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Christianity And The New World - 2275 Words

As once written by a famous reverend, Early American Puritans aimed to â€Å"†¦write the wonders of the Christian religion, flying from the deprivation of Europe, to the American Strand† (Manther 75). Although this idea of a Christian utopia in the New World was first imagined several hundred years ago, its impact is still present. Since the time that the Puritans first began their memorable legacy in the early seventeenth century, ideas towards Christianity in the United States have significantly changed due to the diversity in civilization, politics, and religion that have developed over a time period of almost 240 years. The harsh and often domineering laws of the Puritans led to its breakup several years later. However, this division led†¦show more content†¦The Puritans used this to beg the congregation to ask for forgiveness and turn away from their sins. They did this is an attempt to restore Puritanism and faith in God. Today, though not used in a m anner as harsh as the Puritans, messages from the Jeremiads are still preached in the State of the Union addresses and on the Fourth of July. For example, the ideas of being aware of enemies, rejecting corruption, and working together to achieve superiority above other nations are commonplace in these addresses today. However, the idea that is most present is Manifest Destiny. Established by the Puritans, Manifest Destiny is the concept that Americans have a divine responsibility to spread their beliefs and boundaries as far as they can. In the State of the Union address in 2011, President Obama stated that â€Å"we have to make America the best place on earth† and that the United States needs to continue â€Å"maintaining our leadership.† In addition, the President said that â€Å"may God bless the United States of America.† Similarly, the famous Puritan leader known as John Winthrop shared a similar message in his â€Å"The City upon a Hill† sermo n in 1630. Referring to the Puritans and people of the New World, he said that â€Å"†¦we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.† Though Winthrop would not live to see the larger impact of these words, his ideas and the beliefs of his people would

Organizations free essay sample

Organizations are working on valuing diverse people, ideas, backgrounds, and experiences. We have miles to go before valuing teams and teamwork will be the norm. You can, however, create a teamwork culture by doing Just a few things right. Admittedly, theyre the hard things, but with commitment and appreciation for the value, you can create an overall sense of teamwork in your organization. Create a Culture of Teamwork To make teamwork happen, these powerful actions must occur. Executive leaders communicate the clear expectation that teamwork and ollaboration are expected. No one completely owns a work area or process all by himself. People who own work processes and positions are open and receptive to ideas and input from others on the team. Executives model teamwork in their interaction with each other and the rest of the organization. They maintain teamwork even when things are going wrong and the temptation is to slip back into former team unfriendly behavior. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizations or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The organization members talk about and identify the value of a teamwork culture. If alues are formally written and shared, teamwork is one of the key five or six. ЂTeamwork is rewarded and recognized. The lone ranger, even if she is an excellent producer, is valued less than the person who achieves results with others in teamwork. Compensation, bonuses, and rewards depend on collaborative practices as much as individual contribution and achievement. Important stories and folklore that people discuss within the company emphasize teamwork. (Remember the year the capsule team reduced scrap by 20 percent? ) People who do well and are promoted within the company are team players. ЂThe performance management system places emphasis and value on teamwork. Often 360 degree feedback is integrated within the system. Tips for Team Building Do you immediately picture your group off at a resort playing games or hanging from ropes when you think of team building? Traditionally, many organ izations approached team building this way. Then, they wondered why that wonderful sense of teamwork, experienced at the retreat or seminar, failed to impact long term beliefs nd actions back at work. Im not averse to retreats, planning sessions, seminars and team building activities in fact I lead them but they have to be part of a larger teamwork effort. You will not build teamwork by retreating as a group for a couple of days each year. Think of team building as something you do every single day. Form teams to solve real work issues and to improve real work processes. Provide training in systematic methods so the team expends its energy on the project, not on figuring out how to work together s a team to approach it. ЂHold department meetings to review projects and progress, to obtain broad input, and to coordinate shared work processes. If team members are not getting along, examine the work processes they mutually own. The problem is not usually the personalities of the team members. Its the fact that the team members often havent agreed on how they will deliver a product or a service or the steps required to get something done. Build fun and shared occasions into the o rganizations agenda. Hold pot luck unches; take the team to a sporting event. Sponsor dinners at a local restaurant. Go hiking or to an amusement park. Hold a monthly company meeting. Sponsor sports teams and encourage cheering team fans. Use ice breakers and teamwork exercises at meetings. I worked with an organization that held a weekly staff meeting. Participants took turns bringing a fun ice breaker to the meeting. These activities were limited to ten minutes, but they helped participants laugh together and get to know each other a small investment in a big time sense of team.