Disney Franchise Memo

MOVIE INSIDE INC.

Memorandum

The first step of Bob Iger’s marketing strategy for Disney was the broadening the target market of Disney. Disney was considered a brand for younger children. In order to gain older children and tween-boy market, Disney needed to invest in producing and broadcasting shows, which those children would watch.

First Disney needed to open up viewership of its’ Flagship Television channel. They opened up their viewership by changing the channel to a basic cable channel from a premium channel. If a person has basic cable they can watch the Disney Channel.

Disney obtained a foothold in a very hard market of older children and tweens, when they opened new channels with shows targeting them.

With co-marketing into other platforms such as video games, social media and movies, Disney has been able to capture a demographic of people may become consumers for a lifetime.

PTSD and benefits of an internship

Internship Report

       The internship, this is a part of my education I have been anticipating and looking forward for the last couple of semesters. I am a firm believe that learning skills, theories, ideas, practices or any number of other things we are taught throughout our education are basically useless until we possess the ability to apply them to real world applications. I count myself fortunate, when I started my college education I had 6 years of military experience under my belt, now that I am coming to the end of my undergrad I have ten years of military experience, with 6 of those years being in junior and senior leadership roles. I started my education already possessing time management, communication and leadership skills, as well as having the ability to apply skills to real world situations.

     As the internship started I still held excitement for its start, but my anxiety begun to swell with the overload of information. It may have been more of the need to be able to expertly navigate and utilize the multitude of computer software and programs needed for the internship. The anxiety was eased with the help of the tremendous team.

    Time management, this is a skill that you must be able to apply to all situations in life to be successful, whether it is gardening or being successful in this internship. “As an entrepreneur, you may be frequently interrupted or pulled in different directions. While you cannot eliminate interruptions, you do get a say on how much time you will spend on them and how much time you will spend on the thoughts, conversations and actions that will lead you to success.” As said in ("How to Manage Time With 10 Tips That Work," n.d.) It all comes down to my ability to manage each task properly. Taking each task and allowing it a certain amount of effort and time. It is about prioritizing, we will always have distractions to every task we come across.

     Communication is something that has been highly stressed in this first week of the internship. This is a skill that is needed in any career, and for that matter almost every part of our daily lives. “Having effective communication skills is imperative for your success. Positive communication will certainly increase the opportunities you find in your career and business. Having good communication skills will enable you to get ahead in certain areas where others who are less assertive may not succeed.” Said in ("5 Things To Practice for Effective Communication Skills," n.d.) The military has given me all of the needed skills and abilities to successfully apply what I have learned about communication in all aspects of my life. I have always been one that is not afraid to ask questions when I need to, and that has proven to be extremely helpful in this first week of my internship.

    The biggest hurdle for me this first week to overcome has been my anxiety. While it is not something that we (soldiers) like to talk openly about, it is an unfortunate reality of job. While I consider myself lucky not having to deal with the terrible effects of PTSD, I do tend to have issues with anxiety. It does not hinder my life in any big negative ways, but it certainly has changed the way I perceive my surroundings. I find myself at my most anxious when I am not in complete control of the tasks I am completing. When trying to get all the new software working properly and get a solid grasp on each needed task I found myself overwhelmed. “Stress management is a personal journey. What works for one person may not work for another. As you try different approaches, it is important to allow your body and mind to tell you what is working for you. For brief periods of stress, you may find the following helpful in reducing stress: exercising; listening to relaxing music; taking a warm bath or shower; doing hobbies and creative projects; managing your time better; surrounding yourself with supportive family and friends; getting your feelings out; laughing; and focusing on the positive.” Taken form ("Stress and Anxiety Management Skills," n.d.). I have found what works best for me, when I find myself becoming anxious is to leave the situation for a few minutes. I keep saltwater aquariums, and have done so for a long time, it is my savior I will sit and feed my fish, or just watch my tank for 5 or 10 minutes and all my anxiety is gone. I can then return to my work and be completely focused on my tasks. When dealing with anxiety, to me it is all about keeping everything in balance, and not allowing that stress to take over.

     This first week of my internship has already proven to be invaluable. The people I have to opportunity to work with are great, everyone is bringing a strong work ethic and a great set of skills to the table. With all of us working together to accomplish our goals I can only see us succeeding. I am very excited to see what the coming weeks bring us.

