Teaching Project Presentation- My topic has been about stroke (community is Miami, FL)
1. Title of the project.
2. Introduction (what is essential to learn about this issue). You may present statistics such as mortality, morbidity, incidence, and prevalence).
3. Findings of your assessment: why do you believe the topic is essential for the audience? Please indicate the learning objectives. After the presentation, the participant will:
4. Include barriers and assets for your specific population. What can you teach to empower the population to take a proactive stand for wellness?
5. The presentation should be age, cultural, and health literacy-appropriate.
6. The health teaching presentation should provide accurate, evidence-based information to the participant.
7. The teaching presentation should have examples of outcomes, what happens if I change…., if I don't.
8. The presentation should have examples of how to do the intended behavior.
8. The presentation should have time for participants to ask questions and make comments.
9. The presentation should have a section that evaluates the audience's attainment of the education objectives.
Due Friday by 11:59pm Points 100 Submitting a file upload Attempts 0 Allowed Attempts 1 Available Jul 21 at 12am – Jul 30 at 11:59pm
Start Assignment
Teaching Project Presentation
The final presentation will be planned with your instructor once the outline is approved. Final Teaching projects will be presented to classmates and the instructor. The presentation site is preferably in the clinical setting. However, the instructor can hold it at the MDC Medical campus.
Each student will present a population-level, evidence-based practice teaching intervention. The presentation should be 15 to 20 minutes at maximum.
Information to include in the presentation consists of:
1. Title of the project.
2. Introduction (what is essential to learn about this issue). You may present statistics such as mortality, morbidity, incidence, and prevalence).
3. Findings of your assessment: why do you believe the topic is essential for the audience? Please indicate the learning objectives. After the presentation, the participant will:
4. Include barriers and assets for your specific population. What can you teach to empower the population to take a proactive stand for wellness?
5. The presentation should be age, cultural, and health literacy-appropriate.
6. The health teaching presentation should provide accurate, evidence-based information to the participant.
7. The teaching presentation should have examples of outcomes, what happens if I change…., if I don't.
8. The presentation should have examples of how to do the intended behavior.
8. The presentation should have time for participants to ask questions and make comments.
9. The presentation should have a section that evaluates the audience's attainment of the education objectives.
Description of interest in community selected and identification of health evidence-based practice teaching intervention selected.
Student should be able to describe his active service of citizenship, community engagement and social responsibility within the community selected. Student also described the evidence-based practice teaching intervention which will be presented.
25 pts
Demonstrates Collaboration with Community Stakeholders
Demonstrate reciprocity and responsiveness in his communication with community leaders and organizations. Maintained awareness to community cultural, educational, and health literacy levels.
25 pts
Application of evidenced based teaching
25 pts
25 to >14.0 pts Proficient
Student clearly articulates his/her ideas about active community engagement. Was able to communicate his topic based on community health needs.
14 to >10.0 pts Developing Proficiency
Student did not demonstrate his engagement in the community. Was clear presenting his topic based on community health needs.
10 to >0 pts Needs Improvement
Student was not able to communicate his engagement in the community. Was not able to clearly communicate his topic based on community health needs.
25 to >14.0 pts Proficient
Student clearly articulates how his/her experience has been more than a one-way relationship. Student articulates how she/he was responsive to those served, and how she/he was affected or challenged, or changed by these relationships. Student was sensitive to the cultural needs, health literacy and educational levels.
14 to >10.0 pts Developing Proficiency
Student showed lack of engagement and limited relationship with community members. Student was not able to assess properly the cultural needs, health literacy and educational levels of the community selected.
10 to >0 pts Needs Improvement
Student showed minimal engagement in the community selected. Did not assess the cultural, educational or health literacy needs of the community selected.
Student clearly demonstrates knowledge by applying evidenced- based information to the teaching intervention. Student utilizes evidence such as mortality, morbidity rates, and makes a critical analysis of the important social issues facing the population served. Teaching interventions shows depth and complexity of the healthcare needs of the community served.
Evaluation of teaching presentation to participants.
Teaching presentation contained introduction, learning objectives, findings and recommendations. Student was able to reflect on the barriers or limitations of the particular health project within the community.
25 pts
based information to the participants. The project includes benchmarks of attainable outcomes. The teaching intervention was well planned and appropriate for the community served.
information to the participants. The project includes benchmarks of attainable outcomes. The intervention was not well planned or relevant to the community served.
information to the participants. The intervention lacked planned outcomes to be achieved.
25 to >14.0 pts Proficient
Student adhered to allotted time 15-20 minutes. Presentation was clear, contained introduction, learning objectives, findings and recommendations. Audience had time for questions and clarification of material. The presentation utilized visual elements such as images, graphics, charts, slides and other visual aids to convey information, ideas or messages to the audience.
