Teams in the Workplace

    What's your favorite team?

     It should be there team that you're on.  Your team, at your place of work, should be your favorite team. Teams work separately and together to achieve success in their tasks, which serve in promoting the overall welfare and success of the organization as a whole. Teams and teamwork contribute towards organizations functioning as one unit.

     Teams within an organization are comparable to sponsored sports teams.  Currently, in the NBA, the Houston Rockets are number one
(/www.nba.com/rockets/).  Each one of those players has contributed toward their team dominating the entire basketball association.  At any point they must function seamlessly in order to win each game.  At work, team benefits aren't maximized unless every member makes team contributions. Continually pushing toward success as a member will reflect on the team.  Each one of us make the team complete.

     If you don't have teamwork skills, work on them. "Employers expect employees to be team players (https://www.thebalance.com/list-of-teamwork-skills-2063773)." Help your coworkers. Suggestions are great; utilize them. Don't hesitate to take all points of view into consideration. Communication is always the key. Model yourself for cooperation. If conflicts arise attempt to resolve them via negotiations. Learn what the entire team wants as members. If you make a commitment make sure you keep it. Avoid disruptive actions and words that cling to the memory. Successful teams practice teamwork skills.

     Anytime a group works together to accomplish a goal, you have a team.  A team is small group of people with complementary skills.  It is a group of people that hold themselves mutually accountable for performance results. Teams are also defined by those being involved in teamwork. Teamwork is the process of people actively working together to accomplish those common goals.  Teamwork is important.  Define your group.

     "Lauren McAdams, is a career advisor and hiring manager at ResumeCompanion.com.  Developing teamwork starts as soon as employees walk through the door. The most successful method for creating excellent intra-team relations is made of instilling a sense of teamwork early on in the onboarding process.  We experiment with different team-building measures.  During onboarding, we have new employees shadow an experienced coach.  The coach is tasked with helping their integration into the team. After the initial phase, we assign the new employees to shadow other people so they get to have more than one coach (https://activecollab.com/blog/collaboration/real-world-examples-of-successful-teamwork)."

     An organization is only as strong as it's weakest link.  This can also be defined as synergy.  Most employees at working with a team, or some form of it. It could be two people or one hundred people.  Organizations offer sales teams, global teams, administration teams, engineering teams, leadership teams, and project teams. There is a plethora of teams.  All is well when production flows smoothly. Synergy is the creation of a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.  There are a variety of benefits. There are more resources for problem solving. Synergy provides improved creativity and innovation. Teamwork improves the quality of decision-making. There will be greater commitment to tasks.  Higher motivation results through collective actions. There will be better control and more work discipline. Synergy improves individual satisfaction.  Don't be a weak link.

     Teams provide their members with support and social satisfaction. Satisfaction comes through those personal relationships and connections that are part of a team. Social relationships form and give coworkers a sense of security and belonging. There is emotional support. Most of all, individuals are making contacts, sharing ideas, responding to favors, and bypassing any blocks that may be plugging production flow.  Give words of encouragement to your team members.  Comradery is wonderful.

     Sometimes, social relationships have a negative slope.  Teams are victimized, suffering from lack of performance, by social loafing and other problems. Social loafing is the tendency of some people to avoid responsibility by slacking off in groups.  Teams are great but they aren't free of problems. Some personalities are very cohesive and others cause friction.  Slackers can be downsized by making them more noticeable.  Team social loafers can be subjected to peer pressure, and leader evaluation.  If group members are rewarded for their contributions, and tasks are made more interesting, then these teams are less prone to social loafing.

     There are a wide variety of teams within organizations.  Organizations operate as networks of formal and informal groups.  A former team is officially recognized and supported by the organization. An informal group is unofficial and emerges from relationships and share interests among members. There are official names for these formal groups. Some group names are departments, units, teams, divisions, and regions.  Informal teams are just as important. They can have a very positive impact on work performance. Some examples are interest groups, friendship groups, and support groups.  Pick a team.

     "Lee Fisher, is an HR manager at Blinds Direct. Teamwork should be based on solidarity, respect, communication, and mutual understanding. Our company uses ‘Role Switch’. It was launched across our web and marketing department. In this event, each team member switches roles with a colleague.  There is a deeper understanding as a result (https://activecollab.com/blog/collaboration/real-world-examples-of-successful-teamwork)

     Teams and teamwork contribute towards organizational goals.  Teams maximize individual goals.  Some examples are interest groups, friendship groups, and support groups. So, what is your favorite team?

