Women’s Rights Movement DBQ

The women’s rights movement had all but disappeared after the adoption of the 19th Amendment in 1920. However, in the post-World War II period, women increasingly realized that they continued to face obstacles in achieving equality in American society. Throughout the history of the nation, women in the United States have always suffered from discrimination and were inferior to men. Women quickly realized that change was needed and they had to do something about it.After World War II, women were extremely disappointed because many were separated with the work place and were also dissatisfied with their lives because they felt bored a restricted. Women came together to try to achieve equality after the war by creating the National Organization for Women (NOW) and attempt to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. The struggle women were put through in the past have now helped the rights and treatment of women today. After World War II, women were dissatisfied with their roles and wante d equality. After the war, about two million women lost their jobs (Doc 1).They were told they didn’t want to work, and were forced to become homemakers and became separated from the workplace (Doc 1). Women began to question, â€Å"Is this all there is? † (Doc 2). They only made beds and shopped for groceries; women felt restricted and led boring lives (Doc 2). Women were also disappointed because there were only certain jobs available to them; mostly clerical work such as domestic service, retail sales, social work, teaching and nursing (RBP 983). These jobs paid poorly and no matter what, women were always made fewer wages than men.Women were also upset because they were denied easy access to education unlike men, and wanted to have a career outside of the home but could not because their lack of schooling. Women were not provided the same amount of opportunities as men and were very dissatisfied with their boring, restricted lives. Such lives led some women to orga nize small groups to discuss their concerns. During these â€Å"consciousness-raising† sessions, women shared their lives with each other and discovered that their experiences were not unique (RBP 985).The theory behind the women’s movement of the 1960’s was feminism, the belief that women should have economic, political, and social equality with men (RBP 982). Because women came together and really started to believe they should be treated the same and have the same opportunities, they attempted in many different ways to achieve equality. Most women went through many unfair and bad experiences throughout their lives during the 1960’s, but there were many attempts to try and better their lives.In 1966, 28 women including Betty Friedan, created the National Organization for Women (also known as NOW), to pursue women’s goals (RBP 984) and to accomplish other goals such as women’s rights and control their own reproductive lives (Doc 3). Thanks to the Supreme Court, it was ruled that women had the right to choose an abortion during the first three months of their pregnancy in 1973. One significant goal of NOW was the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (Doc 3).The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed and failed amendment to the U. S. Constitution that would have prohibited any government discrimination on the basis of sex (RBP R57). It failed because only 35 states approved out of the 38 needed (RBP 985). The passage of the Equal Rights Amendment would have been an extremely significant event because women would have been able to get the same pay as men, they could get managerial jobs instead of just menial ones, and it was a high possibility to reduce the amount of prejudice towards women.Other attempts to create equality after the war consisted of the challenge of the Cult of Domesticity, Roe v. Wade, representation in politics, and Title IX (notes). Even though not all attempts were successful, women got the poi nt across that they were tired of the unequal treatments and wanted change. Women have always been treated unequal throughout history, and were expected to bow down to men because they were inferior to them. Daily, they have suffered from all aspects of life; social, economic and political.They weren’t given the same job and educational opportunities, and were completely denied voting rights. Women did do many things to try to fix the discrimination between themselves and men, some worked such as the National Organization for Women, the case of Roe v. Wade, and Title IX. While some attempts failed like the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Even though women faced many obstacles in the nation’s past, there are still many more to come to completely demolish discrimination.

