What Leadership means to me...

This week has been the week of checking off....checking off to dos, checking off courses/exams/projects.

The fact that i'm now +25% done with the LGO program is a sad thought. It's also sad to think about how our Leadership class with the legendary Don Davis has also come to an end.

During our last class today, each class member was asked to prepare a 2-3 minute speech on what "leadership meant to them" - there were lots of interesting stories/poems/mantras, but my favorites by far were those by Kacey and Steve. Kacey, in proud motherhood, brought in a children's book and appropriated the kid's story into a story about LGO "kittens" and read it to the class. It was an awesome idea and i'm bitter that I didn't come up with it.  :-)    Steve put on a skit that replayed a key moment in his life that made him think about leadership.

My thoughts?  I picked some pictures/images that really personify leadership in my mind. I'll outline them below:

1. A Foundation

Caption: Family photo following my sister Jasmine's portrayal of the Virgin Mary in a church play

A leader must be grounded, have the ability to create and maintain relationships, and care about something or someone (or multiples of either or both).

2. Characteristics

Caption: Me as an undergrad at MIT "finding a way" to get things done!

A leader must have a sense of purpose, must have drive/motivation, and must be RESILIENT!

3. Uncertainty

Caption: " "

A leader must have awareness - awareness that she/he sees only part of the picture and that there are a lot of TBD factors.  A leader must have courage to face the unknown.  And finally, a leader must be flexible - must be able to wake up each day, evaluate what the light reveals, and adjust accordingly.

I pity the foo'

I'm feeling the guilt of a long absence from this blog, but hope to begin writing again more frequently once the term is over.  The last few months have been amazing - classes, workshops, trips, case competitions, the internship whirlwind, and now finals!

I've been whining for several days about how much work I have over the next 2 weeks, so I thought i'd take this week (the week after Thanksgiving break) and outline deliverables so that those close to me can shoot me an understanding glance (not pity, just some love!).

Allow me to reiterate the fact that us LGOs are taking 7 courses, plus a seminar totaling 67 MIT units.

It sounds crazy, right? It totally is. Above is a legit snapshot of my current registration for the fall semester and it's not much different than the schedule of my 46 LGO classmates.

On to the good stuff - deliverables:

Mon 11/30

• 15.810: Team case analysis & write-up due
• ESD.61: Individual assignment #3 due
• ESD.61: "Actionable projects" due in support of semester-long project

Tue 12/01

• 15.010: HW#6 due
• 15.515: Case discussion
• 15.280: Presentation on semester-long project

Wed 12/02

• ESD.61: Presentation on semester-long project due
• 15.665: Journal due

Fri 12/04

• 15.515: HW#8 due

Having written all of this out, it suddenly doesn't look too bad....deceiving!

Let's not forget committees and committee work, part time jobs, family, organizations, etc.

How do we do it? By working together, by adding sanity-enabling activities to our schedule, and by taking it one day at a time.

I love this place.

Fall, 2009 Courses

Several of my LGO classmates have written about their Fall Classes and the general Fall orientation experience, so I thought i'd do the same, but also check out what Brad, Kacey and Tabassum have to say.


I'll outline the classes I'm taking, a blurb from the syllabus, and most importantly, a quote or two from each professor so that you get a sense of what the class is/will be like.


15.010 Economic Analysis for Business Decisions
From the syllabus:

"15.010 is the Sloan School's core subject in microeconomics. Our objective is to give you a working knowledge of the analytical tools that bear most directly on the economic decisions firms must regularly make. We will emphasize market structure and industry performance, including the strategic interaction of firms. We will examine the behavior of individual markets -- and the producers and consumers that sell and buy in those markets --in some detail, focusing on cost analysis, the determinants of market demand, pricing strategy, market power, and the implications of government regulatory policies."

Professor's quotes on the first day of class, some paraphrased from memory:

"It's like AA rents babies to sit in coach" -- so as to get the delta premium for 1st class seats


When talking about price-matching businesses and how they are often mistaken as having a sincere interest in customers -- "He appears as a whiz jolly good fellow...but he's a bastard, that's what he is!"

