Examples of How to Write a Good Descriptive Paragraph

A good descriptive paragraph is like a window into another world. Through the use of careful examples or details, an author can conjure a scene that vividly describes a person, place, or thing. The best descriptive writing appeals to multiple senses at once―smell, sight, taste, touch, and hearing―and is found in both fiction and nonfiction. In their own way, each of the following writers (three of them students, two of them professional authors) have selected a belonging or a place that holds special meaning to them. After identifying that subject in a clear topic sentence, they proceed to describe it in detail while explaining its personal significance. A Friendly Clown On one corner of my dresser sits a smiling toy clown on a tiny unicycle―a gift I received last Christmas from a close friend. The clowns short yellow hair, made of yarn, covers its ears but is parted above the eyes. The blue eyes are outlined in black with thin, dark lashes flowing from the brows. It has cherry-red cheeks, nose, and lips, and its broad grin disappears into the wide, white ruffle around its neck. The clown wears a fluffy, two-tone nylon costume. The left side of the outfit is light blue, and the right side is red. The two colors merge in a dark line that runs down the center of the small outfit. Surrounding its ankles and disguising its long black shoes are big pink bows. The white spokes on the wheels of the unicycle gather in the center and expand to the black tire so that the wheel somewhat resembles the inner half of a grapefruit. The clown and unicycle together stand about a foot high. As a cherished gift from my good friend Tran, this colorful figure gree ts me with a smile every time I enter my room. Observe how the writer moves clearly from a description of the head of the clown to the body to the unicycle underneath. There arent just sensory details for the eyes but also touch, in the description that the hair is made of yarn and the suit of nylon. Certain colors are specific, as in cherry-red cheeks and light blue, and descriptions help to visualize the object: the parted hair, the color line on the suit, and the grapefruit analogy. Dimensions overall help to provide the reader with the items scale, and the descriptions of the size of the ruffle and bows on the shoes in comparison to whats nearby provide telling detail. The concluding sentence helps to tie the paragraph together by emphasizing the personal value of this gift. The Blond Guitar by Jeremy Burden My most valuable possession is an old, slightly warped blond guitar―the first instrument I taught myself how to play. Its nothing fancy, just a Madeira folk guitar, all scuffed and scratched and fingerprinted. At the top is a bramble of copper-wound strings, each one hooked through the eye of a silver tuning key. The strings are stretched down a long, slim neck, its frets tarnished, the wood worn by years of fingers pressing chords and picking notes. The body of the Madeira is shaped like an enormous yellow pear, one that was slightly damaged in shipping. The blond wood has been chipped and gouged to gray, particularly where the pick guard fell off years ago. No, its not a beautiful instrument, but it still lets me make music, and for that I will always treasure it. Here, the writer uses a topic sentence to open his paragraph, then uses the following sentences to add specific details. The author creates an image for the minds eye to travel across by describing the parts of the guitar in a logical fashion, from the strings on the head to the worn wood on the body. He emphasizes its condition by the number of different descriptions of the wear on the guitar, such as noting its slight warp; distinguishing between scuffs and scratches; describing the effect that fingers have had on the instrument by wearing down its neck, tarnishing frets, and leaving prints on the body; listing both its chips and gouges and even noting their effects on the color of the instrument. The author even describes the remnants of missing pieces. After all that, he plainly states his affection for it. Gregory by Barbara Carter Gregory is my beautiful gray Persian cat. He walks with pride and grace, performing a dance of disdain as he slowly lifts and lowers each paw with the delicacy of a ballet dancer. His pride, however, does not extend to his appearance, for he spends most of his time indoors watching television and growing fat. He enjoys TV commercials, especially those for Meow Mix and 9 Lives. His familiarity with cat food commercials has led him to reject generic brands of cat food in favor of only the most expensive brands. Gregory is as finicky about visitors as he is about what he eats, befriending some and repelling others. He may snuggle up against your ankle, begging to be petted, or he may imitate a skunk and stain your favorite trousers. Gregory does not do this to establish his territory, as many cat experts think, but to humiliate me because he is jealous of my friends. After my guests have fled, I look at the old fleabag snoozing and smiling to himself in front of the television set, and I have to forgive him for his obnoxious, but endearing, habits. The writer here focuses less on the physical appearance of her pet than on the cats habits