It's hard to believe how much time has gone by in what feels like little time at all. I think that things are proceeding well on all projects; I have a finished resume, we're fast closing on our group project, and my CWC organization is excited to have me writing for them. I think what I need to proceed is a committed person to communicate with on my organization's side (every time I've called, someone else has helped me out). I also need an explanation of a cover letter once again.
The first thing I need is a more detailed explanation of what all is due on the ninth. How many drafts of what documents do we need to produce by that date?
What goes on a resume's cover letter? I know we've gone over this, but I need another explanation. I'll consult the textbook too.
I guess the final thing I'm wondering about is what repercussions our efforts as a group will have on the school. Our group project is going quite well, and I'm looking forward to its completion. All things considered, I think I'm fairly abreast when it comes to information, but I welcome any explanations or tips you might have for me.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
CWC Interview
How well do you think the interview went? What makes you think that?
The people at NAMI were all very friendly and open, which put me at ease. I interviewed a woman named Mary, who is the executive assistant to Amber Watkins, the head of this NAMI branch's PR. I was able to ask direct questions and, thankfully, state everything I'd come to them for in a very clear manner ("For no charge, I can produce documents that your organization needs for any number of purposes. I'm doing this for class credit, but I have a personal stake in your organization's success." (which is true, by the way)). Overall, I'd say the interview went very well. Mary and I got off to an easy and friendly start, which enriched the flow of information, and she decided to take me out of her office to introduce me to the executive directors of NAMI SLC, which was great, because I was able to meet the people who run the organization for which I will work. My interviewee's ease of conversation and her decision to introduce me to these extra-interview pathways are indications, in my mind, that things went very well.
How did you prepare for the interview?
I went over everything I knew about the organization, the documents I was to produce, and I meditated to reduce anxiety and nervousness. I also freewrote for a while so that I could type well enough to look at Mary at the same time (which she admitted freaked her out, but she was also impressed). I prepared a few "sketch" interview questions, but I've learned from experience that the bulk of interview information comes from the questions you don't prepare for. I created a few questions (what resources do you have, what partners do you have) designed to bring out more information and multiple answers. Relaxation was the other component; with these two things in hand, I felt prepared for the interview.
What went exceptionally well?
The first thing that went well was the beginning of our interview. I struck one of those lucky interview moments when you and the person you're talking to find a trivializing and fun topic that links you together and establishes ease in the conversation (in this particular case it was the zombie apocalypse; if you and an interviewee can excitedly talk about a zombie apocalypse, you know you'll be able to have fun with the serious questions). I've developed a skill for gauging people on this sort of stuff and it's worked well in the past. It certainly helped me here as well.
As a consequence of our easy start, Mary decided to introduce me to a woman named Jessica West, the director of this NAMI branch. To be introduced so rapidly to an executive director (as early as halfway through the interview) was something that has never happened to me before, and it was excellent to meet the apex of my employment chain. Jessica was friendly as well and it helped to create additional ease and excitement in the interview. In short, meeting NAMI employees and learning more about the organization that way, rather than through something mundane, like a pamphlet, went very well.
What could have gone better?
I think I could have taken more time to prepare. My preparation was adequate, but not great. I could have memorized my questions instead of pulling them up on a laptop, dressed a little nicer, and written things down more. I'm thankful that the interview went well, but I think that, had I prepared more, I might have accomplished more with help from NAMI. I'll make a point of increasing preparation for future interviews; such an obvious point of interviewing and correspondence can get overlooked, apparently.
I also think I could have offered more information about how it came to be that I walked into NAMI offering my services. I told Mary my project, the class credit, and why I wanted to help, but I don't think I really specified the nature of our professional writing class (whose name could encompass many different definitions) or that she could contact me or you again with additional questions. I don't think I made the most of my efforts to provide Mary with as much contact information as possible. Hopefully I can provide it again the next time we meet.
What questions gave you the most useful information? (at least 2 specific examples) Why do you think
they were so effective?
