Minutes 2/6/12

Prepared by: Carmen Ferraro

Present: Remington, Robert, Casey, Jordan, Leah, Brooke, Jacqueline, Carmen

Discussion:

Suzanne handed out a grammar exercise. We worked on it individually, and then traded it among ourselves to discuss the corrections.

Topic:

Review of Professional Profiles. Suzanne told us the mistakes that many people made in our Professional Profiles. We should show not tell our skills and should not use clichés. Do not use phrases such as “at this time” or “moving forward.” Instead, use “Then” or “now” or “in the future.” Similarly, avoid the word “unique.” Be careful of passive voice and awkward sentence structure. The professional profiles were graded out of 20 points. The range was 13-18 points. The median grade was 15.25 points and the mode was 14.5 points. We got them back at the end of class.

Topic:

Memos. Suzanne explained that memos are similar to e-mail, but less formal than a business letter. Memos are almost always used internally within an organization or group. They are a quick and effective way to inform people (ie. a new change in policy). Suzanne then showed us a picture of a “perfect” memo that she found in a mechanic shop. We reviewed the basic requirements for a good memo, which consist of who you are addressing, who it is from, the date, and the subject. The body is small paragraphs or bullets and usually addresses one topic or item.

Discussion:

Howard Shultz Memo. Suzanne handed out a real memo from Howard Shultz. We read it and then analyzed it as a class. Shultz addresses the current issues of Starbucks to the Chief Operations Officer and the Heads of Divisions of Starbucks in the memo. Shultz describes that the atmosphere of Starbucks have changed over time because of the new espresso machines and bagged coffee. Customers no longer have a strong relationship with their baristas or smell the coffee aroma when they walk in the door. The merchandise no longer matches up with their original view and stores have become generic. Shultz asks his team to return to the original vision of Starbucks and expresses his preoccupation with the rising competition.

Group Work:

Reply to Howard Shultz’s memo in pairs. We have the rest of the class to work on the memos with our partner (final drafts are due next class). Each pair will focus on the following topics: equipment, packaging, store design and merchandise buying, and competition and strategic market research. In the memo, we should address Howard Shultz (and the rest of the class). Suzanna said to make sure to explain your division and mention projections for the future/timeline. Be sure to write your name and title when saying who the memo is from. Brooke and Jordan are writing from the Equipment division, Casey and Robert are doing Packaging, Remington and Carmen are doing store design and merchandise buying, and Jacqueline and Leah are doing competition and strategic market research.