Water Biomes :: Environment Ecology

Water Biomes Marshland is covered with grasses, reeds, sedges, and cattails. These plants all have their roots in soil covered or saturated with water and its leaves held above water.Marshes may be freshwater or salt. Freshwater marshes develop along the shallow edges of lakes and slow-moving rivers, forming when ponds and lakes become filled with sediment. Salt marshes occur on coastal tidal flats. Inland salt marshes occupy the edges of lakes. They affect the supply of nutrients, the movement of water, and the type and deposition of sediment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Salt marshes are best developed on the Atlantic coasts of North America and Europe. In eastern North America the low marsh is dominated by a single species, salt-marsh cordgrass. The high marsh consists of a short cordgrass called hay, spike grass, and glasswort. Glasswort is the dominant plant of Pacific Coast salt marshes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freshwater marshes provide nesting and wintering habitats for waterfowl and shorebirds, muskrats, frogs, and many aquatic insects. Salt marshes are wintering grounds for snow geese and ducks, a nesting habitat for herons and rails, and a source of nutrients for estuarine waters. Marshes are important in flood control, in sustaining high-water tables, and as settling basins to reduce pollution downstream. Despite their great environmental value, marshes are continually being destroyed by drainage and filling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marine Life, plants and animals of the sea, from the high-tide mark along the shore to the depths of the ocean. These organisms fall into three major groups: the benthos, plants such as kelp and animals such as brittle stars that live on or depend on the bottom; the nekton, swimming animals such as fishes and whales that move independently of water currents; and plankton, various small to microscopic organisms that are carried along by the currents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shore Life, the essentially marine organisms that inhabit the region bounded on one side by the height of the extreme high tide and on the other by the height of the extreme low tide. Within these boundaries organisms face a severe environment imposed by the rise and fall of tides. For up to half of a 24-hour period, the environment is marine; the rest of the time it is exposed, with terrestrial extremes in temperature and the drying effects of wind and sun.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life on rocky shores, best developed on northern coasts, is separated into distinct zones that reflect the length of time each zone is exposed. At the highest position on the rocks is the black zone, marked by blue-green algae. This transition area between land and the marine environment is flooded only during the high spring. Below the black zone lies the white zone, where

Dickinsons I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain Essay -- Dickinsons I Felt

Thomas Higginson changing Dickinson's words. An interpretive paper on, "I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain Emily's Version I felt a Funeral, in my Brain, And Mourners to and fro Kept treading--treading--till it seemed That Sense was breaking through. And when they all were seated, A Service, like a Drum. Kept beating--beating--till I thought My Mind was going numb. And then I heard them lift a Box And creak across my Soul With those same Boots of Lead, again, Then Space--began to toll, As all the Heavens were a Bell, And Being, but an Ear, And I, and Silence, some strange Race Wrecked, solitary, here. And then a Plank in Reason, broke, And I dropped down, and down. And hit a World, at every plunge, And Finished knowing--then-- After Higginson's Alterations I Felt A Funeral in my Brain I felt a funeral, in my brain, And mourners to and fro Kept treading, treading, till it seemed That sense was breaking through. And when they all were seated, A service, like a drum Kept beating, beating, till I thought My mind was going numb. And then I hea...

Hearing Hushed Emotions: A Subtle Symphony of Diction in “Peter Quince

Hearing Hushed Emotions: A Subtle Symphony of Diction in â€Å"Peter Quince at the Clavier† â€Å"Music is feeling, then, not sound,† writes Wallace Stevens in his poem â€Å"Peter Quince at the Clavier,† beginning to establish music as the connection between physical and spiritual. Music-related terminology fills the poem, which Stevens composes like a piece of music, with four movements and varying rhythms that echo one another. The rhythms and terminology Stevens employs dually reflect the subjects he writes about, a dynamic that embodies the link between music and emotion in the poem. The language of music develops silent emotions; when hearts quietly jump or stomachs secretly turn, â€Å"a cymbal crashe[s], / and roaring horns.† In this overly-theatrical development of clandestine, unperformed emotions, the poem fashions its unique mixture of mocking and irony with regards to its subjects. In the poem, therefore, music acts as a link between the outwardly physical and the furtively emotional; similarly, the musical diction of the poem w orks as a channel between the subjects, their muted sentiments, and the acoustically ironic message the poem conveys about those subjects and their feelings. In the third stanza of the poem, the speaker comments that â€Å"thinking . . . is music,† which reminds him of the â€Å"strain waked† in the elderly men who eagerly watch young Susanna bathe in her garden in The Book of Susanna in the Apocrypha. Stevens’s use of â€Å"strain,† which means â€Å"physical exertion,† a â€Å"prevailing quality or characteristic,† and a â€Å"passage of musical expression,† initiates the plotting of musically-connotative words in the poem. The trio of connotations forges the link between the emotions of the subjects and the sound ... ...eption of her behavior. In offering a musical voice to Susanna’s hushed emotions, the poem taps out the subtle rhythm of human iniquity that pulses not simply in the ultimate culprits, as in a more traditional, good-guys-versus-bad-guys telling of the story, but also in the ones who receive the â€Å"constant sacrament of praise.† The musical language in the poem thus acts as an equalizer: though each person contributes a different instrumental sound, all people contribute equally to the broader composition, comprised of notes which in many ways sound more similar than cursory listening may suggest. Works Cited Dictionary.com. Lexico Publishing Group. 16 April 2004. . Stevens, Wallace. â€Å"Peter Quince at the Clavier.† An Introduction to Poetry. Eds. Dana Gioia and X.J. Kennedy. 10th ed. San Francisco: Longman, 2002. 526.

