Ch. 11 Review

Graphic elements can greatly enhance a memo, report, or other compositions.  They also enhance oral presentations by giving the audience something to focus on as the speaker is addressing them.  The effects can direct their attention with lines, directional photos, and other visual aspects.  Shapes and numbers can make things appear more interesting.  For example, when I am reading a long report, and suddenly I see a large pyramid that has labels indicating its important sections, there is almost a glee that enters my mind when I examine it.  The thought, "oh goodie!" can almost be recognized.  When we can create  that level of interest in the minds of our readers, they will be more likely to pay attention and respond to our work.  In addition, by displaying an attractive front, we will appear more professional and desirable, making it more likely that we will be able to work effectively with our readers.

Ch. 10 Review

Business reports are a key element in the developement of an organization.  The purpose of the report is to ensure that information within the business is accurate and up do date.  If these reports are not done well, those in charge will have imperfect knowledge of what they should do.  They will be misinformed about what resources they have to work with, the problems that remain to be solved, whether or not they are going in the right direction, and countless other important issues. 

Because each report has a different purpose, each one has a different structure.  The facts are displayed differently, the reports either persuade or inform the readers, and HATS is used in different ways.  Large reports must be carefully reviewed in order to ensure continuity in the way that everything is displayed.  Sometimes, if time is limited, and the report cannot be read straight through, the reader must be able to find the needed information in a few seconds.  That is why headings, labels, and the Table of Contents are so important.  The better the report, the more effective the action taken because of it.

Ch. 9 Review

In this chapter, general guidelines for presenting research in order to achieve your goal.
If you want to use facts and figures in order to present a logos centered argument, it is often useful to use primary research in your work.  Primary research is straight from the source; it has not been diluted by passing through other publications.  These sources are more valid than other sources and give your argument more power, making it more compelling.
To use these sources correctly and effectively, you must first plan out your argument.  The method you use to present your findings.  If you have done the primary research yourself, and correctly,  you have much more flexibility in this aspect.  My favorites type of research is a survey.  Getting a good sample of perspective customers can be difficult, but if found, can be extremely useful.  The questions need to be thought through carefully and presented in a specific order and manner, but if done right, powerful information can be obtained.  This can be used to further the goals of your organization.

Ch. 8 Review

This chapter was all about proposals.  There are many different types of proposals, such as: written, oral, research proposals, and problem-solving proposals.  My favorite was the problem-solving proposal.  This is one that makes a lot of sense to me.  Businesses make their way by finding problems of consumers and resolving them.  It follows that within a business or organization that the resolution of a problem would be handled well.
The basic pattern of problem solving are (a) diagnose the problem, (b) develop a solution (c) implement the solution.  This is where the PAR stories that we have been studies become very useful.  The more experience we have with resolving issues, the more accurate we will be when proposing how to resolve other problems.  These we need to use these rules of grammar, organization, and editing in order to effectively convince our readers to act.  If we can, we will affect more change and do more good.

Ch. 7 Review

I felt that this chapter was very appropriate, considering what the class period on Thursday is about.  I found many helpful tips withing this chapter that I will most definitely be using from now on in any interviews.  Previously, I went into interviews with little or no preparation.  I usually did not even research the company to which I was applying.  I remember one interview in particular.  It was over the internet.  I was asked three questions, to which I recorded three response videos.  I did not even do my hair or makeup!  I wore normal clothes and sat on the floor.  Unsurprisingly, I was not offered the position.
I appreciated the questions included in the chapter, and can now spend some time thinking of possible responses that will show off better my assets and skills that I can bring to a company.  I will never go to an interview unprepared ever again!

Ch. 6 Review

This chapter talked about different forms of communication within a business, such as memos, emails, and letters.  Not only were these means introduced, but specific advice was given in regards to using them.  For example, both direct and indirect approaches were introduced and taught.  I found it very helpful, especially considering the upcoming assignments.  It is important to note that with bad news letters, that the main point is placed at the end, and with good news letters, the main point is placed in the beginning.  I feel that this not only does this help convince the reader to do what you want them to, but it also helps them read the entire composition.  A happy reader will continue on, just as someone searching for the point of an argument.  Reading the entire letter will ensure that the reader has all the necessary and desired information.

Ch. 5 Review

Chapter Five taught us how to edit.  I often have trouble editing something.  With the exception of the scriptures, I do not enjoy reading something more than once, particularly my own work.  Studying is painful for me because I do not like to read the notes I have written.  However, I know that it is important, and this chapter has helped me.  I would usually begin by editing individual sentences, and become overwhelmed by the words and the enormity of the task that I had set myself.  I now know that it is best to begin with the big picture and work my way down to the smaller elements.  This is much more useful to me as I am more able to focus on the big picture and how everything ties in than I am able to focus on the minute details.  Now I simply need to get to work and edit!

