Carin-Isabel Knoop is the Executive Director of the Harvard Business School Case Research & Writing Group.

She’s written cases on managers and leaders all over the world across functions and industries for decades. 

Carin co-authored the book on Compassionate Management of Mental Health in the Modern Workplace​ (with Dean John Quelch, Herbert Business School, University of Miami), and her articles have been published in Africa, Europe, the U.S., and Latin America. 

She champions diversity of thought, adaptability, and human sustainability at work, working closely with public and private organizations, student groups, and employee benefits organizations to promote Mental Health by All and For All.

She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Carin's Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carinknoop/ 

Carin’s list of Harvard Business School Case Studies https://hbsp.harvard.edu/search?N=&Nrpp=25&Ntt=knoop&searchLocation=header 

Carin’s book, Compassionate Management of Mental Health in the Modern Workplace​ https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319715407 

WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER FROM THIS EPISODE:

• How Carin created her role inside Harvard Business School.
• Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first case study used at HBS.
• TRIVIA: The first case study used at HBS was… General Shoe Company.
• Why case studies are such a POWERFUL tool to teaching leaders.
• Why learning to disagree is essential for all leaders.
• Why a case study is such an effective training tool.
• The step-by-step process of how Harvard Business School students approach a case study.
• The one case study Carin would recommend if you could only read one.
• The business case that made her cry.
• How a singing Walmart greeter led to an amazing interaction with Walmart CEO, Doug McMillon.
• Strategies to infuse the case study mindset when developing your own team.
• What former CEO of Honeywell, David Cote, said about different points of view in a meeting (around the 31-minute mark). https://www.benfanning.com/david-cote/ 
• What former CEO Nigel Travis said about “Challenge Culture” and getting direct feedback (around the 34-minute mark). https://www.benfanning.com/nigel-travis/ 
• The Kim Scott perspective on bias in her book, Just Work. https://www.benfanning.com/kim-scott/ 
• Three success strategies for every employee.

HIGHLIGHTS:

The process Harvard students follow for case studies:

1. Receive the case ahead of time.
2. Prepare individually.
3. Discuss in a in a study group.
4. Present in class.
5. Evaluate the case study and get feedback from others.

QUOTES:

“There is something beautiful in the method of discovery in a case study.”

“A good case occurs when people disagree.”

“Some people think that Inclusion is expensive, but exclusion is even more expensive.”

“To support diversity, we need the tools and courage to learn to disagree.” (from her Medium post)

“With disagreement comes innovation.”

RESOURCES:

Lincoln -Douglas Debate Format

Carin’s Medium Post: Build Mental Health Back Better, Mr. Biden. No vaccine is coming for the COVID depression. https://carinisabelknoop.medium.com/build-mental-health-back-better-mr-biden-because-no-vaccine-is-coming-for-the-covid-depression-a8ae5c6b23f 

Carin’s Medium Post: So you want to improve mental health at work? Focus on the work part. There is no app for antiquated management. https://carinisabelknoop.medium.com/to-improve-mental-health-at-work-focus-on-the-work-part-b6849a677a39 

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