As the presidential election nears, the potential for an unusual outcome that could spark a Constitutional crisis seems to grow with every news cycle. The “hanging chads” of the 2000 election will seem quaint in comparison, say the HBS alumni behind the nonpartisan group, Reform Elections Now (REN), who gave a virtual presentation to the HBS Club of Dallas in early September to educate and engage business leaders on the specific problems in our political system and possible solutions.

“The presentation detailed different scenarios that could lead to a Constitutional crisis and how things might unfold after election,” says Van Sheets (MBA 1983), who organized the event, which was open to Harvard Club of Dallas members as well. Sheets says 74 people registered for the free webinar.

Front Row: NYU Prof. and CNN Presidential Scholar Tim Naftali, Business Executive Katherine Gehl, Harvard Prof. Michael Porter, Pulitizer Prize Winner HBS Alumna Sheryl WuDunn (Panel Moderator) Back Row: HBS Club NY President Andy Cheskis, REN Core Team

Front Row: NYU Prof. and CNN Presidential Scholar Tim Naftali, Business Executive Katherine Gehl, Harvard Prof. Michael Porter, Pulitizer Prize Winner HBS Alumna Sheryl WuDunn (Panel Moderator) Back Row: HBS Club NY President Andy Cheskis, REN Core Team

REN cofounder and primary researcher Peter Siris (MBA 1968) opened the webinar with a scenario where one candidate wins the popular vote and is projected to take the electoral vote, but lawsuits in many states over mail-in ballots and congressional races mean the outcome is uncertain. Several problematic laws could then come into play that would ultimately lead to a stalemate and widespread unrest. After exploring the scenario, Siris gave a sobering view of the current state of our electoral system, as well as potential solutions.

“REN is scrupulously nonpartisan, and Peter is a great presenter,” says Sheets. “Dallas is the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and we have every political viewpoint here. We’re very engaged in community. Folks in the webinar were saying how eye-opening this was for them. They had a great discussion, and I’m hearing that many members are sharing the presentation and starting conversations in their own circles.”

REN cofounders Mike Otten (MBA 1967), and Herb Kaplan (MBA 1965) hope that energized reaction from the business community will turn into active engagement in fixing a decidedly broken electoral system. “Our political dysfunction is harming American competitiveness,” says Otten, adding that REN was formed by seven HBS Club of New York members, based on research by business executive Katherine Gehl and HBS Professor Michael Porter, detailing how partisan polarization has rendered government ineffective. That research resulted in a recently-released book, The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy.

The mission of Reform Elections Now is to facilitate election reform through education and engagement, with practical solutions that will enhance informed discourse, increase voter participation and motivate better representation by elected officials. “This systemic change will require thoughtful action over several years,” say Otten and Kaplan. “Our biggest risk may be not to continue our work after the 2020 election, thereby not resolving these risks for future generations.”

To get the message out, Otten says the group has been reaching out to HBS alumni clubs, and has held several events over the last year, beginning with a sold-out panel discussion last fall featuring both Gehl and Porter. As the election season has intensified, interest in REN’s message has likewise increased.

“We began open virtual sessions in the spring that dealt with a range of election reform issues—primaries, gerrymandering, mail-in ballots. We had such a good response, we decided to do it every month,” says Kaplan. “With the coming election in a pandemic, there’s an expected surge in mail-in ballots. That sets up potential problems in states that are not prepared for that.”

Otten says REN is not so much an organization as an “interested network” of business alumni wanting to make our democracy work fairly and for everyone. “The two-party system is currently not working for the people. The parties are not motivated to improve electoral system. But business people are,” he says. “We can reach out to our networks and engage people to work for fair elections, open primaries, and more. We are fiercely nonpartisan and never talk about candidates,” says Otten. “We are strictly about making elections work fairly for everyone.”

Kaplan says REN is taking the long-term view. “Regardless of the outcome of this election, we have problems in the system to work out, and it’s going to take a long time”.

The REN team will hold its next webinar for the HBS Club of South Florida on October 1, 2020.

To learn more and get involved, visit Reform Elections Now.

When Anne Jones (MBA 1997) was in her first year at HBS, she says she often worried that she didn’t belong there.

“I was thinking, ‘how am I here?’ but it was the case method that helped me get over that feeling of overwhelm,” says Jones, a native of Finland who competed in track on a full scholarship at Georgia Tech before graduating at the top of her class with a degree in Systems Engineering. “The case method teaches you how to think through business situations and come up with solutions. It builds confidence and grit.”

Years later, when she became a full-time mother after a successful corporate career, Jones says feeling overwhelmed with parenting sparked an idea: maybe she could raise her son using the case method. “I thought about how to use it to help my son learn how to make decisions,” she says. “So I made up these simple stories, with a boy in different scenarios who faced a dilemma, and the boy would make choices. I would ask my son if that was a wise or unwise decision. There was no judgment, we were just exploring. We would snuggle and talk, and I would retell the story based on his days and real experiences.”

Over time, Jones found that her son would ask for the stories, or she would make one up if a situation presented itself. She realized it was having an effect when she observed her child making good choices or making the effort to consider if something seemed “wise or unwise.”

When the idea caught on among Jones’ friends, her husband encouraged her to write a book, and The Case Method Miracle was released last fall.

Jones says the book is designed to help parents teach their children “independent thinking, wise judgement and grit.” “I included 32 case stories as examples, with guidance for parents to make up relevant stories of their own,” she says. “This is not prescriptive. I’m not a child development expert. I’m deploying the case methodology to help parents engage with their child. The goal is to engage your child so he/she can become a thoughtful decision-maker and become confident.”

The miracle, she says, is when the child starts making wise or mindful decisions on their own.

After giving some talks about the book to local parent groups in Atlanta where she lives, Jones has started presenting webinars to HBS and Harvard alumni groups.

After a webinar for the HBS Club of Rochester, on September 10, the club’s president, Jocelyn Goldberg-Schaible (MBA 1977) said feedback from the audience was full of praise for Jones and her insightful take on parenting, with one commenter calling her “a female Mr. Rogers.”

“It’s suddenly taking off,” Jones says. “I mean, who doesn’t want their children to become more confident decision-makers and thoughtful problem-solvers? I love talking about this.”

Apparently, alumni love hearing Jones talk about her concept as well. Over the summer, she presented her webinar to six HBS clubs, and has another seven set for the HBS Association of Boston, the Crimson Parents at HBS, the HBS Club of Utah, the HBS Women’s Association of New York, HBS Club of DC, the HBS Club of Connecticut, and the Harvard Club of Boston.

Clubs interested in Jones’ webinar can find more information at https://www.casemethodmiracle.com/.

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