Adhering to various articles of the uniform code of military justice Essay Example for Free

Adhering to various articles of the uniform code of military justice Essay Today’s Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice is the result of a long history of advances in the rights of military personnel in which duty, obligation, and consequences are spelled out. It is the responsibility of every member of the armed services to keep this in mind and to embrace the Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice as a guide for appropriate behavior. The precursors to the Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) include the Articles of War (1912-1920), The Elston Act (1948), and The Morgan Draft of 1949, each of which significantly furthered the rights of military personnel while securing the equitable application of justice (Articles of War; Elston Act; Uniform Code of Military Justice). Given the long history of the UCMJ, and the number of revisions that have taken place in order to create the modern Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, military personnel should remember and respect the efforts that were put forth to ensure their protections while serving in the military. All personnel should value the efforts of their predecessors by acting in accordance with the Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. As a dedicated soldier in the Military of the United States of America, it is my duty to adhere to the Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice so that I might best represent myself, my Company, and my Country, and I failed in this duty on October XX, 2006 when I did not report to a special work detail. This was an unfortunate event that I should have avoided, and having reflected on the situation, I see that I erred in several respects. In the future, I shall avoid repeating such actions as it is not my intent to perform or reflect poorly on the military, my fellow soldiers, or myself. Although I failed to report to the special work detail, and violated a number of the Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, it was not my intent to ignore my duties or act in a manner that, in retrospect, might be viewed as a lack of effort and dedication on my part as well as, perhaps, being viewed as a general disrespect for my fellow officers. I offer no excuse; however, it is my hope that a brief explanation of the situation will show that I did attempt to fulfill my obligations and that I now understand that my actions should have been different. On October XX, 2006, I made an error by arriving to the designated special work detail location one hour in advance of the actual starting time; this error on my part was due to a simple miscommunication. While the miscommunication itself was an event that was primarily out of my control, my actions following my early arrival could have been different. Instead of making every effort to assure that I was at the correct location and had reported at the correct time, I simply returned home. This was not the best choice, and I regret having erred in this way. I compounded this initial error in judgment by assuming that shortly after leaving the special work detail site that I would be contacted via telephone and informed about where and when I was actually to report. This phone call never came, and I made yet another poor choice in not following up on this on my own. Having thought my actions over, I see clearly that as a member of the armed services, I may be faced with occasional miscommunications. I am aware, now, that it is my responsibility to (when possible and appropriate) confirm my assignments with my fellow soldiers to avoid such miscommunications, and if faced with a situation as was the case on October XX, 2006, it is my duty to do everything in my power to ascertain what my obligations are. The Uniform Code of Military Justice can be viewed as â€Å"the foundation for the United. States military justice system,† and as a member of the Armed Forces, it is important that I respect and follow the Code’s Articles without fail (Index Legislative History of the UCMJ). I showed poor judgment and an overall lack of respect for myself and my fellow soldiers on October XX, 2006 when I failed to report for a special work detail. This was a failure on my part that occurred as a result of a series of poor choices that I made, and I regret having acted in this manner. When I did not appear for the special work detail on October XX, 2006, I violated several Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and in so doing, I did not do my best in representing myself, my Company, or my Country. I am well aware that there are no valid excuses for my actions, and I intend to do my best not to exhibit further incidents of poor judgment. It is my goal to perform my duties at all times to the best of my abilities, and in a manner that reflects positively on me, my Company, and the United States of America. Violating any of the Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice contradicts my intentions, and I regret my actions. Missing the special work detail on October XX, 2006 means I failed to appear at my appointed place of duty at the appointed time which was a violation of Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Absence Without Leave (Powers, Article 86). This action was not appropriate, and I should have made every effort to ascertain when and where I was to have reported. Special work details are a regular part of a soldier’s responsibilities, and by not reporting on October XX, 2006, I let myself and my company down. Obviously, my not being present meant the other members of my work detail had to take up the slack for my not being present: they became responsible for performing my share of the work. This is contrary to my training, and it is contrary to my duties as a soldier. I realize that as a member of a team, my role is one that I must take seriously, and I cannot let the other members of my team down or threaten my team’s ability to succeed by failing to uphold my portion of any given task. This is what happened on October XX, 2006, when I failed to report to the special work detail. This was an action I regret, and one I hope not to repeat. The United States Military relies on each and every one of its members to report to duty fully prepared to perform and in a manner timely enough to perform as required, and because each soldier depends on his fellow soldiers, it is important that no one be absent without leave. It is also possible that one soldier’s failure to report makes more difficult or prevents the ability of other members of his Squad, Platoon, or Company to perform their assigned tasks, and this could create a number of negative consequences that do not reflect well on anyone. I understand that my failing to report where I was required to do so and when I was required to do so on October XX, 2006 when I missed the special work detail was a violation of Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Absence Without Leave, and that this showed a lapse in judgment which should not be repeated in the future. I intend to avoid further violations of this Article as I understand that this failure reflects poorly on the United States of America, the Military, my Squad, Platoon, or Company, and myself. Special work details are often assigned as part of my obligations as a soldier, and by choosing not to report on October XX, 2006, I failed to obey the order of a superior commissioned officer which is a violation of Article 90 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Willfully Disobeying a Superior Commissioned Officer (Powers, Article 90). This was disrespectful, and I regret my actions. I am well aware of the importance of following orders, and it was not my intent to fail to do so. The importance of the Chain of Command cannot be over-emphasized. Each member of a Squad, a Platoon, or a Company must know his role and fulfill it without fail. The Chain of Command provides an easy means by which individuals can work together towards a shared goal while avoiding undue confusion whether completing tasks that are simple or completing tasks that are extremely complex. Superior officers give orders to those under their command to ensure that shared goals are met based on the appropriate and necessary actions of their subordinate personnel. I did not fulfill my role, and in failing to do so, I let myself and those who depend on me down, and I may have cast doubt on whether or not others can rely on me in the future. In addition, my inaction in this situation most likely created a hardship on the other members of my Squad, Platoon, Company by requiring that they do extra work. I understand that my failure to follow the orders of a superior was inappropriate, and not in the best interests of myself or my fellow soldiers, and that further violations of Article 90 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Willfully Disobeying a Superior Commissioned Officer are not in my best interest. Having thought about this, I see clearly that I should have done everything in my power to fulfill my obligations and to avoid the appearance of disrespecting my superior officer by failing to report as ordered. I failed to appear at my appointed place of duty when I missed a special work detail on October XX, 2006. This was a violation of Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Failure to Obey an Order or a Regulation (Powers, Article 92). This was an error on my part that I regret and intend to avoid in the future. As a proud and dedicated member of the United States’ Armed Services, I do not have the luxury of deciding whether or not I will abide by an order or a regulation. My job is not to decide whether or not I want to do something; my job is to do what I am ordered to do when I am ordered to do it. It is my responsibility to understand that I play a role in a team, and that my failing to perform my part of a task assigned to the team I am a part of puts all members of that team at risk of failing. In failing to report to the special work detail on October XX, 2006, I let myself and my fellow soldiers down, and I showed poor judgment. Every Company needs order, and the surest way to ensure that individuals come together to form a cohesive group is to establish regulations that must be followed. By failing to report to my special work detail on October XX, 2006, I jeopardized the cohesion of my group, and I brought into question the degree to which I might be relied upon in the future. After thinking about my actions and the effect that my lack of following through had, I regret not having done more to ensure that I knew where and when I was supposed to report on October XX, 2006. I understand that my failure to report to the special work detail on October XX, 2006 was equivalent to failing to obey an order and reflected poorly on myself and my fellow service members, and that violating Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Failure to Obey an Order or a Regulation does not cast me in a positive light. Because it is my desire to perform all of my duties to the best of my abilities, I regret my actions and hope not to repeat a similar error. My failing to report to the special work detail on October XX, 2006 was in flagrant disregard of good order and discipline and was detrimental to the overall well-being of the command with which I am associated. This was a violation of Article 133 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman (Powers, Article 133). I now see clearly that missing my assigned task was an error in judgment on my part, and I intend to do everything in my power to avoid a repeat of this error. As a dedicated representative of the United States of America, it is my duty, my responsibility, and my desire to conduct myself in a manner that represents me, my command, and my country in the most positive light possible. When I missed the special work detail on October XX, 2006, I shed negative light on all facets of the Military, and I regret this. Military Units function best when all of their members work in unison towards a common goal, and my missing the special work detail on October XX, 2006 reflects a lack of discipline and an unwillingness to keep good order, both of which are detrimental to my well-being and that of the members of my Company as well as violating Article 133 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman. It is not my intent to tarnish the image of the Military of the United States of America, and as a representative of the Armed Forces, my failing to report to the special work detail on October XX, 2006 did just that. This is an action I regret. I neglected my duty to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the Armed Forces when I chose to miss the special work detail on October XX, 2006. This action constituted a violation of Article 134c of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Disorder and Neglect to the Prejudice of Good Order and Discipline (Powers, Article 134c). It also created a hardship to my fellow soldiers and threatened the proper, timely completion of the task at hand. This discipline of a soldier is only truly challenged when he is faced with a duty he does not want to perform. Because the good order of a Squad, a Platoon, or a Company often depends on the discipline of each of its individual members, it is imperative that every single soldier practices good discipline at all times, especially when circumstances challenge what he wants to do with what he must do. When one soldier fails to put his personal desires aside, it shows a lack of respect towards his fellow soldiers, and it may have the additional adverse effect of tempting others to disobey orders as well. Having thought about my actions, I see that my failing to report on October XX, 2006 did just this, and I regret my actions and the effect they may have had on others. I understand that my actions do not reflect well on my desire to uphold good order or discipline, that they cast a negative light on me and my Company, and that further violations of Article 134c of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Disorder and Neglect to the Prejudice of Good Order and Discipline are not in my best interest. It is my intent to keep this in mind and in the future, to act with a greater degree of appropriate decision-making. I fully appreciate the historical significance of today’s Uniform Code of Military Justice, and my responsibility as a proud and dedicated member of the United States Armed Services to adhere to its Articles. I understand that my actions on October XX, 2006 when I failed to report to my special work detail appears to be an indication on my part of a lack of respect for the UCMJ, the basis of the military justice system, and that in skipping my special work detail on October XX, 2006, I violated Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Absence Without Leave; Article 90 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Willfully Disobeying a Superior Commissioned Officer; Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Failure to Obey an Order or a Regulation; Article 133 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman; and Article 134c of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Disorder and Neglect to the Prejudice of Good Order and Discipline. Having taken time to reflect upon my actions, I see clearly that regulations are in place to assist me, as a soldier, in performing my duties in the manner that best suits me individually and my fellow soldiers as a whole, and that in failing to report to my special work detail on October XX, 2006, I let myself and those who count on me down. This lapse in judgment reflects poorly on me, on my Company, and on the United States of America, and I intend to avoid any similar events in my future, so that I might reflect the attitude of the proud, dedicated soldier that I am to those with whom I serve. R eferences Articles of War (1912-1920). , The In Military Legal Resources.Library of Congress. U. S. Govt. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://www. loc. gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/AW-1912-1920. html. Elston Act (1948), The. In Military Legal Resources. Library of Congress. U. S. Govt. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://www. loc. gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/ Elston_act. html. Index Legislative History of the UCMJ (1950). In Military Legal Resources. Library of Congress. U. S. Govt. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://www. loc. gov/rr/ frd/Military_Law/index_legHistory. html. Pound, Edward T. (2002, December 16). Creating a code of justice. History. U. S. News World Report. Retrieved August 30, 2006 from http://www.usnews. com/usnews/ news/articles/021216/16justice. b. htm. Powers, Rod. Punitive Articles of the UCMJ: Article 86—Absence without leave. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://usmilitary. about. com/od/punitivearticles/a/mcm86. htm. Powers, Rod. Punitive Articles of the UCMJ: Article 90—Assaulting or willfully disobeying superior commissioned officer. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://usmilitary. about. com/od/punitivearticles/a/mcm86. htm. Powers, Rod. Punitive Articles of the UCMJ: Article 92—Failure to obey order or regulation. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://usmilitary. about. com/od/punitivearticles/ a/mcm92. htm. Powers, Rod. Punitive Articles of the UCMJ: Article 133—Conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://usmilitary. about. com/od/ punitivearticles/a/mcm133. htm. Powers, Rod. Punitive Articles of the UCMJ: Article 134—General article. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://usmilitary. about. com/od/punitivearticles/a/134. htm. Uniform Code of Military Justice; Text, References and Commentary Based on the Report of the Committee on a Uniform Code of Military Justice to the Secretary of Defense [the Morgan Draft] (1949). In Military Legal Resources. Library of Congress. U. S. Govt. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://www. loc. gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/morgan. html.