15.515 Financial Accounting

From the syllabus:

"An intensive introduction to the preparation and interpretation of financial information. Adopts a decision-maker perspective of accounting by emphasizing the relation between accounting data and the underlying economic events generating them. Class sessions are a mixture of lecture and case discussion. Assignments include textbook problems, analysis of financial statements, and cases. Restricted to first-year Sloan master's students." 

So, on the first day of class, as students were streaming in and finding their seats, the professor asked everyone to find their seats and put their namecard out in front of them.  A few MINUTES later, students were done pouring in, and it was 10:25am, start time.  The professor asked us to bring down our name cards, and he proceeded to recite the first AND last name of each and every student in the class -- i'd estimate there were at least 50 people in the room, from all over the world!  It was an extraordinary demonstration of photographic memory and it was a totally awesome way to start the class.

To add to that, here are some quotes, also somewhat paraphrased from memory,

"You'll do a lot of things once you get your MBAs, but don't forget all you've done to get here."

"My wife is a high school teacher.  She treats me like a high school student -- this has 2 consequences -- I never feel old, but I never feel very smart."

15.810  Marketing Management

From the syllabus:

"In this course we seek to:

• Introduce you to key marketing ideas and phenomena, especially the core theme of delivering benefits to customers

• Develop your skills in marketing analysis and planning

• Familiarize you with the tactics of the marketing (product strategy, IMC [promotion], and distribution [place], and price -- 4 P's) and enhance your problem-solving and decision making abilities in these areas

• Develop a clear understanding of key related topics in marketing like branding, CRM and retailing

• Provide you with an essential appreciation for marketing and arm you with the key tools and concepts for your career ahead

• Deliver a world class learning experience, superior in quality and insight"

The first lecture for this class was held today and it was phenomenal.  I dig this professor.

For your own taste of the material, you can visit the professor's website at www.marketingritson.com

Some quotes I remember:

"Shut up"  

"That's just bullshit"  

"The marketing word for that is shit"

15.665 Power of Negotiations

From the syllabus:

"The course will cover three major areas of negotiation to address the above diagnoses: 

1. Basic negotiation methods: The 7 Elements of Negotiation. (Weeks 1 – 4). This segment of the course provides a background about integrative and distributive aspects of negotiation and exposes participants to the basic processes of adversarial and interest-based negotiation. 

2. Dealing with emotions: The Core Concerns Framework. (Weeks 5 – 7). 

This segment of the course focuses on how to foster emotions that build trust and help parties reach mutual gains. 

3. Multi-party negotiations: Putting it All Together. (Weeks 8-12). This segment takes the 7 Elements Framework and Core Concerns Framework and considers their application to negotiations involving multiple people and teams."

What is notable about this course is the professor, who directs the Negotiation Program at Harvard.  Check out some more info on him here.

15.972 Leadership, or Special Seminars in Management

This is probably my favorite class this fall.  I found myself giddy in class, and couldn't stop staring at the professor -- couldn't stop looking at his style of dress, his expressions as he spoke, and the sincerity with which he spoke to us.  The professor is Don Davis, an 88 year old ex-CEO of Stanleyworks, where he spent 40+ years of his life.  Don's lessons have to do with life itself as much as they do with business, and I can't help but see him as the loving and all-knowing grandfather archetype.

Some of the things he shared on the first day include:

"Visualize power as being in a bucket.  Each time you use it, picture yourself removing some of it with a ladle; power is finite."

"I drink Dr. Pepper to pep me up."

"Trust your gut."

 Don also shared his leadership mantras (qty 24).  Some I particularly like:

"The number of effective styles of leadership is limitless. Be yourself."

"Selfship is the enemy of leadership."

"Most everyone can set through manipulators and game playing. Don't do it."

15.280 Communication for Managers

From the syllabus:

"Writing and speaking skills necessary for a career in management. Students polish communication strategies and methods through discussion, examples, and practice. Several written and oral assignments, most based on material from other subjects and from career development activities. Schedule and curriculum coordinated with Organizational Processes class. Mandatory weekly one hour recitation in small groups. Restricted to first-year Sloan graduate students."

15.311 Organizational Processes, or OP
From the syllabus:

"The ability to act with skill and creativity in organizations begins with the development of multiple perspectives on organizations.  As you are no doubt aware, humans habitually settle into fixed perspectives, unchallenged mental models of how the world works, unconscious filters determining what we pay attention to and what we ignore....We will probe some of the psychological and social processes that make it likely that managers will fall into unchallenged patterns of action and thought.  We will then turn to a more in-depth treatment of the strategic design, political, and cultural perspectives on organization...."

