milked 35 cows by hand, my brother I, my mother my father did. Everything was done by mules. We had black mules. During The Depression time you didn’t know you were supposed to have money in your pocket but we had food. We lived good, on food. We had all kinds of animals. Plus, we hunted a lot. We had beef, pork, never raised rabbits. We had ducks, chickens, and we always had a couple of tame sheep. The neighbors raised sheep. My mother always made us our White shirts. And I went to a one room school house until I was in 4th grade, over in Monterey. One room school house, one teacher, maybe 16 students. My mother was strict. My father only hit me just one time that was calling my brother a liar. He was a hard working man, but he didn’t condone that type of behavior. We were supposed to take turns cutting wood, fill the kindling box and heavy wood. Come in from chores one morning, my father said â€Å"Before you eat, who was supposed to cut kindling wood last night? † My brother said â€Å"Harry†. I turned around to him. My father said â€Å"Get out there cut it†. When I went by my brother, I said â€Å"You liar†. I can remember it I never saw it coming. He picked up the little coal shovel caught me right across the fanny. (He chuckled) He use to threaten to tear our arm off beat us to death with a bloody stump, but he didn’t mean it. My mother was the domineering one, belt, switch, leather strap. 7) Where do you live? 800 Hill Road, Genoa, NY 13071 8) How long have you lived @ your current address? 28 yrs. Married Donna moved in. Donna lived there for 29 years. (He gets in conversation with my Mom about our family house. It was built in early 1800s. ) 9) With whom do you live? Donna (wife) 10) Are there any concerns about safety or mobility? No. I can’t do the things I use to do. A little lame, so far, no. 11) Both of us are retired. I retired after 32 years from the phone company. Your annual income: $20,000-$30,000. We run about $30,000 a year, between the 2 of us. 12) What is your ethnicity? Paternal Grandfather: French Canadian. Paternal Grandmother: Scottish English. 13) What religion do you practice? Christianity. Salvation Army. 14) How has the church affected your life and the life of your family? Different attitude @ looking @ things. A lot of good friends. Changed my life by quitting drinking. I don’t get as upset as I use to. I find the Salvation Army is comforting. I’ve been down there since 1972. Many churches are cliquish. They have their small groups. They may even look down their nose @ you, if you’re not properly dressed or you’re not this or this. The Salvation Army has never been that way. Their theme has always been you can teach the Word to someone who is down and out and hungry. The 1st thing you do is feed them pick them up. It’s been better for my life. 15) What did you do for a living (jobs)? Picked berries/grapes as a child (made $100 a season), high school: drove truck (17-18 without a driver’s license) (big) – markets, Corning Glass Works- television bulbs (Spring 1950-1st to make rectangle bulbs), Army (Korea), drove truck, Dundee Phone Comp, NY Phone Comp. was @ NY Phone Comp for 32 years (1953-1985) Got hurt on phone Comp job @ 32 (1962). Fell from top of pole landed standing up, couldn’t walk for almost 1 year! 16) How has these jobs changed? People my age were brought up to work. The injury changed his life. The Army Korea let him travel. People working the jobs changed. Cell phones changed the whole phone company. Computers took over my job. HEALTH and LEVEL of FUNCTIONING: 1) How is your overall health? Good. I take blood pressure medicine, but my blood pressure is good. I quit smoking in 1983. 2) Have you had any serious illnesses? Bronchitis. I get it every winter now. It was real bad this year the 1st Anti-biotic didn’t work. ) How did this affect your life? I didn’t get much done. This weekend was my 1st time in my wood shop this year. 4) Have there been any changes in your physical functioning over the last several years? (He chuckles)Not as much stamina. I can’t do hard work for as many hours, w/out rest. 5) Has your vision or hearing changed? Yeah! Had Cataracts removed new le nses implanted. Then got better vision than before. All hearing gone in right ear hard to hear in left. 6) Has your memory changed? Yes. 7) Does this affect your life? Long term is good. Short term memory is bad. Not as sharp. I can do mathematics plan a deck still. My 1st wife has Alzheimer’s disease. 8) Has your ability to use your mind or learn new things changed? You have to adapt. Attitude makes the difference. If you want to learn, you will learn it. 9) How are you treated by younger people? Respect is given taken. You have to give younger people respect. Lately, I haven’t had to associate with them. You have to lay it down to them. I never was discriminated against. 