Sending a quick post from various trips and vacations, whether it is exploring new places or visiting our families. We are all enjoying a break from courses and taking advantage of the extending time away from campus. Recharged, we are all ready to go at it again in January!
Just a sampling of where the Wake Forest University Schools of Business bloggers are spending their free moments this winter break:
Click this link to see a message from Dean Steve Reinemund: http://business.wfu.edu/apps/videos/holiday09/
The title of this post is correct … the first year class for the Wake Forest University Schools of Business only has a final exam in quant standing between it and a well-deserved break! The last week has been frenetic: a lengthy paper and live presentation for Organizational Behavior along with a team case study and studying for the quant exam. It is hard to see how students can slip in any social networking, but we did. Last week we had our first gathering of the first- and second-year classes as part of the new Working Professionals Association. It was great to meet those who have gone before us, getting tips on professors and classes and having a few drinks at Foothills Brewery.
Here are a few pictures from the event, which is sure to be the first of several planned in the months to come. Okay, I have to get back to studying!
“Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.” ~ Albert Einstein
Wake Forest University accounting professor Jonathan Duchac (right) led his talk at the CFO Alliance meeting in Charlotte by quoting the famous physicist, noting that such logic applies to risk management. With the financial crisis and recession, companies are under pressure to revert to the traditional ways of viewing risk, seeing it simply as a negative event that must be controlled.
Rather, Duchac encouraged the more than 60 executives in attendance Tuesday morning to seek opportunity when it comes to risk, albeit with an appropriate measure of caution. Rather than simply revert to the same methods that got us in trouble, companies must do a better job of understanding and identifying risk. “We need to change the paradigm,” he said. “Risk management is not about mitigating loss … it is about generating value.”
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How do you manage risk? Duchac gave a terrific illustration of how risk management should work. First, identify, quantify and model risk v. reward. That allows a financial officer to communicate risks, opportunities and actions, which in turn leads to risk-based management decisions. The optimal end result is the creation of a competitive advantage. Be warned – a financial officer must always be aware of how risk can also destroy value in much the same way as value is created.
“Risk management is everyone’s job,” Duchac said, stressing the fallacy of making it all the responsibility of the CFO or a dedicated risk officer.
What are the prevalent risks for today’s financial executives? The audience was divided into six groups and encouraged to discuss the risks they face, with a reminder that risk is not isolated to negative occurrences. Here is a list of the 10 most discussed areas of risks (in no particular order):
1) Funding: Venture capital, private equity, lending, and donations
2) Key personnel: How do you handle critical employees?
3) Legislation/regulation: Taxation and health care reform were the biggest concerns
4) What to do with any profits: Do you invest in marketing, return it to investors, or stash the cash?
5) Cost cutting: Where do you cut? R&D, marketing, training, travel, benefits? When do you decide to bring those expenses back?
6) Brand image/reputational risk: Many were concerned about the impact of social media such as Facebook and Twitter
7) Supply and demand: How do you manage both, and what is the right pricing to use?
8) Shared risk: Do joint ventures make sense right now?
9) How to handle the agenda of an overly ambitious CEO
And finally
10) Are we taking on enough risk? Many are shell-shocked by current conditions and are too timid to take chances … are they missing out on the recovery?
Ever realize how spotless our facilities are? We owe it all to our wonderful maintenance staff who arrive every morning at 6:30 am to make sure that our classrooms are ready to go, study rooms are clean, and bathrooms are stocked with soap and paper towels.
On Tues., Dec. 8, let’s show the maintenance staff some love! Before we leave for the holidays we’d like to provide the maintenance staff with some goodies during their break that morning from 9:00–9:30 am. We’ve arranged for Salem Kitchen to provide a continental breakfast, complete with biscuits, juice, and coffee. In addition, each maintenance staff member will receive a small token of appreciation.
How can you help? It’s easy! Simply contribute $2 and the rest will be taken care of. If you would like to do more, we need four volunteers to help set-up and clean-up next Tuesday morning, and we also need volunteers to help stuff goodie bags. Please see your point of contact below if you are interested in helping.
You can submit your contribution in one of two ways: 1) give your money to one of the designated points of contact; or 2) place the money in the envelope located in Ahkesha Murray’s box in the mailroom. Donations will be accepted until the end of the day, Fri., Dec. 4.
Points of contact
MBA c/o 2010 Katharina Haynes, Neeta Kirpalani
MA c/o 2010 Lauren Collins, Evan Raleigh
MBA c/o 2011 Ahkesha Murray, Brooks Pollard
Evening MBA Jamie Bourgeois
I trust that everyone had a restful Thanksgiving break and that you are now ready for the “home stretch.” I find it hard to believe that we have the Fall 2009 semester almost behind us! I find it even harder to believe that we now have a group of MSA students getting ready to graduate in December.
Congratulations to those of you finishing your last of three semesters in the MSA program! I know it has been challenging but I am hopeful that you have also found it rewarding. I look forward to talking with you all in graduate exit interviews over the next week.