My first really effective question was to ask Mary how effective her outreach was to her group's target audience. This question was effective because it gave me a scope of what needed to be done, especially when she garnished the scope with such lucrative details as what data and information needed to be produced and in what format, which gave me the essential format of the project ahead of me.
The second effective question was to ask what NAMI's mission was. I knew that they provided groups and counseling to people with mental illness, but not much beyond that. NAMI's ultimate mission is to give hope to the mentally-ill and help the loved ones of these people as well. This question may seem very simple, but it gave me massive insight into the depth and language I need to put into my pieces in order for them to work well.
What questions were the least useful? (at least 2 specific examples) If you were to do it all over again,
how would you make these questions more effective?
Without a doubt, the most useless question I asked was what organizations NAMI was allied with. It's important to have funds and friends in the sort of work that NAMI does, but knowing a shortlist of the hospitals and clinics that NAMI works with, while potentially useful for certain documents, was not the most efficient question to ask. I think a better question would have been "Does your media circulate to other outlets and groups? How? What kinds?"
My second not-so-effective-question was asking if there was a difference between outreach to patients and outreach to families... yes, but it's not substantial enough to take into account. It was an awkward break in the conversation, and one that could have been remedied had my question been more effective, like "how do you reach out to patients and their families?" It's amazing how a slight rewording can make a question so much better!
The people at NAMI were all very friendly and open, which put me at ease. I interviewed a woman named Mary, who is the executive assistant to Amber Watkins, the head of this NAMI branch's PR. I was able to ask direct questions and, thankfully, state everything I'd come to them for in a very clear manner ("For no charge, I can produce documents that your organization needs for any number of purposes. I'm doing this for class credit, but I have a personal stake in your organization's success." (which is true, by the way)). Overall, I'd say the interview went very well. Mary and I got off to an easy and friendly start, which enriched the flow of information, and she decided to take me out of her office to introduce me to the executive directors of NAMI SLC, which was great, because I was able to meet the people who run the organization for which I will work. My interviewee's ease of conversation and her decision to introduce me to these extra-interview pathways are indications, in my mind, that things went very well.
How did you prepare for the interview?
I went over everything I knew about the organization, the documents I was to produce, and I meditated to reduce anxiety and nervousness. I also freewrote for a while so that I could type well enough to look at Mary at the same time (which she admitted freaked her out, but she was also impressed). I prepared a few "sketch" interview questions, but I've learned from experience that the bulk of interview information comes from the questions you don't prepare for. I created a few questions (what resources do you have, what partners do you have) designed to bring out more information and multiple answers. Relaxation was the other component; with these two things in hand, I felt prepared for the interview.
What went exceptionally well?
The first thing that went well was the beginning of our interview. I struck one of those lucky interview moments when you and the person you're talking to find a trivializing and fun topic that links you together and establishes ease in the conversation (in this particular case it was the zombie apocalypse; if you and an interviewee can excitedly talk about a zombie apocalypse, you know you'll be able to have fun with the serious questions). I've developed a skill for gauging people on this sort of stuff and it's worked well in the past. It certainly helped me here as well.
As a consequence of our easy start, Mary decided to introduce me to a woman named Jessica West, the director of this NAMI branch. To be introduced so rapidly to an executive director (as early as halfway through the interview) was something that has never happened to me before, and it was excellent to meet the apex of my employment chain. Jessica was friendly as well and it helped to create additional ease and excitement in the interview. In short, meeting NAMI employees and learning more about the organization that way, rather than through something mundane, like a pamphlet, went very well.
What could have gone better?
I think I could have taken more time to prepare. My preparation was adequate, but not great. I could have memorized my questions instead of pulling them up on a laptop, dressed a little nicer, and written things down more. I'm thankful that the interview went well, but I think that, had I prepared more, I might have accomplished more with help from NAMI. I'll make a point of increasing preparation for future interviews; such an obvious point of interviewing and correspondence can get overlooked, apparently.