ESD.61 Integrating the Lean Enterprise

From the syllabus:

"This course addresses some of the important issues involved with the planning, development and implementation of Lean Enterprises. People, technology, process and information dimensions of an effective lean organization will be addressed in a unified framework. Particular emphasis will be placed on the integration of these dimensions across the entire enterprise, including product development, production, and the extended supply chain. Information requirements and technology and process enablers for achieving enterprise integration will be addressed. Analysis and implementation tools as well as future trends and directions will be explored. Outside speakers and industry practitioners will be utilized."

MBA Pet Peeves Part 1

Despite all the positives about Business School, there ARE some aspects that irk me. Let's make this an "organic", or growing list, but here's the first bunch for starters:

1. PARTICIPATION
There are lots of classes in which "participation" comprises a significant chunk of the grade - 10%, 15%, 20%, 30% and even 35%. In order for participation to be counted, Teaching Assistants (TA's) sit through lecture, and monitor hand-raising and comments from the crowd. The process goes a little something like this:

[Little Johnny in the back raises his hand]
The professor says, "Yes, Johnny".
[TA reacts to professor's voice, and looks around the room for Little Johnny. TA looks through Excel printout or computer for Little Johnny and assigns Johnny either check-marks or points based on the comment made]

Below is an excerpt from one of my syllabi - the class shall remain nameless:

"You will be assigned the following points for in-class participation:
2 Points:
Truly insightful comment or question that impacts the class and potentially enhances the topic;
1 Point:
Good comment or question that complements what is being taught.
The class participation part of your grade will depend on the total number of points you receive
throughout the semester."

2. CODE OF CONDUCT RULES
Recently, the Sloan school updated its "rule book" from "Professional Standards" to "Values @ MIT Sloan". This document is analogous to ethical standards in any corporate environment. The Sloan document is actually a work of art and i'm happy to see the Sloan school focus on integrity, ethics, respect, and creating principled leaders. The document's excerpt on "Avoiding Distraction" has been reproduced below:

Please silence all wireless devices while classes and presentations are in session. To avoid distracting others, please refrain from using laptops or PDAs while classes and presentations are in session, unless this has been specifically permitted by the instructor or presenter. Side conversations should be kept to a minimum, as they can distract your colleagues and can be considered disrespectful of instructors and presenters..."

Just a tad bit militant, but not too bad. However, Sloan's standard operating policy is also that each professor OWNS his/her classroom and they are free to add to the requirements/limitations. Some exercise this liberty freely and welcome us into the classroom with:

"All cell phones and pagers should be turned off during class. You should not leave and re-enter the class. You should avoid engaging in side conversations after class has begun."

or

"Serious medical excuses and deaths in the immediate family are the only acceptable excuses for missing class and, even in these cases, prompt notification is expected."

It's beginning to feel like a military academy, right?


SUMMARY
I'm all about respecting rules, but, feel that the rules don't exactly support my role as a parent and don't provide the balance that my life requires at this moment. So, like clockwork, about 2pm each day, you'll catch me glancing at my cell phone/PDA looking for a text message from my daughter indicating that she's about to start her walk home or to her after-school activity. A few minutes later, you'll see me glance again, ensuring I get the "I'm here" text message. And, undoubtedly, I'm bound to execute several additional glances throughout the day to ensure the status quo (safe environment at school, no earthquakes back home, no major emotional breakdown w/ my mom) remains. If I receive a phone call from a number that's important, or looks like it could be important, I'm going to leave the class to take it.

LIFE HAPPENS and we should all be trusted to uphold high standards of conduct, while at the same time, maintaining balance and upholding our personal responsibilities -- to ourselves and to our families.

My short-term long-distance communications w/ my daughter

My daughter is currently in Seattle, relaxing for another week or so as I undergo Sloan Orientation. She'll join me on Saturday and begin school in Cambridge on Tuesday, September 8th. We'll then embark on the Boston Odyssey for a short cruise that night to celebrate our first Fall school day. Growing up, I never celebrated big that way on my first day of school, but hey, I can be a cool parent too.

