Come Out and Play

The scene on the second floor of GSB South one afternoon in June reminded me of the Christmas Santa brought a train set: adult kids gathered round a toy arguing, teasing, giggling, and having an all-round good time, which was obvious when nobody wanted to leave at the appointed hour.

Our toy was an Internet chatroom, hardly a new invention but new to this bunch—people previously without the inclination or time to explore the virtual world of chat. Someone had suggested we host a classic GSB discussion of a business case on the Web. Our far-flung alumni/ae could get their reading assignment in this magazine and log on for the discussion at 5 p.m. Pacific time on September 20. As chat virgins, we decided we needed a test run.

Professor Jim Phills, unable to use body signals, lost control of the class within seconds. His students all wanted to add their two cents but, because of the delay between typing a comment and its appearance on others’ computer screens, Barbara interrupted Everett’s response to Gale. Firming his grip, Phills suggested we all answer the same question before we responded to each other. The fast typists could send “whispers” to a classmate without interrupting the group.

Now you can join us in the ether (see the Social Change story on the Amy Biehl Foundation Trust case) . I can’t guarantee this little train will run perfectly the first time, but the discussion should be stimulating. Besides, I bet you’ll find there’s some kid left in you.

Kathleen O'Toole
Editor

Contributors

Our cover photographer, DAVID STRICK, regularly works for Fortune, Time, and Premiere. He notes that he is taller than he looks in this photo but not necessarily better dressed. Strick is based in Los Angeles.

Five days before the due date for her first child, POLLY BECKER bravely accepted our assignment to illustrate the special nature of the GSB culture for the Dean’s column. Becker, based in Boston, graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1985. She includes the New Yorker, Newsweek, and Absolut Vodka on her client list. Oh yes, her son, Adam, was born on June 24.

EVERETT HARPER, MBA ’99, came to his story on his time in South Africa, working on developing a case study on the Amy Biehl Foundation, with a background in both social entrepreneurship and for-profit enterprises. After starting with Bain as an associate consultant, he joined Self-Help, a community development finance institution, in 1989. He founded Harper Associates in 1993, consulting on organizational development and strategy. Harper is currently employed at Ninth House Network, an online management training firm in San Francisco.

When AMY BUTLER PAULSEN, AB ’88, MBA ’93, and her husband were laid off from fast-paced jobs earlier this year, it allowed her to enjoy more time with her family and triggered her desire to write about making the most of career disruptions. Paulsen has just begun a new job as director of strategic projects for the Stanford Alumni Association but sees work with a new perspective.

ROBERT L. STRAUSS, MBA/MA ’84, is a three-time Lowell Thomas Award winner whose work frequently appears in the San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, Stanford Magazine, and on the Discovery Channel. Writing about creative retirement made him realize he had not yet worked hard enough to think seriously about retirement himself. Strauss expects to work until he’s very, very old.