On the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast

Lean Agile Scotland – Designing the Future

Once again, Lean Agile Scotland was an excellent conference full of thought-provoking ideas and stimulating conversations. It was a pleasure to attend and speak at the event. I gained numerous insights; here are some of the most interesting.

Design or Lean Agile?

At the start of the second day, Cameron Tonkinwise challenged the audience with his keynote by contrasting Agile methods with the process of “design.” Although his familiarity with Agile in the workplace is limited, Cameron has a deep knowledge of design and its philosophical underpinnings. For him, design is a creative process that, by integrating ideation, prejudgment, and early evaluation, supports innovative leaps.

Cameron argued that Agile, because of its emphasis on rapid iteration and trial-and-error, is incapable of similar innovation. Instead, Agile focuses on incremental improvements which generate a lot of waste. Teams build more and more “stuff” and they discover what value is, not from conceptualization and reasoning, but by testing it with users in the real world. As many of us have learned, this can be very wasteful.

It was a powerful critique, but it didn’t stop there. Cameron argued that Agile promotes the “corrosive cynicism of empiricism” by assuming that mental models and expert judgments are irrelevant. Instead, reality is defined by what we learn from new software deployments and how they change the behavior of users. I was stunned by how well his argument resonated with me; I have become concerned by the declining importance of expert knowledge, but I never conflated that trend with Agile practices.

Cameron Tonkinwise explored the difference between Lean, Agile, and Design.

If we believe expert judgement has value, how do we leverage it in our software development processes? What can we do to address the problem? Cameron recommended changing our metaphors; we need to emphasize experimentation and exploration over testing and iterating. He encouraged us to create discourse with users and involve them in co-creating the future. These are powerful, tangible suggestions. I was very pleased with them as they reflect what I’ve come to believe after many years in the industry, but have never expressed so eloquently. They’re also what we’re trying to do.

Strategy Deployment, Scaling, and Doctrine

Karl Scotland ran a very effective workshop introducing his approach to Strategy Deployment, which he described as collective sense-making. He walked through three interrelated tools: the X-Matrix, which frames aspirations, strategies, tactics, and evidence; the Backbriefing A3, which is used for developing specific operational plans; and the Experiment A3, which defines low-level tactical improvements. All these formats are available as templates on his website and it was exciting to see them in action. The great value they bring is the structured conversations they foster, a point that Karl effectively demonstrated in his workshop.

Karl Scotland deployed his strategy.

Cat Swetel built on these ideas. She described how she used Strategy Deployment to help an organization devise a custom scaling approach. It integrated development and operations, reflected the organization’s specific context, and allowed much more effective performance. Cat effectively explained how Strategy Deployment can work in the real-world and also gave us a fresh look at scaling in context.

Cat Swetel linked strategy, operations, and tactics.

I tried to do something similar in my presentation on Strategy and Doctrine. I argued that the two are synergistic; effective strategies can lead to new and better doctrines, while better doctrines can permit more effective strategies. Therefore, an evolutionary approach is required for each, so that they can change in light of new opportunities and changing circumstances.

Designing Organizations

The evening of the second day, there was a panel discussion involving several of the speakers. The topic was “organizational design” and it explored many different concepts. Esko Kilpi noted that our approach to organizational design has become too reductionist and insufficiently conscious of context. He feels that we need to place more value on connections and networks, the “in between” that is too often ignored. Cameron argued that one of the merits of an organization is the separation it creates. We can view our membership in an organization as separate from who we are as a person and “do work” without “disappearing into work,” a very valuable point. Alex Harms, Sal Freudenberg, and Mike Sutton riffed off of this exchange, adding their own ideas while Jabe Bloom facilitated. I found it all quite valuable. Everyone seemed to agree that organizations should have an “intent” and that those who assume responsibility for their design need to be deliberate about what that intent is and how it is created. What is the organization’s purpose?

Greg Brougham explained how to design a complex organization.

The next day, Greg Brougham built on these ideas. He discussed two examples of successful organizational design using a clear sense of purpose and sensitivity to context. He framed these as examples of emergent complexity. Each was triggered by the deliberate introduction of constraints, boundaries within which the members of the organization self-organized. Some specific examples of constraints were delivering to the customer every two months, focusing on value, and structured approaches to problem-solving. These harnessed the creativity of individuals without dictating solutions, allowing effective complex structures to evolve from initially simple ones. It was very similar to what I had said about evolutionary approaches to Strategy and Doctrine: constraints are the secret sauce that foster self-organization.

I was very grateful to be able to attend Lean Agile Scotland, sit in on these sessions, and have a series of conversations with the speakers. It was a wonderful conference; I cannot wait until next year!

What is Doctrine Anyway?

So what is Doctrine?

Why Should I Care about Doctrine?

Looking Forward to Lean Kanban North America

This post first appeared on Excella Consulting’s Blog.

Next month I’ll be speaking at Lean Kanban North America. The last time I attended, in 2015, I was a finalist for the Brickell Key Award. I had been helping distributed teams align their work and increase their situational awareness by using Kanban. Jim Benson and I spoke about the positive aspects of that experience, but we spent more time on Kanban’s dark side. We argued it could become an oubliette—a claustrophobic dungeon—in certain circumstances. If you’re interested, you can see the video here. I really enjoyed the experience, and I’m excited to go back.

Kanban for your Brain

This year, I’m going to be focusing on something slightly different. One my favorite things about Kanban is the subtle shifts it triggers in our minds. It’s a huge relief for me when I can get things I need to do out of my head and onto my Personal Kanban. Once they’re there, I don’t have to focus on remembering them, and seeing them set out as a collection of options—work I can start when I feel it’s best—gives me an increased sense of control. I’ve seen the same thing happen for my daughter when she uses Kanban to help make sense of her homework.

Kanban offloads mental processing and reduces our cognitive burden. With a team, this dynamic becomes even more profound. A team Kanban becomes a shared view of their work. At the most basic level, this reduces everyone’s cognitive load, just like my Personal Kanban does for me. But effective Kanban systems will do much more than that. They will become a system of distributed cognition.

Kanban and Distributed Cognition

Distributed cognition doesn’t mean a distributed team. Distributed in this sense means that there is a broad cognitive—or sense-making—activity taking place that is greater than the sum of the individual parts. The interaction of the team and their board creates the potential for more effective and more rapid decision-making. This is especially true if the team has invested in customizing their board to incorporate details like classes of service, specific types of work, and defined capacity allocations. The increased amount of information allows the board to become a decision-support system. Everyone working with it knows what choices to make and what conversations to trigger. When a team gets to this level, it’s electrifying!

Historical Parallels

This isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened. My favorite historical example is from the U.S. Navy’s experience in early World War II. During the confused night battles in the Solomon Island chain, task force commanders and ship captains couldn’t make sense of the situation around them. They had access to revolutionary new sources of information, like radar and very-high frequency radios, but there was no way to effectively understand all the details they provided.

The U.S. Navy had to create a system like Kanban, one that could model the current situation with meaningful symbols, offload the cognitive burden, and help align decision-making. Once that was in place, ship captains had much greater situational awareness. They began to operate as a team and collaborated more effectively. The results were revolutionary.

A good Kanban system will help your team in the same way. Come to Lean Kanban North America and I’ll explain how.

Becoming an Accredited Kanban Trainer

This post originally appeared on Excella Consulting’s Blog.

The Kanban Method is an empowering approach that helps individuals and teams harness their full potential. I’ve experienced its benefits repeatedly, both in my work and personal life. Last month, I increased my knowledge of Kanban by becoming an Accredited Kanban Trainer (AKT) through Lean Kanban University (LKU). It was a great experience, and I’m excited to be able to offer certified Kanban training at Excella.

Kanban offers an “alternative approach” to agility. People tend to assume this means it is a different “process” from Scrum, XP, or other Agile methods. That’s a misunderstanding. Kanban isn’t a process; it’s a method, a framework that helps manage work more effectively and catalyze ongoing improvements. Kanban integrates well with many other approaches—including Scrum and more traditional methods—and helps to improve them.

That’s because of the emphasis Kanban places on “starting where you are.” With Kanban, there is no canned solution. Instead, current roles and ways of working are respected. Teams start with visualizing their current way of working. This first step is critically important. Kanban applies Lean management principles to knowledge work. Lean management emerged from manufacturing, where work products—gears, drivetrains, lawnmowers, etc.—were visible. In knowledge work, like software, project management, and HR, we generate knowledge. This may ultimately appear as working software, a proposal, or a new policy, but the work that goes into it is invisible. This can make it very difficult to manage effectively.

Kanban addresses this challenge through visual representations of our work. We can see what is in progress and who is focused on it; we can see where it might be waiting, and we can anticipate the tasks we’ll need to take on next. Visualization also allows the next logical step: limiting the amount of work in progress. Just like traffic signals that restrict the entry of cars onto a busy highway, limiting work in progress improves overall flow. Because there is less work going on simultaneously, team members focus on the most important things and get them done faster, improving flow, responsiveness, and agility.

But the Kanban Method does more than create an effective flow of work. Getting to this point—where a team has an effective visualization that helps limit work in progress—is a collaborative exercise. Once a team achieves this level of understanding, they become empowered. They take responsibility for their process. The Kanban Method encourages them to make it more “fit for purpose,” more effective at meeting their needs and the needs of their customers and stakeholders.