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Given that a group of you are graduating and many more will be graduating in May, I thought that I would take this opportunity to make you aware of an exciting new Council we are forming for the MSA program. We will roll out an MSA Young Alumni Council during the Spring 2010 semester. This is something we have considered for many years and that a May 2009 graduate worked on diligently both while here in her program and post graduation last summer. We are very excited about this Council and hope that most of our students will take advantage of this opportunity when they do graduate. The MSA Young Alumni Council is being formed by a group of recent alumni and will have their first meeting in conjunction with our Accounting Advisory Council in the Spring. Young alumni are extremely important to our program in so many ways.
• First, young alumni have the most knowledge about our current program content and how it met, or failed to meet, their needs in their first several years as they begin their careers. We will look to this Council to give us feedback regarding program content and to help us stay in touch with a rapidly changing profession.
• Second, young alumni are many times in a better position to understand the concerns and needs of current students and may help serve as mentors to these students during their program. As I am sure you know better than anyone, as a student you have many questions that would best be answered by someone fairly “new” in the field.
• Third, young professionals sometimes find it easier to “give back” to their institution through their time. Staying involved in a program helps the program stay current and helps further increase the value of your degree as time goes forward. We plan to have multiple committees so there should be something for everyone who would like to be involved.
Therefore, whether you are graduating in December 2009, May 2010, or December 2010 from the MSA program I hope that you will consider becoming a part of the MSA Young Alumni Council. This Council is truly being formed by young alumni and is primarily for young alumni and students.
I hope that you all have a wonderful last week of classes and make it through exams unscathed. I further hope that your Christmas break rejuvenates those of you returning in the Spring to continue your coursework. We look forward to welcoming those of you returning back on campus in January and we wish those of you graduating the very best of luck and hope that you stay in touch with us!
Warm Regards,
Yvonne Hinson
Director of Accountancy
~ Rahul Goyal
~ Lauren Collins
~ Ahkesha Murray
~ Jen Ratliff
In my last article I shared some ideas for coping with the workload in the MA program. Today, I would like to build on this and elaborate on the specific mechanisms we have in place to support you on the academic side of the house.
When you find you need additional help beyond the classroom, your first line of defense should be your instructors. All of your instructors are dedicated to your success and are happy to meet with you outside of class. Because many of your instructors are also teaching in the full-time MBA Program, I recommend that you schedule a time to meet with them. Furthermore, in addition to meeting with your instructors individually, most if not all are more than willing to schedule review sessions if you ask.
Another key support mechanism is your study team. We deliberately develop the study teams in a way that balances the skills within each team. You should never hesitate to ask a teammate for help. In fact, it is likely that being helped by a teammate benefits your teammate as much if not more than it benefits you. Without a doubt, the best way to master something is to teach it to someone else.
A third support mechanism is our Student Affairs team. As many of you already know, our Student Affairs team can advise you on all the resources that are available to support you. Whether the issue is as simple as finding a tutor to something as complex as getting advice on strategies to deal with a learning disability our Student Affairs team is equipped to direct you to the resources that are available. For example, Student Affairs maintains a list of tutors for each course in the MA Program. We also may be able to help with the cost of obtaining a tutor for students in financial need. Finally, while on the topic of tutors I should point out that I generally recommend you first utilize your instructors and study teams and rely on tutors as a last resort.
As you all now know, the MA Program is a rigorous and challenging program. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are struggling, I encourage you to proactively take full advantage of the mechanisms that we have put in place to support you. And the earlier you seek help, the better positioned we are to assist you. Finally, I welcome your suggestions for additional services we can provide to better support you.
~Scott Shafer
For now, I want to emphasize the importance of stepping away from the coursework. Clearing your head is a necessary process, even if it creates a tighter rush to meet deadlines later down the road. This is an interesting time for Wake Forest sports as we transition from football season (hoping for better luck next year) into a promising basketball campaign. Friday night, I was invited to join several classmates to watch the men’s basketball team start their season against Oral Roberts. Great game and a win! 76-56
Saturday’s football game was less gratifying if the only criterion was the final score. This team has shown flashes of potential only to fall short so many times down the stretch.
What I have seen as the best opportunity from these events has been a time to connect with classmates and bond with members of my team in ways that would be inconceivable in our classroom setting. You get to hear about their backgrounds, current situations, and long-term objectives. You find common ground and you discover areas where bonds can be strengthened even further. It has been a terrific chance to work on networking.
There is more than just sports. I was able to assemble a team of evening students to compete in the first annual Schools of Business trivia contest last weekend at Waldo’s Wings. Hot wings, cold beer, and five rounds of trivia (with no questions dealing in accounting, OB, or quant)! Slowly but surely I will meet my goal of getting to know each of my 38 classmates on a personal level.
(Oh, our team finished 5th in the competition but we will be playing more trivia in coming weeks.)
There are going to be plenty of opportunities to spend more time with these folks over the next two years. We’re already planning on having colleagues make the “lengthy” trek to Greensboro to check out the restaurants offered by the neighboring city. The underlying message is that you must strike a balance between studies and socializing. Both will be an integral part of career development during the MBA or MA program and a major part of networking and upward mobility on the other side of graduate school.
Game on!
