dispatches from the new world of work

Oh, That Should Help ...

Business schools are, well, so funny. Or, rather, so stupid it's funny. Read in the Financial Times that MIT's Sloan School is headin' for "with it" land ... courtesy a new advisory board ("Business chiefs to advise MIT Sloan"). The new Alfred P. Sloan Management Society includes such luminaries as former AT&T CEO-Superstar Michael Armstrong (see above a brief recitation of his demonstrated incompetence). Armstrong wants to pass on his "wisdom"! He told the FT, "We are a small group of experienced and interested people who want to become engaged for the benefit of MIT Sloan." Wow, I hear that Ken Lay also has some free time—at least for a while. Or how about Bernie Ebbers, by speakerphone?

Tom Peters posted this on 10/13/05.

Comments

Between this and what's happening to his company these days, Alfred must be turning over in his grave. (And he was just the kind of guy to come back from the grave and kick some butt if he thought it was necessary!)

Posted by Mike at October 13, 2005 10:11 AM

This seems to be a great advert for either complacency, stubborness or more likely strategic drift - though they are all connected anyway.

Seems they can't even imagine never mind Re-Imagine!

Given the way the world is changing maybe the dominant logic is to play safe and "keep on doing what we've always done so we get what we've always got".

At least that way it keeps the US Business School paradigm intact - and the thought process that says "American's don't use tents or let's not move the buses" even though they were available in the emergency plans for New Orleans.

Thank goodness my business school experience is in the UK which isn't quite as bad as the US yet!

Steve

Posted by Steve Gorton at October 13, 2005 10:48 AM

Tom,

I could not agree more with your post. I am just 1 day away from leaving my career at AT&T to start a new job elsewhere and could not be HAPPIER! I've worked through the Armstrong years and now the Dorman days and still have my doubts about this company and its destination. I have finally taken that into my own hands (besides I don't like it when someone else is driving).

Take care and thanks for everything that you do!

Chuck

Posted by chuck at October 13, 2005 6:40 PM