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Business 100 Introduction Syllabus, Spring 2010
Syllabus Introduction to Business
BUSiness 100
John Wesley Yoest, Jr. (Jack)
Adjunct Professor of Management
Science, Technology and Business Division
BUS 100-003A LEC 12370 Introduction to Business (Lecture)
Mondays and Wednesdays 11:00am - 12:15am
A-Bisdorf/AA- Room 359
January 11, 2010 to May 10, 2010
Main Campus:
Northern Virginia Community College
3001 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311
NVCC phone: 703 845-6200
Fax: 703-845-6009
Jack@Yoest.org
or,
JYoest@NVCC.edu
Cell: 202.215.2434
Education:
M.B.A., George Mason University
B.S., Old Dominion University
Graduate Course Work, Oxford University
1) Course Objective:
Prerequisites: Each student must be able to
1) Read and write English fluently, and
2) Have the desire to understand how business is conducted.
Course Objectives:
The Alert Student will know the Language of Business at the course completion.
This course will provide the Alert Student with a broad overview of the components of business.
This is an introductory course that reviews the basic terminology of the business world by examining economics, marketing, management, and law.
The course will help the student select their field of business specialization.
A satisfactory placement score for ENG 111 is strongly recommended. Presents a broad introduction to the functioning of business enterprise within the U.S. economic framework. Introduces economic systems, essential elements of business organization, production, human resource management, marketing, finance, and risk management. Develops business vocabulary.
Text:
Introduction to Business, Tenth edition. Pride, Hughes, and Kapoor. Cengage Learning, 2009.
2) Academic Requirements:
ASSIGNMENTS:
Homework: There will be reading assignments from the text for every class.
Find a friend. Exchange contact information with at least one class member to keep current on any missed classes. This is a course requirement for points. Your Business Professor is not the student’s first point of contact. You may share with any and all in the class except during tests.
Establish a domain & social media name. The student will reserve and claim a URL address, for example: www.yoest.com, www.yoest.org, www.twitter.com/JackYoest This is a course requirement for points toward final grade.
Quizzes: Expect a short quiz in the first ten minutes of every class period. Questions may be true/false, very short answer, or fill-in-the-blank.
Class Participation: The Student is expected to volunteer and help move the class discussions.
Examinations: There will be a Mid-Term and Final Exam; multiple choice and short answer. The Final Exam will be given on 10 May, the last day of class. The Final is not comprehensive.
Business in the News: Each student will be required to give a brief five minute oral presentation on a current-event newspaper article. This current-event/internet assignment will be turned in with student notes.
This presentation should be organized:
2) Deliver a brief overview of the topic, and, most important,
3) Your opinion/reaction to the article.
At the conclusion of the presentation you will turn in a print-out of the article, being sure to include the newspaper source, date, and website.
Current Event grading scale:
4 — Follow Directions
4 — Organization
4 — Overview/Reaction/Opinion
4 — Presentation
2 — Turn In
=
20 Total Points
Grade Point Allocation:
Exams: Two each, 10 points each; 20 points total
Quizzes: Twenty @ two points each; 40 points total
Current Event, Business in the News: 20 points;
Class Participation 10
Text Book: 1 points
Exchange contact info: 1
Claim Domain Name: 1
Claim Facebook/Twitter Name: 1
Extra Credit as assigned: 6
Total = 100 points/percent
Class Participation: This will be a subjective measure at the discretion of the instructor. Even with the grade structure following, making your voice heard and preparedness are important — they could make the difference in a borderline grade.
The only way to begin to earn Class Participation points is to show up.
Course Grading System:
A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = 0-59
BUS 100 Semester Outline; There will be 32 class sessions.
MLK Jan 18 off
Spring break March 8 - 14
COURSE OUTLINE Chapter PowerPoint slides available here.
