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 * Snack Assignment

Syllabus Quiz

Reflections as a Novice Action Researcher: ** For this asssignment, Im not sure I understood what the purpose was or relevance of doing this was in relation to this class. However after I strated writing my reflection based on what I learned from the text, I felt a release and a type of undestanding about myself. I was able to clearly write down where I am now as a novice action researcher, but also reflect where I would like to go. I did this in a unique way by using a past, present, future model. By using this model and incorporating them into a diagram, I took what I felt and put it into a diagram that could better help me understand the purpose of the assignment.

** For my project, I want to focus on implementing a change to our work/marketing meetings. I find them to sometimes be rushed and people leave the meeting feeling as if there was no closure. Often the meetings tend not to be productive because questions are not addressed with clarity. Because of these reasons, most people do not want to attend and come to the meetings bringing a negative morale. The change I would like to implement is incorporating humor in the workplace meetings. Specific reasons:
 * Project Overview:
 * To make meetings lively/change moral of attendee’s mood
 * Make an interesting way of addressing important information/delivery
 * To help people to be less tense and to focus better on topics being discussed
 * Brainstorm/ contribute better answers or ideas to group discussions
 * Use humor to bring closure to meetings and attendee’s leave feeling complete
 * Humor to introduce meeting topics

I would also like to find out background research (if done before) on how humor affects or changes the morale of a company; and if there is anything that is considered to be bad humor. If this change can be made within the company or even simply within the marketing department, then I believe that our workday will be more productive and we will see even better results in mid month, quarterly and other sales goals.

**
 * KAQ
 * I really enjoyed working on the KAQF. I feel like assignments like these are very helpful for me to organize myelf and my ideas in the direction I would like to go with my project. I found this tool to be confusing at first. But as I started to r-organize based on the feebakc given to me, I started to cut through the clutter and actually figure out what the real problem in our marketing meetings were. By raising questions within the KAQF, I was also able to think of strategic ways to incorporate new ideas into the meetings to make them even more effective. Great organization tool!**


 * K || A || Q || F ||
 * If meetings do not provide clear concise answers/feedback, then they are not effective.

Overall idea of this row is to make meetings more effective by improving communication. || Everyone do their homework before the meeting/bring answers to important topics and issues. || · How does my marketing team feel about the weekly meetings? Do they feel as though they get enough feedback? · Do they feel the negative energy because of the lack of clear ear concise answers? · What do they want done to see don’t to make meetings more effective? · What would the facilitator want to change to make meetings more effective? || · Survey · Interview random people who attend weekly meetings · Find out what people want done/changed

I would use all the questions in this row in my surveys or interviews. I think they are direct and would bring forth answers I need to know in order to move forward and also to develop a constituency. ||
 * When meetings are held at the end of the workday, then it causes people to come to the meetings with negative energy

Overall idea of this row is to improve morale of meetings by investigating different options/times to meet. || Switch up meeting times-Alternate instead of having them at the end of the day all the time. || · What day are people generally in a mood that is the best fit for meetings (M,T,W,TH,F)? · Do people’s mindsets change from work to family after 5pm? · Does my group feel that the meeting time of day is an issue (Is it just me)? || <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· What research says about timing and how people function at certain times during the day <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Case Studies <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Surveys

I would use the first two questions as a guide to research. The last question would need to be answered in a survey or interaction with my marketing team. ||
 * Not having clarity at the conclusion of a meeting means that the meeting was ineffective.

Objective in this row is to come up with ideas on how to have a conclusion or clear strategy on where the team is headed after each meeting. || Create opportunities for everyone to speak and be heard as well as voice opinions and questions by incorporating a tool (like the talking stick in dialogue class) that regulates listening for understanding, speaking without interruptions and pauses for reflection and digestion on what someone was saying. || <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· What structures have been used in meetings (in the past and at other companies) to address questions and topics more clearly? <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Does every member of the meeting feel as if their question or concern was answered? || <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Secret Ballot/suggestion box at the close of meetings <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Survey <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Small group discussions

The first question would act as a research question. The second question would be included in survey, suggestion box (ask question-teammates submit answers anonymously) or small group discussion (focus group). ||
 * <span style="font-size: 75px; font-family: Georgia, serif;">· Humor is a great way to change attitudes and bring members of a meeting closer/more relaxed

Overall objective of this row in regards to my project is to test out something new that will possibly make meetings more relaxed and bring a negative morale along with it. By doing so, I also hope to bring the group closer as a whole. By getting to know each other better, we can more effectively work with each other better. || AS (Me)- Try to get humor into the meetings <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Test runs using humor in the workplace <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Focus group experiments || <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">·  Have meetings ever used humor to change morale? <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· How does the facilitator feel about humor in the workplace? <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Would other members of the meeting feel this is necessary or not? || <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Survey <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Test Runs-using humor in workplace setting <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Focus group experiment

The first question would act as a research question and the last two would be answered in a survey or suggestion box type of way. Also for the last question, I would get feedback about this once I use humor in the workplace and would like feedback on how it was perceived. ||
 * <span style="font-size: 75px; font-family: Georgia, serif;">· More structure is needed.

Overall idea of this row is to design a basic structure and find a way to present it to the whole team….then stick by that structure to make meetings more productive. || AS- Put together meeting operational manual (how Westnet Marketing meetings should be run) <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Once a structure is chosen then stick with it! (Form a routine) || <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Is there an assortment of meeting structures to choose from? <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Does the group agree with better structure? <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· What does research say about other structures in place at other companies? <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Are some better than others? || For the most of these questions I would use them as a basis to my research for this row. The second question is the only question in which I would need to figure out how I would want to get group feedback. ||

Im still not sure if this is effective in regards to my project as of yet. I found the evaluation clock method to be a little confusing, but a little helpful as well. I found it confusing because some parts of the clock didnt seem to fit into what I was trying to reach within my project. It was helpful by helping me probe further and to formulate many questions to guide my reaserach.** Notes on research and planning proved to be a great excercise for me to organize my work and the reseqarch that I found. Also it hleped me understand and focus on where I wanted/needed to go in my project. However, the clock excercise was challenging because I felt that my project needed more than one, therefore I was going through this excercise many times to get solid clocks for my ideas. Attached is the final copy of my clock.
 * Eval Clock
 * <span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #000025; font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Notes on Research & Planning: **
 * <span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #000025; font-family: 'Georgia', 'serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Notes on Research & Planning: **

WIP Presentations I have always appreciated the WIP presentation because I feel as though it acts as a turning point within the project/AR process. The WIP elicits feedback from pers and the professor, but also provides a chance for you to hear your own voice speaking about your topic; your able to understand if it makes sense or not. The 693 class is a little different than (691 I think it is) because we do two WIP presentations. Because I already appreciate the WIP, I thought having two presentations, one mid semester, and one at the end is great!

Narrative Outline Like the WIP, I also appreciate the narrative outline excercise. I believe that once you have a good outline in place, then writing the paper should be no problem at all. I just think of it as a foundation for building the paper in the direction you want it to go. Attached is my outline that I am currently still using to finish my final draft.

Draft #1/Final Report Heres my first try at my final report....finsihed version comming soon!