In Unit Two, we were introduced to process of creating a formal report and proposal. As this is one of the major focuses in ENGL301, learning to lay a solid foundation for the report was essential. We were also tasked with creating a professional LinkedIn profile to expand our online presence in the job search process.
Formal Report & Proposal Writing
For my formal report, I chose a topic that challenged me throughout my professional career before deciding to return for a second degree. That topic is work-life balance in the context of professional service firms. I felt that as this was something I personally experienced, I would have a good deal of insight to offer. While that may be true, I faced some difficulty in deciding who my intended audience would be as that dictates the entirety of the report. When deciding between making PwC (my chosen organization) or its employees the intended audience, I had to consider to what degree of authority each audience had to make changes. Based on that authority, the range of possible solutions I can suggest in my final report naturally follows. This was a point that was covered in my partner’s peer review, where he suggested that perhaps it would be more optimal to implement the solution of communication at an organizational level. As a result of that suggestion, I have expanded the scope of my report proposal to include that interplay between employee level vs. organizational level implementation.
There were some other recommendations in the peer review related to personality research that is based on my partner’s background. As he has a background in psychology, his opinion of how my report on work-life balance can be augmented is certainly welcome. However, as I lack the necessary background in psychology, I don’t feel that is within my expertise to conduct research relating to ‘Big-Five-Personality factors’, or interpret the results of that research in included in my data collection. As a result, I am faced with what to do in the situation you disagree with one of your peer reviewer’s recommendations. On one hand I believe that a peer reviewer’s recommendations are not absolute, as misinterpretations can arise, and the reviewer may not have total insight in what you are trying to accomplish. However, you must also consider whether there was anything in your writing that could have resulted in that misinterpretation. In this particular case, I believe my partner was trying to offer a different perspective I could approach my report with, and so while I did not make any modifications to the report proposal as a result, it is a consideration I will have for my final report.
In turn, I also conducted a peer review of my partner’s proposal. Similarly, I faced the issue of getting situated within the context of my partner’s proposal so that I could provide valid criticism. Through the process of reading it once for content, and giving it multiple passes for the details, I was able to focus more on the conceptual issues without getting lost in the minor writing details. This practice allowed me to provide a clear recommendation regarding the honing of my partner’s topic, which I believe has resulted in his reconsideration of said topic. In this peer review, one of my primary focuses was to keep each point concise, as I learned from feedback on my previous first peer review. I believe this time I succeed in doing that, while delivering the main message.
LinkedIn Profile
With respect to the LinkedIn assignment, I had leveraged the use of an existing LinkedIn profile to implement the tips gathered in our research of best practices. While there were certain tips that I would have considered obvious, such as having a professional photo, there were others that I did not previously consider. One such example is the concept of building your own ‘Board of Advisor’s’ using LinkedIn’s alumni tool. While I have yet to put that tip into practice, I can see the practically of its application.
In my peer review of my partner’s LinkedIn profile, It was interesting to see that while we had implemented many of the same best practice tips, suggesting that these tips are largely universal despite the difference in our educational and professional backgrounds. Upon the reading of my partner’s peer review of my own profile, I believe we came to a similar conclusion on how best practice tips should be implemented.
Final reflections
In summary, in Unit Two I learned the important of considering your audience, and the difficulty in trying to maintain that focus on the specified audience. I also learn that while you should give serious consideration to all the points recommended by your peer reviewer, you should also take a step back and consider whether those changes would be optimal. Through the process of peer review, I have grown to appreciate the value immersing yourself in the context of the peer-reviewee, to produce more meaningful recommendations.
Link to peer review received: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99a-2020wa/2020/10/20/peer-review-of-formal-report-proposal-richard-chen/
Link to revised proposal: 301 Richard Chen Formal Report Proposal – Revised