The Affect Weather Has on Human Life

The Affect Weather Has on Human Life Introduction Destructions caused by storms, floods, droughts, earthquakes, and further source of danger often expose human to insecurity, exacting a serious economic cost and weakening livelihoods. These effects can be short-term, but in many instances disaster also damages the lasting habitability or economic normal growth and development of the affected region.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Affect Weather Has on Human Life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While the severity of destruction is an important issue, the timeless and capability of assistance and reconstruction programs, and the flexibility of affected territories and societies, will eventually shape the expectations of the region. Regions or countries that have experienced natural disasters, often known as fragile states in the global literature, are states that have experienced disasters such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, or droughts to the level that their safety, economic, health, and welfare structures are damaged or ruined. A current severe and sad example of the hit of natural disaster is the Hurricane Katrina which happened in United States on 29, August 2005 (Barb 2007). At a first glance, the attack on the Gulf Coasts of U.S. seems to be an example of a bulldozer contest at work. In building this research, the method used of ­fers a comprehensible or deep observation of the situations. The investigation, which takes the subsequent section and to which the study precedes to the conclusion of the research, assesses the impact of the attack on economy and health of the inhabitants of the city New Orleans. This proportional and static method employs measures established on the environmental effects of the hit. It points out the environmental effects of the attack on New Orleans economy and the health of the inhabitants. Natural Disaster On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina, one of the most fatal hurricanes hit the southern part of U.S. This incidence caused landfall on the seashore of the Gulf of Mexico and within hours it became the major natural tragedy in U.S history (Jeremy, Matthew 1).Advertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The level of the destruction was unparalleled and had a bad effect on lives, huge demolition of property, and movement of hundred of thousands of people. Survivors of these natural tragedies were exposed to several obstacles to revival, as well as health and mental health problems. When Hurricane Katrina hit, the strength of the wind and storm surge aroused the levees and flooded the affected city’s resulting to loss of life, shocking damage, and massive dislodgment of people (Warner Scott, 2005). Eighty percent of New Orleans was flooded and unlivable causing the movement of the greater part of the city inhabitants. Hurricane Katrina caused the prime single movement of inhabitants from a natural disaster in US history. Effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans Economy The economic results of Hurricane Katrina, which strike the Gulf coast of America, are extensive. According to research carried out on the impact of the storm on the city, it was observed that Hurricane Katrina destroyed properties thereby exposing the city to environmental pollution which is harmful to the health of the inhabitants. Furthermore, the wreckage caused by the storm has devastated the economy. Before Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans created about 600,000 non-farm occupations. With reverence to its inbuilt nature, the total economic growth to New Orleans has surpassed $150 billion (Barb, 2007). Hurricane Katrina is an unpleasant shock to New Orleans and the economy of the nation, as a result shifting the economic development of New Orleans both in job opportunities and health wise. Hurricane Katrina in effect, damaged lives (labor) and capita l (production facilities, oil platforms), and consequently it negatively affected New Orleans ability to manufacture goods and services (Falk Baldwin 2006). The storm caused terrible damage in New Orleans (Gulf Coast of America). The levees that divided Lake Pontchartain from the city of New Orleans were destroyed causing the flooding of about 80 percent of the city, thereby damaging industries and houses within the city.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Affect Weather Has on Human Life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More New Orleans’ economic infrastructure has several flaws, many of which preceded Hurricane Katrina but have been worsened by the damage done by the hurricane and its consequences. Perhaps, the single most important physical infrastructure problem is the changeable position of the levees and the flood-control system protecting the city from upcoming hurricanes. Despite the refurbishments that have been made, the doubt surrounding the city’s safety from future Hurricanes put off much-needed investment, both in the city’s opened business residents and by prospective new businesses and residents. Besides, the city’s physical infrastructures needs major improvement and renovations, not just to essential facilities as streets, transportation networks, and utilities, but particularly to the port and the city’s biomedical facilities. Other main setbacks for the city’s economic infrastructure include the quantity and quality of its labor force and the city’s association with business sectors. Effect on health Hurricane Katrina, the difficult concern of mental illness doubled compared with that in a similar New Orleans population before the hurricane. As occupants reoccupied the town, health authorities became more disturbed about the possibility for respiratory health consequences from danger to water destroyed homes and environment. Wh en experiencing a major storm, health workers are expected to work with other primary responders on awareness functions like preparing removals, carrying out examination for death rate and for infection, and communicating about dangers of post-hurricane, such as the danger of carbon monoxide physiological state created by toxic substances from unsuitable use of generators when power connections are disconnected (Falk Baldwin 2006). Hurricane Katrina caused vast challenges to public health and necessitates wide-ranging reactions.Advertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Important concerns included the extensive damage it caused in New Orleans and across several states, as well as the interruption of clinical services; the disconnection of electric, gas, transportation system, and other services; destructive flooding that contributed to the mass departure of New Orleans; the need to supply protection, life, and medications for a long period to one million people who have been evacuated; and the problems in repopulating New Orleans, restoring its health care sector, and going back to fundamental public health roles (Falk Baldwin 2006). The effects of Hurricane Katrina on the health sector of New Orleans consist of the evaluation of huge amount of wreckage and decisions about harmless removal of solid and harmful wastes, evaluations about release of and exposure to harmful substances from manufacturing companies and waste places. Hurricane Katrina left the city of New Orleans in a difficult situation as a result of toxic air pollution which gives inc rease to health hazard of the residents. In line with research on Hurricane Katrina, human exposure to toxic air noxious wastes may cause cancer or other serious health consequences, such as procreative effects or birth deficiencies, or undesirable environmental and natural effects (Falk Baldwin 2006). Example of toxic air toxins include benzene, which is detected in gasoline; perchlorethlyene, which is discharged from some dry cleaning facilities; and methylene chloride, which is used as a solvent and paint stripper by a number of factories in New Orleans and other cities worldwide. Examples of other air toxic which have or will have an negative effect on the residents of New Orleans is carcinogenic hydrocarbons, asbestos, methylbenzene, and metals such as hydrargyrum, mercury, Cr, and lead compounds. In conclusion Hurricane Katrina have negatively affected the lives of many inhabitants of New Orleans (Or Gulf Coast) and caused billions of dollars in property destruction. However, environmental emergencies connecting the discharge, or vulnerable release, of oil, radioactive equipment, or harmful chemicals potentially may have an effect on communities and the neighboring environment. However, discharge caused by Hurricane Katrina is grievous to both the economy and to human health and with the harm done by storm on the economic infrastructures in New Orleans, it was observed that the residents are open to poisonous air toxins at an adequate concentrations and periods and this may result in high chance of developing cancer or experiencing other severe health effects. These health effects may possibly include harm to the immune system, and neurological, procreative (e.g., reduced fertility), developmental, respiratory, and other health harms. Similar to humans, if animals are open to waste from toxics, they may in time contact health problems (EPA, 2003). For example, increases in close air ozone and air pollution can be connected to high rates of asthma exacer bations because the contact has been found to stimulate an increase in airway inflammation. Barb, Palser. Hurricane Katrina: Aftermath of Disaster. Minneapolis, MA: Capstone, 2007. Print. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). About EPA. 2003. Web. https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa Falk, Helen, and Baldwin George. Environmental health and Hurricane Katrina. Environ Health Perspect (2006): 114: A12-A13. Web. Jeremy, Levitt I, and Matthew Whitaker C. Hurricane Katrina: Americas Unnatural Disaster. Nebraska: U of Nebraska Press, 2009. Print. Warner, Charles, Scott Thomas R. Where they died. The Times-Picayune. 2005. Web. https://www.nola.com/