Self-imposed Isolation Essay -- Literary Analysis, Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a prolific writer, weaving some of the best-known stories in American literature. While Hawthorne’s works tend to focus around the Puritan themes of sin, he was usually critical of Puritan ideals. Some of Hawthorne’s works (â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil†, and The Scarlet Letter) have characters living life outside of their Puritan communities and can be classified as outsider narratives. Young Goodman Brown, Reverend Hooper, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Hester Prynne are all outsiders in their communities, but what makes the characters unique is that they chose to be outsiders. The Scarlet Letter, perhaps Hawthorne’s most famous work, is also an excellent example of an outsider narrative: most major characters introduced in the book can be labeled as outsiders. The most obvious examples of outsiders in the book are Hester and Dimmesdale, though Dimmesdale’s isolation is subtler in the eyes of his community. Stromberg argues that Hawthorne uses these outsider figures as stand-ins for the Devil (275). While Hester and Dimmesdale are quite obviously outsiders, it seems odd to say that they are representative of the Devil since Chillingworth seems to transform into an unsavory character throughout the book. However, Stromberg does express the core reason why Hester and Dimmesdale can be considered outsiders in the eyes of the Puritan community: The mark of the [Devil], which both Hester and Dimmesdale war in their different ways, is the sign of disassociation from community, the sin which they committed in violating the laws of their society, and which they commit again in the desire to make themselves happy at the expense of everyone around them. (275) Happiness, a force that usually brings ... ... coined. Though Hawthorne’s characters had a choice, they always took the choice that led them away from their community. However, it seems that Hawthorne did not see this as a terrible option: when his characters turn away from their society, their life becomes more enlightened. Enlightenment, it seems, is more importantly that belonging in Hawthorne’s opinion. For the two ministers, Dimmesdale and Hooper, the departure from society is quite effective in their professional careers as the new outlook on life makes them more powerful preachers. With Hester and Brown, though there is some doubt on how their lives benefitted from their exit from community. Still, if the characters are viewed through a philosophical lens, their egress is of great benefit to them. By exiting the community Hawthorne’s characters find what they have all been searching for: enlightenment. Self-imposed Isolation Essay -- Literary Analysis, Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne was a prolific writer, weaving some of the best-known stories in American literature. While Hawthorne’s works tend to focus around the Puritan themes of sin, he was usually critical of Puritan ideals. Some of Hawthorne’s works (â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil†, and The Scarlet Letter) have characters living life outside of their Puritan communities and can be classified as outsider narratives. Young Goodman Brown, Reverend Hooper, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Hester Prynne are all outsiders in their communities, but what makes the characters unique is that they chose to be outsiders. The Scarlet Letter, perhaps Hawthorne’s most famous work, is also an excellent example of an outsider narrative: most major characters introduced in the book can be labeled as outsiders. The most obvious examples of outsiders in the book are Hester and Dimmesdale, though Dimmesdale’s isolation is subtler in the eyes of his community. Stromberg argues that Hawthorne uses these outsider figures as stand-ins for the Devil (275). While Hester and Dimmesdale are quite obviously outsiders, it seems odd to say that they are representative of the Devil since Chillingworth seems to transform into an unsavory character throughout the book. However, Stromberg does express the core reason why Hester and Dimmesdale can be considered outsiders in the eyes of the Puritan community: The mark of the [Devil], which both Hester and Dimmesdale war in their different ways, is the sign of disassociation from community, the sin which they committed in violating the laws of their society, and which they commit again in the desire to make themselves happy at the expense of everyone around them. (275) Happiness, a force that usually brings ... ... coined. Though Hawthorne’s characters had a choice, they always took the choice that led them away from their community. However, it seems that Hawthorne did not see this as a terrible option: when his characters turn away from their society, their life becomes more enlightened. Enlightenment, it seems, is more importantly that belonging in Hawthorne’s opinion. For the two ministers, Dimmesdale and Hooper, the departure from society is quite effective in their professional careers as the new outlook on life makes them more powerful preachers. With Hester and Brown, though there is some doubt on how their lives benefitted from their exit from community. Still, if the characters are viewed through a philosophical lens, their egress is of great benefit to them. By exiting the community Hawthorne’s characters find what they have all been searching for: enlightenment.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 33. Forever

â€Å"Charlie, we've still got that strictly need-to-know company situation going. I know it's been more than a week since you saw Renesmee, but a visit is just not a good idea right now. How about I bring Renesmee over to see you?† Charlie was quiet for so long that I wondered if he heard the strain beneath my fagade. But then he muttered, â€Å"Need to know, ugh† and I realized it was just his wariness of the supernatural that made him slow to respond. â€Å"Okay, kid,† Charlie said. â€Å"Can you bring her over this morning? Sue's bringing me lunch. She's just as horrified by my cooking as you were when you first showed up.† Charlie laughed and then sighed for the old days. â€Å"This morning will be perfect.† The sooner the better. I'd already put this off too long. â€Å"Is Jake coming with you guys?† Though Charlie didn't know anything about werewolf imprinting, no one could be oblivious to the attachment between Jacob and Renesmee. â€Å"Probably.† There was no way Jacob would voluntarily miss an afternoon with Renesmee sans bloodsuckers. â€Å"Maybe I should invite Billy, too,† Charlie mused. â€Å"But†¦ hmm. Maybe another time.† I was only half paying attention to Charlie – enough to notice the strange reluctance in his voice when he spoke of Billy, but not enough to worry what that was about. Charlie and Billy were grown-ups; if there was something going on between them, they could figure it out for themselves. I had too many more important things to obsess over. â€Å"See you in a few,† I told him, and hung up. This trip was about more than protecting my father from the twenty-seven oddly matched vampires – who all had sworn not to kill anyone in a three-hundred-mile radius, but still†¦ Obviously, no human being should get anywhere near this group. This was the excuse I'd given Edward: I was taking Renesmee to Charlie so that he wouldn't decide to come here. It was a good reason for leaving the house, but not my real reason at all. â€Å"Why can't we take your Ferrari?† Jacob complained when he met me in the garage. I was already in Edward's Volvo with Renesmee. Edward had gotten around to revealing my after car; as he'd suspected, I had not been capable of showing the appropriate enthusiasm. Sure, it was pretty and fast, but I liked to run. â€Å"Too conspicuous,† I answered. â€Å"We could go on foot, but that would freak Charlie out.† Jacob grumbled but got into the front seat. Renesmee climbed from my lap to his. â€Å"How are you?† I asked him as I pulled out of the garage. â€Å"How do you think?† Jacob asked bitingly. â€Å"I'm sick of all these reeking bloodsuckers.† He saw my expression and spoke before I could answer. â€Å"Yeah, I know, I know. They're the good guys, they're here to help, they're going to save us all. Etcetera, etcetera. Say what you want, I still think Dracula One and Dracula Two are creep-tacular.† I had to smile. The Romanians weren't my favorite guests, either. â€Å"I don't disagree with you there.† Renesmee shook her head but said nothing; unlike the rest of us, she found the Romanians strangely fascinating. She'd made the effort to speak to them aloud since they would not let her touch them. Her question was about their unusual skin and, though I was afraid they might be offended, I was kind of glad she'd asked. I was curious, too. They hadn't seemed upset by her interest. Maybe a little rueful. â€Å"We sat still for a very long time, child,† Vladimir had answered, with Stefan nodding along but not continuing Vladimir's sentences as he often did. â€Å"Contemplating our own divinity. It was a sign of our power that everything came to us. Prey, diplomats, those seeking our favor. We sat on our thrones and thought ourselves gods. We didn't notice for a long time that we were changing – almost petrifying. I suppose the Volturi did us one favor when they burned our castles. Stefan and I, at least, did not continue to petrify. Now the Volturi's eyes are filmed with dusty scum, but ours are bright. I imagine that will give us an advantage when we gouge theirs from their sockets.† I tried to keep Renesmee away from them after that. â€Å"How long do we get to hang out with Charlie?† Jacob asked, interrupting my thoughts. He was visibly relaxing as we pulled away from the house and all its new inmates. It made me happy that I didn't really count as a vampire to him. I was still just Bella. â€Å"For quite a while, actually.† The tone of my voice caught his attention. â€Å"Is something going on here besides visiting your dad?† â€Å"Jake, you know how you're pretty good at controlling your thoughts around Edward?† He raised one thick black brow. â€Å"Yeah?† I just nodded, cutting my eyes to Renesmee. She was looking out the window, and I couldn't tell how interested she was in our conversation, but I decided not to risk going any further. Jacob waited for me to add something else, and then his lower lip pushed out while he thought about what little I'd said. As we drove in silence, I squinted through the annoying contacts into the cold rain; it wasn't quite cold enough for snow. My eyes were not as ghoulish as they had been in the beginning – definitely closer to a dull reddish orange than to bright crimson. Soon they'd be amber enough for me to quit the contacts, i hoped the change wouldn't upset Charlie too much. Jacob was still chewing over our truncated conversation when we got to Charlie's. We didn't talk as we walked at a quick human pace through the falling rain. My dad was waiting for us; he had the door open before I could knock. â€Å"Hey, guys! It seems like it's been years! Look at you, Nessie! Come to Grampa! I swear you've grown half a foot. And you look skinny, Ness.† He glared at me. â€Å"Aren't they feeding you up there?† â€Å"It's just the growth spurt,† I muttered. â€Å"Hey, Sue,† I called over his shoulder. The smell of chicken, tomato, garlic, and cheese issued from the kitchen; it probably smelled good to everyone else. I could also smell fresh pine and packing dust. Renesmee flashed her dimples. She never spoke in front of Charlie. â€Å"Well, come on in out of the cold, kids. Where's my son-in-law?† â€Å"Entertaining friends,† Jacob said, and then snorted. â€Å"You're so lucky you're out of the loop, Charlie. That's all I'm going to say.† I punched Jacob lightly in the kidney while Charlie cringed. â€Å"Ow,† Jacob complained under his breath; well, I'd thought I'd punched lightly. â€Å"Actually, Charlie, I have some errands to run.† Jacob shot a glance at me but said nothing. â€Å"Behind on your Christmas shopping, Bells? You only have a few days, you know.† â€Å"Yeah, Christmas shopping,† I said lamely. That explained the packing dust. Charlie must have put the old decorations up. â€Å"Don't worry, Nessie,† he whispered in her ear. â€Å"I got you covered if your mom drops the ball.† I rolled my eyes at him, but in truth, I hadn't thought about the holidays at all. â€Å"Lunch's on the table,† Sue called from the kitchen. â€Å"C'mon, guys.