The Boston Consulting Group - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2645 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Argumentative essay Level High school Did you like this example? The Boston Consulting Group Abstract This research paper looks at the evaluation and analysis of The Boston Consulting Groupà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s human resources department. It shows the relationship between its consultants and organizational behaviors. Organizational performance at BCG has proven to be a significant factor in the health of the company. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Boston Consulting Group" essay for you Create order The report also illustrates the practices used by the company for its effectiveness and success. Also, the company developed the BCG Matrix which is used to introduce the growth-share matrix that is relative to competitors. The main role of The Boston Consulting Group is to hire the most skilled employees to effectively and efficiently fulfill the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s objectives without constant supervision. Ranked as the 3rd most prestigious consultant firm across the nation and being the leading advisor on business strategy, BCG has a strong work ethic and a strategy to transform their business to meet every clients needs for a successful outcome. The Boston Consulting Group Human Resource Management (HRM) is the function within an organization that focuses on employee benefits, compensation, diversity, employee training and relations, safety and security, and corporate social responsibility. HRM is transforming to adapt to todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s business world and ex pected to add value to the strategic operation of employees (HR Disciplines, n.d.). Any organization, without a strategic system for HRM is clear to experience some serious problems. Thats why many companies are putting more effort and energy into setting up a strong and effective HRM. Founded in 1963 by Bruce Henderson, a Harvard Business School graduate, The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s leading advisor on business strategy. BCG provides management consultancy services to private, public, and not-for-profit sectors worldwide. The company is rated #3 on Forbes list of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Best Companies to Work for in 2014à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Best companies to work for 2014, n.d.). The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is an organization with exceptional HR planning. Their HR department relies on its core responsibilities of personnel recruitment and hiring, application management, training and development programs, benefits administration and compliance with legal and federal regulation. The HR department BCG also plays as a strategic and comprehensive approach to managing employees, the workplace culture and the environment. It enables employees to contribute effectively and productively to the overall company direction and the accomplishments of the organizations goals and objectives (Boston Consulting Group, 2013). Last year, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary, and today has more than 9,000 employees working in 81 offices in 45 countries. Human capital management (HCM) is related to the strategy of developing the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s biggest asset, its people, whose current value can be measured and whose future value can be enhanced through investment in order to make an organization succeed (What is human capital in management, 2013). BCG is one of the best overall providers of human capital management with its strategy consulting. The BCG has a strong sense of the word à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“teamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . It i s not an individual company. The Boston Consulting Groupà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mission is to: Create competitive advantage through unique solutions Build capabilities and mobilizing organizations Drive sustainable impact Provide unparalleled opportunities for personal growth Succeed together with passion and trust (BCG: Mission, 2007) Also, the company has a high focus on diversity and flexibility in the workplace. And, BCG has a variety of benefit options that stand out. Such as, it pays 100% of employee health care premiums, offer paid sabbaticals and grants new consultants to delay their start date by six months and receive $10,000 to volunteer at a nonprofit. The firm values its employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s eagerness and motivation to keep up with the extensive travel demands as a consultant, the long hours, and give 100% every time. But, the company does not want its employees to burn out and have implemented a work-life balance approach (Breslin, 2013). Human resource policies and compliances are the official guidelines that organizations put in place. These policies are for hiring, training, and assessing current and future associates of their workforce. These policies need to be instilled in every employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s minds and written down on paper so it can be clearly understood. Employees like to know exactly what their role is in the company and how their work affects the company. Having