14 to >10.0 pts Developing Proficiency
10 to >0 pts Needs Improvement
Student did not adhere to allotted time 15-20 minutes. Presentation did not follow required format. Audience did not have time for questions and clarification of material. The presentation did not utilize visual elements such as images, graphics, charts, slides and other visual aids to convey information, ideas or messages to the audience.
I am only needing certain parts completed for this team case analysis- needed as a shell as well. needed by Thursday 10 pm CST(US).
Please see attachments for reference there is an outline of the team case analysis (the outline is how we are completing the assignment), the sample case analysis (same write up as a reference) and also the honeysuckle document – the honeysuckle is the actual case analysis we have to focus on – the team case analysis,
I am needing the Introduction, Part 1- Major problems/issues, and the conclusion (those parts only)
After brainstorming with her mother and sister in their family kitchen, Erin Johnson started a popsicle business with funding provided by her father. Despite a lack of business experience and knowhow, Erin was able to utilize her interior design experience, combined with her brother’s graphic design abilities, to create a strong brand image to market her family’s popsicle recipes. Specifically, paying tribute to the French influences of the firm’s location, Louisiana, Erin named the popsicles, “Geauxsicles,” and they are made in the shape of the fleur-de-lis. Geauxsicles are also differentiated by their handmade production process and premium ingredients.
As Erin began the pursuit of her new venture, her lack of business experience began to surface through inadequate research methods. Erin observed considerable setbacks as she acquired a building in an ideal location, but it needed to be rezoned to meet her venture’s needs. Fortunately, her father is a lawyer and he was able to help her with the appeal. Later, Erin stumbled upon selling Geauxsicles at festivals, which now contribute to 50% of all her sales.
Now, after two years of business, Geauxsicles has reached a point of expansion, but Erin is at a crossroads with what to do. This problem is partially attributed to her lack of experience in evaluating expansion opportunities using accounting principles. However, the major issue is the fact that Erin is facing major threats to expansion due to high costs, exacerbated by the fact that the slow, handmade process of producing Geauxsicles is limiting her ability to generate the revenue necessary to pursue opportunities.
Analysis
Analysis for single line of business organizations
Organizational vision/mission, objectives, current strategy. As previously mentioned, Erin’s lack of business experience has affected her ability to effectively plan for her new venture. Although the organizational mission and vision statements clarify a company’s purpose, products, differentiation, and future aspirations, the owner of Geauxsicles does not appear to have created either at this time (Pearce & Robinson, 2013).
On the other hand, while primarily unintentional, the owner of Geauxsicles has employed a differentiation strategy predominantly focusing on the brands’ image. This derives from her strength in design and it is represented in the brand’s Louisiana inspired name, product shape, and truck and storefront decorations. Furthermore, Erin differentiates her products by incorporating unique flavors and premium ingredients.
SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis of Geauxsicles reveals the following findings:
Strengths
Weaknesses
· Use of premium ingredients
· Interior design background
· Family resources—Father is a lawyer & brother is a graphic designer
· Ability to develop strong brand image
· Unique recipes and flavors
· Positive customer reception
· Shop/factory located in a high traffic area
· Event sales
· Freezer truck
· Lack of business experience
· Insufficient business research/plans
· Limited production capabilities resulting from labor-intensive/hand-made process
· Limited financial resources
· High-volume product
· Owner is spread thin
Opportunities
Threats
· Rising demand in sugar-free market
· Multiple areas for potential growth (LSU Stadium, local restaurants & businesses, mom & pop shops, retail stores, festivals, and franchising)
· Louisiana’s sub-tropical climate
· Zoning laws
· High expansion costs
· Inconsistent reliability of small firms
· High festival costs
· High number of large, established competitors
· High number of substitutes
Additionally, SWOT analysis provides that Geauxsicles currently operates in cell 2. As such, the company possesses many internal strengths, but faces a number of environmental threats. This suggests Geauxsicles should pursue a diversification strategy or potentially redistribute its resources in pursuit of more favorable circumstances (Pearce & Robinson, 2013).
Competitive Analysis. Geauxsicles faces a high level of competitors and substitutes. An overview of them is below:
· Major ice cream and popsicle manufacturers: Popsicle, Blue Bell Creameries, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, and Nestle.
· Advantages—Dominate market share, brand recognition & reputation, readily accessible through a variety of channels, high production levels, increased purchasing power, and vast resources
· Ice cream retail locations: Marble Slab, Baskin Robbins, Cold Stone Creamery, other local locations.
