Human resource Planning and Leadership roles

Human resource Planning and Leadership roles Human Resource Planning is the process by which an organization ensures that it has the right number and kind of people, at the right places, at the right time, capable of effectively and efficiently completing those tasks that will help the organization achieve its overall objectives (Decenzo and Robbins 2000). Vetter (1967) defined human resource planning as the process by which management determines how the organization should move from its current manpower position to its desired position. Through planning, management strives to have the right number and the right kinds of people, at the right places, at the right time, doing things which result in both the organization and the individual receiving maximum long-run benefits. Human resources planning should be a key component of nearly every  corporations strategic business planning. To ensure their  competitive advantage  in the marketplace, organizations must implement innovative strategies that are designed to enhance their employee retention rate and recruit fresh talent into their companies. In todays corporate environment, it is viewed as a valuable component for adding value to an organization. Both employees and the company will often realize many benefits of planning over the long-run. Contemporary human resource planning occurs within the broad context of organizational and strategic business planning. It involves forecasting the organizations future human resource needs and planning for how those needs will be met. It includes establishing objectives and then developing and implementing programs (staffing, appraising, compensating, and training) to ensure that people are available with the appropriate characteristics and skills when and where the organization needs them. It may also involve developing and implementing programs to improve employee performance or to increase employee satisfaction and involvement in order to boost organizational productivity, quality, or innovation (Mills, 1 985b). Finally, human resource planning includes gathering data that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of ongoing programs and inform planners when revisions in their forecasts and programs are needed. Strategic collaboration between small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and the large businesses they partner can take many forms, such as locating a SMEs facility in close proximity to a buyers facility to enable just-in-time delivery of raw material, inputs and components; collaborating on research and development and product design to build organizational competencies and capabilities; collaborating on supply chain activities to manage costs and promote operational efficiency; or delivering outsourced human resource management activities (Doz and Hamel 1998). For large businesses, forming strategic alliances and collaborative partnerships can be critical to their ability to seize technological opportunities, to build critical resource strengths and competitive capabilities, to improve supply chain efficiencies and deliver value to their customers (Kaplan and Hurd 2002). Often these partners are small and medium sized enterprises, that are expected to perform as full partners (Ij ose, Olumide). However, there has been little to no attention paid to the role the strategic human resource management (SHRM) practices of SMEs play in their ability to be valued and trusted strategic partners in the value chain of big businesses. Like any other organization, the sophistication of their human resource management practices can lead to operational inefficiencies that can affect their ability to meet their obligations to corporate buyers (reference and relate sentence to big businesses where this has been proven). Factors that enable operating excellence include having a strong management team, recruiting and retaining talented employees, viewing training as a strategic activity, structuring the work effort in ways that promotes successful strategy execution, deploying an organizational structure that facilitates the proficient performance of strategy critical activities, instituting policies and procedures that facilitate good strategy execution, instilling a strategy supportive cult ure and tying rewards and incentives to individual and team performance outcomes that are strategically relevant (Higgins 2005). Human resource planning involves plans for future needs of personnel, their required skills, recruitment of employees, and development of personnel (Miller, Burack, Albrecht, 1980).   