Human Landscapes from My Country by Nazim Hikmet Essay

Introduction In the Epic novel, Human Landscapes from My Country, Nazim Hikmet used the comparison between technology and nature very often. The imagery of technology that is portrayed in this novel seems to clash with nature. Through the use of many different images such as the train and plane, Hikmet seems to portray technology as the antagonist of nature. These imageries suggest how technology would destroy and would annihilate nature with its surroundings as technology progresses. However, after a closer reading into the novel, Hikmet actually suggest that technology as a positive aspect that will ultimately improve human lives. Perhaps sacrifices and mistakes are necessary as these are natural occurrences that are expected to happen as technology progresses. Although the cost of technology may seem to be dreadful, it is a necessary step for the better future of human lives. Literature Contemporary history on a panoramic scale is taken up in Human Landscapes, which was written during the author’s prison years but was only published several years after his death. Beginning with the project for an epic study of Turkish history during the twentieth century, at intervals the poet’s narrative also turns to major events in adjoining regions, notably naval action of World War II in the Mediterranean and the work of Soviet forces against Nazi invaders. His commentary on the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1922) stands in stark contrast to the heroic national themes repeatedly invoked by other writers of that period. In Hikmet’s view, it would seem that the people as a whole contributed to final victory but only through an inchoate mass rising that did not also lead to a social revolution. Indeed, many passages suggest that class differences remained acute but were altered by Turkey’s changed status in the world economy. There are a number of brief sketches of individual lives, both from the wealthy and from the lower orders, often to state unpleasant truths about the people’s living situation. Some characters, it is recorded, died of disease at early ages; farmers retained their land but lost all means of production. Many of the personages are war veterans from one conflict or another. There is much attention to dates, but not in the sense of commemorating events with patriotic connotations; important occurrences in individual lives are accorded the same emphasis as major developments in the nation’s history. There is also a fair amount of random, seemingly senseless violence: Family quarrels lead to murder; after a man kills his wife, children use the head as a ball in a macabre game. A wrenching, gripping scene records the lynching of a Turk who had collaborated with the British occupation forces. There are some sardonic religious references which call to mind folk superstitions; in some later passages, Turks of a pro-German inclination speculate about whether Adolph Hitler could be a Muslim. Leading Turkish statesmen and thinkers figure as portraits on the walls of business offices; the memories associated with them are quirky bits of characterization that are far from flattering. The work as a whole darts about and circumambulates historical epochs as they affected different, indeed opposing, social classes. After nearly fifteen years of national independence, homeless and desperately hungry men are to be found outside a newspaper office; if wealthy businessmen cannot turn a profit in some branches of the export trade, because of government restrictions, they move readily to other sectors where their fortunes can be augmented. Some of them end up dealing with both the Allied and the Axis powers during World War II. The incidence of suicide on either side of the class divide is fairly high; among the poor, childbirth is difficult, painful, and sometimes ends in tragedy. Although this exercise in historical realism, based on the author’s own observations of Turkish life, does not seem to hold out any immediate hopes for a better future, the poet’s descriptions of nature and simple joys serve to leaven an otherwise grim and unsentimental saga (Des Pres, 7-25). Written in free verse and employing such cinematographic techniques as flashbacks, pans, zooms, dissolves, and jump cuts, Human Landscapes from My Country combines the economy of poetry with the rapid-fire imagery of motion pictures. Hikmet traces the fortunes of men and women in love and war — from prostitutes, politicians, and captains of industry to housewives, political prisoners, and peasants — and gives voice to social strata unheard from in a heroic context until the twentieth century. To Hikmet, every life is a human-interest story worth telling, and his is a cast of hundreds. This panoramic view of Turkish society during World War II, when the fate of the world hung in the balance, highlights the compelling variety of human experience, never letting us forget that, for better or worse, the fate of the world is in our hands. Hikmet’s unabashed communist politics, for which he languished in prison or exile most of his adult life, are reflected in vignettes of idealized â€Å"Ivans† of soldierly valor and of real-life heroes, â€Å"Tanya† the teenaged Russian revolutionary and the Nazi-martyred journalist Gabriel Peri. Still, the poet’s most profound sympathies lie with the poor man striving to sustain himself and his family in pursuit of a fleeting happiness. Living out prolonged confinement for political activities, dreaming of his wife and child as blindness threatens and days become years, unbowed Halil recalls the poet’s own situation, a cynosure of what an entire culture was forced to endure. Ultimately Hikmet’s art suggests spaciousness, a grandeur in the details of poor people seeking just to breathe while events portend an invidious recurrence of suffering for love, ambition, misfortune–for living. Finally available complete in English, Hikmet’s hauntingly eloquent masterpiece never flags. Human civilization and technology has grown in a fast pace but are we happy? Hikmet said that he feels life is more comfortable. Nobody said that life has become happier. We found that technology which has been developed to make life easier has in fact made life complicated and busier. He said that unlike the past, now he can travel from place to place in few minutes/hours