References-

5 Things To Practice for Effective Communication Skills. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://workawesome.com/communication/effective-communication-skills/

How to Manage Time With 10 Tips That Work. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219553

Stress and Anxiety Management Skills. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.unr.edu/counseling/self-help-center/stress-and-anxiety-management-skills

Example Cover Letter and Resume

Jonny B. Gallway

933 5th Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11122

  347-224-6356

Thomas Dickerson, FACHE

Clinical Radiologist, S.C.

3030 Montvale Drive

Springfield, IL.  62704

Mr. Dickerson,

I am applying for the position of Help Desk Coordinator.  I have included a copy of my current resume for your review.   I understand that at this time the job description is open ended since this is a new endeavor for your company. To be able to work at the beginning of tele-radiology in our area is why I am applying for this position.   

Working in Nuclear Medicine at Memorial Medical Center makes me familiar with many of your doctors and other facilities; this gives me a head start if chosen for this position.  My background in radiology will be a benefit to Clinical Radiologist, S.C. as they move forward with tele-radiology.

I have strong customer services skills, medical terminology, and an understanding of the inner workings of a radiology department.  I know what is needed for an exam to be ready for the radiologist, including images and information.

In this job I will be able to grow in my field and I can use my experience to help guide your company toward its goals.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Thank-you for taking the time to consider me for this position.

Sincerely,

Jonny

Jonny B. Gallway

933 5th Avenue                                                                                                347-224-6356

Brooklyn, NY 11122.                                                                                         JGallway@comcast.net

Credentialing/Provider Enrollment Coordinator

Credentialing and provider enrollment specialist with exceptional experience in hospital credentialing and insurance enrollment.

EDUCATION

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Help Desk Coordinator-Lead                                                                                     2008-2015

Clinical Radiologist S.C., Springfield, IL.

·    Proficient in medical terminology and anatomy.

·    Ensure accuracy of exams and all the information pertaining to exam before radiologist reads.

·    Working knowledge of RIS/PACs ,teleradiology and dictation systems.

·    Act as a liaison between technologist and radiologist.

·    Conducted interviews for new Help Desk employees with supervisor.

·    Maintained Nuclear Medicine protocol procedure for Help Desk.

Scheduler/Secretary-Nuclear Medicine                                                                    2003-2008

Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, IL.

·    Scheduled all nuclear medicine exams, ensured orders were obtained.

·    Ensured all exams had proper paperwork and prior images before radiologist read.

·    Maintained therapy files.

·    Checked patients in on an electronic health record system.

·    Supervised inpatients that were awaiting their exams. .

VOLUNTEER

Williamsville Methodist Church

Fundraising committee

Administration Council member    

MEMBERSHIPS

Greater St. Louis Area Chapter of MoAMSS

Quality and Kaizen

Quality and Kaizen

Benjamin Franklin once said “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”  W. Edward Deming apparently took these words to heart as helped ignite a quality focused era.  Deming is often referred to as the father of quality because of his work on statistical quality control techniques and his belief in continual improvement of processes. During World War II, Deming taught courses on statistical quality improvement to engineers who worked for companies that were suppliers to the military and earned international recognition for his work. (Russell & Taylor III, 2014, p. 57) He later helped to launch the Japanese quality movement that paved the way for programs like Total Quality Management (TQM), Kaizen, and Six Sigma.  His belief that through statistics and measuring there could be a continuous improvement of process to achieve conformance and reduce variability can be demonstrated through his PDCA wheel or the now known Deming Wheel. (Plan-Do-Check-Act, 2015)   The Deming wheel is essentially a circular motion that follows the four steps of Plan, Do, Check and Act.  The effects of Deming’s work will be looked at closer through the exploration of cost quality and kaizen and how they apply to the hotel industry.

            According to Russell and Taylor, Deming believed that the consumer is the most important part of the business and that all quality goals needed to be aimed at the needs of the consumer. (Operations and Supply Chain Managment, 2014, p. 53)  This thought process has led to cost of quality beliefs and analysis to be at the forefront of process improvement.  Woods believes that the cost of quality is the cost of not creating a quality product. (Cost of Quality (COQ), 2015)  These costs can be broken down into internal and external failure costs. The internal costs such as scrapped work, work that has to be redone and items that have to be re-inspected make up prime areas that Deming’s work can have an impact on by setting up processes to prevent further defects or non-conformance issues. The external costs such as customer complaints, returned items, warranty recalls and avoidance of future purchases are harder to focus on but can be used to setup processes to improve conformance. (Russell & Taylor III, 2014, p. 84) By listening to the customer as Deming states is most important the company will be able to determine what quality controls need to be changed to ensure guest satisfaction. This could be completed through a lengthy six sigma project or through a continuous improvement process such as kaizen.