Human resource forecasting and human resource audit are the two most important components of this type of planning. Human resource forecasting refers to predicting an organizations future demand for number, type, and quality of various categories of employees. The assessment of future needs has to be based on analysis of present and future policies and growth trends. The techniques of forecasting include the formal expert survey, Delphi technique, statistical analysis, budget and planning analysis, and computer models. The human resource audit gives an account of the skills, abilities, and performance of all the employees of an organization (Werther Davis, 1982). Recruitment  refers to the process of attracting, screening, and selecting qualified people for a  job  at an  organization  or firm. For some components of the recruitment process, mid- and large-size organizations often retain  professional recruiters  or outsource some of the process to recruitment agencies. Types of recruitment are: 1. External Recruitment Methods Develop  relationships  with guidance and career counselors at colleges and universities and ask for help in recruiting for open positions. Reach out to professional organizations that are in line with the organizations mission, and ask to them to list open positions in their newsletters and emails to members. Organizations with financial resources should consider working with a recruitment firm, especially if the position is at a higher level or requires a specific skill or type of experience. 2. Internal Recruitment Methods Be clear about the skills and experience an applicant must possess. Post an open position internally first to assess whether there are qualified candidates within the organization. Consider interns, volunteers, temporary workers or consultants who may have been working in a similar capacity to the open position( managementstudyguide  [online]). A typical selection process consists of the following steps: completed job application, initial screening, testing, indepth selection interview, physical examination, and job offer (French, 1982). In general, extension organizations use a simple knowledge test and a brief interview to select extension personnel. An interview  is the most common form of selection as it is relatively cheap to undertake and is the chance for an employer to meet the applicant face to face and so obtain much more information on what the person is like and how suitable they are for the job. Examples of information that can only be learnt from interview and not on paper from a CV or application form are: Conversational ability-  often known as people skills Natural enthusiasm or manner of the applicant See how applicant reacts under pressure Queries on comments or details missing from CV or application form There are though other forms of selection tests that can be used in addition to an interview to help select the best applicant. The basic interview can be unreliable as applicants can perform well at interview but not have the qualities or skills needed for the job. Other selection tests can increase the chances of choosing the best applicant and so minimise the high costs of recruiting the wrong people. Examples of these tests are aptitude tests, intelligence tests and psychometric tests. Once the best candidate has been selected and agreed to take up the post, the new employee must be given an  employment contract. The training of personnel contributes directly to the development of human resources within organizations. Training programmes are directed towards maintaining and improving current job performance, while development programmes seek to develop skills for future jobs (Stoner Freeman, 1992, p. 388).   Training based on actual field experience should be emphasized.  Methods such as coaching, job rotation, training sessions, classroom instruction, and educational institute-sponsored development programmes are used to train managers. An important aspect of human resource management which needs special attention in organizations is the development of a reward system which will attract, retain, and motivate extension personnel, as well as provide training and promotional opportunities. Skinners reinforcement theory, Vrooms expectancy theory, Maslows need-hierarchy theory, Adams equity theory and Herzbergs two- factor theory are the five main approaches that have created the understanding of motivation. In 1943, Maslow gave a list of five types of needs of employees i.e.: ego, safety, physiological, self- actualizing and social. Maslow said that all type of needs of employees should be fulfilled in some priority levels, as the fulfillment of their needs would bring a great deal of motivation in the employees. Motivators and hygiene were the two categories in which Herzberg divided motivation in 1959. Job satisfaction is provided by recognition and achievements of employees which contribute to intrinsic factors and motivation. Job dissatisfaction is developed as a result of low pays and insecurity of jobs that contribute towards extrinsic factors or hygiene. Performance was the major area of relevance which contribute towards rewards and further increased performance according to Vroom in 1964. There may be positive or negative