Follow on from yesterday

Good news -- an email message from Edourd Bonet at ESCADE in Barcleona inviting me to send the text of the keynote presentation Ulla and I made at the narrative and rhetoric conference last year for inclusion in a book.

Not so good news -- when I printed out the Donor Decisions Database I saw that I still had lots more data entry to do!

More work to be done!

A miserable day

I had such high hopes yesterday evening -- I planned to actualy write a section of the paradigmatic partnership paper and complete data entry for the donor decisions database. But I didn't. So, what happened? The day started going downhill when Ulla Skyped me and we had so much trouble hearing each other that we gave up and spoke by phone. Maybe Ulla's tales of getting bogged down in administrivia rubbed off onto me -- suddenly the morning was over, then my internet connection slowed to a crawl and no matter how many times I rebooted or reset the network nothing improved. By then the work-day was over, and I had accomplished precious little.

Not so fast, I DID do some things -- like reading and commenting on "Ye Olde Prospectus," as Karen calls the dissertation proposal that she successfully defended on Wednesday. And I read and gave my opinion on editor and reveiwers' comments for a colleague's journal manuscript. I dealt with some AACSB stuff and actully finished entering into an Excel spreadsheet data for the top 25 NPT-100.

Not sooo bad, after all.

Why do I blog?

Is there a purpose to blogging - when does it become an additiction? On Sunday, during the plane ride down to Aruba I read Emily Gould's Blog-post confidential in the New York TImes magazine, and while lazing on the beach I caught up with Business Week by reading Beyond Blogs. On the one hand, from the journalist's perspective, the only satisfaction lies in creating blog posts that elict thousands of responses, and for this one must expose one's intimate life on the web: addictive maybe, but hardly for me, especially with a daughter who does not hestitate to remind me to remove from my posts all traces that might point back to the "real me." My followers -- if there are any beyond IBM1972 -- probably knew more than enough about me before I began blogging. On the other hand, from the business perspective, "everyone blogs," if only to create the pretense of a social network that might turn into a business proposition. Certainly I began beacuse I was under the impression that everyone but me blogged, and I needed to hone that skill during my sabbatical semester.

I'd intended to blog about my research -- and I do try to leave traces of my daily toils. But the solid "back of the article" type of work that occupies most of my time isn't really the stuff of engaging scholarly discourse. Once my collected thoughts are ready for that I'd rather go to a listserve or, better yet, have a Skype conversation with my coauthor. I'm not going to risk being scooped in a journal article because of my blog-vanities. Maybe at the end I'll collect up all my research posts and send them as a sabbatical report to the Provost. Will that become a (college of) business model?

Yes, I do attend to my social network, using my ethnographer's eye and artless photos to reinforce my persona as a professional nomad. The question still to be answered is will I return to my Roncalli Hall 262 office carrying the same bundle of goods and chattels as when I left? What river will I be stepping into (with Heraclitus) on my return? Who cares? Hardly any of the people who read the professionals' articles and thought them a (further) waste of words.

Q&A or 2.75 days vegging out

Question: Why did we spend more than half a day to travel (each way) to "one happy island" that is










as far south as we have been?

Answer: To completely clear our minds, read at least one good book, and have a glimpse of other worlds.











I'm back, refreshed, and ready for whatever the future may bring.

Off AGAIN?

Shutting down and signing off as we head for a Carribean Island for a few days -- R&R for Jack, no computer for me! I've reached my target point in my DM project, and the results are very promising. .... Back on Thursday!

Settling in to the summer routine

Today I caught my summer rhythm -- a couple of hours of intensive work first thing in the morning, then errands, more leisurely work after lunch, followed by "Lord's Point activities." Because we live on a prominant corner, at this time of year such activities entail working outside, ready to chat with anyone who strolls by. Summer residents are gradually arriving for the holiday weekend and need to see and be seen. The ritual question of, "Did you have a good winter?" provides answers to the questions lurking below the surface: Who died? Who was divorced? By the time of the association meeting (last Saturday in May, so not this weekend) we'll all know who we're remembering before the association president calls for a moment of silence.

To the specifics, I'm ALMOST done with my design management artcle review, and I actually came across a critical one today! Maybe there'll be another in the four (out of 60+ ) that I have yet to read! And Jack and I planted the pots that will grace the deck for the rest of the summer.

Bring it on!