but life has become busier. Communication has improved, technology has taken place in our lives but effective communication between people has decreased. We were all alarmed to face this fact that better technology doesn’t mean happiness. So is technology, instead of liberating us, holding us back? Some later segments of this work are essentially similar to portions of The Moscow Symphony and Other Poems, an imaginative lyrical reconstruction of German-Soviet fighting which in the first instance was probably based upon news stories that Hikmet received in prison. After allowance for the different languages, it may be argued that some passages would do credit to a Soviet wartime poet: the anxiety of the war’s first year, the vast human drama of armies locked in combat, and the camaraderie of soldiers brought together in common struggle are evoked in brisk, telling lines. This novel in verse, written during one long prison sentence in the 1940s, reflects the emotional and physical torments the poet experienced. More gritty than lyrical, it is powerfully plainspoken: â€Å"But Selim was no Communist/ He didn’t even know what communism was/ †¦ But the cops thought different/ They laid Selim on the floor. And when Selim got up/ he couldn’t step on his feet/ They laid Selim on the floor/ And when Selim got up/ he couldn’t see. † Hikmet’s writing is poetry under siege, and the blunt heroism of his characters makes them more Marxist ideals than believable human beings. The poetic element may not survive well in translation, but the content and context make this a lastingly fascinating work. Works Cited Des Pres, Terrence. â€Å"Poetry and Politics: The Example of Nazim Hikmet. † Parnassus: Poetry in Review 6, no. 2 (1978): 7-25.

Cause and Effect of School Bullying Essay

In today’s society bullying is playing a big roll in schools. A ratio of 1:3 student have committed suicide or committed some kind of crime due to the act of being bullied. The kids who are being bullied are not only victims but the kids who are doing the bullying are victims also. If they are bullying they are having some type of problems at home. Not only that they have insecurities issues of some kind. This sometimes causes them to pick on people that have lower self-esteem issues than they have. Maybe this kids is overweight or maybe they wear glasses or even sometime they pick on people now a days from having slight mental illnesses. Bullying don’t always affect the kid it also affects the family. But it doesn’t always end in bad things in cases such as mines. On a personal note being a victim of bullying’ it did give me self-esteem issues. But those self-esteem issues became much bigger then my problems and I overcame them. I was bullied all throughout elementary, middle, and high school but only in the 9th grade. They talked about my legs, they talked about my chest, they talked about my teeth, pretty much anything they can talk about on me it was done. Was even just picked on and told that I was an ugly little girl. It had me down but when maturity hit for me those same guys and girls started to like me more. The biggest tease of them all was having short hair. It only encouraged me more to bring out my true beauty. So like said before bullying has cause me to be more open about everything even my sexuality which back then I was teased about but now I embrace being a lesbian. I think that only strong minded people can actually do some of the things I have done after being bullied. Now today I have grown beautifully and very successful if I must say. My past may hinder me a slight bit but there are still methods of me overcoming them. Based on my research if a student is lacking any types of family support, the effects can be more devastating. In some cases some kids that are affects by any type of traumatic events may disassociate themselves from the traumatic situation and absorb themselves in bad behavior. Sometimes they think that this negative attention is a good thing to help secure themselves. Something like when most kids mis-behave when their parents get divorces (Zigler, 2002). The only way they can cope is by doing wrong. Many kids who are affected by bullying can have their develop mental processes and some part of their brain affected by the events. In a recent survey of 1. 965 students between 7th and 12 grade 48% have reported being harassed in some kind of way by other students. (Anderson, 2011)

The Problem with the American Health Care System

The American health care system is under duress. Some people praise the US medical system because of the availability of state-of -the-art treatments while some criticize because of the many loopholes of the system and problems with insurance. Because of loopholes in the insurance system and the high price of getting medical treatment in the country, many ordinary American folk do not get basic health while only the high-income earners can handle high medical costs.Despite of the existence of government health insurance, American citizens still feel the need to buy insurance from public firms since the government insurance system does not cover much of the medical needs of the people. Before analyzing the American health care system, it is first important to have a clear view of the system and the problems with it. The American health care system is made up of both public and private insurers but the unique part of this system is that the private sector remains dominant over the publ ic sector.Statistics indicate that 62 percent of non-elderly Americans receive insurance receive from their employers in the private sector while 5 percent purchased their own insurance from private insurance companies. A small 15 percent rely on government insurance systems such as Medicare and Medicaid. Those who do not have any form of insurance account for 15 percent of the total. Public Health Insurance is mainly provided by Medicare and Medicaid (Chua, 2006). Medicare covers people at age 65 and above including some disabled people.It is a government single-payer program which is funded by tax collections, a payroll tax and paid premiums. It is funded together by the federal and state government. Medicare covers hospital services, physician services, and medical drug benefits but over the years, weaknesses have been spotted in this insurance system such as it includes an incomplete coverage