A Guide to German Toasts

The origin of the English word toast—in the sense of drink a toast to someone—has several explanations. According to most sources, a drinking toast (a word also used in German) is related to roasted bread, aka toast. Websters says the word is derived from the use of toasted spiced bread to flavor the wine [during a toast], and the notion that the person honored also added flavor. Other sources claim that the word is derived from the 18th century English custom of covering a glass of hot spiced wine with a slice of toast as it was passed around the table. Each person lifted the toast, took a sip of wine, said a few words, and passed the glass on. When the glass reached the person being toasted, the honoree got to eat the toast. Prost!Ein Toast! The German equivalents of Cheers! or Bottoms up! are Prost! or Zum Wohl! But longer, more formal toasts (Trinksprà ¼che, (kurze) Tischreden) are common on special occasions such as marriage, retirement, or a birthday. A birthday toast almost always includes Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! (or nowadays even an English Happy Birthday!), but a real birthday toast would expand on that with more good wishes, such as this humorous jab: Hoffentlich hast du soviel Spaß an deinem Geburtstag, dass du ihn von nun an jà ¤hrlich feierst! Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! (I hope you have so much fun on your birthday that youll celebrate it annually from now on! Happy birthday!) The Irish seem to be a bountiful and universal source of toasts and good wishes. Germans have borrowed many Irish sayings  like the well-known May the road rise to meet you... Although German-speakers often use it in English, there are German translations. This is one German version (author unknown) that  comes closer than most: Mà ¶ge dir dein Weg leicht werdenMà ¶ge dir der Wind immer von hinten kommenMà ¶ge dir die Sonne warm ins Gesicht scheinenMà ¶ge dir ein sanfter Regen auf die Felder fallenund bis wir uns wiedersehenmà ¶ge Gott dich in seiner Hand halten. Germans also like to send shorter greetings via  text to each other on their Handys (mobile phones). There are many Web sites in German with sample text messages that can also be used for toasts. Heres a typical example: Die allerbesten Geburtstagswà ¼nsche send/wà ¼nsch ich dir,sie kommen vom Herzen, sie kommen von mir. Selected Toasts and Good Wishesin German and English Heres how you say Id like to propose a toast to (name)!:Ich mà ¶chte  einen  Toast  auf  (Namen)  ausbringen! Allgemein(General) Genieße das Leben stà ¤ndig!Du bist là ¤nger  tot als  lebendig!Constantly enjoy life!Youre longer dead than alive! Hundert Jahre sollst du leben und dich freuen,und dann noch ein extra Jahr—zum Bereuen.Darauf  erhebe  ich  mein  Glas: Prost!May you live to be a hundred years,With one extra year to repent.To  that  I raise my glass: Cheers! (Irish) Mà ¶gest du  alle  Tage  deines  Lebens  leben!—Zum Wohl!May you live all the days of your life!—Cheers! (Irish) Erst  mach dein Sachdann  trink und  lach!First  take care of business,then drink and laugh! Solange man nà ¼chtern ist,gefà ¤llt das Schlechte.Wie man  getrunken  hat,weiss  man das Rechte.—J.W. GoetheWhen one is sober,the bad can appeal.When one has taken a drink,One knows whats real.—J.W. Goethe Das Leben ist  bezaubernd, man  muss es  nur  durch  die  richtige  Brille  sehen.Life ist wonderful, you just need to see it through the right glasses. Mà ¶ge dir dein Weg leicht werdenMà ¶ge dir der Wind immer von hinten kommenMà ¶ge dir die Sonne warm ins Gesicht scheinenMà ¶ge dir ein sanfter Regen auf die Felder fallenund bis wir uns wiedersehenmà ¶ge Gott dich in seiner Hand halten.May the road rise to meet you.May the wind be always at your back.May the sun shine warm upon your face.And rains fall soft upon your fields.And until we meet again,May God hold you in the hollow of His hand. Geburtstag (Birthday) Du merkst, dass du à ¤lter wirst, wenn die Kerzen mehr kosten als der Kuchen!You know youre getting older when the candles cost more than the cake! Mit dem Alter ist es wie mit dem Wein, es muss ein guter Jahrgang sein!With age its the same as with wine: it has to be a good year! Man sieht mit Grauen ringsherumdie Leute werden alt und dumm.Nur du und ich—auch noch als Greisebleiben jung und werden weise.One sees with shock all aroundthe people getting old and dumb.Only you and I—even as oldstersstay young and become wise. Die allerbesten Geburtstagswà ¼nsche send ich dir,sie kommen vom Herzen, sie kommen von mir.All the best birthday wishes I send to theeThey come from the heart, they come from me. Hochzeit (Wedding) Jeder hà ¶rt die Musik anders—aber der gemeinsame Tanz ist wunderbar.Everyone hears the music differently—but the dance together