Hello! I’ve been thinking a lot about you this weekend, as I went about Old Guy chores, the VC job, and prepping for my fall course. I’ve had office hours with some of you and look forward to more. The general consensus I heard is that Section vibes continue to be strong. That all bodes
Category: Brain hacking
Note to Section J: ‘Embrace Boredom’
Hello, Section J! It’s me, I’m back. Yes, you’ve heard much too much from me this summer. But a heads up that Kayla sent an email today regarding “summer office hours.” And I continue to think about Section J and what I learned at my recent HBS reunion. One big takeaway: embrace boredom. I attended
Letter to Section B: ‘Hold On’
I was fortunate to be one of Section B’s instructors and to see them just before and during Commencement. Dear Section B, Class of 2025: Hello! Thank you for inviting me to your graduation party and to Bridges. It was such a joy to see so many of you and to meet your families. It
Letter to Section J: ‘You Already Are Enough’
At HBS, I’m a “Section Chair” for the first time. HBS students are divided into “Sections” when they first arrive, and each Section Chair is the first faculty member with whom they meet. We gathered with them six times over three days during an orientation program called “START” and hold periodic check-ins with them as
Note to My Students: A Reflection on ‘Home’
(I occasionally write notes to my students. The latest is below. The second-year students are about to graduate.) Dear Section G and VCPE: I write this to you on a Saturday morning from my HBS office. The campus is largely empty and quiet, and I hope you’re all sleeping in. It was a joy to
Hunger
I read Bertrand Cooper’s interesting essay today in The Times: “I Escaped Poverty, but Hunger Still Haunts Me.” As I’ve written before, for a period in my childhood, I went hungry. And, I’ve never forgotten that gnawing feeling. When you’re eight years old, you don’t know what “normal” is, as you have no perspective. You