At Rotman this week we began the Integrative Management Challenge. The IMC stretches through the fourth quarter of first year right through to the end of the program. The premise is that teams of four compete against each other in guiding a company through a complex business simulation. Each team is responsible for all the decisions of the firm, and is accountable to a real-life board of directors, made up of business leaders and Rotman alum for their performance. Our labour contracts will be negotiated with actual union negotiators and we will produce our own strategy, marketing and operations plans to maximize profits over a simulated 3 year period. The IMC finally gives us a chance to integrate everything we have been studing in first year, and its another chance to do what people here at Rotman do best - compete with each other. Our first task this week is to go through the complicated and highly policital process of picking our teams. Those who are interested can find out more about the IMC via the link.

One more Rotman-related note today. This business school is Messenger nation. It's all about continuous connectivity. These people have it on all the time, even in class. They have 100+ people on their buddy list, and if you are in a study group, you are expected to be available on Messenger pretty much 24-7. "Hey Don, I couldn't get you on Messenger at 11:00 last Friday night, what was up?" "I was drunk."

Well, Steve Moore finally got what he had coming to him last night. In retrospect, I should have known trouble was brewing. When I sent my TAML intern to Vancouver to interview the Canuck tough guys last week about possible retribution against Moore the conversation went like this:
TAML: So any plans in the works for Moore?
Brookbank: It was not necessary to lay a concussion on Markus. Out on the ice Monday, I could get upset. Things could get out of hand. Then in self defense, I could do something to you that he will not like, right there.
TAML: Oookay... Mr. May?
May: Every man! Every man has to go through hell to reach paradise.
TAML: What do you mean by that?
Bertuzzi: (Grabs the microphone) He's gonna learn about loss. (Walks away)

Now Moore, of course, got more than he deserved, but that's only because Bertuzzi hurt him much worse than he intended. But Moore had to expect something to happen to him. You can't just put the leading scorer in the NHL on the shelf with a cheap shot and not expect a reaction.

The good news is Bertuzzi has agreed to come to Toronto and hang out with me to ride out his suspension and wait for the heat from the police investigation to die down. Thursday night we're going to get some Colonel Chicken and some Heineken brew. Then we'll watch Survivor All-Stars and the Canuck game on TV. I've got the fold out all set up for him.