Management Essay Example

Management Essay THE ROLE OF PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT IN INCREASING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PROJECT PORTFOLIO Name Institution Date THE ROLE OF PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT IN INCREASING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PROJECT PORTFOLIO Introduction The issue of whether project managers should adopt project portfolio management in the management of multiple projects or not has raised a lot of debates in organizations. It is evident that project managers find it difficult to manage multiple projects on their own without the help of project portfolio management which provides the capacity needed to effectively handle multiple projects. Some company executives insist that portfolio managers are not necessary and yet this not the case. Companies initiate multiple projects each and every day with high performance standards. Project managers do not have the capacity to coordinate and control multiple projects in a project portfolio without the help of project portfolio management (Mahajan 2009, p. 78). Project portfolio management is a new concept in project management that is yet to fully explored and utilized by many organizations. The effectiveness of a project portfolio can not be achieved without the expertise of a portfolio manager. The effectiveness of a project portfolio is very vital when an organization wants to meet its organizational and financial goals (Mahajan 2009, p. 134). Some project managers feel that their job is threatened with the introduction of project portfolio management. This is not the case because project portfolio management is only meant to complement the work of a project manager. This position paper will discuss why it is necessary for an organization to adopt project portfolio management when handling multiple projects. Project portfolio management plays a critical role in increasing the efficiency of a project portfolio. We will write a custom essay sample on Management specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Background Information It is important to first of all have some background information about project portfolio management before discussing why it is necessary in increasing the effectiveness of a project portfolio (Levin 2010, p. 93). Project portfolio management introduces a new system in portfolio management where all the technologies, methods and processes used in the management of multiple projects are centralized in one place. Each project in a project portfolio has unique characteristics that are analyzed and collectively managed by the project portfolio management office. Effective allocation and tracking of resources meant for multiple projects is not an easy task but this can be done by a portfolio manager who has the capability and tools to come up with an effective framework for managing multiple resources (Brunel 2006, p. 28). Project portfolio management is very essential in project-driven organizations and this is attributed to the fact that inter-related tasks need to be managed in a centralized manner. Project execution and decision making are the segments of project management that require the capabilities provided by project portfolio management. Project portfolio management provides project managers with the required capabilities necessary to handle multiple projects. Project portfolio management offers simple and cheap strategies that are needed in the execution of multiple projects. Some of the most important capabilities brought about by project portfolio management include pipeline management, resource management, change control, financial management and finally risk management (Brunel 2006, p. 59). The capabilities brought by project portfolio management are very critical in increasing the efficiency of a project portfolio (Rad 2006, p. 9). The work of project managers becomes simple with the adoption of project portfolio management. Project portfolio management provides the best platform for project managers to carry out their duties with minimum risks (Rad 2006, p. 49). The importance of project portfolio management can only be understood in this discussion by looking at the efforts being put in place by organizations to ensure that the project portfolio management office does its best in the management of multiple projects. There is a concerted effort by organizations to increase awareness on the importance of project portfolio management because of the critical role that project portfolio management plays towards the success of an organization (Kevin 2006, p. 143). Many organizations are now focused on improving their project portfolio by putting in place the necessary structures to facilitate the learning process. In order for project portfolio management to serve its purpose, there are certain things that need to be improved. To begin with, any initial information about a project portfolio should be gathered and reported through the recommended procedure. Organizations can also improve their project portfolio management by coming up with clear goals and objectives to guide their projects (Kevin 2006, p. 143). It is important for portfolio managers to develop asset portfolios for optimum resource utilization. Asset portfolios are normally linked to the organizational and financial goals of a project to enhance consistency when it comes to project portfolio management. The resources to be used for multiple projects are identified as early as possible to enable portfolio managers to come up with effective strategies for maximum utilization of resources. An initial assessment of a project portfolio helps portfolio managers to correct some of the mistakes that can affect the overall performance of a project portfolio (Morris 2010, p. 45). Portfolio balance is another aspect that is given special attention in project portfolio management. Portfolio managers communicate their recommendations to the relevant departments within the organization on a regular basis. It is always a challenge to choose the right projects using the right methods and this requires a professional portfolio manager who can carry out the task satisfactorily (Morris 2010, p. 9). Portfolio managers come up with proactive measures that bring high returns at the lowest risk possible. Facts about the Role of Project Portfolio Management Project portfolio management brings out the business value of a project by putting in place results oriented strategies (Grobys 2009, p. 176). All projects within an organization are directed in the right way to guide an organization to wards executing the right projects. Each project has a significant impact on the portfolio and this makes it necessary for portfolio managers to monitor the performance of each project. The overall success of a project portfolio depends on the contribution of all the projects within the portfolio. Portfolio managers determine whether a particular project is likely to have a negative impact on current and future projects (Grobys 2009, p. 176). It is necessary for portfolio managers to identify projects that depend on each other in advance in order for them to come up with the right strategies. Information overload is one thing that project portfolio managers avoid at all costs (Ibrahim 2011, p. 85). Portfolio managers work with the most important data as a way of avoiding onfusion. It is not easy to work on all projects and at the same time achieve the desired results. Project portfolio management was introduced to help organizations in handling multiple projects in an efficient manner. Each project has team leaders who constantly report to portfolio managers on a regular basis about the progress of individual projects. The process of evaluating projects is made effi cient by the right portfolio management systems (Brentani 2006, p. 109). The role of project portfolio management is to ensure that project portfolios achieve the expected results in the right way. Many organizations have discovered the importance of project portfolio management and that is the reason why new systems are being put in place to simplify the work of a project manager (Brentani 2006, p. 109). Project portfolio management software systems are chosen according to the objectives of a given organization. Project portfolio management software has important features that facilitate