Nothing Less December 6, 2007

Beau Martin

Blog 1

 

 In this article, the person is writing about how good enough is not good enough. Basically, what he is striving to say is that you should always try your hardest at everything you do because it doesn’t matter whether you like the job or not, if you work hard at it than you should get something out of working hard. The same goes for the people you are trying to serve. The author, Bart Cleveland, is saying that much like a doctor you should always tell your client what the right thing to do is. Like many people who go to doctors, a lot of them don’t always listen to what the doctor is telling them like to stop smoking or to decrease your salt intake; even though these people aren’t listening it doesn’t mean that the doctor is going to stop telling them what the right thing to do is. Also, another aspect of this story is that good work is defined as average work and average is usually forgotten because that is the thing most achieved, however most agencies that do average work end up dieing. The main point here is that if you’re an agency or just a regular associate, you’re goal shouldn’t be good work which translates to death; you’re goal should be success which translates to excellent work.

 

Cleveland, Bart. "Want to Survive in This Biz? Dont Settle for Work That’s Anything Less Than Great!" Advertising Age 78 (2007): 23. Academic Search Premier. 5 Dec.

Job Satisfaction: Putting Theory into Practice December 6, 2007

Syptak, M. J., Marsland, D. W., & Ulmer, D. Job satisfaction: putting theory into practice. American Academy of Family Physicians, 6, Retrieved 12 2, 2007, from http://www.aafp.org/fpm/991000fm/26.html.

 

Brian O’Keefe

 The article, Job Satisfaction: Putting Theory into Practice, was written about hospitals but is also very encompassing of what is necessary to keep employees in other occupations. This article relates to the spirit of a work place, and talks about keeping employees happy. The article is based on a study by Frederick Herzberg that took place in the 1950’s. Herzberg asked two questions to employees:

1. Think of a time when you felt especially good about your job. Why did you feel that way?

2. Think of a time when you felt especially bad about you job. Why did you feel that way?

Based on the answers from these questions, Herzberg developed a theory stating that two dimensions of job satisfaction existed. One dimension was motivation, which created job satisfaction by endorsing an individuals needs for meaning and personal growth. This includes making the employee feel like the work they do is meaningful, allow for achievement by placing employees in places where they can succeed, allow for advancement, give recognition, and give responsibility and ownership of work. The second dimension Herzberg called “hygiene.” Hygiene issues don’t motivate but minimize dissatisfaction. Such issues include; company policies, salary, interpersonal communication and working conditions.  Doing these things will create good work places and employees who are satisfied and feel they are doing good work. Pros of implementing the theories are that people will be happy, and hopefully you will retain your best employees as an employer. Cons may be that not everyone can be put in situations that are best for them and they may not be able to feel much motivation. When implementing this program it is important to remember that the hygiene issues must be addressed before the motivational ones will work.

Job Satisfaction: Strategies to make work more gratifying December 6, 2007

(2006, Setember, 29). Job satisfaction: stratagies to make work more gratifying. Retrieved December 3, 2007, from CNN.com Web site: http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/WL/00051.html.

Brian O’Keefe

 

Although this class has focused on good work, you may unfortunately find yourself doing a job you don’t particularly like. The article, Job Satisfaction: Strategies to make work more gratifying, is about doing things that make your job more rewarding. Perhaps if you practice the techniques the article states, you will find your job to be good work. This paper is based on spirit, and talks about ways in which someone’s spirit can be weighed down. Conflict between co-workers, fear of losing your job through downsizing or outsourcing and not being appropriately paid are all examples given for dissatisfaction. The article mentions that we approach work as a job, career, or calling. A job is monetary, a career is for advancement, and a calling is focused on the work itself. Obviously, work that is a calling is good work, but there are things you can do to improve work if you are not doing your calling. Set new challenges by trying to improve your job skills, develop your own project, or mentor a co-worker. If you’re having problems staying positive the article suggests you: Stop negative thoughts, put things into perspective, look for the silver lining, learn from your mistakes and be grateful. The pros of doing what the article says is that you should be more positive about your job, you should also feel that you are benefiting yourself for another job in the future if you work on self-improvement. Negative things of doing what the reading says, at least for the long term, are that you may keep yourself in a job you don’t like longer then you should or have to. When implementing the practices you should start by doing one thing at a time, don’t try to force yourself to do too much at once or you may further your burnout and job dissatisfaction, remember the goal is to do good work.