Management: Dealing positively with Conflict

     How can we, as a business, deal positively with conflict? The workplace has different teams, agendas, and personalities.  Conflict is inevitable.  Competitions take place, and dynamics are bound to get a little complicated.  How can issues get easily resolved without any repercussions.  A negatively solved problem will ultimately result in retaliation.  Negative, in the sense that the resolution was unnecessary.  Positive, in sense that the resolution was requested.

Forbes business

     Conflict occurs as disagreements over substantive and emotional issues. Substantive means important.  Most emotional issues are important, too.  Conflicts morph into complaints. These complaints will have to be resolved at some point.

     For example, in our society cost of living is as important as anything else. Low pay rate as opposed to another job that would offer more, is a substantive issue.  Low pay rate can be balanced with a variety of fringe benefits. Complaints will arise when the benefits disappear, though. If the two appear in conjunction with one another, there will be a deep concern for employee respect.

     These are some important issues that would have to be resolved in the workplace.  Some emotional issues would include too much bureaucracy, possibly a poor mentoring process, racism, sexual harassment, and any other issue that has emotional attachments. These are issues which have to be resolved at work. There is a wide array of conflicts that occur.

     Modern levels of conflict are functional for performance and creativity.  Too little, or too much conflict becomes dysfunctional. A modern level of conflict would be disagreements over football teams, hair colors, or even political issues. Higher-level conflict are mentioned in the employee guidlines issued by your employers. As mentioned, too little conflict means lots of idle time to play and take part in activities other than work.

     Well taught superiors and managers understand that conflict may be managed through structural approaches that involve changing people, goals, resources, or work arrangements.  People respond to interpersonal conflicts through different combinations of cooperative and assertive behaviors. These two tendencies work together. Being cooperative helps satisfy the others' needs while being assertive helps satisfy your own needs.  

MSN money

     Personal conflict management tactics include avoidance, accommodation, compromise, competition, and collaboration.

     Avoidance-
     Complete withdrawal.  Personal conflict management avoidance tactical withdrawing from a conflict requires little effort from the other party. This tactic is uncooperative and unassertive.  Management withdraws from the situation and remains neutral at all costs. By avoiding the conflict, you, as management, essentially pretend that it never happened.  The conflict doesn’t exist. Some examples of avoidance or withdrawal include pretending there is nothing wrong, stonewalling, or completely shutting down.

     Accommodation-
     Smooth out the problem.  Personal conflict management accommodation tactics are genuinely kind hearted. Management is cooperative, but unassertive. Differences are simply overlooked in order to maintain harmony. Accommodating the other party requires cooperation. You agree to accommodate the other party by acknowledging and accepting employee point of view or suggestion. This tactic might be viewed as letting the other party have its way. While this can lead to making peace and moving forward, it can also lead to the accommodator feeling resentment toward the other party.

     Compromise-
     Each party involved wins a little bit and also loses a little bit.  Compromising is a big step toward conflict resolution. Both courage and consideration are used when both parties look for common ground. You agree to negotiate larger points and let go of the smaller points; this expedites the resolution process. Occasionally, the person compromising might use passive-aggressive tactics to mislead the other party, so beware.

     Competition-
     This is authoritative command. Stand your ground and be courageous. Be cautious with being inconsiderate. Competition requires being uncooperative but assertive. By standing your ground, you are essentially competing with the other party. Management will use anything to ensure that you win the battle. The fact is, a competitive approach offers short term rewards, but in the long term effects can be detrimental to your business.  This is a win-lose competition exercised through authority.

     Collaboration-
     Complete problem solving. Management is cooperative and assertive, simultaneously. Collaboration plays a major role within conflict resolution and requires great courage and much consideration. Collaborating with the other party involves listening to their side, discussing areas of agreement, reviewing goals, and ensuring that all parties understand each other. Collaboration requires thinking creatively to resolve the problem, without concessions. Collaborators are usually admired and well-respected. Everyone wins.

     During a lose-lose conflict nobody wins and the problems were essentially unaffected as a result. In a win-lose conflict, one-party achieves its desired outcome while the other party does not. In a win-win situation there is a favorable outcome by everybody, and everybody benefits.

