While reading Ruth Axelrod's excellent post I recalled mind-opening
experiences more than a sunspot cycle ago as a 'student' at GE
Management Development Institute. I was fortunate enough long ago to
hear Ram Charam speak about Power and Mel Tumin about People and Dale
Zand about collaborative decision and others about Ethics etc. Makes me
wonder whether Business Schools actively analyze the programs of the
leading corporate universities to decide their respective curricula.
I found it especially interesting to learn during the social hour in the
evenings that the GE-sponsored speakers were enthused about getting to
say what needed to be said because it couldn't be said back in their
"tenure traps."
----- Original Message -----
> Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 07:21:16 -0500
> From: "Ruth H. Axelrod" <
raxelrod@gwu.edu>
> Subject: Re: Can we teach how to make good judgements in
BusinessSchools
>
> Paul--
>
> It seems to me that what you are talking about is what we learn in a
> liberal arts education and by reading the "wisdom books". I certainly
> don't think that we teach it in any of our professional schools. I
have
> read time and again that top CEOs read constantly--and the wisest
don't
> concentrate only on the latest management books, if they read them at
> all. To teach that type of thinking, I think that we would need to
> change our paradigm--scrap the textbooks and assign/discuss Aristotle
> (ideal worlds), Machiavelli (power), Sun Tzu (strategy) and so many
> others.
>
> We are focused now on teaching a body of knowledge that has been
> digested and regurgitated in the form of formal models and theories.
> That's not the same thing as teaching people how to think. Learning
to
> "think", I believe, can only occur in a raw, messy context (which is
why
> I don't use many canned case studies) complicated by conflicting
> information, emotion, multiple agendas, stress, frustration, and
> personal barriers like psychological blinders. Because the type of
> "thinking" that you are talking about is not just an intellectual
> activity. We are good at training the intellect but I think that most
> profs don't pay much attention to the rest of our sensing, processing
> and decision-making apparatus.
>
> I try to teach students to think by assigning them to write reflective
> papers analyzing experiences in their work environment (since I teach
OB
> and leadership). Surprisingly, perhaps, even the undergrads who are
> assigned weekly papers love it. Many of them tell me that it's the
> first time in their business education that they have been asked to
> think and write about the totality of organizational life--emotional
and
> spiritual as well as intellectual--and about how they make decisions
in
> that context. Most of them haven't written such a paper since
Freshman
> English. Why not? How do we expect people to be able to use the
> knowledge we hand them unless we teach them how to integrate it into
> their every-day reality? (BTW, I am not implying that I am the only
one
> who does this. Far from it! I know that many profs have creative
ways
> of "teaching to reality"--probably most of the people who bother to
> subscribe to this list do so in various ways.)
>
> Ruth
>
> Paul Wong wrote:
> >
> > I want to thank all of you for your helpful suggestions. However,
what I
> > was trying to get at in my original posting is some illusive
leadership
> > quality which may be called intuiion, insight, or crative genius.
CEOs who
> > possess this kind of quality are able to judge people accurately,
have a
> > deep understanding of all the issues involved, and make sound, snap
> > decisions in very fast-moving, complex situations which do not allow
time
> > for rational analysis or consultatnion. My question is: Can we teach
this
> > kind of leadership quality in Business Schools?
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Edryce Reynolds
> > To:
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> > Sent: 1/5/2002 6:17 PM
> > Subject: Re: Can we teach how to make good judgements in Business
Schools
> >
> > I am sure the suggestions already given are helpful.
> > I have one of my own.
> >
> > To make good decisions, one should remove one's own
> > interests FIRST. I think many CEOs think first of
> > whether the decision will make them "look good" before
> > they think of whether the decision is good for the
> > organization.
> >
> > To remove one's own interests takes some doing. I
> > recommend meditation and perhaps some study of how to
> > quiet those "chatterboxes" in our heads. If the CEO
> > (or the Business student who wants to be a CEO) is
> > worth anything, she/he will be able to apply the
> > knowledge to the situation, think of the future of the
> > organization, and make a good decision.
