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A since deceased, highly-regarded fellow faculty member, Anthony (Tony) Athos, occasionally sat on a bench on a nice day at the Harvard Business School, apparently staring off into space. When asked what he was doing, ever the iconoclast, he would say, "Nothing." His colleagues, trained to admire and teach action, would walk away shaking their heads and asking each other, "Is he alright?" It is perhaps no coincidence that Tony often came up with some of the most profound insights at faculty meetings and informal gatherings. This story captures much of the sense of the responses to this month's question about why managers don't think deeply. The list of causes was much longer than the list of proposed responses. But in the process, some other questions were posed. Ben Kirk kicked off the list of reasons for the phenomenon when he commented, "… what rises to the top levels are very productive and very diligent individuals who tend not to … reflect and are extremely efficient at deploying other people's ideas," implying that this type of leader is not likely to understand, encourage, or recognize deep thinking in others. Adnan Younis added the possibility that "… managers are not trained for it." Dianne Jacobs cited the possibility that persisting assumptions borne out of success serve as "roadblocks to act on needed change" (proposed by those who engage in deep thinking?). Ulysses U. Pardey, whose comment triggered my recollection of Tony Athos, wrote that "Time-for-thinking is a special moment which can be resource consuming and an unsafe activity …" (Fortunately, Athos held a tenured position in an academic organization.) A number of comments alluded to the triumph of bureaucracies and large organizations over deep thinking. As Lorre Zuppan said, "I think Jeff Immelt's efforts to protect deep thinking reflect a nice sentiment but … If his team could carry the ball, would he need to announce that he's protecting it?" Tom Henkel was more succinct: "Ther

Learn about the Schedule Development (Tools and Techniques) in the Diploma of Project Management qualification.

Ready to get a hands-on, in-person learning experience on how Microsoft Project can help you get more out of your projects and optimize your portfolio? Microsoft and our partner community host events in cities all around the U.S. where you'll have the opportunity to learn more about Project and what it can do to help you streamline your work and achieve your strategic objectives. Please add this page to your Favorites and check back often, as new events are regularly being scheduled! May 30th Cambridge, MA Conference 2014 Roadshow with Project Gold Certified PPM Partner Campana & Schott. Join us for these free half-day events to gain insight on current trends and the latest developments on Project Online and earn 3 PDUs. Registration link You can also register here to attend our free Project webcast series-sessions are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month!