     Utilize your advanced skills and powerful credentials.  Successfully implement effective conflict resolution techniques. Make resources available.  Appeal to higher goals.  Change the people.  Change the environment.  Use integrating devices.  Provide training.  Also, change rewards systems. Demonstrate that you have what it takes to excel in an executive management role.

Gonbup Comics

Let's peek into Office CHCL3.
Mr. Smith is in deep thought, today.

"This keyboard is so warm.  I should test it for drool resistance.''

Bacteriophages

     "Bacteriophages are viruses that invade bacterial cells.  These phages disrupt bacterial metabolism and cause the bacterium to lyse, or destruct. Phage Therapy is the therapeutic use of lytic bacteriophages to treat pathogenic bacterial infections (http://www.phagetherapycenter.com/pii/PatientServlet?command=static_phagetherapy).

     We can compare the handy work of phages to antibiotics.  Phages kill bacteria.  This function harnesses a wide range of applications which could lead to being a better alternative to antibiotics.

     Phage therapy is also used to treat respiratory infections, such as pneumonia.

     There are different types of respiratory infections.  There are upper and lower body infections. 

     "Acute respiratory infections, ARIs, are classified as upper respiratory tract infections, URIs, or lower respiratory tract infections, LRIs. The upper respiratory tract consists of the airways from the nostrils to the vocal cords in the larynx.  This includes the paranasal sinuses and the middle ear. The lower respiratory tract covers the continuation of the airways from the trachea and bronchi to the bronchioles and the alveoli.

     Upper respiratory tract infection, URI, represents the most common acute illness evaluated in the outpatient setting. URIs range from the common cold—typically a mild, self-limited, catarrhal syndrome of the nasopharynx—to life-threatening illnesses such as epiglottitis (http://emedecine.medscape.com)."

     Phages are beneficial.  Phages do not harm the useful bacteria that live in and on the body.  They are harmless to human beings.   Phages multiply at the site of the infection until there are no more bacteria. Then, they are excreted. They're active against bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics.

     Individual components of phages, called lysins, can also be used as antibiotic substances.  Phages can be used for combating harmful bacteria in fattening animals and food.  Numerous animal experiments demonstrate the efficacy against different infections. The first studies on humans are taking place.

      Phages multiply as long as bacteria are present.  In some cases, it only takes a few phages in an inaccessible location in the body to bring about healing. It appears that phage therapy is best suited for infected sites such as wounds, where phages can be easily applied.

     Phages could take the place of antibiotics.

Hydrogen Batteries

     Have you ever wondered why you can't get a lot of life out of your battery?

There's variety ways to maximize your battery is potential.

battery conditioning instructions-

-charge your extended battery 8-10 hours every single time you charge it

-keep your smartphone updated

-etc.

     We might not have to worry about battery maximum usage, anymore.

"Hydrogen has drawn backing from big energy companies from Royal Dutch Shell Plc to Uniper SE in addition to carmakers BMW AG and Audi AG. They’re supporting research into how the element can be used to store energy for weeks or even months beyond what lithium-ion batteries can manage."

(https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-09-05/better-than-a-battery-big-energy-backs-hydrogen-power-storage)

What are hydrogen fuel cells?

    Hydrogen fuel cells can be found in many different places today. The technology is still developing.  

     Most fuel cell applications have been for demonstration projects. Applications have included small handheld devices, such as cell phones and laptop computers, electric vehicles, from passenger cars to buses, and stationary power for office buildings, hospitals, and other large commercial and institutional facilities. They are particularly useful in indoor warehouses to power forklifts because they don’t emit any noxious fumes. They are also used in remote places where access to a conventional power supply is limited or impossible, such as off-grid home-sites and field weather stations. 

     As of today, fuel cells can be found in the space shuttles, and below the ocean surface in recent submarines.

     Wouldn't it be awesome if we did not have to worry about battery maximum usage?

Gonbup Comics©2017

Joke:

The interviewer:
Everything seems to be okay but I have a question about the relocation on your application. What happened?

The interviewee:
The company relocated, but they didn't tell me where.

Gonbup Comics©2017

Power your Exercise

     If you don't workout, obviously, protein intake won't help you.  The entire point of leveling up your power, via protein consumption, is to push harder.  