· Advantages—brand recognition, reputation and customizability of products
· Snow Cone Stands
· Advantages—inexpensive, wide range of flavors
· Ice Cream Trucks
· Advantages—accessibility
As previously identified, due to their unique design, Geauxsicles require a slow, hand-made process. To demonstrate the competitive advantage of the major manufacturers over the start-up. Consider the fact that Geauxsicles can produce 27,000 popsicles in the average 30-day month without holidays. If the company is operating 7 days a week and 12 hours a day, this means the company is producing 900 popsicles a day, or 75 popsicles an hour. Comparatively, the typical popsicle machine generates 4,320 units per hour, which translates to 51,840 popsicles a day per machine (a major manufacturer will be operating more than one machine) (Advameg, 2019).
Financial analysis. Considering Geauxsicles’ current production levels, Erin stated the company can make up to 27,000 popsicles in a 30-day month without holidays. Geauxsicles sell for $3.00 a piece with an average cost of goods sold at $1.00 per popsicle. Furthermore, Geauxsicles’ monthly fixed expenses include a payroll expense of $5,290 and rent of $1,650. Conservatively adding another $1,500 of fixed expenses for insurance, utilities, and other payments would bring expenses to $8,440 a month. With $2.00 of contribution margin per Geauxsicle, this means Erin will need to sell 4,220 units a month to break even.
Additionally, based on the previous monthly break-even analysis, estimated production levels, assuming all units produced are sold, and assuming Erin’s father is not charging her interest for financing her projects, the following financial information can be deduced:
Geauxsicles
Budgeted Income Statement
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Sales
$972,000
Cost of Goods Sold
324,000
Gross Margin
648,000
Selling and administrative expenses
101,280
Net operating income
546,720
Interest expense
0
(Father provided funding)
Pre-tax Income
546,720
Taxes (est. @30%)
164,016
Net income
$ 382,704
Implementation Issues/Problems. Geauxsicles faces several issues concerning implementation. Highlighted in previous sections, due to the owner’s lack of business experience and knowledge, she has not conducted any kind of analysis, market research, or planning for her business activities. In fact, the successes the firm has experienced, like sales from festivals, could be attributed to chance. This also contributes to the owner’s inability to evaluate investments opportunities for the firm’s survival. Furthermore, the
Evaluation/Control Procedures. At the moment, Geauxsicles implements almost no evaluation or control procedures. It is part of the reason Geauxsicles has reached an impasse in the decision-making process regarding the direction of the company.
Analysis for multi-line of business organizations.
Portfolio analysis. Not applicable for Geauxsicles.
Resource allocation/restructuring needs. Not applicable for Geauxsicles.
Alternative Solutions to Problems/Issues
Continue Current Operations While Addressing Weaknesses
The company appears to be in a financially strong position. Even if Geauxsicles only sells 75% of its annual production, the company would yield a net income of $268,800 (excluding Erin’s salary). As such, Erin could continue current operations and save the money to overcome barriers to entering new markets (e.g., fees, equipment, etc.). Better yet, Erin could reinvest the money in the business, and herself, by taking some business courses online, or at a local university.
Pros. Continue to build upon established brand recognition, increase understanding of business processes to enhance business processes, ability to evaluate opportunities more effectively in the future.
Cons. Must continue to sell high volumes of Geauxsicles, slower pace.
Develop/Implement a Diversification Strategy
As previously identified, Geauxsicles’ current production rates are a weakness greatly compounding the company’s threats to entering new markets. For this reason, Erin could evaluate and redistribute her current assets to generate favorable circumstances and potentially generate higher profits. Specifically, Geauxsicles could utilize its freezer truck as an additional point of sales locally when it is not at festivals. The company could develop and introduce an additional product line (e.g., shakes or smoothies) that incorporates the same ingredients as Geauxsicles, but has a faster production rate or higher profit margin. Both options utilize the company’s current resources; therefore, they generate limited additional costs. Geauxsicles could implement one or both approaches.
Considering the several expansion opportunities presented to Geauxsicles, the owner could evaluate the firm’s current assets and seek business counseling about which opportunity is in the company’s best interest (e.g., retail opportunities, local restaurants, LSU stadium, franchising, etc.). In light of the high costs associated with many of these options, Geauxsicles may need to borrow money.
Pros. High costs, consulting fees, licensing agreements and documents, potentially incurring debt.
Cons. High risk accompanied with potentially great consequences.
Recommended Course of Action & Justification
Reviewing the options and problems facing the firm, it is recommended that Erin pursues developing and implementing a diversification strategy. As of right now, the issues Geauxsicles faces are largely attributed to the firm’s dependence on a single product line that requires high volume sales, but is produced at a slow rate. Despite observing many potential opportunities, this scenario inhibits the owners desire to enter different markets since there are major environmental threats. Pursuing a diversification strategy aligns with the SWOT analysis of firms position in cell 2 (Pearce & Robinson, 2013). Furthermore, optimizing the utilization of resources, such as creating another product line using the same ingredients as Geauxsicles and using the freezer truck as an additional point of sales locally, generates additional revenue streams while incurring minimal additional costs. Thus, the firm will be able to observe increased profits, which can assist with the expedited achievement of expansion goals and Erin’s necessary investment in business courses. In other words, the diversification strategy offers the highest reward to risk ratio out of the options.