I also think I could have offered more information about how it came to be that I walked into NAMI offering my services. I told Mary my project, the class credit, and why I wanted to help, but I don't think I really specified the nature of our professional writing class (whose name could encompass many different definitions) or that she could contact me or you again with additional questions. I don't think I made the most of my efforts to provide Mary with as much contact information as possible. Hopefully I can provide it again the next time we meet.
What questions gave you the most useful information? (at least 2 specific examples) Why do you think
they were so effective?
My first really effective question was to ask Mary how effective her outreach was to her group's target audience. This question was effective because it gave me a scope of what needed to be done, especially when she garnished the scope with such lucrative details as what data and information needed to be produced and in what format, which gave me the essential format of the project ahead of me.
The second effective question was to ask what NAMI's mission was. I knew that they provided groups and counseling to people with mental illness, but not much beyond that. NAMI's ultimate mission is to give hope to the mentally-ill and help the loved ones of these people as well. This question may seem very simple, but it gave me massive insight into the depth and language I need to put into my pieces in order for them to work well.
What questions were the least useful? (at least 2 specific examples) If you were to do it all over again,
how would you make these questions more effective?
Without a doubt, the most useless question I asked was what organizations NAMI was allied with. It's important to have funds and friends in the sort of work that NAMI does, but knowing a shortlist of the hospitals and clinics that NAMI works with, while potentially useful for certain documents, was not the most efficient question to ask. I think a better question would have been "Does your media circulate to other outlets and groups? How? What kinds?"
My second not-so-effective-question was asking if there was a difference between outreach to patients and outreach to families... yes, but it's not substantial enough to take into account. It was an awkward break in the conversation, and one that could have been remedied had my question been more effective, like "how do you reach out to patients and their families?" It's amazing how a slight rewording can make a question so much better!
Team Project Status Report 2, October 12th, 2011
What did you personally accomplish on your team project this week.
I managed to lightly edit Connor's research surveys and throw a few target audience assignments together, but not much else. It's been a hell of a week and our group is hopeful that our research can take off into something substantial. To be honest, had I been more efficient in reviewing Connor's surveys and getting back to him, we might have made more progress this week than we actually did. Because my editing is the lynch pin between stages of our assignments, I have to assume responsibility for any inefficiency suffered this week.
What are you planning to accomplish next week?
Next week we're circulating surveys and emails to gather data; we're undertaking one of the largest research drives I've ever participated in since first arriving to Westminster. I hope to jump-start our project by reviewing and re-submitting the surveys this evening, and we should be ready to pass them out to our target audiences on Monday. I hope to accomplish better efficiency, and to lead our research efforts to a successful conclusion by Wednesday of next week.
What challenges are you facing individually and as a team?
The challenges I've faced this week have been individual. I had exams and projects due in every other class, putting me in the same situation that Jessica was in two weeks ago, and consequently, I've been slacking off this week more than should have been allowed. I accept responsibility for my mistakes, but I'm going to ensure that we're ready for the research stage of our project by next week. As for our group, Jessica and Michael have suddenly taken up much more work, confirming my suspicion that any perceived slacking on their part was merely consequential. This doesn't mean I'm closed off to talking amongst my teammates about how we could be doing things better.
How can I help?
I think the problems I'm facing this week are largely personal and schedule-based, though I will gladly accept any advice from you, on time management or other things. The team seems to be performing very well; I just need to step up the efforts that are worthy of their labors. As a manager, if you have any information or advice related to keeping a team and oneself simultaneously organized, I would welcome it.
I managed to lightly edit Connor's research surveys and throw a few target audience assignments together, but not much else. It's been a hell of a week and our group is hopeful that our research can take off into something substantial. To be honest, had I been more efficient in reviewing Connor's surveys and getting back to him, we might have made more progress this week than we actually did. Because my editing is the lynch pin between stages of our assignments, I have to assume responsibility for any inefficiency suffered this week.