     Push more weight.  Faster. Recover. Repeat. Perform. 

     It is difficult to workout and experience increases without a diet change.  Let's compare a guy at a gym that works out regularly while eating normally, to a guy at a gym that also supplements his diet. 

     Eating healthy and eating often is the way to gain muscle. A well balanced diet full of whole foods is an optimal way to obtain the nutrients and antioxidants needed to support weight training.  If you require more muscle, that is more pure muscle, then supplement with protein. You can take in two or three meals worth of protein in the time it takes you to drink one shake.

     The keys to supplementing are dose and speed of injestion.

     Some supplements multiply huge mass increases. To put on muscle, and tone up, you need protein. Protein is made of amino acids. Amino acids come from our daily diets.  

     Supplement your current amino acid intake, and also supplement your protein intake. Then, work hard exercising.  There are quite a few supplements to browse through. Let's analyze proteins, first.

     Protein occurs naturally in fish, red meat, chicken, etc.  It is recommended to take in one gram of protein per one pound of body weight.  Amazingly enough, some shakes will suffice.

     Proteins are vital in everyday life. 

"The dynamic process of life maintenance, replication, defense and reproduction are carried out by proteins (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK6824/)."

     There are different types of proteins.

Whey protein- 

     Whey protein is the most common protein.

Whey protein isolate-

     Whey protein isolates are awesome in order to power pack your pre and post workout. They are absorbed quickly.  Whey can supply the nutrients that muscles need to recover and grow, after bouts of catabolism. Isolate is pure, 90 to 95 percent pure protein.

Casein protein-

     Casein protein takes anywhere from 5-7 hours to fully breakdown which keeps your body absorbing and utilizing the nutrients even while you sleep.

Hydrolysate protein-

     Hydrolysate proteins provide highly absorbable peptides with the highest anabolic protein absorption rate.

     Hydrolysate proteins are much better on the digestive system than whey concentrates. This protein can be used both before and after workouts.

Soy protein-

     Soy protein is loaded with glutamine. Glutamine helps with muscle recovery.

Milk protein isolate-

     This isolate contains both casein and whey proteins.

Egg albumin-

     Albumin and egg whites', amino acid profiles' are great.  Egg albumin builds lean muscle mass.

(https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/protein-types-best-for-you.htm)

     When are the best times to supplement?

     Pre-workout.  

     Supplement at least 10 minutes before you workout.  Start with a high quality protein powder blend.

     All resistance exercises breakdown muscles.  This is also called catabolism.  It is possible to minimize, or suppress, excessive breakdown of muscles.  Take amino acids 30 minutes prior to training. 

Protein powder digestion rates:

     Whey- fast

     Soy and egg- medium

     Casein- slow

     Whey protein isolate is nearly pure protein. There is virtually no lactose contained in it.

Caffeine-

     Despite the criticism, caffeine is an excellent pre-workout extra.  A cup of is coffee okay, but caffeine anhydrous is excellent.  Because of the adenosine, athletes will pack in more reps and experience less muscle soreness. Caffeine should be consumed 45 to 60 minutes before exercise in order to get the best results.

Creatine powder-

     Strength gains and increased lean body mass is the result of creatine supplementation. Creatine increases the body's ability to rapidly create ATP.  For optimal results, creatine should be taken before and after workouts.

BCAAs-

     While you are working out, the ultimate power up is sipping water and sipping on BCAA (branch chain amino acid) fuel. BCAAs spare glycogen storage, and allow you to work out longer. BCAAs shorten recovery time during training and after training.

Sports drinks-

     Performance sports drinks boost stimulation of the central nervous system, thereby lowering required effort of exercise. Lifting the same amount of weight feels easier. Sports drinks, with approximately 30 grams of sugar, enable you to finish strong.

Post workout-

     The post workout is also known as gassing up. Refuel with the proper protein powder blend. Drinking a protein shake after your workout is critical to delivering amino acids to your tired muscles.  Kick-start muscle recovery and flip the switch on the muscle making machinery. Improve your training results.  A combination of whey, soy, egg, and casein in a post workout protein drink is perfect.

Eat-

     Two hours later, follow up your post workout protein shake with a protein and carbohydrate whole food meal.  Naturally build up the amino acids used during the workout. Glutamine is one of the amino acids  that has been depleted.  Glutamine is a major fuel for immune cells, so lower levels can put you at an increased risk of illness, like cold or flu. 5 - 10 grams of glutamine after your workout will suffice.

