Exit Stage, Enter Boardroom
Beyond Quant
In the age of artificial intelligence and big data, the founder of management science-–the Tepper School at Carnegie Mellon University-–is, and always has been, data focused. But it is equally human driven. That’s because good business is not just about the numbers; human intelligence is key to interpreting the data, making decisions, and building relationships. These human skills are more critical than ever in today’s rapidly-evolving technological landscape.
The curricula in the Tepper School’s programs are undeniably quantitative and analytical. Yet the nature of business is one of leveraging relationships to persuade an action or behavior, whether it’s to purchase a product or negotiate a merger. CEOs, heads of nonprofits, and other executives need strong communication skills in order to build trust and lead effectively.
At Carnegie Mellon, interdisciplinary innovation is the norm, and at the Tepper School, coursework is never business as usual. It comes as no surprise that one of the popular electives is Acting for Business, a course that teaches students to be self-assured leaders who can communicate, negotiate, and manage with confidence and executive presence.
“Students use a different part of themselves in this course,” said David Charles Goyette, an associate teaching professor of acting and business communication who is also a graduate of Carnegie Mellon’s world-renowned School of Drama. “It’s an opportunity to use something that's a little more about their humanity.”
Bye-bye, Shrinking Violets
In the first class exercise, each student must deliver a sentence at the top of their lungs in front of their classmates. For those not accustomed to filling a room with their own voice, the experience can be intimidating. Yet, it can also be liberating.
“From the beginning, we start big and loud,” Goyette said. “It’s hard, but the students have to get past that first hurdle of making themselves heard. And this opens them up to a new area of learning.”
Having confidence in front of people is necessary to handle what might normally be an uncomfortable situation. If you’re busy worrying about how you are being perceived by another person (Am I slouching? Am I saying “um” a lot?), you aren’t focusing on the interaction itself. Human relationships, whether professional or personal, come down to connecting with another person. Whether you are negotiating a deal, pitching a solution to a potential client, or interviewing for a new job, you are seeking to make a connection.
The primary tool that the students learn to use is action. “Actors play an action on another actor in order to influence them to do something,” explained Goyette. “Actors focus on the job at hand which is to affect and to influence the other characters. This is also what business leaders need to do.”
“The students learn to direct their attention toward really influencing the other person rather than worrying about themselves,” Goyette added. “They practice this daily, so their persuasive skills become a habit they can rely upon.”
“Actors play an action on another actor in order to influence them to do something,” explained Goyette. “Actors focus on the job at hand which is to affect and to influence the other characters. This is also what business leaders need to do.”
Command Performance
Goyette had inherited Acting For Business from its creator Geoffrey Hitch, another School of Drama alumnus who taught it for more than 20 years before retiring to professor emeritus status. Today, the course is in such demand that Goyette teaches it full time while a second faculty member, Distinguished Service Professor Juan Rivera Lebron, was added to keep pace with its popularity.
Offered every semester and mini semester, the course is open to both graduate and undergraduate students within the Tepper School. When space allows, students from other disciplines across the university are also able to participate.
Curtain Call
After taking Acting for Business, students recognize that they have expanded their comfort zones and are more assertive and confident. They often reach out to Goyette to let him know how the coursework helped them in an interview or during an internship.
“They have shared that the work was immediately actionable,” Goyette said. “I think they find it empowering.”