Nursing Personal Statement How to Craft a Masterpiece

Nursing Personal Statement How to Craft a Masterpiece Nursing Personal Statement: How to Craft a Masterpiece If you are thinking about the next step in your academic career, you will appreciate that there is a lot of competition for the high-quality courses. As more and more candidates are seeking tertiary qualifications, it is getting harder and harder to stand out and secure the course place that you aspire to. High marks are no longer enough, and many educational institutions are looking for other ways to better understand which candidates will perform best if admitted into the course. One of these assessment elements is the personal statement. In this article, we will take a look at the type of personal statement that you need to prepare if you are considering applying for a nursing qualification. We’ll give you some examples of how to structure your nursing personal statement, and the kind of things that you should include. What Is a Nursing Personal Statement? This is a short written description about yourself and your experience, explaining to the assessor why you want to study nursing, and why you wish to be accepted by the particular course that you are applying to. This is not a thesis that is pages and pages long. You are probably looking to write somewhere between 500 and 800 words it needs to be succinct, but it also needs to contain enough detail and insights so that it is authentic, engaging, and impactful. What to Include in Your Nursing Personal Statement There are four key areas that you should generally try and include in your nursing personal statement. Explain what attracts you to study nursing. You need to be able to convey why nursing is your passion. For example, you may something like â€Å"The volunteer work in my local care home showed me the positive impact that nurses can have on the lives of patients†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"The changing care models in our health system make it a dynamic and evolving career option†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Explain why you have applied to this specific course. You need to demonstrate that you have put some thought and research into the course that you have applied for. For example, you may something like â€Å"My passion is in the mental health sector, and I noted that this course has a very strong reputation in this field.† Explain how your skills and experience have prepared you for this course. You need to show the assessors that you will hit the ground running, that you know what to expect from this course. You may say something like: â€Å"As a diabetic, I have spent a lot of time being cared for highly trained and professional nurses, and it has given me enormous insight into the passion and dedication required for this career.† Test Your Nursing Personal Statement Once you have written your nursing personal statement, make sure that you get someone to proofread it for you to pick up any grammar or typographical errors. You then can ask your friends, family, and professional network to critically read your nursing personal statement. Actively seek their feedback to ensure that your nursing personal statement not only accurately reflects who you are but also that it is authentic, engaging, and has a real impact on someone who is reading it for the first time. If nursing is your passion and your career aspiration, then make sure that you take the time to create a nursing personal statement that will help you secure the course place that you need to achieve your goals.

