Henry Mintzberg, author of "Managers Not MBAs" and Professor of Management

I didn't read much about this session before attending other than it was going to take a "hard look at MBA programs". I'm glad I went! Henry Mintzberg is a Professor of Management at McGill University and noted anti-MBA author. He was asked questions in a debate-like forum by the CEO of Semco, Ricardo Semler. Professor Mintzberg did not mince words. He has some strong views about the limitations of MBA programs. I found myself agreeing with him on most every point. He is a strong advocate for people getting real-world experience before being taught management skills. You have to earn your management stripes as he likes to say, not have them handed to you because you have a piece of paper from a university.

This is one of the reasons I did internships during my undergrad days. First I started at IBM my sophomore year and then I went to Cisco my junior year. Things worked out so well at Cisco that I never went back to school full-time. Now that I've had 10 years of experience, I'm enhancing my business and managerial skills through an education at MIT. Another key point from Mintzberg is that he believes MBA programs should be part-time. The education should go hand-in-hand with your work experience. Again, this is what I'm doing by continuing to work at Cisco while attending MIT. I doubt many of the MBAs in the room appreciated Mintzberg's talk, but for someone like me, he was preaching to the choir. Semler kept prodding Mintzberg on what MBA students currently in the program should focus on. Mintzberg said he didn't feel comfortable giving an answer because he didn't agree with the approach they are taking in the first place ;-)

My favorite quote from the talk: The problem with being in a rat race is that even if you win, you are still a rat

Notes:

Can't create a manager in a classroom

MBA programs don't create managers

Management is the intersection of craft, art and science

Don't close MBA schools, just recognize them for what they are. They are teaching analytical skills to future analysts.

If you want to be a manager, get in an industry and be promoted to a manager. Then join a educational program that lets you enhance those skills

MBA programs should be part-time so they don't cut students off from their experience

Should earn managerial stripes, not get it because you have an MBA

You are being trained well on business functions, but NOT on being a leader of tomorrow

Cases are not a way to learn management (several digs at Harvard's style of teaching)

Students should build the learning around their experience

Management isn't like engineering or medicine – there is no such thing as a natural surgeon, but there are natural leaders, i.e., some leaders have never taken a single leadership course

The problem with being in the rat race is that even if you win, you are still a rat

MBA is so hyped up

Only 5 of 19 Harvard superstars from 1990 were still "successful" in 2003

He has a pretty dire perception and outlook on American business

After Enron, schools added a course on ethics next to the 12 on shareholder value

Shareholder value is not a value

Softkills are blended in all courses, you don't need specific classes on it

The biggest problem in leadership today is selection

We almost never consult the people who have been managed by the candidates we evaluate