process evaluation, measurement of benefits and costs, progress reporting, capacity planning and the tracking of benefits. This system enables the company executives to make the right decisions when it comes to finances and business. An organization that is ready to adopt project portfolio management should have the characteristics necessary for effective utilization of the capabilities brought by project portfolio management (Brentani 2006, p. 110). A portfolio manager strictly follows and implements all kinds of standardization without any kind of bias (Moore 2009, p. 156). Project portfolio management improves processes as a way of enhancing the outcome of projects. Organizations should have processes that are properly defined for portfolio managers to have an easy time when they are trying to make improvements. Project portfolio management provides the necessary framework that helps an organization in managing change (Moore 2009, p. 34). Project Portfolio Management Discussion The issue of whether companies should adopt project portfolio management can only be discussed comprehensively by looking at both sides (Levin 2010, p. 93). According to the argument in this paper, project portfolio management is very vital when it comes to increasing the effectiveness of a project portfolio. To begin with, the failure of a project-oriented organization to adopt project portfolio management disconnects information technology with business (Brunel 2006, p. 9). Project portfolio management facilitates a closer alignment of information technology with business. Companies are able to get value for their massive investment in information technology because project portfolio management enables executives to monitor the entire project portfolio and decide on the viability of each project (Rad 2006, p. 49). T hrough project portfolio management, project managers can monitor the progress of multiple projects and ensure compliance with all specifications and standard. Project managers often face challenges when handling multiple projects without the help of project portfolio management because they can not receive detailed data on current and future projects. Organizations that are yet to adopt project portfolio management incur a lot of costs and at the same time experience a decrease in production (Rad 2006, p. 51). On the other hand, project portfolio management reduces costs and increases productivity through appropriate allocation of resources and asset reuse. Project portfolio management enables project managers to make business-based decisions that improve returns and minimize risks (Rad 2006, p. 1). Project managers who work without the help of project portfolio management find it difficult to predict the outcome of current and future projects. Project portfolio management helps project managers in the identification of inter-project dependencies and prediction of project outcomes (Morris 2010, p. 71). The status of multiple projects can b e assessed by project portfolio management assessment strategies (Morris 2010, p. 122). It is necessary to adopt project portfolio management if there is need for a company to improve the effectiveness of its project portfolio. Despite this assertion, there are some arguments that do not support the idea of having portfolio managers in managing multiple projects (Levin 2010, p. 93). The first counter-argument is based on the opinion that portfolio management is only critical in determining whether the expected efficiency will be achieved or not. Poor handling of project portfolio management can lead to a situation where the level of overhead exceeds the benefits. The other reason why some organizations are reluctant to adopt project portfolio management is because it brings a cultural shift. Project portfolio management comes with new roles, processes, and corporate relationships that may take a lot of time for members within the organization to adapt to the new culture (Brunel 2006, p. 28). Portfolio management introduces the aspect of change management for effective balancing of new personnel, technologies and processes. The introduction of project portfolio management in projects that are ongoing can kill the project momentum because a lot of training is needed to familiarize the workers with the new systems. The possibility of a cultural resistance is what scares many organizations from adopting project portfolio management. The other argument on why project portfolio management is not necessary is that the business value of a project can be delayed as a result of over-engineered projects (Brunel 2006, p. 59). It is also not a guarantee that project portfolio management can deliver the desired result when it is implemented for the first time. It takes a lot of effort for project portfolio managers to make things perfect during the initial stages. Trying to change everything at once is one of the reasons why project portfolio management can end up failing (Ibrahim 2011, p. 5). Gradual implementation of new tools, processes and roles for a group of projects under project portfolio management is necessary when an organization wants to increase the effectiveness of a project portfolio (Morris 2010, p. 71). The final argument on why project portfolio management is not necessary in increasing the effectiveness of a project portfolio is based on the fact that some very important projects can be excluded even af ter the organization has spent a lot of resources and time to work on them (Rad 2006, p. 9). Despite these numerous claims against project portfolio management, it is important for organizations to clearly understand the importance of project portfolio management when it comes to achieving both financial and organizational goals. Conclusion It is important to reiterate the fact that portfolio managers play a very significant role in increasing the efficiency of a project portfolio. Project portfolio managers have a responsibility of ensuring that an organization runs multiple projects in the best way possible. Project portfolio managers consolidate projects that have similar needs and characteristics for effective planning and reporting. Project portfolio management saves the leadership in organizations a lot of money and time because it provides the highest level of management when handling multiple projects. The project portfolio of an organization can be compromised easily when a project portfolio management system is not in place (Levin 2010, p. 119). Through project portfolio management, the executive is able to receive information about all the projects that are in progress without much struggle. Portfolio managers have special attributes that play a critical role in improving the processes and strategies when an organization is in the process of handling multiple projects. An organization that is yet to implement project portfolio management is bound to face financial and organizational challenges on a regular basis (Levin 2010, p. 119). Organizations that want to improve the performance of their projects and at the same time maintain operational and financial stability should consider project portfolio management. This is can done through setting up a project portfolio management office and hiring competent portfolio managers to assist project managers in handling multiple projects. References Brentani, C 2006, Portfolio management in practice, Butterworth-Heinemann, London. Brunel, J 2006, Integrated wealth management: The new direction for portfolio managers, Euromoney Books, London. Grobys, K 2009, Portfolio management, Books on Demand, New York. Ibrahim, N 2011, Project portfolio management in philanthropic organizations, GRIN Verlag, New York Kevin, S 2006, Portfolio management, PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. , New York. Levin, G 2010, Interpersonal skills for portfolio, program, and project managers, Management Concepts Incorporated, London. Mahajan, A 2009, Portfolio Management: Theoretical and empirical studies, Global Indian Publications, New Delhi. Moore, S 2009, Strategic project portfolio management: Enabling a productive organization, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Morris, P 2010, The Wiley guide to project, program, and portfolio management, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Rad, P 2006, Project portfolio management: Tools and techniques, www. iil. com/Publishing, New