for nursing facilities as well as an insufficient preventive care coverage. It also doe s not provide for dental, hearing and vision health care.Because of the lack of services, the elderly folk that avail of Medicare are forced to get insurance plans from private companies, and thus, many of the old folk spend 22 percent of their income for providing their personal health care needs not covered by government health insurance (Chua, 2006). Medicaid on the other hand is an insurance program specifically provided for the disabled and for low income earners. It is stated under federal law that states must provide medical care to the very poor pregnant women, children, elderly, disabled, and parents.Adults that have no children receive no coverage from Medicaid as well as poor people that have a higher income that make them unqualified for Medicaid benefits but states have the freedom to alter eligibility levels. Just like Medicare, Medicaid receives funding from taxes. Medicaid has many good benefits but many of those who have availed of this insurance program find it dif ficult to look for health care providers that accept Medicaid because of a rather low reimbursement rate (Chua, 2006).According to the data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the US spends the highest on health care among the member countries in the OECD. In 2003, US health care costs accounted for 15 percent of the country's GDP while the average for all OECD countries only figured at 8. 6 percent. Among all OECD countries, the US also incurs the most spending on health care per capita with $5,635 which is more than double the OECD average of $2,307. From 1999 to 2003, per capita spending on health care increases by an average of 4.6 percent every year which is at par with the OECD average of 4. 5 percent per year. In most countries from the OECD, health care funding is usually provided by the government except for the US, Mexico, and Korea in which the private sector dominate the health care industry. Only 44 percent of health care spending is provided by the government in the US setting while the average government funding for health care in the OECD is at 72 percent. The US also has the highest health spending from private institutions at 37 percent.The US also lags behind on physician per population averages, nurse per population averages and hospital beds per population averages (Chua, 2006). These comparative data shows that the US has indeed been putting much budget into health but despite of this, the US has been performing poorly in providing the health care needs of its people. This may be traced from higher costs of health care since private institutions are more focused on profit. As of 2004, government pending on health care rose to 16 percent, in comparison, this is more of what is being spent on food.The rising costs of medical treatment stems from new medical technology. This results in a division of the population that may be referred to as â€Å"insiders† and â€Å"outsiders†. Insiders are t hose that have good insurance while outsiders are those that have little or no insurance. The insiders receive the best medical treatment regardless of the cost while the outsiders receive very little treatment that they should have been accorded. To quantify, one study indicated that those people with no insurance have a 70 percent more likelihood to die from colorectal cancer within a time span of three years (Krugman and Wells, 2006).The only way advanced medical technology can be provided to all people and not only to the financially capable is through health insurance but it would be difficult for private insurance companies to provide such a need because of the problem of adverse selection. Hence, healthy people would have to pay less premiums for insurance since they are not likely to accumulate large medical spending while those unhealthy people that are expected to accumulate large spending on medical treatment and hospital bills will have to pay higher premiums (Krugman an d Wells, 2006).The insurance company would quickly find that because its clientele was tilted toward those with high medical costs, its actual costs per customer were much higher than those of the average member of the population. So it would have to raise premiums to cover those higher costs. However, this would disproportionately drive off its healthier customers, leaving it with an even less healthy customer base, requiring a further rise in premiums, and so on. Krugman and Wells, 2006Insurance companies have learned how to deal with this problem using risk assessment with the aid of a careful screening process. This results in rejecting or charging more premiums for applicants that are more likely to incur higher treatment costs. This practice bars many of those who are greatly in need of insurance from getting one. If ever a person is allowed to get an insurance despite of the conditions, the premiums would be very high (Krugman and Wells, 2006). Insurance is important for heal th care since it will affect the health of people.With the presence of insurance, the people will have a better grasp of preventive care. A study by The Urban Institute indicated that about 50 percent of children that did not have any health insurance did not have a medical checkup in 2003, whereas only 26 percent of insured children did not have a checkup (National Coalition on Health Care, 2008). This shows that people are most likely to pursue early medical treatment in the presence of an insurance policy. People who are uninsured also pay before receiving any medical treatment except during emergencies.If they are unable to pay, they will be denied medical treatment. In the presence of insurance, a person will not be denied medical treatment because the insurance will readily pay for it (National Coalition on Health Care, 2008). Instead of eliminating expenses, lack of insurance policies only results in more spending for the government since the governments pays for the health e xpenses of those people who are unable to pay for the medical treatment they received in the absence of a health insurance.Also, data indicates that hospital accumulate $34 billion of unpaid health care every year while $37 billion is paid by private and public payers for the uninsured while $26 is paid from out-of-pocket for the people who did not avail of any insurance policy