a clear structure is essential to a companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s success. At, BCG every consultant knows exactly what their role is and how it corresponds back to the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s overall strategy and goals. The consulting industry is a very demanding and rigorous profession. That is why, BCG consultants carry bachelor degrees and higher. The duties and responsibilities of a consultant at BCG are quite extensive and clearly stated before hired. Some of them are: International travel More than 8 hour work days A lot of liaising and multitasking different clients and projects Writing action plans and daily reports Conduct interviews with key market players Create strategies for change Must have confidentiality and great interpersonal skills (Career path, 2008) This is just a summation of the duties and responsibilities of a consultant at BCG. Other job titles are project leader, principal, and partner. Once the consultant becomes well-learned and have enough experience and success as a consultant, they are able to move up the ladder to these positions at the BCG. Shaping the Future. Together. That is the vision of The Boston Consulting Group, who has won countless awards for Worlds Most Attractive Employer or Top Companies to Work for, etc. BCG is known for being the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s leading advisor on business strategy. This organizations focus, attention to detail, and going à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“above and beyondà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  for the client has made this company what it is today. Organizations face an extremely difficult set of challenges with such a fluctuating economic climate. Their strategic capabilities are grounded in the same basic philosophies. Boston Consulting Group and their Human Resources Department stay on top of t hings because of various strategies to combat the ever-changing market. The companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s business strategy drives work force needs (BCG, 2014). BCG has a few core standards that determine the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s strategy. The main ones are integrity, respect for the individual, delivering value, and making an impact on society (BCG, 2014). Integrity involves accountability and doing the correct thing at all times. Respect for the individual entails treating everyone regardless of position with thoughtfulness and respect. That calls for a unique truthfulness and honesty that only happens when everyone is open and upfront at all times, whether good or bad. Delivering value is self-explanatory. BCG is committed to generating value that returns much more than a return on a clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s investment. That requires hard work and setting an extremely high standard for the company. Making an impact on society just means BCG wants to make an impact beyond t he business. BCG donates their time and resources to community issues and institutions that are prevalent in our society (BCG, 2014). The companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s values align up with their mission. BCG seeks to be agents of change for their clients, people, and society overall. BCG is committed to producing a viable advantage through unique solutions, building strong competencies and mobilizing organizations, driving a justifiable impact, providing unequalled opportunities for personal growth, and succeeding together with passion and trust. BCG has wide-ranging experience helping each client redesign and supplements their planning approaches. Transforming business and society is their ultimate mission that they have succeeded at. BCGà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s emphasis on investment in its people, career flexibility and mobility, extensive training, high-impact client work, a collaborative culture, progressive benefits, and a commitment to social-impact work have all contributed to the consistently strong showing. Specific benefits include 100 percent coverage of employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ health-care premiums, internal fellowships, and tuition reimbursement. The firm also has been recognized for its LGBT-friendly benefits and policies (Top-consultant.com, 2014). BCGà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s approach to business has been unparalleled. BCG has identified what works with their superiority leadership capabilities and their extraordinary talent pool. Together with each client, they develop new visions about the business, summon each company on how to move forward, get bottom-line results, and make each company more capable going forward in the ever-changing economy and success in the twenty-first century. The Boston Consulting Group has been recognized as a consistent top employer for the past several years as it became à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“one of only two firms to make the top dozen every year since 2006à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  in the Fortuneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s 100 Best Comp anies to Work For List (Creating people advantage 2012, 2012). In fact, this year BCG actually ranked number 3 on the list, a step up from being number 4 in 2013 (The Boston Consulting