I was excited about the opportunity to blog on the Simmons Reconnect site because I now get the chance to reconnect with classmates and connect with the larger Simmons community. My experience at the School of Management both as an employee and a student was amazing and life changing. What I miss most is the mental stimulation and interaction of the staff, students, and faculty which exposed me to so many different perspectives. I always found it interesting that the discussion of one case study could yield a vast array of views and opinions...it made me wonder sometimes, "Did we read the same case?" But always in a good way. Blogging for Simmons will give me a chance to engage with the Simmons community, share my thoughts and continue to learn from you. I also look forward to feeling more connected to Simmons since I am no longer in the Boston area. With all the technological advancements, physical distance no longer means the same thing. Interestingly, I went on a business trip to California this week. As I was looking for something good and juicy to read, I came across a rack of Harvard Business School books. They are small books, quick reads and inexpensive. They feature different topics like "Managing Up" and "Business Communications" but all intended to help you become a better professional...in five minutes...how does that really work? Seriously though, they are very interesting...check them out. I purchased one for a friend from the Lessons Learned Series and of course had to read at least one chapter to validate the quality of the gift...not at all because I was tempted to keep it for myself. In Straight Talk from the World's Top Business Leaders, Linda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice at the London Business School spoke of the importance of intentionally spending time with people who are different from you. Mix your life with people from different countries, different personalities, different interests, etc., she said. She apparently spent some time at the Royal College of Art and observed how fine artists are taught..quite a contrast to business school I am sure. To make a long story short, she walked away with a new approach that she felt could be applied to her program to make it more innovative and effective. So, in a nutshell, I am looking forward to hearing from all types of people and really tapping into the amazing people of the Simmons College community.
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