Putting my new glasses to work

After spending the morning reading and analyzing design management articles, I tried to create an Excel scatter plot using the data. That was an exercise in frustration! An hour later I'd devised a work-around, then I decided I only need percntage statsitics, not a detailed visual display. On the one hand, it seemed like wasted time, on the other, it was something I had to work through. I'm determined to complete my part of the reading/analyzing phase this week.

I'm not alone! Today's afternoon update from the Chronicle of Higher Education (click here for link) reassured me that this is the life!

What's my new excuse

for not cranking on my research reading, categorizing, or writing? I have my new glasses! It's a pleasure to read again!

(I've been wearing a pair from at least three presecriptions ago since my "face plant" on April 19.)

Two days at the Welch College of Business (5/19-20)

Meetings, more meetings, and yet more meetings ...

Then a party to honor Dean Steve Brown


Steve hemed in by faculty (He'll be one next semester!)

Steve flanked by WCOB support staff.





Before leaving I (finally) submitted the BSQ. I hope I do not need to return for some time.

Four Days in DC

Wednesday 5/14 1:05 PM till Sunday 5/18 12:25 PM


I had a miserable time at the EAM conference Don't get me wrong -- it wasn't the conference itself. I atended all the sessions (except one), contributed to ours on minds for the future, facilitated a developing cases session, enjoyed conversations and dinners with colleagues whom I hadn't seen since this time last year.

But my head was occupied with my future course of action dilemma. Each day I would come to a conclusion -- then wake up the next mroning convinced that it was not the best one. My trusted mentors, Jack and Diana, were very patient, listening, coaching, coaxing, but by the end of the conference they were direct about their minds on this matter.

However, Jack and I had a great day and a half sightseeing before and after the conference. We hadn't been tourists in DC since our children were in grade school, so there were new sights to see. Here are some images:






World War II Memorial:





Visiting veterans


and a tribute to women like Rosie.











Alexandria: The First George slept and prayed here.













The Botanical Gardens: With prolific and endangered specimens (we enjoyed a fantastic guided tour).








The American Indian Mueseum: Modern exterior, inside living interpretation of the universe, culture, and life of the peoples of the first nations. I had my eye on a woman's battle dress -- until I read the narrative!








The Academy of National Academies: My mind boggles at the thought of what might happen inside this building!








Finally, the Newseum -- chronicling "the first attempt at history": World Trade Center communication tower, front pages, news censorship around the world, working studio where George Stephanopholis was recording his weekly show. We didn't have nearly enough time.













Then, back to Fairfield and reality.

Off to EAM ... then?

It's official -- the candidate for the next Dean of the Welch College of Business rejected the offer. So, the search re-opens, and the Provost will appoint an interim Dean. No word yet on who it will be, but he's talking with a number of faculty. I'll be certain to post the name of the person selected.

Jack and I are taking the train to Washington, DC tomorrow for the Eastearn Academy of Management meeting. I'm talking my camera, but as with other sidetrips during my sabbatical, I'll post the story after my return on Sunday. I'll try to make it a good one!

Why...

... do I feel so "out of sorts"?

Maybe it's because I've partially engaged with the SHU community and I miss the sense of finality that comes with the end of the spring semester.

Or maybe its because I'm avoiding/not avoiding thinking about the lack of news on the appointment of a new Dean for the Welch College of Business -- at this point I'm not sure if I would be relieved or disappointed to hear that the favored candidate had accepted the Provost's offer.

Or -- and most likely -- it's because I'm working on my part of our presentation at the EAM meeting in Washington, DC, next week on Howard Gardner's Five Minds for the Future. I'm presenting the Creating Mind. When I wrote my contribution to the proposal I anticipated having something really new and creative to say after my immersion in design thinking. But anything I think of sounds trite, and somehow I don't have anything really innovative to contribute ... I'm over-thinking. I need to "relax my mind" and enter a transitional space ...

Dandelion stalker

Ulla -- this one's for you!

Better?

I spent today "slogging" -- first reading and categorizing papers for Ull'a's and my "job" (as she calls it), then compiling the faculty intellectual contribution counts for July 1, 2003-June 30, 2008. Both were hard work. The highlight was when Ulla phoned and we discussed -- "argued" as Jack might say -- our respective classifications of specific articles. She says we have a "treasure" in our collection -- that's not what I would call it at the moment. I'm just thinking of all the work that still lies ahead!

Tomorrow ...maybe?

