Why am I doing the MAPP program?
I just read through the syllabi (hmmm, Medium doesn’t know that word) of the four courses I will taking for the next few months. In order to calm my panic (they weren’t kidding when they said it’ll be 20–30 hours of work a week), I thought I should remind myself why I’m doing this. I think there’s actually three different ways to answer that question.
Why did I decide to go back now?
Surrounded by my fabulously accomplished Ethel Walker sisters at my 35th high school reunion, I started to seriously consider the idea that I might have one more degree in me. I’d gotten interested in this program after I read about it in Martin Seligman’s book “Flourish.” He describes the program as “an intellectual feast” taught by “the leading faculty in positive education from around the world,” and goes on to say “It is challenging intellectually, like most academic subjects, but unlike most subjects, it is personally informative, even transformative, and it is also fun.” Intellectual feast? Transformative?? Sign me up!
I’d considered the program a few years ago, when I was in the middle of my job change, but the timing was wrong personally. With both kids headed to boarding school (as of Friday, we’ll be empty nesters), Roy and I agreed it was a perfect time for me to do this now.
What do I want to learn?
The program culminates with a capstone project of my choice. Based on what I know about the field right now, here are the questions that I’d like to answer, one of which may turn into my capstone.
Can I apply “resilience” concepts to the design review process? I’m a huge proponent of design reviews. When I ran the Documentation Group I established a design review forum to help us shape our re-architecture of the doc content and help system. It was hugely successful… and incredibly draining, and often demoralizing. One of the reasons I changed roles was that I did not think I could sit through even one more Doc design review forum.
MathWorks, like many design-driven companies, faces the challenge of keeping creative employees motivated while dealing with the stress that accompanies design reviews. It’s too good a process to stop, and too expensive to lose talented employees to the burn out that often comes along with it. So, I wonder if the techniques that have been developed to build “grit” in students, sales people, and US Marines could be applied to us and other software companies. Can we build “grittier” engineers? Can we make an entire team more resilient? (oh… and can I learn to make myself more resilient, too?)
Are there other “positive interventions” that would be beneficial for MathWorks? Or any other software company? The “A” in MAPP is for “applied.” The program focuses on teaching students “positive interventions” to promote “flourishing” in the world. What I wonder is if we could apply those interventions to the sometimes stressful work of software development and high tech design.
What could Positive Psychology and Mussar learn from each other? Mussar is a Jewish spiritual practice aimed at enhancing personal ethics and effectiveness. The basic practice involves choosing a set of personal characteristics (like humility, or moderation) on which to focus; the aim is to develop these traits through regular prayerful attention. If anyone has read Ben Franklin’s Autobiography, it’s a lot like his exercise to increase his “virtues.” It also sounds a lot like the VIA Character Strengths research that runs through much Positive Psychology work. So… I wonder if a 2000 year old spiritual practice and 20 years of validated research might learn anything from each other.
Can I turn myself into an optimist? Lots of research points to the mental, physical, and economic benefits of being an optimist. But knowing that and turning myself into one are two different things. Ultimately, that’s the tantalizing promise.
What am I going to do with this degree?
Truthfully, I don’t really know. I’m trusting that I have a track record of learning new stuff and applying it. I’m trusting the MAPP alumnae who talk about the program itself opening up possibilities that hadn’t previously existed.
The probable answer is that I’ll take it back to MathWorks and find ways to share it there in the classes I currently teach, or new ones I will develop. Our new rabbi has an interest in Happiness programs, so I suspect there may be ways for me to share this at our synagogue. As anyone who follows me on Facebook knows, I’m burning to have a more direct impact on social justice, and I wonder if I could share my new knowledge with under-served communities.
Also, I think this will have an impact in my family. I’m hoping the life-long learner aspect of this rubs off on my kids. Roy’s looking forward to me teaching him everything I know. And my siblings are interested in hearing about what I’m learning.
