Thoughts From Terence R. Mitchell

Abstract

This is an essay in which I discuss aspects of my career, things I would do differently, advice to new professors, including some guidelines and principles that worked well for me, and given the future of Business Schools, what changes do I foresee? I describe my first few years as rather smooth and uneventful thanks to the mentors and resources that were available at the University of Washington. I wished I had had better teaching preparation and knowledge about how to publish in management journals (I am a psychologist by training and being in a Business School required some adjustments and the learning of new skills). In the future, I think more will be demanded of new professors and they will be held more accountable and required to support what they do through grants, contracts, extra teaching and consulting activities. Both an ethical emphasis and knowledge of technology for the classroom will be important as well. Most of my rules to live by focus on managing time and requests—they are the key navigational tools for success. My crystal ball suggests we will have more specialization in our activities and more contractual arrangements will guide us through periods of our career.