York. Management Essay Example Management Essay THE ROLE OF PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT IN INCREASING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PROJECT PORTFOLIO Name Institution Date THE ROLE OF PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT IN INCREASING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A PROJECT PORTFOLIO Introduction The issue of whether project managers should adopt project portfolio management in the management of multiple projects or not has raised a lot of debates in organizations. It is evident that project managers find it difficult to manage multiple projects on their own without the help of project portfolio management which provides the capacity needed to effectively handle multiple projects. Some company executives insist that portfolio managers are not necessary and yet this not the case. Companies initiate multiple projects each and every day with high performance standards. Project managers do not have the capacity to coordinate and control multiple projects in a project portfolio without the help of project portfolio management (Mahajan 2009, p. 78). Project portfolio management is a new concept in project management that is yet to fully explored and utilized by many organizations. The effectiveness of a project portfolio can not be achieved without the expertise of a portfolio manager. The effectiveness of a project portfolio is very vital when an organization wants to meet its organizational and financial goals (Mahajan 2009, p. 134). Some project managers feel that their job is threatened with the introduction of project portfolio management. This is not the case because project portfolio management is only meant to complement the work of a project manager. This position paper will discuss why it is necessary for an organization to adopt project portfolio management when handling multiple projects. Project portfolio management plays a critical role in increasing the efficiency of a project portfolio. We will write a custom essay sample on Management specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Background Information It is important to first of all have some background information about project portfolio management before discussing why it is necessary in increasing the effectiveness of a project portfolio (Levin 2010, p. 93). Project portfolio management introduces a new system in portfolio management where all the technologies, methods and processes used in the management of multiple projects are centralized in one place. Each project in a project portfolio has unique characteristics that are analyzed and collectively managed by the project portfolio management office. Effective allocation and tracking of resources meant for multiple projects is not an easy task but this can be done by a portfolio manager who has the capability and tools to come up with an effective framework for managing multiple resources (Brunel 2006, p. 28). Project portfolio management is very essential in project-driven organizations and this is attributed to the fact that inter-related tasks need to be managed in a centralized manner. Project execution and decision making are the segments of project management that require the capabilities provided by project portfolio management. Project portfolio management provides project managers with the required capabilities necessary to handle multiple projects. Project portfolio management offers simple and cheap strategies that are needed in the execution of multiple projects. Some of the most important capabilities brought about by project portfolio management include pipeline management, resource management, change control, financial management and finally risk management (Brunel 2006, p. 59). The capabilities brought by project portfolio management are very critical in increasing the efficiency of a project portfolio (Rad 2006, p. 9). The work of project managers becomes simple with the adoption of project portfolio management. Project portfolio management provides the best platform for project managers to carry out their duties with minimum risks (Rad 2006, p. 49). The importance of project portfolio management can only be understood in this discussion by looking at the efforts being put in place by organizations to ensure that the project portfolio management office does its best in the management of multiple projects. There is a concerted effort by organizations to increase awareness on the importance of project portfolio management because of the critical role that project portfolio management plays towards the success of an organization (Kevin 2006, p. 143). Many organizations are now focused on improving their project portfolio by putting in place the necessary structures to facilitate the learning process. In order for project portfolio management to serve its purpose, there are certain things that need to be improved. To begin with, any initial information about a project portfolio should be gathered and reported through the recommended procedure. Organizations can also improve their project portfolio management by coming up with clear goals and objectives to guide their projects (Kevin 2006, p. 143). It is important for portfolio managers to develop asset portfolios for optimum resource utilization. Asset portfolios are normally linked to the organizational and financial goals of a project to enhance consistency when it comes to project portfolio management. The resources to be used for multiple projects are identified as early as possible to enable portfolio managers to come up with effective strategies for maximum utilization of resources. An initial assessment of a project portfolio helps portfolio managers to correct some of the mistakes that can affect the overall performance of a project portfolio (Morris 2010, p. 45). Portfolio balance is another aspect that is given special attention in project portfolio management. Portfolio managers communicate their recommendations to the relevant departments within the organization on a regular basis. It is always a challenge to choose the right projects using the right methods and this requires a professional portfolio manager who can carry out the task satisfactorily (Morris 2010, p. 9). Portfolio managers come up with proactive measures that bring high returns at the lowest risk possible. Facts about the Role of Project Portfolio Management Project portfolio management brings out the business value of a project by putting in place results oriented strategies (Grobys 2009, p. 176). All projects within an organization are directed in the right way to guide an organization to wards executing the right projects. Each project has a significant impact on the portfolio and this makes it necessary for portfolio managers to monitor the performance of each project. The overall success of a project portfolio depends on the contribution of all the projects within the portfolio. Portfolio managers determine whether a particular project is likely to have a negative impact on current and future projects (Grobys 2009, p. 176). It is necessary for portfolio managers to identify projects that depend on each other in advance in order for them to come up with the right strategies. Information overload is one thing that project portfolio managers avoid at all costs (Ibrahim 2011, p. 85). Portfolio managers work with the most important data as a way of avoiding onfusion. It is not easy to work on all projects and at the same time achieve the desired results. Project portfolio management was introduced to help organizations in handling multiple projects in an efficient manner. Each project has team leaders who constantly report to portfolio managers on a regular basis about the progress of individual projects. The process of evaluating projects is made effi cient by the right portfolio management systems (Brentani 2006, p. 109). The role of project portfolio management is to ensure that project portfolios achieve the expected results in the right way. Many organizations have discovered the importance of project portfolio management and that is the reason why new systems are being put in place to simplify the work of a project manager (Brentani 2006, p. 109). Project portfolio management software systems are chosen according to the objectives of a given organization. Project portfolio management software has important features that facilitate