† â€Å"See you later, Dad,† I said, and exchanged a quick look with Jacob. Even if he couldn't help but think about this near Edward, at least there wasn't much for him to share. He had no idea what I was up to. Of course, I thought to myself as I got into the car, it wasn't like I had much idea, either. The roads were slick and dark, but driving didn't intimidate me anymore. My reflexes were well up to the job, and I barely paid attention to the road. The problem was keeping my speed from attracting attention when I had company. I wanted to be done with today's mission, to have the mystery sorted out so that I could get back to the vital task of learning. Learning to protect some, learning to kill others. I was getting better and better with my shield. Kate didn't feel the need to motivate me anymore – it wasn't hard to find reasons to feel angry, now that I knew that was the key – and so I mostly worked with Zafrina. She was pleased with my extension; I was able to cover almost a ten-foot area for more than a minute, though it exhausted me. This morning she'd been trying to find out if I could push the shield away from my mind altogether. I didn't see what the use of that would be, but Zafrina thought it would help strengthen me, like exercising muscles in the stomach and back rather than just the arms. Eventually, you could lift more weight when all the muscles were stronger. I wasn't very good at it. I had only gotten one glimpse of the jungle river she was trying to show me. But there were different ways to prepare for what was coming, and with only two weeks left, I worried that I might be neglecting the most important. Today I would rectify that oversight. I'd memorized the appropriate maps, and I had no problem finding my way to the address that didn't exist online, the one for J. Jenks. My next step would be Jason Jenks at the other address, the one Alice had not given me. To say that it wasn't a nice neighborhood would be an understatement. The most nondescript of all the Cullens' cars was still outrageous on this street. My old Chevy would have looked healthy here. During my human years, I would have locked the doors and driven away as fast as I dared. As it was, I was a little fascinated. I tried to imagine Alice in this place for any reason, and failed. The buildings – all three stories, all narrow, all leaning slightly as if bowed by the pounding rain – were mostly old houses divided up into multiple apartments. It was hard to tell what color the peeling paint was supposed to be. Everything had faded to shades of gray. A few of the buildings had businesses on the first floor: a dirty bar with the windows painted black, a psychic's supply store with neon hands and tarot cards glowing fitfully on the door, a tattoo parlor, and a daycare with duct tape holding the broken front window together. There were no lamps on inside any of the rooms, though it was grim enough outside that the humans should have needed the light. I could hear the low mumbling of voices in the distance; it sounded like TV. There were a few people about, two shuffling through the rain in opposite directions and one sitting on the shallow porch of a boarded-up cut-rate law office, reading a wet newspaper and whistling. The sound was much too cheerful for the setting. I was so bemused by the carefree whistler, I didn't realize at first that the abandoned building was right where the address I was looking for should exist. There were no numbers on the dilapidated place, but the tattoo parlor beside it was just two numbers off. I pulled up to the curb and idled for a second. I was getting into that dump one way or another, but how to do so without the whistler noticing me? I could park the next street over and come through the back†¦. There might be more witnesses on that side. Maybe the rooftops? Was it dark enough for that kind of thing? â€Å"Hey, lady,† the whistler called to me. I rolled the passenger window down as if I couldn't hear him. The man laid his paper aside, and his clothes surprised me, now that I could see them. Under his long ragged duster, he was a little too well dressed. There was no breeze to give me the scent, but the sheen on his dark red shirt looked like silk. His crinkly black hair was tangled and wild, but his dark skin was smooth and perfect, his teeth white and straight. A contradiction. â€Å"Maybe you shouldn't park that car there, lady,† he said. â€Å"It might not be here when you get back.† â€Å"Thanks for the warning,† I said. I shut off the engine and got out. Perhaps my whistling friend could give me the answers I needed faster than breaking and entering. I opened my big gray umbrella – not that I cared, really, about protecting the long cashmere sweater-dress I wore. It was what a human would do. The man squinted through the rain at my face, and then his eyes widened. He swallowed, and I heard his heart accelerate as I approached. Tm looking for someone,† I began. â€Å"I'm someone,† he offered with a smile. â€Å"What can I do for you, beautiful?† â€Å"Are you J. Jenks?† I asked. â€Å"Oh,† he said, and his expression changed from anticipation to understanding. He got to his feet and examined me with narrowed eyes. â€Å"Why're you looking for J?† â€Å"That's my business.† Besides, I didn't have a clue. â€Å"Are you J?† â€Å"No.† We faced each other for a long moment while his sharp eyes ran up and down the fitted pearl gray sheath I wore. His gaze finally made it to my face. â€Å"You don't look like the usual customer.† â€Å"I'm probably not the usual,† I admitted. â€Å"But I do need to see him as soon as possible.† â€Å"I'm not sure what to do,† he admitted. â€Å"Why don't you tell me your name?† He grinned. â€Å"Max.† â€Å"Nice to meet you, Max. Now, why don't you tell me what you do for the usual?† His grin became a frown. â€Å"Well, J's usual clients don't look a thing like you. Your kind doesn't bother with the downtown office. You just go straight up to his fancy office in the skyscraper.† I repeated the other address I had, making the list of numbers a question. â€Å"Yeah, that's the place,† he said, suspicious again. â€Å"How come you didn't go there?† â€Å"This was the address I was given – by a very dependable source.† â€Å"If you were up to any good, you wouldn't be here.† I pursed my lips. I'd never been much good at bluffing, but Alice hadn't left me a lot of alternatives. â€Å"Maybe I'm not up to any good.† Max's face turned apologetic. â€Å"Look, lady – â€Å" â€Å"Bella.† â€Å"Right. Bella. See, I need this job. J pays me pretty good to mostly just hang out here all day. I want to help you, I do, but – and of course Tm speaking hypothetically, right? Or off the record, or whatever works for you – but if I pass somebody through that could get him in trouble, I'm out of work. Do you see my problem?† I thought for a minute, chewing on my lip. â€Å"You've never seen anyone like me here before? Well, sort of like me. My sister is a lot shorter than me, and she has dark spiky black hair.† â€Å"J knows your sister?† â€Å"I think so.† Max pondered this fora moment.I smiled at him, and his breathing stuttered.†Tell you what I'll do.HI give Ja call and describe you to him. Let him make the decision.† What did J. Jenks know? Would my description mean something to him? That was a troubling thought. â€Å"My last name is Cullen,† I told Max, wondering if that was too much information. I was starting to get irritated with Alice. Did I really have to be quite this blind? She could have given me one or two more words†¦. â€Å"Cullen, got it.† I watched as he dialed, easily picking out the number. Well, I could call J. Jenks myself if this didn't work. â€Å"HeyJ, it's Max. I know I'm never supposed tocall you at this number except in an emergency___† Is there an emergency?1 heard faintly from the other end. â€Å"Well, notexactly. It's this girl who wants to see you___† fail to see the emergency in that Why didn't you follow normal procedure? â€Å"I didn't follow normal procedure 'cause she don't look like any kind of normal – â€Å" Is she a badge?! â€Å"No – â€Å" You can't be sure about that. Does she look like one ofKubarev's – ? â€Å"No – let me talk, okay? She says you know her sister or something.† Not likely. What does she look like? â€Å"She looks like . . .† His eyes ran from my face to my shoes appreciatively. â€Å"Well, she looks like a freaking supermodel, that's what she looks like.† I smiled and he winked at me, then went on. â€Å"Rocking body, pale as a sheet, dark brown hair almost to her waist, needs a good night's sleep – any of this soundingfamiliar?† No, it doesn't I'm not happy that you let your weakness for pretty women interrupt – â€Å"Yeah,so I'ma sucker for the pretty ones, what's wrong with that? I'm sorry I bothered you, man. Just forget it.† â€Å"Name,† I whispered. â€Å"Oh right. Wait,† Max said. â€Å"She says her name is Bella Cullen. That help?† There was a beat of dead silence, and then the voice on the other end was abruptly screaming, using a lot of words you didn't often hear outside of truck stops. Max's whole expression changed; all the joking vanished and his lips went pale. â€Å"Because you didn't ask!† Max yelled back, panicked. There was another pause while J collected himself. Beautiful and pale?J asked, a tiny bit calmer. â€Å"I said that, didn't I?† Beautiful and pale? What did this man know about vampires? Was he one of us himself? I wasn't prepared for that kind of confrontation. I gritted my teeth. What had Alice gotten me into? Max waited for a minute through another volley of shouted insults and instructions and then glanced at me with eyes that were almost frightened. â€Å"But you only meet downtown clients on Thursdays – okay, okay! On it.'7He slid his phone shut. â€Å"He wants to see me?† I asked brightly. Max glowered. â€Å"You could have told me you were a priority client;7 â€Å"I didn't know I was.† â€Å"I thought you might be a cop,† he admitted. â€Å"I mean, you don't look like a cop. But you act kind of weird, beautiful.† I shrugged. â€Å"Drug cartel?† he guessed. â€Å"Who, me?† I asked. â€Å"Yeah. Or your boyfriend or whatever.† â€Å"Nope, sorry. I'm not really a fan of drugs, and neither is my husband. Just say no and all that.† Max cussed under his breath. â€Å"Married. Can't catch a break.† I smiled. â€Å"Mafia?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Diamondsmuggling?† â€Å"Please! Is that the kind of people you usually deal with, Max? Maybe you need a new job.† I had to admit, I was enjoying myself a little. I hadn't interacted with humans much besides Charlie and Sue. It was entertaining to watch him flounder. I was also pleased at how easy it was not to kill him. â€Å"You've got to be involved in something big. And bad,† he mused. â€Å"It's not really like that.† â€Å"That's what they all say. But who else needs papers? Or can afford to pay J's prices for them, I should say. None of my business, anyway,† he said, and then muttered the word married again. He gave me an entirely new address with basic directions, and then watched me drive away with suspicious, regretful eyes. At this point, I was ready for almost anything – some kind of James Bond villain's high-tech lair seemed appropriate. So I thought Max must have given me the wrong address as a test. Or maybe the lair was subterranean, underneath this very commonplace strip mall nestled up against a wooded hill in a nice family neighborhood. I pulled into an open spot and looked up at a tastefully subtle sign that read JASON SCOTT, ATTORNEY AT LAW. The office inside was beige with celery green accents, inoffensive and unremarkable. There was no scent of vampire here, and that helped me relax. Nothing but unfamiliar human. A fish tank was set into the wall, and a blandly pretty blond receptionist sat behind the desk. â€Å"Hello,† she greeted me. â€Å"How can I help you?† â€Å"I'm here to see Mr. Scott.† â€Å"Do you have an appointment?† â€Å"Not exactly.† She smirked a little. â€Å"It could be a while, then. Why don't you have a seat while I – â€Å" April!a man's demanding voice squawked from the phone on her desk. I'm expecting a Ms. Cullen shortly. I smiled and pointed to myself. Send her in immediately. Do you understand? I don't care what it's interrupting. I could hear something else in his voice besides impatience. Stress. Nerves. â€Å"She's just arrived,† April said as soon as she could speak. What? Send her in! What are you waiting for? â€Å"Right away, Mr. Scott!