What to expect in the next 3 weeks?

'Quamplurimi et quam aptisimi" (As many as possible of the very best)

It is going to be downhill beginning on the fifth session.  Save for the 3rd reflection paper, and the submission of the final requirement (the AV presentation and the summary of what was learned) it is going to be less tension filled and relatively easy.

Here is a recap of the next 3 sessions:

      5     Group team building             Genogram                                 Genogram and Reflection Paper 2

                                            Leadership and Decision Making

 

  6.   Call to arms - leadership       Passion                                   speech 5 minutes; start showcase                                                                                                                       presentation                                                       

     7.   What ails PH, the world    Fr. Nebres, Dean Albert, Dr Bengzon      Reflection   Paper 3

                                                      Albert presentation                        Leadership showcase presentation

We have advised the class to prepare for the final requirements, as we would start the AV presentation on the sixth session.  We are ahead of the syllabus as many have submitted their Syllabus, and since last week, many have uploaded their Reflection Paper 2.

What are the rationale (the WHY according to Leader Michael) behind these activities?

1. Team Building

Why do you need team building games and exercises especially if you are leading a group of people (Probably not useful if all you have is your Med Sec?) All of you know what team building is all about.  My experience on team building exercises, which included  mountain climbing and 4x4 expedition resulted in :

      1.  improved communication

      2.  tremendous jump in productivity

      3. unforgettable experience of bonding and kinship (former employees always talk about the mountain climbing expedition or the obstacle course, or treasure hunt etc)

Team building exercises builds courage and initiative among the staff.  HR practitioners think that if you can do it, or simulate this in a game, it will predict how your staff will act in a real job situation.  Thsu companies spend heavily on outing, and outdoor team building sorties.

What do leader TVL and Dr Suzette have to say about this?

2   Speech and communication

     Leaders must influence their followers or constituents.  And what is their only resource?  Their communication skills. We may not be able to move mountains or equipment, but as leaders we can move the hearts and minds of others with out tongue and pen.  (no malicious thought please hehehe)  Thus we have practice and sharpen their speaking and writing skills.

    One of the best seminars I attended was the Dale Carnegie course of ETIOP (it cost about P700 then.  A sizeable sum since the minimum wage then was P250/month.   The bulk of the course was making two minute speech on subjects that are raffled;  speaking on the floor without a script.  The only script was:   What do you want to tell them, explain what you are trying to tell them. I think, and I hope Leader Tristan would agree with me, that this was a good investment.  So next session, we will try this, It does not have to be an earthshaking piece.  But a call to action and if needed, a Call to War.

3.   Critical and analytical thinking

   In one of the Video presentation that is in the Desktop for your reference, the Dean Emeritus of Stanford U said that Critical Analytical Thinking (CAT) is a definite advantage of a leader in decision making.  What is CAT.  (You can learn more at Personal Mastery Slideshare of the Lecturer).  An MBA grad must be equipped with CAT and this is supposed to be practiced in case analysis (Do you practice CAT?) A leader mentioned that she was influenced by being a CAT officer

   CAT would involve:

    1.  Challenging the question and the assumption;

    2.  Asking why in everything that comes before you.  Not to accept hearsays, the ability to sift data and information (JPE at the Corona trial showed this well)  

    3.  What data is relevant or irrelevant. Is your data related to the objective? or to the proposed strategy.?  Say in Macro analysis, students mention a lot of data that are meaningless (read my lips -  irrelevant to the objective or the goals of the organizaiton

    4. What is the magnitude of the data?   Is it anectdotal, or is the number is large enough to merit a condlusion that will be useful to others?

    5.  Direction of the data -  moving north, south, or sideways.

    6.  Are your conclusions logical  (syllogism)

CAT would also involve use of various operational tools, and the ability to generate alternative solution and weighing their respective cost benefit.

   This in my observation is a chink in the armor of many of MBA students, and even graduates even at this school.  You should strive to learn this.  It a must that you learn this, if you havent please do