10) How do you feel about getting older? You learn to accept it. I don’t want to live to be 100. I just don’t want to go into a nursing home, unless I have to. I‘d rather not. 11) If you could be any age, what would you be? I’d like to go back be 19, again. Up until 32, when I fell. Now, some days it’s an effort to get up do anything. I hurt. I take a few pills it makes you feel dumb in the head pain goes away for half an hour. Yeah, those were good years. 12) Why? My life started. I enjoyed life. The last of the 40s (the 1940s) was good. AGE-GRADED, HISTORY-GRADED, and NON-NORMATIVE EVENTS: 1) What is your highest level of formal education? High school. Graduated in 1949. Army: map-making survey = 2 years of college. semester of college @ Auburn Community College, after I fell off the telephone pole. 2) Where did you attend school? Monterey (1 room school house), Dundee (built new school in 1939), Chenango Forks (1937-2 years), Dundee. 3) How did you get back forth from school? 1st walked ? mile, later walked 2 miles to catch the school bus. 4) What were some of your classmates’ names? Richard Peterson, Ros coe (big bee guy), Mike Hartford, A. Chadwick, Mary Sharp (my old flame) 5) Do you recall any childhood girlfriends? Mary Sharp (8 years) – went bad while I was in Korea. 6) Marriages? 2. My 1st wife (Rose) has Alzheimer’s and liver cancer 7) Where did you meet Donna? At Work. She came to the phone company. 8) Children? 1st Marriage – 3 daughters (all over 50 years old), 2nd Marriage – 2 step-children (daughter son). 9) Grandchildren? 4 4 step-grandchildren. 10) Where do your children live? Oregon, California, and Willard, NY. All are teachers. 11) How often do you see them? Out of state – not as often. The one in NY more often. 12) Romantic Relationships (not married to)? Honestly? 30. I was proposed to 3 times during the Leap Year I got out of service. Only 1 regret. 3) Are your children supportive in areas you need them to be as you age? Yes. Steps: David more than Dorie. 14) Do they respect your wishes? Yes. 15) What effect did (The Depression, World War I, and World War II) have on your life? The Depression – always had food. My mother made us white shirts. She was a good seamstress. Christmas wasn’t as big. My mom made our gifts. She made me a farm set by hand. Mother gave the neighbor some foods that we had made. World War 1 – It was depressing. I was 11 years old. World War 2 – a friend of our family was in a Japanese prison Camp (didn’t die). We lost friends in Normandy. In Maine – airplane spotters. 16) What changes have you noticed during your life in such areas as fashion, morality and technology? Fashion – always wore jeans, sweatshirts, shoes. Probably affected women more than men. Morality – NOT taught anymore! Depressing. I had a certain amount of wildness but not like today. 20s – No Respect. Drug Problem – mostly Blacks (out of large cities high school drop-outs). We didn’t have television. Media changed, too. 1st World War – it was weeks before we heard anything. 2nd World War – took 1 week. Korea – 3-4 days. Vietnam – same day. We kept some things quiet/hidden. Technology – EVERYTHING! Farming, cars (model B-4, 6-cylinder), lawn mowers (we had push mowers) – riders, flying (My 1st ride â€Å"Old Home Days† 1935. $5. 00 in an open cockpit, 2-seater; now 35,000 feet above ground, across USA) 17) How do you feel about these changes? Some is good. A lot†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Pesticides/sprays/growth are NOT good. There is a certain amount you have to have. Manufacturers – processed food. Candy bars used to be made @ Hershey Chocolate factory. 18) What do you think is one of the best technologies? Medical field. The development. If we had MRIs Cat Scans I wouldn’t have gone what I had when I fell. Sooner for recovery time. Extended life (transplants) 19) What do you think is one of the worst? Control over pesticides/growth hormones/sprays on our vegetation are TOXIC! I wonder if this has anything to do with the trouble with newborns. 20) What was family life like when you were growing up? We looked out for each other. We all had jobs around the house. My Dad was a truck driver. He taught me how to drive tractor trailer truck @ 14. We did things together as a family; picnics, family gatherings. My Dad taught me farm work. Dad was interested in my schooling. We were very close. He was killed in a truck accident while I was in the service. 21) What was your favorite radio show? Lone Ranger, Amos Andy, The Green Hornet, The Shadow, The Riflemen. 22) How old were you when you got your first television? 1947-48. It was an Admiral. 16† set. 23) What are some of the traditions still carried on by your family? Birthdays holidays. Easter is big in the church. 