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<\/a>On Saturday I returned to the U of Chicago main campus in Hyde Park.<\/p><\/div>I kicked off part one (link)<\/strong><\/a> with sharing about my fortuitous luck of having work in Chicago the week of my 40th MBA class reunion, and how much I enjoyed the various activities and the whole culture of the school. Yes, University of Chicago Booth School of Business<\/strong><\/a> was indeed the right place for me \u2013 unabashedly analytic and data driven with a heart for making a positive impact on the world.<\/p>\n In part 1, I recounted most of the weekend activities, and in Part 2 I will summarize the three \u201cclasses\u201d I took on Friday May 3 and Saturday May 4 with current faculty members. I loved the intellectual stimulation I received participating in these three classes \u2026 never too old to learn! And I did select classes that coincided well with my consulting areas of diversity, leadership and corporate culture: Two of the books I received during my class reunion.<\/p><\/div>\u201cDoes Culture Eat Strategy for Lunch\u201d with Professor Jim Schrager. <\/strong> In my consulting, I often do discuss corporate culture and how important that is for organizational success. But what is really more important, having a good strategy or a strong corporate culture? Professor Schrager likened this to the nature vs. nurture debate and the oft-talked about study of identical twins separated at birth.<\/p>\n Professor Schrager took the natural experiment approach by sharing a number of case studies that held all variables constant, but then looked at various cultures and strategies. In these case studies across multiple industries, companies that did not have strong strategies focusing on growing in a quickly changing world and market failed irregardless of their corporate culture. Yes, culture is important, and a strong culture where people will exert discretionary effort to help the organization succeed is an important factor in successful execution, but a lackluster or poor strategy will lead to failure no matter how hard everyone works.<\/p>\n \u201cBringing Down Barriers: How to Build Relationships Despite Differences\u201d with Professor Jane L. Risen.<\/strong> Professor Risen started by introducing us to the term \u201chomophily\u201d which is \u201clove of the same,” the natural human tendency to associate with, build relationships with, and like people similar to ourselves. But how can we deliberately build strong relationships with those different from us, which is increasingly important in our ever accelerating multicultural workplace?<\/p>\n She then introduced a study done over several years with a program called \u201cSeeds of Peace\u201d<\/strong><\/a> where teenagers from Israel and Palestine are brought together for a 3-week camping experience in Maine. These are two groups have that tremendous tension on the world scene, where understanding relationships are quite rare.<\/p>\n Extensive data analysis proved the concept of propinquity, that physical or psychological proximity facilitates relationships despite tremendous differences. There was a phenomenal statistically significant increase in close personal relationships between Israeli and Palestinian teens who either bunked together in the same cabin or participated together in long deep discussion groups. The application is that very diverse people who work together in an organization around common goals can even be more effective by building close relationships and having meaningful discussion. Attending “Choosing Leadership” with Professor Linda Ginzel<\/p><\/div>\u201cChoosing Leadership\u201d with Professor Linda Ginzel.<\/strong> At this session, we all got a special gift from award-winning leadership professor Linda Ginzel; her workbook \u201cChoosing Leadership\u201d and a green pen. (This session was on May 4th \u2026. so link to this short cute \u201cMay the Fourth Be With You\u201d<\/strong><\/a> video from Professor Ginzel that includes an explanation of the green pen.)<\/p>\n Professor Ginzel first shared that Leadership is indeed hard, and she has been on a long quest to teach leadership with integrity, resulting in her developing the workbook she gave us. Then some of her additional points during this session:<\/p>\n \u2022\tLeadership needs a structure and a framework, and we should each develop our own that suits us. I loved the entire stimulating weekend being at Booth Reconnect getting re-energized, meeting cool people and learning much!<\/p>\n * * * * *<\/p>\n Stan Kimer, Booth MBA \u201979 retired after a 31-year career at IBM and then formed his own diversity and career development consultancy, Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I kicked off part one (link) with sharing about my fortuitous luck of having work in Chicago the week of my 40th MBA class reunion, and how much I enjoyed the various activities and the whole culture of the school. … Continue reading
\n\u2022\t\u201cDoes Culture Eat Strategy for Lunch\u201d with Professor Jim Schrager
\n\u2022\t\u201cBringing Down Barriers: How to Build Relationships Despite Differences\u201d with Professor Jane L. Risen
\n\u2022\t\u201cChoosing Leadership\u201d with Professor Linda Ginzel
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\n\u2022\tQuote from John Gardner, \u201cThe building of community is one of the highest most essential skills a leader can command.\u201d
\n\u2022\tQuote from John F. Kennedy, \u201cLeadership and Learning are indispensable to each other.”
\n\u2022\tEach of the chapters in Professor Ginzel\u2019s book starts with a verb since leading is active.
\n\u2022\tManaging and Leading are both important and go hand in hand.
\n\u2022\tFinally, Professor Ginzel\u2019s own wonderful definition of leadership, \u201cBehavioral choices we make in order to create a better future.”<\/p>\n