† She got to her feet, fluttering her hands as she led the way down a short hallway, offering me coffee or tea or anything else I might have wanted. â€Å"Here you are,† she said as she ushered me through the door into a power office, complete with heavy wooden desk and vanity wall. â€Å"Close the door behind you,† a raspy tenor voice ordered. I examined the man behind the desk while April made a hasty retreat. He was short and balding, probably around fifty-five, with a paunch. He wore a red silk tie with a blue-and-white-striped shirt, and his navy blazer hung over the back of his chair. He was also trembling, blanched to a sickly paste color, with sweat beading on his forehead; I imagined an ulcer churning away under the spare tire. J recovered himself and rose unsteadily from his chair. He reached his hand across the desk. â€Å"Ms. Cullen. What an absolute delight.† I crossed to him and shook his hand quickly once. He cringed slightly at my cold skin but did not seem particularly surprised by it. â€Å"Mr. Jenks. Or do you prefer Scott?† He winced again. â€Å"Whatever you wish, of course.† â€Å"How about you call me Bella, and HI call you J?† â€Å"Like old friends,† he agreed, mopping a silk handkerchief across his forehead. He gestured for me to have a seat and took his own. â€Å"I must ask, am I finally meeting Mr. Jasper's lovely wife?† I weighed that for a second. So this man knew Jasper, not Alice. Knew him, and seemed afraid of him, too. â€Å"His sister-in-law, actually.† He pursed his lips, as if he were grasping for meanings just as desperately as I was. â€Å"I trust Mr. Jasper is in good health?† he asked carefully. â€Å"I'm sure he is in excellent health. He's on an extended vacation at the moment.† This seemed to clear up some of J's confusion. He nodded to himself and templed his fingers. â€Å"Just so. You should have come to the main office. My assistants there would have put you straight through to me – no need to go through less hospitable channels.† I just nodded. I wasn't sure why Alice had given me the ghetto address. â€Å"Ah, well, you're here now. What can I do for you?† Tapers,† I said, trying to make my voice sound like I knew what I was talking about. â€Å"Certainly,† J agreed at once. â€Å"Are we talking birth certificates, death certificates, drivers' licenses, passports, social security cards†¦ ?† I took a deep breath and smiled. I owed Max big time. And then my smile faded. Alice had sent me here for a reason, and I was sure it was to protect Renesmee. Her last gift to me. The one thing she would know I needed. The only reason Renesmee would need a forger was if she was running. And the only reason Renesmee would be running was if we had lost. If Edward and I were running with her, she wouldn't need these documents right away. I was sure IDs were something Edward knew how to get his hands on or make himself, and I was sure he knew ways to escape without them. We could run with her for thousands of miles. We could swim with her across an ocean. If we were around to save her. And all the secrecy to keep this out of Edward's head. Because there was a good chance that everything he knew, Aro would know. If we lost, Aro would certainly get the information he craved before he destroyed Edward. It was as I had suspected. We couldn't win. But we must have a good shot at killing Demetri before we lost, giving Renesmee the chance to run. My still heart felt like a boulder in my chest – a crushing weight. All my hope faded like fog in the sunshine. My eyes pricked. Who would I put this on? Charlie? But he was so defenselessly human. And how would I get Renesmee to him? He was not going to be anywhere close to that fight. So that left one person. There really had never been anyone else. I'd thought this through so quickly that J didn't notice my pause. â€Å"Two birth certificates, two passports, one driver's license,† I said in a low, strained tone. If he noticed the change in my expression, he pretended otherwise. â€Å"The names?† â€Å"Jacob†¦ Wolfe. And†¦ Vanessa Wolfe.† Nessie seemed like an okay nickname for Vanessa. Jacob would get a kick out of the Wolfe thing. His pen scratched swiftly across a legal pad. â€Å"Middle names?† â€Å"Just put something generic in.† â€Å"If you prefer. Ages?† â€Å"Twenty-seven for the man, five for the girl.† Jacob could pull it off. He was a beast. And at the rate Renesmee was growing, I'd better estimate high. He could be her stepfather†¦. â€Å"I'll need pictures if you prefer finished documents,† J said, interrupting my thoughts. â€Å"Mr. Jasper usually liked to finish them himself.† Well, that explained why J didn't know what Alice looked like. â€Å"Hold on,† I said. This was luck. I had several family pictures shoved in my wallet, and the perfect one – Jacob holding Renesmee on the front porch steps – was only a month old. Alice had given it to me just a few days before†¦ Oh. Maybe there wasn't that much luck involved after all. Alice knew I had this picture. Maybe she'd even had some dim flash that I would need it before she gave it to me. â€Å"Here you go.† J examined the picture for a moment. â€Å"Your daughter is very like you.† I tensed. â€Å"She's more like her father.† â€Å"Who is not this man.† He touched Jacob's face. My eyes narrowed, and new sweat beads popped out on J's shiny head. â€Å"No. That is a very close friend of the family.† â€Å"Forgive me,† he mumbled, and the pen began scratching again. â€Å"How soon will you need the documents?† â€Å"Can I get them in a week?† â€Å"That's a rush order. It will cost twice as – but forgive me. I forgot with whom I was speaking.† Clearly, he knew Jasper. â€Å"Just give me a number.† He seemed hesitant to say it aloud, though I was sure, having dealt with Jasper, he must have known that price wasn't really an object. Not even taking into consideration the bloated accounts that existed all over the world with the Cullens' various names on them, there was enough cash stashed all over the house to keep a small country afloat for a decade; it reminded me of the way there were always a hundred fishhooks in the back of any drawer at Charlie's house. I doubted anyone would even notice the small stack I'd removed in preparation for today. J wrote the price down on the bottom of the legal pad. I nodded calmly. I had more than that with me. I unclasped my bag again and counted out the right amount – I had it all paper-clipped into five-thousand-dollar increments, so it took no time at all. â€Å"There.† â€Å"Ah, Bella, you don't really have to give me the entire sum now. It's customary for you to save half to ensure delivery.† I smiled wanly at the nervous man. â€Å"But I trust you, J. Besides, I'll give you a bonus – the same again when I get the documents.† â€Å"That's not necessary, I assure you.† â€Å"Don't worry about it.† It wasn't like I could take it with me. â€Å"So HI meet you here next week at the same time?† He gave me a pained look. â€Å"Actually, I prefer to make such transactions in places unrelated to my various businesses.† â€Å"Of course. I'm sure I'm not doing this the way you expect.† â€Å"I'm used to having no expectations when it comes to the Cullen family.† He grimaced and then quickly composed his face again. â€Å"Shall we meet at eight o'clock a week from tonight at The Pacifico? It's on Union Lake, and the food is exquisite.† â€Å"Perfect.† Not that I would be joining him for dinner. He actually wouldn't like it much if I did. I rose and shook his hand again. This time he didn't flinch. But he did seem to have some new worry on his mind. His mouth was pinched up, his back tense. â€Å"Will you have trouble with that deadline?† I asked. â€Å"What?† He looked up, taken off guard by my question. â€Å"The deadline? Oh, no. No worries at all. I will certainly have your documents done on time.† It would have been nice to have Edward here, so that I would know what J's real worries were. I sighed. Keeping secrets from Edward was bad enough; having to be away from him was almost too much. â€Å"Then HI see you in one week.†

Is Consumerism Affecting The Way We Live - 2494 Words

How is consumerism affecting the way we live in Britain? For my reflective project I have decided to follow-on to an ethical issue that I believe has effects to the society we live in, locally and globally. My question discusses consumerism and how it affects Britain in aspects such as environment, education, economy and health. The reason for my choice of this question was because I am interested in it; this is because it is the main effect of disturbances in the environment and it affects everyone in the world whether rich or poor. My question is ‘How is consumerism affecting the way we live in Britain?’ In order to fully understand and be able to complete this project I needed to engage in primary research which was done through a questionnaire and secondary research which was done through the help of articles on the internet. Consumerism - Consumerism is a social and economic act that encourages purchase of goods and services in larger than regular amounts. What this usually means for people is that they tend to purchase more that they need which in end wastes their money and results in more waste. An increase of mass production leads to higher levels on consumerism; higher levels of mass production are cause through the acts of having a media culture and through the act of globalisation. Now this means that products and services are more accessible so customers can purchase more due to other culture being shared. However, mass production results in poor quality ofShow MoreRelatedConsumerism in Children1448 Words   |  6 PagesFelicia Gardner HMXP 102 Dr. Matthew Fike October 13, 2010 Consumerism In Children Introduction When I was two years old my mother enrolled me in gymnastics. Gymnastics was a huge part of my life for the next four years. After moving up to be with the fourteen and fifteen year olds my mother realized that something was not right, because I was having body issues at the age of six. 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Poems of Robert Frost Essay - 1556 Words

Robert Frost was an American poet, and playwright who became one of the leading pioneers in poetry in the late 1800’s into the 1900’s. Frost grew up in rural New England in the early twentieth century and experienced many hardships in his life including losing his father at the young age of eleven and losing two children at very young ages. He used his experiences of growing up in a rural area in most of his poems. Another major them in his poems are decision-making poems usually based off of his own life. This is a huge them in his poems because Frost always wondered what would have happened if he decided doing something other than writing poetry in his life. He always wondered how his life would be different and it shows in his poems†¦show more content†¦This theme in Frost’s poems has been displayed many times before. Sometimes they aren’t as much as life-changing decisions as they are decisions to make a situation better or worse. This theme o f making a situation better or worse is displayed in his poem â€Å"The Mending Wall†. If I could put a notion in his head: Why do they make good neighbors? Isnt it Where there are cows? But here there are no cows. Before I built a wall Id ask to know What I was walling in or walling out, And to whom I was like to give offense. It is a little hard to understand from this excerpt of the poem but the main poem is about two neighbors who have a wall separating them and the wall is breaking apart. One man wants to take down the wall but the other thinks the wall should stay up like it had been when their fathers built it there. This poem deals with some minor decisions but still have to do with a decision that can affect a life. Robert Frost’s poems always makes the reader of the poems think outside of the box and make the reader think of things in a different perspective. Frost’s poem â€Å"Fire and Ice† has less to do with the final decision but more to do with the thought process leading to the final conclusion; Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what Ive tasted of desire I hold with those who favour fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I knowShow MoreRelatedRobert Frost Poem Analysis792 Words   |  4 PagesWhen looking at both Robert Frost’s and Emily Dickinson’s poems about darkness and night, several things are brought to light. This includes the different point of views provided by the speaker, the imagery left for the reader to depict, the structure of each poem, and how both poems connect to each other. In each of the two poems, the speakers have contrasting opinions on the idea of darkness and the night. In Emily Dickinson’s poem, the speaker presents themself with optimism within the phrasesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Birches By Robert Frost1711 Words   |  7 PagesEarth. 