I've been stateside for ten days now, and feel as if I've lost my research rhythm. I knew I needed to check in with WCOB stuff, but that seems to have taken over (overtaken?) my other work. Or maybe I'm just in avoidance mode. How can it be that choosing new glasses (to replace the ones smashed by my 'face plant') seems to be the only achievment of today?

Tomorrow must -- will -- be better!

What's 39 to AACSB?

Today I (almost) completed the Business Schools Questionnaire, required annually by AACSB accredited institutions and one of the college-related commitments I promised to keep during my sabbatical. One group of questions refers to faculty and staff; others are about mission, finances, class size, and so on -- if AACSB can think of a question, they'll ask it on the BSQ. There are 39 full-time faculty members in the Welch College of Business this year. The BSQ has ten questions asking for different statistics to describe these 39 individuals -- and every question required me to gather data from a different source. Not one question asked for names or disciplines. No wonder business practitioners complain that the "research" we academics do is irrelevant!

A Tuesday like the "good old days."

It was just like old times. I joined the A-sq team for the Dean's Tuesday morning meeting, had lunch with graduating business administration majors, met with my department chair, and had a one-on-one meeting with the dean on AASCB issues. It wasn't as if I'd never been away -- I had both some ironic distance and pleasure at being back with US-based colleagues. But my windowless office with its metal institutional furniture was gloomy and quite depressing in contrast to the big windows and spaciousness of the Swedish offices I inhabited last month. And my tasks at hand were routine at best, busy-work at worst. I need to do them -- but I'm not yet ready for re-entry.

Mid-sabbatical evaluation

Am I doing it right? Click here for the response from the New York Times.

Birthday party

David rang yesterday evening and suggested we visit them today.



Christopher was in charge of "personalizing" the cake -- assisted by Kathryn, Grandpa, and Michael.












There were so many candles that Daddy (David) had to carry it to the table.





Maria made the sign for "cake".











Everyone helped me blow out the candles -- including Sue who somehow escaped being photographed!




It was a happy birthday party.

Ethnographer's eye

While I was based in Ockero, Ulla claimed that my "ethnographer's eye" saw things that she took for granted. Today I thought about what I would see here as a "stranger in a familiar land." It couldn't be comparative -- in Ockero the trees look like that, Stonington they look like this --nor could it be just a photojournal of events -- if that were the case you would have been subject to many more images of my Swedish sojurn.

Instead, I took my camera with me today on my errands. I found it very diffcult to see things anew. Here are some images.

Toys in the supermaket-- more expensive for pets than kids!




Early May: Pink treess, skunk cabbage and a lilac almost in bloom.




Street images: Signs and porches.

And a desolate waterfront at Lord's Point.

Maybe the sun will shine tomorrow!

This is NOT research!

I spent all day (8AM-5:30 PM with breaks for grocery shopping and lunch) working on the BSQ. (That's the Business Schools Questionnaire, an annual survey that must be completed by all AACSB accredited institutions.) Only the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business could think up all these questions -- and set up the survey so that totals need to be consistent across different ways of entering the same data. The WCOB response is almost complete -- I need to clarify some points with Dean Brown, reconcile race/ethnicity data with total student counts, and work out how many individuals (FT, PT, faculty, adminsitrators, assistants, scary ladies, etc.) were employed by the WCOB last year.

I will be VERY glad when I can press the "send" button and concentrate again on my own work.

Back in the land of steady habits

I went to campus -- and compared the facilities of the John F. Welch College of Business with those of the three other universities I had visited in the past week. No contest! But my US colleagues seemed genuinely pleased to see me and interested in my sabbatical tales. Some asked after my "fun" activities, others after my research. Of course gifts of chocolate helped!


I gathered up materials for the AACSB reports I promised to do, and have every intention of completing them as quickly as possible. I am at the mid-point of my sabbatical --and have research planned for the next three months.

One thing I didn't do was to make the first of the weekly phone calls Ulla and I have planned in order to keep each other informed on the status of our project obligations -- the day went by too fast. I consoled myself with the thought that it was a holiday -- May 1 and Asscension Day -- in Europe. It was not a work day! So I have no guilt about not doing any research work today.

I filled my gas tank and considered comparative gas prices: For $39 I can drive about 335 miles (small car, highway driving). Based on Ulla's car (mid-sized, city driving), I'd spend about $97 to drive this far in Sweden.