Comments on: From a ‘C’ to an ‘A’ – Can Your Managers Do What This Professor Did?

By: pbyrley

pbyrley — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:31:05 +0000

It’s a long time since I was in enginering school (UofFL,1964) but my first thought was that in none of my classes, until one in the last semester of the Sr. year was there any possibility to question the teacher’s belief system. I think the writer from engineering school also had that set of habits to overcome. Good for him/her!

By: Adam Pieniazek

Adam Pieniazek — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:22:58 +0000

“Yes, some people manipulated them and took advantage of them, but some people also tried to help them out and the tribe never took advantage of the help.”

Though it’s a very valid statement, people who are not used to outside help or outsiders in general can’t really be faulted for being suspicious of helpers, especially after being manipulated in the past.

Your article reminds me of a paper I wrote for a World History class [or was it English Lit?] at UNC-Chapel Hill discussing the book Nectar in a Sieve, about Rukmani, a rural Indian woman, whose village is negatively impacted by a factory built in the village.

Though I made similar points to yours, Rob, about the need for rural communities to adapt with the times; in the end I supported Rukmani’s situation and felt her village would have been better off technologically behind. I’m sure I’d write a different paper now (it was 3-4 years ago) but it’s still a bit perplexing how companies and organizations “force” technology onto rural villages who show they just want to be left alone.

I’m glad your professor judged you on the quality of the argument, rather than the argument itself (I think I got a B- on my paper).

By: K2

K2 — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 05:41:26 +0000

A very good article and a relevant question in today’s business scenario. Keep writing.

By: Wally Bock

Wally Bock — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:03:25 +0000

In business and in life it’s hard to make consistently good decisions without being realistic and the situation and your options. And it’s very hard to do that if the only opinions you listen to agree with you.

By: Andy Swan

Andy Swan — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 04:17:11 +0000

Siwwy Wibs

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:16:53 +0000

Bob,
Good point. I should clarify that I meant I was a pragmatist with respect to what happened to Menchu, not to writing the paper. You are right. I was an idealist in that sense.

By: bobvis

bobvis — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:10:43 +0000

“Ultimately, I’m a pragmatist. So when it came time to write my paper, I wrote that I didn’t feel sorry for Menchu…”

Rob, this shows you are *not* a pragmatist. A pragmatist would have given the professor what she wanted. It takes an idealist to write something that will tick off his professor like that.