words that SPEAK

THINKING DIFFERENTLY
At Babson, entrepreneurship is about a lot more than finding the next big idea and securing venture capital for a startup. Instead, it's a unique way of thinking that permeates nearly every aspect of how we approach management education, from finance and accounting to marketing and strategic planning. It's about using proven creative techniques to unearth new business concepts. It's about analyzing the costs, risks, and benefits of promising ideas. And, it's about realization - how to nurture and grow ideas from infancy to maturity.

To thrive amidst the intense competition of today's global marketplace, businesses and nonprofit organizations, whatever their size, must undergo a continual process of renewal. That renewal can take a variety of forms, from introducing new products and services to entering new distribution channels and markets. Remarkably, the managerial mindset, skills, and abilities such actions require differ little from those we traditionally associate with starting a business.

MAKING VISION REALITY
Business success requires the ability to communicate concepts and ideas persuasively, to view situations from multiple perspectives, to lead or work effectively with teams, and to understand the interdependencies among diverse disciplines. Babson's innovative, highly-integrated curriculum helps students develop and hone these critical skills while building their knowledge of management fundamentals. It is this uncommon blend of skills that helped alumnus Bob Davis build Terra-Lycos into a leading Internet company and alumnus Arthur Blank co-found retail giant Home Depot.

At Babson, you learn how to transform promising business ideas into reality from people who have done it, are doing it, or who guide others in doing it. Among them are Professor William Bygrave who founded a high-technology company, and Professor Jeffry Timmons with decades of experience as an investor, director, or advisor to startups and venture capital funds. Each of these faculty members is recognized internationally for their numerous contributions in the world of entrepreneurship.

INNOVATION
n. The act of beginning or introducing something new; alternatively, the object, process, or concept that is being introduced: from the Latin innovare - to renew.

LEADING IN NEW DIRECTIONS
To grow and thrive amid the intense competition of contemporary markets, organizations must engage in a continual process of self renewal. That's why we train our graduates bring an entrepreneurial mindset to the workplace. And, it's why innovation has long been the heart of the Babson tradition.

In finance, information management, marketing, and other disciplines, our faculty and innovative program design routinely challenge you to think in new ways. Students learn not only how to think creatively, but also how to analyze the potential risk and reward of new ideas, and how to implement them effectively. Such skills are essential to the lifeblood of every organization. They enable both startups and established enterprises to compete effectively by identifying, responding to, and capitalizing on significant market opportunities.

CROSSING TRADITIONAL BOUNDARIES
True to what we teach, Babson is a leading innovator in management education. More agile and flexible than traditional business schools, we quickly take heed of, and respond to, changing business and lifestyle needs. We were among the first, for example, to introduce a truly integrated curriculum. Because real business decisions rarely fit neatly into compartments such as accounting or marketing, we designed MBA programs that integrate the teaching of multiple disciplines, such as marketing and business strategy, and finance and information technology.

One of the most longstanding boundaries a Babson education crosses is that between corporate management and entrepreneurship. Increasingly, those who lead established organizations must be able to think and act like the entrepreneurs with whom they often compete. We teach students the skills and know-how to do this while providing a solid grounding in management fundamentals.

SEEKING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
Idea generation has become an essential management skill as companies continually strive to renew themselves and as entrepreneurs endeavor to launch new enterprises. Ironically, this gets little attention in most MBA programs. Where do new ideas come from and how do you create them proactively? Fortunately, there is a wide spectrum of creative thinking techniques that teams and individuals can employ. Babson believes creative thinking is such an important management skill you'll find it woven throughout all of our MBA programs.