On Strategy : What Managers Can Learn from Great Philosophers
Description
When you enroll for courses through Coursera you get to choose for a paid plan or for a free plan .
- Free plan: No certicification and/or audit only. You will have access to all course materials except graded items.
- Paid plan: Commit to earning a Certificate—it's a trusted, shareable way to showcase your new skills.
About the Course
The business world is at first sight a world of numbers. Accounting, algorithms, processes, quarterly figures, market shares, stock options, currency exchange rates etc. In all those areas, strong management tools exist and allow leaders to track their activities, improve their strategy, and overall run their company.
But another part the business world, equally important, has no numbers available. Corporate image, stress, creativity, team spirit, assertiveness, "black swans", aesthetics etc.
And a lack of rigor suddenly occurs with the excuse : "Since I can't measure, I can't manage... "
This is a mistake. The success of a business depends on its capacity to make a diff…
Frequently asked questions
There are no frequently asked questions yet. If you have any more questions or need help, contact our customer service.
When you enroll for courses through Coursera you get to choose for a paid plan or for a free plan .
- Free plan: No certicification and/or audit only. You will have access to all course materials except graded items.
- Paid plan: Commit to earning a Certificate—it's a trusted, shareable way to showcase your new skills.
About the Course
The business world is at first sight a world of numbers. Accounting, algorithms, processes, quarterly figures, market shares, stock options, currency exchange rates etc. In all those areas, strong management tools exist and allow leaders to track their activities, improve their strategy, and overall run their company.
But another part the business world, equally important, has no numbers available. Corporate image, stress, creativity, team spirit, assertiveness, "black swans", aesthetics etc.
And a lack of rigor suddenly occurs with the excuse : "Since I can't measure, I can't manage... "
This is a mistake. The success of a business depends on its capacity to make a difference regarding competition. And today's differences in the eyes of a customer are probably built more on perception than on reality.
To help leaders to be rigorous even without figures, great philosophers have lots of ideas. Managers are invited to rediscover the art of thinking. They should understand the role of mental models, realize the importance of cognitive bias, agree on clear definitions and efficient criteria etc.
When one says, for example, "We should think creatively about the future of the company," our minds immediately focus on the word "company," which is part of the daily life. But it is important to split the sentence into 4 pieces and to pay some attention to three other key words namely "think", "creatively" and "future". They all must be considered as separated topics.
Creativity demands the ability to unshackle ourselves from conventional ways of thinking, to "think outside the box". But we need to go a step further. Once outside the box, we need to construct a new box or boxes (that is, new intellectual frameworks or models) to help us structure our thinking. Only once we have done so can we generate truly game-changing ideas.
Recommended Background
No background knowledge or skills are required, though we recommend an interest in philosophy.
FAQ
-
Will I get a Statement of Accomplishment after completing this class?
Yes. Students who successfully complete the class will receive a Statement of Accomplishment signed by the instructor.
Share your review
Do you have experience with this course? Submit your review and help other people make the right choice. As a thank you for your effort we will donate $1.- to Stichting Edukans.There are no frequently asked questions yet. If you have any more questions or need help, contact our customer service.