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Despite that, he was a kind of subtle poet and generally recognized as a private man. Moreover, his appearance at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy to recite â€Å"The Gift Outright†Read MoreEssay about Analysis of the Poems of Robert Frost1316 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Road Not Taken† and â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay† are just two of many very famous poems, written by none other than Robert Frost. Robert Frost is a poet that is well known for his poetic contributions to nature, as well as his award winning poems. His poetic ability and knowledge make him an extraordinary author. His past; including schooling, family, and the era in which he wrote influenced nearly all of his poems in some way. This very famous poet contributed to the modernism era, had a familyRead MoreEssay on Symbols and Symbolism in the Poems of Robert Frost1463 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in the Poems of Robert Frost    Nature has inspired countless poets from primitive times to the present. They have used it as a metaphor for virtually all human emotions-his stormy brow, her sky blue eyes, as wild as a summer storm. Very few, however, have so masterfully crafted their verse to fully express the range of nature’s power and influence, or suited the tone of a poem to encompass both human nature and ‘true’ nature. This is true in the poetic works of Robert Frost. The aspectsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Acquainted With The Night By Robert Frost942 Words   |  4 PagesThe poem â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† by Robert Frost is not simply about a walk being taken on a rainy night, as one would assume on their first reading. Instead a closer reading of the poem will reveal to the reader a much darker journey. As the speaker describes his trudge through the city streets, the reader begins to see that this is far more than a walk through a gloomy night; it is a man’s j ourney through depression. 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In his poems â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay† Birches S topping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Fire and Ice and Mending Wall Robert Frost explores the theme of nature, and the human emotion love. Robert Frost is considered a humanist and is one of the most well-known American poets. â€Å"If the United States ever adopted a national poet, chances are it would be Robert Frost. By the time Frost died in 1963 at the ageRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Tuft Of Flowers By Robert Frost1340 Words   |  6 PagesFlowers have enough variety in color and characteristics to express almost any emotion. Robert Frost used these varieties to his advantage in some of his poems. â€Å"Rose Pogonias† is a poem Frost wrote to encourage the preservation of sanctuaries. At the same time, the poem discourages the belief that taking pieces of a sanctuary, that will not be missed, is okay, whether it be literal or metaphorical. In Frost’s â€Å"The Tuft of Flowers†, the narrator is lonely because a mower had cut all the flowers fromRead MoreRobert Frost 3 Poem Comparison Essay1236 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening†, â€Å"Birches†, and â€Å"The Road Not Taken† Robert Frost was an American poet that first became known after publishing a book in England. He soon came to be one of the best-known and loved American poets ever. He often wrote of the outdoors and the three poems that I will compare are of that â€Å"outdoors† type. There are several likenesses and differences in these poems. They each have their own meaning; each represent a separate thing and each tell a different story

Vietnam War Paper - 1273 Words

The Vietnam War escalated from a Vietnamese civil war into a limited international conflict, in which the United States was deeply involved. The Vietnam War was fought in South Vietnam between government forces aided by the United States and guerilla forces aided by the North Vietnamese. Despite increased American military involvement and signed peace agreements in 1973, the Vietnam War did not end until North Vietnams successful invasion of South Vietnam in 1975. The Vietnam War may have been the longest war in American history, but after South Vietnam collapsed, America was left to question their highly controversial involvement in a lost cause. The Vietnam War originated as a civil war between the North and South. However, soon†¦show more content†¦Initially, the United States patrolled international waters with lawfully present naval vessels, assisting Vietnam to protect their freedom, having no territorial, military, or political ambitions in that area, but desires only that these peoples should be left in peace to work their own destinies in their own way. However, the Northern Vietnamese did not welcome American naval vessels, as they deliberately and repeatedly attacked United States naval vessels lawfully present in international waters. The attacks got the attention of the American public, prodding the government for retaliation. The United States issued the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964. It said that Congress empowered the President, as Command in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the U.S. and to prevent further aggression. Most importantly, the memorandum gave the President the permission to retaliate North Vietnams threats to international peace, as the attacks were reason enough for further American involvement in Vietnam, as well as an escalation of military forces. In June 1965, the United States government began to realize that under present conditions, the odds of winning the fight in Vietnam are unlikely, as the ratio of guerilla to anti-guerilla forces is 10-1. However, President Johnson vowed that he would not be the first President to lose a country to Communism,Show MoreRelatedVietnam War Position Paper2011 Words   |  9 PagesVietnam War â€Å"You never knew who was the enemy and who was the friends,† said a marine officer who took part in a conflict deemed the longest war in Unites States history (My). The Vietnam War was not only the longest war in US history, as it took place from 1959 to 1975, but it is also considered one of the most controversial conflicts to date. This war, also known as the second Indochina War, occurred in the countries of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. It was fought between communist North VietnamRead MoreResearch Papers for Vietnam War1341 Words   |  6 PagesVietnam War Research Paper: During the 30 years of XX century Vietnam was at war. It all started in the 1940†²s, when the Communists fought against French colonial rule, and was completed in 1975 with the fall of Saigon. The period, which the Vietnamese know as the â€Å"American War† and the Americans call the â€Å"Vietnam War†, lasted from 1965 to 1973, during the time of the U.S. intervention. The communist leader Ho Chi Minh led his forces based in the north and defeated the French in 1954Read MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War1379 Words   |  6 Pagestensions over the Vietnam war caused many americans to become divided on the actions taken by the government across seas. Americans questioned whether the government could be trusted. 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Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups Free Essays

80 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW By now, most executives have accepted that emotional intelligence is as critical as IQ to an individual’s effectiveness. But much of the important work in organizations is done in teams. New research uncovers what emotional intelligence at the group level looks like-and how to achieve it Building the Emotioncil Intelligence of Groups W by Vanessa Urch Druskat and Steven B. We will write a custom essay sample on Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups or any similar topic only for you Order Now Wolff HEN MANAGERS EIRST STARTED HEARING ABOUT the concept of emotional intelligence in the 1990s, scales fell from their eyes. The basic message, that effectiveness in organizations is at least as much about EQ as IQ, resonated deeply; it was something that people knew in their guts but that had never before been so well articulated. Most important, the idea held the potential for positive change. Instead of being stuck with the hand they’d been dealt, people could take steps to enhance their emotional intelligence and make themselves more effective in their work and personal lives. Indeed, the concept of emotional intelligence had real impact. The only problem is that so far emotional intelligence has been viewed only as an individual competency, when the reality is that most work in organizations is done by teams. And if managers have one pressing need today, it’s to find ways to make teams work better. MARCH 2001 81 Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups It is with real excitement, therefore, that we share these findingsfromour research: individual emotional intelligence has a group analog, and it is just as critical to groups’ effectiveness. Teams can develop greater emotional intelligence and, in so doing, boost their overall performance. Why Should Teams Build Their Emotional Intelligence? No one would dispute the importance of making teams work more effectively. But most research about how to do so has focused on identifying the task processes that distinguish the most successftil teams-that is, specifying the need for cooperation, participation, commitment to goals, and so forth. The assumption seems to be that, once identified, these processes can simply be imitated by other teams, with similar effect. It’s not true. By analogy, think of it this way: a piano student can be taught to play Minuet in G, but he won’t become a modem-day Bach without knowing music theory and being able to play with heart. Similarly, the real source of a great team’s success lies in the fundamental conditions that allow effective task processes to emerge-and that cause members to engage in them wholeheartedly. Our research tells us that three conditions are essential to a group’s effectiveness: trust among members, a sense of group identity, and a sense of group efficacy. When these conditions are absent, going through the motions of cooperating and participating is still possible. But the team will not be as effective as it could be, because members will choose to hold back rather than fully engage. To be most effective, the team needs to create emotionally intelligent norms -the attitudes and behaviors that eventually become habits-that support behaviors for building trust, group identity, and group efficacy. The outcome is complete engagement in tasks. {For more on how emotional intelligence infiuences these conditions, see the sidebar â€Å"A Model of Team Effectiveness. ) at more levels. To understand the differences, let’s first look at the concept of individual emotional intelligence as defined by Daniel Goleman. In his definitive book Emotional Intelligence, Goleman explains the chief characteristics of someone with high El; he or she is aware of emotions and able to regulate them-and this awareness and regulation are directed both inw ard, to one’s self, and outward, to others. â€Å"Personal competence,† in Goleman’s words, comes from being aware of and regulating one’s own emotions. Social competence†is awareness and regulation of others’ emotions. A group, however, must attend to yet another level of awareness and regulation. It must be mindful of the emotions of its members, its own group emotions or moods, and the emotions of other groups and individuals outside its boundaries. In this article, we’ll explore how emotional incompetence at any of these levels can cause dysfunction. We’ll also show how establishing specific group norms that create awareness and regulation of emotion at these three levels can lead to better outcomes. First, we’ll focus on the individual