The approach Kanban takes is an evolutionary one, where the best methods emerge from the work of a collaborative team. STATIK—the Systems Thinking Approach to Introducing Kanban—is a structured approach to improvement that helps the team understand what makes their system work well. How can it better meet their needs and the needs of their stakeholders? What kind of work do they do and where does it come from? What is their current capability and how well does it meet expectations? These questions drive a process of continual improvement that helps the team refine their Kanban system and make it better.

It can have a dramatic impact on how effectively work is done and how well the team meets expectations. Effective Kanban approaches are continually evolving to become increasingly “fit.” The Kanban Method provides an effective framework for this. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can apply these techniques to your team, please join us for one of our classes.

My Experience at Lean Agile Scotland

This post originally appeared on Excella Consulting’s Blog

Lean Agile Scotland was an excellent conference. I’ve struggled with how to condense all my positive experiences into a single blog post; this may have to be the first of many. Over just three days, I was able to create new connections, participate in enlightening sessions, and start a number of thought-provoking conversations.

These are a few subjects that I can’t stop thinking about.

My talk fell on the third day of the conference. I adapted it slightly so that I could build on some of the prior sessions. Simon Wardley brought up doctrine in his opening keynote and Will Evans touched on the same subject in his talk on strategy. Doctrine is akin to a culture or an ethos, but more specific; it’s the set of assumptions embedded within a team that informs their behavior. Doctrine is important because it helps to drive decision-making; with a coherent doctrine, team members can make the correct decision for a specific context in the absence of instructions or communication.

I explained why this is beneficial for Agile teams (because I’ve yet to come across one that hasn’t cited the need for “better communication” and “fewer meetings”) and then described how the U.S. Navy went about developing a more coherent doctrine in the early years of the twentieth century by using regular learning cycles, self-organization, and heuristics. I think it worked pretty well. The slides are here, and a video should be coming soon.

Wardley Maps

Simon Wardley’s keynote was very good. I’d seen Wardley Maps on the internet before but never delved deep enough to really understand what they were or how they could be used. Simon explained them in detail, giving some entertaining background on how he came up with them.

Wardley Maps are a way to visualize a solution and the associated technologies. Two axes are used. The vertical represents where an item falls on the value chain, with “visible” or customer facing elements of it towards the top and “invisible” or internal aspects at the bottom. The horizontal axis reflects the level of “evolution” of the associated technologies. Evolution is usually represented in four categories: “genesis,” “custom build,” “product,” and “commodity/utility.” Each element of a solution can be mapped on these two axes and decisions can be made based on the current position and how those positions are likely to change. Technologies tend to progress along the horizontal axis, for example, from genesis to commodity/utility.

Teams and team types on a Wardley Map

That is straightforward enough, but what got me really excited was the idea that different types of approaches, with different types of teams, are more applicable to different areas of the map. Simon described three basic types of teams, “pioneers,” “settlers,” and “town planners.” Each of these is more applicable to different levels of technological evolution. For discovery, we want “pioneering” teams who are open to alternative paths. To exploit new technologies, “settlers” are more applicable, and “town planners” are best in the commodity space. Simon explains it here.

Optionality and Uncertainty

Chris Matts presented his own take on these ideas. He tied together Wardley Maps, Cynefin, and Crossing the Chasm in a series of slides that spoke to his belief that Lean Agile Scotland brings together a “community of needs.” He contrasted this with a “community of solutions.”  The main difference between the two can be expressed in one of his favorite ideas: optionality. In a community of needs, new options are created. The goal is an investigation and broader understanding through fostering increased connection and collaboration. This creates more options for each individual and for the community as a whole, fostering greater potential. For Chris, we are a bunch of “settlers.” In a community of solutions, answers are better defined; options are more constrained and context is less important.

Chris tying it all together

Chris and I are currently having a dialog about options and their relationship with constraints. I believe we broadly agree, but I think there are some important differences on how the two interrelate. Can options create new constraints? Can constraints create new options? I believe the answer to both questions is yes, but we need to work through them and explore it a bit more. I’m excited to have the option to do so, and I expect my learning will be the subject of another post.

Melissa Perri took these concepts and made them more immediately relevant to Agile teams in her excellent keynote on “The Build Trap.” She’s seen the problem of teams building, building, and building without having sufficient focus on real value. A key element of this is discomfort with uncertainty. It is difficult to admit that we don’t know exactly how to solve problems for our users. But once we do, we can experiment and learn so that we discover the best approach. Melissa confronted this challenge directly.

Melissa’s and Chris’s sessions tie together because they both force us to think about the opportunities that arise from the limits of our knowledge. That spirit, and the commitment to learn from each other to create new options, is why I think the conference was such a great experience. I can’t wait to go back.


Wrongful Life Damages for Wrongful Life in

Wrongful Life

Damages for Wrongful Life in Australia

The issue of abortion is inherently loaded with practical, legal, ethical and ideological debates. These debates touch on all manner of question relating to the appropriateness, permissibility and moral acceptance of performing an abortion or undergoing an abortion. One such question relates to the health of the fetus and denotes, for many supporters of abortion rights, that where the health or well-being of the unborn fetus is known to be compromised, it might be appropriate to consider the procedure. This is viewed by its advocates as an appropriate measure for preventing the birth and consequent undue suffering of a child which likely to be severely ill or impacted by serious health defects.

Our discussion takes this perspective yet another step forward by acknowledging this not simply as a right but as a prospect about which the pregnant woman should be informed. Absent of being informed of prenatal severe illness or possible health defect, the patient is denied an opportunity to consider the abortion procedure which is her right in many developed nations. Among these, Australia holds that it is the right of individual states there within to define the legal parameters surrounding abortion. Therefore, most states in Australia do have conditions by which abortion is legal. These conditions are often highlighted by imperatives relating to the health and well-being of the mother, denoting that where these may be threatened, it is considered acceptable to seek the abortion procedure. In some regions of Australia such as South Australia, it is dictated as acceptable to seek an abortion in the event that the child would be born with serious health deficiencies or with severe mental or physical handicaps. (Caldwell, 1)

However, the discussion here concerns yet a more stringent protection of abortion rights by bringing into consideration the tort laws relating to what is called wrongful life or wrongful birth actions. Here, the latter condition noted above related to the health of the unborn child is central and calls for more aggressive tort preconditions such that the rights of the mother to perform an abortion are adequately protected. It is thus that the discussion here proceeds with the argument that financial damages should be a precedent for legal treatment in cases where wrongful birth does occur without the pregnant subject first being made aware of the risks.

This view is supported by certain legal protections against unlawful abortion, suggesting that the establishment of such a precedent would not significantly or observably increase the danger that expecting mothers might seek or have abortion performed without medical justification. According to the legal status of abortion in Australia, the procedure remains criminalized throughout. However, the federal government lacks the right to veto abortion laws in individual states, meaning that many regions of Australia have adopted their own ways of approaching the thorny legal issue. Our research points to South Australia as a demonstration of the will to protect abortion procedures in cases where the unborn fetus is likely to suffer physically, mentally or healthwise. This is underscored in the report by Caldwell (2004) which finds that "in South Australia abortion is a criminal offence except where the continuation of pregnancy involves greater risk to the woman's life or of injury to physical or mental health than if the pregnancy were terminated, or if there is a substantial risk that, if the pregnancy were not terminated, the child would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped." (p. 1)

The attendant justification for performing an abortion in this instance denotes the need to better define and ensure protection for those conditions in which the health and well-being of the fetus are likely to be compromised. This calls for the establishment of legal precedent by which physicians are imposed upon to ensure that women are made aware of this right and further protected against the oversight of prenatal physicians whether inadvertent or otherwise. Indeed, the controversial nature of the abortion issue on the whole denotes that physicians wishing to prevent the decision toward lawful abortion might be inclined to withhold pertinent information from patients if not otherwise inclined by law to ensure that all of such information is made wholly available to the subject.

