the art of the 90-person conversation
Yesterday in TOM (Technology and Operations Management) we were working on a case about a company that is changing the supply chain as it pertains to the sale of soybeans in India. Without rehashing the details of the case, I had to comment on the discussion that unfolded in our section.
For literally 80 minutes we had the most fascinating, unmoderated, heated conversation about the role of for-profit companies in the development of social enterprise/initiative and the state of economic and agricultural development in India. The best part about this was that it was completely unmoderated. For 80 minutes we ping-ponged around the room, people chiming in with insight or commentary when they felt compelled to do so. And it was, by far, the most interesting conversation (combining both the content and the method aspects) I’ve witnessed in the classroom yet.
It is in these situations, where the United Nations effect of the HBS section really shines. We had people from India setting the scene, giving us both economic and cultural context. We had someone from China commenting about the role (or requirement) of government (or not) in economic development. We had people from Central and South America drawing parallels to those economies. And we had people from various industries talking about the merits or lackthereof of the project at the focal point of the case.
And all of this without much faculty intervention. It was fascinating.
And this is in no way to marginalize what the faculty do here. They are fantastic. But it is nice to see that when the large train of section c goes barrelling down an interesting (and relevant) track, there is the opportunity for the conversation to go on, even if that wasn’t the prescribed lesson plan.
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