level-how emotionally intelligent groups work with their individual members’ emotions. Next, we’ll focus on the group level. Andfinally,we’ll look at the cross-boimdary level. Working with Individuals’ Emotions /(†¢// Kasper, head ofher company’s customer service department, is naturally tapped tojoin a new cross-functional team focused on enhancing the customer experience: she has extensive experience in and a real passion for customer service. But her teammatesfind she brings little more than a bad attitude to the table. At an early brainstorming session, Jill sits silent, arms crossed, rolling her eyes. Whenever the team starts to get energized about an idea, she launches into a detailed account of how a similar idea went nowhere in the past. The group is confused: this is the customer service star they’ve been hearing about? Little do they realize shefeels insulted by the very formation of the team. To her, it implies she hasn’t done her job well enough. Three Levels of Emotional Interaction Make no mistake: a team with emotionally intelligent members does not necessarily make for an emotionally intelligent group. A team, like any social group, takes on its own character. So creating an upward, self-reinforcing spiral of trust, group identity, and group efficacy requires more than a few members who exhibit emotionally intelligent behavior. It requires a team atmosphere in which the norms build emotional capacity (the ability to respond constructively in emotionally uncomfortable situations) and influence emotions in constructive ways. Team emotional intelligence is more complicated than individual emotional intelligence because teams interact 82 When a member is not on the same emotional wavelength as the rest, a team needs to be emotionally intelligent vis-ci-vis that individual. In part, that simply means being aware of the problem. Having a norm that encourages interpersonal understanding might facilitate an awareness that Jill is acting out of defensiveness. And picking up on this defensiveness is necessary if the team Vanessa Urch Druskat is an assistant professor of organizational behavior at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Steven B. Wolff is an assistant professor of management at the School of Management at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Building the Emotional Intelligence of Croups A Model of Team Effectiveness better decisions, more creative solutions, higher productivity study after study has shown that teams are more creative and productive when they can achieve high levels of participation, cooperation, and collaboration among members. But interactive behaviors (ike these aren’t easy to legislate. Our work shows that tbree basic conditions need to be present before such behaviors can occur: mutual trust among members, a sense of group identity (a feeling among members that they belong to a unique and worthwhile group), and a sense of group efficacy (the beliefthat the team can perform well and that group members are more effective working together than apart). At the heart of these three conditions are emotions. Trust, a sense of identity, and a feeling of efficacy arise in environments where emotion is well handled, so groups stand to benefit by building their emotional intelligence. Group emotional intelligence isn’t a question of dealing with a necessary evil-catching emotions as they bubble up and promptly suppressing them. Far from it. It’s about bringing emotions deliberately to the surface and understanding how they affect the team’s work. It’s also about behaving in ways that build relationships both inside and outside the team and that strengthen tbe team’s ability to face challenges. Emotional intelligence means exploring, embracing, and ultimately relying on emotion in work that is, at the end ofthe day, deeply human. articipation, cooperation, collaboration trust, identity, efficacy group emotional intelligence wants to make her imderstand its desire to amplify her good work, not negate it. Some teams seem to be able to do this naturally. At Hewlett-Packard, for instance, we learned of a team that was attempting to cross-train its members. The idea was that if each member could pinch-hit on everyone else’s job, the team could deploy efforts to whatever task required the most attention. But one member seemed very uncomfortable with learning new skills and tasks; accustomed to being a top producer in his own job, he hated not knowing how to do a job perfectly. Luckily, his teammates recognized his discomfort, and rather than being annoyed, they redoubled their efforts to support him. This team benefited from a group norm it had established over time emphasizing interpersonal understanding. The norm had grown out of the group’s realization that working to accurately hear and understand one another’s feelings and concerns improved member morale and a willingness to cooperate. Many teams build high emotional intelligence by taking pains to consider matters from an individual member’s perspective. Think of a situation where a team of four must reach a decision; three favor one direction and the fourth favors another. In the interest of expedience, many teams in this situation would move directly to a maMARCH 2001 jority vote. But a more emotionally intelligent group would pausefirstto hear out the objection. It would also ask if everyone were completely behind the decision, even if there appeared to be consensus. Such groups would ask, â€Å"Are there any perspectives we haven’t heard yet or thought through completely? † Perspective taking is a team behavior that teamwork experts discuss often – but not in terms of its emotional consequence. Many teams are trained to use perspectivetaking techniques to make decisions or solve problems (a common tool is affinity diagramming). But these techniques may or may not improve a group’s emotional intelligence. The problem is that many of these techniques consciously attempt to remove emotion from the process by collecting and combining perspectives in a mechanical way. A more effective approach to perspective taking is to ensure that team members see one another making the effort to grapple with perspectives; that way, the team has a better chance of creating the kind of trust that leads to greater participation among members. An executive team at the Hay Group, a consulting firm, engages in the kind of deep perspective taking we’re describing. The team has done role-playing exercises in which members adopt others’opinions and styles of interaction. It has also used a â€Å"storyboarding† technique, in 83 Building ttie Emotional Intelligence of Croups which each member creates a small poster representing his or her ideas. As team members will attest, these methods and others have helped the group build trust and increase participation. Regulating Individuals’Emotions Interpersonal understanding and perspective taking are two ways that groups can become more aware of their members’ perspectives and feelings. But just as important as awareness is the ability to regulate those emotions-to have a positive impact on how they are expressed and even on how individual team members feel. We’re not talking about imposing groupthink or some other form of manipulation here-clearly, the goal must be to balance the team’s cohesion with members’ individuality. We’re simply acknowledging that people take their emotional cues from those around them. Something that seems upsetting initially can seem not so bad – o r ten times worse depending on whether one’s colleagues are inclined to smooth feathers or fan flames. The most constructive way of regulating team members’emotions is hy establishing norms in the group for both confrontation and caring. in a meeting where one team member arrived angry because the time and place of the meeting was very inconvenient for him. When another member announced the sacrifice the man had made to be there, and thanked him, the man’s attitude turned around 180 degrees. In general, a caring orientation includes displaying positive regard, appreciation, and respect for group members through behaviors such as support, validation, and compassion. Interpersonal understanding, perspective taking, confrontation, caring-these norms build trust and a sense of group identity among members. And all of them can be established in teams where they don’t arise naturally. You may ask, But is it really worth all the effort? Does it make sense to spend managerial time fostering new norms to accommodate a few prickly personalities? Of course it does. Teams are at the very foundation of an organization, and they won’t work effectively without mutual trust and a common commitment to goals. Working with Group Emotions Chris couldn’t believe it, but he was requesting a reassignment The team he was on was doing good work, staying on budget, and hitting all its deadlines – though not always eleIt may seem illogical to suggest that an emotionally gantly. Its leader, Stan Evans, just got a promotion. So why intelligent group must engage in confrontation, but it’s was being on the team such a downer? At the last major stanot. Inevitably, a team member will indulge in behavior tus meeting, they should have been serving champagne -so that crosses the line, and the team must feel comfortable much had been achieved. Instead, everyone was thoroughly calling the foul. In one manufacturing team we studied, dispirited over a setback they hadn’t foreseen, which turned a member told us about the day she selfishly decided to out later to be no big deal. It seemed no matter what hapextend her break. Before long, one of her teammates pened, the group griped. The team even saw Stan’s promostormed into the break room, saying, â€Å"What are you dotion in a negative light: â€Å"Oh, so I guess management wants ing in here? Get back out on the floor-your team needs to keep a closer eye on us† and â€Å"I hear Stan’s new boss you! The woman had overstepped tbe bounds, and doesn’t back this project. † Chris she got called on it. There were had a friend on another team no hard feelings, because the woman knew the group valued Inevitably, a team member will who was happy to put in a good word for him. The work was inher contributions. indulge in behavior that crosses he rently less interesting – but hey, Some teams also find that a at least they were having fun. little bumor helps when pointing out errant behavior. Teasing Some teams suffer because someone who is habitually late they aren’t aware of emotions comfortable calling the foul. or meetings, for instance, can at the group level. Chris’s team, make that person aware of how for instance, isn’t aware of all it has achieved, and it doesn’t acknowledge that it has fallen important timeliness is to the group. Done right, coninto a malaise. !n our study of effective teams, we’ve frontation can be seen in a positive light; it’s a way for found tbat having norms for group self-awareness-of the group to say, â€Å"We want you in-we need your conemotional states, strengths and weaknesses, modes of intribution. And it’s especially important when a team teraction, and task processes-is a critical part of group must work together on a long-term as signment. Without emotional intelligence tbat facilitates group efficacy. confrontation, disruptive behavior can fester and erode Teams gain it both through self-evaluation and by solicita sense of trust in a team. ing feedback from others. Establishing norms that reinforce caring behavior is often not very difficult and usually a matter of concenSelf-evaluation can take tbe form of a formal event trating on little things. When an individual is upset, for or a constant activity. At Sberwin Williams, a group of example, it may make all the difference to have group managers was starting a new initiative that would require members acknowledge that person’s feelings. We saw this higher levels of teamwork. Group members hired a con- the line, and the team mustfeel 84 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Building the Emotional Intelligence of Croups sultant, but before the consultant arrived, they met to assess their strengths and weaknesses as a team. They found that merely articulating the issues was an important step toward building their capabilities. A far less formal method of raising group emotional awareness is through the kind of activity we saw at the Veterans Health Administration’s Center for Leadership and Development. Managers