Group, n.d.). The practices and policies executed in HR have contributed greatly to this success. There are several HR functions that are implemented within the organization in order to strategically partner with the company. The chart below shows the top 5 HR functions or processes that have the most impact on the profit growth, profit margin, and total improvement of the company. HR Function or Process Profit Growth Profit Margin Total Improvement 1. Recruiting 3.5x 2.0x 5.5 2. On boarding and retention 2.5x 1.9x 4.4 3. Managing Talent 2.2x 2.1x 4.3 4. Employer Branding 2.4x 1.8x 4.2 5. Performance Management and rewards 2.1x 2.0x 4.1 Source: Sullivan, J. News Flash: Recruiting Has the Highest Business Impact of any HR Function As noted in the chart above, BCGà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s HR leaders contribute much of its effectiveness to several practices, but the practice that is considered to have the greatest impact on revenue growth and profit margins is recruiting (Sullivan, 2012). Of course, all of the functions are important, but recruiting has proven to have the greatest impact on the business. The Boston Consulting Group collaborates with clients to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“build a competitive, measurable, and sustainable staffing advantage through strategic focus, business connection, and excellence in executionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (BCG: Human resources competencies, 2009). The HR team has been very strategic in assisting with achieving this mission and the policies and HR functions implemented have led to the expansion of the company to enable the execution of the mission in a greater capacity. The chart below briefly shows how through the implementation of HR practices, such as recruiting, has caused the company to increase in number of employees both in the U.S. and outside of the U.S. 2013 2014 U. S. Employees 2,314 2,552 Employees Outside U.S. 6,300 6,982 100% Healthcare Coverage yes yes Professional Training Salaried employees (hrs/yr) 100 hours 100 hours Professional Training Hourly Employees (hrs/yr) 40 hours 40 hours Source: Fortune (2014). Best Companies 2014 The chart also shows how HR invests in the employees by providing 100% paid healthcare coverage for all of the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s full-time employees as well as provide extensive professional training each year to make sure the employees are equipped and trained with the knowledge and understand necessary to perform well. This also resembles the heart of the company, showing that the employees are viewed as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“human assets,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  which could be a contributing factor to its consistent appearance in Fortuneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s 100 Best Companies to Work For List. Overall, HRà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s policies and practices are positively impacting the organization, and assisting with the achievement of organizational goals. In the 1970s, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) created a matrix for a portfolio strategy to help their organizations of being objective and fact-based. A well-known evaluated portfolio objective way for a strategic decision for future investment returns is outlined by the BCG Matrix. The four quadrant strategic objective of individual business units are stars, cash cows, problem-child or question mark, and dog. This framework applies two inputs, market growth and market share to a portfolio of segments, products or businesses, and then draws conclusions about how resources (e.g. talent, investment) should be allocated across the portfolio (BCG Matrix, n.d., para.1).) The BCG matrix is a useful portfolio for resource allocation decisions as a good starting point. Business units, products, or market segments are able to be used for a portfolio as a powerful communication tool. This creates an understanding and popularity of the organization of explaining difficult resource allocation decisions. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a harder challenge based on objective data and through touch decisions it is a useful tool to push. The first quadrant is the future of the business which is c ritical and the first priority is for discretionary investments as a stance for à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“starsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  defended at all costs. The second quadrant is a sustain leadership position is enough to ensure investment of generated funds in the higher growth parts of the portfolio called à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“cashcowsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  of not milking them dry. The third quadrant is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Problem Childrenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Questionmarkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  being the toughest business of taken the next step. A binary investment stance is called à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Double or Quitsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  which is the best name of making a decision. It is a very heavy investment to grow market share by selected bets and making them the Stars of the future. It