is wonderful. Die Ehe ist die wichtigste Entdeckungsreise, die der Mensch unternehmen kann.Marriage is the most important voyage of discovery a person can embark upon. Jeder sieht ein Stà ¼ckchen Welt, gemeinsam sehen wir die ganze.Each of us sees a part of the world; together we see all of it. Ruhestand (Retirement) So wà ¼nsch ich dir von ganzem Herzen,tà ¤glich Glà ¼ck und keine Schmerzen,viel Ruhe und Gemà ¼tlichkeit,denn du als Rentner—hast nun Zeit!Thus I wish you from the bottom of my heartdaily happiness and no pain,much peace and cozy comfort,because  you as a retiree—now have the time! Mit der Zeit brauchst du nicht sparen, kannst sogar ins Ausland fahren. Ist das Ziel auch noch so weit, Du bist Rentnegerman—du hast Zeit!You dont have to worry about saving time,You can even travel abroad.If the destination is far away,Youre a retiree—you have the time! Abschied/Trauer(Farewell/Mourning) Dem Leben sind Grenzen gesetzt,die Liebe ist grenzenlos.Life has limits, butlove has no bounds. Der Tod ist ihm zum Schlaf geworden,aus dem er zu neuem Leben erwacht.Death has become his sleepfrom which he awakes to new life.

Improving Self Belief And Self Development Essay - 761 Words

Training is generally said to be a tried and tested method of shaping a person’s lack of accomplishment into a purposeful and desired end .According to Megginson (2012),â€Å"The coach encourages people to reach their full potential by encouraging self-belief and self-development. Self-belief gives people the drive to achieve their potential. Self-development gives them the means.†From this definition it can be seen that even though a coach may not have perfect knowledge of the subject in hand, he encourages the coachee to deeper thought and reflection by enabling the skills of the coachee towards appropriate questioning and listening .Training is usually provided by a professional co-worker or a colleague where job related skills, goal setting behavior skills are ascribed to . Lack of training leads to low productivity and demonization in workers. Workers are not able to deal with workplace performances and hence end up as average performers. 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Psychological Contracts Free Essays

Introduction Psychological contracts can be defined as the informal and unwritten agreement between organisations and employees (Conway et al, 2005). An improvement in the general level of education and literacy rates has resulted in a shift from informal to formal contracts (Cullinane Dundon, 2006). The term psychological contract can be used to describe a combination of mutual beliefs and informal obligations that exist between an employee and an employer. We will write a custom essay sample on Psychological Contracts or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is quite different to written contracts that are more formal and acceptable in the court of law for the fact that they are printed on paper and can be reviewed by third parties. A growth in the volume of commercial activities made it difficult for early organisations to come up with tailor made contracts for each individual employee (Coyle?Shapiro Shore, 2007). This led to the proliferation of trade unions which sought to protect the interests of employees. Meanwhile the concept of psychological contract owes its origin to the human resource management (HRM) field and it has become an important concept in the practice of human resource management. This is because although employees sign contracts today, both the employer and employees have expectations outside the formal contracts which govern their relationships. For instance, when an employee loses a close one, many employers will make an effort to attend the funeral or even offer a cheque to support the individual to meet the funeral costs especially for deceased immediate family members. This gesture is not included in the formal contracts. Although there has been a major shift from psychological to formal contracts, psychological contracts continue to exist in HRM today. Psychological contracts change over time considering the fact that the needs and expectations of employees and their organisations also change over time (Conway et al, 2005). When an employee starts working after graduating from the university, his or her expectations are different. When the employee has worked for more than two years, their expectations become different and needs change. More elderly employees are concerned about retirement planning after their career. The younger employees who are still single would pay less attention to retirement issues and focus on themselves. Many young married women prefer jobs that will make it possible for them to take care of their kids. This is because they consider their career and