Ch. 4 Review

Chapter Four was all about HATS.  This is an acronym for the way we should edit our projects to be more visually appealing.  H, which stands for headings, is the first and one of the simplest.  Breaking up paragraphs with headings can break the monotony of a page full of words.  This goes along with spacing, which is the S in HATS.  Giving more margin space on the side, or extra lines before and after headings helps the reader understand the organization of the piece better.  A, arts, can be anything from clipart to graphs to photographs.  They should be labelled if there are more than one (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.) and any captions should be uniform.  Lastly, typography is the way we stylize the font.  This includes font size; letterhead; whether it is bolded, italicized, or altered in some other way; and text alignment.  If we use HATS effectively to improve our headings, art, typography, and spacing, our compositions will be more visually pleasing to the readers.

Ch. 3 Response

In this chapter, the focus was placed on the more general structure of a memo, more specifically the OABC Memo.  The four parts of the memo described by the acronym OABC are: Opening, Abstract, Body, and Content.  Having this order helps your memo be more organized.  However, it is not enough. Also within this chapter is discussed how to strengthen your persuasive piece by avoiding logic fallacies, maintaining a proper order, and using interesting and appropriate transitions.
Each part of the memo should introduce what is going to be said before it is said.  This reminds me of something that I learned while serving a mission.  Our mission president's wife told us to, "teach them what you're going to teach them, teach them, and then teach them what you taught them."  This way they are prepared to receive the information, then they receive it, and then they process it while it is summarized.  If done correctly, the reader finishes with all the necessary information and swayed towards the writer's point of view.

Ch. 2 Response

It is difficult for me to write in an organized manner. When the time comes to write a paper, memo, or other composition, I become impatient.  I simply begin writing, letting my words flow.  However, this is not a good practice, as my work often becomes confusing.  Sometimes I fall into logical fallacies.  This chapter was very helpful in teaching about creating outlines.    I enjoy creating outlines, though I am not in the habit of doing so.  I like the way that an outline looks, because of its structure. Having the main points more visible, and placed in a logical order (chronological, emphasis, alphabetical, etc.) is immensely beneficial to the structure of the paper.  This is also helpful when gathering all your ideas and facts together.  They can be placed under the main points in the same way that arrows can be placed in a quiver, in easy reach.   I want to break my bad habit, and begin each project with a well-organized outline.

Personal Biography

Lydia Brewer is in her junior year at Brigham Young University(BYU).  She was raised in a very transitory home, as her father was an officer in the United States Air Force.  She was homeschooled for much of her life, taught by her mother with all of her siblings.  The reason for this was that her family usually lived in places without a satisfactory school nearby.  She learned quickly, graduating high school at sixteen years old.

Because of her age, Lydia did not begin working until she was seventeen years old, and had already finished her first semester at BYU.  She started off, as most do, working in a fast food restaurant.  In this case, it was the local Sonic in Laramie, Wyoming.  It was a good start for her.  She was a key player on the Sonic team, and was up for becoming a manager.  However, she chose to return to BYU to study some more.  While completing the prerequisite courses for the Accounting Junior Core, she worked as a Resident Assistant (RA) in Helaman Halls.  This position helped her learn to relate to other people.  She was often a mediator and a counselor for the girls that she looked after.

During this time, Lydia started to feel dissatisfied with her major.  Accounting just wasn’t as interesting as she had hoped it would be.  She started to become more involved in her IS 201 class, which covered the beginnings of the Information Systems major.  She fell in love with the idea of using technology to help people and enhance their lives. She changed majors, only three months before she left to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  That made for a difficult arrival afterwards.  She had to quickly catch up to the other students that were looking to enter the program and finish all of the prerequisite courses within the first six months of returning.

Currently, Lydia is working as a Platform Engineer for the Office of Information Technology at BYU.  She is preparing her application for the Information Systems Junior Core and learning as much as she can about technology.  She hopes to earn a degree and begin work in her new favorite field.

Ch. 1 Review

In Chapter 1, I found it really interesting how much emphasis was placed on managers, and managing a meeting.  Businesses, especially international businesses, have many moving pieces and many important decisions to be made.  For these pieces to work together correctly, they need to be managed.  Misunderstandings can easily occur when those involved have different perceptions of what is happening and different objectives of what they want to happen.  The idea of being a good manager and team player is important to me right now.  This summer I will be applying for the Information Systems Junior Core.  If I am accepted, I will be placed in a group of students.  We will work together throughout the entire first year of the program.  The work that we do together will determine our grades, which can affect our careers.  We will have a team leader, which will be important so our work can be of good quality and our team can work harmoniously together.  I feel that the concepts that we will study in this course with aid me a great deal.