I: Goal Outline
Many people build their image of the perfect career development and look at the opportunities to work for large multinational companies. At the same time, there is a variety fo other ways to develop personally and succeed in creating the individual career path.My long-term goal is to open a small business in frozen food production sector. To achieve this goal in a long term I need to build and reach several major milestones. One of these key success factors is the internship in High Liner Foods Company, one of the most recognized organizations in the frozen ready food segment. Currently, the company does not have a formal internship program, but individuals can apply for the summer internship through the personal approach and suggested internship program. This assignment will focus on achieving the following goal: develop an internship proposal and present it to the HR and logistics department manager at the High Liner Foods to gain an opportunity and go through two-month internship within import and export functions of the organization. The deadline for completing this goal the 20th of June. More specifically, there are three core elements to this project. First of all, I (who?) will develop and present the project for the individual internship program (what?) and schedule the meeting to present it by the 15th of July to receive the position of the organization by the 20th of the same month (when?).
In creating this proposal, the goal statement for formulated in order to make this project tangible and measurable. The goal statement is: Develop and present a persuasive proposal of the summer internship at High LinerFoods Import and Export Department, outlining my passion for the industry and potential contribution to the company. The success of the initiative will b measured by the acceptance or refusal of HR and hiring manager".
II: Planning of the Process
The goal outlined above is very specific and is based on a broader and long-term plan of opening own business. The choice for the internship organization is based upon personal knowledge gained through theoretical studies about the company and business literature, demonstrating the success and innovation that the organization brings to the sector.
Receiver Analysis
The decision-making process in the company is very similar to other organization with complex structures. At the same time, local offices have an opportunity and freedom to conduct small HR and social projects in their respective regions. With that in mind, I was able to identify that the decision on hiring a short-term intern in the logistics sectors lies with the HR manager and the Logistics Manager, who would be a direct supervisor of the intern and can be classified as receivers in this goal.
The values of the company are grounded on innovation, human capital, and social contribution. The receivers, therefore, base their decisions on similar values. Moreover, previous experience of the organization shows that the company already hired several interns to support their seasonal demand and benefit from new “young” thoughts and ideas, joining the company.
Given the above knowledge, the approach to the receiver should demonstrate the actual benefits of the hiring for the company, including the contribution and skills, which I can offer to the organization during the period. Additionally, I should infer such elements as passion and self-starter attitude to address the attitude towards me as well as demonstrate my competence in addressing the issue through coherent internship plan presentation to build the attitude towards me as a persuader. The above structure will also allow outlining the attitude towards my goal and its contribution to the long-term plan that I have for the future.
Analytical Framework
Situation Analysis
Given the type of the goal and the business environment, it is possible to argue that I will find myself in a very formal setting of a large and well-structured international company. The preconception and preliminary presentation of the idea, which I will have to make at the time of setting the appointment, will have the significant influence on the persuasive effort. Furthermore, there are several other environmental factors, which have influenced the outcome. The timing of the meeting should be well-planned to ensure that the receivers benefit from a short and coherent presentation, inferring all the critical to the decision elements. Secondly, the communication of the goal is essential to achieve the posititve result as at the end of the day, the persuasive effort "sells me as individual" to the company. Finally, due to the formal setting, there is little room for relationships development and, thus, the first impression and the power of persuasion will play a paramount role in the process.
Some other barriers should be considered in the process. First of all, the success of the persuasive effort depends on my ability to convince the HR manager to schedule the interview in the first place. This means that part of the persuasive effort and process lies in the preliminary phone conversation when I cannot utilize all the tools to convince the receivers and should develop exceptional phone communication strategy. By conducting the phone conversation, followed by a summary of the proposal, sent via email to the HR and Hiring manager, I will be able to set specific receiver's expectations. Additionally, I will outline the relevant agenda for the meeting and will provide the receivers with an opportunity to prepare questions and relevant background for the decision.
Feasibility Analysis
The timeline for conducting the persuasive effort is reasonably short as the project has to commence at the earliest convenience and end on the 20th of June to be able to start the internship from the 1st of August. With that in mind, it is possible to classify the goal as short term. But the re-evaluation of success, in a case of failure, will demand the repetition of the effort next year, which makes this effort more forward-thinking. Additionally, given the fact that this goal builds on the milestone of a longer-term plan, the impact of the effort can be significant on the timeline in the future.
Planning the Message
The core objectives of the persuasive effort are:
Present the proposal;
Convince the receiver;
Demonstrate the fit to the organization;
Demonstrate passion and willingness to become part of the project.
The above outline indicates that the effort will demand at least four messages. Each message will emphasize the core goal and attract the receivers' attention to the topic. The persuasion theory aims at changing the attitude of a receiver.Based on the assumption of the factors, influencing the receiver, the above messages will be able to provide the information, ensure selective exposure, actualize attention to ensure selective memorization and make perception be driven by the emotional contribution to the persuasive effort.
The company is not looking for an intern, thus the interest in setting this project is more from my side and the burden of conviction lies with the sender and not the receiver. To overcome this barrier I will need to have very coherent structure, which briefly and rapidly can answer the questions: Why? How? And How will it benefit the organization? The structure of the effort will be fourfold. First of all, recognizing the effort of receivers to dedicate their time to the meeting and presenting myself as a persuasion and the potential candidate. This will be done to increase my credibility and open dialogue.Secondly, I will outline the proposal and the mutual benefits, based on my contribution and the positive image of the company. Further, I will demonstrate my passion for the company and willingness to become part of it. Finally, I will be open for the questions by the end of the presentation. This will help to build a bond and first level of relationships with the receivers. The above structure will support and organize the delivery of the persuasive message and help reach the four goals.
III: Evaluation and Analysis
The analysis of the persuasive effort is based on the actual outcome and the lessons learned. First of all, the internship was not approved by the receivers due to the fact that it did not fit into the timeline, which they would require for a person to stay in the role. Reflective review allows arguing that the experience was very positive as the response received could allow reaching the final goal if there was the higher level of flexibility in the timeframe of the project. The presented project was approved and the company asked for the permission to use the plan for an individual they hire this year, leaving the door open for my position next year. This means that the persuasive effort was 95% successful.
The accuracy of analysis is judged on the basis of the expected emotional and cognitive response. As the project was accepted with the only difference in the period of training recommended, it is evident that the preliminary steps and milestones to set up the meeting were based on accurate assumptions.
One of the important learning points is the focus on the potential variations in the time frames, based on the forecast of seasonal demand. I could have dedicated more time analyzing the peak season and preparing for the longer-term internship. One of the major successes, on the other hand, is the accuracy of analysis and prediction of the receivers' expectations in terms of the content of the internship project.
Some of the lessons learned from the project are more personalized and relationship-based approach to the management of the development process. For the next project, I could set up an additional chat with one of the receivers to explore better the needs and desires of the company and build a more specific project, even further meeting their expectations.
Works Cited
Statistics New Zealand. Key Facts. Statistics New Zealand, Tatauranga Aotearoa. Web 13 Apr 2016, http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/film_and_television/ScreenIndustrySurvey_HOTP14-15.aspx
Carters, J. The Development of Social Media. New York: Green Line Publications. 2003. Print.
Reuters. RPT-China's Dalian Wanda buys Australian cinema chain Hoyts. Reuters. 2 June 2015. Web 3 June 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/hoytsgroup-ma-wanda-cinema-idUSL3N0YO5RG20150602