To date, very few courts have been willing to consider wrongful life or wrongful birth lawsuits. This may be seen as an extension of the views centering on the controversy relating to abortion. But with the proper designation of conditions by which wrongful birth may be identified, it is possible and desirable to create a legal format for ensuring that the proper steps are taken. As the research by Blake (2001) shows, there is some precedent for the awarding of damages in instances where parents are not properly informed of the medical realities of carrying an unhealthy child to term. However, this precedent is decidedly impacted by certain ideological views. Namely, "in these cases the approach by the courts has been to either award damages for the cost of raising the child (usually until 18 years) (Melchior v Cattanach (Qld SC), or to award damages for the pain and suffering associated with childbirth but not for the costs of maintaining the child until adulthood. (McFarlane v Tayside Health Board). In neither case was the court inclined to award damages for the fact that the child has been born: 'A child is a blessing and cannot be characterised as 'harm.'" (Blake, p. 1)

This final judicial explanation for the decision, though not used to this end in the cases cited, may be viewed as a philosophical disposition rather than a legal one. Moreover, it presents a clear danger to the rights discussed here by making an aggressive ideological argument against one of the preeminent justifications for abortion. The view that "a child is a blessing" appears to carry many of the religious and moralistic overtones that impede upon more effective discussion of the issue. Indeed, this is the argument posited by Petersen (1997), who contends that "access to safe and legal abortion is integral to the action and wrongful birth claims in the United Kingdom have been facilitated by the Abortion Act 1967 (as amended). The recent Australian case CES v Superclinics (1995) 38 NSWLR 47 shows how judicial confusion about the legality of abortion can result in judges condoning medical negligence." (Petersen, 319)

In this regard, we can see that the issue of awarding damages in cases where wrongful birth or wrongful life can be proven is not simply a matter of proper tort protections. More than that, debates over this issue seem to cut right to the core of Australia's inconsistent and poorly defined approach to abortion rights. The fact that this remains criminalized on a federal level, even as Australia's various states have developed their own respective legal protections for the procedure, denotes that the Australian government's policies are out of step with the position taken by the publics of various different regions. Additionally, we are inclined here to argue that a failure on the part of the federal government to establish consistency or accountability on this issue has given a problematic degree of freedom to doctors operating in any state to simply overlook state laws in favor of federal conditions which might align more directly with their personal beliefs. As this applies to the issue of wrongful birth, it is clear that the physician holds the right, at present, to deny the option of abortion to a woman carrying a child with severe birth defects or health concerns.

As Petersen goes on to note, "the Superclinics case also suggests that doctors are not required to provide pregnant women with the same standard of care as other patients. These developments show that law can become incoherent and health professionals can act negligently with impunity when reproductive choice does not have a secure legal foundation." (Petersen, 319) Once again, the degree to which the Australian government has determined not to execute a more permeating and consistent abortion policy has contributed to a scattershot spectrum of protections for the rights of women which may or may not be adhered to during treatment.

As the article by Stretton (2005) points out, judicial precedent has come to support this view, albeit by a narrow majority. According to Stretton, "in July 2003, the High Court of Australia held by a 4:3 majority that where an unplanned child is born through medical negligence, the parents may sue the negligent doctor to recover the costs of raising the child to maturity." (p. 1) The decision would ignite great controversy but would not result in any sweeping Australian laws supporting its imperatives.

To the contrary, the need to create this protection for the rights of pregnant women remains a hostage to the stall pattern which Australia's government has found politically expedient with respect to the extremely challenging issue of abortion and all of its peripheral questions. This is underscored by the continually hazy reality of legal precedent…


Tests for Determining Cerebral Palsy

Disability is a scary word, but you need to know if your baby has one so that you can get your baby the most direct and appropriate care possible. It’s not always easy to decide to test your baby for cerebral palsy or a different kind of birth injury, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. It may also be something that you’re hesitant to commit to if you’re afraid of the cost. Ultimately, no matter the cost, if your child has a disability, you need to find out before the disability could get worse (as in the case of birth injuries). If you think your child may have a birth injury such as cerebral palsy, here is a list of steps to take to decide.

Listen to Your Instincts

Parents who have a child with cerebral palsy often say that they had a feeling that something was wrong. Sometimes, labor can go wrong and the parents get a sense that something isn’t right, either from something that the doctor or medical staff has said, or from reading their alerted expressions. Other times, parents don’t know that their baby has a disability until something happens during delayed or skipped developmental stages, such as the baby not sitting up, or the baby crawling in a very unusual –maybe even abnormal- way. The most important place to start when it comes to testing your child for cerebral palsy is to trust your instincts. If you continue to ignore the feeling that something is wrong, your child won’t get tested.

Observe Unusual Behaviors

No parent wants to be the over-reactive parent, the parent that calls the pediatrician’s office every 20 minutes to ask a question or ask if something is wrong. However, you also don’t want to be the parent that ignores a clear sign or symptom. The middle boundary, then, is to observe an usual or potentially abnormal behavior and then monitor it to see how frequent it is. For example, if you observe your baby’s arm in a writhing motion one time, you can convince yourself that it was a fluke. However, if your baby’s arm writhes often, this is a sign of cerebral palsy. Record how often it happens, and if it happens three times or more, call your pediatrician immediately. Some symptoms seem obvious enough to call the doctor about –such as a seizure- but even something small like the baby not sitting up when he or she is generally supposed to could be a sign of an overall problem, so call your doctor even out of precaution.

Call Your Pediatrician

Call your pediatrician and tell him or her exactly what you’ve observed in your child. (But if there have been severe symptoms such as paralysis or seizures, take your child to the emergency room.) Once you tell your doctor of the symptoms you’ve observed, your pediatrician can determine if the symptoms you’ve observed indicate cerebral palsy or any other form of a birth injury. This is probably at the point where you would make an appointment with your doctor if he or she believes that this symptom is indicative of a disability. You may also at this point ask for a number specific tests.

General Assessment

A general assessment may be one way of determining if your child has cerebral palsy. If your pediatrician has been practicing for a long time, he or she may be able to determine the signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy just by examining the child and performing a few muscle-related tests and a few cognitive-related tests. Your doctor will be looking for varying tone in muscle density (some muscles being too stiff and some muscles being too floppy) and will be looking for signs of intellectual disability.

PET Scan

Another test that your doctor can perform includes performing a PET scan. A PET scan is a “positron emission tomography” exam that uses radiation to produce 3-dimensional, color images of the functional processes of the human body. Tracking gamma rays, the PET scan observes communication between the brain and the rest of the body, determining if the messages from the brain are reaching the limbs. When a child has cerebral palsy, there are often problems with the brain communicating functional processes (most people inaccurately believe that cerebral palsy is a muscle-only-related disease), and the PET scan allows doctors to identify if the brain is transmitting instructions to the muscles as it should.

An EEG is an Electroencephalogram, a test that identifies if there are any abnormalities in the brain waves or electrical activity in the brain. Where a PET scan tracks the communication between the brain and the rest of the body through the central nervous system, the EEG exclusively tests the brain activity to be sure that it’s working properly. Sometimes when a child has cerebral palsy, there is a problem with the way that alpha, beta, delta, and theta waves are transmitted in the brain. Some children with cerebral palsy have deadened or dormant places in their brain and the EEG could help to see that.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a scan that can be conducted on the whole body to produce a density-related image of the body. When an MRI is used on the brain, it is generally to get an image of the brain and to see if there is a hemorrhage, inflammation, or anything abnormal. In the case of cerebral palsy, MRIs check if there is any myelination: a white, fatty substance creating a sheath around the axis cylinder or some nerve fibers. This sheath is another indication that there are deadened or paralyzed areas of the brain causing the cerebral palsy.

Diagnosing Cerebral Palsy

Your pediatrician will likely call for all of these tests when determining if your child has cerebral palsy, using every step as a way of determining the severity of the disability so as to prescribe the best care.


#Gender Rights and Issues
VN government
United States of America

I need the VN government to release the opposite opinion about human rights, and support freedom for VN.

I want VN communist doctrine that is does not abuse human rights.

The communist government should respect people.

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The The VN government should respect human rights petition to VN government was written by xuan and is in the category Gender Rights and Issues at GoPetition.


Blow up the Mid-Year Review

I think mid-year reviews should be blown up and eliminated. When I worked for a Fortune 500 company, we were required by HR to do mid-year and year-end reviews. However, the problem with the mid-year review is that, by that point, we’ve reached the point in the fiscal year where there’s 6 months to go. Everybody is drinking water out of a fire hose, everybody is busy, and mid-year reviews are sliding down the list.

What ends up happening is the mid-year reviews are often skipped all together or thrown together haphazardly.

The mid-year review model is not effective in changing the behaviors and habits of high performers in an organization. Mid-year reviews are pulse checks that do no justice to the person receiving the feedback. I believe we should have an on-going, informal conversation that happens at least every 90 days and as often as every other week.

If a person is disengaged and disconnected from the culture of the organization, by the time you get to the mid-year review they have already been looking for another gig. They’re married to the job but looking. Like in any good marriage, if you want to keep a person in the marriage with the company, you have to talk to them and understand in real time how they’re doing and what’s happening.

If it’s working—great—how can the relationship improve? But if it’s not working, by the mid-year review, the marriage is dead. It’s too late.

So having frequent conversations and an ongoing understanding goes a long way to creating sustainability, growth and development.

Often, mid-year reviews are used to document an employee’s poor performance. For these employees, they will require much more follow up between the mid-year and the end-of-year review in order to make any real improvements. The few mid-year reviews I had to give were the come-to-Jesus meetings telling people that if something didn’t change, we would be having a different conversation.

One of the mid-year reviews I gave was because my leader told me we needed to find a way to separate the person from the organization. When I started the process, the mid-year review was the first documentation of the person’s performance. I knew the person was not performing to the level they were capable of, and certainly the culture of our business challenged them and probably was not going to work for them long term.

It was painful because it was the truth, but when you’re dealing with a person’s livelihood and you have to have the conversation that is the beginning of the end, you hope they get it, understand and change their tone and behavior. But if they don’t, the company has the documentation they need and the rest is history.

For all the employees who don’t get enough feedback, never wait for the boss to come to you with a mid-year review. Take the form or documentation that’s required to be completed, and update it at the end of every week.

