Focus On: How Executives Learn

How do you learn best? In this issue, we look at diverse approaches to executive learning — from the traditional classroom to new technologies for simulations and online learning. Does distance learning sometimes become too "distant"? Booz-Allen's experience shows how face-to-face sessions and projects can anchor online education. Do you come back from the classroom with great ideas that get swept away by the press of work? Clorox brought its lessons directly home with action learning projects. Do you learn best through a hands-on experience? We examine how simulations can offer years of experience without the high cost to company and career of making actual mistakes. Finally, we examine what senior executives, with decades of experience and knowledge, still need to learn.

We hope these insights may help you expand your own approaches to learning for yourself and your organization.

Best regards,
Mary-Anne Smith
Director of Communications
execed@wharton.upenn.edu

"I've learned a lot in sixty-three years, but, unfortunately, almost all of it is about aluminum."

©The New Yorker Collection 1977 William Hamilton from cartoonbank.com. All Rights Reserved.

In the Classroom
Booz-Allen e-Learning Program Combines High Tech and High Touch

How do you create an authentic, interactive classroom experience in a distance learning program? Wharton and Booz-Allen found that weaving together great technology, face-to-face sessions, and thoughtful design created a powerful experience that was anything but virtual. More

Thought Leaders
Real Learning From Simulations

Simulations allow executives to learn million-dollar lessons without spending real money and compress years of experience into a few hours. How can simulations be used to best advantage? Wharton faculty and an experienced simulation developer offer insights on how simulations help executives learn about their business...and themselves. More

In the Classroom II
Putting Learning Into Action

How do you take learning out of the classroom and put it to work? Clorox brought home the learning from its program for high-potential executives through a set of "action learning projects" that allowed executives to directly apply new knowledge immediately to current business challenges. More

Education à la Carte
Wharton Offers a Diverse Portfolio of Programs and Approaches

From finance to leadership to management to marketing, from up-and-coming managers to top leadership, from a few days to several weeks to lifelong learning, Wharton has diverse programs to meet your educational needs. These programs use lectures, team projects, action learning, e-learning, simulations, and other approaches to deepen the impact. Whatever your current business challenges and learning style, Wharton may have a program tailored to what you need to know and how you learn best. Among our upcoming offerings are:

Any comments or suggestions? Please send us your thoughts at execed@wharton.upenn.edu. We want to make every effort to respect your confidence, so please let us know if you don't want us to share them in future issues of Wharton@Work: E-Buzz.

"The learning curve is a loop."

©2004 Victoria Roberts from cartoonbank.com. All Rights Reserved.

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© 2004 The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

 

Upcoming Programs:

Finance and Accounting for the Non-Financial Manager
Jan. 17–21, 2005
Philadelphia

Wharton Executive Coaching Workshop: Building Partnerships To Drive Performance
Jan. 30–Feb. 4, 2005
Philadelphia

Wharton Fellows: India, Market and Sourcing Opportunities
March 6–9, 2005
Mumbai and Bangalore, India

Pricing Strategies: Measuring, Capturing, and Retaining Value
March 6–10, 2005

Wharton Executive Calendar

Of Special Interest  

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Just-in-Time Education: Learning in the Global Information Age

High-Powered Ways To Develop High-Potential Executives

How an e-Learning Company Taught Itself the Internet Funding Game

Why Job Searching Is the Second Most Popular Activity on the Internet

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