> >
> > I know this is not according to conventional wisdom,
> > but I believe it works best.
> >
> > Edryce
> >
> > --- "Roy J. Lewicki" <
lewicki_1@cob.osu.edu> wrote:
> > > You ought to read the work of Paul Nutt. Paul has
> > > several books and
> > > numerous articles out on top management decision
> > > making.
> > > His claim is that 50% of all top mgt decisions
> > > fail., suggesting that all the
> > > work we do trying to train managers to make better
> > > decisions may or may
> > > not succeed better than chance. For reasons why,
> > > consult his
> > > work. Methodologies are controversial but it will
> > > get you going in a direction.
> > >
> > > Roy Lewicki
> > >
> > > >Managers and CEOs are paid to make good decisions,
> > > because one bad decision
> > > >has the potential of ruining the buiness.
> > > >
> > > >There are many courses on problem solving and
> > > decision making processes.
> > > >However, I am talking about making good judgements
> > > in day-to-day
> > > >interactions and in high dynamic and kinetic
> > > engagements.
> > > >
> > > >I have witnessed again and again that when leaders
> > > misread a very fluid
> > > >situaiton, or misjudge the the characters involved
> > > in the engagement, they
> > > >end up making very bad decisions.
> > > >
> > > >Some people believe that good judgements are based
> > > on intuition and
> > > >creativity -- it is same thing possessed by very
> > > talented leaders, but it
> > > >cannot be taught. Is there any research refuting or
> > > supporting this view?
> >
> > __________________________________________________
> > Do You Yahoo!?
> > Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail!
> >
http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 10:22:54 EST
> From: William Weech <
WAWEECH@aol.com>
> Subject: Re: Can we teach how to make good judgements in Business
Schools
>
> Paul Wong wrote:
>
> << I want to thank all of you for your helpful suggestions. However,
what I
> was trying to get at in my original posting is some illusive
leadership
> quality which may be called intuiion, insight, or crative genius. CEOs
who
> possess this kind of quality are able to judge people accurately, have
a deep
> understanding of all the issues involved, and make sound, snap
decisions in
> very fast-moving, complex situations which do not allow time for
rational
> analysis or consultatnion. My question is: Can we teach this kind of
> leadership quality in Business Schools? >>
>
> I have never worked in a business school but I do work in leadership
> development. I would respond as follows. If one seeks to teach a
leadership
> quality that one sees as "illusive" and one is not even sure what to
call it,
> success is unlikely. On the other hand, if one seeks to train a
well-defined
> set of cognitive processes or a specific set of leadership behaviors,
the
> chances of success are much greater. A common problem in leadership
> development programs is that they are rather fuzzy about what exactly
they
> are trying to teach. For me, the question posed above suffers from
this
> weakness.
>
> William A. Weech
> Leadership and Management School
> Foreign Service Institute
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 10:31:49 -0600
> From: Christopher Barlow <
barlow@stuart.iit.edu>
> Subject: Re: Can we teach how to make good judgements inBusiness
Schools
>
> Paul--
>
> Your question is a good one, but a messy one.
>
> And, as with many great questions, the question hides some potential
> solutions.
>
> The folks looking at creativity have resolved this by saying in effect
> that you cannot teach creativity, but the world does a great job of
> teaching people not to listen to, apply, or develop their creativity,
so
> the process is one of overcoming the bad lessons learned --
unteaching.
> In addition, one can look at processes of "deliberate creativity" in
> which learn from "natural" creativity how a person can "fake it" --
> behave more like they were creative.
>
> So, for each of the several inter-related talents you mention,
students
> can be helped to pay attention to processes in the world and in their
> mind which they have been taught to ignore -- such as emotional
> intelligence or intuition.
>
> They can also learn ways to let those abilites unfold and learn ways
to
> check them -- it is hard to tell intuitive genius from other
unconcious
> processes like prejudice, hate, neurosis ... one needs to learn to
cross
> check.
>
> And it is possible to learn "left brain" "logical" methods which seem
to
> help the brain take what is possibly a different route to the desired
> results. For example, learning to draw pistures and systems charts
> seems to help people comprehend and perform more complexly.