What are you planning to accomplish next week?
Next week we're circulating surveys and emails to gather data; we're undertaking one of the largest research drives I've ever participated in since first arriving to Westminster. I hope to jump-start our project by reviewing and re-submitting the surveys this evening, and we should be ready to pass them out to our target audiences on Monday. I hope to accomplish better efficiency, and to lead our research efforts to a successful conclusion by Wednesday of next week.
What challenges are you facing individually and as a team?
The challenges I've faced this week have been individual. I had exams and projects due in every other class, putting me in the same situation that Jessica was in two weeks ago, and consequently, I've been slacking off this week more than should have been allowed. I accept responsibility for my mistakes, but I'm going to ensure that we're ready for the research stage of our project by next week. As for our group, Jessica and Michael have suddenly taken up much more work, confirming my suspicion that any perceived slacking on their part was merely consequential. This doesn't mean I'm closed off to talking amongst my teammates about how we could be doing things better.
How can I help?
I think the problems I'm facing this week are largely personal and schedule-based, though I will gladly accept any advice from you, on time management or other things. The team seems to be performing very well; I just need to step up the efforts that are worthy of their labors. As a manager, if you have any information or advice related to keeping a team and oneself simultaneously organized, I would welcome it.
Resume Quiz Score
This is the score I got: 58%
Fine. But I don't think the computer agrees with my philosophy that knowing the right people makes an incredible difference.
Fine. But I don't think the computer agrees with my philosophy that knowing the right people makes an incredible difference.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Job Ad
The job that I chose was an open writer's position at Bioware, a video game production firm based in Edmonton, Canada. I chose this job because, frankly, it's my dream job, but what drew me to the specifics was not the responsibilities, but the requirements (self-educate through documents, must write eloquently, must conduct thorough research and create extraordinary detail). All of these things, to me, are what make writing manifest at its very best, and for me to be able to do that on a daily basis would be extraordinary. That's why I picked this job; it fits the description of my dream career.
I think that this job is also a good fit because of the company offering it. Bioware is a legendary firm known for creating video games of very high quality, most of which have outpaced cinema and books in terms of their plot depth and possibilities. I like creating stories with as deep and intricate a plot as possible, so the opportunity to do that sounds wonderful to me. I think that, given the chance, I would do well in this position. There's plenty of learning opportunities and the job would let me get the all-sacred writer's high. This job also fits because I love seeing the gradual evolution of a story or a game. To be there for the construction of it all would be wonderful.
Bioware is a company that I want to work for. They've put out some of the best games I've ever played, such as Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Mass Effect 2. The company is based in Canada, one of my literary and writing heroes, Drew Karpyshyn, is a lead writer on their projects, and their studio in Austin is currently working on a massive online game. Another studio elsewhere is working on Mass Effect 3, one of my most anticipated games of 2012. Bioware has offices across the country (including one here in Salt Lake) and is owned by Electronic Arts, one of the largest gaming companies in the world. In addition to putting out high-quality products, Bioware is known for excellent customer service and work opportunities within the company. I want to work for them because they put out some of the world's best media, and to be a part of that would be an extraordinary experience. On top of that, there are stories of mine that I wouldn't mind having turned into games.
I think that this job is also a good fit because of the company offering it. Bioware is a legendary firm known for creating video games of very high quality, most of which have outpaced cinema and books in terms of their plot depth and possibilities. I like creating stories with as deep and intricate a plot as possible, so the opportunity to do that sounds wonderful to me. I think that, given the chance, I would do well in this position. There's plenty of learning opportunities and the job would let me get the all-sacred writer's high. This job also fits because I love seeing the gradual evolution of a story or a game. To be there for the construction of it all would be wonderful.