Jan 11, Introduction and Expectations
Jan 13, Ch. 1 Exploring the World of Business and Economics
Jan 20, Ch. 2 Being Ethical & Socially Responsible
Jan 25, Ch. 3 Exploring Global Business
Jan 27, Ch. 4 Choosing a Form of Business Ownership
Feb 1, Ch. 5 Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Franchises
__________________________________________________
Feb 3, Ch. 6 Understanding the Management Process
Feb 8, Ch. 7 Creating a Flexible Organization
Feb 9, Ch. 8 Producing Quality Goods and Services
Feb 15, Ch. 9 Attracting and Retaining the Best Employees
Feb 17, Ch. 10 Motivating and Satisfying Employees and Teams
Feb 22, Ch. 11 Enhancing Unions-Management Relations
__________________________________________________
Feb 24, Mid-Term Exam
__________________________________________________
Mar 1, Ch. 12 Building Customer Relationships Through Effective Marketing
Mar 3, Ch. 13 Creating and Pricing Products that Satisfy Customers
Mar 15-17, Ch. 14 Wholesaling, Retailing, and Physical Distribution
Mar 22-24 Ch. 15 Developing Integrated Marketing Communications
Mar 29-31, Ch. 16 Understanding Information and e-Business
_________________________________________________
Current Events on 5, 7 & 12 April
__________________________________________________
April 14, Business Law
April 19, Ch. 17 Using Accounting Information
April 21, Ch. 18 Understanding Money, Banking, and Credit
April 26, Ch. 19 Mastering Financial Management
April 28, Ch. 20 Understanding Personal Finances and Investments
May 3-5, Year End Review
Final Exam on 10 May
__________________________________________________
Business Law Outline
Sources of Law
1. US Constitution
2. Statutory Law — Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)
3. Common Law
Public Law
Private Law — Product Liability
Contract Law
a) Requirements for a valid contract
b) Breach of contract
Sales Law — Warranties
Property Law — Real Property
Personal Property
1. Tangible
2. Intangible
3) Attendance:
Regular attendance of this course is expected. Failure to do so could have an adverse effect on the student’s course grade. Any class material and assignments missed are the student’s responsibility. Success will depend upon showing up.
It is a requirement that the student exchange names and contact information with at least one classmate.
Excessive absences, as defined in the college catalog, could result in the student receiving the grade ‘F’ for the course.
Testing and Grading:
Attendance at scheduled tests and presentations is mandatory. No make-ups will be given — there are no exceptions from Your Business Professor.
Current Events Presentations will not be accepted late and must be delivered in person.
Normally this instructor will assign only the grades of A, B, C, D, or F. Special grades such as W, I, and R will be assigned only in those circumstances prescribed in the college catalog. The grade of X (audit) must be initiated by the student and will be assigned only when the student has attended class regularly.
Failure to do so will result in the instructor issuing the grade of ‘F’.
The Successful Student will devote two hours of class preparation for each hour of class room instruction.
The student will be asked to grade the effectiveness of each test.
Withdrawals:
Any student may withdraw from this course without academic penalty within the first 60% of the session. Initiation of the withdrawal is the student’s responsibility and the grade of ‘W’ will be awarded. The last day for withdrawal, without academic penalty, for this semester/session is _______________. Beyond this date dropping a course or failure to attend will result in the grade of ‘F’ except under mitigating circumstances. Documentation of these circumstances is required AND a grade of ‘W’ implies that the student was making satisfactory progress (passing) in the course at the time of the withdrawal.
If a student misses the first two weeks of class s/he will be dropped from the class.
Special Needs and Accommodations:
Please address with the instructor any special problems or needs at the beginning of the semester/session. If the student is seeking accommodations based on disability, then s/he should provide a disability data sheet, which can be obtained from the Counselor for Special Needs.
In the event of an emergency cancellation of class, please check Blackboard for further instructions. See http://tac.nvcc.edu/blackboard/student/ for more information on how to use Blackboard.
Canceled Classes: If class is canceled for any reason, the student is still responsible for the material due. Any quiz on that material might be given at the next class, in addition to the regularly scheduled quiz.
Campus classes are closed by division, day or evening. Sometimes day classes will meet and evening classes will be canceled or vice versa. The evening division starts with 4:30 p.m. classes.
