Interactive Executive Education

What Works, What Doesn’tand Why

My Experience

• 15 years – first global teams in 1993• Multiple cultures – US, Latin America, Asia,

Central Europe• Varied context – EMBA to company offsite• Cross-cultural, multinational• Situations where I did not speak students’

language

Executive Education?• Mature students– Hold or have held responsible position– Manager or professional– Usually 45 or older

• Presently working – Not able to study full time– Intensive study

• Varying duration– Single course or offsite training program– Full EMBA

Executive Student Characteristics

• Experienced• Short attention span• Critical• Want whatever they get to be clear and make

sense• Want practical knowledge• Want to use their experience

Interactive?

• Teams• Foundation of course design• All or part of the course activity

Considerations

• Learning objectives• Language• Experience level• Geography• Commonalities• Work/organizational objectives• Larger program objectives and constraints

Types of Interactive Learning

• In classroom• Web-based• Off-site• Simulation/exercise• Case-based• Self-created

International Considerations

• Language– Students have common language– Same as instructor

• Location– Education center (EMBA)– Offsite (hotel or conference center)– Web-based)

International Considerations (cont.)

• Time– Coordinated (synchronous) or uncoordinated– Duration

• Relationship to work– Relevance– Work demands (mobile telephones)

Web Technology

• Real-time, synchronous—still in the “dream” stage– Technology inadequate to support (1,3,6,10,15…)– Webex, Adobe Connect (Macromedia Breeze),

Microsoft Net Meeting– Chat (MS Messenger, Yahoo Buddies, ICQ)– Video or teleconference

• Asynchronous—actually works– Viable, effective– Email (or Lotus Notes) – commonly used– Blackboard or other posting system

What Works?

• Cases– Time sequenced (A-B-C…, e.g. P&G Japan)– Role play (board committee, e.g. Otis)

• Deliverable– Formal or informal– In-class

What Works?

• Team building– Face to face time (language or cultural

differences)– Commitment, role effectiveness

• Self-created– If enough in common (same company or group)– Within larger context (final exercise)

What doesn’t work?

• Simulations (does with MBA or undergrad)– Game– Not use experience, capabilities or imagination

• Synchronous distance–especially across time differences.– Work time or off time (e.g. streaming English)– Technology limits group size– Language response – processing time (chat)

What doesn’t work? (cont.)

• No deliverables– Lose interest– Distracted

• Extended time– Work interferes– Lose interest, teams disintegrate

What Helps?

• Tight time schedule & organization– Push schedule– Definite commitment

• Role play or job related– Clear roles– Consistent with tasks and deliverables

• Company support– Not interfere– Give credence (accelerate career, cohort)

What Hurts• Teaching– Instructor owns outcomes– Right answers

• Loss of interest– Lacks relevance or “canned,” cases not real– Goes on too long– Vague tasks or deliverables– Not use experience and capabilities

• Work interference– Time conflicts– Work deadlines– Mobile telephones, laptop computers