Thursday, October 31, 2019

Community Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Community Counseling - Essay Example An important aspect of modern counseling philosophy is that the clients remain in control of their own treatment program. This is a recognition of the importance of cooperation in the counseling relationship and gives the client a sense of responsibility in there own lives. This freedom of choice for the client increases their stake in the interventions and the outcome. This puts the client in the driver's seat. The counselor does not dictate actions, but merely acts as a facilitator for change. The philosophy of counseling is client oriented, and the role of the counselor is to promote a since of wellness and show a commitment to improving the lives of their clients. The overriding principles that drive the counseling relationship are genuineness, respect, dignity, and client self-worth. This idea is open to all individuals regardless of ethnic, cultural, racial, sexual and special needs. Counseling emphasizes unconditional positive regard, respect, a safe and caring therapeutic relationship, individual strengths, and taking control over choices. Professional organizations set up accrediting agencies to promote, evaluate, audit, and certify institutions and programs that meet professionally recognized criteria. Programs that meet accreditation standards reassure the university faculty and students that they are being taught the skills that are needed to the current industry acceptable standards. This makes it easier for a student that goes through a CACREP program to be recognized as having the necessary skills and knowledge to pass a certification test. One of the benefits of this program is that you know that you would be going through a well-rounded educational experience. Another benefit is that the program is monitored and set up in a way that has a strategic plan that is oriented for the success of the students. Membership in a professional association and credentialing is an excellent method for the profession to remain ethical and well regulated. It is sometimes easy to forget our ethics and fail to act in the best interest of our clients. Personal gain, self-aggrandizement, and lack of ethical education can all contribute to problems of professionalism. While credentials are a necessary part of career advancement and certification, they should not be used as a substitute for competence and caring. In the counseling profession, the law will occasionally come into conflict with the code of ethics. This means that you may have to violate the law to remain true to your own sense of morality. The counselor must be able to justify their ethical decisions and be prepared to suffer any professional or legal consequences that may arise. Community Work Settings Community counselors work in settings that may range from individual sessions, families, groups, and communities. Community counselors can perform many tasks that include vocational, psychological, emotional, prevention, and intervention activities. Community counselors take a role as a community activist to promote positive social change within the society. Community counselors confront issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. This may occur in a hospital, community center, or a correctional facility. The value of early intervention has highlighted the importance of counseling moving into the school system. This would be

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Financial Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial - Case Study Example However, this decision may not be free from the relative risks that investing in new markets and countries can carry. Various competitive forces may be at play and the firm has to strategically devise its strategies to effectively negotiate with the different risks that may arise after the investment is made. Joblot Plc’s decision to enter into Lazka may be one of the significant investment decisions that the firm has to make. However, this decision will involve a comprehensive analysis of the various important factors that will contribute towards assessing the impact of various risks. The possible sources of risks may include political risk, foreign exchange risk, market risk as well as other risks that may generally arise in due course. This report will provide a comprehensive overview of the generalized risks that Joblot Plc may face while investing into Lazka using the currency of Lazka. Further, this report will also present a set of recommendations to the Board in order to reduce these risks. Any investment that is made always carries different risks and investors have to compensate themselves in order to undertake such investment decisions. The risks, therefore, are often covered by charging the premium over an above certain rate offered by relatively risk-free investment opportunities. Such type of risks can arise due to various reasons including risks arising out of changes in the interest rates, risks arising out of changes in the rate of return offered by alternative securities, political risk etc. However, when a decision is made to make international investments, the overall scenario changes because investing internationally adds more risks to the investments and the extent of existing risks becomes more significant.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Floating Restaurants Are A New Phenomenon Marketing Essay

Floating Restaurants Are A New Phenomenon Marketing Essay Floating restaurants are a new phenomenon for dining out in Cairo, where customers can be provided not only with a meal but also an entertaining casual dining experience with unrivalled views of the Nile River. This study aims to identify customers perceptions of the floating restaurants sailing down the Nile River and also explores the different attributes that influence customer satisfaction with, and increase the intention of repeat patronage for, Sailing Floating Restaurants. Frequencies, means, Pearson correlations, cross tab and factor analysis were used for the data analysis. The results indicate that aspects such as parking spaces, healthy, and local dishes, along with rest-room cleanliness are pivotal attributes to create satisfied customers and to increase repeat patronage intentions. Floating restaurant managers should reasonably take into consideration the trip length, which contributes significantly to customers satisfaction and repeat patronage intentions.