interactive teaching methods in international management: approaches in executive education schon...

Interactive Teaching Methods in International Management: Approaches in Executive Education

Schon BeechlerAcademic Director, Duke Corporate Education

andFaculty Director, Positive Leadership Programs in Executive Education, University of Michigan

August 2008 Copyright Schon Beechler

Experience Base

MBA (Columbia Business School)EMBA (Columbia, CEIBS)Short executive education programs

1-5 days (Columbia, Duke CE)Long executive education programs

2-4 weeks (Columbia, Duke CE)

Delivered in the United States, Asia and Europe to participants from over 70 countries

“The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder.”-- Ralph M. Sockman


Agenda

IntroductionThe context of executive educationEffective interactive methodologies

ContentProcessCulture

What about you?


Trends in Executive Education: Industry

Globalization of the Industry Strong demand despite drop in customer base

Drop in number of men 35-39 Greater % with MBAs

Providers Traditional universities

Blended programs of open and custom programs (e.g., Columbia)

Consultants E.g. Mercer Delta Consulting, McKinsey, etc.

Corporate Universities Duke CE-type hybrids


Trends in Executive Education: Customers

Training budgets Focus on preparing new executives for future leadership roles

Greater integration with business strategy and other organizational initiatives

Custom programs expanding with over half revenue of total

Higher expectations Outcomes Customization Speed to market

“War for talent” and training and development as retention strategy


Trends in Executive Education: Delivery Modalities

Shorter programsMixed modalitiesE-learning

Distance LearningBlended LearningVirtual learning environments

Experiential learning methods


Implications of Trends for Providers

Strong market for training and development provides many opportunities

Higher customer expectations generating need for customer focus, responsiveness, and greater customization (expensive in terms of time and money)

Greater, global competition generating price pressure, higher levels of innovation, and global service standards

Challenges to “traditional” university executive education model

How can we have the biggest positive impact on our participants and their organizations in the shortest time at a reasonable cost?


What Effective Global Managers DoPerceive, analyze, decode

Accurately identify effective

managerial action

Possess behavioral flexibility and

discipline to act appropriately

Source: Allan Bird and Joyce Osland. 2004.”Global Competencies: An Introduction, In Lane, Maznevski, Mendenhall and McNett (eds)., Blackwell’s Handbook of Global Organizing, p.66.


Interactive Methodologies

Source: Based on the work of Kegan and Mezirow.

DisorientingEvent

Perceive, analyze, decode


managerial action

Possess behavioral

flexibility and discipline to act

appropriately

DisorientingEventDisorientingEvent


Guidelines for Using Interactive Methods

Content Make the content relevant and compelling

What really matters to the business and to the participants?

Explicitly link experiences, frameworks and models to the business and participant’s reality

Use frame-breaking and competence-enhancing experiences

Research what will be frame-breaking experiences that will move participants out of their comfort zone and into their stretch zone (not panic)


Examples of Duke CE’s Interactive Teaching Methods

Activities, games and icebreakersShort exercises allowing participants to gain insight into new concepts that encourage participants to know each other, and that reinforce key learning objectives.

AssessmentsReflective exercises that allow individuals, a teams, or organizations to have a clear compelling, picture of current realities, and strengths & developmental needs.

Multimedia and Visual ArtsUse of pictures, symbols or video to communicate content in order to engage the non-verbal, visual and kinesthetic arenas of learning.

© Duke CE 2008


Examples of Duke CE’s Interactive Teaching Methods

SimulationsActivities that provide participants with a challenge which

acts as a mirror for issues in individual, team and collaborative behaviors.

Robust DialoguesStructured conversations that leverage the expertise of

participants and invite them to engage with each other in thoughtful, often intense, dialogue around important issues.

Metaphoric Learning ExperiencesA proprietary Duke CE learning method that uses

compelling metaphors as a way to learn about business issues. The experiences are physically and mentally immersive.

© Duke CE 2008


Interactive Methodologies

Source: Based on the work of Kegan and Mezirow.

DisorientingEvent

FeedbackReflection

PracticeOpportunities

Perceive, analyze, decode


managerial action

Possess behavioral

flexibility and discipline to act

appropriately

DisorientingEventDisorientingEvent

Safe HoldingEnvironment


Creating a Learning Community

Source: Adapted from Vogt. “Learning out of Context,” 1995.

Context

Process

Content


Creating A High Performance Learning Community: A Few Building Blocks

Meeting or exceeding expectations on program content and relevance

Recognizing and building on commonalities and leveraging differences

Building a culture to support both individual and collective objectives

Recognizing that both educators and executives bring “their whole person” into the learning environment


PRAGMATISTPlanning the

next steps

REFLECTORReviewing the

experience

ACTIVISTHaving anexperience

THEORISTConcluding from

the experience

Using Assessments and Feedback to Understand Ourselves and Others

Source: Mumford. Effective Learning, 1995

Learning Styles


Creating a learning culture (context) where...

The invisible fabric of relationships are tended to and cared for

Vulnerability and diversity are welcome Curiosity reigns Experimentation is the norm Inquiry is practiced with compassion Questions can go unresolved

Adapted from Ryan. “Learning Communities,” 1995.


Our Quest: Principles of a Learning Community

Q QuestioningU UnderstandingE ExperimentingS SharingT Trusting



Process The right people need to be in the room

(participants, faculty, staff) Establish clear vision and goals Establish clear roles and responsibilities Provide time for reflection and integration as well as

planning and action Context

Create an intentional culture Create a safe learning environment where participants can

experiment with new ideas and behaviors Acknowledge and embrace the “”whole person”



Understand your mindset, your assumptions, your gifts and your limits

Understand what your goals are for the experience Know Do Believe

Understand your role, and what it requires of you “The sage on the stage” “The guide on the side” ???

Success in the classroom… Depends partly what you know. Partly what you do and entirely on who you are.

interactive teaching methods in international management: approaches in executive education schon...

Documents

sockman slide

duke corporate education

retention strategy slide

university of michigan

positive leadership

effective global managers

columbia consultants

days columbia