family needs before accepting a job offer. In this respect, the psychological contract continues to evolve from one generation of employees to another, as each generation has a different priority (Wellin, 2007). In a like manner, organisational expectations fro m employees differ over time. When an organisation begins, it has different expectations from its employees. For the most part, many young organisations are eager about growth. They expect the employees to put in their very best to ensure that the organisation grows. However, as time goes by, the organisation’s needs begin to change. After having achieved growth, the organisation becomes concerned about consolidating its market position. During these changing times, the organisation’s expectations also evolve. Although psychological contracts are not legally binding, and are not included on paper, they continue to exist today and help to moderate the relationship between employers and employees (Truss et al, 2006). Psychological contracts are deeply rooted in organisational culture and beliefs (Cullinane Dundon, 2006). Once an organisation develops its culture, employees quickly identify the informal expectations of the organisation. On the other hand, employee associ ations such as trade unions and other labour movements also pass on information on employee expectations. Sometimes, this is manifested through strike actions and other activities that allow employers to understand the expectations of their employees. Changes in psychological contracts have continued to take place over the years. According to Rousseau (1995) three distinct eras can be identified in the evolution of psychological contracts. These three stages include the emerging phase, bureaucratic phase and the adhocracy phase (Rousseau, 1995). The emerging phase took place in the 18th Century in the beginning of the industrial revolution. It was characterised by a centralised workplace with powerful managers who exercised high levels of control over employees. Royal Doulton and Twinnings are two UK organisations that have survived the era till this present day. The bureaucratic phase began in the 1930s in top companies such as Ford. During this period, companies took care of loyal servants and were returned with lifetime employment (Rousseau, 1995). The psychological contract included loyalty and life time employment. The adhocracy phase, which emerged in the 1990s was led by successful IT businesses such as Apple and the other famous dotcom ventures. The era witnessed the proliferation of global organisations that emphasised the importance of the use of knowledge. These companies operate many different psychological contracts for various groups of employees. Comparison of Classic Modern Psychological Contracts Classic Psychological ContractModern Psychological Contract The organisation was perceived as ‘father’ to employee that was perceived as ‘child’Organisation and employees are both considered as ‘adults’ The organisation was the one that defined employees worth and valueEmployees have the capacity to define both their worth and their value The employers retained loyal workers whom it considered as goodNew employees flow in and out of the organisation with new innovative ideas Employees who obeyed all instructions were hired for lifeIt is unlikely for the Y generation to work for one organisation for life Employees grew mainly through promotion and upon recommendation from managersEmployees can grow through personal development Source: Niehoff, 2011 Considering the fact that the nature of psychological contracts is constantly changing, it is important for both employees and organisation to look for new ways of meeting the expectations of each other (Bunderson, 2000). The Y generation has its own set of expectations when it comes to psychological contracts. The new generation is more educated and spend much time online. For this reason, organisation must also take into account their needs and expectations in order to meet up with the psychological contract. One of the best ways through which companies can do this is by creating an online presence and promoting online interactions to promote the sharing of experiences amongst employees (Conway Briner, 2005). Younger employees prefer to read information online rather than read books that can take much of their time. As such, organisations need to take into account the needs of their employees irrespective of their generation so as to ensure that both sides fulfil their side of the psychological contract (Feldheim, 1999). Cisco’s new report dubbed Connected World Technology Report has demonstrated that the younger generation (18-29 age bracket) are more attached to their technology than previously thought (Niehoff, 2011). Many employers are sceptical