Implementation Plan
Who will do what?
The owner, Erin, will begin brainstorming ideas for potential new product lines incorporating current Geauxsicles’ ingredients. It is recommended that, during this time, she proactively seeks outside input from her customers about their preferences, considers gaps in her region, and incorporates these components into her concept. Once an idea is decided upon, Erin will begin researching and experimenting with recipes.
When
With Geauxsicles’ current operating levels, and due to the nature of utilizing preexisting assets, Erin can start on brainstorming and research right away. The target goal is to have a new product ready for testing in 3 months and introduced into the market in 6 months.
With what resources?
Since Erin is diversifying and, therefore, reallocating current resources. Erin will utilize the ingredients she already incorporates into Geauxsicles. Additionally, to be more strategic with her approach, once Erin is close to developing a new good, she will provide small samples to family, friends, and eventually customers. The biggest expense in this process will be Erin’s personal time. Consequently, Erin will hold off on utilizing the freezer truck to establish another local point of sale until she has implemented the new product. This way, she will not be overwhelmed and spread between multiple projects at the same time.
References
Advameg, Inc. (2019). How products are made: Popsicles. Retrieved from http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Popsicle.html
Pearce, J, & Robinson, R. (2013). Strategic management: Planning for domestic & global competition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
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Honeysuckle Acres Bed & Breakfast:
Multi-Channel Distribution
Strategy for Success
Honeysuckle Acres is a farm retreat bed and breakfast owned and operated by Alexa Jones. Honeysuckle Acres was booked at 80% occupancy for the months of June and July and Alexa was feeling great about the decision to open the Bed & Breakfast last year. However, her investors are somewhat concerned about the months in the fall and winter and are encouraging her to find alternative sources of revenue for the off-season.
Honeysuckle Acres sits on the banks of a beautiful river in the southwest part of the country known for swimming, fishing and canoeing. While there is no direct access to the river from the property, just a short walking down the river trail is access and there are several access points for swimming and canoeing within driving distance. They boast of quiet, country living surrounded by farm animals, beautiful scenery and attractions within 10 miles of the property.
Currently, there are ten cabins available for rent on the property as well as a large building for meals or events and a small chapel. The event building has a full kitchen and seating for around 50 guests. The chapel seats 48 people comfortably. On average, the B&B operates at 80% occupancy in June and July; 40% in August and 20% for the other months for the Thursday-Sunday stay. Information on the nightly rates for the cabins can be found in table 1. Last year she only had one group request the use of the event center for a catered lunch and one other group use the chapel for a family meeting. Alexa included these in their stay since they booked the entire farm.
Cabin
Sleeps
Rate
Main home
12
$550 for the entire house
Main home
2
$125 per bedroom
Farmhouse
7
$325 for entire house
Farmhouse
3
$175 per bedroom
Honeysuckle Cabin
8
$175
Buffalo Cabin
4
$175
Painted Cow Cabin
4
$175
Rusty Nail Cabin
4
$225
Under the Pines Cabin
2
$250
The Hidden Haven Cabin
4
$150
Sunset View Cabin
2
$150
Starlight Sanctuary Cabin
4
$150
Event Center
50
$200 per day
Chapel
48
$200 per day
Alexa runs specials on her website, but only about 5% of her guests are aware of the specials and take advantage of the birthday, anniversary, family reunions and church retreat specials she runs throughout the year. She advertises on her Facebook page and is listed on several hotel websites such as Booking.com and Trivago.com. Her Trip Advisor ratings also have a direct link to her website. Alexa has considered HomeAway and AirBNB but is unsure if the fees involved are worth the effort. In addition, with the third party providers, the guests will be charged service fees. She has done some research and found information for comparison for the most popular third party sites (see table 2).
While coordinating an adult education program, I assumed that implementing a new digital learning platform would automatically enhance student engagement and performance. I believed that because the platform offered interactive features and flexible access, learners would readily adopt it and instructors would seamlessly integrate it into their teaching. However, this assumption proved to be only partially accurate. While some students adapted quickly, others struggled with digital literacy, and several instructors were hesitant due to a lack of training and support. This assumption impacted my behavior—I focused more on the technical rollout than on preparing stakeholders for the change. As a result, initial usage rates were low, and some learners felt frustrated or excluded. According to Fullan (2007), successful educational change requires attention to both the innovation and the human factors involved in implementation. If I were to face a similar situation again, I would invest more time in professional development, stakeholder feedback, and gradual integration. However, I would not abandon the use of technology altogether, as it ultimately expanded access and improved learning outcomes once properly supported. The experience taught me that assumptions about readiness must be validated through inclusive planning and ongoing communication.