Carb boosts-

     Carbs are great after your workout. This is the time that you want to turn to a source of fast-digesting high-glycemic carbs, like an engineered mixture containing dextrose, and other sugars. You can simply blend in 40 to 60 grams of fast-digesting carbs into your recovery shake.

    None of this will improve your physique unless you are best buds with an exercise schedule. Supplements are complements, or enhancements to healthy living.

     Take a deep breathe, turn on your music, and get to it.

     Push more weight.  Push it faster. Speed up recovery.  Increase your reps.

     Perform. 

Global corporations and businesses

A global corporation is a multinational enterprise or multinational corporation with extensive operations in multiple foreign countries (https://books.google.com/books?id=rk4xL2XNrocC&pg=PR25&lpg=PR25&dq=management+schermerhorn+11&source=bl&ots=qHx9ciWGF9&sig=SbeMzyy-AxqPTSxicYMlUzbb2KY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjNjrrLpNnTAhVkzlQKHaWYC8MQ6AEIRjAE#v=onepage&q=management%20schermerhorn%2011&f=false).

Global businesses are under global management.  There is no room for errors. Bad business is challenged by bad press, public criticism, damaged reputation, and consumer defections.  As we delve deeper into globalization, interdependence among elements stemming from all over the world, we have to accurately reference the global economy.  Once there is an accurate interpretation of the global economy, goals can be easily achieved. Currently, China has quite a few astonishing numbers in the global economy.

China Global Manufacturing Exports:

-70% worlds' umbrellas

-60% worlds' buttons

-72% United States' shoes

-50% United States' appliances

-80% United States' toys

Why pursue international business?  Great question.

-Profits- global operations offer new and greater profit potential.

-Customers - global operations offer new markets to sell products.

-Suppliers - operations offer access to new products and services.

-Capital - global operations offer access to financial resources.

-Labor - global operations offer access to lower labor costs.

-Risk - global operations spread assets among multiple countries.

G.E. and Exxon Mobil are global and recognized as transnational corporations. Transnational corporations operate globally without a strong national identity, and with a worldwide mission.  Global corporations can benefit host countries by offering broader tax bases, new technologies, and employment opportunities.

The size and presence of the GCs can work in the negative direction, too.  GCs can cause problems for host countries if they interfere in local government, extract excessive profits, and dominate the local economy.   There are also laws against GC economic interference. The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits American multinational corporations from engaging in bribery and corrupt practices abroad.

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is the jewel in the crown of America’s fight against international business bribes and corporate favors. The FCP Act intended to promote American business and foreign-policy ideals around the world, and give US companies a tool to battle corruption abroad.  It has also helped other countries crack down on bribery, and has extracted billions of dollars in fines (https://qz.com/927217/one-of-the-worlds-best-weapons-against-bribery-and-corruption-is-under-threat-from-trump/)

Nike had its brand image hugely damaged through utilizing "sweat shops" and low wage workers in developing countries. Maintaining the highest ethical standards while operating in developing countries is an important consideration for all GCs.  These accusations began in the 70's, and continued on.  In 2005, Nike became the first in it's industry to publish a complete list of the factories it contracts with.  Nike continues to post its commitments, standards, and audit data as part of it's corporate social responsibility reports (http://www.businessinsider.com/how-nike-solved-its-sweatshop-problem-2013-5).

Although they're humongous, GCs can be controlled.  Fortune magazine ranks these GCs on the Global 500 list.

Global 500 Top Ten: (http://fortune.com/global500/2015/)

The Global 500 companies on this list are ranked, via fortune.com, by total revenues for their respective fiscal years ended on or before March 31, 2015. All companies on the list must publish financial data and report part or all of their figures to a government agency.

Walmart- Bentonville, Arkansas

Sinopec Group- Beijing, China

Royal Dutch Shell- The Hague, Netherlands

China National Petroleum- Beijing, China

Exxon Mobil- Irving, Texas

British Petroleum (BP)- London, Britain

State Grid- Beijing, China

Volkswagon- Wolfsburg, Germany

Toyota motor- Toyota, Japan

Glencore - Baar, Switzerland

A global corporation, also called a multinational company, is a business that operates in two or more countries.