categories of rewards. The motivation of an employee depends upon the rewards as positive rewards motivate the employees and negative rewards demotivate them. According to Adams equity among workers plays a major role in motivating employees. Equity is achieved when the ratio of employee outcomes over inputs is equal to other employee outcomes over inputs (Adams, 1965). In 1953, Skinner mentioned that the positive behavior of the employees should be motivated to be repeated and negative behavior should be strictly dealt so that it shouldnt be repeated. Behavior of employees should be observed strictly by managers. Managers should be made liable to enforce the positive behavior of employees that lead to positive results and demotivate the negative behavior of employees that leads to negative outcomes. The importance of certain factors in motivating employees was studied by James R. Lindner in 1998, who was Research Associate at Ohio State University. Ten motivating factors were revealed by the study as following: (a) interesting work, (b) ) tactful discipline, (c) good wages, (d)job security, (e) feeling of being in on things, (f) sympathetic help with personal problems, (g) personal loyalty to employees, (h) full appreciation of work done (i) good working conditions, and (j) promotions and growth in the organization Some interesting factors into employee motivation were revealed by comparison of above results to Maslows need-hierarchy theory. Interesting work is a self-motivating factor which is considered rank one motivation factor. Good wages is a physiological motivation factor which is ranked two. High appreciation of work done is another major esteem factor which is ranked at number three. Job security known as the safety factor is another major motivation facto ranked at number four. In 1943, Maslow declared that interesting work, safety, esteem, physiological and social factors are the most important motivation factors that must be satisfied first. Good pay and increase in pays will be second most important factors that should be addressed by managers. Range of motivational factors suggested by Maslows study is challenged by the following study. This study doesnt confirm that Maslows conclusion of ascending order of motivational factors to be satisfied. Ken Shah and Prof. Param J. Shah re vealed the properties that a manager should have as following: Evaluate yourself-  In order to motivate, encourage and control your staffs behaviour, it is essential to understand, encourage and control your own behaviour as a manager. Be familiar with your staff-  The more and the better he knows his staff, the simpler it is to get them involved in the job as well as in achieving the team and organizational goals.   Provide the employees certain benefits-  Give them bonuses, pay them for overtime, and give them health and family insurance benefits. Make sure they get breaks from work.   Participate in new employees induction programme- Induction proceeds with recruitment advertising. At this point of time, the potential entrants start creating their own impressions and desires about the job and the organization. The manner in which the selection is conducted and the consequent recruitment process will either build or damage the impression about the job and organization. Provide feedback to the staff constantly Acknowledge your staff on their achievements Ensure effective time management Have stress management techniques in your organization Give the employees learning opportunities Listen effectively Develop and encourage creativity Adopt job enrichment-  Job enrichment implies giving room for a better quality of working life. It means facilitating people to achieve self-development, fame and success through a more challenging and interesting job which provides more promotional and advancement opportunities. Respect your team Set realistic goals : Set moderate goals. Setting too high a task creates a feeling of non-achievement, right from the beginning itself.   Think like a winner : A manager has to handle two situations, The Winning and The loosing. The crux is to think like a winner even when all the odds seem against you. It is necessary to equip yourself with all the tools of a winner. An executive must have the right leadership traits to influence motivation. Both an employee as well as manager must possess leadership and motivational traits. An effective leader must have a thorough knowledge of motivational factors for others. He must understand the basic needs of employees, peers and his superiors. Leadership is used as a means of motivating others. According to Keith Davis, Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically. It is the human factor which binds a group together and motivates it towards goals.