Either Topic You Choose Is Fine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Either Topic You Choose Is Fine - Research Paper Example Hawthorne tries to be objective to Puritans showing their good and bad traits in the plot of the novel; he embraces Puritan ideology when it comes to personal traits and values; however, he critiques its practices of biased attitude, severity of laws and collective sense of guilt. Puritans believed that people were born sinners and they had to devote their lives to purify themselves. The sense of guilt was considered to be collective; once the sin was confessed, the punishment needed to be introduced. In Puritan tradition, public shame was the biggest punishment for all people. Peer-policing and judgmental attitude to each other worked effectively to detect and scapegoat â€Å"a bad apple† (Johnson). This tradition was depicted through people’s attitude to Hester Prynne and her child. Marked by the scarlet A, she was supposed to be excluded from the society where she lived. Moreover, she was expected to suffer from guilt and shame caused by this severe punishment. Refusal to make a public confession was unacceptable in Puritan community where Hester lived. She understood that she attracts even more attention when she refused to confess, but she cared about the future of Dimmesdale who was too weak to behave the same way. Despite the expected development of the plot, Hester perceived her sin as a lesson to learn. She developed a great will power and strength to survive public humiliation and isolation. First of all, she did not disclose the personality of Pearl’s father who was a local preacher. Second of all, she learned to live under the circumstances which were designed to humiliate her without guilt. Instead of being destroyed by the sense of guilt, Hester was ready to face the consequences of her â€Å"sin† and cope with them. For instance, when the day of her punishment took place, she â€Å"sustained herself as best a woman might† (Hawthorne). She objected people who wanted to take away her daughter from her

The Effect of Alcohol Consumption on Academic Achievment among College Essay

The Effect of Alcohol Consumption on Academic Achievment among College Students Literature Review - Essay Example â€Å"Over 40% of students nationwide have been reported to participate in binge drinking behavior, when it is defined as at least four drinks per drinking occasion for women and at least five drinks for men† (Jennison, 2004b). Excessive consumption of alcohols among college students has been closely linked with academic disturbances such as missed classes, reduction in classroom performance, lowered grades, dropping out, and school failure (Jennison, 2004b). The Harvard School of Public Health CoUege Alcohol Study (1999) reveals 44% of the surveyed students to be binge drinkers 23% to be frequent binge drinkers (Richardson, 2000). Its effects on academics in higher education institutions are indeed a matter of concern. â€Å"In addition to well-documented consequences such as poor performance on assignments and missed classes, studies suggest that college drinking is a major factor in student dropout rates† (Sullivan, 2002). This severe threat of the college drinking problem led to the setting up of a task force on College Drinking in 1998 by the National Advisory Council to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) with the view to support the development of a national plan for college drinking research at NIAAA (Jennison, 2004b). According to the information provided by NIAAA Task Force on College Drinking almost 25% of college students experience academic disturbances due to alcohol consumption, such as obtaining lower grades, performing poorly in tests and projects, missing class and even dropping out (â€Å"A Call to Action†, 2002). The use and abuse of alcohol by students on campuses has been recognized as a serious disturbance affecting the student life (Molstad et al., 1998). Heavy patterns of alcohol accompany greater chances of students experiencing alcohol related problems mainly poor academic performance (Molstad et al., 1998). The alcohol intake by male college students is more frequent and in greater volumes

