Quarter 4 - Week 2

Did I happen to mention that our class room is now changed? I like this one better since the class now gently curves around like an arc with the centre being the dias where the prof lectures from. The previous classroom was more "angular" so to say with the guys at the corners looking at the board from literally 150 degrees to the normal. Of the board. Of course, this classroom has it's problems too... we dont have enough seats for all of us, so i think three or four guys actually sit in the back on separate chairs with those "swivelable" writing desks.

OperMan - More talk about process, and we even delved a little into the more "holistic" picture where we discussed how different aspects of an organization constitute its success. Things like machinery, resource augmentation and processes can be duplicated easily, with the latter being a little more complicated. Therefore, if we're trying to differentiate against our competitors, these points aren't really as important as the organization culture, which is far harder to duplicate. We've been discussing a couple of cases, Kristen's Cookie Company and the Shouldice Hospital. So we're finding how all the different aspects work together and help us get more efficient. We're even questioning as to whether the companies are following the best strategy as of now, so it's all good..

CorpFin - A sense of dread quickly takes over, as I realize that this isn't one of those math subjects which you can just pick up in an hour. It's a big thing, Corporate Finance doesn't sound like a joke. I've been complaining about this aspect all along, if I dont read up before the class, I'm going to get screwed! If most of us in our class are doing the same thing, we're all going to get screwed! It's not good!! Why am I using so many exclamation marks??!!!! Seriously. The prof happened to ask today, "Why the silence? Do you agree, dont you... say something. Do I assume you're understanding what I'm saying?". I cant even look the guy in the eye, I've really got to buck up here! In terms of syllabus, we've completed cash flows (I think), and apparently in the second session today we did Valuation of Bonds. This basically entailed a decent description of what bonds are, what's their maturity etc. To my consternation, when I was copying the notes from the board (as were most of us), the prof casually remarked "Why are you copying all this? It's right in the textbook! I wouldnt be doing it if it werent in it!". Yes, I'd agree this is a bright red warning light. To him and us.

MPPO - This class is so much more like a novel. Full fundas, less science. Actually, more observational science than anything else, I'd presume. This is our first OB (Organizational Behaviour) course. I must say it's a little challenging (though very easy going on the inside) to try and apply this on the outside. We're talking mindsets of other people, not just ours. People aren't really under your control, what's the point of them having brains or an opinion for that matter. So even if I found that "This-and-this is what characterizes me", and that "This is what I can change in myself", getting other people to go through the same thing (especially my team) seems to be an entirely different matter. Sure, we have our problems now, but the lizard-brain in me thinks "What if this opens up a whole new set of problems, that we're not equipped to deal with?". When we deal with matters of emotion, we need to be more careful with it, since we're playing within a field who's limits we don't truly understand yet, and which is actually a very vulnerable and personal point for people in the team.

Having said that, the class is insightful at the least, and it's definitely a lot more relaxing after a hectic class of CorpFin. This week we studied the important of "Perception" and the "Jo-Hari window". Perception dealt with the aspect that people tend to project their umderstanding and experiences onto other people based on the life and behaviour that they have seen. They actually tend to associate a person with certain attributes (Openness, Social, Beauty, Leadership, Results, Optimism etc.) since the mind finds it easier to filter and optimally search through for a basic understanding of a person. As time passes, and we gain more knowledge, this level of perception might and probably should change to get a more accurate view. But it depends on how flexible the person is to change his/her perception. The second part "Jo-Hari window" is all about how giving and receiving feedback determines the kind of person we are. It is possible that in this kind of 2-vs-2 window, all four varieties seem to have their needs at certain times, but I felt that the expectation was to typically tilt more towards having a balanced form of "give" and "take" feedback. One tends to question if sometimes staying at the centre between two points is really the most effective, or if it is necessary to tilt towards either side depending on the circumstance.

I guess at the end of the day, it's knowing how to stay at the centre, when to move to the extremes and how to ensure you can always move between the extremes and the centre that's most important. Flexibility is gaining ground in today's world, and it seems obvious that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to all problems. Yes, I'll take my standing ovation now, thank you. :)