(Published in 2011).Likewise, if there are any local traditions when the behaviour of domestic guests may seem disturbing to uninitiated foreign guests, such as the rowdy lutefisk evenings in some Norwegian restaurants (Jensen and Hansen, 2007). The study by Jensen and Hansen (2007) suggested that harmony is the most emphasized value among experienced restaurant consumers in Norway .The findings of other studies on value and satisfaction provide support for linking value to satisfaction, not satisfaction to value (Babin, Lee, Kim, Griffin, 2005; Jones, Reynolds, Arnold, 2006).For example, studies show that neighborhoods composed of racial and ethnic minorities have more than twice the number of fast-food restaurants (Block, Scribner, and DeSalvo 2004; Ball).Such women may be more likely to encounter environmental barriers to healthy food choices, often living in neighborhoods with fewer supermarkets (Morland et al, 2002b) and more fast food restaurants (Block et al, 2004).Dining motivation may affect this relationship because it determines consumers evaluative judgments during their dining experiences (Park, 2004).Consumers expect safe food and demand information about the origin of their food (Van Rijswijk Frewer, 2008).It has been found in many studies that restaurateurs are concerned with making lasting impressions, perpetuating a wonderful dining experie nce and creating an impressive ambiance for their customers (Cheng, 2006; DiPeitro, Murphy, Riviera, Muller, 2007; Gupta, McLaughlin, Gomez, 2007; Lacey, 2007; Oh, 2008; Ryu, 2005).If customers are satisfied with the food or service in a restaurant then they are more likely to re-visit it and thus increase its profits (Gupta et al., 2007).Several researchers controlled for the effect of advertising and promotions in their studies on customer loyalty because of their influence (Buckinx Van den Poel, 2004; Chu et al, 2007; Gupta, McLaughlin, Gomez, 2007).Service differentiation means enhancing perceived value by providing services or service attributes not provided by the competition (Claycomb and Martin, 2001, p. 391).Here, a small number of studies note the importance of the congruence and compatibility between the perceived attitudes and behaviours of fellow customers within the service setting, that is, the extent to which patrons within the service environment behave in a man ner that is deemed appropriate by other customers present (see Grove Fisk, 1997; Martin, 1996).Park (2004) defined the consumer value of eating-out as the value consumers derived from food, service, and restaurants when eating-out, which suggests that customers do not pursue dining value only to satisfy their hunger.On the other hand, less restrictive zoning in low-income areas may have contributed to an abundance of unhealthy food options, particularly fast food (Block et al. 2004; Morland et al. 2002).Restaurants tend to be less active in preferred customer program unlike hotel or airline industry because restaurant customers favor immediate, necessary, and monetary gratification (Jang Mattila, 2005).Convenience therefore becomes one of the main motivators for restaurant customers in choosing a restaurant (Jang Mattila, 2005).Kivela (1997) segmented restaurant customers on the basis of preferred restaurant types, including fine dining/gourmet, theme/atmosphere, family/popular a nd convenience/fast-food restaurants In the history of restaurant management, providing compelling sensory experiences to patrons has been critical for deriving patron satisfaction, and restaurants have thus invested large amounts of expenditure in interior/exterior decoration (Kivela, 1997; Law, To, Goh, 2008) and food presentation (Kivela et al, 1999; Namkung Jang, 2008; Raajpoot, 2002).Research conducted by Mona and Roy, (1999); Pettijohn, Pettijohn, and Luke (1997); Kivela (1997); Gregoire, Shanklin, Greathouse, and Tripp (1995); Auty (1992), and Lewis (1981) found food quality, including food safety and hygiene, to be either the first or second most important restaurant choice factor.In fast-food restaurants, price, convenience, and limited service are the basic characteristics, which have led to quality being one of the principal concepts of the marketing strategy (Baek, Ham, Yang, 2006).The consumption of fast-food has also increased throughout the industrialized world in countries as diverse as Spain, Korea, the Philippines, and Australia (Baek, Ham, Yang, 2006; Bryant Dundes, 2008; Mohammad, Barker, Kandampully, 2005).Previous studies have examined restaurant preferences associated with different groups such as origins of nationality (Barta, 2008; Gyimothy, Rassing Wanhill, 2000), different meal purposes (Cullen, 2004; Koo, Tao, Yeung, 1999), length of stay (Gyimothy et al, 2000), and age (Gyimothy et al, 2000; Yamanaka, Almanza, Nelson, DeVaney, 2003).According to the study conducted by Cullen (2004), portion size is a more important attribute to young consumers.To date numerous studies have been undertaken seeking to address such selection variables including but not limited to customer loyalty (Kim and Han, 2008), ambience (Rowe, 2004), pricing strategy (Pedraja and Yague, 2001), location (Buchtal, 2006; Knutson et al, 2006), menu variety (Choi, Lee and Mok, 2010), food type and food quality within occasion (Auty, 1992), consumer demographics (Bareham, 2004; Kim, Raab and Berg man, 2010), nutritional content (Wootan and Osborn, 2006) and service and/or product quality Fu and Parks, 2001) While many previous studies were also conducted in an actual restaurant setting (Jang Namkung, 2009; Kivela, Inbakaran, Reece, 2000); the uniqueness of this research is that the notion of Gestalt was adopted, and the interactive effects of perceived congruency and individuals pleasure or arousal on satisfaction were being tested.The perception that a restaurant has a reputable, green operation adds a value that is a little more intangible, but definitely important, in the customers mind. Just ask Chipotle how in the world they get away with selling an $8 burrito in a fast casual environment. Customers recognize the value of their green practices and locally sourced ingredients. There are hundreds of ways to make your restaurant more green, and advertising your practices to your customers add value. (Greg McGuire , 2012).Another top restaurant trend is portion sizes. Reduced portion sizes allow customers to spend less or pick and choose more than one dish. This is also a hot trend b ecause the perceived value for the customer is that they have options, and not all of them require a lot of money. (Greg McGuire , 2012) Restaurant Marketing: Using the Internet to Create Customer Value By Rohit Verma, Executive Director, Cornell Center for Hospitality Research Co-authored by Glenn Withiam, Executive Editor, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly Customer value extends far beyond