( managementstudyguide  [online]) Characteristics of Leadership It is a inter-personal process in which a manager is into influencing and guiding workers towards attainment of goals. It denotes a few qualities to be present in a person which includes intelligence, maturity and personality. It is a group process. It involves two or more people interacting with each other. A leader is involved in shaping and moulding the behaviour of the group towards accomplishment of organizational goals. Leadership is situation bound. There is no best style of leadership. It all depends upon tackling with the situations. Leadership and management are the terms that are often considered synonymous. It is essential to understand that leadership is an essential part of effective management. As a crucial component of management, remarkable leadership behaviour stresses upon building an environment in which each and every employee develops and excels. A manager must have traits of a leader, i.e., he must possess leadership qualities. Leaders develop and begin strategies that build and sustain competitive advantage. Organizations require robust leadership and robust management for optimal organizational efficiency. (managementstudyguide  [online]) Differences between Leadership and Management Leadership differs from management in a sense that: While managers lay down the structure and delegates authority and responsibility, leaders provides direction by developing the organizational vision and communicating it to the employees and inspiring them to achieve it. While management includes focus on planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling; leadership is mainly a part of directing function of management. Leaders focus on listening, building relationships, teamwork, inspiring, motivating and persuading the followers. While a leader gets his authority from his followers, a manager gets his authority by virtue of his position in the organization. While managers follow the organizations policies and procedure, the leaders follow their own instinct. Management is more of science as the managers are exact, planned, standard, logical and more of mind. Leadership, on the other hand, is an art. In an organization, if the managers are required, then leaders are a must/essential. While management deals with the technical dimension in an organization or the job content; leadership deals with the people aspect in an organization. While management measures/evaluates people by their name, past records, present performance; leadership sees and evaluates individuals as having potential for things that cant be measured, i.e., it deals with future and the performance of people if their potential is fully extracted. If management is reactive, leadership is proactive. Management is based more on written communication, while leadership is based more on verbal communication.   The leadership style varies with the kind of people the leader interacts and deals with. A perfect/standard leadership style is one which assists a leader in getting the best out of the people who follow him. There are three main categories of leadership styles:  autocratic, paternalistic and democratic (tutor2u[online]) Autocratic  (or authoritarian) managers like to make all the important decisions and closely supervise and control workers. Managers do not trust workers and simply give orders (one-way communication) that they expect to be obeyed. This approach has limitations but it can be effective in certain situations. For example: When quick decisions are needed in a company (e.g. in a time of crises). Paternalistic  managers give more attention to the social needs and views of their workers. Managers are interested in how happy workers feel and in many ways they act as a father figure. They consult employees over issues and listen to their feedback or opinions. The manager will however make the actual decisions (in the best interests of the workers)   A  democratic  style of management will put trust in employees and encourage them to make decisions. They will delegate to them the authority to do this (empowerment) and listen to their advice. This requires good two-way communication and often involves democratic discussion groups, which can offer useful suggestions and ideas. Managers must be willing to encourage leadership skills in subordinates. Because the purpose of human resource planning is to ensure that the right people are in the right place at the right time, it must be linked with the plans of the total organization. Traditionally, there has been a weak one way linkage between business planning and human resource planning. Business plans, where they exist, have defined human resource needs, thereby making human resource planning a reactive exercise. Thus a final challenge in human resource planning is balancing current needs-of organizations and their employees-with those of the future. The criterion against which this balancing act is measured is whether employees are currently at the right place doing the right things but yet are ready to adapt appropriately to different activities. To ensure this, a harmonious relationship between employer and employee, and effective leadership style is essential.

