Innovation in the MBA @ Babson College

I’ve been spending quite some time outside the box this past month.  I am three-weeks into my two year MBA program at Babson College and I can already see what a transformational experience this will be.  First up on their agenda: CREATIVITY.  Sure we run through case studies, accounting, business law…but I’m also learning more about MUSIC.  In a group of 12 at the end of our fourth week we are expected to create a 20-minute presentation in our assigned medium, music.

The last time I touched a musical instrument was in 4^th grade and there is good reason why I haven’t picked it back up.  At this point you might ask how music fits into an MBA, and at first, I didn’t know the answer to that.  But as we round the corner into the final week of our first module (the customized “semester” at other schools), it has all coming together. 

Babson is a place where innovation is injected into every piece of what we do here.  But in order to truly be innovative, it is critical that you be comfortable with a blank canvas and all the possibilities (and uncertainties) that come with it.  My class has been given that blank canvas, placed outside our comfort zone, and handed the opportunity to create something from scratch risking embarrassment and failure along the way (in a controlled environment, of course!).  We are using parts of our brain that don’t get exercised regularly to illustrate how critical it is to think outside the box,  take risks, and potentially earn the great rewards that exist out there. 

At the end of the day, with some creativity, teamwork, and innovation, we are on our way to a wonderful performance.  This project has really set the tone for all of the interesting adventures we are about to embark upon.