the table or the restaurant itself. Restaurateurs have the opportunity to create customer value from the first contact, whether that means a telephone reservation or an electronic order or reservation. The restaurant operators decision of whether to permit electronic ordering or to accept reservations via the web depends on numerous factors, including balancing guest preferences against the cost of participating in third-party reservation sites. Studies of consumers who have made electronic reservations find that those who prefer the web tend to be younger customers who dine out more frequently than others. The age-old principle of customer value for the restaurant industry is to put the value where the customer can see it. Putting the value on the plate, is essential and that concept hasnt changed in many years. But the customer value chain for restaurants starts long before the guest is seated. Given heavy competition and ever-expanding marketing channels, a restaurateur may never get the chance to demonstrate the value of the plate on the table-if guests book a different restaurant. The battle begins in just getting the guest to the table in the first place. In this article, we offer a roadmap to electronic reservations and distribution, based on several studies of guests use of electronic food ordering, flash deal couponing, and third-party reservation applications. We frame this discussion in terms of customer value for the simple reason that guests seek value throughout the experience, and they will not become involved where they do not see value. This is particularly true in term s of flash deals. While guests may try a restaurant once using a daily deal coupon, they will not do so twice if value has not been received. The presence of social media and web commentaries seems to have altered customers decision process as they decide which restaurant to book. In the usual process, guests have in mind a set of potential restaurants, and then they apply their own criteria to choose one of those restaurants. The way social media affect this process is that would-be customers who read online reviews may add new restaurants to their choice set during the decision process. Thus, the winning restaurant might well be one that was suggested by the review of a perfect stranger, rather than one that was originally under consideration. Daily deal offers also exert considerable influence on the process. A study by Cornell Professor Chekitan Dev found that an astonishing 70 percent of purchases for travel experiences were made within 15 minutes of receiving an offer from the group coupon firm LivingSocial. In this instance, the decision appears to be a function of price, rather than one of brand. As weve discussed previously, daily deals must be carefully crafted to ensure that the offer is successful for both the restaurant and the purchasers. If you are reading this in a location where social media have not yet penetrated, you may have the luxury of preparing for a time when the internet gains increasing power in your distribution process. While some of our discussion here focuses on restaurants that use reservations, its also true that social media influence the decision process for restaurants that take only walk-ins and use a queue to control table occupancy, rather than reservations. Beyond that, there may come a day when guests will expect to be able to view your queue on the web, and thus determine whether they want to wait in that queue or choose another restaurant. Its easy to foresee a possible marketing approach of letting guests know that your queue is only 15 minutes long if they come immediately to the restaurant. Food Ordering With that background, lets examine how the internet is affecting food-service purchases and restaurant reservations. Considering that the internet is a logical method for ordering food deliveries, Cornell Professor Sheryl Kimes examined the use of the websites for ordering food for carryout or for delivery. While about half of the 470 people surveyed had used some form of electronic ordering, the number-one channel remains the telephone call, which was used for 53 percent of the orders in this study. This study covers U.S. residents, so the proportions may be different elsewhere. Nevertheless, the webs impact continues to rise everywhere. While theres no indication that the telephone will be eclipsed any time soon, electronic ordering is growing steadily. Just over 38 percent of the survey respondents had placed an electronic order, mostly using the restaurants own website. The number-one benefit that customers cited for electronic ordering was accuracy. They also liked websites that were convenient, gave them strong control, and made ordering easy. Its worth noting that convenience in this case also extended to offering delivery of the food once it was ordered. On the other side of the coin, customers who avoided the web for food ordering preferred personal interaction-they wanted to talk to someone. There was also a current of technological anxiety among those who didnt use the web to order food. A comparison of the demographics and purchase patterns of technology users and nonusers provides reasons for restaurants to offer as many ordering channels as possible. Respondents who made electronic orders tended to be younger than those who did not, and the technology users also patronized restaurants more frequently. An earlier study by Technomic found that 60 percent of people between 18 and 34 years have ordered online, but for people over 35 that figure falls to 35 percent. Restaurant operators in the United States are not oblivious to this trend. Just under one-fourth of the 326 largest U.S-based chains offered online food ordering. While we do not have figures for other nations, the direction of the trend is clear. For this study, the type of food ordered most frequently is Italian-style food, particularly pizza. Electronic Reservations If your restaurant accepts reservations, chances are they are being made by telephone. Just as the phone remains the top channel for ordering food, the same is true for restaurant reservations. However, what is not clear when the phone rings is how your guest found you. In this study of 474 U.S. consumers, Professor Kimes (working with co-researcher Katherine Kies) again found a steady growth in the use of websites and mobile phone apps for making restaurant reservations. What she also found was a trend that connects electronics and the telephone. Guests would use the web or a mobile app to locate a restaurant, and then they would complete the reservation on the telephone. More on that in a moment. Respondents to this survey had similar