for some reason (National Coalition on Health Care, 2008). The number of uninsured people is steadily increasing due to the complexities involved in getting insurance but the highest driving factor is the high premiums. Job instability and other changes such divorce, retirement, self-employment, etc.are also reasons why people do not avail of insurance (National Coalition on Health Care, 2008). Addressing health care is very important for any country especially for a developed nation that has a high population like the US. The presidential candidates both have proposed health care policies as a part of their agenda. These policies may be viewed from their websites and they both put addressing insurance problems the top health care issues as well reducing the cost of basic health services.The reason why health care is too costly in the US may partly be because doctors are more highly paid but a better reason would be because much of health care payments are done by private insurance institutions. This results in more expenses since people pay more premiums just to get the better benefits of a private insurance system and since these private institutions are business entities, premiums are higher for higher risks of expensive medical treatment. For the government, profit would never be an issue.What the two presidential candidates, Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton are proposing just might work. They are proposing a new health care insurance system that promises affordable premiums and good benefits under the government. If implemented properly and with scrutiny, these plans might be a wa y to uplift the country's health care system since it promises more coverage while providing friendlier premiums. Shifting from government insurance that provides good benefits would be the ultimate answer to the rising costs of medical treatment.It is notable more and more people are getting medical aid from Medicare or Medicaid but this does not stop people from getting another health insurance at a private institution since government funded insurance does not provide all the medical needs of the people. The government should provide insurance policies that are will provide for most or all of the medical needs of the people at friendly-priced premiums. This way, the health care system will improve. References Chua, Kao-Ping. 10 February 2006. Overview of the U. S. Health Care System. Retrieved May 26, 2008, from http://www. amsa.org/uhc/HealthCareSystemOverview. pdf Krugman, Paul & Wells, Robin. 23 March 2006. The Health Care Crisis and What to Do About It. The New York Review of Books, 53,5. Retrieved may 26, 2008, from http://www. nybooks. com/articles/18802 National Coalition on Health Care. 2008. Health Insurance Coverage. Retrieved May 26, 2008, from http://www. nchc. org/facts/coverage. shtml Plan for a Healthy America. Retrieved May 26, 2008, from http://www. barackobama. com/issues/healthcare/ American Health Choices Plan. Retrieved May 26, 2008, from http://www. hillary clinton. com/feature/healthcareplan/summary. aspx

Soft Skills

What is softskills? Soft skill is the ability required and expected from persons for finding a suitable job, its maintenance and promotion. Softskills is an important facet of life. It is essential in all spheres of life. Be it an interview or dealing with the project leader or working out a solution with a team or writing a report, getting across the point effectively is what matters. The success of an endeavour hinges on the ability to communicate effectively in today's fast paced life, everyone is asked to do more with less.In such a scenario effective communication holds the key. Effectively communication centers round the usage of words, speed of delivery of words, pitch modulation and body language. Using the right tools to communicate the right messages at the right time can salvage a crises and motivate people to work towards success. Truly said, communication works but for those who work at it. In the existing globalization scenario, most of the Information Technology, I.T E nabled Services, management institutes, public and private sector, multi-national Companies, Union Public Service Commission, and State Public Service Commission are search for a right and suitable fresher for executive posts. Whatever be the recruiting criteria that I. T, ITES, industry giants had in their agenda, once this was clear a first class degree would not serve the purpose, the candidate have to satisfy the skill sets that the companies were looking for. And unanimously, the skills set that they were looking for Softskills.The immediate results of developing good communication skills are: 1. Ability to Listen effectively 2. Ability to send Clear Messages 3. To win confidence and respect of peers, employers 4. Impressive non-verbal behaviour Scope of softskills development It is very important to develop softskills because it enables you to: * To handle interpersonal relations * To take appropriate decisions * To communicate effectively * To have good impression and impact to gain professional development Types of Softskills 1. Verbal Communication skills * Softskills form the corner stone of soft skills Every human being has to essentially ; effectively communicate with others * Effective communication is the hallmark of one's education * The ability to speak fluently using the right word in the right order is an good communication * Message using appropriate vocabulary and syntax form effective communication 2. Body language Non verbal language * Face is the index of the mind and it clearly displays the persons   interest * Body language presents to the audience what we feel & think about the particular matter * Body language (e. , arms crossed, standing, sitting, relaxed) * Emotion of the sender & receiver (e. g, speaking clearly, enthusiastic) 3. Written communication Skills * Writing evaluates a person's proficiency indications, spelling grammar etc†¦ * Errors committed while writing circulars, reports ; agenda considerably spoil the image of the writer * Good visual presentation using graphics, color, balanced design layout- adds so much to written communication. * Keep handouts and other written materials for your presentation 4. Presentation Skills Presentation skills include planning, preparation ; delivery of the message.Making a formal speech is also one