            Kaizen is essentially a continuous improvement process that can be linked to other programs such as six sigma or lean.  Kaizen focuses on small continuous changes and can be summed up best by three core principles.  The first principle is that a company’s employees are there most important asset. Secondly, process changes must be gradual and not radical so that measures of change can take place. The third principle is that improvement must be based on quantitative review of performance on different processes. (Hindle, 2009)  The first principle follows Deming’s belief that employees doing the job should be part of the improvement process since they can best identify needs and evaluate improvements since they are completing the tasks. They are able to see defects as they happen or they may see the ability to eliminate a step in processes based on daily efforts. The second principle that the changes must be gradual improvement works well so that employees do not feel overwhelmed although in today’s quick moving world of e-commerce Hindle believes that kaizen is dying because the processes cannot keep up with change. (Kaizen, 2009) This could however being an advantage since ecommerce is changing quickly the ability to continually improve needs to exist and what better way than to make small changes and monitor for effect before tweaking or implementing another small  process. The third principle could be summed up with the phrase “that which is not measured does not happen,” basically if there are not quantitative measures then neither success nor failure can be measured and improvements cannot be validated.  Ultimately, kaizen provides organizations with the ability to refine their operations.

            The hotel industry is able to refine operations through kaizen principles by working with employees to find ways of improving operation.  Areas where continuous improvement can be applied are in housekeeping cleanliness and guest satisfaction which will both have direct effects on cost of quality.  Kaizen can be applied to housekeeping cleanliness by talking with housekeepers and timing them on a regular basis. By monitoring productivity, rooms cleaned per shift, we can see which attendants are the quickest and talk with them about their process.  The need to ensure the rooms are free of defect must also be measured so cleanliness scores should be measured too. Therefore, the blended score of speed and cleanliness should be used for the basis of training all team members. Perhaps the result is that the most efficient cleaners have a system they repeat every room. They might walk in spray chemicals, then dust top to bottom left to right, make the bed, tidy, vacuum, go to bathroom where chemicals have chance to take affect and then clean bathroom before going to next room. If so, all housekeepers should be trained the same. The next step would be question if there was a way to become more efficient then implement and measure.

            This kaizen process could have a positive effect on hotel cost of quality because rooms are being cleaned more efficient, with reduced labor cost and improved quality scores. While there would be an immediate increase in labor for training, it should decrease overtime as the team becomes more efficient. Even a two cent reduction in cost per occupied room could have a monthly effect of eight thousand dollars on a six hundred room hotel running an eighty eight percent occupancy. The improved cleanliness scores could also reduce external cost of quality expenses since managers would have to handle less complaints and not refund guests for portions of their stay.  Based on this example it is believed that almost any business can apply kaizen principles to reduce their cost of quality expenses.

Citations

Hindle, T. (2009, April 14). Kaizen. Retrieved October 4, 2015, from The Economist: http://www.economist.com/node/13480663

Plan-Do-Check-Act. (2015, October 2). Retrieved from ASQ: http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/project-planning-tools/overview/pdca-cycle.html

Russell, R., & Taylor III, B. (2014). Operations and Supply Chain Managment (Eighth ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Wood, D. (2015, September 27). Cost of Quality (COQ). Retrieved from ASQ: http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/cost-of-quality/overview/overview.html

Skills Assessment Best PRactices

Skills Assessment

The skills assessment is a good activity to complete. This activity only allows a person to select three skills out of a possible thirty. The skills I chose are speaking, helping, and reasoning for various reasons. Other skills I also took some time to consider were managing time, troubleshooting, decision making, writing and authoring, reading comprehension, and listening. I believe I have all of the skills mentioned, but speaking, helping, and reasoning would have to be my top skills.

Speaking

            The assessment defines speaking as “talking, giving speeches, or speaking in a group to convey information, explain ideas, or give instructions.” Admittedly, speaking to a group and giving speeches is not something I am fond of doing as I get nervous, but I have been told many times that I have a very nice speaking voice and should consider speaking professionally. That is why I considered it one of my top skills in this assessment.

