Today in Class…Today in Class…

Review Report Topics for Review Report Topics for OverlapOverlap

Team Process: Team Process: Background Reports for Background Reports for Town Hall AttendeesTown Hall Attendees Reporting, not “report writing”Reporting, not “report writing” Why the division of labor Why the division of labor

approach failsapproach fails Writing and Inquiry process Writing and Inquiry process

planningplanning

Report Formatting Report Formatting Guidelines & TemplateGuidelines & Template

For Next Time:For Next Time:1. Team Status Reports1. Team Status Reports2. Employment Doc 2. Employment Doc

ReviewsReviews

Editorial Goals for Report Editorial Goals for Report Topic ReviewTopic Review

1. Give each report a unique focus

2. Express this unique focus in the title of each report

3. Narrow each report to ensure that it fits the required formatting constraints

Report Topics & TeamsReport Topics & Teams

The 5 W’s of Job Creation

Chelsea Raus-Wuth:Kaitlyn HinmanAlex PhillippeDave Johnson

This report aims to increase the awareness of young professional writers who are uncertain of what career opportunities exist for them in Michigan, as many of the jobs they are seeking may not yet be available. Thus, we focus on job-creation, and will analyze the availability of job-creation opportunity by addressing five specific questions. Where in Michigan is the greatest potential for job creation? What type of writing is most lacking in Michigan? Who benefits from job creation? When is it appropriate for writers to push the agenda of job creation? Why should writers view job creation as essential?

Report Topics & TeamsReport Topics & TeamsKatie AndersonKelsey CaverlyChristine HaynesKiernan Manion

Is Writing Still Relevant?

By exploring our own entrepreneurial opportunities, we hope to create a new niche for professional writers where we can consult and offer services to new and existing businesses. Effective writing skills are crucial to successful business, yet these skills have become a low priority to employees. Professional writing graduates can use their degrees to establish consulting programs that would educate employees on how to efficiently communicate in today’s fast paced work environment. Through researching existing consulting companies and talking to potential business clientele, we will develop a base of knowledge that business leaders would want taught to their employees.   

Report Topics & TeamsReport Topics & TeamsWhat’s So Great About Chicago?

Lauren RemusCasey McGrathKatie Adams

We will investigate three major cities for our report that many recent college graduates tend to gravitate towards. To select these cities, we will use data from Richard Florida’s books “Rise of the Creative Class” and “Who’s Your City?”, information from Jeff Grabill and Dànielle DeVoss about where recent PW graduates tend to move to, and outside data on where college graduates in any field move to. To find out why these cities are so popular, we will examine these cities in terms of Richard Florida’s criteria for creative cities: work, lifestyle, time, and community. [S2] We will also look at statistics such as employment rates and what types of jobs are popular or on the rise in these cities. This report focuses more on what these other cities have rather than on what Michigan is lacking.

Report Topics & TeamsReport Topics & TeamsBuilding a [Michigan] Creative City Nicole CilletteJoe MorselloLaura MitchellSarah Bowser

Our report discusses what the creative class wants in a city, and Grand Rapids’ potential to fulfill those desires. We have five subtopics: jobs, housing, diversity, artistic districts, sophisticated nightlife. Cool Cities provide a new creative industry that perhaps can revitalize the economy. Our research will come from the Michigan Cool Cities initiative, and Florida’s The Rise of the Creative Class. Our secondary research will focus on growth statistics for Grand Rapids, Chicago, and Lansing. We will survey current Professional Writing students to get their perspective on what they want in a future “cool city.”  

Report Topics & TeamsReport Topics & TeamsWhere Do We Go From Here?

Mike BurkeAlexandra ManionAlexandra Kirsch

This report delves into the opportunities that professional writers have upon leaving Michigan State University. The report begins by exploring the three different tracks that are offered in the professional writing major. It then provides an overview of several of the skills that students learn within those concentrations. With the skills of each concentration explained, it will then move on to giving the percentage of jobs for professional writers in Michigan, as found in the researching of job search sites such as www.monster.com, www.myspartancareer.com, www.krop.com, among others. The final portion of this report will take the information gathered about jobs in Michigan and compare them to the percentage found using the same methods in Illinois, which is a major competitor in terms of the workforce.

Bill’s Research:Bill’s Research:Report Planning: A Key Concept to Remember

Not Report Writing, But Reporting…

The process you are trying to manage looks like this

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Why Division of Labor Why Division of Labor Approaches FailApproaches Fail

1. Reporting is an inquiry process… unexpected things happen, by definition

2. We call these “invention”

3. DoL leaves team members to invent without coordinating with one another

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A Better Way…A Better Way…1. Plan for invention – then reconvene to share

what others have done

2. Give the most important moments of invention to the team, rather than to an individual members

3. Propose, deliberate, ratify

Team Process: Team Process: Propose, Deliberate, RatifyPropose, Deliberate, Ratify

A Few Implications…A Few Implications…1. You may have to meet, or find other ways to

allow the Propose/Deliberate/Ratify cycle to play out, quite a lot

2. Each team member must keep the others’ posted when they have a proposal to launch a new cycle, even if it is a small thing

3. Team members should feel, after ratification, that they own the new direction of the project…otherwise you need to deliberate some more

And now, an inventional And now, an inventional moment …or twomoment …or two

1. Report formatting guidelines

2. Report templates and layout options

For Next Time: Data For Next Time: Data GatheringGathering

1. Status reports from teams

2. Following Florida’s lead in using infographics to make arguments