24) What were your favorite childhood games? Sandlot Baseball. We had a family of full-blooded Indians that lived above us. We played a lot of Indian games; Lacrosse – we made our own sticks balls (baked clay wrapped in cloth), Stone Toss (similar to Tidily Winks), and a homemade game using a dried out pig bladder ( air dried, inflated with air, and used as a ball), Softball, Allie-Allie Over (over the school house, 2 teams-one on each side), Kick the Can, Hide Seek, see who could swing over the top of bar (above the swing), Foxfire (on Spook Night) (decaying wood, NOT handled by your (bare)hands), hunting, fishing. 25) What other entertainment have you enjoyed? Square Round dances, hiking, swimming. SOCIAL LIFE: 1) How many friends do you have? 100 easy. 5 close. You should always have 5 close friends. 2) How many of these friends are childhood friends? 15-20, some have died. 3) How often are you able to visit with them? Some not for years (meaning more than 2), some every 2 years, some everyday. It depends on if they are old friends or new friends. 4) What activities did you enjoy doing when you were in your 20s? Roller skating dancing. Hunting fishing. 30s? Fell off pole. Small amount of fishing. 40s? Hunted fished. Some woodwork. 50s? Fished Bear hunting (Canada). Built my wood shop in my late 50s – early 60s. Wood working. 5) What are some activities you like to do together? 1950-1972 Camping – Canada, Nova Scotia, had nice Gardens 6) How many of these activities have changed as a result of getting older? Lots of them. Not as many. Don’t hunt, little fishing, no camping. 7) Do you belong to any church or other social groups? Men’s Fellowship @ church. 8) How has the Boy scouts affected your life? Better understanding of the world. Nature. Benefit: live with nature do it comfortably. 9) What â€Å"Words of Advice† would you like to pass on to future generations in your family? Get a good education that you can get money be comfortable. Go to college in fields worthwhile prosperous. Nothing wrong with making a good living. STORY TIME: Some people you’ve met during your lifetime leave footprints in your life forever. You could talk about your family members, relatives, friends, acquaintances, or special some ones and how they made an impact in your life or even changed your life. Also, places you’ve been to or where you lived could also be nice reminiscences since you could describe the place, the people in it, and how the weather was like. My 1st Scout Master – NOT to judge others to fast. Don’t know what they have been through. Dad – Stand up for what you believe in. Lots of people; in Korea, camping. Some memorable pieces or items could become great components of reminiscing. Things like your childhood toys or games. Heirlooms are wonderful jewelries that have been given from generation to generation that bring history. This can be anything that may not be important to others but may be significant to you and brought good memories. Some things of my Dad my uncle. An emblem from a guy I met on my way to Korea. I never saw him, again. 1) Do you have any regrets about your life? Lots of things. 2) What are they? I wouldn’t have drunk like I did. I made a lot of money and didn’t save it. 3) Are there things you would like to do that you haven’t done yet? Fly faster than the speed of sound (had the opportunity in 1991. Didn’t do it. ), visit Australia. 4) Do you think you will do them? Maybe. Who knows? Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself or a story? I’ve lived a rich life. I was accepted at Oswego State Teaching School but I didn’t have the money to go. . How to cite Life History Project, Essays

Sublime free essay sample

This California-based ska/punk/reggae/rock bands name says it all, Sublime. Their self-titled disc is pure excellence. The different styles of music combined with the assuaging voice of the late Bradley Nowell make this disk a masterpiece. Sublime includes last summers hit What I Got, the popular Santeria, Wrong Way, and Doing Time. But it contains much more. Track one, Garden Grove, mixes reggae and rock into a soothing song describing the bands problems. Seed, my personal favorite, is an unbelievable ska/rock song that will get anyone dancing. Other songs to check out on this marvelous CD include Caress me Down, Jailhouse, and Same in the End. Some of their songs deal with the Rodney King riots that ripped through Los Angeles a few years ago. Sublime also sings about drug problems, relationships, and good old Lou Dog (the bands Dalmatian). Unfortunately for all Sublime fans, a tour is impossible due to the death of lead singer/guitarist Bradley Nowell, who lost his battle with a drug addiction when this album was released. We will write a custom essay sample on Sublime or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If youre a fan of different kinds of music, Sublime is for you. Anyone with an ear for music will appreciate the quality of this euphonious monument. .