begins as a relative weakness position of a growing market resulting in the business making the best selective bets of achieving a leadership position with strong beliefs. This would be a tough decision to ignore of other high g rowth opportunities. The last quadrant is call a typical investment stance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Dogà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Harvest/Exità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  which should not be divest or exit business rapidly due to having low value and during the sale process it will distract management. The capacity of being à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“harvestedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  properly leaves them weak competitive position which will disappear quickly if investment is reduced. Rather they could be set up to operate with minimal resource drain on the rest of the portfolio, as the best people and all discretionary resources are diverted to more attractive businesses (BCG Matrix, n.d., para.4). To conclude we have touched on what Human Resource Management is and the role that it plays in an organization. HRM is transforming to adapt to the changes in the world and todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s employees. Any company without an HRM will encounter some problems and so that is why a lot of organizations are putting m uch more effort into making their HRM strong and effective. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is an organization with one of the best HR planning. Their HRM enables employees to contribute effectively and productively to the overall company direction and accomplishments of the main organizations goals and the direction ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s going in. We touched on the top 5 HR functions that have the most impact on profit growth, profit margin and total improvement of the company. The practice that had the most impact on business is recruiting as it contributes to revenue growth also. The BCG main focus is investment in its people, career flexibility and mobility, extensive training, high impact client work, a collaborative culture, progressive benefits and a commitment to social impact. BCG develops new visions and is always changing with the economy to help better assist its employees and organizations. References BCG: Human resources competencies. (2009, September 4). Retrieved from https://www.bcg.com/expertise_impact/capabilities/people_organization/human_resources/competencies.aspx BCG Matrix. (n.d.). Retrieved from IES Business Strategy: https://strategicthinker.wordpress.com/concept-template-5/ BCG Mission. (2007, September 4). Retrieved from https://www.bcg.com/about_bcg/vision/mission.aspx Best companies to work for 2014. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://fortune.com/best-companies/the-boston-consulting-group-3/ Boston Consulting Group. (2013). Retrieved from www.bcg.com Breslin,M.M. (2013, February 20). Part of Boston Consulting Groups success comes from looking out for its workers. Retrieved from https://www.workforce.com/articles/part-of-boston-consulting-group-s-success-comes-from-looking-out-for-its-workers Career path: Your road to success. (2008, September 4). Retrieved from https://www.bcg.com/careers/career_growth/career_path/ Creating people advantage 201 2: Mastering HR challenges in a two-speed world. (2012, October). Retrieved from https://www.hragenda.net/uploads/6/7/8/0/6780997/bcg_creating_people_advantage_oct_2012_tcm80-119346.pdf HR Disciplines. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/pages/default.aspx# Sullivan,J. (2012, September 4). News flash: Recruiting has the highest business impact of any HR function. Retrieved from https://www.ere.net/2012/09/04/news-flash-recruiting-has-the-highest-business-impact-of-any-hr-function/ The Boston Consulting Group: Best companies to work for 2014. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://fortune.com/best-companies/the-boston-consulting-group-3/ What is human capital in management? (2013, May 24). Retrieved from https://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/what-is-human-capital-in-management-definition-value-quiz.html#lesson

Ancient Greek Book Review - 2400 Words

Ancient Greek Paired Book Review Ekki Lu Core 2 The books I read were the Odysseus and the Old Man and the Sea. In the Odysseus, the most memorable moment to me was that when Odysseus came back to his house as a beggar, the most men in his house all gave him food generously except Antinoos. Unlike the other men, he didn’t pity Odysseus at all. He called Odysseus the â€Å"nuisance that bad luck has brought to our spoil our dinner† (p. 221). He told Odysseus to â€Å"leave this hall with a sound skin after the piece of rudeness† (p. 221) and â€Å"picking up the footstool, he threw it, and hit him full on the back under the right shoulder† (p. 221). But Odysseus wasn’t afraid of him, he â€Å"stood firm as a rock† (p. 221) though it was painful. At that time,†¦show more content†¦It is very alike in the book the Old Man and the Sea. When the big fish started circling, the old man â€Å"had been seeing black spots before his eyes and the sweat salted his eyes and slated the cut ove r his eye and on his forehead† (p. 87), he â€Å"had felt faint and dizzy† (p. 87) every time the fish circled, but he still held the line all the time