I wanted to share a small window into Chassitty "Chas" and into our relationship by posting some of her communications while we're away.

On my first day of school for the LGO program (June, 2009), she sent me this video message via OoVoo (I apologize for the Seattle glare!):

Link to Youtube




Today, on my first day of Orientation for the formal Sloan MBA program, I received this email:

On 9/1/09 12:22 AM, "Chassitty Saldana" <@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hey mommy,
Since you haven't been emailing me besides information that's important, I wanted to talk to you.
I just wanted to say that i love you and miss you so much and that
you are the best mommy in the whole world!!! Even my friends tell me that, every time I have a sleepover they always end up telling me that you are the best mom in the world and that they wish their mom was just as cool and pretty and nice as you!

IF YOU'RE OUT ON THE ROAD
FEELING LONELY AND SO COLD
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL MY NAME
AND I WILL BE THERE ON THE NEXT TRAIN

WHERE YOU LEAD
I WILL FOLLOW YOU
ANYWHERE THAT YOU TELL ME TO
IF YOU NEED
IF YOU NEED ME TO BE WITH YOU
I WILL FOLLOW
WHERE YOU LEAD!!!
our song

TE QUIERO TANTO TANTO TANTO.......
our other song

~Chassitty

The first song excerpt is the theme song to the show "Gilmore Girls" (Official Link), a show we've been watching since she was a baby and a show whose characters (Lorelai and Rory) we relate to.

The second song referenced is "Te Quiero Tanto" by Onda Vaselina and is a song I sang to my daughter when she was a baby. As she got older, I stopped singing the song, but one day, she heard it on TV, connected the memory, and we've sung it together for fun since then.

You'll read more about Chas later!

School-aged children & the Cambridge Public School System

Have school-aged children? Looking into the Cambridge Public School System? Start early!

I had been planning my adventure in Cambridge for the last 3 years or so, and most seriously over the last year (I was admitted to the program w/ the class of 2010, but opted to defer admission). I knew that my daughter, now age 11, would be relocating with me and that I'd need to "look into" schools. However, based on my experience with schools in Los Angeles and in the Seattle area, I was predisposed to believing that the apartment address dictated the school. In L.A, in Seattle, and in most other civilized U.S towns, public schools are assigned to district zones and where you live determines where you may learn, unless you're part of a magnet program or have a crazy talent or something like that.

So, in about March or so, I started looking into schools and behold the CPS (Cambridge Public School) surprise. Within Cambridge city limits, all schools are assigned by lottery. Parents apply to the district, rank the schools of their preference, and the system runs through a crazy algorithm that attempts to diversify gender, race, and socio-economic factors (ex whether or not a child qualifies for free lunch).

Why is this system a pain for parents?
1. The "good" or popular schools have a long waiting list. The waiting list is prioritized primarily by the date your application is submitted.
2. In order to submit an application, you must have secured a place to live within Cambridge city limits.
3. The application must include your choice of schools - in order to rank school choices, you have to conduct lots of research and arrange school tours (time, stress, reading, time, stress, reading).
4. The application must be submitted, in its entirety IN PERSON at the Family Resource Center in Cambridge.
5. The coup de gras for me is that you're forced to select an apartment...then your school is selected for you...and the school selected could inflict more time and stress due to transportation, after-school programs, accessibility concerns.

So, what happened in MY case? I found out about the CPS process in mid March and picked 5 schools I was interested in [also note that in Cambridge, most elementary schools service grades K-8]. I also found out about a program called Intensive Studies Program (ISP), offered at 2 Cambridge Public Schools. The program covers the same curriculum as every other class, but is geared towards students with a motivation and interest in learning. Nothing fancy - same breadth, but more depth. As my luck had it, the application for the program was due early April, and in order to apply to the program, I had to concurrently apply to the district. In order to apply to the district, I had to secure an apartment.

So...I attended LGO Open House in early April and set up 5 school tours while I was in town for 2 weekdays and 2 weekend days. I flew in on a red-eye from Seattle, arrived Thursday AM and went on 3 school tours and 1 apartment showing that day. I also attended most LGO activities. The following day, I went on 2 school tours and 3 apartment showings. I picked an apartment, signed a lease, got my affidavit of residency notarized, ranked my top school choices, and ran to the Family Resource Center to hand in my registration packet!! Months later, I heard back and was happy to hear that we got our first choice and the ISP!

