Trying To Create A Well-Rounded M.B.A.

At the Desautels Faculty of Management, at McGill University, in Canada, dean Peter Todd believes many business schools have been guilty of graduating M.B.A.s with too little contextual experience. He has consequently taken the idea of putting students in touch with ideas from other disciplines to a logical, if perhaps unexpected, conclusion--putting them in touch with themselves.

The idea, which stems from the teaching philosophy of one of the school's most renowned scholars, Henry Mintzberg, involves allowing each student quiet time, or "white space," twice a week to reflect on his or her experiences. The premise seems to be that managers often have the answers to the challenges that confront them but don't take the time to discover them, because of the demands of the day-to-day. As Todd puts it, "Management is about asking questions, not just providing answers. It's as much about listening as talking. Reflection aids in developing mature managerial judgment."

Forbes, December 4, 2009