there have developed a norm in which they are encouraged to speak up when they feel the group is not being productive. For example, if there’s a post-lunch lull and people on the team are low on energy, someone might say, â€Å"Don’t we look like a bunch of sad sacks? With attention called to it, the group makes an effort to refocus. Emotionally competent teams don’t wear blinders; they have the emotional capacity to face potentially difficult information and actively seek opinions on their task processes, progress, and performance from the outside. For some teams, feedback may come directly from customers. Others look to colleagues within the company, to suppliers, or to professional peers. A group of designers we studied routinely posts its work in progress on walls throughout the building, with invitations to comment and critique. Similarly, many advertising agencies see annual industry competitions as a valuable source of feedback on their creative teams’ work. Croups are most creative when their members collaborate unreservedly. People stop holding back when there is mutual trust, rooted in emotionally intelligent interactions. Regulating Group Emotions Many teams make conscious efforts to build team spirit. Team-building outings, whether purely social or Outward Bound-style physical challenges, are popular methods for building this sense of collective enthusiasm. What’s going on here is that teams and their leaders recognize they can improve a team’s overall attitude-that is, they are regulating group-level emotion. And while the focus of a team-building exercise is often not directly related to a group’s actual work, the benefits are highly relevant: teams come away with higher emotional capacity and thus a greater ability to respond to emotional challenges. The most effective teams we have studied go far beyond the occasional â€Å"ropes and rocks† off-site. They have established norms that strengthen their ability to respond MARCH 2001 ffectively to the kind of emotional challenges a group confronts on a daily basis. The norms they favor accomplish three main things: they create resources for working with emotions, foster an affirmative environment, and encourage proactive problem solving. Teams need resources that all members can draw on to deal with group emotions. One important resource is a common vocabulary . To use an example, a group member at the Veterans Health Administration picked up on another member’s bad mood and told him that he was just â€Å"cranky† today. The â€Å"cranky† term stuck and became the group’s gentle way of letting someone know that their negativity was having a bad effect on the group. Other resources may include helpful ways to vent frustrations. One executive team leader we interviewed described his team’s practice of making time for a â€Å"wailing wall† – a few minutes of whining and moaning about some setback. Releasing and acknowledging those negative emotions, 85 Building the Emotional Intelligence of Croups the leader says, allows the group to refocus its attention on the parts of the situation it can control and channel its energy in a positive direction. But sometimes, venting takes more than words. We’ve seen more than one intense workplace outfitted with toys – like soft projectile shooters-that have been used in games of cube warfare. Perhaps the most obvious way to build emotional capacity through regulating team-level emotion is simply to create an affirmative environment. Everyone values a team that, when faced with a challenge, responds with a can-do attitude. Again, it’s a question of having the right group norms-in this case, favoring optimism, and positive images and interpretations over negative ones. This doesn’t always come naturally to a team, as one executive we interviewed at the Hay Group knows. When external conditions create a cycle of negativity among group members, he takes it upon himself to change the atmosphere of the group. He consciously resists the temptation to join the complaining and blaming and instead tries to reverse the cycle with a positive, constructive note. One of the most powerful norms we have seen for building a group’s ability to respond to emotionally challenging situations is an emphasis on proactive problem solving. We saw a lot of this going on in a manufacturing team we observed at AMP Corporation. Much of what this team needed to hit its targets was out of its strict control. But rather than sit back and point fingers, the team worked hard to get what it needed from others, and in some cases, took matters into its own hands. In one instance, an alignment problem in a key machine was creating faulty products. The team studied the problem and approached the engineering group with its own suggested design for a part tbat might correct the problem. The device worked, and the number of defective products decreased significantly. Building Norms for Three Levels of Group Emotional Intelligence Group emotional intelligence is about the small acts that make a big difference. It is not about a team member working all night to meet a deadline; it is about saying thank you for doir)g so. It is not about in-depth discussion of ideas; it is about asking a quiet member for his thoughts. It is not about harmony, lack of tension, and all members liking each other; it is about acknowledging when harmony is false, tension is unexpressed, and treating others witb respect. The following sidebar outlines some of the small things tbat groups can do to establisb tbe norms that build group emotional intelligence. take them down a notch. And what was with that name, anyway? Some kind ofinsidejoke, Jim guessed. Too bad nobody else got it The last kind of emotional intelligence any high-performing team should have relates to cross-boundary relationships, just as individuals should be mindful of their own emotions and others’, groups should look both inward and outward emotionally. In the case of the Bugs, This kind of problem solving is valuable for many reathe team is acting like a clique – creating close emotional sons. It obviously serves the company by removing one ties within but ignoring the feelings, needs, and conmore obstacle to profitability. But, to the point of our cerns of important individuals and teams in the broader work, it also shows a team in control of its own emotions. organization. It refused to feel powerless and was eager to take charge. Some teams have developed norms that are particularly helpful in making them aware of the broader organizational context. One practice is to have various team members act as liaisons to important constituencies. Many Jim sighed. The â€Å"Bugs† team was at it agair. Didn’t they see teams are already made up of members drawn from different parts of an organization, so a cross-boundary perthat while they were high-fiving one another over their impressive productivity, the rest of the organization was paying spective comes naturally. Others need to work a little harder. One team we studied reahzed it would be imfor it? This time, in their self-managed wisdom, they’d deportant to understand the perspective of its labor union. ided to make a three months’supply of one component. No Consequently, a team member from HR went to some changeover meant no machine downtime and a record low lengths to discover the right channels for having a union cost per unit But now the group downstream was swamped with inventory it didn’t need and worried about shortages of member appointed to the group. A cross-boundary perspective is especially important in situations where a something else. Jim braced himself for his visit to the floor. eam’s work will have significant impact on others in The Bugs didn’t take criticism well; they seemed to think they were flawless and that everyone else was just trying to the organization – for example, where a team is asked to Working with Emotions Outside the Group 86 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups Individual Interpersonal Understanding 1. Take time away from group tasks to get to know one another. 2. Have a â€Å"check in† at the beginning of the meeting – that is, ask how everyone is doing. 3. Assume that undesirable behavior takes place for a reason. Find out what that reason is. Ask questions and listen. Avoid negative attributions. 4. Tell your teammates what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling. Perspective Taking 1. Ask whether everyone agrees with a decision. 2. Ask quiet members what they think. 3. Question decisions that come too quickly. 4. Appoint a devil’s advocate. Group Team Self-Evaluation 1. Schedule time to examine team effectiveness. 2. Create measurable task and process objectives and then measure them. 3. Acknowledge and discuss group moods. 4. Communicateyour sense of what is transpiring in the team. 5. Allow members to call a â€Å"process check. (For instance, a team member might say, â€Å"Process check: is this the most effective use of our time right now? â€Å") Seeking Feedback 1. Askyour†customers†howyou are doing. 2. Post your work and invite comments. 3. Benchmark your processes. Cross-Boundary Organizational Understanding 1. Find out the concerns and needs of oth ers in the organization. 2. Consider who can influence the team’s ability to accomplish its goals. 3. Discuss the culture and politics inthe organization. 4. Ask whether proposed team actions are congruent with the organization’s culture and politics. Norms That Create Awareness of Emotions Norms That Help Regulate Emotions† Confrortting 1. Set ground rules and use them to point out errant behavior. 2. Call members on errant behavior. 3. Create playful devices for pointing out such behavior. These often emerge from the group spontaneously. Reinforce them. Caring 1. Support members: volunteer to help them if they need it, be flexible, and provide emotional support. 2. Validate members’ contributions. Let members know they are valued. 3. Protect members from attack. 4. Respect individuality and differences in perspectives. Listen. 3. Never be derogatory or demeaning. Creating Resources for Working with Emotion 1. Make time to discuss difficult issues, and address the emotions that surround them. 2. Find creative, shorthand ways to acknowledge and express the emotion in the group. 3. Create fun ways to acknowledge and relieve stress and tension. 4. Express acceptance of members’ emotions. Creating an Affirmative Environment 1. Reinforce that the team can meet a challenge. Be optimistic. For example, say things like, â€Å"We can get through this† or†Nothing will stop us† 2. Focus on what you can control. 3. Remind members of the group’s important and positive mission. 4. Remind the group how it solved a similar problem before. 5. Focus on problem solving, not blaming. Solving Problems Proactively 1. Anticipate problems and address them before they happen. 2. Take the initiative to understand and get what you need to be effective. 3. Do ityourself if others aren’t responding. Rely on yourself, not others. Building External Relationships 1. Create opportunities for networking and interaction. 2. Ask about the needs of other teams. 3. Provide support for other teams. 