The rising number of concentrated programs intended to create a global mind-set is not unexpected given that workplaces are increasingly global, with teams spanning continents and cultures.
“People now compete globally, and it is intense,” said Erdin Beshimov, a founder and director of M.I.T. Bootcamps, which started five years ago. “The opportunities are much greater for those with a global mind-set.”
The motivation, whether someone is 30 or 70, is to develop a broader view of the world and to build a global network, said Vimala Palaniswamy, associate director of M.I.T. Bootcamps. “At the heart of it is communication, a deep dive into who you are as an individual and how you relate to others from different cultures.”
Dana Galin, 52, a leadership coach and founder of Imprint Leadership Partners in Atlanta, attended the three-day Transformation with Purpose Bootcamp earlier this year at I.E. University, which is based in Madrid. “I am always looking to develop and help my clients do the same,” she said.
The curriculum examined “global trends, history and cybersecurity and how you place yourself in the world, and pushed us to explore our values,” she said.
“It caused me to think bigger, to place myself in a bigger playground, and a bigger world,” she said. “The world needs you to play big and make an impact in your part of the world. It’s the ripple effect. The program made me wake up internally to what is driving my thinking and wake up to the world that I am a part of.”
That’s not a bad return on a brief getaway, Galin said. And it’s just what she and many others are seeking. “These kinds of programs are becoming so in demand because careers are way longer and more uncertain and fluid, and the need for constant update and upgrade is growing,” said Teresa Martín-Retortillo, the executive president of I.E. Exponential Learning. “The opportunity to pause in that process for a short period of intense and immersive training has become more and more relevant.”
While these may not be technical skills like coding, there is intrinsic value in looking at things from a different perspective.
-New York Times