feelings about internet reservations as they did about electronic food ordering. Those who made reservations on the phone preferred the personal touch. Once again the online group is noticeably younger than the telephone-only group, and the web users have a tendency to visit restaurants more frequently than do other customer groups. So, once again, the online crowd appears to be an attractive demographic. One of the difficult decisions for restaurateurs is whether to use a multiple-restaurant reservation site. The decision is not always a simple one, even though reservation sites are growing in popularity, because they do incur an expense. Most reservation sites charge a monthly fee, plus a per-diner fee. Signing an agreement with one of these sites also removes a certain amount of control over the reservation process. Perhaps the greatest concern regarding these sites is the possibility that they do not provide incremental business. That is, a restaurant could very well be paying for an electronic reservation that would have been made anyway, by telephone or on the restaurants own website. Even if the reservations do represent incremental business, restaurants thin operating margins also raise questions about the value of third-party reservation sites. Balanced against the concerns regarding reservation sites is their undeniable popularity among some would-be restaurant guests. About 60 percent of the respondents who had made an electronic reservation used a multiple-restaurant site for their transaction. Two favorable considerations are that using the web reduces the need to have someone answering the phone for reservations and theoretically the restaurant can promote itself by its presence on the reservation site. The sites also provide an electronic reservations book and offer certain table management tools, as well as capturing customer data. The top reason for choosing a restaurant given by this surveys respondents was their previous experience with the restaurant, following by recommendations of friends. However, when this question was posed to those who use multiple-restaurant sites, social media became entwined in the decision process, as we described at the beginning of this article. While experience and cuisine had strong influence, the users of multiple-restaurant sites were significantly more likely to rely on online reviews in choosing a restaurant. Regardless of how they placed the reservation, the most important element, according to these respondents, is the ability to get the time and date they wanted. Reservation accuracy was also important. This group was relatively not concerned about personal contact. The study found that website users do more than just place reservations through the multiple-restaurant sites. They also use these sites to check table availability and to locate a particular restaurant. Additionally, the would-be guests also use websites to find a new restaurant. It is this finding that raises the possibility that restaurant operators should consider the theoretical marketing value of being listed on a multiple-restaurant site. Having located a restaurant, about one-third of the respondents completed the reservation using the telephone. The rest either continued with the reservation on the multiple-restaurant site or they switched to the restaurants own site. In conclusion, the decision of how to connect with your customer depends on your knowledge of how to create value for your customer. It may be that being listed on a multiple-restaurant site or offering delivery for electronic orders is an ideal fit for your restaurant. On the other hand, the cost of third-party reservation sites may not be justified by either the incremental reservations or marketing value. Moreover, for the restaurant industry, personal contact through the telephone is still important. By remembering that the creation of customer value begins with the first contact, you can ensure an excellent experience that puts the value where the customer can see it. http://hotelexecutive.com/business_review/3133/restaurant-marketing-using-the-internet-to-create-customer-value

Friday, October 25, 2019

OCeans :: essays research papers

Two-thirds of our planet is covered with oceans. The Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian, and the Artic are the world's major oceans. They were formed by a series of geological processes that continue to affect the Earth. Seven main parts, called lithospheric plates, make up the Earth's mantle layer and crust. The plates fit together millions of years ago, and are constantly moving (at a slow pace-like a fingernail grows) over a layer of squishy, soft rock called asthenosphere that lies beneath the crust. Magma rises to fill the space when the two plates move away from each other to form an ocean. This is the way the ocean grows over millions of years. The ocean floor has an amazing landscape similar to dry land with huge mountains and deep valleys, slopes and plains, trenches and ridges. Through today's technology advances we are able to study the ocean deep and learn about it. The ocean is consistently moving. Its surface can change from calm and mirror like to wild and treacherous. Most waves at sea are caused by wind. The waves created the gales that blow during a tropical cyclone are 46ft and higher. The largest wave known to have been caused by the wind was 112ft high. Waves can also be created by volcanic eruptions. These waves are known at tsunamis. They are wide columns of water that reach down to the sea floor and can travel for great distances, at the speed of a jet plane. Colliding currents can also change the surface of the ocean. When the tide turns, the opposing currents meet and may create a whirlpool. Ocean currents are massive bodies of water that travel long distances around the world. Wind is the major force that creates currents. There are seven main ocean currents that move in large, circular streams at a walking pace. In the Northern Hemisphere currents move in a clockwise direction; in the Southern Hemisphere they are counterclockwise. Warm or cold water currents are carried by winds along the shorelines. This affects the climate of the various continents on the way. The current that carries warm water from the Caribbean Sea, up the east coast of the United Stated and then to the west coasts of Britain and Northern Europe is called the Gulf Stream. These areas would be much colder without the Gulf Stream. The "pull" of the moon and the sun also affect the ocean by causing the tides.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Do you think that Mary Tudor deserved her title “Bloody Mary” or was she simply misunderstood?

