REFLECTIONS

BUILDING THE ABILITY FOR INSIGHT

Most executives are action-oriented, always doing, doing, doing. IMPM differs from other international management education programs by incorporating time for participants to step back from daily pressures and reflect. Reflection does not merely mean musing: it means wondering, probing, analyzing, synthesizing—and struggling. Each morning, participants begin by writing thoughts in their “Insight Book.” From there, they engage in roundtable discussions on a vast range of economic, ethical, business and political issues, followed by plenary discussion. Participants  share their reflections, learn from one another's ideas and experiences and  come to grips with their own views.

REFLECTION PAPERS: THE REAL ISSUES

In between the two-week modules, participants return to their regular work life and write a Reflection Paper relating learnings to their job. This is when much of the in-depth learning takes place, as serious work-related challenges are explored in depth.

ROUNDTABLE FORMAT AND INSTANT WORKSHOPS

A roundtable seating arrangement in the classroom allows participants to switch easily into instant small-group workshops to discuss reflections as well as material presented during the class. This creates a classroom dynamic where six or seven clusters of people dialogue, workshop, hold discussions and share their insights, rather than thirty-five individuals in a tiered classroom expressing separate opinions.

COMPETENCY SHARING

Competency sharing helps participants to tap into fellow students’ vast wealth of experience. The focus is not on how a particular skill can or should be used, but on how it actually is used. Therefore throughout the IMPM, learning takes the form of a constant exchange of ideas and insights, as the participants move back and forth between management concepts and their experiences.