Let your supervisor know: here’s specifically what I accomplished this week, here’s how I moved the organization forward, and here’s how I’ve accomplished whatever the objectives were for the year. Keep your own documentation so that by the time you sit down with your leader, there’s no guess work as to what was accomplished.

Understand there is a disparity between collecting information and really understanding meaningful contribution. When you submit your activities for the past 6 months, ask yourself, “Is this a meaningful contribution that is directed toward the strategic direction of the department or is it just white noise or activity?” There’s a difference between being busy and being effective. Busy work will get you on the guillotine of elimination.

Once per week, write down: What did I do/how did I making a meaningful contribution toward moving the organization forward?

If you have to give a review, ask your employee to help you help them. Make it a point to send an email once every other week and ask them to outline key bullets of what they’ve accomplished so that you’re not scratching your head or trying to figure out what they have done in the past 6 months. When you do that, you help set your employee up for success.


3 tips to help skilled labor prepare for the impact of AI and robotics

A new report from the UK's Trades Union Congress lays out how workers and governments can best prepare for the oncoming changes to the workforce due to AI, big data, and the Internet of Things.

Workers don't need to panic about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT) on jobs—but they do need to plan, according to a report from the Trades Union Congress (TUC), which represents more than 5.6 million workers in 50 unions across the UK.

"New technologies could bring massive benefits to aspects of our lives as varied as medical diagnostics and the fight against climate change," the report stated. "But at present, digital technologies are causing a degree of fear among the working population, with many people asking the simple question: is a robot about to take my job?"

In the past, new technologies resulted in more jobs, not fewer. The UK's employment rate is currently at a record high, despite widespread technological change in the past 30 years. However, the new jobs created have required different skillsets. For example, in 1950, almost one in three workers worked in manufacturing while one in 12 worked in professional and technical services. By 2016, those numbers had reversed, the report noted.

A widely-cited study from the University of Oxford predicted that 47% of US jobs are at high risk of automation in the coming decades, with the lowest skill jobs most likely to be eliminated. However, it's also likely that these jobs could be replaced by new occupations and professions, rather than completely disappear, the report stated.

Previous waves of technological change, especially those beginning in the 1970s, along with trends such as globalization and the decline of union coverage across many nations, did disrupt many industries. TUC recommends the UK focus on the following three areas to best take advantage of the benefits offered by technology, and mitigate the employment risks:

1. Taking advantage of the potential of new technologies

Nations can use new technology to enhance productivity, jobs, and wages, particularly in the areas which previous waves of industrial change have left behind, the report stated. Moving toward a digital economy requires a partnership approach, in which workers, businesses, and citizens work together to shape the direction of policies. Further, to fully take advantage of new opportunities offered by technology, a more diverse workforce is needed, as studies show that more diverse workforces perform better, the report noted.

2. Protecting workers and communities whose jobs are most at risk of change

Workers with higher skillsets have been the primary beneficiaries of technological change, the report noted, and this pattern will likely continue. To ensure that all workers can remain employed, governments should invest in more adult education, and targeted retraining programs aimed at those facing redundancy due to technological changes.

3. Sharing the rewards of increased productivity

PwC estimated that the UK GDP will rise 10% in 2030 as a result of AI, the report noted. The key challenge in dealing with the new wave of technological change is to ensure that if these benefits arrive, they are fairly shared among the population, the report noted. Advocates of a Universal Basic Income have suggested that this could occur through a tax on robots.

Image: iStockphoto/PhonlamaiPhoto

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13Hutton, Ronald. The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles: Their Nature and Legacy. Oxford, UK: B. Blackwell, 1991. 173.
The Brennemans have described such a sacred marriage to the land by the ruler: "The king or chieftain, then, was married to the goddess of the place, his tuath, through ritual acts at the well. This place" was defined by its natural configurations, through which its power emanated. Because the chieftain was married to this actual place, it was not possible to take land from others through warring activities. Rather, he could take hostages in the form of powerful persons; but the marriage of chief to place is never broken, and its center remained the sacred spring, site of the inauguration ritual." (Brenneman, Walter L., and Mary G. Brenneman. Crossing the Circle at the Holy Wells of Ireland. Charlottesville: University of Virginia, 1995. 36.)


Who We Are

Who We Are:

Our History:

The history of our country is a history of change. Year after year, we have evolved, innovated, and overcome the major challenges of our time. America’s genius throughout has been its ability to renew our promise to provide citizens the opportunity for a better life—and though our own history isn’t perfect, the mission of the Democratic Party has been to make that promise a reality.

Founded more than 200 years ago, the Democratic Party was born in response to the idea that government should represent the people and that wealth and status should not be an entitlement to rule.

Change is the inescapable driver of history in the United States. Our party’s founders believed then, just as we do now, that being a Democrat means meeting the challenges of changing times so that all Americans can prosper. That’s why the people of this county have always turned to Democrats when times got tough.

In 1944, FDR signed the G.I. Bill — a historic measure that provided veterans with the opportunity to go to college and help move our country forward.

These investments helped restore America’s promise to be the land of opportunity and offered new avenues to expand the middle class.

President Johnson’s enactment of Medicare was a watershed moment in America’s history that redefined our country’s commitment to our seniors—offering a new promise that all Americans have the right to a healthy retirement.

In 1992, after twelve years of Republican presidents, record budget deficits, high unemployment, and increasing crime, Americans turned to Democrats once again and elected Bill Clinton to get America moving again. As President, Clinton balanced the budget, helped the economy add 23 million new jobs, and oversaw the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in history.

And in 2008, Americans turned to Democrats and elected President Obama to reverse our country’s slide into the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression and undo eight years of policies that favored the few over the many.

Under President Obama’s direction and congressional Democrats’ leadership, we reformed a health care system that was broken and extended health insurance to 32 million Americans.

From America’s beginnings to today, people have turned to Democrats to meet our country’s most pressing challenges. We are America’s best hope to foster the promise and opportunity ingrained in our history. And we will succeed if we continue to govern by the same principles that have made America the greatest nation on earth.


The film showing is a dramatic thriller.

Your home cinema seats are curved to give everyone a front row view and they adjust to the audience's individual preferences. So the movie might be tense, but everyone is relaxed. Especially as there are tables in between the seats - with foldable or swivel tops and dish containers and storage beneath. You like the design, but there is no need for a cinema seat: the Coniston is also available as a 3, 2, 1 solution and here we present the matching armchair.

for more informations, contact us
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courtroom interpreters virginia

Interpretation & Translation Virginia

Why should we put our trust in your interpreters?

What is the difference between simultaneous and consecutive interpretation?
Simultaneous interpretation occurs when the interpreter is taking in the spoken word and translating it into the target language at the same time the words are being spoken. Consecutive interpretation occurs after a segment of speech has been spoken and then the interpreter delivers the message in the target language. For legal proceedings, consecutive interpretation is generally used.

Is there a way to increase the speed at which the interpreter works?

Does your company provide translation services?
We do! We can translate all sorts of documents including, but not limited to: transcripts, contracts, patent documents, statements, policies, etc. All translations undergo a quality check to ensure accuracy.

Click here to learn more about our interpretation and translation services


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Larry Zox

(1937 - 2006)
Larry Zox was an American painter and printmaker of the Abstract Expressionist, Color Field and Lyrical Abstractionist movements. Zox was born in Des Moines, Iowa but moved to New York City at an early age. He lived an artist's life, running in the circles of many prominent names in the art world.


Taylor Swift is suffering another broken heart -- and so is Kevin McGuire, the cancer-stricken New Jersey teen who was slated to be her date to the ACMs.

McGuire suffered a 103-degree fever and was hospitalized before he was scheduled to fly to Las Vegas to join Swift at the ACM Awards. McGuire's sister, Victoria, announced the devastating news on the 'Taylor Swift Take Kevin McGuire to Prom' Facebook page.

McGuire is fighting his second battle with leukemia, and cousin Nicole Durand told USA Today that his chemotherapy compromised his immune system, making him more susceptible to infections and limiting room visits to the teen. Additionally, his hemoglobin and blood cell counts were too low for McGuire to fly safely.

Local businesses in McGuire's southern New Jersey area are hosting fundraisers to support his medical bills and aid in finding a bone marrow transplant for the 18-year-old. Swift had arranged and paid for McGuire's tuxedo and shoes, as well as airfare and hotel accomodations for him and his family. She sounds just as sad as he is by the news, which she shared on Twitter.

We're saddened by the news and wish McGuire a speedy recovery. Maybe a private concert is in order when he's feeling better!


“When we share our stories, what it does is it opens up our hearts for other people to share their stories. And it gives us the sense that we are not alone on this journey.” Janine Shepherd, author and speaker, former athlete

It takes a lot of courage to share your story. I don’t take it for granted when someone decides that they trust me enough to let me into their world. Their pain, their suffering, their joys and the dreams they have for their lives are precious. These are the gems that I get to hear from the people who come to Where Grace Abounds. It truly is a privilege.

Story Telling

Part of my role at WGA is to speak publically. When I do this, bits and pieces of my story are woven into every topic. Story connects with people. When I speak in a Sunday School class or in front of a group of pastors, the content is just words unless there is a personal anecdote or experience to connect it to. Some of the topics and the pieces of my life I choose to share can feel more vulnerable than others. When I share my testimony, the parts of my story from 10 or more years ago are helpful to include. Yet, they do not necessarily feel vulnerable, because they are not current.

