Business Schools Emphasize Soft Skills, Digital Innovation

How do business schools teach MBAs soft skills like communication?

 From meeting greater MBA hiring demand for soft skills to understanding diversity beyond the numbers—Here’s what’s trending at top business schools.

Learning soft skills

Are the “hard” business skills that companies have traditionally sought in new MBA hires giving way to softer skills like interpersonal communication? Some signs point to yes, which would explain why many business schools are emphasizing broader talents as part of their curricula. One such MBA program is the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business, which has coined the term “Katz ready” for its graduate who are ready to hit the ground running in their post-graduate workplaces. “They (hiring managers) are coming back to tell us that they actually see a difference in our students because they’ve been through this kind of program, which emphasizes hands on involvement and teamwork and pays a lot of attention to soft skills,” says the school’s dean. (Poets & Quants)

Your MBA resume

Every business school applicant going into the admissions process should know that presentation is always as important as their accomplishments themselves. That’s where your application CV comes into play: Highlight your leadership skills, show admissions officers that you have harnessed your talent as a leader to get things done, and demonstrate your knack for communication (see our note on soft skills above). Be crisp, clear, and to the point. Avoid technical jargon that you think will make you look smart but which actually comes off as pretentious. Also, show that you are an innovator and have successfully pioneered new projects or initiatives—or at the very least that you tried, failed, but learned something in the process. (U.S. News & World Report)

Digital innovation

When it comes to the business world, embracing digital innovation is a must. Businesses are increasingly focusing on tech—even companies that aren’t at their core technology companies. For MBAs to take advantage of this trend, embracing technical expertise has to start in business school, not in the workplace. “There is a lot innovation happening. Where is online learning going? Every business school is trying to figure that out,” says Fernando Contreras, associate director for extended learning at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. While many business now have their students using iPads and taking online courses, the landscape is still rapidly changing. (BusinessBecause)

Business school questions its image

Administrators, faculty, students, and alumni of the Yale School of Management have much to be proud of: selective admissions, high job placement rates, elevated positions in the rankings, etc. But some are beginning to question whether all those good things have come at a cost—namely, a cost in its character. For starters, the SOM’s new home is high-tech and boasts a glass-walled library, a far cry for its former digs, which included fireplaces and classes held in an old mansion. The reality is that all institutions of higher learning go through major changes. “We’re not as small as we used to be and I don’t think we’re as quirky as we used to be. Leaders are much more likely to come out of a place that is connected globally,” said Ted Snyder, dean of the school since 2011. (The Wall Street Journal)

Quantifying diversity

The outgoing dean of top-ranked University of Michigan Ross School of Business says that true diversity isn’t about numbers alone, but about inclusion. “Students want a diverse environment in which to learn, we know students learn better—in the long-run—in an environment that’s diverse. Recruiters want a diverse workforce. All constituents want a diverse campus and they want diversity to be addressed in the curriculum,” says Alison Davis-Blake. She adds that diversity isn’t just important among students, but also among faculty members (Times Higher Education)

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