Bioware is a company that I want to work for. They've put out some of the best games I've ever played, such as Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Mass Effect 2. The company is based in Canada, one of my literary and writing heroes, Drew Karpyshyn, is a lead writer on their projects, and their studio in Austin is currently working on a massive online game. Another studio elsewhere is working on Mass Effect 3, one of my most anticipated games of 2012. Bioware has offices across the country (including one here in Salt Lake) and is owned by Electronic Arts, one of the largest gaming companies in the world. In addition to putting out high-quality products, Bioware is known for excellent customer service and work opportunities within the company. I want to work for them because they put out some of the world's best media, and to be a part of that would be an extraordinary experience. On top of that, there are stories of mine that I wouldn't mind having turned into games.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Team Proposal Reflection
Ian Coppock
Team Proposal Reflection
How successful were you as a group? Why?
I feel that we were quite successful as a team, though not without a few issues. We managed to collaborate with each other, find meeting times that worked well for all of us, and all find the courage to get our point across at the meetings we attended. Jessica, who is the shyest of us all, makes frequent contributions to our discussions, and I think that's a safe high water mark for the comfort of our meetings. I feel like everyone in our team has a pretty good idea of what their given roles are; mine is the editor and project manager, Amanda handles formatting, Connor does research, Jessica does composition and original writing, and Michael also does writing as well as conduct research, contact individuals, and handle other logistics. Connor is especially ardent at immediately taking on the tasks and challenges in his quarter, and I commend him for that. We're successful at carrying out our assigned tasks and getting things done, and I think this is because we simply have a high-caliber team of responsible, committed students. Each one of us is concerned with the well-being of this project, and we all consider it our responsibility to work together to make it happen. All of us are concerned about our grades and revere them sacredly, to be totally honest. We all seem to get along pretty well; I think we're all just able to keep it light and interact openly with one another (Michael starts us off with a European joke and that seems to clear the air and get us going on the important stuff). All of us seem willing to help and through out suggestions.
What challenges did your group face? How did you try to overcome them? Were you successful? Why or why not?
The biggest challenge that we face right now is an imbalance in workload. Amanda feels that she, Connor and I are doing all of the work, while Michael and Jessica are left with relatively little to do. We never tried to overcome this issue because we were in the midst of trying to get an assignment done in time; assigning work and getting things done were our top priorities, I guess. We were never successful because we never really tried to fix things up. I guess it's much more of a concern with Amanda, but if she takes issue with this, I trust her instincts. We need to work towards making sure everyone is doing their part. Amanda is concerned about Jessica, who, I think, considers her other classwork more important because it's not group work. The first time she said she couldn't do as much as we wanted her to, I let it slide, because she had a major project due that week in every other one of her classes. I understand that; sometimes that happens. But this last week, she wasn't able to do as much either, citing similar reasons, and that was kind of frustrating. Our group's labors need to be considered as important as her "other work". We were not successful at surmounting this challenge because it was never discussed, but we'll bring it up at our next meeting.
What were your contributions to the project? Were you successful? Why or why not?
I made some major contributions to this project; I contributed to most of the original writing, directed the operations of everyone's work on the proposal, and edited the final piece before passing it to Amanda for formatting. I was successful in asserting myself because I realize my duties are being the group's editor and project leader, and our roles are, happily enough, things that everyone takes seriously. The other group members have commented on my work, especially the editing of the proposal's brain storming and research method section, and those are things I take to heart, both as a compliment and as a determination to continue to not disappoint them for as long as we're collaborating.
If you could do it over again, what would you do differently? Why?
I think the first thing I'd do is pay more attention to the syllabus, so that we'd have more time to work on this (and, consequently, less stress). I think the only other thing I'd do differently is bring up Amanda's concern about Michael and Jessica's workload to the entire group. This was something that Amanda didn't bring up until the night the proposal was due, and I credit her for her honesty, but I wish she'd brought it up earlier. I think what I would do differently is encourage my team to voice concerns earlier in the process, so that they don't remain buried. Buried problems cause more trouble over time, so I'm going to find a way to bring these issues up at our next meeting. Apart from this issue that Amanda has voiced to me, we're doing very well. Overall, we have a stellar team.