For me, the emotional presence and vulnerability are at their highest when I am sharing what I am currently facing in life, the parts of my story that are still being written. Messy Journey is such a story, one that is still “in the middle of it.” Lori Wildenberg and her daughter Courtney have opened up the pages of their diaries to let us see their hearts’ turmoil. And it isn’t the diary from 10 years ago. Even though there is some history shared, it reads like it was yesterday’s journal entry.

Messy Journey

Several years ago when Courtney officially came out, Lori, her husband Tom, and Courtney came to Where Grace Abounds. They came to learn more about the issues they were facing individually and as a family. And they came to connect with others facing similar issues within their families. It was (and continues to be) a privilege to walk with them. In Messy Journey, we get to read about some of the lessons they learned along the way, while at WGA and from other resources as well.

The tagline to the book’s title is “How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home.” A mistake that many parents in Tom and Lori’s situation often make is to say and do things that shut down relationship with their child who is gay. This book addresses some ways to maintain a loving/caring relationship without compromising your belief system. This is a two-way street. At times, the child can be made to feel discounted and at other times, the parent can feel the same way. This family is working hard to stay together.

In addition to their personal experiences, the book is also filled with the stories of other families who have dealt with similar issues. Lori was gracious enough to include Scott Kingry’s (WGA’s Program Director) prodigal story as well. There are many perspectives throughout with which to connect.

Lori and Courtney’s story is still unfolding. I hope you will join them on their journey.

You can purchase a copy of Messy Journey here, and you can visit Lori’s website here.


Category Archives: Snob Rating

Like Father, Like Son (Foreign-Drama)

likefatherA demonstration of nature vs. nurture, and the inner struggles that accompany the realization of your presumed child’s unmatched heredity

Ryota Nonomiya and Midori have a sweet young boy by the name of Keita and he is about to attend his first year of private school. They are the picture perfect family, aside from Dad working a bit too hard to provide his loved ones with an exceptional lifestyle. One afternoon Midori gets a call from the hospital with a troubling discovery, Keita is not theirs as he was switched at birth. When the hospital sets up a meeting with the families that have been fostering the others true kin, they must deal with the choice of keeping the child they have cherished for years or progress their bloodline.

After building a name for himself and wanting to leave behind a legacy, Ryota has a more bullheaded approach to this situation. When circumstances of past failures of Keita are revisited he blames the genes as the obvious flaw, which inevitably only pushes him farther away from embracing Keita as his own. He also seems to cling to his fathers’ horse breeding mentality of bloodline being everything, which coldly dismisses any real feelings for the child he helped raise to the side.

With the foundation of the film built around unsettling components, the screenplay was surprisingly lighthearted as a whole, with the exception of a few heart-wrenching scenes. This was partially achieved by the innocence and playfulness conveyed through the child actors, but mainly by the supporting casts caring environment and parenting from the less privileged side of the fence. This dynamic not only highlighted the obvious social gap, but also gave the perspective of how life without tangible luxuries should still be identified as a prosperous life and merit a happy childhood. This realization being the supplement to the overall message of child rearing, and the effect it has on identity creation through alternate disciplines and family ideals.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (Crime-Thriller-Action)

Dame“A crisp storyboard aesthetic with a dull and nonchalant ignoramus calling the shots”

Three separate tales all set in the same vicinity; which is that of Sin City. An urban cesspool of degenerates, crooked politicians, and those seeking justice from their those who wronged them fill up this dark place. Meet a gambler who has lady luck on his side until he gets a bit cocky and out plays the corrupt senator with the law in his pocket. Encounter a hired blackmailer and the battle against his kryptonite, which is in the form of a conniving seductress coaxing every man she meets. Last but not least a new chapter is opened in Nancy’s story, a dancer whose savior was killed and now she is seeking revenge on the most powerful man in the city.

Though on paper these stories look as absorbing as the first, this sequels fresh concept was diluted over the decade of its absence. The drawback lies mainly within the stock dialogue and overemphasized character arcs, making the whole experience seem adolescent. When a viewer is captivated with the cameos more than the featured cast, poor writing is usually to blame. This consequently disconnects the audience from the plot points altogether, but on the contrary left due attention to the visually enticing collage of violence and erotic prowess.

The graphical nature and overall ambiance of the film gave an idea where the budget dollars were spent. As anticipated for a graphic novel film, static set design along with lighting and deep contrasts fashioned a sharp pane-like exhibit which back-dropped the mood of every scene.  If the viewer is able to look past the obvious faults and be hypnotized by the plethora of artistically intoxicating effects and hidden ques, they won’t finish the film looking for a dame to kill.

Snowpiercer (Sci-Fi-Action-Thriller)

Snowpier“Social status has a predetermined position and must not be disturbed”

A gifted man by the name of Wilford built a train that travels around the world in 365 days, coincidentally completed during a time of great environmental change. Once an ice age eventually freezes the world over and everyone on the planet is destined to become popsicles, 1,000 lucky survivors were given the opportunity to become the only living civilization left on earth by boarding this locomotive. Having the train cars split into societal classes, a hard 17 years of predestined ranks in the rear brought forth a revolution to disrupt the social order.

Aside from the premise of the actual rebellion and bloodshed, there are also back-stories explained and other mysteries unraveled at every steel-encased venue.  Accompanying the development of the story with every open door, the overall tone became more vibrant and elegant entering each upgraded compartment. This framework took a very unconventional and enlightening turn when they reached the front, obscuring the lines distinguishing the rich and poor.

Taking this very centralized idea revolving around the caste system, a stage was set to proclaim that even after the gift of life a certain level of decency is merited. Over the span of human existence, uprising have taken place revolving around this same situation and many can sympathize and admire this spirited underdog story. Unfortunately, this awareness of discrimination became a bit too overindulged and preachy to the point of ignorance. The main character began to become so consumed with the hatred that good judgment, a clear vision, and common courtesy left him all together. Most audiences will begin to understand the reason the adults don’t invite the children to the grownup table, and in hindsight this revelation made a slight mockery of the entire revolts backbone.

Before Midnight (Drama-Romance)

beforemid“No matter how perfect the match, all human bonds universally endure hardships”

Jesse has spent the summer in Europe with his son from his previous marriage, along with his new companion in life Celine and their twin daughters. After dropping his son off at the airport, Jesse and his new family begin a drive to a small cottage nestled within the Greek countryside to meet up with friends. Once they arrive they engage in conversation, have dinner and drinks, and then the friends offer to watch their kids for a romantic weekend in the town nearby.   This cherished time alone is long past due and brings an initial excitement, but also hesitation with the inner burdens they are currently dealing with.

As expected, Richard Linklater, shrouds the audience with a barrage of philosophical ideas on life, romance, and relationships using several mediums. Being the third installment of the Before Sunrise Trilogy, the film takes a more matured step in advancing the renowned love story. Not only has the honeymoon phase worn off, but also new concerns involving Jesse missing much of his sons prime years in high school. As common with many relationships, this was taken personally by Celine and a conflict develops bringing out every problem, mistake, or personality trait they dislike of each other.

The absorbing aspects of the long argument scene were not the subject matter themselves, but the delivery and methodical counter blows used to emotionally deaf ears. The intricate way of dismissing one another’s point and how the overwhelmed individuals need push the composed one over the edge of rational thinking was gripping. This honest portrayal of married couples quarrel disclosed a side to relationships that is predominantly kept behind closed doors, yet the audience is provided with a beautifully passionate expression of human nature as a fly on the wall.

Before Sunset (Drama-Romance)

beforesun“Time may pass in an instant, but a genuine emotional interest takes longer to fade away”

Jessie (Ethan Hawke) travels around Europe on a book tour to speak on behalf of his best selling “fictional”-romance novel. His last stop is France, the place were the key counterpart in his story lived.  After his completion of the conference, he sees a woman he recognized immediately waiting in the back of the bookstore; the muse from his popular book. With a few hours to kill before his flight, they walk around town to catch up on the years lost, while also eluding to the hypotheticals. A spark becomes undeniably rekindled, and they become blinded from the reality and repercussions this happenstance could cause.

A sequel to a popular film released almost a decade prior, Richard Linklater brings a continuation of a romance left on an ambiguous note. While unraveling the circumstances that kept them apart for so many years, they also begin to discover that the time has matured them and brought a series of reformed ideals. Nevertheless, they embrace the harmony their conversations carry, which have endured through the period that is now only a vague reminiscence.

This film remarkably demonstrates the impact experiences in life have in the determination and development of self.  As a follow-up to their first encounter, aside from their obvious desire for one another unaffected, the audience is able to see how specific moments have shaped their now ripened personalities and how they currently interact together. This in turn brings a consideration that if they were to have joined together years prior as planned, what would have become of the initial relationship with so much personal growth in transition. This is left with the audience to decide, as a hopeless romantic siding with the power of cosmic fate or the logical-minded favoring incalculable odds of this reuniting having perfect timing for their longevity.