Cheating:
The following will be considered cheating in this course:
2. The use of any material on a graded assignment or test other than those authorized by this instructor.
3. Talking or discussion of any kind during a graded test without specific permission of this instructor.
4) Notes and suggestions and hints:
Last Day for Schedule Adjustments with Tuition Refund is ____________.
Last Day to Withdraw Without Grade Penalty or Change to Audit is _________.
Attendance will be taken at each class.
Check the course catalog first for questions.
Be sure to log onto Blackboard to follow assignments and current grade.
Expect to be asked to contribute to each class session.
Do not text-message during class.
When Your Business Professor says “Tomorrow” he means the next class meeting — not the next day.
It is normal and customary to wait for any late Professor for 20 minutes.
Draft Your Own Reference Letter.
Additional information and public speaking helps.
Refer your friends to take this business class.
Be sure to grade Your Business Professor at www.RateMyProfessors.com Key word search Yoest
Other exciting Business Division courses:
|
ACC 211 Accounting |
BUS 165 Small Business Management |
|
AST 107 Editing and Proofreading |
BUS 200 Principles of Management |
|
AST 236 Software Applications or IST 117 |
BUS 241-1 Business Law I and II |
|
BUS 280 International Business |
|
|
BUS 100 Introduction to Business |
FIN 215 Financial Management |
|
BUS 125 Applied Business Math |
ITE 115 Intro to Computer Applications and Concepts |
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JACK YOEST
John Wesley (Jack) Yoest Jr., is a senior business mentor in high-technology, medicine, non-profit and new media consulting. His expertise is in management training and development, operations, sales, and marketing. He has worked with clients in across the USA, India and East Asia.
Mr. Yoest is an adjunct professor of management in the Science, Technology and Business Division of the Northern Virginia Community College.
He is also the president of Management Training of DC, LLC.
He has been published by Scripps-Howard, National Review Online, The Business Monthly, The Women’s Quarterly and other outlets. He was a columnist for Small Business Trends, and was a finalist in the annual 2006 Weblog Awards in the Best Business Blog category for Reasoned Audacity at www.yoest.org which covers the intersection of business, culture and politics. The blog has grown to receive over a million unique visitors in five years.
Mr. Yoest served as a gubernatorial appointee in the Administration of Governor James Gilmore in the Commonwealth of Virginia. During his tenure in state government, he acted as the Chief Technology Officer for the Secretary of Health and Human Resources where he was responsible for the successful Year 2000 (Y2K) conversion for the 16,000-employee unit.
He also served as the Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Resources, acting as the Chief Operating Officer of the $5 billion budget.
Prior to this post, Mr. Yoest managed entrepreneurial, start-up ventures, which included medical device companies, high technology, software manufacturers, and business consulting companies.
His experience includes managing the transfer of patented biotechnology from the National Institutes of Health to his client, which enabled the company to raise $25 million in venture capital funding.
He served as Vice President of Certified Marketing Services International, an ISO 9000 business-consulting firm, where he assisted international companies in human resource certification. And he also served as President of Computer Applications Development and Integration (CADI), the premier provider of software solutions for the criminal justice market. During his tenure, Mr. Yoest negotiated a strategic partnership with Behring Diagnostics, a $300 million division of Hoechst Celanese, the company’s largest contract.
Mr. Yoest served as a manager with Menlo Care, a medical device manufacturer. While at Menlo, Mr. Yoest was a part of the team that moved sales from zero to over $12 million that resulted in a buy-out by a medical division of Johnson & Johnson.
Mr. Yoest is a former Captain in the United States Army having served in Combat Arms. He earned an MBA from George Mason University and completed graduate work in the International Operations Management Program at Oxford University.
He has been active on a number of Boards and competes in 26.2-mile marathon runs.
Mr. Yoest and his wife, Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D., who is president and CEO of a public interest law firm, live in the Washington, DC area with their five children.