and actions. Notice how many different descriptors go into just the sentence about how the cat walks: emotions of pride and disdain and the extended metaphor of the dancer, including the phrases the dance of disdain, grace, and ballet dancer. When you want to portray something through the use of a metaphor, make sure you are consistent, that all the descriptors make sense with that one metaphor. Dont use two different metaphors to describe the same thing, because that makes the image youre trying to portray awkward and convoluted. The consistency adds emphasis and depth to the description. Personification is an effective literary device for giving lifelike detail to an inanimate object or an animal, and Carter uses it to great effect. Look at how much time she spends on the discussions of what the cat takes pride in (or doesnt) and how it comes across in his attitude, with being finicky and jealous, acting to humiliate by spraying, and just overall behaving obnoxiously. Still, she conveys her clear affection for the cat, something to which many readers can relate. The Magic Metal Tube by Maxine Hong Kingston Once in a long while, four times so far for me, my mother brings out the metal tube that holds her medical diploma. On the tube are gold circles crossed with seven red lines each―joy ideographs in abstract. There are also little flowers that look like gears for a gold machine. According to the scraps of labels with Chinese and American addresses, stamps, and postmarks, the family airmailed the can from Hong Kong in 1950. It got crushed in the middle, and whoever tried to peel the labels off stopped because the red and gold paint came off too, leaving silver scratches that rust. Somebody tried to pry the end off before discovering that the tube falls apart. When I open it, the smell of China flies out, a thousand-year-old bat flying heavy-headed out of the Chinese caverns where bats are as white as dust, a smell that comes from long ago, far back in the brain. This paragraph opens the third chapter of Maxine Hong Kingstons The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, a lyrical account of a Chinese-American girl growing up in California. Notice how Kingston integrates informative and descriptive details in this account of the metal tube that holds her mothers diploma from medical school. She uses color, shape, texture (rust, missing paint, pry marks, and scratches), and smell, where she has a particularly strong metaphor that surprises the reader with its distinctness. The last sentence in the paragraph (not reproduced here) is more about the smell; closing the paragraph with this aspect adds emphasis to it. The order of the description is also logical, as the first response to the closed object is how it looks rather than how it smells when opened. Inside District School #7, Niagara County, New York by Joyce Carol Oates Inside, the school smelled smartly of varnish and wood smoke from the potbellied stove. On gloomy days, not unknown in upstate New York in this region south of Lake Ontario and east of Lake Erie, the windows emitted a vague, gauzy light, not much reinforced by ceiling lights. We squinted at the blackboard, that seemed far away since it was on a small platform, where Mrs. Dietzs desk was also positioned, at the front, left of the room. We sat in rows of seats, smallest at the front, largest at the rear, attached at their bases by metal runners, like a toboggan; the wood of these desks seemed beautiful to me, smooth and of the red-burnished hue of horse chestnuts. The floor was bare wooden planks. An American flag hung limply at the far left of the blackboard and above the blackboard, running across the front of the room, designed to draw our eyes to it avidly, worshipfully, were paper squares showing that beautifully shaped script known as Parker Penmanship. In this paragraph (originally published in Washington Post Book World and reprinted in ​Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art,) Joyce Carol Oates affectionately describes the one-room schoolhouse she attended from first through fifth grades. Notice how she appeals to our sense of smell before moving on to describe the layout and contents of the room. When you walk into a place, its overall smell hits you immediately, if its pungent, even before youve taken in the whole area with your eyes. Thus this choice of chronology for this descriptive paragraph is also a logical order of narration, even though it differs from the Hong Kingston paragraph. It allows the reader to imagine the room just as if he or she was walking into it. The positioning of items in relation to other items is on full display in this paragraph, to give people a clear vision of the layout of the place as a whole. For the objects inside, she uses many descriptors of what materials they are made from. Note the imagery portrayed by the use of the phrases gauzy light, toboggan, and horse chestnuts. You can imagine the emphasis placed on penmanship study by the description of their quantity, the deliberate location of the paper squares, and the desired effect upon the students brought about by this location. Source Oates, Joyce Carol. The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art. Kindle Edition, Reprint edition, HarperCollins e-books, March 17, 2009.

