Learning in Action

3

Intelligence

There is no single best approach to learning. Successful managers possess a portfolio of skills and apply them selectively, based on the information available and issues to be addressed. They are pragmatists, not purists, who share the scientist’s goal of solving problems “by finding ways of getting at [them].”¹

The choices are seldom easy or obvious. Managers may glean information on product requirements through focus groups or field observations, may improve work processes through hands-on experience or designed experiments, and may monitor competitive moves through press clippings or private databases. Each of these methods employs the same basic steps of acquiring, interpreting, and applying information. Each suffers from similar ...