Projects

Choosing The Perfect Topic: Individual Or In Group

Pick An Interesting Topic

In some classes, professors hand out topics and give students no choice. Others prefer to list some choices and let students choose topics. In other cases, students are told to choose a topic and run it by the professor.

In the latter case, here are some ways to help you make a good choice. Do your homework to make sure that you know what you are talking about. The following is very subjective, but when it comes to choosing potential topics, ask yourself whether the professor and class will care.

The following to do list before you start a project can be applied in school and in business. Going over these simple steps will ensure that you will not waste your time and that your efforts bear fruit and not frustration.

Research

Before the advent of the WWW, researching was an arduous task involving considerable time spent at the library, going through archives of newspapers and dusty books to find the occasional needle in the haystack.

That was then, this is now. Today, you have no reason not to sit in front of a computer for 5 to 15 minutes to conduct a query with a good search engine. Immediately you get a feel for what is out there in terms of existing data, previous research and potential leads. This first step alone can save you time and headaches.

Pick A Topic Where Research And Facts Exist

For example, the Black Market is a very interesting topic for a marketing project, but where and how do you plan on identifying, gathering, analyzing and presenting the facts. If you do too good of a job, you just may find yourself face down in a back alley.

Inquire: Do You Smell What I'm Cooking?

Once you have an idea, do not be shy about visiting your professor. Pitch the idea and use them as a soundboard. After all, they will be in full control when it comes time to grading, so you want them to have a taste of what to expect.

Some professors will tell you straight up that the topic is impossible, or whether you are getting too specific or too general. Whatever the case may be they are a great beacon throughout the project so make sure that their input is considered.

Most professors have an element of nurturing in them, while some are downright father figures, so consulting them from Day 1 provides them with a sense of ownership. They may be easier on you when grading is conducted.

It is also possible that professor cynicism over a project will challenge you more. If this is so, good for you, go for it. But understand that you are taking a risk.

Get In The Driver's Seat

The first thing you should do when you step out of the office is relay all of the information to group mates. While some may think that the ideal would be for all group members to be present at the first teacher meeting, this is not so. Too many cooks in a small, crammed office spoils the broth. What you should ensure is that the group leader is there with another person.

Reassess

These two people (or at least the leader) must then present the feedback in order for the group to reassess the project status.

Identify

What are the topics to be addressed and which functions deserve more emphasis? The SWOT analysis comes up often, but is that all there is to it?

Plan

Whether you decide to proceed or re-evaluate the project, at this point, you have to plan. Planning in business comes down to determining how much and which resources must be allocated; to whom these resources must be allocated to; and how the work must be measured and analyzed.

While it would be great for all members to work in unison on all facets of the project, this is time consuming, short sighted and will insight control freaks down the road. It would be great to work together step by step as the project takes shape, but this would entail that everyone oversee the arcane, mundane and trivial details.

The better, albeit riskier alternative is to break up the work amongst the group based on individual interest level and area of expertise.

Breaking Down A Problem

Macro (Industry) Versus Micro (Firm)

The top down approach involves looking at matters from an economy level, then industry and company. The alternative bottom up approach is also good. The challenge and main determinant of success is knowing which one to use.

Operations Versus Finances (Income Statement Approach)

The second way to look at a problem is to see how it involves the operations and finances of the firm. Break up the problem by looking at the company income statement.

Income Statement Versus Balance Sheet

Finally it is important to evaluate how the problem will impact the firm's balance sheet and income statement. Only then has the analysis examined both sides of the equation.

Write In A Consistent Style

So many groups end up dividing the project and having one person cut and paste all of the work into one master document. This is efficient in terms of time allocation but it usually makes for a mess of a document with different styles, messages and sentence structures.

What you should do is either single out one person that will handle everything from presentation to editing or ensure that the group leader also handles these tasks. It is undoubtedly more work, but it will make the difference between a B and an A, or in some cases, an F and a C.

Follow Up

Once the project is underway, pay the professor another visit. Hopefully the teacher will see an improvement and factor that into your grade. If the project is still off the mark, the group will have to assess whether it is worth going back to square one.

Set Deadlines

The problem is that sometimes you may feel that you are ahead and get complacent. This is when the deadline will sneak up and bite you. So set deadlines like you would in any project and meet them. Setting and respecting deadlines is perhaps the single most underrated skill in business. Of course, there are underrated skills, and then there are underrated traits.

When it comes to group projects, you need to assemble the right team.