History has not been kind to Mary Tudor. Compared to what followed, her reign seems like a brief but misguided attempt to hold back England's inevitable transformation to Protestantism. Compared to what came before, her regime looks like the regressive episode of a hysterical woman. Considered on its own terms, however, the regime appears much more complex, leading contributors to this volume of essays to reach far different conclusions about her reign: reestablishing traditional religion in England was an enormous undertaking that required rebuilding the Marian Church from the bottom up.Moreover, given more time it might have succeeded. Finally, as these essays continually remind us, concepts differentiating Catholicism from Protestantism — ideas taken for granted today — were still being sorted out during this period. David Loades's introduction begins the volume by surveying the disturbance in religion during Mary's lifetime. He links the spread of humanism and class ical scholarship to a substantial portion of this disturbance because it created an educated populace capable of raising questions about religious practices for which the traditional Church had no answers.Mary herself received a first-rate humanistic education and contemporaries even considered her well-educated. Loades suggests that, instead of unquestioningly embracing the tenants of the traditional Catholic faith, Mary was a â€Å"conservative humanist with an extremely insular point of view† (18). Nevertheless, her humanistic training did not extend to her devotion to the sacrament of the altar and her uncritical acceptance of the doctrine of transubstantiation. Ultimately, her uncompromising position on the latter would cause the downfall of many.After this introduction, the first section of the volume, entitled â€Å"The Process,† explores obstacles confronting the restoration of Catholicism in England, beginning with David Loades's examination of the degraded st ate of the episcopacy upon Mary's accession, and her administration's attempts to restore it. Next, Claire Cross discusses Marian efforts to enact Catholic reforms in those strongholds of Protestant dissent, the English universities.The queen's decision to restore a community of monks at Westminster is the subject of a study by C.  S. Knighton, who includes a detailed appendix identifying members of this community. In the section's last essay, Ralph Houlbrooke argues that swift acquiescence by one of Norwich's leading evangelical ministers, and the diligence of clergy and Church courts in upholding the Marian restoration, helped Norwich avoid large-scale persecution. Essays in the volume's second section, â€Å"Cardinal Pole,† focus on his role in reestablishing the legitimacy of the restored Church. Thomas F.Mayer begins with an analysis of various court documents, and concludes that even though Paul IV had apparently revoked Pole's legatine office, the matter remained uns ettled, and Pole probably continued to function in that capacity until the end of Mary's reign. In the following chapter, Pole's 1557 St. Andrew's Day sermon provides evidence for Eamon Duffy's defense of the cardinal's record — not only as an outspoken advocate for the importance of preaching, but also as a hard-nosed realist confronting an entire population of apostatized Londoners.In the final essay of this section, John Edwards reveals that, unlike English documents, records from the Spanish and Roman Inquisitions indicate greater Spanish involvement in the restoration of English Catholicism than has been previously recognized. The subject of the final section of this book, â€Å"The Culture,† undertakes issues regarding the Marian Church and its people. Lucy Wooding's essay considers how the multiple layers of symbolism found in the Mass provided a wide focal point for popular piety in the restored Church.In his essay on the theological works of Thomas Watson, Wil liam Wizeman, S. J. , discusses Marian efforts to reeducate worshipers who, after a generation of religious turmoil, were unfamiliar with even the basic tenets of Catholicism. In the following chapter, Gary G. Gibbs reconsiders the eyewitness evidence provided by one Henry Machyn, Merchant Taylor of London, concluding that the Marian regime had indeed connected with enough loyal subjects to provide the queen with an effective base of power

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Health and Safety Essay

The health and safety act consists of various principles, these are implemented to ensure employees are safe whilst at work, this doesn’t just apply those those who are employed by a company it applies to any one who enters the building including professional bodies I.e district nurses, And general practitioners the legislation is made up of COSHH,RIDDOR,The manual handling operations regulations, the health and safety first aid regulations and management of health and safety at work regulations, I will identify and write a brief description on how these legislations relate to my job role and work environment. *Reporting any incidents or occurrences puts a duty on an employer o report serious workplace accidents ,occupational diseases and any near misses* this comes under RIDDOR, reporting of injuries,diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations 1995 ( amended 2008 ),it is a legal requirement to report any accidents and occournences. In my work setting if and accident or dangerous occournence,for example a trip slip or fall, I will report this an accident report book no matter how minor. It is a legal requirement for my employer to have this procedure in place to keep a record of accidents and occournences, and my work establishment complies with wi the requirements of the DATA PROTECTION ACT 1988, by having tear o out pages that are filed and not accessible to unauthorised persons. Another regulation is the *health and safety first aid regulation1981* And in the event of injury or sudden illness failier to provide the correct practice could have fatal results.The health and safety first aid regulations require that an employer provide correct equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees or clients, receive immediate attention if they are taken ill or injured at work the regulation applies to all work settings including mine,adequate provisions will consist of first aid boxes, and first aid rooms at my work setting their is always a trained first aider on site including nightshifts. The COSHH legislation is put in place,this ensures the employer does a risk assessment on any any substance hazardous to health I.e medication,cleaning products and many more, if not used correctly the employer will asses the risks and make a decision on what precautions will be needed to ensure a safety.Relating to my work setting medication is COSHH issue. And only a senior carer who has had full medication training