Creating a Newsletter on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for Byron Resources

Assignment Overview:
The purpose of this assignment is to reflect, research and explore how the successful business book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, is important to becoming a better communicator, leader and employee in the workplace by creating a newsletter that explores the main ideas of the book using a variety of properties common to an internal business newsletter. 

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:
• Create digitally-written professional communications for readability, coherence, clarity, conciseness, and tone.

• Demonstrate self-reflection and strengthen intrapersonal skills

Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism
Ensure you are aware of the College policies on Academic Honesty and also Plagiarism. Academic dishonesty and plagiarism are taken very seriously at the College even if the dishonesty or plagiarism is unintentional. Please also know that taking credit for work you did not contribute to as it is also considered Academic Dishonesty and will be reported. 

Directions:
After reading the book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, create an internal business newsletter based the following scenario:

You work for Byron Resources, a recruiting company specializing in “sourcing and securing high caliber talent” for their clients. You are the internal communications manager and are creating a newsletter to encourage staff to attend a weekend retreat on leadership. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People will be the book around which the central theme of leadership is developed.

The CEO of Byron Resources is concerned that despite the fact that the retreat will be company sponsored, employees will be reluctant to give up the weekend to attend this retreat.

The CEO is confident that as manager of internal communications, you will be able to create a 3 – 4 page newsletter announcing the retreat, and convincing the staff of the merits of the retreat because the book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is an exciting and interesting approach to the retreat. Staff are required to read the book prior to attending the retreat, and the newsletter must focus on the book and its merits to entice employee attendance to the leadership retreat.

The motto of the retreat is “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” – Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet and essayist

The following is a list of ideas to include in your newsletter. You are not limited to this list. Be creative (Adapted from Sims, 2018).

Learning Outcomes

• Anniversaries or Milestones: Giving a “shout out” in the newsletter is a great way to recognize employees and make them feel appreciated. Who has achieved leadership awards or milestones? Did the book contribute to these milestones? Are there other awards to apply for in the future?

• Create a “Top 10 List”: No one can resist a good list. What are good reasons for reading this book?

• Behind the Scenes: What goes in each department and how do they do what they do? Employees understanding the goals, struggles and strengths of their colleagues helps them connect their personal work to the bigger picture. Does one topic in particular from the book lend itself to a particular department or hallenge at Byron Resources?

• Recommend Additional Reading: Connecting employees to more resources provides more engagement, which will either give employees more context for the book or further entice employees to read the book and attend the retreat.

• Inspirational Quotes: A great way to break up content. Keep it leadership focused, particularly how it relates to the book.

• Employee Profiles or Stories: These personalize the office. Has anyone read this book before? What did they think?

• Contests: Everyone likes to win stuff! Is the Franklin Institute offering a workshop in your area soon? Can employees travel to a workshop as a prize?

• Articles about the Theme of the Retreat: Why was this book chosen? How does it contribute to the theme?

• Business Changes: How will the book change how employees view leadership?

• Details of the Retreat: How will the book be used during the retreat?

• Advice Column: How can problems at Byron Resources be resolved by the ideas in the book?

 FAQ: Important questions answered so employees don’t give up before they get started. Where can they get a copy of the book? Is there an electronic version? Video? Why is one version better over another? 

• Training Opportunities: Byron Resources values employees continued education and growth. How does the book accomplish this?

• Competitor News: Show how employee efforts to read the book, attend the workshop, develop new skills gives them a competitive advantage.

• Reviews and Positive Critiques: Entice staff with these positive messages.

• Visuals and Graphics: Create immediate interest by capturing their attention, not just a copy of the cover of the book or an image of Stephen Covey…think outside the box!

You may use the following resources:
1. The course textbook.
2. Course Content.
3. The academic databases may be helpful to you. The databases can be accessed online through Bow Valley College`s

The assignment must meet the following guidelines:
1. Build your newsletter in Microsoft Word. The newsletter must be 3-4 pages in length

2. Must have a title page with the name of the assignment, your name, your ID number, your instructor’s name, and the date you are submitting the assignment.

3. Proofread for correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, and English language usage.

4. You must cite ALL of your sources using APA formatting (please refer to Bow Valley College’s Learning Resource Services Page on citations

5. Turnitin function, all assignments which are submitted through the dropbox will automatically be run through the Turnitin program.

6. Please review the Academic Honesty Module with respect to academic honesty and plagiarism. This information is located on Brightspace/D2L within the Program pages. 

7. You will receive a mark of zero if your work is copied or plagiarized and further disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with the academic honesty policy.

8. Your paper will be marked in accordance with the Rubric attached to this assignment.

9. Submit your assignment in to the Brightspace/D2L dropbox provided