Comm 101 Tutorial

1. Comm 101 Tutorial Section 101 Week 4

2. Agenda

3. Case based learning - Why • Apply tools and concepts to real-world scenarios • Engage critical thinking skills • Fantastic learning tool for students • Reinforce the connection between analysis and recommendations/solutions Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

4. Case based learning - How • Issues, Analysis, Recommendations • Approach • Prioritizing • Framing your response Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

5. Issues, Analysis, Recommendations 1. Issues: important problems, decisions or issues. • Analysis: analysis of underlying causes of issues, and alternative actions considered, selectively supported by relevant concepts and frameworks as you learn them. • Recommendations: a set of clear recommendations, supported by your analysis. • Because cases are complex, yet the memos (or class discussion opportunity) brief, you will face the challenge and discipline of organizing your thinking well and writing/talking concisely. Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

6. Stages of learning in cases • Individual Preparation • Small group discussion • Large group (class) discussion • After case personal reflection L LG SG Ind. Case Skills t Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

7. Approaching a Case • Skim the case quickly to “get a feel” • Look to see if a specific decision point is identified (typically in the first or last paragraph) • Then, read the case carefully and make notes (but do not take too long) • Can you identify the issues? • How are they linked? Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

8. The Case Preparation stages A) Identify Issues B) Analysis C) Alternative Generation D) Decision Criteria E) Alternative Assessment F) Recommendation G) Action & Implementation H) Assumptions Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

9. Prioritizing Issues • Importance & Urgency of Issues • Cause & effect diagram (fishbone) • SWOT framework • Comparative data • Financial analysis Your list will grow as you progress through your degree Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

10. Prioritizing Issues Fishbone analysis: cause & effect Urgency/importance quadrant Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

11. Decision Criteria • What decision criteria could you use to screen alternative options? • Hint: list under qualitative and quantitative • Provide examples relevant to the practice case • $ Return, aligns with strategy, etc. Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

12. Framing your response • Know your audience – report/memo • What are the issues? • “What” course of action should be taken. – Without this you risk listing lots of items but failing to commit to one • “Why” reflects your evidence, directly from the case and distilled from your analysis • “How” is the implementation plan Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

13. Framing your response • Memo • Not everything from your prep will fit in the memo constraints • Check each set of instructions • Be selective in what you choose to present • Develop your own style and “voice” • Learn from exemplars Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

14. Recap of case fundamentals • Make a decision based on the information at hand – Issues – Analysis – Alternative solutions – Recommendation • Persuasion and argument in support of the Decision – “my analysis shows” beats “I think.” Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

15. Student Myths • MYTH: I have an advantage because I know this company You will only learn the keys to success if you can “abstract” away from the case -this means getting beyond the detail or specific situation to recognize and deal with the broader principles Also, your knowledge may post-date the case! Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

16. More Student Myths • MYTH: I will have an advantage if I go to the company’s web site and spend a lot of time doing research on this company • In fact, you may be wasting your time. All the information you need for the assignment is in the case. Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

17. Conclusion • There is no single right answer to a case • With practice you can become good at tackling • New industries • Complex data • Ambiguity • Building your “toolkit” and making good tool selections • And characterize problems and opportunities • PROCESSING the situation via • ISSUES • ANALYSIS • RECOMMENDATIONS Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

18. Lieber Case • What are we being asked to do? Lieber Case Skills Biz Plan Questions Discussion

19. Lieber Case • What are we being asked to do? • Evaluate whether or not we can afford to drop our price by 20% Lieber Case Skills Biz Plan Questions Discussion

20. Lieber Case • How do we do that? Lieber Case Skills Biz Plan Questions Discussion

21. Lieber Case • How do we do that? • We are going to look at the profit we make off of each unit sold and check to see if it covers our fixed operating costs • Let’s look at the numbers Lieber Case Skills Biz Plan Questions Discussion

22. Lieber Case Exit Presentation and double-click object Lieber Case Skills Biz Plan Questions Discussion

23. Lieber Case • Questions? Lieber Case Skills Biz Plan Questions Discussion

24. Business Plan Assignment • Each team selects one business plan • No duplicates – register on form through assignment guidelines pdf • Identify elements of a business plan – do not analyze the business plan • Note the assignment specs on the pdf Biz Plan Case Skills Lieber Questions Discussion

25. Business Plan Assignment - Rules • Maximum 1000 words • Include word count • Don’t submit late Biz Plan Case Skills Lieber Questions Discussion

26. Business Plan Assignment Biz Plan Case Skills Lieber Questions Discussion

27. Business Plan Assignment Biz Plan Case Skills Lieber Questions Discussion

28. Business Plan Assignment Biz Plan Case Skills Lieber Questions Discussion

29. Business Plan Assignment Biz Plan Case Skills Lieber Questions Discussion

30. Business Plan Assignment Biz Plan Case Skills Lieber Questions Discussion

31. Business Plan Assignment Biz Plan Case Skills Lieber Questions Discussion

32. Business Plan Assignment • You are NOT analyzing the business plan • Just show your knowledge and comprehension of the business plan • Access Bloom’s taxonomy to ensure you are not over-analyzing Biz Plan Case Skills Lieber Questions Discussion

33. Business Plan Assignment Biz Plan Case Skills Lieber Questions Discussion

34. Business Plan Assignment Biz Plan Case Skills Lieber Questions Discussion

35. Business Plan Assignment Biz Plan Case Skills Lieber Questions Discussion

36. Business Plan Assignment Biz Plan Case Skills Lieber Questions Discussion

37. Business Plan Assignment • Questions? Questions Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Discussion

38. Discussion Discussion Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions

39. Discussion Discussion Case Skills Lieber Biz Plan Questions