4 Aspects of Spirit in the Workplace November 16, 2007

 In an article called, “The Role of Spirit in the Workplace”, author Lori Silverman talks about this idea of the spirit and its relationship to business, our work lives and organizational development in four different clusters: spirit as energy, spirit as meaning, spirit as sacred, and spirit as epistemology. Sprit as energy encompasses the “energy” or “feel” of the workplace. What type of mood or energy does the company give to its employees? The spirit as meaning speaks to those elements of ideology (shared vision and values) that provide the catalyst for change. In this aspect leaders must encourage transformation to move towards more meaningful work that engages their mind, body, heart and soul. Spirit as sacred implies that all of life is permeated with a diving spiritual presence and that there is a connection and interdependence between all life and all forms of energy with this notion of wholeness. Spirit as epistemology recognizes the existence of spirit beyond the three dimensional world that communicates through rituals and ceremonies to encourage communities and organizations to be constructed in harmony with spirit.

 In these four aspects an organization must consider what can be changed. When considering the spirit as energy I like the idea that one must be concerned with the mood or energy of the workplace. When an organization is not outgoing or doesn’t give off vibrant energy their employees might be the ones who dread getting up in the morning and going to work. When trying to change the energy an organization can promote celebrations such as birthday parties, picnics, and training sessions to give off a more warm feeling. With spirit as meaning the idea of transformation is a good one. With things like an image or logo the company can live by everyone can be part of the change for the organization as a whole. Spirit that is sacred the idea of interdependence is a blurry line for me. When moving from “old ways” to “new ways” of doing things everyone has to be on board so for me it isn’t as much about the individual spirit as it is about the shift for everyone involved. The last cluster is spirit as epistemology which means getting involved and knowing things such as the company’s history. In order to take a leadership role one must make sure there are working for the company as a whole and not just themselves. Spirit not only revolves around the individual but the heart of all the people who are part of building this company into something that is successful.

 

Silverman, Lori L. "The Role of Spirit in the Workplace." Quality

Australia

15 (2001).

09 Nov. 2007

<www.partnersforprogress.com>.

Implementing Deeper Values in Higher Education November 16, 2007

Bliss, Carol. (2006). Integrating meaning and purpose:  The Student-centered college classroom.  Journal Of College and Character.  Volume 6(1), 1-5

Carol Bliss is a Ph.D. in Education at California State Polytechnic University with an emphasis in cultural communication and she has done loads of research on character and values in education.  She first points out that our generation is overloaded with more information than we know what to do with and the important thing in education for her is to "establish purposeful priorities" (Bliss, 2006, pg. 1).  Nowadays students are more interested in getting the grade rather than applying themselves and forging their identity in their schoolwork.  She goes on to explain that with the internet, students are able to access any information they want or need and the teacher’s role has changed.  Teachers act more like guiders, they are no longer the only people with the information.  Teachers encourage areas to study and explore but they don’t actually teach all the information anymore.  Bliss argues that since students can learn pretty much anything by themselves, teachers should focus more on applying the lessons to the students lives and values.  Research by Bliss and the company HeartMath shows that when students and teachers can connect the lessons to life values, the learning becomes richer.  Bliss proposes that teachers should encourage students to take part in service learning and reaching out to the community through projects that apply in-class lessons to life values:  "By developing team-based projects that take students out into the community, they can be introduced to the benefits of service as well as learning to apply knowledge learned in the classroom" (Bliss, 2006, pg. 5).  I have always thought that for a student to really take anything from an in-class lesson, they need to be able to apply that lesson to their life and get some value out of doing so.  "By creating a climate of respect, developing an environment of openness and authenticity in the classroom, and integrating life values into discussinos, we can create distinctive learning environments that impact, accelerate, and deepen learning for students" (Bliss, 2006, pg. 5).  The only thing to keep in mind is that the Teachers still play a huge role in shaping how the students apply the lessons and they really are needed to help the students create "good work". 

