H de la Costa Campus, Salcedo, Makati City PHL | February 12, 2013
We had the second oral, individual only case analysis (not case discussion - it could not be a narration). Before, I disregarded case analysis in the entrep class; it is a heavy stuff. It calls for heavy listening, alertness, thinking and preparation. As the facilitator, you think as hard as your student and you must be able to keep track of the thread of the analysis to clarify issues.
All the while, I thought that students who enroll in Entrepreneurship, after having undergone various functional areas training should be able to breeze a case analysis.
Some notes:
l. It is not a narration or recitation of facts. The student must take a point of view, a hypotheses and gather only or recite only the relevant facts.
2. Focus on the situation and hypothesize a problem; test whether that is really a problem; go to the alternative and solution. Mentally test the solution - is it realistic, is it good for everyone concerned.? Is it the best under the situation - the time constraints. The problem should be tested against objectives - sales income, financial (ROI, efficiency, turn over etc)
3. So it is always SPADA: situation, problem analysis, alternative and decision (the solution)
4. Focus on the big picture: do not focus on the trunk, the legs or the ear of the elephant. Look at the entire elephant. Be systems oriented (what are the parts of the system? Read Breakthrough Thinking by Hibino and Nadler) Your long training on marketing, finance, or HR can make you myopic. Or focus on the bottom line (what is the bottom line)
5. Debate and contrasts (from other students analysis) enables the student to compare his thinking and his ability vs. his classmates.
6. Insights come out during the analysis. Therefore, when students raise their hands and are eager to recite and talk there are Eurekas and moments of insights lighting a hundred lightbulbs in their brains
This is a step further in becoming a master...MBA, a guru
We had the second oral, individual only case analysis (not case discussion - it could not be a narration). Before, I disregarded case analysis in the entrep class; it is a heavy stuff. It calls for heavy listening, alertness, thinking and preparation. As the facilitator, you think as hard as your student and you must be able to keep track of the thread of the analysis to clarify issues.
All the while, I thought that students who enroll in Entrepreneurship, after having undergone various functional areas training should be able to breeze a case analysis.
Some notes:
l. It is not a narration or recitation of facts. The student must take a point of view, a hypotheses and gather only or recite only the relevant facts.
2. Focus on the situation and hypothesize a problem; test whether that is really a problem; go to the alternative and solution. Mentally test the solution - is it realistic, is it good for everyone concerned.? Is it the best under the situation - the time constraints. The problem should be tested against objectives - sales income, financial (ROI, efficiency, turn over etc)
3. So it is always SPADA: situation, problem analysis, alternative and decision (the solution)
4. Focus on the big picture: do not focus on the trunk, the legs or the ear of the elephant. Look at the entire elephant. Be systems oriented (what are the parts of the system? Read Breakthrough Thinking by Hibino and Nadler) Your long training on marketing, finance, or HR can make you myopic. Or focus on the bottom line (what is the bottom line)
5. Debate and contrasts (from other students analysis) enables the student to compare his thinking and his ability vs. his classmates.
6. Insights come out during the analysis. Therefore, when students raise their hands and are eager to recite and talk there are Eurekas and moments of insights lighting a hundred lightbulbs in their brains
This is a step further in becoming a master...MBA, a guru