>
> I find all the things you mention to be easily "teachable", as long as
I
> realize that I am helping a potential develop, and students vary
widely
> in their basic talent in these areas.
>
> And some of those whose focused abilities have make them most
successful
> on our current education and management system have severely impaired
> abilities in the areas you mentioned.
>
> I look forward to hearing more about the results of your quest.
> --
> Christopher M. Barlow, PhD
> Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior
> Stuart Graduate School of Business
> Illinois Institute of Technology
> 565 West Adams Street
> Chicago, Illinois 60661
> Voice: (630) 221-9456
> Fax: (312) 906-6549
> mailto://
barlow@stuart.iit.edu
>
http://www.stuart.iit.edu/faculty/barlow
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 12:07:20 -0500
> From: Charles Wankel <
wankelc@optonline.net>
> Subject: Re: Can we teach how to make good judgments in Business
Schools
>
> From: Sylvie Labelle [mailto:
cfis@qc.aira.com]
>
> There are courses in intuition and creativity and creative leadership.
> It is very introspective. Journals, meditation, arts help a lot.
>
> Sylvie
>
cfis@qc.aira.com
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 12:29:20 -0500
> From: Charles Wankel <
cxx@bellatlantic.net>
> Subject: TOC - Industry and Higher Education
>
> Volume 15, Number 6 of:
>
> Industry and Higher Education, a journal from IP Publishing Ltd
>
> is now available online via the CatchWord service, and contains the
> following articles:
>
> Articles
> Goodbye Cardinal Newman, hello David Beckham: the rise and rise of
> vocationalism in university curricula
> John Kelly
>
> SPECIAL FOCUS: COLLABORATION AMONG SMES AND UNIVERSITIES
> Introduction
> Hans-Henrik Hvolby
>
> Stimulating manufacturing excellence through university-industry
> interaction
> Jens O. Riis
>
> The TCS model: an effective method of technology transfer at
Kingston
> University, UK
> Marguerite Lipscomb; Anne Marie McEwan
>
> An emerging model for vocational training
> Jan Frick
>
> Helping smaller manufacturers implement performance measurement: a
> regional group mentoring programme
> Shirley Coleman; John Francis; Carol Hodgson; Dave Stewardson
>
> Articles
> An assessment of higher education spin-off enterprises in Wales
> David Brooksbank; Brychan Thomas
>
> The employers' priorities: vocational skills and capabilities for
> management accountants
> Trevor Hassall; John Joyce; Jose Luis Arquero Montano; Jose Antonio
> Donoso Anes
>
> Physics and creativity: problem solving and learning contexts
> Jorge Barojas; Rafael P=E9rez y P=E9rez
>
>
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
=3D=
>
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
=3D=
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>
> Subscribers can view this issue at:
>
http://www.catchword.com/rpsv/catchword/ip/09504222/contp1.htm
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 11:36:22 -0700
> From: Jack Ring <
jring@amug.org>
> Subject: Re: MG-ED-DV Can we teach how to make good judgements in
Business
> Schools
>
> Paul,
> CEO's who are able to judge people accurately, understand the issues
> involved and make sound decisions in fast moving situations are
applying
> neither an illusive nor an elusive quality such as intuition, insight
> nor creative genius. They just happen to have done a hell of a lot
more
> homework than most and can leverage their knowledge through mental
> models of "how things work and how things fail."
>
> Two capabilities can be taught; 1) the concepts of decision making
> including the NDM model of Gary Klein's, and 2) the art and practice
of
> modeling -- of meaning (articulating ontologies), of process
> (explicating the relationships among things) and of decision (yes,
> modeling decision and models of decision).
>
> All the rest is homework. The homework factor is highlighted by the
> research findings of three or so decades ago that people who's parents
> ran their own businesses or were successful managers of other's
> businesses are more likely to become successful managers.
>
> Also, Edryce's note bears scrutiny. A very powerful but little
> discussed factor in management is Purpose. Many will argue that if a
> manager does what is best for his or her career then that is best for
> the business, as well. I think this is especially true when the
> business is not well thought out.
