Comments on: What’s wrong with MBAs? http://compoundthinking.com/blog/index.php/2006/11/01/whats-wrong-with-mbas/ Thinking about programming in new ways Tue, 15 Mar 2011 02:30:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mark Ramm http://compoundthinking.com/blog/index.php/2006/11/01/whats-wrong-with-mbas/#comment-5920 Mark Ramm Tue, 07 Nov 2006 13:56:36 +0000 http://compoundthinking.com/blog/index.php/2006/11/01/whats-wrong-with-mbas/#comment-5920 Iain, I think they teach you a lot. It’s just that they don’t teach you how to manage people. They teach you how to be aggressive, how to make quick decisions based on limited information, and how to jump through all kinds of financial hoops. All of those are valuable tools, but if they are your only tools, they can cause a lot of trouble. Managing people with the tools of an MBA is a lot like trimming your fingernails with a table saw. Your fingernails might get shorter, but there might also be some unintended consequences. Iain,

I think they teach you a lot.

It’s just that they don’t teach you how to manage people. They teach you how to be aggressive, how to make quick decisions based on limited information, and how to jump through all kinds of financial hoops.

All of those are valuable tools, but if they are your only tools, they can cause a lot of trouble. Managing people with the tools of an MBA is a lot like trimming your fingernails with a table saw. Your fingernails might get shorter, but there might also be some unintended consequences.

]]> By: iain duncan http://compoundthinking.com/blog/index.php/2006/11/01/whats-wrong-with-mbas/#comment-5901 iain duncan Mon, 06 Nov 2006 20:19:45 +0000 http://compoundthinking.com/blog/index.php/2006/11/01/whats-wrong-with-mbas/#comment-5901 So I guess we really haven't come that far since the original "What they don't teach you in Harvard Business School" eh? ;) So I guess we really haven’t come that far since the original “What they don’t teach you in Harvard Business School” eh? ;)

]]> By: Anonymous http://compoundthinking.com/blog/index.php/2006/11/01/whats-wrong-with-mbas/#comment-5819 Anonymous Sat, 04 Nov 2006 18:36:59 +0000 http://compoundthinking.com/blog/index.php/2006/11/01/whats-wrong-with-mbas/#comment-5819 I was really disappointed that my MBA (a top 10 program) wasn't much focused on "management" at all. Maybe we need an altogether different type of program for the folks who want the big careers in Wall Street, investments, hedge funds, etc. because those folks are NOT the types who want to know anything about management. Having the Wall St. crowd in the MBA program is a detriment to those who are there to be entrepreneurs or to manage within companies. I was really disappointed that my MBA (a top 10 program) wasn’t much focused on “management” at all. Maybe we need an altogether different type of program for the folks who want the big careers in Wall Street, investments, hedge funds, etc. because those folks are NOT the types who want to know anything about management. Having the Wall St. crowd in the MBA program is a detriment to those who are there to be entrepreneurs or to manage within companies.

]]> By: Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog http://compoundthinking.com/blog/index.php/2006/11/01/whats-wrong-with-mbas/#comment-5787 Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog Fri, 03 Nov 2006 19:28:37 +0000 http://compoundthinking.com/blog/index.php/2006/11/01/whats-wrong-with-mbas/#comment-5787 <strong>What is Wrong with MBA’s...</strong> Two interesting posts from Compound Thinking: What is Management?: Management is helping others become great. Well said. As Deming would say management’s responsibility is to work on improving the system (to allow everyone in the system to do gr... What is Wrong with MBA’s…

Two interesting posts from Compound Thinking: What is Management?:
Management is helping others become great.
Well said. As Deming would say management’s responsibility is to work on improving the system (to allow everyone in the system to do gr…

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