Episode 41: Rephrasing Three Days Back in the Classroom

Last week, I resumed teaching the case course at the Haskayne School of Business. This time, it was a bit different because I co-taught the course with a former team member from several of my case-solving teams, Kenya Rasmussen. Since then, she has spent the first six years of her career as a strategy consultant and is now a manager at Accenture.

We had only about a week to put the course together and just a few days to ensure that the technology we were using was ready to go. Despite these tight timelines, everything came together well, with only a few minor hiccups along the way.

I also want to commend the students for their perseverance throughout the week. The course is intensive, packed with learning, and carries high expectations for personal growth for everyone involved.

Overall, it was a successful week. I want to share some observations I made as the students progressed through the course.

The Observations

The first observation is that we had a limited timeframe to prepare for the co-taught course, which resulted in simpler course materials and a greater emphasis on real-life examples to illustrate the concepts. Based on student feedback, this approach proved effective. Additionally, we chose to focus deeply on each topic. For example, during a one-and-a-half-hour session on case analysis, we explored my case analysis flip chart tool and demonstrated its use alongside several other case analysis tools, such as SWOT, competitive landscape maps, and TWOS. We provided examples of how to effectively use these tools. In their afternoon case studies, students applied these tools well, and many noted the value of the flip chart tool in their reflections. They also offered suggestions for its further improvement.

A second observation was our approach of gradually building the case analysis template throughout the week, rather than overwhelming the students with all the information at once. On the first day, the focus was on engaging students in a simple discussion and allowing them to present their thoughts to the class. On day two, I introduced details about case analysis tools and techniques. On day three, we covered recommendations and implementation, emphasising how they should connect back to the analysis. Day four included a framework for building strategy using a simple model of who, what, how, and why, which resonated well with the class. This session was complemented by a 45-minute conversation between a coach and a former case-solving athlete about managing the Q&A session. Day five concentrated on storytelling, allowing students to piece everything together and discuss how to effectively conclude their presentations. From what I observed and what Kenya informed me about regarding the final two days, there was significant growth throughout the week.

A third observation involved a change that simplified the delivery of course materials. Previously, the course had utilised numerous examples of past successful case presentations spread throughout the week. This time, I opted to use only two presentations: one video and one slide deck, followed by another presentation that consisted solely of a slide deck. I began with the video on the third day, as student reflections indicated they were becoming more comfortable with presenting. This followed their development of a better understanding of what constitutes a good case-solving presentation. The video allowed them to see an example of a successful presentation, fostering a productive discussion supported by the slide deck that highlighted their observations and insights. The presentation was not perfect, which led to a robust discussion about both its strengths and weaknesses, as well as how to integrate the strengths while improving the weaknesses. This was supplemented by a successful slide deck and a discussion on what they could incorporate and how they might enhance it.

A fourth observation drawn from student reflections is that, although we eliminated a significant amount of material from the course and focused each day's content on a few key messages, students were provided with many resources to enhance their learning. Based on their reflections, it is clear that they are showing curiosity and are engaging with some of these additional resources, even with the demanding schedule of this intensive course. I also spoke with a few students, and many expressed plans to explore some of the material post-course.

Wrapping it Up

I have noticed several other observations, but these are the ones that stand out to me at the moment. Over the next week, I will be marking the self-reflections that are due tonight at midnight, and I expect to have more notable observations to share.

This morning, I came across a post by a former competitor and student Eric Termuende. In it, he discussed a question he often receives: "What does the future workforce look like?" He suggested rephrasing it to: "How do we build a team that can thrive no matter what the future holds?" This prompted me to think about how the redesign we implemented last week for a select group of students plays a role in framing this new question.

Having Kenya join me to co-teach and spending the past year focused on delivering "Mad Skills" training—along with understanding how these skills contribute to team building—has led to what seems to be a successful redesign of an already effective course. We aimed to simplify the content for easier delivery and ensure it resonated with everyone in the class. Additionally, we focused on key elements within the case-solving structure that will help these students be better prepared to work with others, no matter what the future holds for them.