Getting My MBA

I am now in both Accounting and Economics at the same time. I was looking forward to these classes, in a way, because I thought they’d be more objective than Organizational Behavior. I was thinking in OrgBeh, but it was much more personal — how can I apply these theories to improve myself and my work? That got a little too close to home sometimes.

I will need to think in Accounting and Econ, too, but it will be more concrete. We’ll have actual tests and, in Accounting at least, we’ll have real numbers that need to match. I had a full year (2 semesters) of Accounting in undergrad, which helps a lot. Unfortunately, by chapter 4 (week 2 of class), I’ll be all the way through the review of what I’ve already learned. Chapters 5-16 will be new. And exciting. New and exciting. Keep telling yourself that….

Warning: presumptious

I can’t really call myself an artist. I am an amateur photographer with more enthusiasm than talent — see? And I design web sites, although this site and the linked site are both using templates I didn’t create.

Before I started trying to be creative, I was afraid of rejection. I thought that was what would really bother me about putting myself out there and exposing myself. Because that’s what it is, you know. And it’s a much more intimate exposure than being unclothed–it’s baring your heart and soul and letting everyone else in on what is going through your head.

It’s scary.

I heard a saying: you’re not a writer (artist/photographer/…) if you like to write. You’re a writer if you can’t keep yourself from writing no matter how hard you try. That’s getting more accurate for me with my photography. I have to take pictures and I have to share them. This is, ironically enough, happening to me as I pursue my business degree.

So now I can no longer hold myself back. And the response is not the dreaded laughter and derision. It’s something worse. It’s nothing.

Nothing?

Yep. Rather than getting a reaction, any reaction, I’m getting nothing. Nobody sees my site. Nobody comments. I’m just out here, all alone, a fire and brimstone preacher shouting to the rocks and tree stumps.

In Organizational Behavior we talked about people’s need to be with people. We talked about the tribes that punished wrongdoing by completely ignoring the offender. It must be awful to see. The person, who no doubt deserves punishment, feels that intense loneliness of not existing. Eventually that person wanders off and dies, alone and broken. One description of Hell, now more powerful to me than ever, is the description of being completely and totally cut off from God and everyone else for all eternity.

It makes me understand why some artists, politicians, celebrities, etc will do anything controversial. It’s for the attention.

Okay, I’ve learned this point. Now please visit my sites, make lots of comments, and send me money. Thank you!

I have one class left in my first course. We’ve handed in one assignment (!) and haven’t gotten it back, so it’s a little unclear on how grades are going to work. We have one more paper and the final take-home exam. I guess I better nail’em because there’s no do-over. It seems like our teacher is going to give a lot of A’s, though.

So, here’s a question. Our MBA program is selective, about 30 new students a year, and seems to want to teach us what we’re paying for. Is it grade inflation if we all get A’s and B’s? Or should it be on a curve and flunk out 60% of the already highly qualified students?

We had the same problem here at work. We’ve got an extremely talented and intelligent group. We went through several rounds of RIF (reduction in force, aka layoffs). How do you find a bottom 20-40% to cut when the whole workforce is already in the top 2-3% of the general public? On a side note, somehow I managed to make it through these RIF’s even though I’m far from the most talented person here. I guess I have potential