# # #
Drop with tuition refund census date — Jan 28
Withdrawal with out grade penalty or change to audit — March 26
Fees & Fine Print
FEES & REQUIREMENTS FOR ON-SITE SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS
2-DAY FORMAT :
Minimum Guarantee: $9,950 (covers a group of 30 people)
Additional Attendees: $295 per person
1-DAY FORMAT :
Minimum Guarantee: $7,950 (covers a group of 30 people)
Additional Attendees: $295 per person
1/2-DAY FORMAT :
Minimum Guarantee: $5,000 (covers a group of 30 people)
Additional Attendees: $125 per person
INDIVIDUAL CONSULTING
One month minimum. Unlimited phone/emails
Weekly one-hour, one-on-one, face-to-face meetings
$3,995 per month
The lodging and travel expenses for our speakers are not included in the fees above and will be additional expenses for the client. Arrangements and expenses for the seminar site and audio/visual equipment will be the client’s responsibility. Fees and requirements are subject to change without notice. All fees are quoted in U.S. Dollars.
More Fine Print:
Terms of Access
ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The Following are terms of a legal agreement between any user of this Website (”User” or “You”) and Management Training of DC, LLC. By accessing, browsing, and/or using this site (”Site.”) User acknowledges having read, understood, and hereby agrees to be bound by these terms and comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including U.S export and re-export control laws and regulations. If you do not agree to these terms, do not use this Site. The material provided on this Site is protected by law, including, but not limited to, United States Copyright Law and international treaties. This Site is controlled and operated by Management Training of DC, LLC from offices within the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It can be accessed from all fifty (50) states and other countries of the world. Users who choose to access Management Training of DC, LLC websites from locations outside of the U.S. do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with applicable local laws.
APPLICABLE LAWS
TRADEMARKS AND COPYRIGHTS
LINKS TO THIRD PARTY SITES
USE RESTRICTIONS
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY
PURCHASE ORDERS
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
SECURITY POLICY
RESERVATION OF RIGHTS
Any rights not expressly granted herein, are reserved by Management Training of DC, LLC.
Blog
Client List
Clientele, Projects, Associations and Pro Bono Work for Jack and Charmaine Yoest
* The Pentagon
* Business and Media Institute
* National Review Online
* Results by Objective, International
* Virginia Piedmont Technology Council
* United States Department of Health & Human Services
* Distro-Cal, Inc
* Independent Women’s Forum
* IVAC Corporation
* Ogilvy
* Global Strategies, inc.
* Johnson & Johnson
* Job Accord
* Tfori Labs
* Technology Empowerment Inc.
* The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
* Maremont Corporation
* Computer Applications Development & Integration (CADI)
* U.S. Department of Education
* The Heritage Foundation
* National Gaucher Foundation
* University Cable Network
* Harper Collins
* Luther Place Memorial Shelter for Women
* United States Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol
* NeuroLogic, Inc
* MenloCare, Inc
* The Salvation Army
* Kohler Foundation, INC
* DaVinci Technologies
* Mallinckrodt
* Century Club of George Mason University
* John M. Olin Foundation, Inc.
* Interbank
* Crouse Concrete
* The Bradley Foundation
* Kirby Classic Vacuum Sales
* Certified Marketing and Sales International
* Medical Endoscopic Services, Inc
* Family Gender and Tenure in Academia: A Nationwide Study of Faculty and Institutions
* SonoMedica, LLC
* Geotype of Tidewater
* Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign
* SBA
* Sears
* Kiwanis International
* U.S. Submarine Veterans of World War II
* Leadership Institute
* Brown and Associates, Inc.
* Federal Bureau of Investigation
* Governor’s Year 2000 Task Force
* Venetec International
* Family Research Council
* The Family Foundation of Virginia
* National Press Club
* Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)
* SheThinks
* National Education Association
* Hammer Marketing
* STF, Inc.
* Bernard Haldane Associates
* Sandler Sales Institute
* Creative System Designs
* David Philbrook, P.E.
* National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence
* The Governor’s Procurement Assessment Task Force
* Sloan Foundation
* Center for Military Readiness
* Washington, DC, Board of Trade
* Chamber of Commerce, Arlington, Virginia
* Chamber of Commerce, Baltimore-Washington Corridor
* Family Research Council* University of Virginia
* Northern Virginia Community College
* Ballston-Virginia Square Partnership*Senior Advisor to a Presidential campaign
Management Training of DC
It takes a skilled teacher like Jack to hold the attention of a room full of smart lawyers — J. David Hughes, Esq.
