Proposal letters are used to address many forms of audiences. The one thing that these audiences will have in common is that they will have some general authority over a procedure, project, plan. or situation. The purpose of a proposal is to promote an agenda regarding the body of work that the audience has control over. A strong proposal will be able to influence this audience to consider you or your suggestions for future implementation. This could include improvements to a city park, reworking company safety policy for better efficiency, or higher quality meals from a school/university cafeteria. Anyone who submits a proposal to an audience must be ready to persuade that audience to buy into the content to his or her proposal. Furthermore, a proposal should be adaptable for adjustments. By this I mean that the proposal should have room for tweaking to the audiences specific needs before an agreement is made. The proposal should be complete before it is submitted, however the submitter should anticipate potential changes that the audience may want to make at the last minute.
In 2009, two friends and I submitted a proposal to the Chesaning City Parks Committee. Our proposal was unsolicited, and addressed the installation of an eighteen hole disc golf course in Showboat Park. The course would be complete with eighteen baskets with two placements for each hole, long and short tee boxes for each hole, and proper signage to aide navigation around the course. Our proposal included a time frame, background information about the game, benefits for the local economy, and paperwork outlining the exact cost of material beforehand. The labor would be provided by local clubs and the total project would be complete within two weeks. In the end, our proposal was declined, and in 2011 the city installed a nine hole course without the guidance of experienced players. Because the city decided to use its park maintenance crew instead of knowledgeable players, it remains the most underplayed and poorly designed course in Saginaw County.
In my personal opinion, our proposal was the ultimate proposal. It had all the key elements of a successful proposal such as cost, time frame, economical impact, social impact, design, testimonial from other city park committees, and growth trends of the game itself. In the end, I believe that our proposal was more than the committee was ready to hear. Due to the fact that it was unsolicited, the city was not necessarily looking to expand on the functionality of its park. Several years later, the idea had found its way to the park's budget. Unfortunately the installation was done in house.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Professional Language and Culture Annotated Bibliography II
lawschooladviceguy. (2011, November 8). Law School
Advice 1: Is Law School Hard? Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=lGmaeW3x6UI
In this video blog, Lawschooladviceguy talks about the
difficulty of law school. He doesn't
drone on about the material or the amount of work that must be done. Instead he talks about the differences
between undergraduate study and law school study. In particular he describes how undergraduate
work involves regurgitation of information and affirmation of direction. Whereas law school involves application of
information and discerning the application on your own perception of right and
wrong, this is often difficult for some students.
Legal, T. R. (2011, August 18). Welcome to Law School:
The One Thing a New Student Needs to Know About Law School. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF13ATz-DBc
This video short contains a compilation of students,
advisors, and professors giving advice and insight to L1 students. The advice is often contradictory. This suggests that everyone experiences law
school differently. However, there is a
common theme expressed by all interviewees, and that is the importance of
balance.
UVALawSchool. (2009, October 29). A Day in the Life of
a 1L Student. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=risHT_ccvWM
Here we follow a L1 student for a day of class, studying,
and recreation. It gives a brief
experience of what a prospective student may encounter while making his or her
way through a regular day during a semester.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Professional Language and Culture Annotated Bibliography
Aldridge, A. (2012, September 6). A guide to surviving
law school. The Guardian. Retrieved from
http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2012/sep/06/surviving-law-school-gdl-lpc-bptc
This article by Alex Aldridge
provides a very general description of what law school is like, and what it
will take to survive it. I like the overview of this article and
will use its contents as a basis for researching particular aspects of law
school culture.
Kim, Y. (2011, June 30). Greater Implications of a
Conformist, Competitive Law School Culture. Retrieved from Lexus Nexus:
http://www.lexisnexis.com/community/lexishub/blogs/law_school/archive/2011/06/30/greater-implications-of-a-conformist-competitive-law-school-culture.aspx
Kim observes the universal style of thought that law schools
produce. He notes that there is a large
emphasis on rhetoric and little encouragement for individualism. He also writes about the endgame of law school. Many students long to strive to land jobs at
major law firms, and view any other outcome as worthless. Even though graduating from law school in and
of itself is a huge accomplishment, law students often feel that if you're not
first, you're last.
Tellock, M., Awoyomi, T., Preston, K., & Church,
D. (2010, March 25). What is the First Year of Law School Really Like? Private
Thoughts on Public Policy. (J. S. Wilson, Interviewer) Retrieved from
http://www.policydiary.com/2010/03/what-is-first-year-of-law-school-really.html
This is an interview of four law students who attend
different law schools. Each of the for
is unique, and they all give their perspective on law school, their goals, and
the evolution of their expectations.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Professional Language and Culture Strategy
There are a couple of strategies for that can help ensure effective communication and appropriate language choices in the workplace. Every profession has its own culture and language, and it is important to familiarize oneself with each as soon as possible.