Posted by:

Andrew J. Kersbergen

Sustainable Design For The “Feel Good-Ness” Of It November 16, 2007

            Sustainable design is not just making a building work well
with the environment. It is creating a
building which saves energy in the long run, gives back to the environment as
well as employees and minimizing waste and pollution generated by buildings and
construction.
            This is
idea has been around for a while, but has never really been marketed or tried
to a great extent until recently. According
to the article, “Ancient Greek and Roman builders, Renaissance and
Enlightenment architects, and architects of the Modern movement understood
these moves long before energy was an issue and long before anyone used the
word sustainability.” Sustainable design
is on the top priority list of many architects and construction companies. It generates good work for both the
environment and employees working in the building. Letting sunlight in a workplace creates ideas
because people don’t feel trapped or as stressed. Absenteeism is also decreased with the use of
sustainable design according to this article from the Washington Post. When people know they work in a building
which is saving the world around them, they are more likely to feel good about
being in their workplace.      
            Designing a
building is either going to be a building based on energy efficiency or
sustainability. Though they may seem
like they could be very similar they are not. One is seeing the benefit of lower costs in the short run and
sustainability is seeing the benefit of lower costs in the long run. Energy efficient buildings are becoming less
seen especially with the appearance universal design and sustainable
design. Energy prices are soaring as
well which creates economic motivation to be greater than ever before. The environment is becoming more of a
priority than it used to be. Sustainable
design buildings are saving costs by reusing energy and actually saving the
environment rather than harming it.
Though all
of this advancement in the way we are designing and building buildings while
saving the earth is great, we have to keep in mind a few things. The attractiveness of the building, both
inside and out needs to come into play when designing the structure. Tight spaces, compact areas and thick walls
in sustainable buildings are often seen to keep and reuse air as well as to
keep energy costs down. How can we have
effective accessibility and still keep the building open enough to be able to
reuse energy efficiently? In the
article it explains that blob like structures are the most energy saving type
of building. Blob like buildings are not
going to be attractive though. Even more
importantly, that kind of structure will be less than ideal for accommodating
most building functions or for harmonizing with adjacent structures. Architects and construction managers also
need to keep in mind the cost of the materials needed and technological
advancement which needs to be configured appropriately throughout the building.
According
to Roger K. Lewis, professor of architecture at the

University

of

Maryland

,
“Designing for sustainability merely continues an ageless architectural
tradition, based on the idea that "necessity is the mother of
invention." Thus pursuing sustainable design is not only the ethical and,
in the long run, the most economical thing to do, but also the smart thing to
do to make buildings look and perform better.

 

Christy Schindler

Lewis, Roger K. “Sustainable Design Can Save More Than the
Environment.” Shaping  the City. Online source:
WashingtonPost.com.

Washington

: The

Washington

Post,  2007. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2006/03/17/AR2006031700891_2.html

 

Sustainable Design For The “Feel Good-Ness” Of It November 16, 2007

            Sustainable design is not just making a building work well
with the environment. It is creating a
building which saves energy in the long run, gives back to the environment as
well as employees and minimizing waste and pollution generated by buildings and
construction.
            This is
idea has been around for a while, but has never really been marketed or tried
to a great extent until recently. According
to the article, “Ancient Greek and Roman builders, Renaissance and
Enlightenment architects, and architects of the Modern movement understood
these moves long before energy was an issue and long before anyone used the
word sustainability.” Sustainable design
is on the top priority list of many architects and construction companies. It generates good work for both the
environment and employees working in the building. Letting sunlight in a workplace creates ideas
because people don’t feel trapped or as stressed. Absenteeism is also decreased with the use of
sustainable design according to this article from the Washington Post. When people know they work in a building
which is saving the world around them, they are more likely to feel good about
being in their workplace.      
            Designing a
building is either going to be a building based on energy efficiency or
sustainability. Though they may seem
like they could be very similar they are not. One is seeing the benefit of lower costs in the short run and
sustainability is seeing the benefit of lower costs in the long run. Energy efficient buildings are becoming less
seen especially with the appearance universal design and sustainable
design. Energy prices are soaring as
well which creates economic motivation to be greater than ever before. The environment is becoming more of a
priority than it used to be. Sustainable
design buildings are saving costs by reusing energy and actually saving the
environment rather than harming it.
Though all
of this advancement in the way we are designing and building buildings while
saving the earth is great, we have to keep in mind a few things. The attractiveness of the building, both
inside and out needs to come into play when designing the structure. Tight spaces, compact areas and thick walls
in sustainable buildings are often seen to keep and reuse air as well as to
keep energy costs down. How can we have
effective accessibility and still keep the building open enough to be able to
reuse energy efficiently? In the
article it explains that blob like structures are the most energy saving type
of building. Blob like buildings are not
going to be attractive though. Even more
importantly, that kind of structure will be less than ideal for accommodating
most building functions or for harmonizing with adjacent structures. Architects and construction managers also
need to keep in mind the cost of the materials needed and technological
advancement which needs to be configured appropriately throughout the building.
According
to Roger K. Lewis, professor of architecture at the

University

of

Maryland

,
“Designing for sustainability merely continues an ageless architectural
tradition, based on the idea that "necessity is the mother of
invention." Thus pursuing sustainable design is not only the ethical and,
in the long run, the most economical thing to do, but also the smart thing to
do to make buildings look and perform better.