The Mexican Mural Of Frida Kahlo - 886 Words

Favorite Visual Artist One of my most favorite artists is the Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo. She was born Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon in Coyoacan, Mexico, July 6, 1907 and died July 13, 1954. She was one of four daughters born to a Hungarian-Jewish father and a mother of Spanish and Mexican Indian descent. Frida Kahlo is the most famous Mexican woman artist on the contemporary art scene. In 1922, Kahlo hung out with a group of politically and intellectually like-minded students. The Mexican mural movement begins. Frida first learns of Diego Rivera, who is painting his mural Creation at the school s lecture hall. Kahlo becoming a painter, was not a part of Frida s career goals. Her goal in life was to become a doctor but a tragic accident at age 18 left her mentally and physically scared for life. It changed the course of her life forever. It was during her months of convalescence that Frida began to take painting seriously†¦to combat the boredom and pain. she said. I felt I still had enou gh energy to do something other than studying to become a doctor. Without giving it any particular thought, I started painting. It was the beginning of a life-long career for Frida. Aside from a few art classes in high school and browsing through art books from her father s collection, Frida had no formal training in the arts. As Frida developed her artistic skills, her paintings evolved into her own unique style, heavily influenced by other people, artists, culturesShow MoreRelatedThe Legacy Frida Kahlo Essay1037 Words   |  5 PagesRivera and his wife Frida Kahlo are an important aspect of the Hispanic World and well-known names in Latino art. Rivera and Kahlo knew many famous painters such as Duchamp, Siqueiros, Orozco and Picasso. Picasso became a great friend of the family. Kahlo has influenced many places in Mexico. There are many land marks not only in Mexico but around the world. 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She married a famous mural painter Diego Rivera, she describes him as one of the best and worst thingsRead MoreEssay On Frida Kahlo1342 Words   |  6 PagesFrida Kahlo was one of the most influential female artists in the twentieth century. Being a woman in a misogynistic career, Kahlo did not experience the fame she has today while she was still alive. Through her captivating paintings she reveals the dark side of life, relating to her own experiences. Many articles, bibliographies, movies, and even Frida Kahlo’s diary have been published for scholars, artists, and feminists to discuss the influence Kahlo had on art and society. Although the movieRead MoreFrida Kahlo Essay1353 Words   |  6 PagesFrida Kahlo was a half-mexican, half-hungarian painter of the 20th century born Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderà ³n in Coyoacà ¡n, Mexico City on July 6, 1907. During her short lived life, she had many accomplishments. She was a surrealist artist whos paintings reflected her thoughts and feelings. Her creative style was always amazing but confusing. Unfortunately, she lived most of her artistic life in the shadow of her husband, Diego Rivera, and her work was not truly recognized until after herRead MoreFrida Kahlos Influence Essay1067 Words   |  5 PagesFrida Kahlos Influence Frida Kahlos influence still lingers around the world. Even with Frida dead for almost two decades, she is still celebrated and thought of as an idol. Frida Kahlo was an artist in many different ways. Besides Fridas incredible talent to paint surrealist thoughts and emotions on canvas, she also was and artist in her mind and body. Fridas attire of traditional Mexican clothing, which consisted of long, colorful dresses and exotic jewelry, and her thick connectionRead MoreLove as a Major Muse: Analyzing Frida Kahlos Relationship With Diego Rivera1054 Words   |  4 PagesFrida Kahlo is quoted as saying, I suffered two grave accidents in my life. One in which a streetcar knocked me down. The other accident is Diego, (cited by Botis 1). The love relationship between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera is one of the most famous in modern art. Their relationship was tumultuous, which seemed to be a good recipe for creativity and artistic self-expression. It is a well-known fact that they had a passionate and stormy relationship, filled with great love and also betrayalsRead MoreFrida Kahlo And The Mexican Community1300 Words   |  6 Pages Frida Kahlo once saidâ€Å"At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.† There is no better person to say this than Kahlo, whose life was filled with pain and sadness. 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Black Like Me Essay Questions Example For Students

Black Like Me Essay Questions By: Billy Bob What is the value of skin color? In the biological point of view, it is worth nothing. In the social point of view, it represents community standings, dignity, confidence or something people have never imagined. In the story Black Like Me, by John Howard Griffin, a white Southern reporter, who is the author and the main character, experienced an unforgettable journey in the Deep South. Mr. Griffin has a heart, which is filled with curiosity; he therefore undertook a significant project. He took several medical treatments to change his skin pigments from white to black in order to write a report. To create a successful project, Griffin had to leave his wife to be a temporary African American. Being an African American brought him many unfair encounters. However, after he changed back to a Caucasian, the attitude of everyone had immediately turned, and they treated him well. Mr. Griffin felt bad, and he told everyone about his experiences by writing books and attending press interviews. Throughout these hard times, one can read this book and find out the characteristics of the author, how he saw the light bulb, and the truth that he wanted people to understand. Mr. Griffin was a middle age white man who lived with his wife and children. He was not oriented to his family. He decided to pass his own society to the black society. Although this decision might help most of the African Americans, he had to sacrifice his gathering time with his family. She offered, as her part of the project, her willingness to lead, with our three children, the unsatisfactory family life of a household deprived of husband and father (Griffin 9). Leaving Mrs. Griffin and his children would deprive them of the care they needed. Even though he was not oriented to his family, he was full of courage. He was willing to discuss topics