In summary, life worked out and despite the heartache the CPS system caused ME, I must say that I appreciate the effort that goes into ensuring multi-faceted diversity in the classroom. As far as YOU are concerned, please start the process early!

For more information on registering your kids with the Cambridge Public School system, go here: http://www.cpsd.us/FRC/forms.cfm

I'm tackling after-school programs next!

Company Sponsorship

The LGO program is a special amongst seemingly comparable MBA programs for many reasons, although one of the most distinguishing is the financial "break" it gives students.

Typical MBA program tuition costs are on the order of $50K/year. According to mbaprograms.org:
The average cost is $40,000 for a year (or $80,000 for two years). Some MBAs are $60,000 a year, and with MBAs the more you pay the more you get. It’s not just the instruction, it’s the brand.

At the Harvard Business School, tuition for the Class of 2011 students is $46,150, according to the HBS website. At MIT Sloan, the 2009-2010 tuition cost for a "regular" MBA is $48,650/yr according to the MIT Sloan website. By comparison, the LGO tuition for both years of the program is $30,193, per the LGO website.

Not bad, huh? ~1/3 the price gets you 2 degrees, company visits, exclusive speakers, and an internship. What do you lose? 2 summers and some time throughout the two years due to the additional engineering courses and the committee work. Also, some shame befalls you if you happen to pursue a career in consulting post-grad.

Alright...we finally get to the subject of this post: Sponsorship.
Throughout LGO's history, partner companies have "sponsored" their employees through the two-year program. What sponsorship exactly entails is to the discretion of the company and therefore varies significantly. For most, sponsorship entails a post-grad employment commitment of ~2-3 years of employment with the sponsoring company; for others, there is no formal/legal/binding employment commitment. Sponsorship benefits often include tuition, housing, and a portion of the employee's salary at the time of leave.

Each year, the number of sponsored students varies based on company performance and policies and "the economy". The LGO Class of 2009 had ~5 sponsored students. The LGO Class of 2011 has only 2.

Post Summer Break!

After the summer term, we got about 1.5 weeks during which to relax and debrief before coming back for more and meeting the incoming "Sloanies".

Some of my classmates were headed to super cool places like Paris (Diego and Iliana), Belize (Mike & his new bride), Costa Rica possibly ?. Others were headed home to "hug their cars", see old friends and reminisce about the ordinary lives they left behind. Others yet were staying in Boston, taking in the sites and taking advantage of all New England has to offer via camping treks to Vermont, duck tours, kayaking, and the seemingly-endless happy hours.

Me? Chas and I headed home to Seattle. We flew out the morning after classes were over and I will be return Sunday night (Orientation starts Monday morning). Chas will stay an extra week and will come in just days before starting school.

Seattle welcomed me with 90+ degree weather. I was still feeling icky from the cold I caught the day of my Statistics final (I blame "it" for my performance, btw), and so the lack of an AC upset me more than usual and overpowered my mood for the first few days. Since then however, the weather cooled (now overcast and in the 70's, the way I like it), and i've managed to actually leave my house. I have a slew of appointments to take care of (doctor, dentist, nails, wax, hair). I'm also seeing some friends and old co-workers while in town.

Chas has been able to also visit with friends while in town. She hosted a "gathering" at our house on Friday - a handful of 11 year-old girls. They make look harmless, but together, they're like a Chuck E. Cheese's on a Sunday morning (think aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh; then repeat in various pitches until the pencil drives itself dangerously close to your pupil).

I'm looking forward to heading back to school, although i'm nervous about all the coordination that will have to take place once the year begins.

Summer, 2009 Courses

Summer classes are over, so note that perspective as you read this....

I'll try to sum up the summer courses by noting the professor and their special quirks, the class content, the workload, and a super subjective short phrase about whether or not I enjoyed it!