References Fullan, M. (2007). The new meaning of educational change (4th ed.). Teachers College Press.
Colleague 2
Leslie Allen
One experience in my professional life was working alongside a small team of engineers during the commissioning stage of an industrial project. I was the youngest on the team and quickly learned that the window of opportunity to capture defects during the warranty period, which fed into a report to the awarded supplier, was paramount for rectification. Although I primarily worked along with two engineers to populate the corrective maintenance management software, there was the assumption that I didn’t need to backcheck their work because they are experts in the field. I considered tech savvy, and in researching how the software works, I contributed to restructuring mismatched locations and identifying equipment with the agreed tree structure.
Leaders tend to place restrictions on those that they lead (Finkelstein, 2017). This fundamental procedure could have led to poor data retrieval, which could have cost thousands of dollars in defects and buried historical data. If placed in a similar situation, I would not assume that senior staff cannot make errors. I should ask clarifying questions when given a task that requires collaboration, even if I am the least experienced person.
Resources:
Finkelstein, S. (2017, July 13). 4 ways managers can be more inclusive. Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, 2–5. http://hbr.org
Chapters 17 through 28 of The Goal vividly demonstrate the effectiveness of applying systems thinking, as Alex Rogo's team implements the Theory of Constraints (TOC) to revolutionize the Bearington plant. This section reveals how to manage constraints and why defying traditional business rules is essential for optimizing an entire system. The novel's accessible format powerfully illustrates how these abstract concepts translate into tangible, real-world improvements, reinforcing their direct relevance to effective business management.
The techniques employed by the team prove successful precisely because they fundamentally shift focus from isolated efficiencies to the holistic flow of the system, challenging conventional management wisdom. Goldratt and Cox highlight the crucial need for quality control before the bottleneck, explaining, "Make sure the bottleneck works only on good parts by weeding out the ones that are defective. If you scrap a part before it reaches the bottleneck, all you have lost is a scrapped part. But suppose you scrap the part after it's passed the bottleneck. In that case, you have lost time that cannot be recovered" (Goldratt & Cox, 2014, p. 67). This "breaks the rule" of inspecting all parts equally, prioritizing pre-bottleneck quality to prevent the most constrained resource from wasting precious time on defects, which align with Noga, Pant & Shaw (2011) discussion on how "fixes that fail" often miss the critical point of intervention, thereby safeguarding the system's throughput.
The practical application of exploiting the bottleneck and subordinating non-bottleneck resources is detailed through the "red tag" system: "A red marker means the work attached to it has priority. The red tags go on any materials needing to be processed by a bottleneck. When a batch of parts with that color marker arrives at your workstation, you are to work on them right away" (Goldratt & Cox, 2014, p. 75). This "breaks the rule" of typical first-in, first-out (FIFO) or local departmental scheduling. By visually mandating immediate priority for bottleneck-bound work, it ensures the constraint is continuously supplied, disciplined subordination, which is a key reason why the team's techniques begin to work so effectively (Stroh, 2014), resulting in the team's improved throughput.
Finally, strategies for elevating the bottleneck's capacity are outlined by Jonah: "Then make the bottlenecks work only on what will contribute to throughput today… not nine months from now," says Jonah. "That's one way to increase the capacity of the bottlenecks. The other way you increase bottleneck capacity is to take some of the load off the bottlenecks and give it to non-bottlenecks" (Goldratt & Cox, 2014, p. 68). This quote challenges the conventional focus on rigid, long-term scheduling. It advocates "breaking the rule" of producing based solely on distant forecasts, instead directing the bottleneck to focus on immediate throughput-contributing orders. This flexibility in scheduling and strategic load-balancing ensures the plant's current output is maximized and responsive to market demand, optimizing the system's revenue generation. This aligns with Hernández et al.'s (2017) highlight of systems thinking for strategic improvement.
If I had only known this while managing a software development team, our approach to releasing new features would have been very different. We prioritized individual developer "utilization," ensuring everyone was coding, but our constraint was the quality assurance (QA) and deployment pipeline. This created a backlog of untested features ("inventory") while developers pushed more code. I would have strategically slowed upstream coding if I understood the principle of prioritizing the bottleneck and ensuring it only processed "good parts" (error-free code submitted for QA). This "breaking of rules" for individual productivity would have ensured the QA/deployment teams were never overwhelmed, dramatically increasing the throughput of thoroughly tested and deployed features, delivering value faster and more predictably.
References
Goldratt, E. & Cox, J. (2014). The goal: A process of ongoing improvement (3rd ed.) [VitalSource Bookshelf version]. North River Press. vbk://9780884272755.