>
> IMO one of the key ingredients of Jack Welch's effect on GE was the
> energetic crystallization of Purpose and the relentless suppression of
> "kingdom building." In contrast, also IMO, Gerstner is not
> accomplishing the suppression part.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> > Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2002 20:02:47 -0800
> > From: Paul Wong <
wong@twu.ca>
> > Subject: Re: Can we teach how to make good judgements in Business
> Schools
> >
> > I want to thank all of you for your helpful suggestions. However,
> what I
> > was trying to get at in my original posting is some illusive
> leadership
> > quality which may be called intuiion, insight, or crative genius.
CEOs
> who
> > possess this kind of quality are able to judge people accurately,
have
> a
> > deep understanding of all the issues involved, and make sound, snap
> > decisions in very fast-moving, complex situations which do not allow
> time
> > for rational analysis or consultatnion. My question is: Can we teach
> this
> > kind of leadership quality in Business Schools?
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Edryce Reynolds
> > To:
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> > Sent: 1/5/2002 6:17 PM
> > Subject: Re: Can we teach how to make good judgements in Business
> Schools
> >
> > I am sure the suggestions already given are helpful.
> > I have one of my own.
> >
> > To make good decisions, one should remove one's own
> > interests FIRST. I think many CEOs think first of
> > whether the decision will make them "look good" before
> > they think of whether the decision is good for the
> > organization.>
> [...]>
> > Edryce
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 16:31:12 -0500
> From: travis bradberry <
tbradberry@hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: Can we teach how to make good judgements in Business
Schools
>
> I'd like to address the point made that CEO's who make good decisions
are
> lifelong learners. They read to stay abreast of the changing
environment in
> which organizations operate. I think this type of behavior stems from
sound
> personal qualities, and perhaps some form of intelligence (probably an
> aspect of "g"). A "sound" individual makes decisions based upon what
is
> good for the organization rather than what is going to make them look
good.
> In the end, it ends up working better for both.
>
> Travis Bradberry
>
> >From: Edryce Reynolds <
edryce@yahoo.com>
> >Reply-To: Management Education and Development Discussion
> ><
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
> >To:
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> >Subject: Re: Can we teach how to make good judgements in Business
Schools
> >Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2002 18:17:14 -0800
> >
> >I am sure the suggestions already given are helpful.
> >I have one of my own.
> >
> >To make good decisions, one should remove one's own
> >interests FIRST. I think many CEOs think first of
> >whether the decision will make them "look good" before
> >they think of whether the decision is good for the
> >organization.
> >
> >To remove one's own interests takes some doing. I
> >recommend meditation and perhaps some study of how to
> >quiet those "chatterboxes" in our heads. If the CEO
> >(or the Business student who wants to be a CEO) is
> >worth anything, she/he will be able to apply the
> >knowledge to the situation, think of the future of the
> >organization, and make a good decision.
> >
> >I know this is not according to conventional wisdom,
> >but I believe it works best.
> >
> >Edryce
> >
> >--- "Roy J. Lewicki" <
lewicki_1@cob.osu.edu> wrote:
> > > You ought to read the work of Paul Nutt. Paul has
> > > several books and
> > > numerous articles out on top management decision
> > > making.
> > > His claim is that 50% of all top mgt decisions
> > > fail., suggesting that all the
> > > work we do trying to train managers to make better
> > > decisions may or may
> > > not succeed better than chance. For reasons why,
> > > consult his
> > > work. Methodologies are controversial but it will
> > > get you going in a direction.
> > >
> > > Roy Lewicki
> > >
> > > >Managers and CEOs are paid to make good decisions,
> > > because one bad decision
> > > >has the potential of ruining the buiness.
> > > >
> > > >There are many courses on problem solving and
> > > decision making processes.
> > > >However, I am talking about making good judgements
> > > in day-to-day
> > > >interactions and in high dynamic and kinetic
> > > engagements.
> > > >
> > > >I have witnessed again and again that when leaders
> > > misread a very fluid
> > > >situaiton, or misjudge the the characters involved
> > > in the engagement, they
> > > >end up making very bad decisions.