that people hesitated to talk about, trying new ideas that people were afraid to do. After turning back to his own skin color, he attended most media conferences and also wrote books about what he had gone through. During those interviews, Griffin was very considerate. He requested Wallace, a reporter, to report carefully so that he would not hurt his African American friends. Please Dont mention those names on the air. Id be afraid their lives would be endangered, and they were my friends (Griffin 149). In addition, he was a man who never gave up. He insisted on remaining among the black people despite how he was looked down upon by the whites. Griffin was very civilized. He would not use violence to solve the problem, even if he were treated badly by the whites. He gained success after conquering over all of the difficulties, and his persistence should be taken as an example by the people of today. During adverse circumstances, Mr. Griffin saw the reality of the cruel world. On his way to Mississippi, he rode on a bus, and there was a ten-minute break. He asked the driver whether he could go to the restroom or not. The driver forbade him and commanded him to go back to his seat. Then, Griffin tries to argue with him. No sir, but the others you mean I cant go to the(Griffin 63) He did not have a chance to argue, because the driver kept on interrupting him. From this incident Griffin realized that the blacks always did not have a chance to protest. In addition, after he turned back to a white, in the same place the same people treated him totally different surprisingly! He was so shocked when everyone surrounded him with smiles and courtesy because he forgot that he was not a black. .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8 , .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8 .postImageUrl , .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8 , .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8:hover , .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8:visited , .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8:active { border:0!important; } .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8:active , .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8 .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0469ea4e7d094bee5a663ceb7858c3f8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Importance of the Ozone Essay I was the same man who could not possibly have bought his way into this room a week ago (Griffin 122). People should not judge a man by only his or her skin color. Although they have different colors, it does not represent that they have a bad heart. The author wanted people to understand that there were many unfair cases in the world, but everyone has to be brave to face it. He once read a case from the newspaper. In Mississippi, there was a white man who killed a black man, but he was released. In fact, besides the Deep South, there were many similar cases. Racism is getting more serious in this world. People should care about each other regardless of their nationality, then the universe will become more harmonious. Moreover, people should learn from Griffins bravery. He was willing to tell everyone what he experienced and how white people do wrong. Everyone should always strive for the rights, which they deserve. Black Like Me was a very touching, adventurous, enlightened, famous book. I have never been discriminated by someone. However, my friend has experienced this pitiful fate. Being discriminated by someone is not hard to bear with. Furthermore, I believe that this is a very persuasive book for recommending to friends. In Mr. Griffins report, readers can clearly see what was happening to the African Americans in those days, how much effort they have to put in order to survive in that cruel world. After reading this book, one might change to a better point of view. Finally, one will realize how brave the author was, how he found the truth and the fact that he wanted everyone to know. Word Count: 907

Elektra Products Inc. case analysis free essay sample

As to the Company: Elektra Products, Inc. is an 80 year old company, publicly held and had once been a leading manufacturer and retailer of electrical products and supplies. Challenges that have to be addressed: In recent years, the company experienced a host of problems as follows: declining market share due to increased foreign and domestic competition; new product ideas were few and far between; departments such as manufacturing and sales barely spoke to one another; morale was at an all-time low and many employees were actively seeking other jobs. Thus, everyone needed a dose of hope. Players: a) Martin Griffin newly hired, dynamic CEO b) Barbara Russell Vice President for Manufacturing c) Simon Manufacturing Engineer, whos with the company for more than 20 years and Russells friend. d) Department Heads and other employees Scenario Introduction of the empowerment campaign Griffin, the newly hired and dynamic CEO, opened the monthly companywide meeting with a challenge: As we face increasing competition, we need new ideas, new energy, new spirit to make this company great. And the source of this change is you each one of you. Under the empowerment campaign, employees will be getting more information about how the company was run and would be able to work with their fellow employees in new and creative ways, proclaiming a new era of trust and cooperation. Perception Many of the other employees, including Simon were less than eager. Simon later said: Just another pile of corporate crap. One minute they try downsizing, the next reengineering. Then they dabble in restructuring and now Martin push for empowerment. Garbage like empowerment isnt a substitute for hard work and a little faith in the people who have been with this company for years. We made it great once and we can do it again. Just get out of our way. One step forward Russel and her team presented to the department heads and Griffin, the following innovative but easily achievable ideas implementing the empowerment campaign: permit a manager to follow a product from design through sales to customers; allow salespeople to refund up to $500 worth of merchandise on the spot; make information available to salespeople about future products; and swap sales and manufacturing personnel for short periods to let them get to know anothers jobs. Resistance to change When Griffin excused himself from the meeting because of a late-breaking deal with a major hardware store chain, the proposals made by the team were quickly met with resistance from the department heads: the director of human resource