            Speaking will be essential to my future in the marketing industry. If I expect to move up in the marketing world, then I would need to become more comfortable in my presentation skills, and continue to develop those skills. In the marketing world, a person will constantly be presenting and speaking with people.

Helping

            The assessment defines helping as “actively looking for ways to help people.” I am a person who likes to help, encourage, build, comfort, and provide for people. I have been this way as long as I can remember. I like the opportunities to help people and provide for a need they have but cannot fulfill themselves.

            I think helping is an essential skill to every career field. Remembering that other people might require help and that you should provide it to them because you have the means will keep you grounded and humble. Doing good for the right reasons is important and will make you a better person, doing good for the wrong reasons will not make you a better person.

Reasoning

The assessment defines reasoning as “using logic to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.” My mind is pretty quick to think through ideas, solutions, problems, etc. There are time when a person identifies their problem to me, and I will be quick to think it through, come up with ideas, think about the potential results, and suggest one or two potential solutions to the person.

            Reasoning is also essential, because there will always be challenges and problems to be solved. If a customer or client does not like a solution, then it is important to identify the weaknesses of that solution and ensure the same weaknesses are not present in other solutions.

Troubleshooting

            Troubleshooting is described, as “the practice of analyzing the symptoms of a problem and deciding what actions should be taken to resolve the problem.” Troubleshooting can be performed in any situation such as the analysis of a defective device (refrigerator, microwave, TV, etc.), or in the analysis of a conflict between two people or groups, and in the analysis of a business issue of falling profits, rising costs etc.

            I have previous experience in troubleshooting home appliances throughout my day. The troubleshooting process is the same no matter what the situation is, the only difference is the problem and the solution. Peachpit Press (2005) identifies two stages in the troubleshooting process: identifying the issue and repairing or fixing the issue. My troubleshooting skills are within the first stage of the process.

            There are seven steps in stage 1:

1.     Gather information about the issue—will be provided or questions need to be asked

2.     Verify the issue—repeat the issue back or verify the original issue statement is still true

3.     Try quick fixes—is there a power issue, do job descriptions have some crossover causing conflict

4.     Use appropriate diagnostics/ask more probing questions—a person will need to dig in to the issue a little deeper to find out more information

5.     Perform a split-half search—process by which a person begins eliminating potential causes by checking out items within the defined problem (Peachpit Press, 2005).

6.     Use additional resources to research the issue—use program guides, descriptions, specifications, etc.

7.     Escalate the issue (if necessary)—if necessary, send a repair technician to work on the appliance, get assistance from another manager, etc.

Reading comprehension

Reading comprehension is the understanding of complex written paragraphs, instructions, or reports. I chose this skill as well, because I enjoy reading instructions, reports, etc. When I am finished reading, I feel exhilarated that I finished reading, understood the content, and can put it in to practice or my own words. If I do not understand something I have read, I will read it over until I understand it. I am also comfortable asking questions if I did not understand something.

Reading seems like it is becoming a think of the past due to the popularity of audiobooks and digital information, but reading is not going anywhere. No matter what words, reports, instructions, etc. will always be present. Reading comprehension is going to be an essential part of my life to read and understand business reports, financial reports, customer inquiries, etc.

References:

Peachpit Press. (2005). General troubleshooting theory. Retrieved from http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=420908&seqNum=2

Peachpit Press. (2005). Split-Half Search. Retrieved from http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=420908&seqNum=3

Mortgage Pre-approval letter template

Mortgage Pre-approval

Month Day, Year

This pre-approval is to certify that Customer Name has successfully undergone a 

preliminary mortgage analysis in accordance with CONVENTIONAL guidelines. 

