Week 4 with Andrew Lien

Week 4 was, what I like to say,"Stress free." Our project proposal was accepted, Atulya Sarin's project looked bright, and honestly with one quarter more left to graduate I do not care much about what people have to think about me nor do I freak out about getting an 'A.' Surprisingly my priorities in life have changed. I put gaining knowledge first over getting an 'A.' I am glad that I took classes with professors like Andrew Lien and Atulya Sarin. These are teachers who make you apply your concepts. Something what the corporate world expects from us. 

Anyways, on Tuesday Andrew Lien addressed concern over groups that had failed to get their project proposal approved. Seems like the groups who did not have the proposal in place had no idea what to choose for the industry and the country. And when they did come up with some ideas they failed to send Andrew an email. Thank God I did. Or I would have been one of them. Anyways I hope that the groups learnt their lesson and from now will consider school just as important as their job. 

Later in the class the first group presented on the IKEA case. Not qualified to judge but to give an opinion. I would say that the presentation was lousy and the presentation skills of the group members was not top notch. SCU offers a toastmaster club for moderate fees. People refuse to join and try and improve their presentation skills. They assume that presentation skills are not important which is just not true. Anyways I cannot talk for others as I always say for each his/her own.

I remember listening to the team talking about the case for fifty seconds and by the fifty first second I was in 'fa-la-la' land. But I had read the case. So I sailed through by participating in the discussions which in fact continued to the next class on Thursday. The only thing I found odd was that the issues that was discussed in the case did not exactly have solution. The team proposed whatever it could but turns out IKEA never tried customizing its product to cater to the needs of different market segments in different countries, never broke the cult culture of having only Scandinavian people in the top management, Ingvar still rules and worst of all Andrew Lien balls his eyes every time I talk which makes me wonder is my accent that bad? He is the only guy that I have come across who says sorry every time I talk. Strange! Or maybe he has trouble hearing. Surprisingly he is OK with thick eastern European or Fillipino accent but my Indian english bothers him. Someday I wish to ask this question. For now I am going to ignore his behavior. Not because I am scared but because I do not actually care. 

I have so far managed to successfully converse with many Americans and one among them does not matter. I respect him for his teaching skills and my aim is to get the best of him and that is exactly what I am doing. For now I would give his class 2 and a half stars. Hopefully as days advance things will get better. Keep looking for good and keep reading.