Analysis Of Ibsens A Dolls House Essay -- A Dolls House Essays

"A Doll House" A critical Analysis When Nora slammed the door shut in her doll's house in 1879, her message sent shockwaves around the world that persist to this day. "I must stand quite alone", Nora declared after finding out that her ideal of life was just a imagination of her and that all her life had been build up by others people's, specifically her husband and her dad ideas, opinions and tastes. Nora is the pampered wife of an aspiring bank manager Torvald Halmer. In a desperate attempt to saves her husband's life Nora once asked for a loan so she and her family could move somewhere where her husband could recover from his sickness. Giving the circumstances she, as a woman of that period, by herself and behind her husband forged her dad signature to receive the loan. Now, Nora's lender (Mr. Krogstad), despite her paying punctually, uses that fault as a fraud to pressure her so she could help him to keep his job in the Bank where her husband is going to be the manager. Nora finds out that Torvald would fire Mr. Krogstad at any cost. At learning this, Nora trembles for she knows Mr. Krogstad will tell everything to Torvald. She remains confident; however that Torvald will stand by her no matter what outcome. His reaction though is not what she expected and therefore here is when she realizes that she "must stand quite alone" and leaves her husband. From the time A Doll's House was performed for first time (1879) till now, there have been all sorts of interpretation and critics about its message. According to Mr. Mayer's files critics considered that the A Doll's House message was that "a marriage was not sacrosanct, that a man's authority in his home should not go unchallenged". Another similar critics' interpretat... ... Johnston, Brian. Text and Supertext in Ibsen's Drama. Pennsylvania : The Pennsylvania State University , 1932. 2. Templeton, Joan. Ibsen's Women. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1997. 3. Tennant, P.F.D. Ibsen's Dramatic Technique. New York : Hummanities Press Inc., 1948. 4. Meyer, Michael. Ibsen's on file. London and New York : Methuen London Ltd., 1985. 5. Ford, Karen. "Social contrains and painful growth in A Doll's House". Expanded Academic ASAP. Methodist College , Fayetteville , NC . 30 Octuber 2005 6. Hopkins, Anthony and Bloom Claire. A Doll's House video recording. Southgate Entertainment." 1989. 7. Rekdal, Anne Marie. " The female Jouissance An Analysis of Ibsen's Et dukkehjem. Expanded Academic ASAP. Methodist College , Fayetteville , NC . 30 Octuber 2005

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 8

I found Damon dancing with Hilda, ushering her around the dance floor with the lightest touch. Wherever his fingers touched she bent, curling into him a trifle more than was acceptable and falling against him more than was necessary. Other girls looked on enviously, clearly hoping to dance with him next. He pretended to devote all his attention to the poor girl, but glanced up just long enough to shoot me a dazzling smile. I waited impatiently for the dance to end, wishing I could compel the musicians to stop. But whatever Damon's powers of compulsion, mine were severely lacking thanks to my meager diet. As soon as the last beat was played, I marched up to my brother. â€Å"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want to†¦ ?† he asked, innocently, indicating Hilda. â€Å"Because I'm sure she will. If you'd like her to.† Hilda studied her dance card, the picture of confusion. â€Å"Let's go get a drink,† I said, taking him by the elbow. â€Å"Exactly what I was thinking,† he agreed, mock-seriously. He snapped his fingers, as if at a dog. â€Å"Hilda†¦ ?† â€Å"Leave her alone,† I ordered. Damon rolled his eyes. â€Å"Fine. A waiter will do just as well.† But he allowed me to place an iron grip on his arm and guide him through the crowd, past the refreshment room, through a library and into a poorly lit study. â€Å"What the hell are you doing here?† I demanded the moment we were alone. â€Å"Trying to enjoy myself,† Damon said, throwing his hands up in mock exasperation. He dropped his accent immediately. â€Å"Did you see the spread? The salmon's from Scotland. And Adelina Patti is here, too – Father would have just died. Oh wait.† He snapped his fingers. â€Å"He did die. You murdered him, in fact.† â€Å"Only after he tried to kill us,† I pointed out, clenching my fists. â€Å"Correction: after he succeeded in shooting both of us. We're dead, brother.† Damon grinned at me. He was circling me. Casually, as if he didn't mean to, as if he was just walking around idly, making conversation while admiring the decor. It reminded me of how he'd paced the ring at the circus back in New Orleans, when Gallagher had forced him to fight the mountain lion. Damon picked up a small statuette and turned it over in his hands, but his eyes stayed locked on mine. I squared my shoulders, feeling the predator's response as he challenged my personal space. â€Å"I'm asking you again, Damon: What are you doing here?