Team Proposal Reflection
How successful were you as a group? Why?
I feel that we were quite successful as a team, though not without a few issues. We managed to collaborate with each other, find meeting times that worked well for all of us, and all find the courage to get our point across at the meetings we attended. Jessica, who is the shyest of us all, makes frequent contributions to our discussions, and I think that's a safe high water mark for the comfort of our meetings. I feel like everyone in our team has a pretty good idea of what their given roles are; mine is the editor and project manager, Amanda handles formatting, Connor does research, Jessica does composition and original writing, and Michael also does writing as well as conduct research, contact individuals, and handle other logistics. Connor is especially ardent at immediately taking on the tasks and challenges in his quarter, and I commend him for that. We're successful at carrying out our assigned tasks and getting things done, and I think this is because we simply have a high-caliber team of responsible, committed students. Each one of us is concerned with the well-being of this project, and we all consider it our responsibility to work together to make it happen. All of us are concerned about our grades and revere them sacredly, to be totally honest. We all seem to get along pretty well; I think we're all just able to keep it light and interact openly with one another (Michael starts us off with a European joke and that seems to clear the air and get us going on the important stuff). All of us seem willing to help and through out suggestions.
What challenges did your group face? How did you try to overcome them? Were you successful? Why or why not?
The biggest challenge that we face right now is an imbalance in workload. Amanda feels that she, Connor and I are doing all of the work, while Michael and Jessica are left with relatively little to do. We never tried to overcome this issue because we were in the midst of trying to get an assignment done in time; assigning work and getting things done were our top priorities, I guess. We were never successful because we never really tried to fix things up. I guess it's much more of a concern with Amanda, but if she takes issue with this, I trust her instincts. We need to work towards making sure everyone is doing their part. Amanda is concerned about Jessica, who, I think, considers her other classwork more important because it's not group work. The first time she said she couldn't do as much as we wanted her to, I let it slide, because she had a major project due that week in every other one of her classes. I understand that; sometimes that happens. But this last week, she wasn't able to do as much either, citing similar reasons, and that was kind of frustrating. Our group's labors need to be considered as important as her "other work". We were not successful at surmounting this challenge because it was never discussed, but we'll bring it up at our next meeting.
What were your contributions to the project? Were you successful? Why or why not?
I made some major contributions to this project; I contributed to most of the original writing, directed the operations of everyone's work on the proposal, and edited the final piece before passing it to Amanda for formatting. I was successful in asserting myself because I realize my duties are being the group's editor and project leader, and our roles are, happily enough, things that everyone takes seriously. The other group members have commented on my work, especially the editing of the proposal's brain storming and research method section, and those are things I take to heart, both as a compliment and as a determination to continue to not disappoint them for as long as we're collaborating.
If you could do it over again, what would you do differently? Why?
I think the first thing I'd do is pay more attention to the syllabus, so that we'd have more time to work on this (and, consequently, less stress). I think the only other thing I'd do differently is bring up Amanda's concern about Michael and Jessica's workload to the entire group. This was something that Amanda didn't bring up until the night the proposal was due, and I credit her for her honesty, but I wish she'd brought it up earlier. I think what I would do differently is encourage my team to voice concerns earlier in the process, so that they don't remain buried. Buried problems cause more trouble over time, so I'm going to find a way to bring these issues up at our next meeting. Apart from this issue that Amanda has voiced to me, we're doing very well. Overall, we have a stellar team.
Team Project Status Report, October 3rd, 2011
Ian Coppock
What did you personally accomplish on your team project this week?
