EMBA - Star Trek connection

 

We all remember how the adventure starts, the magnificent voice of Patrick Steward as captain Jean-Luc Picard promises that something unforeseen, exciting and often heroic is on its way and the adventure will start soon. Here are the riveting opening words with minor adjustments:

 

to boldly develop what no one has done before

 

 

 

This is what EMBA studies are at their best, they offer a setting where the limits of the usual are pushed a bit further. This is also the setting where the famous connection between theory and practice work as its best, in dialogue theory and practice help the EMBA researcher to reach something new. Here the achieved contribution is both something conceptually new and something concretely real. Both sides of the coin are elementary in real discovery.

In EMBA studies the researcher is both the doer and the scientist. Here the first person perspective is invaluable. It is important to see how the world, ie. organizational reality, opens to a person whose task is to change that world. It cannot be helped but the pressures are different when you are in the driver seat than if you just possess an objective observer status.  When the EMBA student is the captain of change, s/he really feels what organizational warp drive feels.  (Warp drive is a hypothetical faster-than-light (FTL) propulsion system in the setting of many science fiction works, most notably Star Trek - says Wikipedia).

Also it is essential that EMBA captain does not rein her/his spaceship somewhere in some distant galaxy but tightly connected in some specific real context on our dear planet Earth (Dictionary explains nicely what Earth means: Earth is the third planet in order from the Sun, upon which humans live).  That specific context is the reality which is developed further. A close and insightful understanding of the context is the starting point for an excellent EMBA research.

Perhaps there is a human tendency to overlook the reality which is closest to us and what we can change and develop if we can change anything at all. Often it seems to be easier to offer advices to the others, and often the formula seems to be following:

The less a person knows about the context the easier it is to her/him to offer advices and the clearer and stronger her/his recommendations tend to be.

At the end it is another matter whether such advices given from afar are actually sensible or useful. It seems that here the old saying is often true: instant consulting is constant insulting. Also one Dilbert cartoon made point by depicting a boss standing behind Dilbert and saying something like: think carefully Dilbert before you act. Dilbert's response was: thank you a lot, before that advice I was just hitting my keyboard randomly, but now I really start to think what I do.

One might think that there would be a general understand that executives operate in the complex setting where all the easy solutions have been tried and done years and years ago. Yet, it seems to happen that easy solutions are offered to complex situations. It must be remembered that quite often in any context the cognitive side is only part of the picture, it may be pretty clear as looked from the outside what might be wise to do in some situation but sometimes there is a long and arduous journey before things eventually change for the better.

So EMBA researcher goes deep into real context and acts as a captain of change. This is, however, not enough when we are talking about research. Essential part of the research is the ability to tell others what you see and experience. Perhaps here is also a connection to Jean-Luc Picard, the enthralling speaker who is able to tell others what the situation is and what kind of actions are needed so that journey can continue. The EMBA student is also required to be a story teller, a writer. It is expected that s/he sees clearly and insightfully the key elements which relate to her/his organizational reality. In her/his EMBA report s/he is able to depict to others what the change journey entails, involves and what we all can learn from that journey.

At its best EMBA research operates on two fronts. First, it demonstrates the value of the reality which is closest to us and which therefore is the target of well thought change activities. Secondly, it helps us to develop story telling capabilities, the ability to see clearly and insightfully and to tell about those adventures to others.

Could the EMBA research be depicted as follows (using the opening words of Star Trek as source of inspiration):

 

 

 

Organization reality: the true frontier. These are the actions of the EMBA researcher. Her/his continuing mission: to explore new opportunities, to seek out new customers, networks and new efficient systems, to boldly develop what no one has developed before, but what is now is seen as an inspiring vision to all.


To thank Patrick Steward. Magnificent wit and humour in his reflection:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc1GrGO1j9M