As the manager of the project managers, what would you have done to assist your project managers to effectively get feedback from consumers that could have possibly helped in the longevity of the new version?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Enhancing Feedback Mechanisms for Project Managers
As the manager of project managers, my role is not only to oversee the execution of various projects but also to ensure that our teams are equipped with the necessary tools and strategies to gather meaningful consumer feedback. Effective consumer feedback can greatly enhance the longevity and success of any new product version. Here are several strategies I would have implemented to assist my project managers in this endeavor:
1. Establish a Feedback Culture
Creating an organizational culture that values feedback is essential. I would emphasize the importance of consumer insights during team meetings and project planning sessions. This would involve:
– Training and Workshops: Conducting training sessions to educate project managers on the significance of feedback and how to solicit it effectively.
– Open Communication: Encouraging an open dialogue about the importance of consumer perspectives in decision-making processes.
2. Define Clear Objectives for Feedback
To ensure that feedback is actionable, I would work with project managers to define specific objectives for what we want to learn from consumers. This may include:
– Identifying Key Areas of Improvement: What aspects of the new version do we need consumer input on? Is it usability, features, or performance?
– Setting Measurable Goals: Establishing metrics for feedback collection, such as response rates or satisfaction scores.
3. Utilize Various Feedback Channels
I would encourage project managers to explore multiple channels for gathering consumer feedback to reach a broader audience:
– Surveys and Questionnaires: Designing user-friendly online surveys that can be distributed after product release.
– Focus Groups: Organizing focus groups with selected consumers to engage in in-depth discussions about their experiences with the new version.
– Social Media and Online Communities: Leveraging platforms where consumers discuss products to gather spontaneous feedback and suggestions.
4. Implement Continuous Feedback Loops
Instead of treating feedback collection as a one-time event, I would advocate for continuous feedback loops throughout the project lifecycle:
– Beta Testing Programs: Engaging consumers in beta testing phases to gather early insights before full-scale launch.
– Regular Check-Ins: Scheduling follow-up surveys or interviews at different stages post-launch to assess ongoing user satisfaction and areas for improvement.
5. Involve Project Managers in Consumer Engagement
I would encourage project managers to take an active role in consumer engagement:
– Shadowing Opportunities: Allowing project managers to join customer support teams or attend user conferences to hear firsthand experiences and concerns from consumers.
– Customer Journey Mapping: Collaborating with project managers in mapping out customer journeys to identify touchpoints where feedback can be collected.
6. Analyze and Act on Feedback
Finally, I would ensure that there is a structured process in place for analyzing consumer feedback and making data-driven decisions:
– Feedback Analysis Tools: Providing access to analytics software that can help project managers identify trends and insights from collected data.
– Action Plans: Encouraging project managers to create action plans based on feedback to address identified issues and communicate these changes back to consumers.
Conclusion
By implementing these strategies, I would empower my project managers to effectively gather and utilize consumer feedback, ultimately enhancing the longevity and success of new product versions. A focus on establishing a robust feedback culture, utilizing diverse channels for input, and ensuring that feedback is continuously analyzed and acted upon will create a more responsive and consumer-centric organization.
