Comments on: Circumventing the Four-Year University Machine http://www.missionmindedmanagement.com/circumventing-the-four-year-university-machine Equipping Managers via Requisite Organization Systems Design. Talent Management, Leadership, Organization Design. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:30:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Declaring a Major at 18 When We Don’t Know Who We Are Until We’re 30 | Mission Minded Management http://www.missionmindedmanagement.com/circumventing-the-four-year-university-machine/comment-page-1#comment-131 Declaring a Major at 18 When We Don’t Know Who We Are Until We’re 30 | Mission Minded Management Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:14:05 +0000 http://69.89.31.143/~organja8/missionmindedmanagement/?p=190#comment-131 [...] In my last post, I talked about the four year university experience and how it might be becoming outdated.? I think one of the limitations of the current?system is the lack of process for quickly eliminating subjects we do not care for.? [...] [...] In my last post, I talked about the four year university experience and how it might be becoming outdated.? I think one of the limitations of the current?system is the lack of process for quickly eliminating subjects we do not care for.? [...]

]]> By: Michelle Malay Carter http://www.missionmindedmanagement.com/circumventing-the-four-year-university-machine/comment-page-1#comment-127 Michelle Malay Carter Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:32:30 +0000 http://69.89.31.143/~organja8/missionmindedmanagement/?p=190#comment-127 Eric, Thanks for the comment. Yes, Bill Gates took the risk but then abandoned his non-degreed "peeps". I wonder if he's ever even thought about this issue. Is he even aware that Microsoft requires college degrees for certain jobs. Michelle Eric,

Thanks for the comment. Yes, Bill Gates took the risk but then abandoned his non-degreed “peeps”.

I wonder if he’s ever even thought about this issue. Is he even aware that Microsoft requires college degrees for certain jobs.

Michelle

]]> By: Eric Pennington http://www.missionmindedmanagement.com/circumventing-the-four-year-university-machine/comment-page-1#comment-128 Eric Pennington Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:59:58 +0000 http://69.89.31.143/~organja8/missionmindedmanagement/?p=190#comment-128 Great post! I like Jim's take as well. The positive part is that people like Bill Gates had the guts and vision to take the risk. I think that will continue regardless of any change in how business looks at a degree (advanced or otherwise). Corporate America, as one example, tends to value conformity and duplication. Anytime you have that combination you usually don't have creative flexibility. In other words, HR and the hiring manager may not be willing to look at a candidate in a different way. They may see the person as either having or not having what the job description says they must. I believe every guidance counselor, HR generalist, and hiring manager should be required to learn the art of vision and creative flexibility. The result wouldn't solve every dilemma, but it would cetainly help in talent recruitment/retainment. And with the coming worker shortage, most organizations would be the better for it. Great post! I like Jim’s take as well. The positive part is that people like Bill Gates had the guts and vision to take the risk. I think that will continue regardless of any change in how business looks at a degree (advanced or otherwise).

Corporate America, as one example, tends to value conformity and duplication. Anytime you have that combination you usually don’t have creative flexibility. In other words, HR and the hiring manager may not be willing to look at a candidate in a different way. They may see the person as either having or not having what the job description says they must.

I believe every guidance counselor, HR generalist, and hiring manager should be required to learn the art of vision and creative flexibility. The result wouldn’t solve every dilemma, but it would cetainly help in talent recruitment/retainment. And with the coming worker shortage, most organizations would be the better for it.

]]> By: Michelle Malay Carter http://www.missionmindedmanagement.com/circumventing-the-four-year-university-machine/comment-page-1#comment-129 Michelle Malay Carter Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:18:46 +0000 http://69.89.31.143/~organja8/missionmindedmanagement/?p=190#comment-129 Jim, Thanks for the comment. Seems like we agree but have more questions than answers at this point. Michelle Jim,

Thanks for the comment. Seems like we agree but have more questions than answers at this point.

Michelle

]]> By: Jim Stroup http://www.missionmindedmanagement.com/circumventing-the-four-year-university-machine/comment-page-1#comment-130 Jim Stroup Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:47:25 +0000 http://69.89.31.143/~organja8/missionmindedmanagement/?p=190#comment-130 Michelle, Excellent! And a couple of excellent ways of illustrating the problems with the knee-jerk university degree requirement. In many skilled-labor positions, the law requires that a hiring or promotion prerequisite be a bona fide qualification for successful performance of the work. Clearly, in many management jobs a 4-year degree may neither be required for success nor predict it. In fact, many argue that even the MBA is neither required nor predictive, either. It would be nice if we could find ways other than the 4-year degree - or at least the 4-year business degree (liberal arts is far preferable, in my mind) - to measure threshold levels of discipline and basic skills. Thanks for a great post! Michelle,

Excellent! And a couple of excellent ways of illustrating the problems with the knee-jerk university degree requirement.

In many skilled-labor positions, the law requires that a hiring or promotion prerequisite be a bona fide qualification for successful performance of the work. Clearly, in many management jobs a 4-year degree may neither be required for success nor predict it. In fact, many argue that even the MBA is neither required nor predictive, either.

It would be nice if we could find ways other than the 4-year degree – or at least the 4-year business degree (liberal arts is far preferable, in my mind) – to measure threshold levels of discipline and basic skills.

Thanks for a great post!

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