Hernández, A., Ruano, A. L., Marchal, B., San Sebastián, M., & Flores, W. (2017). Engaging with complexity to improve the health of indigenous people: A call for the use of systems thinking to tackle health inequity. International Journal for Equity in Health, 16(1), 26–31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-017-0521-2Links to an external site.
Noga, T., Pant, L. W., & Shaw, L. (2011). Recalibrating ethical dilemmas using the "fixes that fail" archetype. Journal of Business Ethics Education, 8(1), 115–118.
Stroh, D. P. (2014). Systems thinking for social change: Making an explicit choice. Reflections, 14(3), 35–42.
Colleague 2
Angela Eaker
In The Goal, Eliyahu M. Goldratt (1984) presents a transformative approach to business management through the Theory of Constraints (TOC), particularly evident in the middle chapters of the book (pp. 124–236). One of the most compelling insights during this section is the structured five-step process for improving system performance: “Step 1. Identify the system’s bottlenecks… Step 2. Decide how to exploit the bottlenecks… Step 3. Subordinate everything else to the above decision… Step 4. Elevate the system’s bottlenecks… Step 5. If, in a previous step, a bottleneck has been broken go back to step 1” (Goldratt, 1984, pp. 127–130). This framework is revolutionary because it shifts the focus from maximizing efficiency in every department to optimizing the entire system. The team’s success in the novel stems from applying these steps, even when it means breaking traditional rules—such as skipping lunch breaks for bottleneck machines or using outdated equipment to relieve production pressure.
Another critical passage that underscores the importance of systems thinking is: “The capacity of the plant is equal to the capacity of its bottlenecks” (Goldratt, 1984, p. 135). This statement challenges the conventional wisdom that improving any part of the system will improve the whole. Instead, Goldratt emphasizes that only improvements at the bottleneck will increase overall throughput. This realization leads the team to focus their efforts where it matters most, rather than spreading resources thinly across all operations. Their ability to prioritize bottlenecks results in significant gains in productivity and delivery performance.
A third essential concept is the distinction between activation and utilization: “Utilizing a resource means making use of the resource in a way that moves the system toward the goal. Activating a resource is like pressing the ON switch… it runs whether or not there is any benefit” (Goldratt, 1984, p. 197). This insight is particularly relevant in modern business environments where busy work is often mistaken for productivity. The team in The Goal learns that keeping machines or people busy does not necessarily contribute to the organization’s goal. Instead, they begin to measure success by how effectively each action contributes to throughput, inventory reduction, and operational expense control.
Reflecting on these lessons, I find myself thinking: “If I had only known this back when I was coordinating adult education programs with limited instructors and high enrollment, I would have focused on identifying and managing the real constraints—like classroom space and instructor availability—instead of trying to optimize every part of the process equally. That would have allowed us to serve more students effectively without overwhelming the system.” Goldratt’s work remains a powerful reminder that sometimes breaking the rules of traditional management is the most effective path to achieving meaningful results.
References Goldratt, E. M. (1984). The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement. North River Press.
In The Goal, Goldratt emphasizes how systems thinking and focusing on constraints over local efficiencies drive effective business management. Three passages from Chapters 17–28 illustrate these principles.
First, Goldratt (2014) states, “We can’t release materials according to a schedule if the bottlenecks can’t handle it” (p. 133). This passage is compelling because it challenges the traditional push-production mindset. By aligning material release with the capacity of bottlenecks, the Bearington team prevents excess inventory and work-in-progress, which aligns with throughput accounting principles that prioritize system flow over local efficiencies (Corbett, 2006). Effective business management requires managers to synchronize inputs with system constraints to prevent hidden inefficiencies and delays in customer delivery.
Second, Goldratt (2014) observes, “Activating a non-bottleneck to its maximum is an act of irresponsibility” (p. 137). This challenges the common belief that high local utilization equals productivity. Instead, non-bottlenecks should be activated only as needed to support the system’s flow. This aligns with systems thinking, where sub-optimization can damage overall performance (Hudson, 2017). It demonstrates that “breaking the rules” of maximizing utilization makes sense when prioritizing system throughput and delivery performance.
Third, the statement, “The bottleneck should never be idle,” (Goldratt, 2014, p. 161) is vital in managing constraints. It highlights the need to protect bottleneck uptime to maximize throughput, even if it means deviating from standard practices like fixed lunch breaks or rigid job classifications. This passage shows why the team’s techniques, including process reorganization and priority shifts, are effective. It also aligns with the principle that managing constraints, not eliminating them, enhances system performance (Weiss, 2004).
Reflection
“If I had only known this back when I was managing cross-functional projects, I would have prioritized identifying and managing system constraints rather than pushing teams for constant activity. This approach would have reduced burnout and bottlenecks during critical project phases and allowed us to deliver quality work on time. I also would have challenged the belief that busyness equals productivity, fostering a culture of flow, continuous improvement, and focus on the true organizational goal.”