Management Training of DC, LLC is a management training company that advises managers on tactics and strategies to be better bosses. Our unique practice of persuasion management teaches sales techniques to managers and key individual contributors.
Business Sense, Military Precision & Timeless Truth
Other types of training teach time-management — to manage the individual’s individual time. Instead, we teach you, the manager and influencer, not to manage your time, but to leverage your time, and the time of your team, to get more done; both inside your organization and with outside customers.
Our emphasis uses the Army’s two-part definition of discipline:
1) The prompt obedience to orders, which every organization needs; and, more important,
2) The initiation of appropriate action in the absence of orders.
The challenge for today’s leaders is working with the young entry-level individual contributors who demand work-life-family balance. And training the managers to manage.
What We Do
Jack Yoest, left, lecturing at the Stern School of Business at New York University.
Workshops and Seminars.
Management Training of DC educates leaders in planning, organizing, leading, motivating, coordinating and controlling. Our experience is in the military, for-profit, non-profit, government and start-up organizations.
Organization Managers and sales Account Managers are paid to accomplish the mission; to deliver the numbers.
The manager doesn’t manage numbers or staff,s/he manages behaviors –
and leads people.
We teach the manager to use both his knowledge and his network to produce results, to work his silo into his circle of influence. We detail the skills and sharpen the abilities of managers and individual contributors.
Email me, Jack Yoest, for more information.
Follow on Twitter for Management Tips at #MTDC.
Seminar: One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey Northern Virginia and DC. Click here for outline and videos. Email me for more details.
Press Release: Partnership of The William Oncken Corporation and Management Training of DC, LLC
You are invited!
Sales and Persuasion Training for Business, Government, War.
Management Training
Northern Virginia Community College
BUSiness 100, Spring 2010, PowerPoint slides.
BUSiness 100, Spring 2010, Syllabus.
Northern Virginia Community College, BUSiness 100 Spring, 2009, Monday-Wednesday, Syllabus, 11am.
Northern Virginia Community College, BUSiness 100 Spring, 2009, Friday, Syllabus.
Northern Virginia Community College, Chapter 2, Quiz.
Northern Virginia Community College, Business Law Outline
Northern Virginia Community College Business 100 Chapters 1 to 6
Northern Virginia Community College Practice Test #1.
Northern Virginia Community College Practice Questions, Chapter 4, E-Business
Northern Virginia Community College Business 100, Chapters 7, 8, 10, 11, 12
Northern Virginia Community College Practice Test #2, Chapters 7, 8, 10 & 11.
Northern Virginia Community College Marketing Chapters 13, 14, 15 & 16
Northern Virginia Community College Practice Test # 3
Northern Virginia Community College Accounting Chapters 18 & 19
Northern Virginia Community College Public Speaking Helps & Hints
Northern Virginia Community College Accounting Quiz
Northern Virginia Community College Understanding Money, Banking & Credit Quiz
Northern Virginia Community College Practice Test for Using Accounting Information and Understanding Money, Banking and Credit, and Business Law.
Results by Objective, International.
Products
Are You Controlling Events, or Are Events Controlling you?
Contact Us
Management Training of DC, LLC
John Wesley Yoest, Jr.
President
“Jack”
4201 Wilson Blvd
#110.233
Arlington, Virginia 22203.1859
Phone: 202.215.2434
Fax: 703.522.5460
Email: Jack@Yoest.org
Also follow on Twitter for management tips: #MTDC
Services & Solutions
Management Training of DC, LLC offers Seven Specialized Course Offerings:
Management Training.
Sales and Persuasion Training.
How to Promote and Get Promoted.
How to Get Your Next Job.
RainMaker Secrets.
Marketing with no Money.
Work-Family Balance: The Myth
Northern Virginia Community College, BUSiness 100 Fall 2008 Syllabus
Northern Virginia Community College, Chapter 2, Quiz.
