MIT Sloan School of Management

Unlocking the Power of Perspectives: Problem Solving with Clarity, Creativity, and Collaboration

MIT Sloan School of Management

Negotiation & Communication

About Programme

Why attend Unlocking the Power of Perspectives?

The ability to work with multiple and diverse perspectives is a valuable skill set that enables creative problem-solving, fosters greater interpersonal connection, increases clarity and collaboration, and motivates groups. This highly interactive problem-solving course focuses on advanced leadership skills for holding and managing multiple perspectives simultaneously to leverage and unleash the creative potential of divergence in and across business to generate richer outcomes.

In the context of great change and uncertainty, we must show up differently as leaders. We must be great problem solvers. Creativity is a necessity. We must put ourselves in a position of constant learning. And we must be able to change and flex our point of view: not necessarily the way we see the world, but certainly the way we see ourselves.

This problem-solving course is taught by Aithan Shapira, an internationally acclaimed artist and MIT Sloan lecturer, and Wanda Orlikowski, Professor of Information Technologies and Organization Studies at MIT Sloan. Unlocking the Power of Perspectives is an immersive learning experience with the potential to substantially alter how you lead, listen, collaborate, negotiate, and connect with others.

Course Topics

Programme Content

Day 1

9:00 AM – 10:15 AM

Welcome and Orientation

10:15 AM – 11:00 AM

Functional Fixedness (with break)

11:00 AM – 11:40 AM

Instruction Exchange – Feedback

11:40 AM – 12:00 PM

Close & Setup

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Lunch

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Clarity & Alignment of Perspective (with break)

3:00 PM – 3:40 PM

Collective Gathering & Alignment of Perspective

3:40 PM – 4:25 PM

Integration and Coherent Close

Day 2

9:00 AM – 9:20 AM

Welcome, Connect, Review

9:20 AM – 10:45 AM

Holding Multiple Perspectives (w/ break)

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM

Perspective & Identity

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Lunch

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM

Practice Authorship: Power of Unlocking Perspectives in Culture

1:45 PM – 2:45 PM

Perspectives: Two Points (w/ break)

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM

Intention Lab

3:45 PM – 5:30 PM

Guiding Perspectives in Changing Context/Integration & Closing

Programme Objective

Participants of this course will acquire

Frameworks and methods to improve the quality and effectiveness of collaboration and problem-solving at your organization

A toolkit of corrective and self-reflective practices around listening and perspective taking.

A deeper understanding of the thinking process that leads us from a fact to a decision or action

Tools to suspend beliefs and judgments that block clear listening and an open mind

Visual thinking strategies on how to draw out and harness perspectives to enable innovation and create value

A broader set of skills to organize, communicate, and connect with others while engaging in change

Clarity around your strengths and challenges as a leader

Upon successful completion of your course, you will earn a certificate of completion from the MIT Sloan School of Management. This course may also count toward MIT Sloan Executive Certificate requirements.

Programme Audience

This innovative and experiential course is designed for:

Mid- and senior-level executives who are interested in introspection, self-reflection, and transformation and who are willing to engage, share, and collaborate within teams and groups
The course content is applicable to professionals in any role and in any industry

"Aithan was an exceptional lecturer. He was fully engaged and clearly believed in the material he was teaching. He was thoughtful, patient, and created a supportive learning environment. Most importantly, he presented complex ideas in a digestible way, encouraged curiosity and questions, and provided clear takeaways that could be applied beyond the course."

"You can learn not only framework or tools of how you communicate with team members but experience great examples like group work, pair work and discussion with jazz musicians. It's important to trust each other and to co-create values through communication in diversity or changing environment. This course is really great."

