Informative Memo on the Collaborative Project, Essay Example

Introduction

The topic of the current memo is the discussion of what I accomplished to create the collaborative research project. The project was the result of productive teamwork. Its major goal was to evaluate specific aspects of cost-benefit analysis for Center Stage Homes and to use the results of this analysis to increase clientele and profits of the discussed organization. This memo contains the information about the way the project was developed and submitted. This information can be further used by other team members to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the project and the issues, which we were or were not able to resolve.

Proposal was the starting point in the development of the final project. The process of proposal development went very smoothly. Sean Sullivan was the central figure and person responsible for the proposal development. The development stage became a test for our team work and taught us a valuable lesson about collaboration and team effort. Although Sean was the only one responsible for the proposal development, we were to support him in all his endeavors. I was particularly pleased with the fact that we had enough time to develop an outline and to determine the direction of our project. The outline helped us systematize our knowledge about the project and identify potential research gaps, which we had to close in order to complete the project on time. It should be noted, that getting the project submitted on time was one of the most difficult tasks.

The process of research was interesting but difficult. Gathering information requires time and effort, but high quality research is never limited to information gathering. Rather, it implies the need to find information, to select information, to evaluate its relevance and importance, to systematize it, and to apply it. I did not find the research difficult, but needed time to choose the most relevant and important materials. I know that research is always about learning something new. The concept of “staging company” was absolutely new to me, but without this knowledge I could not proceed with the project. Mrs. Fannie Rooks became our interviewee; the choice of Mrs. Rooks was justified by the fact that she was looking for someone, who would do advertising research for her staging company. The process of interviewing Mrs. Rooks was very easy and pleasant, because she is well-known for her open and friendly personality.

We were very thorough in everything, but the drafting process had to be very fast. We had to create a template, which would direct our writing efforts and would help us produce a relevant piece of writing. The drafting process itself was positive and useful in a sense that it showed us our position in the project and the direction, which we had to pursue in order to meet the project goals. Unfortunately, our draft contained inadequate information, and we had to address those inadequacies promptly. We risked lagging behind the schedule, but with all those inadequacies in the draft we would not be able to move on. Fortunately for us, we did not have to change the scope of the project, because we had a clear idea of what we wanted to achieve.

The revision and editing process was the most controversial, the most interesting, and the most exciting of everything we did during the project. It required time and attention to proofread the text, to add what was missing and to delete what was unnecessary and useless. It was exciting because it moved us closer to submission as the final stage of the project. I am very satisfied with the project not only because I tried my best to produce the highest quality paper, but because I truly believe that this is my best paper in the class. Unfortunately, because of limited time, some aspects of my project were not thorough enough. However, I believe that the product of our team work deserves attention and reflects the maximum effort we put into this assignment.

Because of scheduling conflicts and different class times, it was difficult for us to get the team together, but in general, our group work was associated with plenty of positive emotions and impressions. I had a unique chance to work with people from different walks of life. Getting to know people and trying to discover something new in our relationships with these people was one of the most valuable group work experiences. I have come to realize that working with people whom I do not know is as interesting as it is also difficult, simply because we need to time to recognize each other’s talents, difficulties, problems, and interests. One of the major problems in our group work was that one of our members, Kris White, did not show up to any meeting. Nevertheless, I have come to realize that every group member has talents and skills necessary to make this project perfect – Han Vu is a very good and thorough researcher, Sean works perfectly well with website navigation, while Kris is great with PowerPoint presentations. It would be fair to say that this project has become a real test to my group and communication abilities, and I think our group was able to cope with all problems without any difficulty. I am grateful to everyone who supported me on our way to this small but important victory.

Conclusion

Group work is always a good test for our abilities to cooperate, collaborate, and contribute to a common project. This project turned into valuable experience. Despite some difficulties, we were able to create an excellent research product. This project can be fairly regarded as the starting point in our slow but interesting and effective movement to excellence in our studies.