The Sikh Temple Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Sikh Temple - Case Study Example Those who believe in that philosophy join together and a religion is born. Those believers congregate in one place to reinforce their faith and thus places of worship come into existence. It is a long drawn progression whence a religion becomes a reality. It is an ongoing and continuous process that never has an end. The problem starts when places of worship become displays of religious supremacy. The imposing constructions and their special signature are nothing new at places of worship. History is replete with many such edifices to honor conquests and subjugation of their subjects. Many victories have been dedicated to some gods and impressive temples built to commemorate the victories. What is a Gurdwara The word "Guru" is made up of two words- "GU" meaning DARK and "RU" meaning LIGHT. The word Guru means from darkness to light or from ignorance to enlightenment. The one who enlightens is called "GURU". Among the Sikhs the title "guru" was given to the 10 leaders of the community from Nanak (1469-1539), the founder to Govind Singh (1666-1708) the tenth and last Guru. During the times of the early Gurus, Sikh places of worship were referred to as dharamsalas. They were places where Sikhs could gather to hear the Guru speak or sing hymns. As the Sikh population grew, Guru Hargobind the sixth Guru introduced the word Gurdwara, meaning the gateway through which the Guru could be reached. Thereafter all Sikh places of worship came to be known as Gurdwaras. Govind Singh, in 1708, ended the succession line of personal Gurus and installed the sacred book of "Guru Granth Sahib" as his eternal successor. Guru Granth Sahib was compiled by Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru in 1604. It is a compilation of the actual words spoken by the Sikh Gurus and various other Saints from other religions including Hinduism and Islam. The Background of San Jose Gurdwara Sikh Gurdwara - San Jose, was founded in the Evergreen district of San Jose, California, USA in 1985 by leaders of the then-rapidly growing Santa Clara Valley Sikh community. Initially they congregated in a rented East Bay Community Center. In 1986 they bought a small building on White Road in East San Jose and later added some nearby land. Soon they realized that it would be too expensive to build a Gurdwara of their requirements in the city limits, so they sold that land and in 1996 the Gurdwara Committee under the tutelage of Bob (Bhupinder) Singh Dhillon bought 40 Acres of land near East San Jose Foothills in Evergreen District. The first phase of the project of approximately 20,000 square feet built-up area was completed in August 2004 at a cost of 10 million dollars. With an estimated investment of another 10 million dollars in the second phase the completed Gurdwara will have over 90,000 square feet built-up area, housing all the essential features of a Gurdwara. The Fremont's temple in the Bay area, built in 1991 at a cost of 1.8 million dollars is, at present, the nation's largest. With its completion San Jose Gurdwara will overtake the Fremont temple in size. The Controversy The 90,000 square feet structure sparked controversy when Sikhs first unveiled their aspiration. Ironically, beauty of the site is the chief cause for concern among Evergreen residents; many of them believe the temple may become a tourist's attraction, causing traffic problems