4. Invite others to team meetings if they might have a stake in what you are doing. MARCH 2001 87 Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups design an intranet to serve everyone’s needs. We’ve seen gaining the confidence of outsiders, adopting an ambasmany situations in which a team is so enamored of its so- sadorial role instead of an isolationist one. lution that it is caught completely by surprise when othA manufacturing team we saw at KoSa displayed very ers in the company don’t share its enthusiasm. high social skills in working with its maintenance team. It recognized that, when problems occurred in the plant, Some of the most emotionally intelligent teams we the maintenance team often had many activities on its have seen are so attuned to their broader organizational plate. All things being equal, what would make the maincontext that it affects how they frame and communicate tenance team consider this particular manufacturing their own needs and accomplishments. A team at the group a high priority? Knowing a good relationship chemical-processing company KoSa, for example, felt it would be a factor, the manufacturing team worked hard needed a new piece of manufacturing equipment, but seto build good ties with the maintenance people. At one nior management wasn’t so sure the purchase was a pripoint, for instance, the manufacturing team showed its ority. Aware that the decision makers were still on the appreciation by nominating the maintenance team for fence, the team decided to emphasize the employee safety â€Å"Team of the Quarter† recognition-and then doing all benefits of the new machine-just one aspect of its desirthe letter writing and behind-the-scenes praising that ability to them, but an issue of paramount importance to management. At a plant safety meeting attended by high- would ultimately help the maintenance team win. In turn, the manufacturing team’s good relationship with level managers, they made the case that the equipment maintenance helped it become one of the highest prothey were seeking would greatly reduce the risk of injury ducers in the plant. to workers. A few weeks later they got it. Sometimes, a team must be particularly aware of the needs and feelings of another group witbiin the organizaA Model for Group Emotional tion. We worked with an information technology comIntelligence pany where the hardware engineers worked separately from the software engineers to achieve the same goalWe’ve been discussing the need for teams to learn to faster processing and fewer crashes. Each could achieve channel emotion effectively at the three levels of human only so much independently. When finally a hardware interaction important to them: team to individual memteam leader went out of bis way to build relationships ber, team to itself, and team to outside entities. Together, with the software people, the two teams began to coopthe norms we’ve been exploring help groups work with erate – and together, they achieved 20% to 40% higher per- emotions productively and intelligently. Often, groups formance than had been targeted. with emotionally intelligent members have norms like these in place, but it’s unlikely any group would unconThis kind of positive outcome can be facilitated by sciously come up with all the norms we have outhned. norms that encourage a group to recognize the feelIn other words, this is a model for group emotional intelings and needs of other groups. We saw effective norms ligence that any work team for interteam awareness at a could benefit from by applying division of AMP, where each it deliberately. Nee seen many situations manufacturing team is responsible for a step in the manufacWhat would the ultimate in which a team is so enamored emotionally intelligent team turing process and they need one another to complete the look like? Closest to the ideal of its solution that it is caught product on time. Team leaders are some of the teams we’ve there meet in the morning to completely by surprise when seen at IDEO, the celebrated understand the needs, resources, industrial design firm. IDEO’s and schedules of each team. If others in the company don’t creative teams are responsible one team is ahead and another for the look and feel of products share its enthusiasm. is behind, they reallocate relike Apple’s first mouse, the sources. Members of the faster Crest toothpaste tube, and the team help the team that’s behind and do so in a friendly Palm V personal digital assistant. Thefirmroutinely wins way that empathizes with their situation and builds the competitions for the form and function of its designs and relationship. even has a business that teaches creative problem-solving techniques to other companies. Most of the examples we’ve been citing show teams that are not only aware of but also able to influence outThe nature of IDEO’s work calls for high group emosiders’ needs and perspectives. This ability to regulate tional intelligence. Under pressure of client deadlines and emotion at the cross-boundary level is a group’s version of budget estimates, the company must deliver innovative, the â€Å"social skills† so critical to individual emotional intel- aesthetic solutions that balance human needs with engiligence. It involves developing external relationships and neering realities. It’s a deep philosophical belief at IDEO 88 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Building ttie Emotional Intelligence of Croups that great design is best accomplished through the crerelationships with those individuals and groups. On disative friction of diverse teams and not the solitary pursuit play at IDEO is a curious model: a toy truck with plastic of brilliant individuals, so it’s imperative that the teams at pieces on springs that pop out of the bed of the truck IDEO click. In our study of those teams, we found group when a button is pressed. It turns out the model comnorms supporting emotional intelligence at all three levmemorates an incident that taught a variety of lessons. ls ofour model. The story centers on a design team that had been working for three weeks on a very complex plastic enclosure First, the teams at IDEO are very aware of individual for a product. Unfortunately, on team members’ emotions, and the Thursday before a Monday they are adept at regulating A team can have everything client deadline, when an engithem. For example, an IDEO deneer was taking it to be painted, signer became very frustrated going for it-the brightest and it slipped from his pickup bed because someone from marketand exploded on ing was insisting a logo be apmost qualified people, access to 70 mph. The team the road at was willing plied to the designer’s product, to work through the weekend to which he felt would ruin it visuresources, a clear mission – but rebuild the part but couldn’t finally. At a meeting about the prodish it without the help of the still fail because it lacks group uct, the team’s project leader outside fabricator it had used picked up on the fact that someemotional intelligence. on the original. Because they thing was wrong. The designer had taken the time to build a was sitting off by himself, and things â€Å"didn’t look right. The project leader looked into the situation and then initiated a negotiation that led to a mutual solution. IDEO team members also confront one another when they break norms. This is common during brainstorming sessions, where the rule is that people must defer judgment and avoid shooting down ideas. If someone breaks that norm, the team comes down on him in a playful yet forceful way {imagine being pelted by foam toys). Or if someone is out of line, the norm is to stand up and call her on it immediately. If a client is in the room, the confrontation is subtler- perhaps a kick under the chair. Teams at IDEO also demonstrate strengths in groupfocused emotional intelligence. To ensure they have a high level of self-awareness, teams constantly seek feedback from both inside and outside the organization. Most important, they work very closely with customers. If a design is not meeting customer expectations, the team finds out quickly and takes steps to modify it. Regulating group emotion at IDEO often means providing outlets for stress. This is a company that believes in playing and having fun. Several hundred finger blasters (a toy that shoots soft projectiles) have been placed around the building for employees to pick up and start shooting when they’re frustrated. Indeed, the design firm’s culture welcomes the expression of emotions, so it’s not uncommon for someone – whether happy or angryto stand up and yell. IDEO has even created fun office projects that people can work on ifthey need a break. For example, they might have a project to design the company holiday card or to design the â€Å"tourist stop† displays seen by visitors. Finally, IDEO teams also have norms to ensure they are aware of the needs and concerns of people outside their boundaries and that they use that awareness to develop tWARCH 2 0 0 1 good relationship with the fabricator, its people were willing to go above and beyond the call of duty. The lighthearted display was a way for teammates to show the engineer that all was forgiven-and a reminder to the rest of the organization of how a team in crisis can get by with a little help from its friends. Where Do Norms Come From? Not every company is as dependent on teams and their emotional intelligence as IDEO. But now more than ever, we see companies depending on teams for decisions and tasks that, in another time, would have been the work of individuals. And unfortunately, we also see them discovering that a team can have everything going for it-the brightest and most qualified people, access to resources, a clear mission-but still fail because it lacks group emotional intelligence. Norms that build trust, group identity, and group efficacy are the key to making teams click. They allow an otherwise highly skilled and resourced team to fulfill its potential, and they can help a team faced with substantial challenges achieve surprising victories. So how do norms as powerful as the ones we’ve described in this article come about? In our research, we saw them being introduced from any of five basic directions: by formal team leaders, by informal team leaders, by courageous followers, through training, or ft-om the larger organizational culture. (For more on how to establish the norms described in this article, see the sidebar†Building Norms for Three Levels of Group Emotional Intelligence. â€Å") At the Hay Group, for example, it was the deliberate action of a team leader that helped one group see the importance of emotions to the group’s overall effectiveness. Because this particular group was composed of managers 89 Building ttie Emotional Intelligence of Groups from many different cultures, its leader knew he couldn’t assume all the members possessed a high level of interpersonal understanding. To establish that norm, he introduced novelties like having a meeting without a tahle, using smaller groups, and conducting an inventory of team members’various learning styles. Interventions like these can probably be done only by a formal team leader. The ways informal leaders or other team members enhance emotional intelligence are typically more subtle, though often just as powerful. Anyone might advance the cause, for example, by speaking up if the group appears to be ignoring an important perspective or feeling-or simply by doing his or her part to create an affirmative environment. Training courses can also go a long way toward increasing emotional awareness and showing people how to regulate emotions. We know of many companies that now focus on emotional issues in leadership development courses, negotiation and communication workshops, and employee-assistance programs like those for stress management. These training programs can sensitize team members to the importance of establishing emotionally intelligent norms. Finally, perhaps more than anything, a team can be influenced by a broader organizational culture that recognizes and celebrates employee emotion. This is clearly the case at IDEO and, we believe, at many of the companies creating the greatest value in the new economy. Unfortu- nately, it’s the most difficult piece ofthe puzzle to put in place at companies that don’t already have it. For organizations with long histories of employees checking their emotions at the door, change will occur, if at all, one team at a time. Becoming Intelligent About Emotion The research presented in this article arosefromone simple imperative: in an era of teamwork, it’s essential to figure out what makes teams work. Our research shows that, just like individuals, the most effective teams are emotionally intelligent ones-and that any team can attain emotional intelligence. In this article, we’ve attempted to lay out a model for positive change, containing the most important t3’pes of norms a group can create to enhance its emotional intelligence. Teams, like all groups, operate according to such norms. By working to establish norms for emotional awareness and regulation at all levels of interaction, teams can build the solid foundation of trust, group identity, and group efficacy they need for true cooperation and collaboration-and high performance overall. 9 Reprint R0103E To order reprints, see the last page of Executive Summaries. To further explore the topic of this article, go to www. hbr. org/explore. (A^^l^ j-iywi 1 â€Å"I’m in a rut They throw the ball, I bring it back. They throw it again, I bring it back again. What’s the point of it ail? † 90 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW How to cite Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups, Essay examples