RoundTables enhance professional development for the Atlanta business community while providing resources to help make the College the best in the country.

From the basic materials of wood and concrete to the finishing touches of a fanciful drawer pull or a delicately blooming orchid, the brimming shelves of The Home Depot are stocked with the stuff of America's dream houses. But, with such a large quantity and variety of products, sometimes tracking down a washer to fix a leaky faucet or screening to repair a door can be challenging. The company's marketers wondered just how effective were store layouts with the bright orange banners. They found their answers when a class at the Robinson College of Business designed a survey, which was then implemented at several Home Depot locations in Atlanta. Students asked customers if they found everything they had come to buy, and if not, which products were difficult to locate.The class received some hands-on experience, and the company received some helpful input, all without the hefty fee of a consulting firm.

This exchange, and many others like it, has grown from The Home Depot's participation in the series of forums at the RCB known as RoundTables. These RoundTables, which currently number seven, bring together senior executives from Atlanta's business community to enhance professional development, cultivate networking opportunities and generate closer relationships between businesses and the university. Membership is by invitation only and is limited to a select number of organizations to ensure ample possibilities for interaction. At meetings scheduled throughout the year, members hear a range of speakers from academics at Georgia State and other universities to nationally renowned business practitioners who discuss cutting-edge topics. The meetings give members a chance to test ideas and share problems informally with colleagues in other organizations. Interactions with faculty give members direct contact with university resources, such as access to students for recruitment and internships, and faculty research.

"The RoundTables are illustrative of the College's historic connection with the Atlanta business community," said RCB Dean Sidney Harris. "They offer business executives practical tools and state-of-the-art knowledge to help them succeed."

George E. Smith Eminent Scholar Ephraim McLean believes the RoundTable forums offer an essential service to the community. "A professional school has no right to exist unless it supports the programs of its constituents," McLean said. "It would be like a medical school that doesn't see patients or a law school that doesn't hear cases."

Bob Burg, senior vice president for human resources at Rivet-wood International Corporation, endorses this view. "I've been involved with other groups in Atlanta and in my industry," said Burg, "and I find the Human Resources RoundTable at Georgia State to be the most important professional association in my career."

IRON SHARPENS IRON

One major benefit to RoundTable members is their own professional development through interactions with peers and experts. ''The meetings are like going back to school once a month," said Michael K. Harrell, president of BellSouth Mobile Data and a member of the Marketing RoundTable. "You're not only exposed to solid content and great ideas but also you get the input of 15 other executives in Atlanta. That is an extremely useful experience."

Steve Robinson, senior vice president for marketing at Chick-fil-A, agreed. "Iron sharpens iron," said Robinson, who serves as the current chairman of the Marketing RoundTable. "It's nice to sit down with men and women in your field and to see what is working for them and what they are thinking about current topics. It gives me an opportunity to get outside my own box."