and never let it go. And after he caught the fish successfully, the sharks were coming after them. He didn t easily give up all the hope of survival, instead, he â€Å"was full of resolution† (p. 101) and decided to fight back. Due to his firm willpower, he killed all the sharks at last. During that fishing, the old man was alone all the time, only thing that supported him was his strong desire of survival. For both Odysseus and the old man, what they believed were not exactly the same though, it helped them to get through all the difficulties and finally achieved their wishes. How they overcome these sufferings had moved me deeply and left a profound impression for me. And all the memorable moments above can lead to one point – the books’ themes. For the Odysseus, the theme of the whole book was mainly about the will of backing home and getting freedom. Odysseus wasn t lucky enough to have a good fortune. But he didn t lose his hope. When he was forced to stay on the Calypso’s Island, he didn t submit to Calypso due to her

Senior Interview Free Essays

1. What is the environment of your home like? Busy, before they got guardianship of their grandson, life was quiet and there was not very much that had to be done around the home. Once their grandson came to live with them at age 3, life became â€Å"a buzz† again. We will write a custom essay sample on Senior Interview or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Before our grandson came to us, we usually would get up in the morning, sit and relax as we drank our coffee and had a quiet breakfast together. Now, we (her and her spouse) are up early to get our grandson ready to go to school. She also says â€Å"We had time for the things that we wanted to do in our later years of life, visiting family, traveling and such. Now our time is dedicated to raising our grandson who keeps us going and on our toes but we would not change the situations we are in now for the world. † 2. Has aging changed the home environment? Yes, when they were younger, they had the energy and health to do the things they wanted to. Sally says â€Å"With age came some small struggles to stay at the pace we had always had when we were younger. Things that were always easy slowly became more time consuming, housekeeping used to be something that I could complete pretty quickly; now, I am a little slower (with the help of my grandson). Otherwise, she says â€Å"life keeps us all busy. † 3. Do you rely on others for help with any activities in the home? Sally answers â€Å"No, we are still able and willing to do our chores and keep up with the necessary tasks that we have. Although, we do have â€Å"John† (grandson) visit family a few times a month so that we have time to recharge. † 4. Do you still drive? If so, how has aging changed how you drive? Sally answered, â€Å"Yes, we both (her and her husband Mike) still drive. Driving is something that you would think would stay the same as you grow old until you get old. When I am driving now, I feel like everyone is in a rush to get where they want to go and here I am taking my time, trying to be safe while all around me are probably cursing me and saying â€Å"Damn old lady is driving so slow. † (She laughed as she made the last remark. ) 5. What changes in your home do you face as you get older? Sally answers, â€Å"As my husband and I get older, we are starting to be slower at things that once took us very little time. I think as we continue to get older, we will continue to get slower. † She also says, â€Å"With having our grandson home with us, he is helping us when he sees us even struggle a little with even small things. I think as we get older, he will be the one to help us more than anyone else. Recreational Activities: 1. In the past, what did you do for recreation? What do you do now for enjoyment? Sally answers, â€Å"When we were younger and our children were at home with us, we would spend a lot of time outdoors. We loved to go camping, fishing and hunting as a family. As our children got older, they all had things that they were involved in that took that time away that we had for the fun things. † She then explained that as her and her husband grew older, that they became more focused on the things that they wanted to do like traveling and visiting family. Sally then explained â€Å"Now that we have our grandson, I go to the movies, library, and toy shopping an awful lot. But then she explained that she takes pleasure in spending time with her grandson doing the things that he likes to do because she â€Å"loves to see the smile on his face. † Sally also explained that they are active members of a church that they go to twice a week (Wednesdays and Sundays) and they get great pleasure out of the service. 