and has been assessed and found to be compitant can administer medication.medication is stored in a trolly which is then stored in a medication cupboard which is locked at all times unless in use and is only accessible to authorised users, again my seniro will have completed a risk assessment for this situation to ensure the correct action is taken and the health and safety is correct and all employees are informed on the situation I follow my work establishments policies and procedures the policies and procedures folder can be found in the nurses station and an additional copy in the mangers office, their are a number of different policies that are to be followed some of which include ââ€" ªCare of dying policy ââ€" ªEqual opportunities policy ââ€" ªLocking door in home policy ââ€" ªEvacuation of the home policy The folder consists of 422 policy’s and is required that once the policy has been read and understood e employees or manager are required to date and sign. Whilst at work I ensure that I support others to understand and follow safe and good hygenie practices i.e frequent hand washing and glove changes.i also ensure that myself and others are we’re correct ppe, and use the equipment required, and also risk asses any situation I may be in. I also monitor and report potentiometers health and safety risks by checking all equipment prior to use for e.g hoist slings and wheelchairs.if I find any problems or concerns I will report this to my manager and make sure all staff are aware that it is out of use, however something minor I.e a dirty wheelchair or frame is something I can take care of myself and ensure it is cleaned correctly. Risk assessments are put in place to ensure the safety of an individuals needs , these assessments vary as different people have different needs these asesments can range from mobility to mental capacity, eating and drinking to personal care. In my work setting their are clients who need help with their personal care, and their others who only need assistance with bathing or showering and can do their own personal care. Prior to arrival to my home a client will have been assessed by a senior Carer, and the information will be put into a care plan which I and my colleagues will then read so we no all information about a client. I practice minimising potential risks by following all of my work place policies and procedures and carrying out and using risk asesments, wearing correct ppe at all times and practicing good hand hygiene and making sure the work place is always clean and tidy and their are no hazardous substances accessible to clients I also practice minimising risks by making sure the building is secure by closing doors and keeping external doors locked. There are many different accidents that may occour in a home some of which are trips,slips and falls from wet or worn carpets, dioreah or vomit etc In the event of someone falling in the work setting different procedures will take. Place, for example if a staff member falls they may get up and feel fine it is essential that it is documented in the accident report book, on the other hand if a client falls carers will not move them until professional help has arrived the client will be made to feel comfortable and depending on e situation may be put into he recovery persition,this again will be documented into the accident report book. I support colleagues to follow practices that reduce the spread of infection by ensuring that we always where correct ppe, and practice good hand hygiene and using alcohol rubs but not as an equivalent to hand washing. I also support by ensuring my colleague and I dispose of hazardous substances in the correct way. Ways that I ensure my own health and hygenie do no pose a risk to others I always have clean uniform when attending work, to ensure I do not bring any airborn viruses I.e MRSA I also notify my manger if I pick up and virus like D&V and will not return to work until I am clear of the virus for 48 hours on arrival back to work I will fill in a return to work form. The manual handlings operations 1992 regulations, requires employers to avoid all manual handling where their is risk of injury.the legislation also states that a risk assessment must take place and followed correctly to minimise any potential risks. If I want any additional support or information I ask my manager, senior carers, or fellow colleagues. I can also access any information I am not sure about in my policies and procedures folder. At my work establishment their are two folders in the nurses station that are acessable to any staff member that are unsure on a certain subject some of these are ââ€" ªMeeting clients nutritional needs ââ€" ªCleanliness and infection control These folders are built up of useful information and policies that are relevant to each subject. Ways in which I help practice to prevent fires from starting and spreading , are ensuring that I know my work setting fire safety policy attend all fire safety training,I also make that I make sure that I know where my fire assembly point is. I also make sure that there are no waste paper baskets overflowing or anything else that could help a fire to spread or start, my working setting also had a no smoking policy,so I also ensure I smoke in the designated smoking are.if a fire was to start , emergency services would be contacted and the building evacuated , and go straight to the fire assembly point.i also ask any visitors to sign in and out and tell them were the fire safety point is. The signing in book will determined how Many people are in the building on arival of the emergency services. Procedures are as followed at my work establishment and many others ââ€" ªNever let any one in the building in without signing in.and professional bodies will have I’d on show always check is ââ€" ªIf I am unsure about a persons identity for e.g a visitor depending on the mental capacity of the person, ask if this person remembers this visitor if this is not possible phone a next of Kin. Personal information is vital in my work setting, all residents Care plans inlcude daily food and fluid intake, mental capacity and all relevant information on an individual is kept in folders in a locked cupboard that is not accessible to any unauthorised persons. I protect y,mown security and of others by making sure I have the correct ppe on at all times and do not have any jewerly on whilst at work, and make sure all external doors are shut, and gates at the top and bottom of stairs are shut and locked. I also ensure others no of my whereabouts whilst at work, to ensure that a fellow carer is their to support the floor, even if I am assisting someone to go the toilet I make someone aware I am of the floor. Comon signs of stress can be very easy to spot some of these include ââ€" ªadgitation ââ€" ªBeing emotional and short tempered ââ€" ªNot completing jobs properly ââ€" ªWeight loss or weight gain ââ€" ªSmoking more ââ€" ªAlcohol binging My self indication for stress is ââ€" ªConstant worrying ââ€" ªWeight gain ââ€" ªBeing over emotional and snappy ââ€" ªFeeling very low and under the weather My own stress levels are triggered by unstructured situations, e.g understaffing at work have caused me to feel stressed and when I am unsure of a situation cause me to feel slightly stressed. My strategies for managing my own stress levels are having a written plan of what My main tasks are that shift, for e.g a morning shift my main task is to ensure all residents and clean and have eaten by. Reasonable time. Some may find it easier to take it task as it comes how ever I would rather focus on the main tasks and making sure these are completed correctly.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How To Write Better Content In A Competitive Blog Niche