References
Corbett, T. (2006). Three-questions accounting. Strategic Finance, 87(10), 48–55.
Goldratt, E. M., & Cox, J. (2014). The goal: A process of ongoing improvement (4th ed.). North River Press.
Hudson, J. D. Jr. (2017, October). CL6 allows three shots at better improvement: Instead of bickering over methodologies, find synergies between theory of constraints, lean and six sigma. Industrial and Systems Engineering at Work, 49(10), 43–47.
Weiss, E. N. (2004, February 20). A brief note on the theory of constraints. Darden School Foundation, University of Virginia. https://hbsp.harvard.edu/
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Improving Business Performance
Week 9 Learning Resources
System Thinking and Social Change
Using these resources, you will explore how applying systems thinking principles can be used to promote positive social change. As you review these resources, consider how you might apply systems thinking to create change. How might these concepts benefit the greater good?
Through these resources, you will investigate how the application of systems thinking principles and tools can assist managers in understanding and mitigating ethical dilemmas. As you review these resources, consider some ethical concerns that you may have encountered in your personal and professional life. Can you think of any ways in which systems thinking principles could have done anything to address or alleviate those concerns?
Goldratt, E. & Cox, J. (2014). The goal: A process of ongoing improvement (4th ed., pp. 124–236). North River Press. Note: This resource will be used for this week’s Discussion.
Choose a federal healthcare agency (e.g., CDC, FDA, NIH) and discuss briefly how it promotes or contributes to public health.
Then, picture yourself as a manager at the agency. What managerial function that you have been introduced to would you use to promote one of its missions? Why? Support your ideas with facts and details about the organization.
Be sure to respond to at least TWO of your classmates' posts.
While many factors determine policy and decision-making in federal agencies, one that is significant and often shared among them, is how they are organized and managed. Next week's assignment asks you to evaluate a federal healthcare agency's initial response to the Covid 19 pandemic. In this activity, you build a foundation to make that evaluation by researching the management structure of a federal healthcare agency of your choosing.
Preparation
Choose a federal healthcare agency that has had direct involvement in the Covid-19 pandemic response such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Public Health Service, et cetera. Research the organization's pandemic-related responsibilities and management structure. During your research, you may want to explore early public messaging disseminated by the agency as you will be asked to evaluate it in next week's assignment.
In this activity, you will draw an organization chart [Example of Health and Human Services Organization Chart] using MS Word, Visio, or another graphics program to create an infographic to paste into a Word document. If you are using Word:
Open Microsoft Word.
Click on the Insert tab located on the top-left side.
Click on SmartArt and choose and modify a graphic of your choosing.
Scenario
Think back to January 2020 when the United States reported its first Covid-19 infection. Federal (as well as local) public healthcare agencies scrambled to understand the virus and its possible impact on the population. The government's response and information releases were at best uneven during the ensuing months. Each agency needed to provide messaging to inform and direct the public. Many were frustrated by the uneven messaging among these agencies. An initial step to a better understanding of policies and decision-making is to understand the organization making them.
Instructions
Identify a federal healthcare agency that had a direct and significant role in the nation's pandemic response and do the following:
Describe 3 roles that the organization played in the pandemic response that capture its main responsibilities or contributions (1 page). Examples include areas such as:
Information sharing or outreach.
Research.
Response efforts.
Medical assistance.
Vaccine distribution.
Draw a diagram that accurately depicts agency personnel/positions or departments that are directly related to pandemic policyandpublic outreach. Paste the diagram into your submission Word document with your answer from bullet point 1. Include a brief description of responsibilities for key areas or personnel in your chart.
TOPIC : Enhancing Diabetes Self-Management to Improve Glycemic Control and Quality of Life in African American Adult Women with Type 2 Diabetes in Englewood, Illinois.
with the emphasize on the disease process (pathophysiology), epidemiology (in the US and your chosen community), diagnostic measures (including pertinent lab tests), diagnosis (including differential diagnoses), evaluation, management (including pharmacology), and the role of the nurse practitioner in the management of this patient utilizing the Shuler framework. Make sure your interventions are specific to the FNP role. You should add clinical practice guidelines and evidence based practice. The paper must be in APA format (current 7th edition) with all the references and bibliography in the correct format. The paper must be at least 10 pages long, excluding the references and bibliography.
Addresses the importance of the work, contextualize it within the existing literature , and states the aims of the work. Specific population focus.
Include social determinants of health, cultural and ethnic diversity. Include PICO statement, healthy people 2030 OBJECTIVES AND GOALS
Addresses the importance of the work, contextualizes it within the existing literature, and states the aims of the work. Specific population focus.
