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COM 210: Writing at Work Project #1: Innovation Informal Report

For your first major project in this course, you will write an informal report addressing how an innovation from within the last 2-3 years could be applied to your unit or department at work.

The innovation need not be a sophisticated technological innovation; it can be simple and practical—any suggestion for improvement that relates to your own place of work. See below for what “own place of work” means.

This is a role-playing assignment: you are writing explicitly to your own supervisor and will use your standard professional tone of voice; also, in most cases, you will know your supervisor well, so you are in many cases on first name basis with her and can in general be relaxed. Keep in mind that it is likely that you see her most days if not every day; this influences your tone of voice and whole approach to the innovation or suggestion you are making; in a word, your supervisor is just down the hall, so communication between the two of you is probably straightforward.

For this assignment, you use your present work experience, refer to a work experience you have had in the past, or project a work situation in the future—one that you find especially interesting. Feel free to fictionalize some or most of this. Your instructor will assist you with your topic choice.

Project #1 should have the following characteristics:

• Be in the form of an informal report, including heading and formatting elements. The header material should contain full contact information: addresses, locations, titles. This can be fictionalized. “Precise and concrete” references in writing are two of our leading COM 210 principles.

• Be 500-1200 words long, not including the addendum if you have one.

• Reference at least 3 reliable sources. These sources should be appropriate to the kind of work you do and the kind of innovation you are suggesting. Your instructor will guide you on this.

• Cite sources using either APA or MLA Style. Your instructor may have specific instructions about this.

• Address the audience (in this case, your direct supervisor) as an educated and involved reader who knows her staff and organization very well. The informal report should communicate your own personality and point of view. Assume that you know your supervisor well. Things to avoid in this report: suggesting something that is beyond the scope of most middle-level managers: for example, a major change for your whole organization; this is beyond the scope and responsibility of most middle-level managers.

• Use standard English and avoid jargon and technical language.

• Express your own personality. Don’t write in a stilted, pseudo-objective style. Be yourself.

• Assume your supervisor knows you—you don’t have to explain who you are or what your job entails.

• Assume your supervisor is very busy and is scanning your suggestion—this part of the assignment replicates reality. In most cases, suggestions such as this one will be read in under 3 minutes.

• Assume that your proposal is the first part of an extended conversation; you do not have to cover every single part of the innovation you are suggesting.

• Avoid background and “history of the issue.” Your supervisor knows this better than anyone.

The final submitted draft of this assignment is worth 20% of your final grade.

COM 210: Writing at Work Project #1: Innovation Informal Report

The title of the report must be in the form: “A Recent Innovation in [the particular field]: [the specific innovation]” or “A Suggestion for Improving….” (See directly below)

• A Recent Innovation in Training Emergency Room Professionals in NYC

• A Recent Innovation in Creating Word Clouds for Educational Reports

• A Suggestion for Accelerating the Hiring Process for the Korean Cuisine Restaurant in Brooklyn, NY

• Three Suggestions for Lifeguard Training at NYC Pools

• Improving Dynamics for “Bring Your Child to Work” at CUNY-SPS

• A Recent Innovation in Brightspace’s Discussion area

• A Recent Improvement in Zoom’s Recording Function

• Three Suggestions for Improving the New York Museum of Art’s Web Site.

• Suggestions for improving awards ceremonies at NYC libraries.

As you can see, you have a wide range of innovations/suggestions: choose one that interests and inspires you. Consult with your instructor if you have questions.

In addition to fulfilling the above requirements, your informal report must include the following:

• Context—what occasions you to write to your supervisor. Assume that your supervisor is completely aware of most aspects of her department

The organization can be your invention or a real workplace, but it must have some connection to the field mentioned in your title. You may fictionalize as much as you wish.

• Clear explanations of what the innovation or suggestion is and how it works.

Keep in mind that a “innovation” is a relative term: if you are working in a local public library, your innovation might be “modest,” such as a Saturday reading club or suggestion for a new book display on recent Netflix films that originated at novels.

• Summaries of 2-4 differing opinions of this innovation. (optional)

• At least one suggestion for how the innovation might be implemented in your department or unit. For example, a report on “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Brightspace” might suggest that it be tested first in 2 or 3 courses taught by technically proficient instructors and to junior or senior level students, and that a questionnaire/survey be developed for each participant to assess the software.

• An addendum with resources for further investigation, including the research sources you have referred to in the body of the document.

• Add as much local or NYC detail as possible. Bring your work environment to life. Refer to people, places, and events. You may fictionalize as much as you wish. Strive to capture the interest of your supervisor. Keep in mind that communications such as this one build and improve the relationship you have with your supervisor and colleagues.