As the project manager, it's my job to keep tabs on everyone and organize assignments. I was able to pull together a Friday meeting with my team, in which we discussed the revisions needed on our client report proposal, and how we would go about making those changes. As I am also the editor, I assembled and line-edited the entire proposal before sending it to Amanda McIntyre for formatting. I accomplished a lot this week; I was able to lead my team (thanks in no small part to their diligence and hard work) and I edited the document that will ultimately guide our efforts in this project. I also managed to divide work fairly evenly among us; Amanda did the formatting, Connor conducted research, Jessica developed a style guide, and Michael talked to people affiliated with our project. Dividing workloads has become something of an issue, but I'll discuss that in later questions.
What are you planning to accomplish this week?
This week we're moving on to the next phase of our project. I plan to participate in interviews, make our survey, and edit all outgoing documents, as is my job. These projects have been intense, but, much as I may dread them during crunch time, these workloads are giving me some valuable writing experience already. I'm learning how to make my writing sound more formal and respectful (i.e. asking someone for help rather than stating it). I plan to accomplish the continued management of my team, which means continuing to balance our roles against and with each others. Perhaps most importantly, I feel that I need to address certain issues within my team, which I've listed below.
What challenges are you facing individually and as a team?
I can't say that I'm facing any challenge I haven't figured out yet. There have been writing and formatting problems (like using the memo format as opposed to business letter, and figuring out these differences) but, between the book's chapters and your teaching, I'm learning as I go and staying on top of things. I appreciate your constant advice; it's one of the biggest reasons I'm not facing any individual issues right now.
Our team functions pretty well, but Amanda recently expressed that she feels she, I, and Connor are doing most of the work, while Michael and Jessica do relatively little. Michael is never short of motivation; I think that his potentially small workload is due to his bouts of sickness and doing a lot of the logistics outside of the writing, like contacting Deb Vickery. Jessica's case is different. While highly motivated, she seems to think that her other classwork supersedes our groupwork. She's repeatedly turned down full assignments because of other things going on, which, while understandable, is not acceptable. I've somewhat tolerated it up to this point and balanced our work as much as possible, but this class needs to be considered as "important" as these other things going on. I'm not sure what Connor's thoughts are on all of this, but I feel like we need to sit down and establish better guidelines.
How can I help?
Any suggestions you have on the above mentioned situation would be greatly appreciated. I'm a good communicator, but talking about something as sensitive as workloads might require some outside assistance as far as tact goes. I won't be here the next time we meet, but if you talk to Amanda about the issues brought up here, I"m sure you two can work something out. Amanda has become something of a co-project leader, in many ways, and I trust her with any advice you give until I'm back next week.
Thanks Jeff. I'm learning a lot in this class.
~Ian
What did you personally accomplish on your team project this week?
As the project manager, it's my job to keep tabs on everyone and organize assignments. I was able to pull together a Friday meeting with my team, in which we discussed the revisions needed on our client report proposal, and how we would go about making those changes. As I am also the editor, I assembled and line-edited the entire proposal before sending it to Amanda McIntyre for formatting. I accomplished a lot this week; I was able to lead my team (thanks in no small part to their diligence and hard work) and I edited the document that will ultimately guide our efforts in this project. I also managed to divide work fairly evenly among us; Amanda did the formatting, Connor conducted research, Jessica developed a style guide, and Michael talked to people affiliated with our project. Dividing workloads has become something of an issue, but I'll discuss that in later questions.
What are you planning to accomplish this week?
This week we're moving on to the next phase of our project. I plan to participate in interviews, make our survey, and edit all outgoing documents, as is my job. These projects have been intense, but, much as I may dread them during crunch time, these workloads are giving me some valuable writing experience already. I'm learning how to make my writing sound more formal and respectful (i.e. asking someone for help rather than stating it). I plan to accomplish the continued management of my team, which means continuing to balance our roles against and with each others. Perhaps most importantly, I feel that I need to address certain issues within my team, which I've listed below.
What challenges are you facing individually and as a team?
I can't say that I'm facing any challenge I haven't figured out yet. There have been writing and formatting problems (like using the memo format as opposed to business letter, and figuring out these differences) but, between the book's chapters and your teaching, I'm learning as I go and staying on top of things. I appreciate your constant advice; it's one of the biggest reasons I'm not facing any individual issues right now.