† â€Å"Same thing as you, brother. Starting a new life, far from home, and war, and tragedy, and all of those other things immigrants like us are escaping. New York is where the action is. I figured if it's good enough for my brother, it's good enough for me, too.† â€Å"So you did follow me,† I said. â€Å"How?† â€Å"You stink,† Damon said. â€Å"Don't act surprised! It's not just you. Everyone stinks. We're hunters, Stefan. About halfway up the coast, it wasn't hard to figure out where you decided to go after New Orleans. I just made sure I got here first. There isn't a train yet that can beat me on a horse. Well, several horses. A couple of them died of exhaustion. Like your poor, poor Mezzanotte.† â€Å"Why, Damon?† I said, ignoring his casual cruelty. â€Å"Why follow me here?† Damon's eyes narrowed and a flash of rage shot through them, exploding from the hidden depths of his soul. â€Å"I told you I was going to torment you for the eternity you blessed me with, Stefan. Did you think I would break my promise so quickly?† I was used to Damon's fits of pique. His anger had always been like a summer storm, quick and violent, causing damage to anyone or anything nearby – and then it was over and he was buying a round at the tavern. But this fury was new, and it was all because of me. I averted my eyes so he couldn't see the pain and guilt written there. â€Å"What do you want with Lydia? What does she have to do with anything?† â€Å"Ah, Lydia,† Damon sighed, infusing his voice with pretend longing. â€Å"Charming, isn't she? Definitely the best catch of the three sisters. Not that Margaret doesn't have her own charms, of course, but she's a bit sarcastic for my tastes, and, well, married.† He shook his head. â€Å"But then there's Bridget. Such a lively girl! Such verve!† â€Å"†¦ anyone seen Stefan?† As if on cue, we could both pick out her whining, childish soprano from four rooms away. â€Å"†¦ and such an irritating voice,† Damon finished, wincing. â€Å"First thing I would do, brother, is compel her to silence. You'd be doing the world a favor.† I clenched my jaw. â€Å"You were obviously involved with the Sutherlands long before we crossed paths here.† â€Å"Oh was I?† Damon asked. He put down the small statue he had been holding and turned it this way and that on the desk, as if deciding which way it looked best. â€Å"Poor girl was getting soaked – did she tell you the story? She loves it. For all of her pretending to be hard-nosed, she's a weak-kneed romantic as bad as the rest of them. A sudden storm out of nowhere, a dry cab for Lydia†¦ rich, rich Lydia†¦ with a sheltered upbringing and open, welcoming family.† â€Å"Oh, you are a master of subtlety. Controlling men's fates,† I said, rolling my eyes at Damon's preening. â€Å"I am a master. Who do you think left Bridget for you to find?† he demanded. He stuck his face toward my own so that our noses almost touched. â€Å"Who do you think wounded her – just enough – for poor, old, predictable Stefan to find? Stefan, who's sworn off drinking from humans, who I just knew would rescue the damsel in distress rather than finish her off.† A cold chill crept up my spine. â€Å"And then of course I compelled the entire family to welcome you and take you in,† he finished with a careless wave of his hand, as if it had been nothing. A sense of resignation and understanding flooded my body. Of course he had compelled the family. The Sutherlands' easy acceptance of me into their home had rankled me, and I should have realized earlier that something was hugely amiss. How did a man of Winfield's stature let a stranger, a vagrant, into his home, and never ask anything about his family or acquaintances? A man of his kind of wealth had to be careful about whom he allowed to get close. And Mrs. Sutherland – she was such a cautious mother, yet she allowed me to escort her and her daughter on a walk in the park. Though this was hardly the time, I couldn't help but wonder if her seeming affection for me had been true, or if it all had been due to Damon's Power. â€Å"What do you want, Damon?† I asked again. Here we were, back in the thick of it, but this time I understood just how dangerous my brother was and just how far he'd go to get revenge on me. â€Å"Nothing terrible, Stefan!† he said, grinning and stepping back, throwing his hands in the air. â€Å"But think of it! Me with Lydia wrapped around my finger. You with the adoring Bridget†¦. We'll marry the sisters and, just as you always hoped, we'll be brothers again for eternity – or at least as long as they live.† â€Å"I'm not marrying Bridget,† I blurted out. â€Å"Yes, you are,† Damon said. â€Å"No, I'm not,† I repeated. â€Å"I'm leaving New York. Tonight.