The Real Education Gap

Sandi Edwards - 1/10/12

Organizations need to address communication skills, critical thinking, collaboration and creativity or risk their survival in today’s business environment.

Are MBAs Worth It?

It’s wise to see an MBA as an investment and to determine the specific return by reviewing established claims.

Cutbacks to in-house education and leadership development programs mean many companies are relying on the nation’s schools to deliver graduates who are ready to fill leadership roles. Yet on March 9, 2011, the Los Angeles Times reported the Obama administration said 82 percent of American schools fail to teach curricula that imbue students with the skills leadership demands. Consequently, it is left to corporations and their learning leaders to bridge this performance gap in American education and head off the talent pipeline threat.

When parents, politicians and pundits bemoan the state of education in America, they often ask the shorthand question, “Why can’t Johnny read?” But generally speaking, that’s not the problem with the workforce. Even with an inadequate educational system, the “Johnnys” who reach the workforce have the three R’s down. They can read, write and do arithmetic well enough to perform their jobs.

But the modern workplace has a much higher threshold for success. In today’s world, proficiency in the three R’s is not sufficient without the abilities to think critically, solve problems creatively, collaborate and communicate effectively. It is in these skill areas that new American workers come up short, regardless of the quality of their educations.

The 2010 American Management Association (AMA) Critical Skills Survey showed that overwhelming majorities of executives had begun to emphasize a new set of skills that was neither intuitive for most people nor taught in school. These skills were dubbed “The Four C’s” (Figure 1) and consist of:

• Critical thinking and problem solving: the ability to make decisions, solve problems and take actions as appropriate.
• Effective communication: the ability to synthesize and transmit ideas in written and oral forms.
• Collaboration and team building: the ability to work effectively with others, including those from diverse groups and with opposing points of view.
• Creativity and innovation: the ability to see what’s not there and make something happen.