Northern Virginia Community College, Business Law Outline
Northern Virginia Community College Business 100 Chapters 1 to 6
Northern Virginia Community College Practice Test #1.
Northern Virginia Community College Business 100, Chapters 7, 8, 10, 11, 12
Northern Virginia Community College Practice Test #2.
Northern Virginia Community College Marketing Chapters 13, 14, 15 & 16
Northern Virginia Community College Practice Test # 3
Northern Virginia Community College Accounting Chapters 18 & 19
Northern Virginia Community College Public Speaking Helps & Hints
Northern Virginia Community College Accounting Quiz
Northern Virginia Community College Understanding Money, Banking & Credit Quiz
Northern Virginia Community College Practice Test for Using Accounting Information and Understanding Money, Banking and Credit, and Business Law.
About
Are You Happy with your management skills?Are you happy with your staff?
Jack Yoest
Jack Yoest serves as President of Management Training of DC, LLC. His practice draws on his expertise in operations and sales and marketing, and senior management development.
Jack Yoest is an Adjunct Professor of Management in the Business Technologies Division of the Northern Virginia Community College.
Jack has managed entrepreneurial start-up ventures, including medical device companies, high technology, software manufacturers, and business consulting companies. His projects have included serving as:
- Chief Operating Officer of Job Accord, a multi-national human resource company with offices in New York, Washington, D.C., London, New Delhi and Bangalore.
Partner in Global Strategies, Incorporated, advisors for international business development. Jack has worked with clients throughout India and in China.
Managed the marketing of the transfer of patented biotechnology from the National Institutes of Health to his client, which enabled the company to raise $25 million in venture capital funding.
Vice President of Certified Marketing Services International, an ISO 9000 business-consulting firm, where he assisted international companies in human resource certification.
President of Computer Applications Development and Integration (CADI), the premier provider of software solutions for the criminal justice market. CADI dominated the market of case management software, with the largest number of installations in the world at that time. During his tenure, Jack negotiated a strategic partnership with Behring Diagnostics, a $300 million division of Hoechst Celanese, the company’s largest contract.
Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Resources in the Administration of Governor James Gilmore in the Commonwealth of Virginia, acting as the Chief Operating Officer of the $5 billion budget. During his tenure in state government, Jack acted as the Chief Technology Officer for the Secretariat, where he was responsible for the successful Year 2000 (Y2K) conversion for the 16,000-employee unit.
Account manager with Menlo Care, a medical device manufacturer. While at Menlo, he was a part of the team that moved sales from zero to over $12 million, resulting in a buy-out by a medical division of Johnson & Johnson.
Captain in the United States Army in Combat Arms and on the U.S. Armor and Engineer Board, Jack directed research and conducted testing, and recommended solutions to problems in night vision and electro-optics.
Jack earned an MBA from George Mason University and completed graduate work in the International Operations Management Program at Oxford University. His undergraduate degree is in Education from Old Dominion University.
Jack’s publications include “Doing Business in the Values Vacuum,” an article syndicated by Scripps-Howard News Service to over 350 newspapers worldwide, and has written for high-profile managers, including a Presidential candidate.
His web-log was nominated for Best Business Blog in 2006 and has had over one million visitors.
Jack has also contributed to Small Business Trends, Small Business Trends Radio, The Business Monthly, Business & Media Institute and National Review Online.
Jack is married to Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D., President and CEO of Americans United for Life, a public interest law firm with offices in Washington, DC and Chicago. He likes to manage his management time so that he can run marathons. Jack and his wife completed the 2007 Marine Corps Marathon — Their oldest daughter completed the run with them. (Thank you for not asking their times…) They live in Arlington, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. with their five children (the Penta-Posse).
Rowing and Teamwork
Launching Area
Click on image for live feed
web-cam Building Teams and Teamwork is the mantra of the modern manager. How does a manager take a group of talented individual contributors and motivate them to, well, pull together as one unit in the same boat?
Last year The Chronicle of Higher Education lurched into the truth in an article All for One. It was a story on rowing. And in it Your Business Blogger(R) read a business lesson.
