Document Development Exposi on: Workplace Correspondence

Explain in detail your document’s development from planning to nish, describing your
challenges, how you overcame them, and what you learned.

Planning
When I began working, my goal was to address the urgent issue of declining shark popula ons and
propose a comprehensive conserva on strategy to the Oceana Conserva on Department. I wanted to
highlight the importance of sharks in marine ecosystems and emphasize the need for immediate
ac on. To achieve this, I planned to structure the document into sec ons that covered key areas, such
as research and monitoring, public awareness campaigns, and policy advocacy.

First Dra (for peer edi ng)

In the rst dra , I focused on presen ng the problem at hand and the proposed solu on. I included a
summary that outlined the threats faced by sharks and the consequences of their decline. I also
introduced the mul -faceted approach, including research and monitoring, public awareness
campaigns, and policy advocacy. I made sure to provide speci c recommenda ons in each area,
outlining the ac ons that needed to be taken.

Challenges and Overcoming Them:

One challenge I encountered during the development of the rst dra was nding the right balance
between providing enough informa on and keeping the document concise and focused. I wanted to
convey the urgency of the issue and the importance of the proposed strategy without overwhelming
the reader with excessive details. To overcome this challenge, I carefully reviewed and revised the
content, ensuring that each paragraph contributed to the overall message and that unnecessary
repe on was eliminated.

Second Dra (for your packet)

I took into account the feedback received from my peer editor. They pointed out that the document
should be presented as a memo rather than a proposal, focusing on repor ng informa on and making
small recommenda ons. I made the necessary changes to align the document with the memo format,
removing language that could be interpreted as a proposal. I also removed the color from the memo
to adhere to the minimal design choices typically associated with memos.

Challenges and Overcoming Them:

The main challenge I faced during the development of the second dra was adjus ng the tone and
language to t the memo format while s ll conveying the importance and urgency of the issue. It was
crucial to maintain a professional tone and avoid any language that could be seen as persuasive or
promo onal. To address this challenge, I carefully reviewed each sec on and modi ed the language
to align with the memo's purpose of repor ng informa on and making small recommenda ons.
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 Document Development Exposi on: Workplace Correspondence

Final Dra (for your por olio)

I further re ned the memo to ensure clarity, conciseness, and adherence to the memo format. I
added sentences outside of the bulleted list in the recommenda on sec on to provide addi onal
context and explana on for each recommenda on. I also revised the email to frame the proposed
solu on as a shared problem and made it more future-friendly.

Challenges and Overcoming Them:

The main challenge I encountered during the development of the nal dra was nding the right
balance between providing enough informa on and keeping the email concise and engaging. I
wanted to capture the recipient's a en on and mo vate them to consider the proposed solu on. To
overcome this challenge, I carefully cra ed the email, focusing on presen ng the problem,
highligh ng the solu on, and reques ng support and considera on. I also incorporated the
professor's feedback to format the signature block di erently from the rest of the email, adding a
personal touch.

What I Learned:
Throughout the development of the document, I learned the importance of adap ng the content and
format to suit the speci c purpose and audience. I realized the signi cance of maintaining a clear and
concise wri ng style, par cularly in memos, to e ec vely convey informa on and make small
recommenda ons. Addi onally, I gained a deeper understanding of the challenges involved in
balancing the level of detail in a document, ensuring it remains focused and engaging. Overall, this
experience taught me valuable lessons in document planning, revision, and tailoring content to
di erent formats.
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