The Five Management Functions Essay Example for Free

The Five Management Functions Essay The subject of this reflective paper is regarding the most critical organizational management functions. Critical management functions sit at the core of any organization and steer its leaders, managers, and employees toward success by utilizing the people and resources in the most effective manner. My intent is for the reader to be enlightened of how I helped manage a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) company by implementing some of the same leadership and management methods from our Management 330 college course. Though many of the Theories from the text book are very valuable, I believe some the information is very vague and somewhat common sense in nature. In my opinion, I don’t believe Mark Zuckerburg, Bill Gates, Lee Iacocca, Mark Cuban, or Donald Trump used these EXACT theories of management to become successful owners of businesses and organizations. Think of how the main points and sub-headings pertain to your current job or another job you have held in the past. My personal examples provide a simplistic version that proves with the right planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling, a tiny HVAC company could become an even larger success than what the owner had initially hoped for. Enjoy! The Planning Function Upon retirement from the USAF and a short term of employment at Sandia National Laboratories, I was hired to manage a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) company. I was not very familiar with HVAC systems, but as a home owner I knew enough about them that I was comfortable in that type of environment. The owner of the company seldom communicated with the HVAC technicians because he wanted them out of the shop and either on their way to the job site or at the job site no later than 8:00 a. m. The company had seven HVAC technicians, an accountant and me, the company manager. A few of my daily tasks were to maintain the weekly service call, maintenance, and installation schedules. This required extensive planning and communication with the technicians. As the manager, I was responsible for enforcing the owner’s company goals then motivate the employees to reach those goals via several courses of action. I used a variety of planning activities to include bi-weekly staff meetings, reviewing internal and external factors such as employee’s scheduled vacations, budget statuses, job site locations, and the weekly weather forecast. I also had to take into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of our employees. Some technicians had more experience and education than others, so I had to match jobs with installers or service technicians. There were some jobs our company was not qualified to do, such as electrical installation and hook up. None of our technicians were licensed electricians, which was a handicap for the organization. If a job required electrical installation or upgrade, I would coordinate with one of our electrical sub-contractors to ensure they could be on the job site when the equipment was ready for electrical hook up and start up. Our accountant was responsible for all aspects of receiving and distributing monetary resources to complete the company’s goals. One of the many challenges we faced was keeping informed of the government incentives for households to install more efficient heating and cooling systems. We were in constant communication with our system vendors to get the latest and greatest government rebates and installation incentives and deadlines. Economic and technological changes were another challenge because we had to stay abreast of new and emerging heating and cooling systems to stay competitive in the HVAC industry. Planning for an organization occurs with some degree of uncertainty because the end result is somewhat unknown. As the manager, I sometimes had to take certain risks with company resources to succeed in a job completion strategy. The Five Functions of Effective Management; Introduction to Management: Achieving Form through Function, Chapter 1, Page 15). Even though this company was relatively small with less than 10 employees, the same planning fundamentals applied to that of a major employer or organization. The Organizing Function When the owner of the company had new tasks or company goals, I was always his go-to person to ensure the visions and processes he demanded were successful. Our task and authority relationship (The Five Functions of Effective Management; Introduction to Management: Achieving Form through Function, Chapter 1, Page 15). as always very professional because we worked together to achieve the organization’s goals. Another important responsibility I was delegated was to decide the best way to organize the company’s resources. The owner usually determined the actual job requirements, what specifically needed to be done, and who he wanted doing the job(s). My role was to inform him of each employee’s status, who was available, who was qualified, etc. , The Staffing Function As an Information Technology geek by trade, my experience with the human resources and staffing functions was limited. During my Air Force career, I was not able to choose who I wanted in my work center. It was my decision as to who would supervise who, but the hiring/firing and interviewing functions were pretty much non-existent in the military; you get who is allocated toward a specific vacancy, get the person trained, press on with the mission, and mold your troops to become leaders in their own right. If they mess up along the way, you reprimand them and hope they learn from their mistakes. As the HVAC company manager, staffing was also delegated to me. Even with my lack of human resource experience, the owner wanted his manager to do the recruiting, selecting, evaluating, and hiring of employees. (The Five Functions of Effective Management; Introduction to Management: Achieving Form through Function, Chapter 1, Page 16). The Leading Function I was taught that to become a truly effective leader you must first be an effective follower and subordinate. I have been on both sides of the leading/following roles and know what it is like to be the low person on the totem pole or the â€Å"boss† making the tough decisions. A key element when trying to motivate individuals to accomplish goals is to present clear tasks to those completing the organizations actual goals. The owner and I would constantly encourage our technicians to be great at what they do, not just be good at what they do, and that if they needed anything from us we were always available for support and mentoring. My boss had a tendency to get a bit excited and raise his voice when something didn’t go as planned. Once he calmed down, he and I were able to sit at the conference table to sort out the events that led to an unsatisfied customer or a derogatory employee internal issue. I would open up the conversation with an open mind and allow the employee(s) to take their time to explain what went wrong or why a customer was dissatisfied. After listening to what had actually occurred, the situation was discussed thoroughly, and a plan of action to remedy the issue was agreed upon by all parties, I could always sense an increase of personal commitment to the organization. The Control Function After a few weeks as manager of the company, I noticed the technicians did not provide customer satisfaction/feedback forms to our customers. I asked the boss about how he receives feedback from our customers and he told me that if there is a problem someone will call you and then you can report the problem to me. I asked how he received positive feedback from a job well done or when an employee goes above and beyond the norm to satisfy a customer. He told me that the employee would just tell him that their customers were very pleased with their service. That didn’t seem like a very accurate customer service measuring tool so I suggested we implement an easy, effective, and yet â€Å"voluntary† customer feedback system. My idea was the next time we needed to order our company invoices, to have the printing contractor add a portion to the customer’s copy where the customer could fill in the survey/feedback form and mail it, fax it or e-mail their comments to me and the owner. Then, we would hold a monthly drawing from our customer feedback file, and one of our customers would receive free merchandise, such as a pocket knife with our company name and logo, a free HVAC inspection, free furnace filters, or a free spring or fall start-up of heating or cooling services. After 30 days, the feedback forms, e-mails, and phone calls increased our customer relations by over 80 percent and business increased by over 25%! Within a matter of 90 days we had established an excellent customer service standard, and an employee performance metric that was created by external factors, not biased internal performance ratings. The owner was impressed with the new system and began to reward employees with free lunches, new tools, use of company vehicles (which helped with advertising), paid time off, and other tokens of his appreciation for a job well done.