There are numerous programs, schools and methodologies helping to understand and learn how to manage business and people: different master of business administration (MBA) schools with their own programs and almost abundant methodologies and tools they teach their students. Unfortunately no one ever learns whatsoever about e.g.: ecology at an MBA or in their programs. Unethical business and environmental practices of some MBA students are uncovered consistently.Responsibility across the broadest spectrum of society is vitally important to the future of the global economy. Having said that the key question in today's business environment still remains: do all those programs, methodologies and tools really come out the way we need them to?
The biggest issue to introduce all of the different programs every couple of years or so is mostly based on the matter that companies are entirely dismissing experience if you do not have a degree. This is short sighted and even negligent but attractive to those that want higher salary, better career opportunities or better consolidated business network. The second matter is that different methodologies and tools get sold to C-level as a silver bullet that is going to fix all of their issues, problems and will bring out the solutions.
But to probe even deeper - it is not the methodologies or the tools that bring solutions or break problems. They are good and they work when they are just frameworks to organize efforts. The important and mostly overlooked aspect of application of methodologies and tools is: they need to be based on the business needs, culture of organization and should be properly trimmed to benefit from using them.
Also overlooked is the importance of the people that run business in accordance to those methodologies and tools. They should be properly empowered and supported to be able to work accordingly. And right here is a lack of C-level support probably the number one reason for these programs to fail. When organizations define how those methodologies and tools will be implemented and will work in the culture of their organization, C-level people rarely take a step outside of their office to validate those assumptions with their lower level employees. When we are thought to drive a car it is done with an understanding of how to drive in normal conditions. But one day you meet different driving conditions. What if you do not adapt accordingly?
Obviously, top leaders and organizations are to be educated first. Next on the list is how to clearly communicate the situation, the vision, the culture. Further on top leaders have to understand when the implementation of learned knowledge from those methodologies and tools is going off the rails. And here the education does not come only from the books, MBA programs, but it is rather the accumulation of experiences (both academic and real-world) and how one applies that knowledge in different situations. And finally, the understanding of society, organizational and societal culture, organizational knowledge, different markets and other conditions should and has to impact the way the programs are changed, the methodologies and tools are learned and applied.
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