about recruiting the younger generation because they are more attached to technology than every other thing (Niehoff, 2011). The study confirmed the often vague and baseless claims that associated the Y generation to mobile and cyber technology obsession. According to the study, one in three university students surveyed said Facebook and other technology they invested in were just as valuable as air, water and shelter. Over 26% of respondents said being able to work remotely from home should be a right, and not privilege. Up to 74% of the university students surveyed said they should be able to access their corporate network in the future from their home computers in the future (Niehoff, 2011). This demonstrates the level of attachment the younger generation places on technology and the virtual world. That notwithstanding, organisations should give the younger generation the opportunity to participate in building their businesses. The fact that they are young and energetic means that they have much to contribute to the growth of these organisations. Besides, online presence is necessary for promoting and marketing businesses these days. It is therefore left to employers to know when and how to hire young people in order to benefit from their capacity to contribute to their growth. In the 2010 survey, three out of five employees believed that the office was not necessary since employees can connect virtually and get work done from home (Niehoff, 2011). In conclusion, psychological contracts have been around for more than a number of centuries. And they are not expected to stop any time soon because organisations and employees will continue to develop non-verbal expectations from each other. Irrespective of the generation of employees that work in a company, management must continue to cater for the expectations of all its employees. This can take any form, such as promoting personal development of employees who have offered their services to the organisation over the years. When organisations hire employees, they outline the tasks which they expect these employees to perform. That notwithstanding, they expect the employees to do much more than what is written on paper. For instance, Apple does not expect its employees to go online and make comments that market Samsung smart phones. This is because they are competitors. Apple expects its employees to promote its services even in their social gatherings and amongst family members. Ho wever, this is not included in the formal employment contract. Reference Bunderson, S. (2000) â€Å"How work ideologies shape the psychological contracts of professional employees: doctors’ responses to perceived breach†, Journal of Organisational behaviour, Volume: 22, Page: 714-741 Conway, N. and Briner, R. (2005) Understanding psychological contracts at work: a critical evaluation of theory and research. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Conway, Neil Briner, Rob B. (2005) Understanding Psychological Contracts at Work: A Critical Evaluation of Theory and Research. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, (2005) Coyle?Shapiro, J. and Shore, L.M. (2007) The employee?organization relationship: where do we go from hereHuman Resource Management Review. Vol 17, No 2, June. pp166?179. Cullinane, N. and Dundon, T. (2006) The psychological contract: a critical review. International Journal of Management Reviews. Vol 8, No 2,pp113?129. Feldheim, M. (1999) Downsizing. Paper presented at the Southeastern Conference of Public Administration, St. Petersburg, FL, October 6–9 Lester, Scott W., Kickul, Jill (2001), â€Å"Psychological contracts in the 21st century: What employees value most and how well organizations are responding to these expectations†, HR. Human Resource Planning, Volume: 24, Issue: 1, Page: 10-21 Lester, Scott W., Turnley, William H., Bloodgood, James M., Bolino, Mark C. (2002), â€Å"Not seeing eye to eye: differences in supervisor and subordinate perceptions of and attributions for psychological contract breach†, Journal of Organizational Behaviour, Volume: 23, Page: 39-56 Niehoff, Brian P., Paul, Robert J. (2011), â€Å"The just workplace: Developing and maintaining effective psychological contracts†, Review of Business, Volume: 22, Issue: 1/2, Page: 5-8 Rousseau, D. M. (1995) Psychological Contracts in Organizations: Understanding Written and Unwritten Agreements. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Truss, C., Soane, E. and Edwards, C. (2006) Working life: employee attitudes and engagement 2006. Research report. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Wellin, M. (2007) Managing the psychological contract: using the personal deal to increase business performance. Aldershot: Gower. How to cite Psychological Contracts, Essay examples