I was hoping to post more frequently but it really has been busy. The new semester is already about a quarter of the way through and it has been great so far.  My holiday break was very nice and we enjoyed spending time with our families back east in Chicago and in Louisville.

The new semester brings a stronger focus on the core organizational behavior and HR classes which have been very good for me.  The HR class in particular is important for me as this was not my background before coming to school.  The opportunities this semester to learn have been sweet; and I am currently involved with two field studies.

In one we are looking at the intangibles that add value to the bottom line and trying to help a company identify the effect that its culture has on the bottom line.  We have a good faculty advisor and a great group of students to work with on this challenging project.  I have been reading the book by Norm Smallwood and Dave Ulrich "Why the Bottom Line Isn't!" and this addresses many of the questions we are dealing with in our field study.

Another great class this semester is our Leadership class.  We are looking at several very good models of leadership and have really been digging deep in the class to help uncover what our own leadership strengths are.  One book to read is by Twyla Tharp “The Creative Habit: Learn it and use it for Life”.  Creativity is important in many areas of life, even business.

I still can’t say enough about how fun this program has been.  My fellow students really are amazing and we have great teachers.  It is a wonderful place to be.  I am still looking for a human resources or organizational behavior internship, as the semester moves forward I hope to secure something for the summer.  Happy Belated Groundhogs Day!

Until Later,

Justin