process evaluation, measurement of benefits and costs, progress reporting, capacity planning and the tracking of benefits. This system enables the company executives to make the right decisions when it comes to finances and business. An organization that is ready to adopt project portfolio management should have the characteristics necessary for effective utilization of the capabilities brought by project portfolio management (Brentani 2006, p. 110). A portfolio manager strictly follows and implements all kinds of standardization without any kind of bias (Moore 2009, p. 156). Project portfolio management improves processes as a way of enhancing the outcome of projects. Organizations should have processes that are properly defined for portfolio managers to have an easy time when they are trying to make improvements. Project portfolio management provides the necessary framework that helps an organization in managing change (Moore 2009, p. 34). Project Portfolio Management Discussion The issue of whether companies should adopt project portfolio management can only be discussed comprehensively by looking at both sides (Levin 2010, p. 93). According to the argument in this paper, project portfolio management is very vital when it comes to increasing the effectiveness of a project portfolio. To begin with, the failure of a project-oriented organization to adopt project portfolio management disconnects information technology with business (Brunel 2006, p. 9). Project portfolio management facilitates a closer alignment of information technology with business. Companies are able to get value for their massive investment in information technology because project portfolio management enables executives to monitor the entire project portfolio and decide on the viability of each project (Rad 2006, p. 49). T hrough project portfolio management, project managers can monitor the progress of multiple projects and ensure compliance with all specifications and standard. Project managers often face challenges when handling multiple projects without the help of project portfolio management because they can not receive detailed data on current and future projects. Organizations that are yet to adopt project portfolio management incur a lot of costs and at the same time experience a decrease in production (Rad 2006, p. 51). On the other hand, project portfolio management reduces costs and increases productivity through appropriate allocation of resources and asset reuse. Project portfolio management enables project managers to make business-based decisions that improve returns and minimize risks (Rad 2006, p. 1). Project managers who work without the help of project portfolio management find it difficult to predict the outcome of current and future projects. Project portfolio management helps project managers in the identification of inter-project dependencies and prediction of project outcomes (Morris 2010, p. 71). The status of multiple projects can b e assessed by project portfolio management assessment strategies (Morris 2010, p. 122). It is necessary to adopt project portfolio management if there is need for a company to improve the effectiveness of its project portfolio. Despite this assertion, there are some arguments that do not support the idea of having portfolio managers in managing multiple projects (Levin 2010, p. 93). The first counter-argument is based on the opinion that portfolio management is only critical in determining whether the expected efficiency will be achieved or not. Poor handling of project portfolio management can lead to a situation where the level of overhead exceeds the benefits. The other reason why some organizations are reluctant to adopt project portfolio management is because it brings a cultural shift. Project portfolio management comes with new roles, processes, and corporate relationships that may take a lot of time for members within the organization to adapt to the new culture (Brunel 2006, p. 28). Portfolio management introduces the aspect of change management for effective balancing of new personnel, technologies and processes. The introduction of project portfolio management in projects that are ongoing can kill the project momentum because a lot of training is needed to familiarize the workers with the new systems. The possibility of a cultural resistance is what scares many organizations from adopting project portfolio management. The other argument on why project portfolio management is not necessary is that the business value of a project can be delayed as a result of over-engineered projects (Brunel 2006, p. 59). It is also not a guarantee that project portfolio management can deliver the desired result when it is implemented for the first time. It takes a lot of effort for project portfolio managers to make things perfect during the initial stages. Trying to change everything at once is one of the reasons why project portfolio management can end up failing (Ibrahim 2011, p. 5). Gradual implementation of new tools, processes and roles for a group of projects under project portfolio management is necessary when an organization wants to increase the effectiveness of a project portfolio (Morris 2010, p. 71). The final argument on why project portfolio management is not necessary in increasing the effectiveness of a project portfolio is based on the fact that some very important projects can be excluded even af ter the organization has spent a lot of resources and time to work on them (Rad 2006, p. 9). Despite these numerous claims against project portfolio management, it is important for organizations to clearly understand the importance of project portfolio management when it comes to achieving both financial and organizational goals. Conclusion It is important to reiterate the fact that portfolio managers play a very significant role in increasing the efficiency of a project portfolio. Project portfolio managers have a responsibility of ensuring that an organization runs multiple projects in the best way possible. Project portfolio managers consolidate projects that have similar needs and characteristics for effective planning and reporting. Project portfolio management saves the leadership in organizations a lot of money and time because it provides the highest level of management when handling multiple projects. The project portfolio of an organization can be compromised easily when a project portfolio management system is not in place (Levin 2010, p. 119). Through project portfolio management, the executive is able to receive information about all the projects that are in progress without much struggle. Portfolio managers have special attributes that play a critical role in improving the processes and strategies when an organization is in the process of handling multiple projects. An organization that is yet to implement project portfolio management is bound to face financial and organizational challenges on a regular basis (Levin 2010, p. 119). Organizations that want to improve the performance of their projects and at the same time maintain operational and financial stability should consider project portfolio management. This is can done through setting up a project portfolio management office and hiring competent portfolio managers to assist project managers in handling multiple projects. References Brentani, C 2006, Portfolio management in practice, Butterworth-Heinemann, London. Brunel, J 2006, Integrated wealth management: The new direction for portfolio managers, Euromoney Books, London. Grobys, K 2009, Portfolio management, Books on Demand, New York. Ibrahim, N 2011, Project portfolio management in philanthropic organizations, GRIN Verlag, New York Kevin, S 2006, Portfolio management, PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. , New York. Levin, G 2010, Interpersonal skills for portfolio, program, and project managers, Management Concepts Incorporated, London. Mahajan, A 2009, Portfolio Management: Theoretical and empirical studies, Global Indian Publications, New Delhi. Moore, S 2009, Strategic project portfolio management: Enabling a productive organization, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Morris, P 2010, The Wiley guide to project, program, and portfolio management, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Rad, P 2006, Project portfolio management: Tools and techniques, www. iil. com/Publishing, New York.