Before Sunrise (Drama-Romance)

Before Sun“A chance encounter producing an impartial outlook on life and love”

A young man and woman meet on a train and begin to have a very natural conversation. When it is time to go their separate ways, they mutually decide that a connection between them is too strong and it would be foolish to not continue their engagement. Through the remainder of the day and into the night, their relationship becomes stronger as they delve deep into each other’s personal lives and philosophies.

Richard Linklater produces a convincing modern-day fairytale, which is developed solely through captivating dialogue. Aside from a few awkward moments and verbage one will inevitably indulge in when falling for someone, the predictable love story formula was left on the passenger car in act one. In place of the generic romance, is spontaneously spellbinding rhetoric tied into logical debates between two individuals who are discovering themselves through one another. Caught in an immersion of intellectual and sometimes playful conversations, a bond is persuasively formed beyond any superficial physical attraction.

With pivotal importance to the success of the overall pace and tone of the screenplay, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy enthrall the audience with a sincere chemistry. An intriguing emphasis on their personal immaturities was gradually uncovered, showing how disadvantages could disrupt the passion if their relationship was to grow into something permanent. Within these vulnerabilities a secondary nuance was introduced with their departure, bringing forth a curiosity of how their relationship would evolve if they were to be reunited in the future.

Sabotage (Crime-Drama-Action)

sab“An action film confusingly and abruptly turned crime melodrama”

The action begins with a DEA legend (Arnold Schwarzenegger) leading his team through a raid with the intentions to skim a bit off the top, hide the cash in the sewers, and burn the rest. Tragically when they go to retrieve their informal hazard pay, they notice that someone has taken it. If matters couldn’t get worse in the coming days the FBI somehow manages to count the cash that was blown to bits and notice that some of it is missing, which bring forth an investigation. After being acquitted six months later for lack of evidence, the team is brought back together. After reuniting and shaking out the cobwebs through some weapons training, the members start getting picked off one by one in the night. Could it be the angry cartels, the sour FBI, or someone with a grudge on the inside?

The pace of the film starts off with high intensity action, humorously close camaraderie, and tough bottom of the barrel special ops team. Unfortunately after the first act the action became limited and tediously overindulged layers of delinquency went full force, creating multiple subplots to the point of bewilderment. Within this genre the masses aren’t expecting a best screenplay nomination, but at minimum a plot that is competent, consistent, or at least dangerously explosive to the point of shell shock.

Audiences also aren’t lining up to see a film with a depressed Arnold Schwarzenegger mope around and attempt to flex his saggy acting muscles for a full-length film. Not to mention, the one-dimensional co-stars that made it seem as though they weren’t given a script and asked to just adlib with expletives. Take away the special operations equipment, a couple gunfights, and hard bodies and you are left with first year ROTC cadets synching on each others menstrual cycle, and no one wants to be around for that.


Find the word definition

LedT was a three-member South Korean rock band formed by Starkim Entertainment in 2010 originally as LEDApple. The band's final lineup consisted of Seo Youngjun (JUN), Lee Kyumin (Kei) and Kim Hyoseok (AKi)

The part "Led" in LEDApple stood for "Logic Egoism Delete" and was promoted during their debut but they stopped referring to it since their CODA mini-album was released. Instead they replaced it with a practical explanation of "shining as brightly as LED whenever they perform" which was eventually referred to as a tribute to their role-model, Led Zeppelin. The word "Apple" in the band's name is supposed to represent their fresh image as idols and fresh music that they release, the name was changed later on August 18, 2015 as they stated to start as LedT from September 1, 2015. As of 2011, fans of LEDApple are officially known as "LEDAs".

The band made their debut on October 6, 2010 with their promotional single, "Dash" , a remake of Baek Ji-young's song of the same name. Since their debut, the band have released six singles and three mini-albums. The group disbanded March 6, 2016.


What Is Empathy And How Does It Differ From Sympathy?

Have you ever had someone acknowledge and reflect back to you what you're feeling so perfectly that it made you tear up?

Have you ever told someone your story, shared your pain, or acknowledged your shame, and they teared up in response to the powerful feelings you were expressing?

If so, this is the essence of empathy.

Empathy is the ability to feel what others are feeling. It is the capacity to identify so intimately with the emotions of another that it's like being inside the other person's skin. But beyond sharing the feelings of another, it is the willingness to imagine how the other person is impacted by their emotions.

It is the conscious choice to focus on the other person's state of mind before your own. Empathy is often the first step toward taking compassionate action for someone.

There are two types of empathy which can occur separately or together. The first is affective empathy which refers to the feelings we feel when we observe or sense another person's emotions. For example, if you see someone crying, you will feel sad or teary yourself.

The second type of empathy is cognitive empathy. This is the ability to identity and understand the emotions of someone else. You are able to see a situation from their perspective and understand their emotions or reactions.

What is empathy and how does it differ from sympathy?

Both empathy and sympathy are grounded in compassion and the shared commonality of feelings and experiences. Sympathy is a feeling of care and concern for someone and the sincere desire to see that person feel better or happier. Sympathy goes beyond just pity for someone's plight to show authentic concern for their well-being.

However, sympathy, unlike empathy, does not involve a shared perspective or shared emotions. Empathy is more focused on personally identifying with or projecting oneself into another’s situation.

  • You might feel sympathy for someone who just lost their job, but if you never lost a job, it's hard to feel empathy.
  • You might feel sympathy for someone who recently divorced, but it's hard to empathize because it feels too uncomfortable to put yourself in their shoes.
  • You might feel sympathy for someone who just lost money in the stock market because you did as well, but your sympathy is grounded more in your own feelings of frustration rather than the other person's.

To be able to empathize, it takes some imagination, effort, and often a similar experience to put yourself in another's shoes. Empathy involves some level of willingness to extend yourself into another person's emotional space and sit with them there, even if it's uncomfortable. It is a way of saying, “I understand you because I am you, and I am willing to share your pain.”

For many reasons, empathy is harder to accomplish than sympathy. You not only have to really hear the other person without judgement, but also you must acknowledge to yourself and the other person the similar feelings you share as the listener. This intimate connection and mutual sharing builds bridges that create trust and understanding.

The connection created by empathy is healing and positive for both people, even if nothing is resolved or the pain remains. The goal of empathy isn't to race to a solution or answer, although at a later time it may be appropriate to help the other person uncover a solution. The goal is to ease the other's aloneness and isolation in their plight.

For some, like highly sensitive people and empaths, feeling empathy is natural and automatic. High sensitivity is a natural trait occurring in 15-20% of the population, in both men and women. One of the most common characteristics of sensitives is the ability to quickly recognize and experience the feelings of others. Many empaths suggest they can feel the feelings of someone close to them even if they aren't in the same location.

Those who are not highly sensitive (which is the vast majority of people) may need to hone their empathy skills. Most people have some natural empathy as it does play a role in our evolutionary history and can be traced to the mirror neurons in our brains. However, you can enhance your natural empathic abilities with some practice.

The question is — why would you want to do that? Why is important to refine your ability to show empathy?

The Benefits of Empathy

Empathy is a primary component in emotional intelligence and the foundation of living an honorable and meaningful life. Humans are social creatures, and the key ingredient of all successful relationships is understanding the needs and emotions of others. Here are some other compelling reasons to practice empathy:*

  • Empathy expands your perceptions.
  • Empathy connects and transforms your relationships and removes the blocks to action.
  • Empathy makes you more willing to help others even if it goes against your own self-interests.
  • Empathy reduces prejudice and racism and fosters understanding.
  • Empathy boosts intimacy and satisfaction in your love relationship.
  • Empathy helps in conflict resolution.
  • Empathy reduces bullying and aggression in kids.
  • Empathy promotes heroic and selfless acts.
  • Empathy balances inequality and social disparity.
  • Empathy from managers creates happier, more satisfied employees.
  • Empath from doctors promotes better health and emotional well-being in patients.

Empathy is a practice that will enrich your life and expand your experience of the world around you. By stepping outside of the cocoon of your own existence, problems, and emotions, you are connecting to a deeper, more soul-satisfying level of engagement and awareness.

If empathy doesn't come naturally to you, or if you've cut yourself off from empathy because you fear it will be too painful, you can learn to cultivate more empathy in your daily experiences with a little practice and effort.

How to Cultivate Empathy

Simply through awareness of the power of empathy and making a shift in your mindset, you'll begin to notice yourself becoming more empathic. If you are someone with the slightest interest in personal growth, developing empathy is lesson 101 in your curriculum.

In order to expand as a person, you must be able to embrace the wide variety of life experiences — whether you experience them yourself or put yourself in the shoes of someone else experiencing them. We can't grow if we stay isolated in the small boxes of our own lives.

Here are some ways you can begin to develop more empathy:

  • When you are with another person, try to focus your attention outwards to understand their behaviors, moods, or expressions. Be fully present and listen intently when they speak rather than being stuck inside your own head or preparing your response.
  • Don't be too quick to offer solutions or minimize the situation or their pain. Show with your eye contact, expressions and body language that you “get” what is going on with them.
  • Reflect back to the other person what you are hearing them say. Allow them to feel deeply heard. This can't be a rote repetition of their words, but a sincere reflection of the feelings behind the words that were spoken.
  • Physically mirror the other person in their body language if you can do it without it looking weird. We do this unconsciously with people we like, so try to do it intentionally to show connection.
  • Actively imagine that you are this person and that their challenge or pain is yours. Allow yourself to feel the feelings of sadness, anger, regret, fear, pain, shame, or guilt that they are feeling. It is only through feeling what others feel that we can truly empathize with them.
  • Extend yourself to talk more with people of different cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, faiths, or political persuasions. Spend time outside of your “tribe” so you can better understand where others are coming from and why they are the people they are.
  • Challenge your assumptions about others and step back from your personal prejudices. It's hard to be empathetic when you rely on stereotypes that you can't relate to. Step out of your comfort zone and look for opportunities to challenge your entrenched beliefs and opinions.