The above is pre-approved for a loan amount of $135,500. The following items 

were obtained for review:

____ Income / Employment documents

____ Bank statements / Source of funds

____ Credit report

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to call.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Time Accountability Template

Time Accountability Template

DATE:_____/_____/_____   AGENT: _________________  IN:_______OUT: ______

LEAD SOURCE(S):

TOTAL CALLS:        ___________

CONTACTS:             ___________

COMMENTS:

 

LEADS:                      ___________

APPOINTMENTS:   ___________

DATE:_____/_____/_____   AGENT: _________________  IN:_______OUT: ______

LEAD SOURCE(S):

TOTAL CALLS:        ___________

CONTACTS:             ___________

COMMENTS:

 

LEADS:                      ___________

APPOINTMENTS:   ___________

DATE:_____/_____/_____   AGENT: _________________  IN:_______OUT: ______

LEAD SOURCE(S):

TOTAL CALLS:        ___________

CONTACTS:             ___________

COMMENTS:

 

LEADS:                      ___________

APPOINTMENTS:   ___________

DATE:_____/_____/_____   AGENT: _________________  IN:_______OUT: ______

LEAD SOURCE(S):

TOTAL CALLS:        ___________

CONTACTS:             ___________

COMMENTS:

 

LEADS:                      ___________

APPOINTMENTS:   ___________

Hospitality Industry Report

Hospitality Matters

Hospitality as a whole:

The hospitality industry is primarily focused on customer satisfaction. It is built on leisure or is luxury-based, as opposed to meeting basic needs. Hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines and other various forms of travel, tourism, special event planning, and restaurants all generally fall under the realm of the hospitality industry.

There are four major elements to the hospitality industry they are Accommodations, Food & Beverage, Travel & Tourism and Economics.

·       The food and beverage is one of the highest reigns of the hospitality field. It can range from high end restaurants, fast food, catering and so on. The food and beverage element can play an important part of other hospitality elements like if the restaurant is in a hotel it can enhance the overall guest experience by providing great food and awesome customer service.           

·       Accommodations would be hotels, motels, resorts, bed & breakfast, campgrounds, lodges and more.  The business is focused on providing lodging that is comfortable, efficiency and attentive customer service as a foundation. When this element provides great customer service, and supply’s the simple amenities the guest will come back and give great references to their friends and family.

·       Travel and Tourism includes airlines, trains, cruise ships and all the employees for each. The flight attendants and cruise staff functions as food servers, and hoteliers to provide food and or drinks with a comfortable experience. . Business travelers and vacationers alike form the basis for this area of hospitality. Travel and tourism requires knowledgeable employees in information technology, and they are also considered a part of hospitality. Destinations such as amusement parks draw thousands of people, all of whom want to benefit from great customer service while enjoying a memorable adventure.

·       Economics are very important, the hospitality field is dependent on a strong economy. The hospitality business will thrive when people are able to go out to eat or enjoy traveling. Conversely, when economic times are challenging, businesses may decide to bolster the basics of the business. For example, food and beverage businesses might offer special activities, such as a fundraiser, or meal discounts on certain days of the week. Hotel owners, might branch out and provide conference or special event facilities, or transportation options such as specials on limousine services. (Reynolds, 2012)

There are many levels of service in the hospitality industry. For example in a restaurant setting you go from the bottom up such as buss person, dishwasher, hostess, waitress, cashier, cook, chef, foh manager, boh manager and restaurant manager. Every position plays a key role in customer service, each one provides customer service at a different level. 

Customer service in the hospitality field, goes by the “moments of truth”. Some examples of the moments in truth would be:

·       Guest calling to make reservation

·       Guest is welcomed

·       Guest seated at table

·       Server takes order

·       Server brings beverages and or food.

Working as a team usually can be a pleasurable experience, sometimes not. In the hospitality field, you must work as a team. Have good communication skills, and leadership skills.  Everyone works with others, to a greater or lesser extent. Teams are great for large or difficult projects, that one person would find difficult to handle. Teams must communicate, and work together equally for the business to succeed. For example, front desk staff, should keep housekeeping updated on vacancy, and managers should make sure everyone knows of any events happening, and or changes.

I know that I did not work well with a team on this project I’ll be first to admit it. Not that I didn’t want to but when you’re not actually in a situation at work with someone it’s hard to work as a team. I don’t have patience when I’m on a tight schedule. I need to work on that, however I’m not much on doing assignments at the last minute. Sometimes is out of my control. When working as a team like in this class, you and your partner need to be on the same page and able to work at the same pace. But when the two people work long crazy hours and not available to work together at same time, things don’t run smoothly. I need to work on my patience, and my ability to control my time better.

References

    

Reynolds, M. (2012, March 4). CHRON. Retrieved from Chron small bussiness: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/three-categories-hospitality-industry-58524.html