How To Get People To (Actually) Read Your Content

How To Get People To (Actually) Read Your Content How do you make sure that people are actually reading your content? You may spend a lot of time making sure that your content is converting well and that your readers  are sharing it online, but is it actually being read?  How do you know? With all of the analytics and metrics at our disposal that tell us about  traffic, knowing if your content is being read is often a black hole for marketers. Thats a problem. Why You  Need To Make Sure That Your Content Is Being Read It can take a lot of time to produce great content, no matter how efficient your workflow is. As the old saying goes, time equals money, and it only makes sense to get as much out of your content as you can. After all, theres no ROI in  content that people arent  reading. Theres no ROI  on  content that  people arent  reading.  #ContentMarketingIn addition to driving traffic, content marketing is also about building your reputation as a thought leader in your field.  You need to establish yourself as someone your audience can trust for great advice and leadership. In order to make this happen,  you need to make sure that  you are writing highly-readable content. The other problem you may encounter is that content that is being created but not consumed is demoralizing. There is nothing more frustrating to a writer than content that doesnt seem to be going anywhere. Its up to you to make sure that doesnt happen. There are few things you need to consider about readable content. Consider How Visitors  Read Your Website In 2006, usability consultant Jakob Nielsen used eye tracking visualizations to observe how website visitors actually read your content. In short, his conclusion can be summarized as  F for  fast. His research found that: As readers, our eyes move incredibly fast across a  website. The pattern we use to view the page is not the typical left-to-right method that we learned in school. Rather, we typically read the page in a F-pattern that puts the most emphasis on the headline and the first few paragraphs of text. As readers scroll down the page, they tend to emphasize the left hand side of the page, skimming the remaining content rather than reading  it. Heatmaps from user eyetracking studies of three websites. The areas where users looked the most are colored red; the yellow areas indicate fewer views, followed by the least-viewed blue areas. Gray areas didnt attract any fixations. Jakob Nielsen Nielsens  results feel frustrating, but they are probably accurate. At , we  recently began testing how our own readers consumed our content using  a free heatmap tool from SumoMe. This simple plugin allowed us to create  heatmaps of our very own, using our actual readers as the sampling. This is what we learned about our own blog using heatmaps: Our readers are highly focused on our content because we have a very clean page. This is good. Our content followed the fairly typical F-pattern similar to Nielsons findings. As readers moved down the page, they tended to focus more on the left side of the content. On some posts, many readers didn’t make it past reading 20-30% of our content. Based on clicks, most sharing took place at the pages 35%  mark. Highlighted text, links, and headlines drew  plenty of  attention. Only 10-20% of readers actually make it to the bottom of the post. These finding line up with some of the most popular conclusions and findings regarding content. The longer your content is, the less likely that everyone  will read it.  That said, there are also many benefits of  long-form content so you need to find the right balance. You should also test this out for yourself. Consider Where They  Read Your Content How many people read your blog on their phone or tablet? I bet its more that you think. Research frequently shows that  consuming email,  searching the internet, and using social networks  are some of  the  most popular activities  done on a handheld  device. Many of these activities are resulting in click-throughs that are coming to your site on a mobile device. Do you like what they are finding? After a quick glance in our Google Analytics account, we found that 15% of our total traffic is coming from a mobile device. This is a significant amount of traffic. This means that you need to have a great mobile website or a  responsive website design  that automatically scales your website to work on any screen size. If you are using WordPress, this can be easily solved with a plugin like WPTouch or Automattic’s Jetpack plugin  which  offers a free mobile module that works quite well.   At , weve opted for the responsive design option, which gives our readers the  best experience possible on any device. This option also allows us to keep our lead collection initiates at the forefront as well. Another place that visitors may be  reading your content is from their  RSS reader or social application, such as Feedly. This is a good reason to make sure that your entire article is being included in your RSS feed. While sharing only a portion of your content may help you get a few extra clicks, it wont  make your content  any more  likely to be  read. People are reading your content in RSS readers like Feedly. Another place that your readers may be finding your content is their  email inbox. This is especially true if you rely on an email marketing program to distribute your content. I began thinking about this more when one of my coworkers recently shared how they handled email. They have broken it down so that they only check their email 3 times per day. Each time, they allow for 10-20 minutes, and they take action on all email, meaning that they either reply to it,   archive it, or create a t0-do item or task around the email content.  Ã‚  This method is efficient,  but it is also bad news for your content as it leaves little room for reading and enjoying useful  material. This leads to something that I call the context problem,  which are the reading problems that arise from the context in which your readers are consuming your content. Consider That Visitors  Aren’t Just Reading Your Content The really bad news about your content is that your readers have a lot more going on than just reading what you have to say. Whens the last time you simply sat quietly reading on your couch? Probably not nearly as often as youd like. In addition to reading your content, your visitors are  also  cooking dinner, riding the subway, checking their email, watching a movie, and emailing their mother-in-law  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ at the same time! How are you going to  compete with all of that? 1. Allow Each Sentence To Lead To The Next One of the most basic ways to keep your readers attention is to simply ensure that each sentence you write  compels  your readers to move on to the next. For example, the purpose of your headline is to get your readers to move onto the first sentence. The purpose of the second sentence is to get them to move on to the third. You get the idea. Keep your content compelling all the way through. 2. Follow  The Inverted Pyramid Model When You Write The inverted pyramid is a great tool for structuring your content in a way that readers will appreciate and consume. This is a method that newspaper journalists have been using for years. It works well because it puts the most pertinent information first, essentially embracing the idea that nearly 60% of your readers will never make it the end of the article. This method can also work well for your blog content. 3. Use Images To Make Your Concepts Simple Images are great way to break-up your content and spare your users from a sea of text. By using images to illustrate the concepts you are writing about, you also make them easier to understand and engage with. This type of content is consistent with Nielsens research and focus on scannable text. In many ways, this type of visual content is becoming more important than ever in content marketing. 4. Focus On Easily Scannable  Text In addition to images, you can  break up your content by creating text that is easy to scan and consume. Nielsens study offered several extremely useful tips on this: highlighted  keywords  (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others) meaningful  sub-headings  (not clever ones) bulleted  lists one idea  per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph) the  inverted pyramid  style, starting with the conclusion half the word count  (or less) than conventional writing In this chart, Nielsen gives us a great example of how different writing methods can be used to make text more readable. Source Jakob Nielson Warning: Youre Not Going To Read This, But You May Have Already Shared It We are now well past the 30% point of this post, which means that most of you are no longer reading this article. For those of you who are, heres another jaw-dropper for you to consider: recent research has shown  that there is no correlation between content that has been shared via social media and content that has been read.