With that being said, the first step to becoming familiar with workplace culture is to research the company that you intend to work for. Review the company's webpage. Read any publications that pertain to, or stem from the organization that you have in mind. Doing these things will not only give you a perception of what to expect, but it will also give you a frame of reference for step two.
Step two of the basic strategies involves interviewing. Seek out current employees if possible, and pick their brains about what it is like to work for that company. Do they like their job? Do they feel at ease in the workplace? Are the company's rules strict or lax? Does management say one thing but mean another? These are questions that can provide solid insight into the culture of an organization. You may also want to inquire about anything that raised your eyebrow during the research you did in step one. As an extension of this step, I would also attempt to seek out employees that no longer work for the company. Retirees and other alike. Find someone who quit and find out why. Were they treated unfairly? What made them want to leave? Talk to retirees if possible. Find out if the company is talking care of them, or at the very least checking up on their welfare.
All this is an attempt to access the unique characteristics of a company. Once you arrive in the workplace. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open. Try to assimilate with coworkers. Go with the flow at first. If coworkers see you as easy going, they will open up to you about the tricks of the trade. If you seem stern, coworkers may let you fend for yourself. Even if you seem easy going, you might have to fend for yourself. Being stern will make that a certainty.
With that being said, the first step to becoming familiar with workplace culture is to research the company that you intend to work for. Review the company's webpage. Read any publications that pertain to, or stem from the organization that you have in mind. Doing these things will not only give you a perception of what to expect, but it will also give you a frame of reference for step two.
Step two of the basic strategies involves interviewing. Seek out current employees if possible, and pick their brains about what it is like to work for that company. Do they like their job? Do they feel at ease in the workplace? Are the company's rules strict or lax? Does management say one thing but mean another? These are questions that can provide solid insight into the culture of an organization. You may also want to inquire about anything that raised your eyebrow during the research you did in step one. As an extension of this step, I would also attempt to seek out employees that no longer work for the company. Retirees and other alike. Find someone who quit and find out why. Were they treated unfairly? What made them want to leave? Talk to retirees if possible. Find out if the company is talking care of them, or at the very least checking up on their welfare.
All this is an attempt to access the unique characteristics of a company. Once you arrive in the workplace. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open. Try to assimilate with coworkers. Go with the flow at first. If coworkers see you as easy going, they will open up to you about the tricks of the trade. If you seem stern, coworkers may let you fend for yourself. Even if you seem easy going, you might have to fend for yourself. Being stern will make that a certainty.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Managing Professional Imagery Online
When looking to maintain a professional online image, there is no better place to start than with image. Having a picture or logo that is clean and respectable can provide more than just a visual representation. Anyone who has put together a Power Point presentation may know that you can say quite a bit without speaking, or writing, a word. If we are talking about a head-shot, there is no way you can go wrong with a clean shirt (sans slogan) and a smile. In regards to a logo, I would discourage using messy lettering (i.e. Old English or Tribal designs) unless that style directly relates to the business or organization. Use a color scheme that is attractive with good contrast. Color can be associated with moods and attitude, so think about the attitude of prospective employers, customers, and clients.
If you or your company are going to be active on social media, you will need to think about behavior. In some situations when using a computer, people will speak their opinions more openly as opposed to when they are in the company of a live audience. As I have previously stated, information that you would not want broadcast over a public intercom should be kept off the internet. Social media is not the equivalent of a private journal. Content should reflect that.
The internet is a full-blown business environment. Treat it as such. Apply the etiquette that you would use in the board room to the chat room. Be respectful on message boards, just as you would if you were interacting in person. Avoid sarcasm or other language that is open to interpretation. People who are attempting to maintain professionalism should also avoid being lured into unintelligent debate. If someone is going to address you in a foul manner, do not engage them. Set a standard for yourself and others and keep to it. You are only as good as those you surround yourself with.
Annotated Research List IV
Cain, S. (2012, August 25). Our Efficient &
Effective Website Design Process. Retrieved from Epic Web Solutions:
http://www.epicwebaz.com/blog/our-efficient-effective-website-design-process/
This website lays out a process that could be followed while
creating a page built for mass consumption.
The website walks you through seven different phases of page
creation. Basically holding you hand
from start to finish. While it is not
necessary to follow these phases exactly as written, they can serve as
guidelines for you own prefered method.
Sherson, G. W. (2002). Principles of Effective Web
Design. Learning for eLearning Talkfest.
This report talks about the importance of effective web
creation. Current idea and procedures
are analyzed and discussed to provide a thorough knowledge of web
creation. Before you can create
effective pages, you need to know why you are doing so.
Snell, S. (2009, February 3). Clear And Effective
Communication In Web Design. Smashing Magazine.
This websites discusses the challenges and solutions related
to effective web page creation. It emphasizes
the need for information to be brief but clear, informing but not boring. You want to maximize the options that your
users will have but not overwhelm them with data.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
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