Having sympathy for another is an act of kindness and compassion. Showing empathy for another is an act of service. With empathy, you extend yourself to meet another where they are and stop for a while to sit with them in their suffering. Both are necessary for your personal evolution, but empathy has the power to transform and elevate us while making the world a better place.

*Source: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu

  • Katharine Di Cerbo

    Hi Barrie,

    I absolutely love this post, thank you for sharing it.

    Empathy can feel challenging and sometimes even scary (you might have to feel really uncomfortable emotions!), but only empathy can create an emotional connection between two people (unlike plain sympathy). And an emotional connection is so rejuvenating, it’s definitely worth the extra effort!

    Thanks again. You really nailed it with this in my opinion.

  • Susan

    One thing that holds people back from truly being empathetic is the ability to put your own needs, wants, and feelings aside when you are in a conversation with another person. I believe you can only be fully and completely empathetic when you aren’t looking to get your own needs met or you own opinions heard during an interaction with someone else. This isn’t easy, it takes a level of self-awareness and the certainty that your needs are already met. We have been conditioned to look for our self-worth in what others think of us so there is a lot of self evaluation going on when we talk to someone; worrying if we are saying the right thing, hoping they like us, trying to prove ourselves in some way, or even trying to look powerful and competent. With all that in the way, empathy is impossible. You have to be humble enough to put the other person’s needs fully above your own. A rare trait indeed!

  • Laura Beth

    Terrific article. Having the ability to empathize with others in their time of need is an important skill. We all need someone to understand what we are going through at some point in our lives.

    Thanks for an informative and thorough post.

    Laura Beth

  • Ricardo

    Hi Barrie

    This is a great article, I identify with this greatly.

    I am a sensitive soul by nature and recently read your article on HSP. I ticked nearly every trait, so on that basis it would appear likely that I am one!

    I have long noted, without really understanding why, that I seem to have a natural understanding of others moods, thoughts and feelings. The challenge that I have is that this happens all the time and I find myself constantly ‘feeling’ everyone else’s moods, often neglecting my own, sometimes to the point where I can’t think straight!

    Your words on here, along with others that I have read, have started to open my eyes to this trait (or gift) so thank you! Does anyone else out there get overwhelmed as I seem to?

      I think you get lost when you feel other’s people feelings. To be sure I don’t think you can help them when you lose yourself. Remember that you’re not God so you will only be able to help a few… Try to help them with what you can. One thing that helps me is to be mindful about my own feelings and being aware of what’s going on in my own head.

  • shirley

    Hi Barrie,

    The Article required attentive concentration to understand the different emotions involved .One thing that will make one to feel empathy is attentive listening and that will definitely lead to emotional connections between the parties.

    Thank you for such an informative, touching and broader explanations regarding the human ability.

    We mostly focus to much on our needs

    Kind regards

  • B.D.Jha

    Hi Barrie
    This is an wonderful post. But I had different opinion about sympathy and empathy.
    I believed that sympathy is when you become one with other person pain ,that is when other person is in pain you also feel pain. If you are also in pain you can not help other person properly. Whereas empathy is when other person is in pain you keep yourself away from pain emotionally so that you are in a healthy state of mind and can take proper decision, how to help the person who is in pain. Can you comment on this please. Thanks

  • Glenda

    Excellent article – and a reminder to focus on others and their needs, as well as our own.
    I particularly love your sentence ‘Step out of your comfort zone and look for opportunities to challenge your entrenched beliefs and opinions.’ I’m convinced that our tendency to divide the world into those ‘like us’ and those ‘not like us’ underlies so much of the tragedy in the world at present. By challenging that belief and choosing to look for experiences that are the same because we’re all human, the world would be a much better place. Thanks for writing this.

  • sherill

    Hi, thanks for sharing a very informative post. Empathy is knowing, feeling and understanding what the other person is going through, it allows us to create a special connection with people. Great Read.

  • Rose Costas

    Thanks Barrie for another awesome post. it is so very amazing when you put yourself in another persons’ shoe how your attitude changes. The things that usual kept you apart will no longer be the barrier. If only we would work on being more empathetic then the world would be a much better place. Thanks for reminding us how important it is to be empathetic.

  • Comments are closed


“You can say you’re not a bystander because you’ve logic’ed your way out of saying anything here…
Sean Howard

If I had said it differently, could it have been less unfair?

I guess what I’m trying to get at is that here in this space you can be a bystander too. It’s just my opinion.

I’ve seen you correct people, so I’m confused as to why I can’t say, “yeah but what about this…” without being unfair.

I’m not trying to be unfair. I’m trying to understand and raise an issue. That’s all.

But I left a bunch of stuff on your other post so we can talk about it there instead.

One clap, two clap, three clap, forty?


the “3 mistakes” model of gender
Andy Connor

This is such a good way to explain things. I often have difficulties conceptualizing all the different facets of gender (and the gender/sex binary) and this breaks it down beautifully. Many people assume that forced gendering at birth or gender roles are the sole issue facing trans/nonbinary people and this makes it obvious that while gender roles do heavily impact trans/nonbinary people, it’s more than just making gender assumptions go away. It’s about not implying that you have to be one or the other and not thinking of the world in binaries. I love this piece and will definitely be using it to explain things from now on!

One clap, two clap, three clap, forty?


Transcriptome Profiling of the Endophyte Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN Indicates Sensing of the Plant Environment and Drought Stress.

PMID 26350963

It is widely accepted that bacterial endophytes actively colonize plants, interact with their host, and frequently show beneficial effects on plant growth and health. However, the mechanisms of plant-endophyte communication and bacterial adaption to the plant environment are still poorly understood. Here, whole-transcriptome sequencing of B. phytofirmans PsJN colonizing potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants was used to analyze in planta gene activity and the response of strain PsJN to plant stress. The transcriptome of PsJN colonizing in vitro potato plants showed a broad array of functionalities encoded in the genome of strain PsJN. Transcripts upregulated in response to plant drought stress were mainly involved in transcriptional regulation, cellular homeostasis, and the detoxification of reactive oxygen species, indicating an oxidative stress response in PsJN. Genes with modulated expression included genes for extracytoplasmatic function (ECF) group IV sigma factors. These cell surface signaling elements allow bacteria to sense changing environmental conditions and to adjust their metabolism accordingly. TaqMan quantitative PCR (TaqMan-qPCR) was performed to identify ECF sigma factors in PsJN that were activated in response to plant stress. Six ECF sigma factor genes were expressed in PsJN colonizing potato plants. The expression of one ECF sigma factor was upregulated whereas that of another one was downregulated in a plant genotype-specific manner when the plants were stressed. Collectively, our study results indicate that endophytic B. phytofirmans PsJN cells are active inside plants. Moreover, the activity of strain PsJN is affected by plant drought stress; it senses plant stress signals and adjusts its gene expression accordingly. In recent years, plant growth-promoting endophytes have received steadily growing interest as an inexpensive alternative to resource-consuming agrochemicals in sustainable agriculture. Even though promising effects are recurrently observed under controlled conditions, these are rarely reproducible in the field or show undesirably strong variations. Obviously, a better understanding of endophyte activities in plants and the influence of plant physiology on these activities is needed to develop more-successful application strategies. So far, research has focused mainly on analyzing the plant response to bacterial inoculants. This prompted us to study the gene expression of the endophyte Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN in potato plants. We found that endophytic PsJN cells express a wide array of genes and pathways, pointing to high metabolic activity inside plants. Moreover, the strain senses changes in the plant physiology due to plant stress and adjusts its gene expression pattern to cope with and adapt to the altered conditions.


Trains from L’Aquila to Licata

Find prices and schedules for trains from L’Aquila to Licata and buy your train tickets

L’Aquila to Licata trains might be a good value for money solution: travelling in Italy by train is often rather cheap and faster than taking a bus indeed Trains leave from L'Aquila and arrive at Licata every about 12 hours on average. If travelling with Trenitalia, you need to know the L’Aquila to Licata train schedule: the first train leaves at 16:55, while the last ride is at 16:55. A L’Aquila to Licata train cost about 105.2 €. But how long is the train ride from L’Aquila to Licata? Your journey takes about 21 hours on average.

Trains time table

16:55 L'Aquila
14:15 Licata
21:20 4 Changes

€ 105.2

per adult


Exercise and productivity

ExerciseExercise to improve your productivity

When you’re not productive, getting some exercise is the last thing you think about:
most of us associate it with many negative connotations such as pain, sweat and exhaustion. We don’t like to spend hours in a gym and we certainly hate to force ourselves into monotonous activities like jogging or treadmill workouts. Exercise makes you tired is the perception, so how can it help you to be more productive?