 

Christy Schindler

Lewis, Roger K. “Sustainable Design Can Save More Than the
Environment.” Shaping  the City. Online source:
WashingtonPost.com.

Washington

: The

Washington

Post,  2007. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2006/03/17/AR2006031700891_2.html

 

Organizing work environment, work activities and jobs November 16, 2007

Organizing work environment, work activities and jobs 

http://www.ccd.edu/assets/Employees/portfolio/Touchstone%204.pdf

Posted November 2005

R. Adam Lininger

 This is the web address for a PDF from Community College Of Denver. It is part of their guidelines and practices for the university section 4C of what the University calls its Touchstones or key-points. This particular section is called Valuing People with the subtitle Organizing work environment, work activities and jobs. I believe that title alone lends itself to the ideas we are discussing here and so although it is a pdf it may still have some value for this blog. Touchstone 4c outlines the company’s plans and practices for a variety of things like equal hiring practices and even intentional minority integration among faculty and staff as a way of promoting a certain environment. It also outlines a program for extensive goal setting and evaluation as well as re-evaluation and adjusting of goals throughout the year. While I am sure most institutions that are any kind of successful do, but this is a very extensive outline that integrates an equal racial policy for an increased educational environment and experience. A further suggestion I may add that could add to the balance and balance aspect would be to allow for students to be part of the goal setting and evaluation process. This may facilitate their voices being heard but also by working together to achieve loftier goals university wide. By allowing the students a chance to input and craft the university policies they are bound to work more with the university to achieve them and thus the university achieves more as well as a healthier campus life through active and meaningful student interaction.

Wo Speakers Bureau November 16, 2007

Wo Speakers Bureau

http://wlc.kcc.hawaii.edu/docs/resources/speakersBureau.html

R. Adam Lininger

 

 This website is an actual business website but I thought I would us it as a blog because of how great the idea is and how applicable their service is to what we are doing this project on. The Wo Speakers Bureau is a conglomeration of community college teachers/educators in Hawaii that have developed a workshop on creating a better education environment through teaching better techniques for things like assessment in class, community programs, new technological and classroom innovations and even new teaching and learning techniques. The cost of the workshop is paid for and all you have to do is invite the group to your campus. They have techniques for education levels through college and are completely funded and education centered. This is a great idea and only takes the good will and time of educators in your state or local community. The ability to have professional educators and instructors come and give a workshop on these kind of techniques has obvious advantages to increasing the overall education level nationally but most importantly for this class in creating a better work space for students and teachers to interact in. This is done through these great programs even having one helping teachers see courses through the students eyes as a way of giving perspective and increasing imagination and innovation in the classroom. There is really no reason why an organization like this couldn’t exist anywhere really Organizing work environment, work activities and jobs, the benefits are obviously there and the cost is none existent.

Going into Labor!! By: Aria Khosravi November 16, 2007

Here are some fun facts I have learned about how much Americans work, so
after reading please feel free to take a
break! In the last 10 years alone, Americans’ average annual number of work
hours increased from 1,942 to 1,978, the International Labor Organization
reported in a study released on Labor Day weekend. Only workers in South Korea and the Czech Republic toil longer. In Japan, where
workaholism ran so rampant in the ’80s that salaried men sometimes dropped dead
at their desks from karoshi ("death by overwork"), the average
annual per capita number of hours worked actually dropped from 2,031 in 1990 to
1,842 a decade later. Canada
(1,790 to 1,767), Britain
(1,767 to 1,719), and Germany
(1,573 to 1,480) also recorded significant dips. France,
meanwhile, passed legislation reducing its standard workweek to 35 hours
beginning last year. Only in America have working hours increased. The authors of the International Labor
Organization report chalked that up to the American psyche that says workers
have to put in longer hours to make the best impression. Bill Beuttler. “We
Work Too Hard.”

Boston Magazine Online. 2001.

 

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/we_work_too_hard/