form of presentation. Presentation skills can be broadly categorized into physical oral, ; electronics. * Success in life depends on presenting ideas in an appropriate manners * Look at the eyes of audience ; speak in a natural, conversational voice * Appropriate voice will make the presentation effective and interesting * Ask for feed back from your audience about your presentation ; change accordingly * In presentation especially, stop occasionally to ask the audience understand what you have said . Team Work * People of either gender, different age groups, qualification, status ; skills work as a team with a common objective of accomplishing the task * The s uccess of any organization largely depends on in the coordinated efforts of its employees * It mainly refers to the agreeableness ; co-operation among the team members 6. Professional ethics * Professional ethics is the need of the hour in India * When a person is at the work spot, he must think of his work only * He must put his heart ; soul into the work Each employee is a organic part of the organization ; must strive to contribute his mite to the successful functioning of the organization 7. Interpersonal Skills Man is a social animal ; his success in life largely depends on his relationship ; interaction with others We must respect the views ; sentiments of others. When we want to differ their views, we must very politely give hints to them without wondering their feelings 8. Time ; Stress Management Prioritize the work ; schedule your time accordingly * Impotent work should be allotted more time ; taken up first * Listening to classical music ; practicing Yoga will considerabl y reduce the physical,emotional ; mental stress of an individual 9. Leadership Softskills Leaders, executives ; managers need to be very clear about what they expect from others * Trust your self * Keep smiling * Share ; stay together * Always learn new things * Accept responsibility for your self ; your actions * Look at problems ; challenges * Be grateful always * Love your selfSo if you want to improve upon your softskills, this is the best time to go ahead. Start now, Start well Soft skills is a sociological term relating to a person's â€Å"EQ† (Emotional Intelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships with other people. [1] Soft skills complement hard skills (part of a person's IQ), which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities. Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job perfor mance and career prospects.Unlike hard skills, which are about a person's skill set and ability to perform a certain type of task or activity, soft skills relate to a person's ability to interact effectively with coworkers and customers and are broadly applicable both in and outside the workplace. A person's soft skill EQ is an important part of their individual contribution to the success of an organization. Particularly those organizations dealing with customers face-to-face are generally more successful, if they train their staff to use these skills.Screening or training for personal habits or traits such as dependability and conscientiousness can yield significant return on investment for an organization. [2] For this reason, soft skills are increasingly sought out by employers in addition to standard qualifications. It has been suggested that in a number of professions soft skills may be more important over the long term than occupational skills. The legal profession is one exa mple where the ability to deal with people effectively and politely, more than their mere occupational skills, can determine the professional success of a lawyer. 3] Soft Skills are behavioral competencies. Also known as Interpersonal Skills, or people skills, they include proficiencies such as communication skills, conflict resolution and negotiation, personal effectiveness, creative problem solving, strategic thinking, team building, influencing skills and selling skills, to name a few Meaning Critical thinking clarifies goals, examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, accomplishes actions, and assesses conclusions. â€Å"Critical† as used in the expression â€Å"critical thinking† connotes involving skillful judgment as to truth, merit, etc. Critical† in this context does not mean â€Å"disapproval† or â€Å"negative. † There are many positive uses of critical thinking, for example formulating a workable solution to a comp lex personal problem, deliberating as a group about what course of action to take, or analyzing the assumptions and the quality of the methods used in scientifically arriving at a reasonable level of confidence about a given hypothesis. To add further clarification on what is meant by thinking critically, Richard Paul (1995) articulated critical thinking as either weak or strong.The weak-sense critical thinker is a highly skilled but selfishly motivated pseudo-intellectual who works to advance one's personal agenda without seriously considering the ethical consequences and implications. Conceived as such, the weak-sense critical thinker is often highly skilled but uses those skills selectively so as to pursue unjust and selfish ends (Paul, 1995). Conversely, the strong-sense critical thinker skillfully enters into the logic of problems and issues to see the problem for what it is without egocentric and/or socio-centric bias.Thus conceived, the strong-sense mind seeks to actively, sy stematically, reflectively, and fair-mindedly construct insight with sensitivity to expose and address the many obstacles that compromise high quality thought and learning. Using strong critical thinking we might evaluate an argument, for example, as worthy of acceptance because it is valid and based on true premises. Upon reflection, a speaker may be evaluated as a credible source of knowledge on a given topic.Critical thinking can occur whenever one judges, decides, or solves a problem; in general, whenever one must figure out what to believe or what to do, and do so in a reasonable and reflective way. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening can all be done critically or uncritically. Critical thinking is crucial to becoming a close reader and a substantive writer. Expressed in most general terms, critical thinking is â€Å"a way of taking up the problems of life. â€Å"[10] Skills The list of core critical thinking skills includes observation, interpretation, analysis, infere nce, evaluation, explanation, and meta-cognition.There is a reasonable level of consensus among experts that an individual or group engaged in strong critical thinking gives due consideration to establish: * Evidence through observation * Context * Relevant criteria for making the judgment well * Applicable methods or techniques for forming the judgment * Applicable theoretical constructs for understanding the problem and the question at hand In addition to possessing strong critical-thinking skills, one must be disposed to engage problems and decisions using those skills.Critical thinking employs not only logic but broad intellectual criteria such as clarity, credibility, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, significance, and fairness. Habits or traits of mind The habits of mind that characterize a person strongly disposed toward critical thinking include a desire to follow reason and evidence wherever they may lead, a systematic approach to problem solving, inquisitiven ess, even-handedness, and confidence in reasoning. [16] When individuals possess intellectual skills alone, without the intellectual traits of mind, weak sense critical thinking results.Fair-minded or strong sense critical thinking requires intellectual humility, empathy, integrity, perseverance, courage, autonomy, confidence in reason, and other intellectual traits. Thus, critical thinking without essential intellectual traits often results in clever, but manipulative and often unethical or subjective thought. The clients have indicated that, after  inspecting the progress of the project they have outsourced, they would like to meet  the team members working on it. Why? To select one team member for a stint onsite — something  almost every software engineer  aspires for.Ravi has been one of the most active members in the project and has done a wonderful job. He is technically brilliant, but has some concerns: * Will he able to communicate his performance to the clien t in an impressive manner so that he is chosen? * Why do his team mates not prefer to come to him for solutions and go to less capable people instead? * His project manager doesn't seem to be very warm towards him either, although he does drop in those occasional mails appreciating his work.Here is a  typical scenario in an IT company; or for that matter, any organisation where interpersonal communication is involved. Or, like in Ravi's case, where an employee suffers from  a lack of interpersonal skills. Are technical/ job-related skills enough? Technical and job-related skills are a  must, but they are NOT sufficient when it comes to progressing up the ladder. With the traditional paternalistic style of leadership becoming passe, professional managers expect their teams to be proactive and communicate openly. â€Å"Soft skills are very important in business.It is essential to be technically sound, but one should also have the ability to convey the idea to the masses in the simplest possible manner,† says  Mayurkumar Gadewar, an ERP consultant with Pricewaterhouse Coopers. With the  boom in outsourcing taking root across industries, many  professionals and subject matter experts directly deal with their clients on a regular basis. Their approachability and people skills are what ultimately sustain the contract their employers have bagged. â€Å"Planning is necessary but execution is also equally important.And it takes soft skills to execute any idea because it involves dealing with people directly,†Ã‚  says Gadewar. 6 soft skills for every hard-nosed professional Behavioural training experts say there are several soft skills are required in these circumstances. Some of them  include: i. Interpersonal skills ii. Team spirit iii. Social grace iv. Business etiquette v. Negotiation skills vi. Behavioural traits such as attitude, motivation and time management Do you have these? If your answer is yes, good for you. But if your answer is no, then you know it is time to approach either a  training organisation or a training  consultant.Will formal training enhance your soft skills? There is a lot of argument in the industry as to whether it is possible to enhance soft skills in a few hours of training, especially when one considers the fact that  a person has lived with those traits all his life. To this, the answer is harsh but real — a professional who wants to do well in his/ her career does not really have a choice. In the initial years of your career, your  technical abilities are important to get good assignments. However, when it comes to growing in an organisation, it is your  personality that matters, more so in large organisations where several people with imilar technical expertise will compete for a promotion. Training on soft skills becomes all the more relevant in a country like India where the education system does not delve into personality development. â€Å"Soft skills training is essential because we do not have it in our academic curricula. Therefore, corporate houses have to take up the task of grooming employees who are the link between the company and the external world, so that they are able to present themselves better, † says Sumeet Mehta, an equity research analyst with Fortis Securities Ltd.Be your own trainer! While organisations are definitely investing in augmenting their staff's people skills, here are some inputs for professionals and students who would like to initiate the process themselves: i. Be a part of team activities It could be  either as a part of your church choir, or an NGO, or your local youth circle. Observe your own behaviour in the group and how you relate to others. ii. Ask  family members or close friends to write down your best and worst traits. Ideally, have at least four to five people do this for you.Evaluate the common traits all of them have mentioned. Thus, you can be aware of your strengths and work improvin g your weaknesses. iii. How well do you manage your time? Think. Can you do more in life? Or is your day too crammed with activities? Effective time management is very essential in the corporate world. iv. Introspect on how you react to feedback. In organisations, people skills mostly come into the picture when there is feedback given — be it for an idea, an executed project or a presentation. You are judged by the way you respond to feedback.Do you get