Operation of an efficient market and causes of market inefficiencies

Operation of an efficient market and causes of market inefficiencies Introduction Market efficiency can be defined as the degree to which the prices reflect all the available information in the market. In other words, market efficiency is a condition where the market prices display the prevailing conditions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Operation of an efficient market and causes of market inefficiencies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In some cases, the market prices may not reflect the prevailing market conditions based on the available information. In this case, the market is said to be inefficient. Market inefficiencies occur in rare cases. When this occurs, the market is interrupted from the normal arrangements and this lead to complications. Explanation for an Efficient Market and How It Operates As already seen, market efficiency can be defined as the situation where the prices charged in the market reflects all the information available to the participants. In order for th e market to function effectively, it is always necessary to have enough participants willing to sell or buy goods (Kirschen and Strbac, 2004). The price determination process is of great significance in the market. However, this is based on the information available in the market. The information available to buyers and sellers should be unbiased in order to come up with reliable and sustainable prices. The market where all these conditions are satisfied is referred to as an efficient market. Therefore, under the efficient market conditions for instance, buying or selling of the stock reflects fair returns after deducting the costs incurred through a transaction. In many cases, when people puts money in the stock market their main goal is generation of returns. In some cases, many investors even aim at getting more than necessary returns by surpassing the market (Heakal, 2011). However, the prices of a particular stock reflect all the information available about the stock. This impl ies that there is no investor who can have an advantage of forecasting on the returns of a stock because all the players have access to all available information. Such kind of a market is efficient. Decisions are made with reference to the information available (Investo 2011). All investors have similar knowledge about a certain stock. In this case, all investors are assumed to be rational.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Consequently, they will most likely have similar choices. In other words, investors are assumed to behave in a certain way. Mankiw (2008, Essentials of Economics), observed that the prices only respond to the information available in the market. Therefore, since every person in the market has equal access to the same information, then no one has the ability to make more profit than the other. In a perfect market, it is assumed that there are a lar ge number of buyers and sellers and a homogenous product and full information (Evans 2004). Therefore, a perfect market is efficient since the participants make informed decisions. Example of an efficient market; Market for polythene bags In the illustration above, the supply curve reflects the costs of the sellers where in this case are the polythene bag sellers. On the other hand, the demand curve reflects the value of the buyers. In this case, both the consumer and producer surplus is maximised. Therefore, this leads to an efficient market. In other words, the equilibrium market price leads to an efficient market. Explanation for Market Inefficiency and Its Causes In an inefficient market, the prices become random rather than predictable. Even with access to all the available information about the market, the participants’ prediction is rarely reflected in the prices (Barnes, 2009). In this case, the prices become random. When there are market inefficiencies, the prices m ay be set in such a way that they don’t reflect the market value. This difference is what is referred to as the market inefficiency. The prices are determined by external forces rather than the market forces. Market inefficiency is regarded as one of the market failure.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Operation of an efficient market and causes of market inefficiencies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Externalities are the main causes of the market inefficiencies. Externalities lead to an inefficient allocation of resources (Mankiw, 2008, principles of economics). This is the main reason why externalities cause inefficiency in the market. One of the common causes of these inefficiencies through externalities is the government intervention. For instance, the government may intervene in the market fort the polythene bags due to its contribution in environmental pollution. In the absence of the government interv ention, the equilibrium price will be reflecting what the consumers are willing to pay for the product given the prices in the market (Boyes and Melvin, 2006). This is determined by the information available to both sellers and buyers in the market. Therefore when there is no government intervention, the prices will adjust to balance the supply and demand of the polyphone bags in this case. In this case, both consumers and sellers are able to maximize their surplus. In other words, this allocation leads to maximization of the total value to the consumers who purchase the polythene bags less the costs incurred in its production (Dimson and Mussavian, 2000). In this