For nearly a decade and a half, I was associated with Training and Teaching, though I was not a full fledged academician. I was holding regular jobs in the field of Strategy, Investment Banking, New Venture Advisorywhile also heading middle level companies, including mine.
But there was always a stigma associated with it. In the course of my job, whenever I gave sane advise to my own Directors or to the Clients, it was always shrugged off with a "Ah! the Professor speaks" meaning my advise is more theoretical than having any practical value, and hence invariable ignored. Posterity proved in many cases my advice, if taken at the right time, would have brought more profit for the other party. Of course, not all my advises were spot on. I had my own share of bloomers, which is par for the course.
When I moved to Muscat in 2010, I took a decision to give up teaching and training to concentrate on my Consultancy Business. It was a very painful decision as I really enjoy teaching. It is 3 years since I moved to Muscat, and people here listen to me with more of an open mind than when I was in Kuwait.
This is unfortunate. Decisions taken with a theoretical background tend to be more correct than not. I have seen this in the case of recruitment of staff. Whenever I have been forced to give a go by to my recruitment process and guidelines, due to pressure of having to fill a post, I have suffered, getting stuck with people with poor attitude. Ditto in the case of Company deviating from the Strategy developed and try to be opportunistic, without doing a proper evaluation and risk assessment. Intuition and experience counts, but backed by solid theoretical foundation, they are unbeatable.
It is also one of the reasons why Consultants go to great extend to do lectures, or teach in Universities.
Maybe the time has come for me to hit the lecture/seminar circuit again!
