Learn, unlearn and relearn: A B-school perspective

It is often believed that there are two sources of learning. Firstly, we learn from our experiences. And, we learn from others’ experiences.

Life is too short for an individual to have all the experiences. So, the alternative is to learn from others. There are multiple sources like books, narrations, courses, to name a few. A B-school education comes very handy here. This is a packaged bundle of years of wisdom passed on to you in two years.

Diversity

Cynics may argue that it is as good as getting the study material and going through it. But the point is that a B-school has people from diverse backgrounds, and the way each one looks at a problem gives multiple perspectives. Corporates need people who can think through multiple dimensions because stakeholder management is a key ingredient in any decision. Secondly, the role of faculty as facilitators works a great deal in bringing out the best in students.

When Harvard Business School decided to have something like an open source for its study material, it was well aware that only a Harvard professor can do justice to that material. The general environment created by people from diverse backgrounds coming together to form a team is very essential in today’s corporate world. The project team dissolves and a new team is formed to work on the next assignment. The exercise is to learn to work with different people.

The reality is that we can have the best systems, the best resources, all the time in the world, but a majority of the failures in a corporate set-up are because of people issues. It is the deadlines.

It is often believed that a classroom is a very secure place.

Out there it is just a nightmare. B-schools force you to be disciplined, punctual, resilient, with an ability to adhere to deadlines, which are very critical in today’s business scenario.

I am an ardent fan of Alvin Toffler. One of his famous quotes which has struck a chord is: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” 

When the case method came into vogue, there was a lot of criticism that working in the corporate sector is not about case studies. But what has been missed here is that each case is different in totality and you cannot apply the same solution blindly. There is some unlearning and relearning to be done in order to have a fresh look at the new case.

Experience matters

I joined IIM Kozhikode way back in 2001 when it was in its fifth year. Ours was a batch heavy on experience. I had a work experience of 27 months and I was counted as one of the youngsters in the batch.

And when I look back, the collective experience of the batch has contributed a lot to what I am today. We had a Major-General from the Indian Army with 17 years of experience, a banker with 14 years of experience, a person with a degree in comparative literature…

The discussions brought out so many different perspectives. And, today, I really appreciate what group learning can help you become.

Intangible factors

A typical question which students ask me is about the return of investment on a B-school education. I had invested Rs 12 lakhs for two years. I come from an era when the fees was on the lower side. Let me ask you one thing. When you look at a business scenario, do you look at it only from a perspective of ROI?

Aren’t there some intangible things which you need to consider? Research carried out at both Harvard and Stanford way back in 2003 (outdated but relevant ) says that the most successful companies, both in profitability and longevity, are the ones who recognise the absolute necessity of profits as well as the equally high necessity of having a purpose beyond shareholder wealth.

The plethora of learning from different perspectives in a B-school — you cannot just put a figure to it.

Another popular misconception which I encounter is that once a student passes out from a B-school, he thinks he knows everything and he should be made the CEO.

A B-school curriculum facilitates experiential learning, and it equips you with the skills to face challenges. B-school education is not a short cut to success in life.

We all need to go through the motions but, yes, a B-school education gives you an edge over others.

(The writer, an alumnus of IIM Kozhikode, Class of 2003, is a Solution Architect with Oracle)

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