case, the supply curve reflects the costs of the sellers where in this case are the polythene bag sellers. On the other hand, the demand curve reflects the value of the buyers. In this case, both the consumer and producer surplus is maximised. Therefore, this leads to an efficient market. The case of government interventi onAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this case, the government intervention in effort to reduce the level of pollution has led to a drop in the quantity provided in the market below the equilibrium level. The government intervention interferes with the equilibrium level of prices. This shifts the equilibrium level from the original position to another. This will lead to shortage in polythene bags which will induce the suppliers to increase their prices. This will lead to a decrease in consumer surplus. The prices charged will also not reflect the equilibrium price. This will lead to inefficiency in the market. In other words, any intervention in the market will lead to the market inefficiency. Similarly, taxation will also act by increasing the prices above the equilibrium level. Consequently, this will result into market inefficiency. This is because the prices will not reflect the equilibrium, market prices. Other government interventions will lead into similar results. Conclusion In conclusion, this discussion h as given a clear understanding of an efficient market and inefficient market. The study has clearly shown that in an efficient market, all the participants have equal access to the available information. The market price in a particular time is reflected by the information available in the market (Crosier, 2004). On the other hand, an inefficient market is characterised by random prices. In this case, the prices are not predictable. From the discussion, it can be seen that the markets cannot be absolutely efficient all absolutely inefficient. In most cases, the market reflects all these aspects of the market. Based on this information, it is advisable for all participants to refer to all the information available in the market in order to come up with the most feasible decisions. To those investors seeking to invest on shares, they are advised to find out all information necessary about the company in question. This will enable the company. This will enable the investor to determine whether the prices set for shares are reasonable before making their final decisions to buy. Reference List Barnes, P., 2009. Stock Market Efficiency, Insider Dealing and Market Abuse. England, Gower Publishing, Ltd. Boyes, W. and Melvin, M., 2006. Economics. U.S.A., Cengage Learning. Crosier, L., 2004. Selling Your Business: The Transition from Entrepreneur to Investor. New Jersey, John Wiley and Sons. Dimson, E. and Mussavian, M., 2000. â€Å"Market Efficiency.† Spellbound Publications, 2000. Vol.3, Pp. 959-970. Evans, A. 2004. Economics, Real Estate and the Supply of Land. Wiley-Blackwell. Heakal, R., 2011. What Is Market Efficiency? [Online] Available at:  https://www.investopedia.com/insights/what-is-market-efficiency/ . Investo, 2011. What Is an Efficient Market and How Does It Affect Individual Investors? [Online] Available at:  https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/05/marketefficiency.asp . Kirschen, D. and Strbac, G., 2004. West Sussex: Fundamentals of power system economics. New York, John Wiley and Sons. Mankiw, N., 2008. Essentials of Economics. Mason, OH, Cengage Learning. Mankiw, N., 2008. Principles of Economics. Mason, OH, Cengage Learning.

Three ways to make an impact with numbers

Three ways to make an impact with numbers How to make an impact with numbers Numbers can play a crucial role in many of your documents at work. But beware of the trap of thinking that data can speak for itself. You need to do that part. Figures can back up your claims with evidence and help draw attention to your most important facts, trends and comparisons. If what youre writing about is quite dry, theres usually a statistic that will grab your readers attention. Unfortunately, numbers can also have the opposite effect. If they’re poorly explained, they’ll slow your reader to a crawl as they try to work out exactly what youre saying. You risk losing the reader altogether in a sea of context-free figures – and statistics that arent related to their concerns will be no sooner read than forgotten. But there are ways that you can make the most of your figures – and your research – that were going to explore here. Remember these three things and youll be sure to give your numbers real impact. 1. Frame your statistics to show their significance A well-written statistic can capture your reader’s attention by itself. Heres a widely quoted example that dates back to 2007: One in every  £7 spent in retail (in the UK) is spent in Tesco. Its an arresting statistic. But what made it so popular? Lets start with some alternative ways of saying the same thing. Simply talking about the raw numbers of Tescos sales figures wouldnt have had nearly the same effect: Tescos retail sales totalled  £35.6 billion. This won’t mean anything to the average person – you could change the number to  £350.6 billion or  £3.56 billion and many people would accept it as true. (And, more than that, not really know how much they should care.) In other words, without any context, 35.6 billion is just a very large number. Putting the number in context is what starts to give it meaning: Tesco accounted for  £35.6 billion of the  £303.6 billion spent in retail sales in the UK. This gives you a sense of Tesco being a major