2nd Class -- Value

The 2nd class...lots of thought-provoking stuff. I have to be honest, I was stoked to see what Doug had in store for his encore (2nd) appearance. He clearly built up some expectations, at least on my end. No textbooks and a spattering of "current" articles was his mantra. Would it work?

At this point, I think it has. The biggest take away (for me) from Thursday's class was the laundry list of foundational and leadership competencies discussed. This class is clearly designed for us to step back and learn more about ourselves instead of facts and figures out of a book. And I like that. As the saying goes...don't let school get in the way of your education. I don't think the class was ready to be called on individually, but stage fright is common for everyone. Doug is very unassuming and low threat for sure -- a definite requirement as the instructor in this course.

Back to the competencies. More than anything, I was surprised how my answers/beliefs did not jive with the "approved" answers Doug revealed in his presentation. Like he said, there isn't necessarily a right or wrong with those characteristics, but it definitely made me think. Everyone is in this MBA to improve themselves in one way or another. Part of that process is being honest with your strengths and weaknesses. Strengths tend to be easier for people to identify, but most people hate to discuss weaknesses in our society. I like to think I'm honest about my downfalls...and Doug's list kind of kick started my motivation to keep working on those traits. He suggested printing off the lists and keeping them visible to stay committed to the effort, and I think I will do that. We'll see what happens.

Again, the organization of the class and the fast/quick pace from subject to subject is working well for me...looking forward to Tues.