† â€Å"You are staying here and marrying Bridget,† Damon said, coming to within an inch of my face, â€Å"or I will start to kill all the people in this place, one by one.† He was deadly serious, all traces of cavalier, joking, devil-may-care Damon gone. The smoldering anger was back. â€Å"You can't do that,† I growled. â€Å"Even you aren't strong enough to take down an entire ballroom.† â€Å"Oh really?† He snapped his fingers over his shoulder. A maid appeared from the next room, as if waiting for his signal. She already had a kerchief tied around her neck from where he had fed on her previously. He gestured with his chin at the window, and she gamely went over and began to unbolt the latches. â€Å"I can compel Bridget and her entire stupid entourage in there to go jump off a balcony,† Damon growled. â€Å"I don't believe you,† I said as calmly as I could. Only Lexi seemed able to control more than one person at once. And Damon wasn't nearly as old as she. â€Å"Or I can stalk them one by one and rip their throats out,† he offered instead. â€Å"It makes no difference to me.† The maid stepped up onto the sill and began to climb onto the rail. â€Å"Bastard,† I murmured, rushing over to grab the poor girl before she killed herself. â€Å"Get out of here,† I growled at her, unsure if I was compelling her or not. Suddenly she looked confused and scared, the spell broken. She bolted out of the room, sniffling. â€Å"Why?† I demanded when she had gone. â€Å"Why do you want to marry Lydia? Why is it so important that I marry her sister?† â€Å"If I have to live forever, I might as well do it in style,† Damon said, shrugging. â€Å"I'm sick of living from person to person, meal to meal, having no place to call home. When I marry Lydia, I'll be rich. A houseful of servants to attend to my every whim†¦ to feed my every need,† he leered. I wasn't sure he was just talking about blood. â€Å"Or, I could just take the money and run. Either way, I'll be a lot better off than I am now. Winfield is swimming in money.† â€Å"Why involve me?† I asked, feeling weary. â€Å"Why not just go off and do whatever it is you need to do, ruining people's lives?† â€Å"Let's just say I have my reasons.† Damon flashed me a harlequin's grin. I shook my head in exasperation. Just past the door of the study, a couple walked arm in arm through the library, in search of a quiet place to talk. Beyond them were the happy noises of the dancing throng, laughing conversations, the tap of heels on the floor. I watched distractedly, picking out Winfield's booming voice as he lectured someone on the basic tenets of capitalism. â€Å"What will you do with them?† I asked. With Damon as son-in-law, Winfield Sutherland's life expectancy had just been drastically reduced – and Lydia's as well. â€Å"Once I have their money? Pfff. I don't know,† Damon said, throwing his hand up in the air. â€Å"I hear San Francisco is fairly exciting – or maybe I'll just go and take that grand tour in Europe you'd always dreamed of.† â€Å"Damon – † I began. â€Å"Or I could just live here, like the king I do so want to be,† he continued, cutting me off. â€Å"Enjoying myself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I had a horrible image of Damon satisfying his every carnal desire in the Sutherland household. â€Å"I won't let you do this,† I said urgently. â€Å"Why do you care?† Damon asked. â€Å"I mean, it wasn't me tearing through New Orleans†¦. What was your body count toward the end there, brother?† â€Å"I've changed,† I pointed out, looking him in the eye. â€Å"Yes, of course,† he said. â€Å"Just like that. Whatever could have†¦ oh!† He grinned. â€Å"It's Lydia, isn't it? Once again following in my footsteps, brother. Everything I have you just want. Like Katherine.† â€Å"I never loved Katherine. Not the way you did.† I was attracted to her, of course – who wouldn't have been? She was beautiful, charming, and a terrible flirt. Damon hadn't minded her dark side, and in fact seemed to appreciate it. But when I was with her under her heady spell, I just wanted to ignore her vampire side. And when the vervain cleared my thoughts I was repelled by what she was. All of my feelings, deep feelings, for her, had been the stuff of glamour. For Damon, it was all real. â€Å"And I don't love Lydia,† I said. â€Å"But that doesn't mean I want to see her – or anyone – hurt.† â€Å"Then you do exactly as I say, brother, and everyone will be fine. But if you step out of line, even once†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damon dragged a finger across his throat. â€Å"Then their blood will be on your hands.† For a long moment, all was silent as Damon and I glared at each other. I had vowed to never harm a human again, to never allow a human to come to harm because of me. I was trapped as neatly and as permanently as if I were still a sideshow vampire at a circus, tied with vervain ropes – and Damon knew it. I heaved a sigh. â€Å"What do you want me to do?†

Periodic Table and the Elements