> > > >
> > > >Some people believe that good judgements are based
> > > on intuition and
> > > >creativity -- it is same thing possessed by very
> > > talented leaders, but it
> > > >cannot be taught. Is there any research refuting or
> > > supporting this view?
> >
> >
> >__________________________________________________
> >Do You Yahoo!?
> >Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail!
> >http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/
>
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at
http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 15:13:34 -0800
> From: Edryce Reynolds <
edryce@yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: MG-ED-DV Can we teach how to make good judgements in
Business
> Schools
>
> Read "Maverick" by Ricardo Semler, who was recently
> written about in Fortune magazine under the title "The
> Anti-Power Freak." He found a great solution that
> pulled his company out of a slump many years ago when
> he first took over SEMCO, his father's business. It
> has been thriving ever since. A significant factor
> may be how much a CEO insists on making decisions, and
> how much she/he allows others to decide.
>
> Edryce
>
> --- Jack Ring <
jring@amug.org> wrote:
> > Paul,
> > CEO's who are able to judge people accurately,
> > understand the issues
> > involved and make sound decisions in fast moving
> > situations are applying
> > neither an illusive nor an elusive quality such as
> > intuition, insight
> > nor creative genius. They just happen to have done
> > a hell of a lot more
> > homework than most and can leverage their knowledge
> > through mental
> > models of "how things work and how things fail."
> >
> > Two capabilities can be taught; 1) the concepts of
> > decision making
> > including the NDM model of Gary Klein's, and 2) the
> > art and practice of
> > modeling -- of meaning (articulating ontologies), of
> > process
> > (explicating the relationships among things) and of
> > decision (yes,
> > modeling decision and models of decision).
> >
> > All the rest is homework. The homework factor is
> > highlighted by the
> > research findings of three or so decades ago that
> > people who's parents
> > ran their own businesses or were successful managers
> > of other's
> > businesses are more likely to become successful
> > managers.
> >
> > Also, Edryce's note bears scrutiny. A very powerful
> > but little
> > discussed factor in management is Purpose. Many
> > will argue that if a
> > manager does what is best for his or her career then
> > that is best for
> > the business, as well. I think this is especially
> > true when the
> > business is not well thought out.
> >
> > IMO one of the key ingredients of Jack Welch's
> > effect on GE was the
> > energetic crystallization of Purpose and the
> > relentless suppression of
> > "kingdom building." In contrast, also IMO, Gerstner
> > is not
> > accomplishing the suppression part.
> >
> > Hope this helps.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > > Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2002 20:02:47 -0800
> > > From: Paul Wong <
wong@twu.ca>
> > > Subject: Re: Can we teach how to make good
> > judgements in Business
> > Schools
> > >
> > > I want to thank all of you for your helpful
> > suggestions. However,
> > what I
> > > was trying to get at in my original posting is
> > some illusive
> > leadership
> > > quality which may be called intuiion, insight, or
> > crative genius. CEOs
> > who
> > > possess this kind of quality are able to judge
> > people accurately, have
> > a
> > > deep understanding of all the issues involved, and
> > make sound, snap
> > > decisions in very fast-moving, complex situations
> > which do not allow
> > time
> > > for rational analysis or consultatnion. My
> > question is: Can we teach
> > this
> > > kind of leadership quality in Business Schools?
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Edryce Reynolds
> > > To:
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> > > Sent: 1/5/2002 6:17 PM
> > > Subject: Re: Can we teach how to make good
> > judgements in Business
> > Schools
> > >
> > > I am sure the suggestions already given are
> > helpful.
> > > I have one of my own.
> > >
> > > To make good decisions, one should remove one's
> > own
> > > interests FIRST. I think many CEOs think first of
> > > whether the decision will make them "look good"
> > before
> > > they think of whether the decision is good for the
> > > organization.>
> > [...]>
> > > Edryce
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail!
>
http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of MG-ED-DV Digest - 5 Jan 2002 to 6 Jan 2002 (#2002-6)
> ***********************************************************
>
>