Feedback

1
Feedback

• Deliverable 1
• Spring 2004

2
Scores For Deliverable 1

• BIG
• Dynamic Data Revolution
• FIST 90 points significantly more innovative
  and effective than the rest!
• IDS
• Infinite Analysis

3
Congratulations FIST!

• As one reads FISTs deliverable, a certain sense
  of excitement grows
• The sections work together to create this effect
• One leads to the next
• A thread seems to connect them
• The team has something to say and they are
  excited to share it with the reader
• The excitement oozes out
• It impacts the reader

4
Room for Improvement

• Even FIST couldve done better
• The team contract components couldve been
  rearranged to better effect
• The cover letter and executive summary couldve
  been more focused and informative
• The team members and their bios couldve been
  presented to greater effect
• I am not convinced that the cover page and
  binding are the best they could be

5
What Worked for FIST

• FIST told a story
• FIST sold itself
• The Deliverable was about THE TEAM
• They packaged THE TEAM and sold it
• To sell THE TEAM they first had to buy it
  themselves
• They liked what they saw and were able to pitch it

6
Tell a Story

• To tell a story you need to know
• who your audience is
• And what your audience wants to know
• You need to know your what audience wants to know
• You need to put yourself in your audience shoes,
  figure out what concerns them, and how to meet
  their expectations and exceed them

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One way to do it

• Write about each of you (past, skills, ambitions,
  goals, values) to the effect that the client is
  excited to have your skills and energy on the
  project
• Write about the Team (how each of you will come
  together, your common ambitions, goals, values,
  your team name, your team logo, your team motto)
• Establish your standards, rules, and procedures
  to reflect the teams identity
• Write the contract (commit to your common values,
  standards, and goals, locking-in your fate with
  your that of your teammates for benefit of the
  client).

8
White Space

• Use the white space deliberately so as to
  maximize its psychological impact
• Nobody likes to read fine print!
• Dont skimp on paper, you look cheap
• Your report is not a data repository. It is a
  well engineered message, a complete package

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Putting it all together

• You could for example, dedicate a page to each
  member with a well-cropped picture and plenty of
  interesting details about the person PLUS
• A single page of individual photographs and
  individual captions in which you each writes a
  particularly special message to the reader what
  the client is getting out of each of you. IDS did
  this single page idea extremely well!! PLUS
• To wrap it all up, a team picture with team
  information and team formation information the
  team story PLUS
• Standards sections PLUS Contract section
• Create a sense of chaos becoming order!

10
Deliverable?

• Deliverable is techie jargon
• Business people call these things Reports
• When with techies use techie jargon, when with
  business people, use business jargon
• Remember, one of your skills is the ability to
  translate so do it deliberately

11
Congratulations to IDS!

• IDS did a great job and in particular had a
  couple of outstanding ideas
• IDS inserted a Time Line in the Table of Contents
  (TOC) this really helps orient the reader, it
  doesnt have to go in the TOC, but it also shows
  that you can use the left-over white space in the
  TOC to stuff more things in
• IDS had a great TEAM PAGE in a single page they
  were able to put everyones picture and
  individual captions to great effect

12
Congratulations to BIG and Infinity Analysis

• Both BIG and Infinity Analysis did a phenomenal
  job on the look and feel of the deliverable!
• BIG had fantastic logos and emblems they put
  their logo on the back cover to great effect!
  They used heavy paper through out to superlative
  effect
• Infinity Analysis used color to great effect as
  well as the best cover paper (great texture and
  color). They designed an outstanding logo, and
  began the branding process by imposing a
  distinctive and (almost) consistent look to ALL
  their pages

13
Congratulations to DDR

• Dynamic Data Revolution DDR (The Group
  Formerly Known as Hornet Consulting) did a
  terrific job
• Unfortunately the competition in this class blew
  them away
• DDR, therefore, is the team to look out for
  they have score to settle
• I wish DDR and the rest of the Teams the absolute
  best. May you all succeed in all your endeavors
  -- leo

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Executive Summary

• Reports help people think by doing the thinking
  for them. To write a report you need to know what
  the reader wants to think about, do their
  thinking for them, and justify your WHY quickly
  without belaboring the HOW. The HOW needs to be
  there, neatly tucked away in the appropriate
  sections for later reference only.
• In this report your reader wants to know who
  you are, how good you are, and whether he/she
  made the right choice in hiring you.