Rehearsal Week - The Importance of Preparedness

I don't believe in team motivation. I believe in getting a team prepared so it knows it will have the necessary confidence when it steps on a field and be prepared to play a good game.

Tom Landry

Be prepared, work hard, and hope for a little luck. Recognize that the harder you work and the better prepared you are, the more luck you might have.

Ed Bradley

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/be_prepared.html#XmIvw2ZKk0C8uK7Q.99

This week, we will prepare for next week’s Regional Business Plan Presentation competition.  Each day this week, our competition team will take aim at each element of the rubric and attempt to knock it out of the park.  In order for them to succeed, everyone needs to play a part.  Here’s a little blurb about what each person should be prepared to do this week:

Clear Target: We can analyze and critique a business plan

Objectives:

• Ø  Analyze business plan presentation
• Ø  Determine appropriate questions to fully understand presentation
• Ø  Critique business plan presentation

Presentation Team:

As presenters, the competition team needs to have lines memorized and be prepared to act on the fly if something goes awry during the performance.  Each presenter also needs to know the business plan and the presentation inside out so that any member can handle a question from the panel of investors.  Review the questions at the end of the file titled “Business Plan Presentation Info for Teachers” in your Google Drive, as well as any other questions you think an investor might ask after hearing you perform.

Non-Presenters:

As the audience, you need to be attentive to what is said by your team.  Listen to the presentation as if you were an investor, or worked for a bank that has $50,000 to lend to a business that you think will productively use it.  Think about things that are presented, and if you require any clarification about important points of the performance, write down questions to ask that will help you better understand the business.  Be critical of each presenter – if someone can’t handle the pressure of speaking to you, think about whether you would trust this person with $50,000 of your money.  Use the questions in the file “Business Plan Presentation Info for Teachers” in your Google Drive to help prepare the presenters for their big day.  Use the rubric to score the team after their time has expired.  We will discuss your scoring and critique the presentation after you have completed your forms.

We will rehearse every day this week, in front of a different teacher/administrator.  Each spectator is free to ask any question he or she wants, so be prepared for anything.  Here’s a breakdown of who will be watching each day:

Monday – just the class and Mr. Spinella

Tuesday – Mr. Bruce

Wednesday – Ms. Ross

Thursday – Mystery Admin Team member

Friday – Mystery Admin Team member

Other Tasks to Complete:

 According to the VE site, our competition submissions are not due until Tuesday @ 6pm.  That said, we are going to assign 1 employee from the Newsletter team (Cody Ruth) to amend our submission based on the rubric elements that are missing.  I am also assigning 1 employee from finance (William Wright) to take care of the weekly finance tasks.  See below for assignments:

Newsletter:

-In order to focus on employee related information and events AND touch upon things going on in the virtual world, I suggest writing a short (200-250 word) article about our plans to introduce our new organization to the virtual network.  Highlight how each department (or at least 3 departments) will contribute to the promotion. 

-To touch upon real-world business news, maybe you can discuss the demand for higher end or specialty catering.  A simple Google search can direct you to a number of articles that might help.

-Discuss our Breast Cancer Awareness cupcake and explain how a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Susan G. Komen or other cancer research.

-Try to create two columns for each page of the newsletter instead of one.  This will enhance the overall aesthetics of the submission.

Finance:

Please continue making inventory records until they are all complete and up to date.  Also, please keep records of attendance and distribute payroll accordingly.  Finally, based on our figures in the business plan, determine monthly rent/utilities and pay them.  You may need to email Lisa Bonelli (reach out to your CEO for her contact information) to get the full details.  When you contact Lisa, explain that you need to pay rent and utilities from July through October and would like to know who to add as a payee. 

By the end of this week, our competition team will be primed and ready for next Monday’s competition.  I look forward to hearing you work and improve each day this week.