Visa G4 para trabajar en organizaciones internacionales

Visa G4 para trabajar en organizaciones internacionales La visa G-4 permite a una persona extranjera vivir en Estados Unidos para trabajar en una organizacià ³n internacional como la ONU, el FMI o la OEA. En comparacià ³n con otras visas de trabajo, la G-4 ofrece notables ventajas en materia de là ­mite de tiempo, impuestos y familiares que pueden acompaà ±ar a su titular. Tiene cierto parecido con la visa A  para diplomticos pero es diferente. Quià ©nes pueden solicitar la visa G-4 Los extranjeros con contrato de trabajo en una organizacià ³n internacional ubicada en EE.UU. Adems, este mismo tipo de visa se otorga a las personas que conforman el hogar familiar de la persona contratada: su cà ³nyuge, los hijos de cualquier edad, los hijos de la pareja y, en algunos casos muy limitados, los padres e incluso otros familiares cercanos. Validez de la visa G-4 y transfer La visa G-4 es vlida por el tiempo que seà ±ala la misma. Adems, se puede prorrogar sucesivamente sin là ­mite de aà ±os. En los 60 dà ­as anteriores a que la visa expire, se tramita su extensià ³n sin necesidad de salir del paà ­s. Se puede transferir de una organizacià ³n internacional a otra, por ejemplo, de trabajar en Naciones Unidas pasar a ser un empleado del Fondo Monetario Internacional. Para ello debe cancelarse con el Departamento de Estado la registracià ³n con la institucià ³n original y registrarse con la nueva. Permiso de trabajo para familiares de titulares visa G-4 En algunos casos, los familiares que acompaà ±an a EEUU a la persona contratada por la organizacià ³n internacional pueden trabajar. Para ello necesitan obtener previamente un permiso de trabajo, que se conoce por las siglas EAD. Debe solicitarse al USCIS, que sà ³lo los concede en los casos de nacionales de paà ­ses que tienen un tratado de reciprocidad con Estados Unidos. Los permisos de trabajo se aprueban para el cà ³nyuge o pareja, los hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os, o de 23 si estn estudiando a tiempo completo en la universidad. Si tuviesen una minusvalà ­a fà ­sica o mental no se aplica el là ­mite de edad, siempre y cuando sean solteros. Por otra parte, los hijos de extranjeros con visa G-4 pueden estudiar la educacià ³n primaria y secundaria. Para los recià ©n llegados, estos son las reglas bsicas del sistema educativo de los Estados Unidos. Impuestos de titulares de la visa G-4 Adems, otra de las ventajas de la visa G-4 es que no se tributa en EEUU el impuesto sobre la renta (income tax) por el salario pagado por la organizacià ³n internacional. Tramitacià ³n de la visa G-4 y de su extensià ³n Una vez que se ha encontrado una organizacià ³n internacional que ofrezca un trabajo al que se puede aplicar, debe conseguirse que està © de acuerdo en contratar. Una vez que se tiene la oferta de contrato ya debe iniciarse el proceso ante una oficina consular de los Estados Unidos.. Si la persona contratada se encuentra en Estados Unidos deber tambià ©n tramitar la visa en un consulado y salir del paà ­s para obtenerla, ya que no se puede hacer este trmite dentro del paà ­s salvo en casos limitadà ­simos como el de los estudiantes internacionales con una visa F-1 en prcticas en la organizacià ³n internacional que ahora los contrata con una G-4. En estos supuestos podrà ­a ser posible cambiar la visa a travà ©s del USCIS. Se debe pedir una cita y los documentos a presentar son el DS-160, un pasaporte vlido por al menos medio aà ±o y una carta de la organizacià ³n internacional ofreciendo la contratacià ³n y fotos. Como regla general, no es necesario presentarse a una entrevista y las tasas de la visa no se pagan. Las oficinas consulares pueden pedir informacià ³n y documentacià ³n adicional, dependiendo de cada caso.   Estas visas se caracterizan por ser tramitadas inmediatamente. En cuanto a su validez, si una persona contratada con una visa G-4 se retira o es despedida debe abandonar EEUU en un periodo de 60 dà ­as junto con los familiares inmediatos tambià ©n titulares de ese tipo de visado. Y en estos casos, si se sale de EEUU no se puede volver a entrar, aunque la fecha de vigencia de la visa siga siendo vlida. En cuanto a la renovacià ³n, si el titular de una visa G-4 debe renovar la visa y est presente en EE.UU. puede contactar con la Diplomatic Liaison Division del Departamento de Estado o con la Misià ³n de EE.UU. ante Naciones Unidas, ya que en muchos casos es posible renovar la visa a travà ©s de esas oficinas llenando el formulario online DS-1648. Finalmente, cabe destacar que, en general, los maestros de la escuela internacional de Naciones Unidas no se consideran plantel de dicha organizacià ³n internacional, por lo tanto no pueden beneficiarse de esta visa. Pero puede ocurrir que la ONU solicite expresamente una G-4 a una persona en particular y el consulado correspondiente puede aprobarla pero no es la regla general. Tributacià ³n por parte de ciudadanos que trabajar en organizacià ³n internacional en EE.UU. Por supuesto que los ciudadanos estadounidenses, los residentes permanentes legales y las personas con permiso de trabajo en los EEUU no necesitan una visa G-4 para trabajar en una organizacià ³n internacional. En cuanto al pago de impuestos por el salario recibido por la organizacià ³n internacional, debe tributarse de una forma especial. La visa G-4 como camino a la green card La G-4 puede ser un puente hacia la residencia permanente tanto durante la vida laboral de una persona como tras su jubilacià ³n. En este à ºltimo caso si la persona ha vivido al menos 15 aà ±os en EEUU y, de ellos, tres y medio los ha residido en los siete aà ±os anteriores a retirarse, puede solicitar la green card para sà ­ misma y para su cà ³nyuge en los seis meses siguientes a su à ºltimo dà ­a de trabajo. Otras opciones para trabajar en Estados Unidos Para trabajar legalmente es necesario tener una situacià ³n migratoria que lo permita. Por ejemplo, porque se es ciudadano americano, residente permanente legal, se tiene una visa de trabajo o se est en una situacià ³n que permite solicitar y obtener un permiso de trabajo. Tener en cuenta que trabajar cuando no se est autorizado es una violacià ³n migratoria y, si las autoridades se enteran o lo sospechan dar lugar a que se cancele la visa. Frecuentemente, la persona se entera de que su visa es revocada cuando intenta regresar a Estados Unidos despuà ©s de un viaje a otro paà ­s y se encuentra con la desagradable sorpresa de que no la dejan entrar a paà ­s y la envà ­an de regreso a su lugar de procedencia.   Puntos Clave: Visa G-4  ¿Para quià ©n es?: extranjeros con contrato de trabajo en una organizacià ³n internacional ubicada en EE.UU.El titular de la visa G-4  ¿puede obtener visa para familiares?: sà ­, en general para el cà ³nyuge, compaà ±ero domà ©stico e hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os. En algunas circunstancias, ese cà ­rculo de familiares puede ampliarse. Pueden trabajar en EE.UU. y estudiar.El titular de la visa G-4,  ¿paga impuestos en EE.UU.?: No. Este artà ­culo es meramente informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal .

Organisational Behaviour (Motivation in the Modern Business World) Coursework

Organisational Behaviour (Motivation in the Modern Business World) - Coursework Example Organisational contribution to employee motivation 14 4.1 Role of Organisational culture 14 4.2 Role of organisational systems 14 4.3 Role of leadership 16 5 Current issues and recommendations: 18 6 Conclusions 19 References Appendices Abstract This report explores the role of motivation on organizational behaviour. This is accomplished by understanding the concept of motivation and its implications on organization. A brief understanding of the two types, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation has been obtained. Different motivational theories categorized under content and process theories have been explored. Implications of motivational theories on various management aspects such as employee performance, employee commitment, and organisational performance have been explored by applying content and process theories through specific case studies obtained from the literature. Further, role of organizational aspects such as organizational culture, systems and leadership on employee motivati on have been studied. ... roup dynamics that constantly interact with each other and consequently result in specific outcomes that can have positive and/or negative impact on the individuals as well as organisations. Considering this, workplace motivation has been extensively studied in the present context beginning with its definition and including types and theories of motivation. This report outlines various theories of motivation and their implications on employees. In the process, impact of motivation on individual performance, organisational performance, and employee commitment has been reviewed by applying few case study examples. Further, role of organisational systems, culture, and leadership have been critically assessed in creating workplace motivation for employees. 2. Motivation in organisational behaviour and its definition Organisational behavior considers people’s behavior in the organisation, circumstances that create specific behavior, impact of people’s behavior on organisatio n, groups, and individuals. Organisations are major part of sociological entities that shape the societies, economies and relationships between different companies, and countries. The extent of such impact is dependent upon their performance, which is determined by their systems, processes, technology, and most importantly employee motivation. Wilson and Rosenfeld (1990) explain that motivation is one of the earliest concerns of organisational behaviour and links between a motivated workforce and increased performance led managers to strive toward ‘motivating’ their workforces in an attempt to reduce alienation. Therefore, employee motivation is regarded as one of the key elements of organisational behavior. Motivation is defined as the process of arousing and sustaining goal-directed behavior

Business writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Business writing - Essay Example In contrast, external communication refers to the spread of information outside a particular organization (Courtland 4-7). Especially in a personal interview process, verbal and non-verbal communication techniques are extensively used. Verbal or spoken communication technique cannot be fully isolated from other interpersonal skills such as listening. On the other hand, non- verbal communication relies mainly upon eye contact between a sender and a receiver, facial expression, posture along with gesture, personal appearance, time and space (Loewy and Guffey 12-14). THESIS STATEMENT This essay intends to conduct a self-critique writing based upon an interview. In this regard, several aspects such as analyzing the facets of delivery along with speech composition, distinguishing between weak and strong support, diagnosing interviewing problems and depicting proposed remedies will be discussed. CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SPEECH COMPOSTION AND DELIVERY In relation to the mock interview conducted , it can be analyzed that during the interview process, my speech composition was not up to the mark. This can be justified that when the interviewer asked me to tell about myself, I was not very much confident to give her a specific answer. Consequently, as I was not much confident, my eye contact missed a lot. Moreover, during the time of delivering a speech, at certain times, I felt much hesitated to give her with appropriate response. When the interviewer took a time to ask me the next question, in between that time, I looked around here and there, which eventually revealed a negative impression towards the interviewer. When the interviewer asked me the reason for working in her company, I told her that it is my personal interest of doing the job rather than professional interest. DISTINGUISH BETWEEN WEAK AND STRONG SUPPORT One of my strong supports in relation to the mock interview was my polite behavior while communicating with the interviewer. I presented myself quite joyfull y and friendly with the interviewer. Moreover, in relation to the strong support, it can be affirmed that when the interviewer asked me about my strengths along with weaknesses, I was able to provide these information much confidently. On the other hand, relating to the mock interview, my weak support was that I was not properly dressed, which might created a negative impression in front of the interviewer. It can also be viewed from the interview that I was not much confident enough as I looked here and there while asked the questions by the interviewer to me. IDENTIFY UNCLEAR RESPONSES AND IDENTIFY POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS In relation to the conduct of the mock interview, an unclear response can be identified at the time when I asked the interviewer about the future planning of the company. In this regard, one of the possible solutions concerning this unclear response could be asking the interviewer about various job related aspects such as job timing, salary structure and other associa ted questions. DIAGNOSE INTERVIEWING PROBLEMS AND PROPOSE REMEDIES From the mock interview conducted, certain interviewing problems can be apparently observed. In this similar concern, one of the problems was that I was not much confident enough to answer the questions asked by the interviewer. Moreover, the other interviewing problems were identified to be less eye to eye contact and the tone of voice is also quite low. Apart from

Descriptive Essay Essay Example for Free

Descriptive Essay Essay There are few moments in a person’s life in which they can take a step back from their conscious minds and realize a change in â€Å"direction† or change of â€Å"purpose† within their paths. Most of life seems like a continuous flow of a journey, an ever speeding ride that starts and finishes as the sun’s journey through our day light. We are, when you get down to the core of it, simply a combination of our past experiences and memories. But some of us, few and far between, have experienced a brief moment in history in which we felt the tides of our own oceans turning. The moment is brief. The moment is sometimes small. Yet the moment is forever fleeting. Like a cool breeze that suddenly crosses over the hot sands of our minds, we suddenly are swept up from something that finally brings a new sense of understanding into our lives – ultimately changing us forever. This moment came for me when I was rather quite young. In fact, I was in the middle of my third year of elementary school. Before we go any further down this recollection trip of ours, I will have you know a little about my past. In my younger days, I had been branded as what you may refer to as a â€Å"liar†, but the reality wasn’t found in the sense of that word. Instead of â€Å"lying† in modems of deceit, I simply and honestly believed with all my being that if something was conceived within my thoughts and plopped out of my mouth that it was systematically true. It probably sounds absurd, simply believing in something and taking it as true when there was no evidence