For both my business practice and The Dreamer’s crewing at her high school.
Race Course
Click on image for live feed
web-cam The Oak Ridge Rowing Association and the Scholastic Rowing Association of America is sponsoring the 2008 National Scholastic Championships in Oak Ridge, TN. Several thousand visitors will go down to the river and pray for blue skies and flat water.
We are packing up the monster Huck-a-truck and the Penta-Posse (minus The Dreamer traveling with her team) and will gas-guzzle our way to the Volunteer State to watch our girls compete at the regatta. With a monster carbon footprint. Listening to the Oak Ridge Boys .
(Ain’t America great or what?)
The Women’s Freshmen Eight will row at 10:15am on Friday the 23rd. Please check the schedule.
The Women’s coach was able to persuade decision makers to allow his team to use the Invictus. A new and faster boat used by upper class men at their high school.
Where tenths of a second determine winners, the perception of crewing a world-class shell can make the difference. If the women think they are faster, they will be.
Rowing is 90 percent mental, the other half is physical.
Apologies to Yogi Berra.
Scholastic Rowing Association of America
Regatta 2008 Which brings us back to Notes From Academe, in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Writer Scott Smallwood visited the Cambridge University Boat Club in the UK to write about the yearly Oxford-Cambridge competition.
Alert Readers will recall that Charmaine and Your Business Blogger(R) read at Oxford and attended our first rowing event on the narrow creeks that pass for rivers at ox ford.
Duncan Holland, the Cambridge coach with some 20 years experience, helped Dutch rowers to an Olympic medal. He well understands that even though he’s got winning seasons, only one race matters as a condition of (enjoyable) employment: Beat Oxford.
Picking eight rowers seems like an easy task for a coach,
With rowing machines that can spit out reams of numbers about how fast and hard every rower can pull, what’s so hard about choosing a team? Why not just pick the eight strongest guys and be done with it? It turns out…that team dynamics are trickier than that. The eight who are eventually chosen will be not necessarily the fastest individual rowers, but the best combination of rowers.
Smallwood continues,
Quintus Travis, a past president of the boat club and now treasurer, puts the mystery more bluntly: “There are always a couple [of rowers] who are stunted, but somehow they make the boats go faster.”
The Brits can be brutal.
Mr. de Rond is a professor at Cambridge’s Judge Business School and is studying the Cambridge athletes and the team and the coach,
…de Rond sees the answer [of the faster boats] in how team members bond. He draws a comparison from a 2005 paper in the Harvard Business Review by Tiziana E. Casciaro, of Harvard, and Miguel Sousa Lobo, of Duke University. The pair studied likability versus competence. Their work boils down to this: When choosing whom to work with, do you pick the lovable fool or the competent jerk? People, especially managers, often say they value competence above all. But in practice, they’ll often trade some of that competence for likability. And that may not be so dumb.
Mr. de Rond doesn’t think any of the Cambridge rowers are incompetent. No matter how lovable you are, you can’t get in this boat unless you’re a top-notch rower.
But here the Cambridge rowers become a self-directed team. Something business managers talk about but seldom see,
When the tentative roster was chosen,” says [de Rond], Dan wasn’t originally on the list.” The other men successfully lobbied the coaches to put him in the varsity boat, even though by the numbers he was a borderline choice. Now, he says, [Dan’s] social skills — he’s the class clown, really — have improved the psychology of the entire team.
Like the coaches, this is where managers work their magic. To assemble a team that maximizes strengths and minimizes weaknesses, as Peter Drucker said.
So the women’s coach got a better boat for his team. Coaches and managers get paid to figure out the immeasurables; the intangibles that go into building a winning team.
This Freshman Women’s coach has got it figured out.
If he reported to me, I’d get him a raise…
Yorktown Crew Boosters Thank you (foot)notes:
On April 7, 2007, in the 153rd match-up: Cambridge beat Oxford.
This is a cross post from Management Training of DC, LLC.
All for One by Scott Smallwood was published on May 4, 2007 in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
See video from the Stotesbury Regatta.