Absorptive Capacity, Innovation, and Professional Development February 29, 2008
Posted by John in Innovation.Tags: Absorptive Capacity, Innovation
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Absorptive Capacity is an interesting concept that has absolutely nothing to do with diapers as came to my mind when I first heard the term. I was first introduced to the concept last semester on my India study abroad class. My Innovations textbook defines it as: “a firm’s ability to assimilate new knowledge. The more related knowledge a firm has, the easier it is for it to assimilate the new knowledge.”
Now, I am person, not a company, but what the teacher was talking about when he said he was building up our absorptive capacity is our ability to take in as much learning as possible from the travel portion of class.
For example, if we went to India with no preparation, we’d have been shell-shocked, asking a million questions trying figure out so much of what was going on. Instead, we spent a semester’s worth of classes learning about the country so what we saw would make more sense. By being prepared, we were able to ask better questions and we were able to come to a greater understanding of the country of India.
So then, Absorptive Capacity is integral into being able to take on and understand new concepts. For example, if I was an expert on water purification, learning about vodka filtration and production might be an easy transition. However, if my tasks was to learn computer programming, there is very little overlapping knowledge and the transition would take much longer and would involve tremendously more work.
A key lesson for personal and professional development would be to build on what you already know. Find new skills that overlap the ones you already have. Are you good at conducting meetings? Maybe sales presentations would be a good skill to develop. Build on your strengths and look for ways to bring it all together.
Two Excellent Books on Communication February 28, 2008
Posted by John in Books, Communication, Presentations.add a comment
Two great books on communicating more effectively
* Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds
* Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
I feel that the these two books are a worthy addition to anyone’s library who is looking to communicate more effectively.
I have seen people focus on the powerpoint slides themselves during presentation as though they are sole object of importance. So much so that they put their back to the audience so that they could also admire their handiwork on screen.
What Presentation Zen and its accompanying blog advocate is an different approach than we traditionally see when PowerPoint is involved. Advice includes driving home the point that slides support you as a speaker, and are not by themselves the message. Reynolds also suggests a separate report for extra information that may be relevant but may weaken the may point of your presentation. There are a variety of tips and advice for improving your message making this book worthwhile for anyone who presents regularly.
Made to Stick is an excellent break down of what are key elements to making a message or idea “stick”. Garr Reynolds, author of Presentation Zen wrote a good summary of what Made to Stick is about and it can be found here.
Resources to Help Prepare for a Job Interview February 27, 2008
Posted by John in Job Hunt.Tags: Interview Questions
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Rather than rehashing what has already been produced in countless other places, I’m wanted to share a few of the links I found helpful in my interview preparation.
How to answer 23 of the most common interview questions
Common job interview questions
50 Common Interview Q&A
My least favorite question is, “Where do you see yourself in (say) 5 years?” Anything I try to predict, will likely changed over that period of time. All I know for sure is that I want a job that continues to allow me a career path for future development. I love learning new stuff and constantly dealing with new challenges. The main thing is that by the time I my on to the next position is that I am proficient in the job that I’m leaving. I don’t want to hop around so fast that I can’t really learn the ins and outs of a job.
I found this post after my initial preparations and it was even better than the above.
25 Questions to Think About Before Your Next Job Interview
Tyson Discovery Center February 27, 2008
Posted by John in MBA Experience.add a comment
The Tyson Discovery center was an interesting opportunity to see how companies can increase their ability to innovate by developing appropriate facilities. Previously Tyson only had a small R&D center. Now they have a 19 kitchen facility.
The variety of tools and close proximity of its R&D staff help to create an center that can provide quick turnaround on developing new products. Tyson has a miniature pilot plant at the center that allows for rapid development and testing of new products. It’s even USDA inspected so that new products can be produced on site and then be sent out for consumer testing.
The key takeaway for me was that to foster innovation, you have to the environment and proper tools at hand.
For a detailed overview on the Center check out this article here.
Busy Day February 26, 2008
Posted by John in Job Hunt, MBA Experience.Tags: Job Interview Questions
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Tonight I am going to have plenty to do. I’m doing final preparation for upcoming job interviews, selecting a few final positions to apply for, going to a pre-interview information session and then going to finish out the night with pizza and poker with some of the guys. There are always going to be some tough interview questions, so I’m reviewing my relevant experiences to some of the common questions.
The toughest for me is, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I’ve got several ideas both in regards to personal life and ambitions and hopes in my professional career. But things change so much in 5 years, that I know that likely things will turn out far differently than the way I expected.
I also like to ask the interviewer questions to give me a better idea about the position’s purpose and its expectations. So typically I’ll ask something like, “What are some of the objectives you would like accomplished in this job?” or “What need does this position fill within the organization that is absolutely critical?” I like to know these things primarily because it helps better fulfill the needs of the position.
This point goes along with one of my favorite quotes, “Our job is not to figure out the how. The how will show up out of a commitment and belief in the what.” — Jack Canfield. The point is that people tend not care enough until they are committed to idea and to the work.
My internship last summer was an exceptional experience, with one noteworthy difficulty early on. Exactly why was our project relevant to the firm and what was the next step after it going to be? Once our team go answers to these questions it proved extremely helpful in enhancing our ongoing project to what was needed by the company.
Innovation February 23, 2008
Posted by John in Innovation.Tags: Innovation
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I recently learned a somewhat academic definition of a term I thought I was familiar with. The latest trend in the business world is its heavy emphasis on innovation. From my youth, to me innovation = invention. However in my Innovation and Creativity class I learned that innovation is not quite so. According to the American Heritage Dictionary innovation is: the act of introducing something new. Essentially then, innovation is the act of commercializing an invention. This somewhat demeans what for me was an idealistic concept of being innovative.
On the flip-side, if what you invent never comes to market, you’ve likely failed to make a lasting impact. So, no matter how great it is, an invention must be followed by an innovative process.
The Job Hunt February 23, 2008
Posted by John in Job Hunt, MBA Experience.add a comment
As an MBA student, the general expectation is that the continuing your education will help build a foundation for the future. I feel this has been the case for myself. Exposure to a variety of concepts, discussion of cases, conducting a variety of analysis is just an experience that’s hard to get any other way. Overall the MBA experience can really help you grow as an individual.
Now is the time I look for this investment in myself to begin its payback. I have three interviews so far in the upcoming weeks, with good leads on a few other positions. A word the to the wise MBA student; aggressively pursue the job search the semester before you graduate. Last semester, I began a casual search and landed an couple of interviews. It’s one of those eye opening experiences when some of your classmates start taking job offers. It showed me that the opportunities are available by companies that recognize highly qualified individuals need to be sought early in the process.