defensive? Do you insist you were right? Do you meekly accept criticism? Remember, people tend to be judged and stereotyped according to their responses. You will, too. v. How good are you at critiquing? While responding to feedback is one side of the coin, giving feedback is the other side. Are you aggressive? Pessimistic? Do you believe in constructive criticism? Or prefer to be the yes-man? vi. Live consciously Any organisation is manned by people, therefore soft skills are all about how you deal with people and present you rself.Though it may be easier said than done, soft skills can be enhanced simply by being aware of oneself and living consciously. Rukmini Iyer is a corporate trainer and instructional designer. She  writes regularly on business etiquette, communication, language enhancement  and grooming. Definition soft skills Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which are about a person's skill set and ability to perform a certain type of task or activity, soft skills are interpersonal and broadly applicable.Soft skills are often described by using terms often associated with personality traits, such as: * optimism * common sense * responsibility * a sense of humor * integrity and abilities that can be practiced (but require the individual to genuinely like other people) such as: * empathy * teamwork * leadership * communication * good manners * negotiation * sociability * the ability to teach. It's often said that hard skills will get you an interview but you need soft skills to get (and keep) the job. Definition Emotional intelligence (EI) is the area of cognitive ability involving traits nd social skills that facilitate interpersonal behavior. Intelligence can be broadly defined as the capacity for goal-oriented adaptive behavior; emotional intelligence focuses on the aspects of intelligence that govern self-knowledge and social adaptation. The term first appeared in 1985, in Wayne Payne's doctoral thesis, A study of emotion: Developing emotional intelligence. Payne's thesis centered on the idea that society's historical repression of emotion is the source of wide-scale problems such as addiction, depression, illness, religious conflict, violence and war.Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and behavioral science journalist, later popularized the term and developed related concepts in his influential book, Emotional Intelligence (1995). In Working with Emotional Intelligence (1998), Goleman explored the function of EI on the job. According to Goleman, emotional intelligence is the largest single predictor of success in the workplace. Goleman and others have developed the concept of a testable EQ (emotional intelligence quotient) counterpart to the IQ (intelligence quotient).In contrast to the focus on academically-oriented skills, such as mathematical ability, that are evaluated in an IQ test, an EQ test focuses more on the individual's capacity to deal effectively with others. To that end, it evaluates traits and abilities such as self-awareness and empathy, which are sometimes referred to as soft skills. Goleman describes emotional intelligence as â€Å"managing feelings so that they are expressed appropriately and effectively, enabling people to work together smoothly toward their common goals. † According to Goleman, the four major skills that make up emotional intelligence are: * Self-Awareness Self-Management * Social Awareness * Relations hip Management. The Importance of Soft skills When it comes to skills in employment, the first line of emphasis is typically towards abilities, training and knowledge of specific skill sets. These are referred to as hard skills. Soft skills are often overlooked, but they also play an important role in day-to-day operations. Small business owners should place equal importance on hard and soft skills during the hiring process for new employees. In addition, current employees should be encouraged to develop soft skills if they are lacking in this area. Drive/Work EthicThis is a difficult skill to quantify, but employees will typically either display a strong work ethic and the drive to complete tasks, or they won't. While a work ethic is largely an innate skill, it can be learned with proper training and motivation. Some employees may be able to develop a stronger work ethic with incentive based pay or monetary rewards such as bonuses if they reach a certain goal. Communication Skills Communication skills are the most important soft skills for an employee. The ability to communicate through the spoken and written word is a necessity in nearly every industry and in every workplace.Communication skills can be learned and improved with the right training. It may take time for employees to learn effective communication skills, particularly if they have a naturally shy disposition. In this case, a course on public speaking can work wonders. The techniques learned by speaking to a large crowd can be adapted for daily communications and these lessons are typically good confidence builders for employees. Teamwork The ability to work well within a team is another important soft skill. Some employees may naturally feel comfortable working within a group, while others may have problems and prefer to work alone.It is necessary to spot these personality types ahead of time for proper group formation. Every team should have a diverse set of personalities that mesh together as a cohesive whole. Team building exercises can be very beneficial in helping employees develop this skill. Decision Making and Problem Solving Being able to make quick decisions, think on their feet, and solve simple problems are important employee traits. Even simple problems such as a copier being out of toner can grind an office to a halt if no one displays these simple skills.At least one employee needs to have the ability to take charge of a situation and guide the others through if they have difficulty. The employees who display these decision making skills are often excellent candidates for promotion to management level. Importance of Soft Skills in Our Life Most of us feel that if we have good technical knowledge & skills we will achieve success. Hence; not many try to learn soft skills. This presentation brings out the importance of soft skills in our life. It shows that without soft skills, it will be difficult for us to achieve progress & be successful