player in the market. We understand this better now because we have a frame of reference – the overall size of the retail market. But, the numbers are still not framed in a way that most people will directly relate to. After all, most of us dont deal with the retail market – its an abstraction. On top of that, extremely large numbers are hard to understand intuitively. The majority of us do, however, spend money on products and fuel. Saying One in every  £7 spent in retail is spent in Tesco turns this statistic into the very familiar context of the coins and notes in our wallets. At the same time, the problem of talking about big, difficult-to-grasp numbers disappears. Finding your winning examples So how do you do the same thing? As ever, the most important person to consider is your reader. So profile them. By asking what your reader knows and wants, you can more easily set numbers into the appropriate context. For example, lets take these basic statistics: According to data from the Land Registry, house prices in East Sussex rose by over  £18,000 between February 2015 and February 2016. This means that the average home in East Sussex now sells for over  £214,000. The same statistics have different implications depending on whom youre writing for. If you were writing for someone interested in buying a house, you might compare this to the national average house prices. Whereas, if you were writing a report on the cost of living, you could compare this to the median wage in East Sussex. 2. Watch out for unfamiliar units of measurement It’s easy to think of numbers as somehow fundamentally different from words. Of course, in your work documents, they’re alike in one key respect: they both have to make sense to your readers. Whatever specialist area you work in and write about, you always need to be aware of what technical language and jargon might need explaining along the way – and numbers are a magnet for specialist terms. Each domain has its own measures that are widely understood within the field, but widely unintelligible to anyone outside it – from economists measuring Terms of Trade to consultants looking at Net Promoter Score feedback. You can reduce the chances of confusing your readers by thinking about them before you start writing. Do they work in the same field? Do they share your terminology? Are they likely to understand the significance of the measurements? Again, profiling your reader is vital. Youll probably find that, with a little thought, you already have a pretty good idea of what your readers will and wont understand. And if youre still uncertain, try giving a draft of your document to your reader – or to someone you think is similar to them in terms of background knowledge. See if they can understand your technical terms and measurements. If they have trouble, youll either need to explain your terms more clearly or think of a way of rewriting what youre saying in a way that doesnt involve them. 3. Work smart with tables and charts There are three main ways of presenting numbers in your documents: text, tables and charts. These options can complement each other, rather than being strict alternatives. However, in most situations, you will only need either a chart or a table – both is usually overkill. So which should you use? If you need to report lots of precise figures for reference, its better to put them in a table. This saves you from having to write long, hard-to-follow sentences containing all of your values. (Remember too that if most of your readers wont need access to your data, you can always put tables in an appendix rather than in your main document.) Charts and graphs are usually better for showing detailed relationships, relative proportions and trends – but remember that your readers wont be able to read off precise figures. Whichever you use, just including charts, graphs and tables isnt enough. Its very important to interpret them in your text. So always remember to draw out the main implications that are relevant to your reader. For tables, draw out typical values if you want to show a general relationship, or exceptional values if you want to draw attention to a particular figure. For example: Every year, fewer people are using Internet Explorer. Table 1 shows how Internet Explorers usage share has plummeted from 66 per cent in 2009, to just 16 per cent in 2016. For graphs and charts, describe the size and kind of overall trend that youre showing. For example, a graph might show a trough in sales over Christmas or a fluctuating number of support tickets. (For more ways to describe trends, click here.) When youve interpreted graphs and tables well, your reader should be able to understand what they show – and the significance of it – just by reading the text. Putting your interpretation of the graphs or charts data into the body of your text also means you can bring your readers attention to the figures at the relevant point in your argument. Your reader can then test your conclusions by looking at the data for themselves. Keeping your numbers working Although you might think of words and numbers as different languages, in business writing success lies in seeing what the two have in common. Theyre both there to help you achieve the aims and objectives you have for your document – and, ultimately, to meet the needs of your reader. As with all writing, the key to getting your message across is keeping the needs and knowledge of your reader in mind as you write. Do that, and you can be confident that you’ll be making your numbers and research count. Image credit: Jason Salmon / Shutterstock