complained that personnel changes would destroy the carefully drafted job categories that had just been completed; finance argued that refunds would created a goldmine for unethical customers and salespeople; the legal department warned that providing information on future products would invite industrial spying. Over the latest turn of events, Russel considered the following options: keep her mouth shut; take a chance and confront Griffin about her sincerity in making empowerment work; push slowly for reform and work for gradual support from other teams; or look for another job II. CRITICAL ANALYSIS The company had been in existence for 80 years. Ordinarily, a company that survived that long would have mastered the intricacies and the complexities of doing business, not just any business, but the business of manufacturing and retailing electrical products and supplies. Further, being publicly held, it should have undergone the scrutiny of the investing public, which would make the company somewhat fluidly responsive to the investors needs and requirements But the company failed. Instead of expanding its market share, it shrunk. The company appeared to be lulled by its past glory, that of being the leading manufacturer and retailer of electrical products. Competition is fierce with the entry of domestic and foreign players but Management remained complacent. Management failed or refused to see the tell tale signs of a downward spin. Management may have felt the crunch of being eaten up by competition and in its desire to recoup its former leading position, introduced measures like downsizing, reengineering, restructuring and now, empowerment. These efforts however did not sit well with the employees as they viewed these efforts as one of those management crap or garbage. As in any organization, any act, project or plan that does not have the full support of the employees is likely or is doomed to fail, as in this case. What could have happened is that management simply rammed up the foregoing measures without being transparent with the employees. Distrust pervades. Lack of communication is apparent. With the problems abounding, it is not surprising to see employees morale going down and employees creativity being zapped. If ever new ideas come out, it could have been forced or dictated, not some idea where the author can be proud to own. The situation is not anymore conducive to a free exchange of ideas. The fact that manufacturing and sales are not talking showed an unhealthy clash between the departments. This is highly critical as both departments are essentially dependent on each other. Sales department sells the products produced by the manufacturing dept. and it needs to spell out the specifications of the customers as well as the problems encountered from the use of the products, to manufacturing. On the other hand, manufacturing had to inform sales on the limitations of the machines, the downtimes, the maintenance scheduling and such matters as would affect the production of the desired product. Coordination and communication is not an option. It is imperative to the companys success. III. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS: How might top management have done a better job changing Elektra Products into a new kind of organization? Top management must be a firm advocate to becoming a learning organization. There must be a complete overhaul on how the companys resources are being managed. Everyone should be enlisted for involvement, from top to bottom. As espoused by Peter Senge, a learning organization is one that facilitates the learning of its members and continuously transforms itself. The concept encourages organizations to shift to a more interconnected way of thinking as employees will work harder for an organization they are committed. A learning organization exhibits 5 main characteristics: systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, a shared vision and team learning. A thorough understanding, appreciation and application of these concepts will be a welcome start for Elektra, in its quest to turn around its sagging performance and ultimately to survive in the long term. What might they do now to get the empowerment process back on track? Employee empowerment is a top management initiative. This was initially shunned by the employees because of managements failure to sell the idea in such a manner that is acceptable or palatable to the employees. The introduction of the empowerment campaign is ill-timed as the employees are still seething on some managements actions like downsizing, reengineering and restructuring which are just garbage to the employees psyche. Top management should realized that for empowerment to be successful, it has first to be wholeheartedly accepted. For it to be accepted, the employees must understand the benefits it will bring to the employees and to the organization as a whole. The biases that are deeply ingrained in the minds of the employees brought about by managements failures has to be addressed and erased for management and employees to have a fresh start. When this is done, any idea, no matter how small or great, will be received by all with open minds and objective thought, because everyone moves in unison to achieve a common goal, to which each and every one commits and adopts as his/her own. Can you think of ways Barbara could have avoided the problems her team faced in the meeting with the department heads? Barbara could have avoided the problems her team faced, had she consulted the department heads with their inputs. From a functional view of management, the department heads are the recognized authorities in their respective fields, the HR Director, in human resource, the Finance DIrector, in finance and the Legal Director, in all matters relating to legal issues. By not consulting them, Barbara sent a disquieting message I know better than you do. If you were Barbara, what would you do now? Why? I will take stock of myself and inventory the most appropriate options, bearing in mind, the long term interest of both the employees and the entire organization. My proposals are indeed innovative and achievable but are not perfect. I should have an open mind to modify, adjust or score out any proposal which will not serve the best interest of the company. I will have to lower my guard down, initiate meetings with the department heads and other teams, listen to the views of everyone, argue with them and against them and make them understand, with open heart and sincerity, that this time, top management with the full support of everyone will not allow failures to run in its vein again.