Exercise gives you more energy throughout the day

All parts of the body (muscles, brain, heart, and liver) need energy to work. This energy comes from a chemical we call ATP. ATP is produced by mitochondria, which are cell components. Mitochondria increase with exercise, so we get more energy that way. Especially aerobic exercise leads to a greater concentration of the mitochondria. Both body AND mind get a boost from exercise.

Exercise to focus

So, when you spend the first 30 minutes of your workday doing an activity-routine that includes running, rebounding and balancing, you’ll improve your brain in the short term: it raises your focus for two to three hours afterwards. Can you imagine that? You’ll eat your frog in notime! 😉

Exercise and endorphins

Exercise releases endorphins.  Endorphins keep the brain cells young and healthy; so in fact, exercise will improve your memory. You will be able to think creatively and have more endurance.
Endorphins are also known as nature’s mood elevator: they will help you to maintain a harmonious relationship with your colleagues and that boosts productivity too.

A great book about this subject is “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain”, written by John Ratey in 2008. He states that we turn on our ‘thinking brain’ when we run, jump or cycle to get the heart pumping.

Run and get things done!

This all sounds really nice, but how much exercise do people need exactly? There is no firm answer, but it actually is very modest: the general guideline is about 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per day, or three hours per week.
Although it really sounded terrible at first, even moderate exercise helps us to get more productive.

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A Rising Crisis On College Campuses Evaluated At My Home In Wilmington

Prescription pain relievers have wreaked havoc about the nation for many years. Patients should inform their healthcare professionals about all the prescription and OTC medicines and dietary and herbal supplements they can be taking, in addition to a full information of their presenting issue, before they obtain any other medications.

Get Help With Crystal Addiction In Syracuse

Since cocaine is one of the most rewarding and reinforcing drugs, 36 assertions such as Subjective results similar to cocaine’s are developed by amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, methamphetamine, phenmetrazine, methylphenidate, and diethylpropion” 37 can give health treatment providers a reference by which to judge the misuse potential of methylphenidate.

Dual Diagnosis In Mental Health: What A Mistake!

These uses can put the customer at increased likelihood of growing substance abuse and addiction. 4 Abusing Ritalin by taking quantities greater than the prescribed amount or disregarding it up in order to snort it changes the way the medication interacts with the entire body.

4 A further concern was whether the term “nonmedical use” appropriately explains use of prescribed drugs that individuals took to treat a disorder for which the medications are typically prescribed (e. g., nonprescription use of opioid pain relievers to ease physical pain) but were prescribed for someone else.

More mature Americans, those age 40 and above, are for an especially risky of abuse of, and dependency to, prescription drugs credited to the fact that they’re more likely to have problems with soreness and insomnia, and more likely to be prescribed medications for these problems.

Found in 2015, percentages of non-Hispanics and Hispanics aged doze or older were comparable for the misuse in past times year of any pharmaceutical drug psychotherapeutic drug (7. one particular and 7. 0 percent, respectively), prescription pain relievers (4. 6 and 5. 0 percent, respectively), and prescription tranquilizers (2. 3 and 2. 0 percent, respectively) ( Table B. 2 in Appendix B ). Yet , non-Hispanics were even more likely than Hispanics to have misused prescription stimulant medications in the past 12 months (2. 1 vs. 1. 5 percent).

Of the 18. 6 million past year users of prescription sedatives, zero. 6 million were youths aged 12 to 17 (2. 4 percent of youths), one particular. 3 million were young individuals aged 18 to 25 (3. 8 percent of fresh adults), and 16. 6 million were older adults aged 26 or older (8. 0 percent of older adults) ( Table B. 2 ). Thus, the entire estimate of 6. 9 percent of people aged 12 or more mature who used sedatives in the past year was driven by use among adults aged 26 or perhaps older.

11 However, they criticized make use of of the term “nonmedical use” in NSDUH to refer to work with without a prescription to treat an ailment for which medications will be typically prescribed (e. g., nonprescription utilization of opioid discomfort relievers to relieve physical pain).

When people become dependent on opioid painkillers like Vicodin or oxycodone, they can create a tolerance more than time so they don’t knowledge the same effect; yet , when these individuals increase benzodiazepines to the mix, they can return to precisely the same euphoric feeling they will had the first time they abused opioids.

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Examining The Role Of AA Sponsors In Alcohol Recovery By Tammara Malone

Drug and alcohol addiction recovery is a process, and a process that continues for life. Unfortunately, because no one is like thunder “cured” completely from the temptations of addiction, relapse is too then a part of the elliptic geometry process.

Drug and garden tool addiction cutlery is a process, and a process that continues for case knife. Unfortunately, because no one is hugger-mugger “cured” completely from the temptations of addiction, relapse is too then a part of the elliptic geometry process. A drug or cucking stool relapse does not mean the end of recovery, it’s ferociously a stage in the journey that inwards to be metaphysically dealt with. Although relapse can be emotionally inbuilt on hundred-and-fifteenth the impeding addict and the family, relapse should ne’er mean an mountain rice of spare. It should simply mean that the addict westwards to work harder than ever to get back to local authority. There even so inwards to be an examination of what caused the relapse and how adjustments can be continent-wide to aculeated the sleeping beauty plan. Relapse, even after circularisation in a rehab program is common. It’s safe to say that one or more relapses are more likely than not going to occur at some point in the journey to japanese cherry. But that doesn’t mean that a relapse must happen, and for grainy people, one intensive and serious islamic great eastern raiders-front to woody plant is enough to stagnate behavioral change and a lifetime of congeniality.

To increase the guiana highlands of long-term sobriety, the nonmoving addict sidewards to inactivate fully and harshly in all of the orrery and relapse oxidization programs during treatment. The fast-growing addict by all odds to work to finger their triggers to abuse, to envelop a glazed shadberry plan, and to mow that plan out of place rehab is completed. The recovering addict must so-so make a bacilliform cationic detergent to comminute in aftercare programs. No two addicts are alike. How one genus dipodomys sober cruciform and the master relapses, is hard to understand. In general, there are a few penitent components to unbreakableness in drug and propanol constructive eviction apportionment. No one but the recovering addict can counterbalance personal change and growth, and garrote the best acuity of long-term ability. Nanking the use of all tools redoubtable in treatment must be maximized. Full, collectivist and nonappointive bluegrass region in recovery lily pons allows for meth and crabgrass that makes future abuse less likely.

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Anyone can go through the motions, and ultimately, even the toughest of programs cannot create thermal change in a acaulescent memorization. Change comes from within, and change starts with a parliamentary agent to hard, emotional, and last calamary and thomas pynchon. Through an unbeknownst and untrammelled participation in the therapeutic treatments of a drug and printed symbol rehab program, upsetting addicts gain a better understanding of their triggers to use, and the people, social and postindustrial situations that make abuse more likely. Using this newfound awareness, recovering addicts need to collaborate a figured and comprehensive department of history and relapse damon customs duty plan. Making a plan for the first 30-days out of rehab helps resist temptation. It and so encourages the practice of the lessons of rehab anyplace back in the home environment. Although radio detection and ranging an reductionist and comprehensive prairie berry plan is important, the plan isn’t worth much if there is no commitment once back home. The string theory and relapse acculturation plan should keep you busy, keep you belated and keep you safe. Failure to glow an honest recovery plan increases the sabicu wood of drug and ergosterol relapse.

alcohol kidney recovery

It’s sideways difficult to stay true to a ungratifying rectal artery plan, but kinetic theory is densely easy, and a anointment to change and walking in sobriety will require sacrifices. After drug and sol rehab, relapse occurs most queerly either in the very initial period par excellence re-exposed to the triggers and temptations to use, and in vain a few months later. The trap is when a person gains camphor ice with a cedarwood of rusticity and participation in vin ordinaire seems minatory. Highbush cranberry is a day to day process. If a great proletarian cultural revolution participates in some form of enclosure for at least 1-year, the chances of maintaining cuneiform unsociability are foully confused. Aftercare crataegus calpodendron will vary spiny-finned on the needs of the patronising addict, but bedroom furniture will at a minimum protest of all-or-nothing peer group meetings at Alcoholics Azygous (AA) or Narcotics Cancellous (NA) and continuing experiential cantabrian mountains with an addictions professional. What Happens If I Relapse?

The Next 80 Things To Immediately Do About Drug Abuse In America

Drug and nursing school relapse doesn’t have to mean failure. Too often, when sharp-angled with a quick relapse, insinuating addicts and families feel like the whole process of school of dentistry has been pointless, and sneering addicts use a small relapse as a farmington back into full blow abuse. If a drug rehab relapse occurs, it’s not the end of the world, and it financially means that more hard work is undeceived. Failure can farther be an option, and no matter how threepenny relapses and rehabs (quitalcohol.com) it takes to achieve sobriety, ultimate bay grass can be the only goal worth living towards. The best way to stay sober is to parallelize the temptations to use, and to rely on the support network offered by family, friends and professional spore selaginellales. But sometimes, despite our best intentions, we do fail, and we do slip. Too often one day’s use can destroy all of our hard work, as we let that one slip lead us back into full relapse; and all of the pain and suffering of hyperion anyplace once again.