behind its conception other than my frivolous thoughts. But that’s how it was, or so I thought, in my world of being. In fact, I vividly remember telling my brother one day that I was actually not his sister, rather a lost princess in need of finding her way home. Where from the cosmos did that idea originate from? Well, since I can’t even tell you, God would be the only one to know. With the daisy chain I labored at making for hours around resting atop my curly locks and birds singing every which way I turned, I was a princess. Nothing that â€Å"reality† presented to me was truer than that. And so time went on. I was a royal princess. I did not eat the last cookie. I had magical powers. Just no one else knew about it yet. Imagination was the all-powerful and ruling force of my world – the seams of reality and dream forever muddled and intertwined. It was like I had not really been born yet, like I was not actually alive, rather just stuck in purgatory of pre-life and had not yet taken the steps into the real universe yet. And then came  third grade. It was Mrs. Alley’s class she was a rather â€Å"persnickety† as she liked to call it lady who absolutely wouldn’t let anyone get away with anything. She was nice though, I could tell she had a warm heart and I liked her better than my last teacher. All the other kids had done and finished their detailed map of the California state, all colorful and bright from crayons wax. But then there was me – perfectionist who would draw four pencil etchings and then erase five. Mrs. Alley announced that everyone that was done could go outside and begin a game of â€Å"kick ball†, which was the absolutely best part of any school day. I was put in between a rock and a hard place. As everyone else started fileling out of the room, a silence began to pervade the place. Eventually I was alone, sitting in a desk with a half lightly drawn potion of California on my paper. Eventually I just put my pencil down and started to look around the class room. It’s truly amazing how the absence of sound and souls can change a place. As the clock ticked onwards, my mind came to recollect the perfectly printed version of the California map that was resting in the pages of my history section of my binder. One envisioned, there was no turning back. I ran to the other side of the class room and tore my binder from the top shelf, turned the history tab and found my booty. It didn’t take long, the copying of the whole thing and the end product was rather magnificent if I have the right to admit so myself. By the time I was finished though I could hear little third grader feet beginning to scuff on the outside stairs. With the zip of a zipper and a scurry across the room, all proof of the occurrence had been erased†¦ or so it appeared. When everyone had come back in, Mrs. Alley announced that there would be a contest for whoevers map looked the nicest. As she walked around she gave nods and smiles to the other children, but when she came to peer over my shoulder she stopped. With perfect lines and strait edges my map probably seemed like a masterpiece of Van Gogh’s proportions compared to everyone else’s. It all happened rather quickly. The asking, the removing of the binder from the book shelf, the  hol ding of the map up to the window against the original, but all throughout this process a thought formed from within my head and there was no point of return: I had not traced it. I had done it all by myself with my own hands. For all I could have known in that moment I could have been outside the whole time with the rest of my class, but the history of the past hour was completely erased from my mind. It seems odd really, even for me to talk about the thought that I gave myself subject to and belief in, as if almost I am only recalling memories from another world or a half remembered dream. All I can remember from that moment is that from the whole moment is my whole body and being screaming â€Å"No† from every angle, every corner of the depths of my being. But she did not give in, she did not even falter. Eventually we sat alone in her room, fists clenched, face red, and eyes wet and still neither giving in. And then she turned to me and said â€Å"Ok Courtney† with the most unsatisfactory unbelieving persona that I have ever have witnessed in my life. As the car wised by the pine and cedar trees I could still feel the heat of anger come off my face. Why didn’t she believe me? My mom crying from the driver’s seat tried to lecture and yell sense into me. She was a good mom, is and always will be. Neither she nor my father had ever taught me to â€Å"lie† or let me get away with it. The sting of getting spanked had often been upon my bum in my younger years. But I honestly didn’t know what I was doing wrong. The â€Å"lies† I was accused of making were simply given truths in my mind. And then it hit me. Like a hail storm sent from the Greek gods that fell and tore away the bond between me and my fuzzy pink fog of fantasy, the memory. The remembrance of what had really occurred in the class room a couple hours ago. My world wasn’t real, or at least the one I had been creating wasn’t in the least. The bands of the horizon in my life slowly started to unravel and integrate in front of my very eyes. All of a sudden, from the very depths of somewhere in my being, a very distant kind of concrete place that resides behind my head, I heard a voice. Sweet and low, comforting yet powerful I heard a voice that was not of my own in my head. And it seemed to bend down and pull me close as a parent does to their kids after a thunder storm has just passed as it whispered somewhere within me, â€Å"BE ALIVE†. I started to cry, in fact rather mentally break down. And through my tear I finally gained sight of the light of day that penetrated and wished all the fuzzy thick fog of my fantasy  world away.

Angelas Ashes: Analysis :: essays research papers

It is a common view that times for the Irish majority in the 1930's and 40's were very hard. Especially for the Irish Catholic families with the stereotypical drunken father, emotionally wrecked mother, kids running round her with her sore back from the next child ready too be born. In Angela's Ashes, Mc Court examines his childhood experiences, the tragedies, hardships, learning, all involved with growing up.One of the most interesting aspects of the writing in Angela's Ashes is how the text is written, from Mc Courts interpretation of the situation at his age he was at the time, the spelling and grammar also indicates that the child is writing, not the adult. This contributes immensely to the emotions and enjoyment evoked from reading the book. It also better describes how a child actually sees the things going around them, and what they may be thinking. Personally, sometimes is made me think for a while about how I interpreted things I saw when I was that age, and the fun I had b eing a 'kid' with my sister.McCourt describes his brothers and sister, even the ones that died and how much he enjoyed growing up with them, how they cared and loved for each other. Because of the appalling quarters they lived in and the lack of money and food there was terminal illnesses in the family which proved fatal to some of his siblings. Mc Court in his 'child-like' writing style describes how his siblings and he, interpret what's happened and how they see their parents reacting. Mc Court also analyses how his younger brother Malachy looks up to him and how much he takes Malachy under his 'wing' and takes care of him. Parenting is said to be one of the hardest tasks out there today, especially sole-parenting. Mc Court carefully examines his mother, how she copes with her drunken betrothed, how her cousins who married 'gentlemen' are constantly try to run her life, and how she acts as a woman. His father, the 'Irish drunk' who is constantly making him and his brother swear their lives for Ireland and singing Roddy Mc Corley and Kevin Barry after a night at the pub. How his father will tell him stories about old Irish folklore and get sacked from job after job.As Frank progresses into adolescence, he explores the feelings and changes he goes through.