How To Write Better Content In A Competitive Blog Niche Earlier this year, we took a survey of you, dear users, and asked about some of your content marketing pain points. Here’s what you told us, in order, were the top three hand-wringing struggles for you: Finding enough time to create content. Planning that content. Creating really good content. I second these pain points; I’m with you. That third pain point is pretty wide open. What is really good content? Is it content you feel proud of? Content that performs well? Content that gets a lot of comments and engagement? Content that becomes an evergreen stalwart in your stable? Content you put a lot of work into? Content you learned from? In other words, how do you define â€Å"good content?† How To #Write Better Content In A Competitive #Blog Niche via @JulieNeidlingerDo You Want To Be Liked, Or Do You Want To Learn? Sometimes good content stems from rather bad content. When I studied art in college, I found that, at the end of college, I had come to view a piece of art as a success based on two things: Its likability. These are pieces that I liked, and/or viewers liked. They were visually pleasing in whatever niche they belonged in. For example, I used to do pet portraits for people. I didn’t always love the result in that after a while it felt like yet another dog painting. But, for the client, the likability was clearly there. Its teachability. There are pieces that I hated when I finished (if I finished them), or that took me a long time- sometimes years- to start to like. Yet I considered them a success because I learned something from doing them. Maybe I found a new way to handle a particular medium, or I discovered something about color and shadow. Whatever it was, the image itself didn’t tell the viewer what I learned, necessarily, so the teachability of a piece of art was generally something only I, the artist, could know was in play. I am often proud of pieces that others don’t care for, simply because I know what it taught me. Whee, do I have some uuugleee pieces of art. â€Å"Just light that match. Put it out of its misery.† But those flaming monstrosities taught me something useful and helped me make future likable pieces. I’m guessing, for the most part, that when you told us you wanted to write better  content, you were mainly talking about its likability. You want your audience to like it, talk about it, share it. But here’s the dangerous thing: You can consistently create good content (and good art) without learning anything new. And as a content marketer, failing to always keep learning means one day you are suddenly eons behind everyone else, even though things had been quite successful up to that point. By failing to learn, one day you are suddenly eons behind everyone else. #bloggingMy painting style has changed considerably from college, for example, but I know of another artist from the same background whose style has remained pretty much the same in the past twenty years. There’s nothing wrong with that; her art is quite popular with the public, has a loyal following, and it clearly hits the likability zone. Because her style hasn’t changed much, her audience knows exactly what to expect, and it is a profitable audience. Her art is easily identifiable and has helped establish a kind of creative â€Å"brand† for her. It’s admirable. But it can also be predictable, and tiring. If you hold teachability (i.e. learning from mistakes and taking creative risks) as an aspect of your definition of â€Å"good content†, you will likely see changes in what you create. You will see your audience fluctuate and see dips in your measurable numbers, but you will constantly be pressing into fresh water instead of the same pool. So. Do you want your content to be liked? Or do you want to learn? These two aren’t always exclusive of each other, but in quite a few situations, they are. I would posit that if you want to be a great content creator in the long haul, you have to sometimes give up on your content always being liked and accept the dogs that come from your pen. Those new dogs can teach you something. Sometimes, the best #ContentMarketing comes from your failures. Learn from them to improve.Once you are willing to take a leap and write outside of your current state of likability, you’re ready for the next step. Do You Remember To Look Up To Others? Our own Content Marketing Lead, Nathan, prefers a particular technique that requires a bit of online research to find the top performing content in your niche. â€Å"There are a few ways to write better content, but I only really use the skyscraper technique,†Ã‚  he’s told me, and it makes pretty good sense. As Garrett outlined on an earlier blog post, the skyscraper technique is, at its most basic, a three-step process: Find top performing content. Write  better content than the current top performers. Try to get a bunch of people to link to your new content. It’s the second step, I’m guessing, where the questions lie. How do you write  Ã¢â‚¬Å"better† content than someone else? As Garrett points out (and as I’ve mentioned before), you have to dissect the content. (Who knew dissection was such a thing for content marketers!) He suggests looking for: Average content length. Average number of images. Overall quality of content (rank from 1–10). Specific keywords/key-phrases used. You might also consider other more abstract aspects of the content as to what makes it a success, such as: Hierarchy:  Expert or beginner? Proximity: Did the content succeed because it was so dead-on accurate for a specific audience? Would that approach work as well for yours? Impact:  How did the content directly impact the reader’s life topically or anecdotally? Trendiness:  Is the content evergreen, or was it successful for a certain time frame only? Strangeness:  Is the content so unexpected that people are thrilled to see something new and unusual? Conflict:  Are there â€Å"warring factions† in the content, opposing ideas, and anything that