Tomorrow is the launch of an inaugural four-day Business in Society Module in the Full-time MBA Program at Sauder. The topic is “Indigneous Leadership and the Culture of Engagement”. James Tansey from ISIS, Rick Colbourne from the Ch’nook Program at Sauder and I are leading this four-day module.
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:
• Analyze the context of business from a government, aboriginal culture and civil society perspective;
• Evaluate government policies and practices that affects the business environment – especially from an aboriginal perspective;
• Apply design and thinking strategies, facilitation, interviewing and listening skills; and,
• Synthesize experiences and express them in reflective modes of thinking and drawing.
Day 1 of the Business in Society week includes a panel on Aboriginal Historical perspectives that provides a backdrop for the whole Business in Society experience. Panel members, Norm Leech & Latash-Maurice Nahanee, share stories about the history of First Nations in British Columbia. In particular, the participants will bring a perspective that increases our literacy about the past, the present and the future. This is followed by a session with Judith Sayers about the Culture of Engagement and a session with Geoff Plant and Treaty Commissioner Celeste Haldane on Rights and Title.
Day 2 kicks off with several sessions on aboriginal business models and ends with a workshop preparing the students for their opportunity to interview aboriginal leaders as well as other leaders working with aboriginal organizations. Students will engage in a workshop on listening, interviewing, engaging in preparation for doing a Team SWOT, identifying team roles, developing interview protocol and beginning to develop the deliverables.
Day 3 – Wednesday May 29 is “interview day” – as well as time for writing reflections, preparing a critical analysis of leadership and the culture of engagement as learned through readings and the experience of the interview. Students (probably 2-3) will do background research on the interviewee and their experience.
Day 4– On Thursday May 30 in the afternoon, the students will present their “findings” about the culture of engagement and leadership.
