Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them. ~ Paul Hawken

If you are reading this, you must be curious about my summer management course.  This is a fun, interactive course designed for students who either are, or plan to be, in the position of managing their own work groups, heading up large companies, starting businesses that change society, managing the world’s most important non-profits, or serving in government. I have been teaching this popular summer class for more than 10 years and it usually has between 15 and 25 students enrolled, a good number of whom are currently working managers.  Others are people imagining what it would be like to become a manager.  Still others are just looking for a good class.  It’s a great place to spend time learning both the theory and skills of management, but to also engage in conversations about the real world.

The program will introduce basic language, concepts, tools, and problem-framing methodologies that are needed to develop management skills. During the first half, the program focuses on motivating others, team-building, developing self-awareness, and communicating supportively. Then we take a little break for the 4th of July.  During the second part we focus on leadership, decision-making, understanding power and influence, and solving problems creatively.