Programme Benefits

Communication Skills

Immerse yourself in a learning experience that has the potential to substantially alter how you lead, listen, collaborate, negotiate, and connect with others

New Perspectives

Work individually and in groups to better understand the value of different perspectives and how to incorporate those perspectives into your management and leadership styles

Creative Exercises

Take inspiration from the work of jazz musicians to understand how to organize, communicate, and connect with others while engaging in change

Innovation

Learn visual thinking strategies that can help you elicit and harness perspectives in ways that cultivate adaptability, creativity, and innovation

Certificate

Earn a certificate of course completion from the MIT Sloan School of Management

Testimonials

"I really enjoyed this class based on multiple layers of perspective, frameworks, and tooling that helps address todays challenges. Top notch facilitator Aithan Shapira that takes his class on a journey vs just laying out material. I would recommend to anyone that seeks build a great team through innovative ideas."

Toby O

"This course significantly exceeded my expectations. I enrolled seeking concrete methods to improve cross-functional collaboration, and the content delivered on every level. The material, particularly the framework surrounding the Left-Hand Column and the Ladder of Inference, provided instant, actionable tools that I've already begun implementing with my own product team. The teaching quality was truly exceptional. The instructors demonstrated a thorough mastery of the content and delivered the material with remarkable care, clarity, and genuine empathy. They created a safe and engaging learning environment that made discussing complex psychological dynamics accessible and relevant to our professional roles. A major highlight was the diversity of the cohort. Meeting professionals from various industries and functions, from engineering leaders to commercial strategists. There were a wide range of perspectives that enriched every discussion. This diverse group demonstrated, in real-time, the very value of unlocking perspectives that the course teaches. The entire experience was invaluable for improving my leadership and collaboration skills."

Thomas K

"I learnt a lot from the program. Major highlight for me is the understanding that every challenge has more than one perspective. The ability of Leaders to occassionally drop their perspective create the suffucient training for deeper and active listening. I got sufficiently challenged to do more in active listening."

Okechukwu J

"This is a Must Have Program. With Aithan Shapira, you really get to unlock your power of perspective. Two thumbs up."

Raed A. T

"The course was delivered in a memorable and relatable way, kudos! Bottom line: Perspectives Have Consequences."

Regina K

"Aithan was an exceptional lecturer. He was fully engaged and clearly believed in the material he was teaching. He was thoughtful, patient, and created a supportive learning environment. Most importantly, he presented complex ideas in a digestible way, encouraged curiosity and questions, and provided clear takeaways that could be applied beyond the course. I was truly impressed with both the course and Aithans teaching style."

Emily Y

"Aithan did a wonderful job of being fully present with us and sharing the course material in a hands-on way that will always stay with me and guide me."

Sara A

"You can learn not only framework or tools of how you communicate with team members but experience great examples like group work, pair work and discussion with jazz musicians. It's important to trust each other and to co-create values through communication in diversity or changing environment. This course is really great."

Yoshiki I

"I will draw on my last exercise with the team for my review: You cannot replicate the best! You cannot change the past! Sometimes you miss picking up the best! Sometimes you miss the right shape! Sometimes you give up when you are told repeat! Sometimes you dont see the big picture when you start a project! Sometimes you dont get over it! (a taskcircumstance etc) Sometimes you miss out on the resources provided to you!"

Cate G

"I greatly enjoyed Aithan's approach to teaching -- creative, supportive, and a celebration of many different forms of art. He was very sincere in his invitations to engage in the materials and activities, quickly building trust with (and within) a large group, and he was skillful at connecting our hands-on work to theories and frameworks. This course was great for me as someone who likes to learn by doingtesting."

Amanda J

Other programs in this subject area you might find useful

Same topic, Similar duration - Broader exploration across all institutes

Contact us for the further details

Speak with an Advisor

  1. Pedagogy (case method, experiential learning, coaching, simulations)
  2. Contact Person Details

Prashansa Uttam

Programme Advisor

+91 9403890085[email protected]Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm IST

MIT Sloan School of Management

Executive Education Office

NA
NA
NA
https://mitsloan.mit.edu
Cambridge, USA

Tell us about your program enquiry

Fill out the form below and our team will get back to you within 24 hours.

Unlocking the Power of Perspectives: Problem Solving with Clarity, Creativity, and Collaboration | MIT Sloan