Includes social determinants of health, cultural and ethnic diversity. Include: PICO statement, Healthy People 2030 objectives and goals.
Does not adequately convey the topic and fails to describe the subtopics to be reviewed.
Lacks adequate thesis statements.
It does not address determinants of health or is not population-focused.
Conveys topic, but not key question(s). Describes subtopics to be reviewed. General thesis statement .
Superficial discussion on determinants of health or focus on a specific population.
Conveys topic and key question(s).
Clearly delineates subtopics to be reviewed. General thesis statement. Addresses determinants of health and is population-focused
Strong introduction of
the topic’s key question(s) and terms. Clearly delineates subtopics to be reviewed. Specific
thesis statement. Addresses determinants of health and is population-focused
5
Focus & Sequencing
.
Little evidence – material is illogically organized
into topic, subtopics, or not related to the topic.
Many transitions are unclear or nonexistent.
Most material is clearly related to the subtopic and the main topic. Material
not organized within subtopics.
Limited variety of Transitions.
All material is clearly related to the subtopic, main topic, and logically organized within subtopics.
Clear, varied transitions linking subtopics and the main topic.
All material is clearly related to the subtopic and the main topic. Strong organization and integration of material within subtopics. Strong transitions linking
subtopics and main topic.
20
Support
Paragraphs support the main topic and argument. Synthesis of research and theory with application to the problem statement. Current (within 5 years) peer-reviewed and evidence-based research.
There are only a few sources that support the thesis.
Sources are insignificant, unsubstantiated, or not peer reviewed.
Minimum peer-reviewed and evidence-based research in
support of the thesis. Did not integrate the application of Shuler’s model.
Sources are well selected to support the thesis, with peer-reviewed and evidence-based research in
support of the thesis.
Strong peer-reviewed research-based support for the thesis. Explicitly delineates the process and application of utilizing the Shuler NP Model in clinical practice.
20
SCHOLARLY PAPER RUBRIC
1
Up-to-date clinical practice guidelines included. Inclusion of Shuler’s NP practice model in the theoretical framework. With application to specific FNP interventions.
evidenced-based research.
Did not integrate the application of Shuler’s NP model.
Limited discussion and application of Shuler’s NP model
Conclusion and/or Discussion
Does not summarize evidence concerning the thesis statement.
Does not discuss the impact of the research
material on the topic.
Review of key conclusions. Some integration with the thesis statement. Discusses the impact of research
material on the topic.
Strong review of key conclusions. Strong integration with thesis statement. Discusses the impact of research
material on the topic.
Strong review of
key conclusions. Strong integration with thesis statement. An insightful discussion of the impact of the researched material on the topic.
5
Grammar & Mechanics
Page headers, font, line spacing, margins, paragraph alignment and indentation, and paper length and page limitation as stipulated. The abstract has the correct word number and is not included in the
page limitation.
Grammatical errors or spelling & punctuation
substantially detracts from the paper. Major errors in paper format: Page headers, font, line spacing, margins, paragraph alignment and indentation, or paper length.
Few grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors that interfere with
reading the paper. Page headers, font, line spacing, margins, paragraph alignment and indentation, or paper length has three or more errors.
Grammatical errors or spelling & punctuation is few and do not detract from the paper. Page headers, font, line spacing, margins, paragraph alignment and indentation, or paper length has one or two errors.
The paper is free of grammatical errors, spelling
& punctuation. Page headers, font, line spacing, margins, paragraph alignment and indentation, and paper length are correct.
20
Communication Scholarly writing is clear, concise, and precise; uses critical thinking and inclusive language (gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, age, health, and similar characteristics).
The word choice is informal in tone. The writing feels choppy, containing numerous awkward or unclear passages.
Presence of biased language or stereotypical connotation. Use of numerous quoted information.
Word choice is occasionally informal in tone. Writing has a few awkward or unclear passages.
Presence of biased language or stereotypical connotations. Use of numerous quoted information.
Scholarly writing style. Writing has a minimum of awkward or unclear passages. Wordiness and redundancy. Writing is bias-free. Very little quoted information.
Scholarly writing style. Writing is
logical, orderly, and easy to follow, with a smooth flow of ideas. Writing is bias-free.
20
Citations & References APA Style 7th edition
In-text citations and reference list with sources. Credible, valid, recent sources.
References within the last 5 years (unless they are classic research or clinical practice guidelines). 10 references.
Three or more errors in APA style detract substantially from
the paper. Reference and citation errors significantly undermine the paper. Not the requisite number of references.
Errors in APA style are noticeable. Two references or citations are missing or incorrectly written.
Minimum number of errors in APA
style that do not detract from the paper. One reference or citation is missing or incorrectly written.
All references and citations are correctly written
and present. There are no errors in the APA style.