Our team functions pretty well, but Amanda recently expressed that she feels she, I, and Connor are doing most of the work, while Michael and Jessica do relatively little. Michael is never short of motivation; I think that his potentially small workload is due to his bouts of sickness and doing a lot of the logistics outside of the writing, like contacting Deb Vickery. Jessica's case is different. While highly motivated, she seems to think that her other classwork supersedes our groupwork. She's repeatedly turned down full assignments because of other things going on, which, while understandable, is not acceptable. I've somewhat tolerated it up to this point and balanced our work as much as possible, but this class needs to be considered as "important" as these other things going on. I'm not sure what Connor's thoughts are on all of this, but I feel like we need to sit down and establish better guidelines.
How can I help?
Any suggestions you have on the above mentioned situation would be greatly appreciated. I'm a good communicator, but talking about something as sensitive as workloads might require some outside assistance as far as tact goes. I won't be here the next time we meet, but if you talk to Amanda about the issues brought up here, I"m sure you two can work something out. Amanda has become something of a co-project leader, in many ways, and I trust her with any advice you give until I'm back next week.
Thanks Jeff. I'm learning a lot in this class.
~Ian
Monday, October 3, 2011
Reporting Results
The reports use charts and graphs extremely well; in my mind, they form a sort of emphasis on the written material they've just presented. Gallup presents the material in an arbitrary manner, stating the facts in a paragraph, but the added visualization of the data below helps bring the entire thing home. It's one thing to imagine the data implications on your own, but the chart grounds these realizations. I think it also served as a strong conclusion to the entire piece, for the same reasons. The information is stated, almost like a prelude, and then thrust towards you in a visual manner. It's effective for getting one's point across.
The text in these reports is very arbitrary. Rather than using prose or elaborating on the implications of their facts, the text simply states the numbers (i.e. 38% of Americans approve of Barack Obama, and 48% do not) and then just stops there. It's sudden, but it leaves the ultimate interpretation of the data to you. The numbers serve as an arbitrary, no-argument method of presenting cold facts for personal interpretation. While the articles typically explore some elaboration on the numbers' meaning, the focus is undoubtedly on the numbers themselves. With such a strong focus on just the numbers, we as the readers are left with a very effective foundation for opinion of the issue.
Gallup places their result and reporting methods at the bottom of the visual graph, and sometimes the body text. I think that they do this so that they can immediately quell any question of their information's legitimacy. It's certainly an issue that they seem to keep in mind constantly. By placing the sources at the bottom of the graphic, it leads one to believe that Gallup puts high claim on their credibility. It certainly makes the articles seem more effective. These endings vary in format; sometimes, they're small statements at the bottom of a graph, or they're a large summary at the bottom of the article. Either method is effective.
The text in these reports is very arbitrary. Rather than using prose or elaborating on the implications of their facts, the text simply states the numbers (i.e. 38% of Americans approve of Barack Obama, and 48% do not) and then just stops there. It's sudden, but it leaves the ultimate interpretation of the data to you. The numbers serve as an arbitrary, no-argument method of presenting cold facts for personal interpretation. While the articles typically explore some elaboration on the numbers' meaning, the focus is undoubtedly on the numbers themselves. With such a strong focus on just the numbers, we as the readers are left with a very effective foundation for opinion of the issue.
Gallup places their result and reporting methods at the bottom of the visual graph, and sometimes the body text. I think that they do this so that they can immediately quell any question of their information's legitimacy. It's certainly an issue that they seem to keep in mind constantly. By placing the sources at the bottom of the graphic, it leads one to believe that Gallup puts high claim on their credibility. It certainly makes the articles seem more effective. These endings vary in format; sometimes, they're small statements at the bottom of a graph, or they're a large summary at the bottom of the article. Either method is effective.
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