stirs up passion and engagement? Humanity:  Is the content appealing because of its human interest component, stirring up empathy? Essentially, you are trying to figure out what makes a winning, popular, and successful piece of content tick. If it’s outside of your usual style or approach, this will be challenging. You’ll have to rethink why that piece of content is so good. One thing that’s important to note is that if you are trying to track and rate content, you are going to have to create standards (your own, or someone else’s recommendations) and assign numerical values for anything that is abstract in nature. For example, Garrett suggested you assign, on a scale of 1–10, a quality rank. Perhaps you define quality based on typos, grammar, whitespace, unique research, interviews, or some other characteristic. Whatever scale you use, and whatever standards you set for yourself, you will need to be consistent. Research what content already exists, then plan to #write something even better. Here's how.Once you figure out why a piece of content did so well for someone else (and you have concrete measurements even for the abstract), you can be that person who always has to top everyone  and who goes and writes even better content. Are You Always Scanning The Horizon? My first car was a Chrysler Plymouth Horizon, and if I wanted to get good radio reception, I had to roll down the front passenger window. Fine in the summer, excruciating in the winter. In order to bear the cold air, I had to turn up the heat. The heater fan was so loud, that I had to turn up the radio. It was a vicious cycle that meant, by the time I pulled into the yard on the drive home from school, I was one of those ridiculous people whose radio is so loud that all the plastic parts of the car are rattling. Take a look at this beauty. That is not the Horizon you should be on the lookout for. In the previous step, you were to look up to individual examples of top performing content, figure out why it was up there so high, and do your own version but better. Most bloggers have peaks and valleys of content success; you might have found a few one hit wonders in your skyscraper analysis. And then there are bloggers who are consistently creating good content. They might have had a few skyscraper pieces, but maybe not. What they generally have is authority, and authority is less susceptible to peaks and valleys, and more even-keeled. How do you become an authority on something? GEORGE: Wow, Keith Hernandez. He's such a great player. JERRY: Yeah, he's a real smart guy too. He's a Civil War buff. GEORGE: I'd love to be a Civil War buff. ... What do you have to do to be a buff? JERRY: So Biff wants to be a buff? ... Well sleeping less than 18 hours a day would be a start. - From Seinfeld â€Å"The Boyfriend (1)† There are people who are an authority, and there are people who call themselves an authority. There are some who might say that being an authority is more than just being an expert. An expert merely knows a lot, while an authority has the power to wield that expertise. Let’s take that approach, then, with the idea being that you first have to be an expert before you can be an authority. Becoming an expert. What does an expert look like to you? For me, it’s someone who: Has â€Å"paid their dues† and worked a long time at something. Has a broad variety of experiences in their niche, with lots of useful anecdotes to tell about them. Talks about what they’ve learned in a transparent way. Can show actual success and that they practice what they preach. Backs up their claims. Shares ideas, interpretations, facts, and knowledge that aren’t commonly found elsewhere. You can become an expert, then, by hard work, constant learning, willingness to make mistakes, and an openness to talking about what you’ve learned and what you’re still learning. Reading books, taking classes online, attending conferences, working a job where you gain experience, finding a mentor, teaching others so you learn as you teach, and having the patience to stick with it over time- this is how you build expertise. Becoming an authority. Being an authority is almost a state of being where people have given you permission to direct how they think. That sounds a bit creepy, but it’s not far off. You can holler and scream that you are an authority all you want, but if no one is listening to you, it’s clear you are not. How do you get people to give you permission to be an authority over them in your niche? Don’t be a jerk, but don’t be a doormat.  Have an opinion based in your expertise, and be willing to voice it. And then, if things go poorly... Take the high road.  Be willing to leave an ugly argument with respectful words and grace. Be an encourager, and be respectful.  Engage with people in an individual, helpful, and honest way. Don’t get a reputation for being a brash loudmouth who insults people. You might get fame, and you might get known, but you won’t really be an authority. Don’t chase after fame.  Using sketchy tactics to get momentary shares, attention, and fame is not the behavior of someone who is authority material, someone who is confident enough in their skills, patience, and ability. Be consistent. We are always preaching consistency and planning here at (hence the editorial calendar!), and consistency is part of being an authority. People trust the authority, and they build trust based on the sense that they know what to expect from you. Consistent content, social media presence, and engagement are crucial. Step out of the limelight.  Curation  is a powerful aspect of authority. It’s you, sharing and promoting the good work of others. It shows you’re not a glory hog, and that you’re not in it for yourself. Ask for help.  Reach out to other people and ask for their genuine  help or their opinion. It humanizes you. Be helpful first, self-promotional last.  How many times do you use the word â€Å"I† in your copy? Are you about you, or are you about others? This is a bit tricky. Authority isn’t necessarily being well-known (though it can be), but is that peculiar state where people stop and listen when you start to speak. If you want authority so bad you can taste it, chances are you won’t get it. Authority flows out of you having a genuine desire to be an expert and a genuine desire to use that expertise to help other people. How Will You Write Better Content To Stand Out From Your Competition? In summary, there are a million ways to approach the question, â€Å"How do I write better  content?†, but for this post, I wanted to give you a three-step personal assessment: Do you want to be liked, or do you want to learn? Do you know, and can you define, what successful content looks like? Have you put in the time to be an expert, and the personality to be an authority? There are so many great content creators out there. Which do you consider to be an authority, and why?