15.761  Intro to Operations Management

• LIKE FACTOR: Loved it!
• The PROFESSOR:  Bradley "Call me Brad" Morrison.  This class truly separated the undergrad MIT experience from the business school experience.  As I sat during the introductory Intro to Ops Mgmt class, I recalled some of my "firsts" in undergrad - as they relate to courses, of course.  I'd walk into class, the professor would point to their name on the board, and then start writing on the chalk-board.  And, there would be homework that night.  There was no "easing" into the school deal, it was all business.  In contrast, there was the class at the beginning of summer, casually-clad in t-shirts and flip flops, and there is Professor Morrison....except that he notes we may call him BRAD.  Brad? I'm thinking wtf, are we not in business school?  It was a short-lived indignation. I got over it.  Brad was an awesome professor and I hear he finished off the year playing beer-pong during the LGO end-of-summer party.
• The CONTENT:  As the class title suggests (whoever comes up with class titles, btw, is a genius), this class was an introduction to Operations Management and covered topics such as the Economic Order Quantity and light Inventory Management, tradeoffs between Service Levels and Inventory Holding Costs, the "Newsvendor Model", and others that have escaped my memory
• The WORKLOAD: Light.  There were a bunch of cases to read and analyze for class discussion, but I generally enjoyed them.  I only remember 1 HW assignment, and there was 1 midterm.  There were also some team assignments and a competition using a web-based simulator.  We also played the famous Beer Game as part of this class - http://web.mit.edu/jsterman/www/SDG/beergame.html

ESD.60  High Velocity Organizations

• LIKE FACTOR:  Liked it.
• The PROFESSOR:  Steve "Bowtie" Spears, author of Chasing the Rabbit.  
• The CONTENT:  "Lean"; how organizations can leverage the tools required to sprint ahead of the competition.  From the syllabus, class objectives were:

Objectives

By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

1. Understand the capabilities that distinguish high velocity market leaders from

their capabilities.

2. Have some capacity to apply these capabilities to their own work.

3. Understand how various quality and productivity programs—lean, six sigma,

TQM, and the like can be useful in supporting the development and

deployment of the four capabilities of high velocity organizations.

• The WORKLOAD:  Light.

15.064  Probability & Statistics

• LIKE FACTOR:  Undecided. The first half of the class was enjoyable due to the professor's dorkiness; the second half was painful for similar reasons.  However, the material was noticeably valuable, and I wish I had learned more.
• The PROFESSOR:  This class was unusual in that the first half was taught by one professor with the support of one [unpublished] book, and the second half was taught by a different professor with the support of a different book.
• The CONTENT:  As the title suggests.
• The WORKLOAD:  Moderate.  Individual assignments, group assignments, a midterm, a final, and a helicopter build competition.

15.066  Systems Optimization

• LIKE FACTOR:  Loved it!
• The PROFESSOR:  One smooth French dude - Jeremie Gallien.  Professor Gallien was a no-BS professor who called out students when they were late, felt they had better things to pay attention to, or simply looked guilty of not understanding the material.  For some reason, I always thought of the Disney movie, "Ratatouille" while I was in that class.  Weird.
• The CONTENT:  Optimization - learning about how to solve for Max/Min problems given a set of constraints.  My ultra favorite problem was on an Individual Homework assignment.  It was so awesome that I spent about 90% of the time allotted for the assignment on this problem.  The problem was titled the McDonald's Diet Problem and it had to do with finding the least-cost daily diet that was nutritionally complete based on guidelines provided and was composed entirely of foods from McDonald's.  The answer to part a of the problem had someone acquiring an insane amt of honey packets (because these gave you calories for free), which was pretty funny.  Added constraints yielded a much more "rationale" answer.
• The WORKLOAD:  Heavy.  Only 1 individual assignment, for which we were  given 8 hours and 8 hours only.  I spent 8 hours and did not complete it.  For the homework assignments, our team easily spent about an average of 6 hrs each (x 6 people) per assignment.  No midterm...no final.  The final project, however, was pretty work intense and many many hours were spent on it!  

15.317 Leadership

• LIKE FACTOR:   Undecided. On some days, the material was relevant and interesting, while on other days, I struggled in finding the value in the examples/analogies to something i'd actually encounter post graduation.  Our journey with "leadership" is to continue throughout the remainder of our 2 years, so we'll see how my opinion changes. 
• The PROFESSOR:  Jan Klein.
• The CONTENT:  
• The WORKLOAD:  Moderate.