I can't believe they paid me for this

On Thursday and Friday I attended a class through our College of Professional Studies. They offer short certificate programs (generally two to three classes will get you a certificate). For one of the certificates, they key the class offering to the twelve proficiencies outlined on the Managerial Assessment of Proficiency. I took the MAP test just a year ago, and wanted to pick up a course in one of the three proficiencies I didn't do so well in (OK, I cannot tell a lie (and I want to brag a bit (hey, it's my blog; I can do that)); I was at the 90th percentile or higher in 9 of 12 proficiencies. Two of the three that were lower were much lower, and both were in the supervisory area (don't like to discipline people, don't care to evaluate them). The third was the analytical thinking area).

::blink::

Yeah, I know. But during the discussion of the results, it was pointed out that I have all of the necessary abilities to do well in this area, I just need additional formal training (way to drum up more business, Jim). So, I signed up for the Thinking Analytically and Clearly two-day course.

We spent two days doing puzzles.

• Those graphic word puzzle things (Wuzzles?)
• Story problems about trains
• Murder mysteries about train workers (yes, the whole course was train-themed)
• Puzzles from Mindtrap
• Watching a very old (train-related, of course) episode of Banacek, stopping the dvd and trying to solve it before the solution was revealed

I loved it.

The first group exercise we did concerned a set of data on a rail line, and a decision that had to be made on whether or not to go ahead with the final load of the season. Everything I saw in the two sets of data provided for the exercise screamed to me not to go. but my powers of persuasion couldn't overcome the thick skulls inability to listen with open minds willingness to bear risk of the other three participants. I gave in to them, reserving my right to say "I told you so" if we were wrong. So "go" we said.

Yeah. We blew up the Challenger.

The two data sets we had were the same type of data and same data points the engineers at NASA had the night before launch, when they made the go/no go decision. Thank heaven none of my real-life decisions are ever that weighty.

There were a few things (other than my fellow students) that frustrated me, the biggest being the emphasis on the puzzles to the detriment of explanation of the techniques we should have been learning. But he did provide a handy dandy reference guide (laminated) at the end of class that explains everything.

Not only did my employer pay for the class, I was paid for attending. Sweet.