2. How often do you participate in these activities? Sally says â€Å"When â€Å"John† is a good boy at school and does what he is told here we usually take him out about once a week to do something special. † She hen explains, â€Å"Church is a large part of our lives. We go to church not only to worship but also to have time with people that are around our age with and are like-minded. † 3. Have the things that do for recreation changed as you aged? As stated above, in their younger years, their recreation revolved around their family. As they got older, she says â€Å"The things we did slowed. We were not out all the time we possibly could have been. † Sally says, â€Å"We now spend time where we feel most comfortable, church and doing things with our grandson are what we do most now. Social Support and Interactions: 1. Who do you interact with on a regular basis? Is this the same amount of contact you had in younger years of life? Sally says, â€Å"On a daily basis, my husband and grandson. I usually call my sister every couple days and see how she is doing and on a weekly basis the brothers and sisters I have at church. † She also says, â€Å"In the past, we had friends and neighbors that we were in contact with on a daily basis but as time went on, the friends we have kept are passing away or just losing contact with them all together. It is hard getting older and watching the friends you have start to pass away, it make me think that I will not always be here and then it makes me worry about who will keep our grandson when we are gone. † 2. Do you participate in any social clubs? Sally says, â€Å"The only real structured social club, if you can call it that, would be church activities. On Wednesdays, we go to church for bible study and social time where we talk with our friends there and on Sunday, we go to service that provides us with God’s word and time with our church brothers and sisters. Meaningful Activities: 1. What gives your life meaning? Sally says, â€Å"My family is what gives my life meaning. I try to do as much as possible to stay in the loop of what is going on with my children and grandchildren. My children have always been the reason that we have worked so hard. We always wanted them to have the better things in life and we wanted them to be happy. † She also says â€Å"Now , my life revolves around taking care of â€Å"John† and making sure he feels that everything is okay and that he has a stable home to grow up in. † 2. Do you still engage in these activities as you did when you were younger? Sally says, â€Å"When we were younger, we had a lot more activities when our children were young. As they grew up, moved out on their own and had families of their own, our lives quieted down and the activities we were always doing changed into activities that â€Å"Mike† and I wanted to do until we got â€Å"John† and once we got â€Å"John† life became busy again with all of his activities. † Mental Stimulation: 1. In the past, what did you do to keep your mind sharp? Sally says, â€Å"In the past, I had my work to keep my mind sharp. I was a secretary at the middle school in the town we live for almost 20 years and was always busy with the tasks that were I had to do. My children also kept my mind going and I loved helping them with their homework because this helped me keep my mind working and remembering how to do problems like math and science. † 2. What do you do now to keep your mind sharp? Sally says, â€Å"Now to keep my mind sharp I do a lot of word and number puzzles. I love to do Sudoku puzzles and word find puzzles. Sudoku puzzles really keep my mind working because sometimes I feel like my hair is on fire when I am done with them (she chuckles. I also spend time with â€Å"John† to helping him with his homework and I think this helps to keep me learning still because I have noticed that the way children are taught now has really changed from when I had my children in school. † Physical Activities: 1. In the past, what did you do to keep physically fit? Sally says, â€Å"In the pas t, when my children lived at home, we were always on the go. We would go places where we would walk and hike through the woods like when we would go hunting or fishing. We lives close to the corner store so we would also just walk to the store when we needed a few things instead of get in the car and drive. She also says â€Å"I never was a really big health nut who was always worried about exercise because my weight was never an issue. I felt that is my weight was good then I was getting plenty of exercise. † 2. What do you do to keep physically fit now? Sally says, â€Å"Nowadays we love to take â€Å"John† for walks at the local trails. It’s nice to be out in the fresh air and be able to not only spend time with â€Å"Mike† and â€Å"John† but to get a little exercise because I have noticed that the older I get the less muscle I seem to have. â€Å"It seems like the little things are more of a challenge than they were in previous years. Even just opening a jar is sometimes a challenge. † 3. Are you able to keep up with the daily physical stresses that you are tasked with on a daily basis? Sally says, â€Å"Yes, it seems like I am still doing a pretty good job keeping up with everything I have to do on a daily basis (as she looks around her living room. ) She also says â€Å"Keeping a house clean is a chore in its own when you have a grandson to pick up after everywhere he goes. † She also says, â€Å"I get around to the things I need to do now when I get to them. I used to try to make sure the house was perfect when my children and â€Å"Mike† would come home each day and thought that having a clean house for them, food cooking and clothes laid out for them daily was what I was supposed to do. Now that I think about it, I would have much rather of been having fun with them instead of being worried about the house. † Ending the interview, her last statement is, â€Å"Life now is a little bit harder than it was when I was younger. It seems like the older I get, the slower I am. † She then tells me, â€Å"Make sure that you spend your time doing what makes you happy. † How to cite Senior Interview, Papers