Characteristics Of A Manager

What makes a good manager?  There are several different views depending on the type and size if the business involved.  However most can agree there are approximately ten characteristics that all mangers need to have and here are a few.  First a good manager must be self-motivated.  A manager needs to be capable of understanding the basic goals of the business and developing their own strategies for achieving those goals. A manager needs to be able to set goals for their employees and help them to achieve those goals.

Of course dependability is part of the self-motivation.  A manager must be able to be at work on time and able to complete their assigned tasks.  This leads to the second characteristic which is good leadership skills.  Good leadership skills include being confident in their ability to lead a team. A manger needs to be a good public speaker, someone who can delegate tasks appropriately and a person that people will feel comfortable taking directions from.  Third is being a good team player.  The manager has to be someone who is committed to working with a team of people for the improvement of the whole business.  The ability to communicate effectively is of paramount importance as only with proper communication can a manager bridge the gap between the upper-level bosses and the lower-level employees.  This leads into the fourth characteristic which is great customer service skills.  No matter what type of business you are in, you can benefit from having a manager who is excellent in dealing with customers and clients. Ultimately this may not be a large percentage of the manager's job since the daily tasks of customer service will fall to other employees. However, when problems arise with customers, the manager is the one who has the potential to diffuse the situation or to exacerbate it. You want to hire a manager who is going to be capable of making even the most difficult customers happy so that you can retain customers and the business can grow.  The final characteristic is the ability to resolve conflicts. There will always be conflicts in the workplace and often a manager’s role will be as an intermediary.  This can be between two lower- level employees, an upper executive and a lower-level employee, or an employee and a customer.  The manager must be empathetic but have a firm grasp on the procedures and rules of the company.  The manager must be able to make a quick decisive decision and be able defend that decision.  There are many other characteristics that can be included but these are the ones considered most important.

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Two Effects of Human Activities on Local Ecosystems

As the human population continues to grow, the amount of natural resources the earth can offer has decreased. In an effort to find new resources many people have turned to wind turbines and wind farms to supplement the growing demand for electricity. Unfortunately, this is wreaking havoc on the ecosystem. Birds are the species most affected, because their breeding and flight behaviors are often disrupted. Their flight paths have been altered resulting in some species changing their migration habits. Some birds have even changed their migration patterns in order to avoid the areas where there are wind farms. The ocean is another ecosystem to suffer due to increases in human population. The Environmental Protection Agency has cited ocean dumping and vessel discharges as two major contributors of human pollution on the oceans. Pollution from point sources, such as those from industrial or municipal facilities, is another contributor. Oil spills and nuclear fallout have caused extreme harm to the ocean’s delicate balance. These pollutants affect the organisms in the ocean, causing illness, altered breeding habits, and ultimately death. Commercial whaling and commercial fishing have caused the near extinction of several species. In the rain forests, the deforestation has caused the loss of several hundreds of species due to the loss of their habitat. Other species have adapted but this has led to mutations in the species. Unless the human population is controlled, it has been projected that the earth will be unable to repair the damage that has been done. 

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Science Fiction Fantasy for Book Reports

A lot of students dislike writing book reports and often this dislike for these reports stems from the fact that students either are forced to read books they have no interest in or they choose books that are outside their interest zones.  Similar to choosing a term paper topic the choice of a book for a report should be made (if possible) based on interest or likability. The more interested you are in a book the easier your book report will be to write. One of the ways that I choose a book is by trying to step outside traditional reading genres. For example, there is a wealth of literature in the areas of science fiction and fantasy.  

If you are allowed to read a book of choice for your report I would recommend a book from the Fantasy realm of fiction. A well-written and entertaining novel that makes for a great book report would be “The Black God's War” by Moses Siregar III. This book is a great book for anyone looking for change of pace with their reading and it is a great introduction to the fantasy genre.

“The Black God's War” is book filled with well-developed characters that contain positive and negative attributes. The depth of character development lends itself easily to a book report. The plot of the book is also well-developed with twists that engage the reader. This also makes for a really engaging book report.  There is action and there are spiritual overtones in the novel and the author has obviously taken some time to build the structure of the novel in a manner that connects these notions.

One of the reasons that I suggest reading the “The Black God's War” over more well-known fantasy novels such as Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” is due to the fact that some fantasy novels are much longer and will take longer to read. If you are new to the fantasy genre and you are trying to write a book report then I would recommend starting out with a shorter novel that will allow you more time to concentrate on the writing of your book report. While both books are great reading, “The Black God's War” can be read in less time.

Opening yourself to the fantasy literature genre is a very rewarding experience. If you are looking to expand your reading and your imagination, then fantasy writing can provide a great means for accomplishing this goal. The best prat of reading fantasy literature is that it may make your book reports easier and more interesting process.

Understanding the Time Value of Money- TVM

How is a car loan an example of Time Value of Money?  Under what circumstances should an individual take out a loan versus paying in cash?  How have recent zero money down and zero money interest for 12 months offers affected potential cash buyers?

Time value of money (TVM), generally speaking, can be seen in a car loan through the focus of interest accumulation over time. A car loan at 21% interest equals $446.38 per month over five years. This equals $10,282.83. By paying an extra $100 a month on this loan, the size of the loan can be cut in half over 5 years leading to a savings of more than $5000.

A consumer should only take a loan over paying cash, when they will save as a result of the loan. For instance, a car loan that is $200 a month is cheaper than having to consistently put repairs into an old car. Plus over the long-term a new car can save more money if it is taken care of, by allowing the consumer to not have a payment and not have repairs for longer amounts of time.    

Many auto dealers advertise the claim you can buy a new car with no money down or minimum and no payments for the first year. However these ads are usually used to attract interested car buyers to the dealerships. These deals are extremely hard to qualify for, most often requiring perfect credit. Most customers will not be able to receive these special car financing deals. Usually after you have picked a car you like, they will break the news and tell you that you are not eligible for cheap car loan rates with zero down payment. The reasons can range from your poor credit ratings, insufficient down payment and so on.  I think these deals have not helped car dealers simply because in a rough economy the person who was interested in this deal was looking at it as an option that was affordable, but once they realize they cannot get it the affordability of the car is gone.

A Possible Factor That Has Contributed to the Global Increase in Obesity

There has been plenty of research on obesity and mental functioning as it is unfortunately, an expanding problem that needs to be addressed. But what is the most recent news? Recent evidence suggests that obesity may be linked to brain changes that relate to memory, emotions and appetite. Of course, we all know that being unhealthy doesn’t feel good and can lead to lower self esteem and low energy levels what how exactly does that work?

In a study performed by SUNY Downstate, scientists found a molecule known as NAA that is associated with brain health to be associated with body weight. Scientists are still unsure what the implications of this might be because has yet to be determined if low NAA, which is associated with being overweight, is a consequence of being overweight or if it is causal to being overweight. What is very interesting about this data is that it reflects high stress from worrying also produced low levels of NAA in the hippocampus, but was not associated with a high body mass index (BMI).

Future studies are intended to focus on finding out if weight loss has an effect on NAA levels. This could help determine how NAA levels affect weight gain and the hippocampus’ role in appetite control. With new information being discovered about weight gain on a molecular level, hopefully new approaches will be implemented that will help reverse the obesity epidemic in our society.