Dr. Glenn Omura, Acting Associate Dean for MBA and Professional Master’s Programs at the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University is getting creative in order to teach creativity.
This year his final exam for 2nd year students was a cook off. Imagine the TV show The Apprentice crashing into another TV show: Chopped.
Students were given four ingredients: Kale, Lemon, Jiffy Mix and peppermint, and challenged to create something both tasty and marketable.
It’s an ingenious way to teach innovation. And it’s needed because today’s contingent economy has people moving from one industry to another more than ever before.
On average, a person between the ages of 25 and 45 will hold 11 different jobs in their lifetime. Without the skills of innovation and creativity it will become more and more difficult to navigate the world of work.
Additionally, organizations are looking for creativity. Recruiters say the hardest skills to find in young graduates are inventiveness, innovation and good oral communication skills.
MSU is onto something here. Let’s see if other business schools follow suit.