~ Paul Davis
Evening students mingling at semester-end event at Foothills Brewery downtown.
I don't know any other way to express how I feel other than "happy." I am challenged to grow on a daily basis, I'm always learning new ways to function in a team environment, I have brilliant classmates, and God continues to grant me his grace and mercy in marvelous ways.
I hope life is treating you well, world. I'll try to be back with more updates soon - there's always something!
Copious Peace & Blessings
~Ahkesha Murray
~ Lauren Collins
I really love my school. An integrated program works wonders. Also, being a student as an adult has been much more interesting than undergrad, simply because of the quality of shared experiences. I’m learning that not only can I not do it all on my own, but other people's experiences and perspectives are oftentimes a huge asset to problem-solving. I am growing every day and I LOVE MY LIFE!
~ Ahkesha Murray
The past few weeks have been very busy for students in the Schools of Business! We’ve had numerous speakers and companies on campus that have provided our community with some really exciting perspectives of today’s business climate.~ Jen Ratliff
As you go through your program, you are likely spending a considerable amount of time and energy looking and preparing for a job or an internship. Doing those searches, in addition to managing your coursework, can be a daunting task, especially under the current economic conditions. The aim of this message is to highlight some of the initiatives that we are pursuing to ease the burden of your search and increase the likelihood of your success.
First, as you may know, we have made (and continue to make) considerable investments in our graduate Career Management Center (CMC). We have dedicated career counselors for our MBA and MA programs and will hire a dedicated MSA counselor soon (to support the accounting faculty who manage the recruiting process).
We are also expanding our corporate relations team to increase our on-campus recruiting activity and, more importantly, pursue innovative placement strategies that will allow us to match job opportunities with students in a targeted fashion (outside the traditional on-campus recruiting process). Finally, to enhance the reach and effectiveness of our corporate outreach, as of this year we are working with the University’s placement office to share resources and to provide a single-point of contact to recruiters. These changes are already having a positive impact on our ability to bring recruiters to our campus.
In addition to the above enhancements, we are investing resources in two other areas: career/professional development curricula and our executive partners program. Our CMC and E&Y center teams have formulated comprehensive professional development programs to prepare you for your job/internship search. Our MSA students are receiving professional training from our E&Y center. Our MA and first-year MBA students are going through a new CMC curriculum this year. Our 2nd year MBA students experienced several of its components last year and are receiving the new elements during one-on-one meetings with their counselors.
We are currently working on delivering similar programs to the MSAs and to the working professional MBA students who need it. The positive feedback that we are receiving from our corporate partners on the impact of the new preparation programs is strong. If you are not in the 1st year MBA and MA programs and wish to experience the new CMC curriculum, please visit our CMC office and ask that you meet with one of our career counselors. I expect that you will find the new curriculum to be both challenging and rewarding.
Our executive partners program is a new initiative that aims to create the best student mentoring program in the nation. The program will pair-up each student with a seasoned executive in a mentoring relationship. Each participant (student and mentor) will be interviewed prior to joining the program to understand his/her needs. Mentors and students will be matched using a computerized system and the data collected during the interviews. Both the students and the mentors will be guided as they go through the mentoring relationship. We will begin rolling out the mentoring program to our MA students in January and to our other programs between August 2010 and August 2011. For more information on the program and its benefits, please click here, or contact Hansford Johnson.
I recognize that each one of you has different career needs and interests. I also understand that the relevance of the above initiatives will differ across programs. We are working intensely to ensure that you are receiving effective career preparation and coaching, and have access to opportunities that will make your job placement successful. The early results so far indicate that we are making good progress. Our MSA program is concluding a very successful internship and full-time placement season. Our full-time MBA placement this summer was strong compared to the market (three months after graduation, we placed a higher proportion of students than many top schools, including Duke, UNC/Chapel Hill, UCLA, Wharton, and SMU). While this is a challenging time and jobs are hard to find, we are working on achieving high placement results for all of our first and second year full-time MBA and MA students along with unemployed students in our MSA and working-professional programs.
For those of you who are still looking for employment/internship opportunities, we will continue to focus on your placement until you are successful. Until that happens, our work is not done.
~ Charles Iacovou
We’re already into November! I can’t believe how fast the semester is flying by! Many of you mentioned to me that you feel like you’re in a whirlwind of activity, barely putting out one fire (read: deliverable) before a new fire starts.
The cynical part of me says “welcome to graduate school.” The realistic part of me says, “I understand. I feel that way too! There are not enough hours in the day.”
When I reflect on my graduate school experience, I remember feeling the way you do. I could barely grasp a concept or contemplate a new method before the professors were moving on to the next subject. Several of you have told me that you don’t feel as though the knowledge is sinking in. You fear you are not learning anything because you are being exposed to so much.
My advice: “keep the faith.” You don’t realize how much you’re learning because you haven’t had the chance to go out and apply it. Each summer, when the classrooms are empty and the halls are not lined with students waiting for Jon Pinder, I get emails from students working in their internships. I know my colleagues receive these emails too, where students are telling us how they’ve had a chance to apply what they’ve learned in our classes. Those emails are very fulfilling to my colleagues and me because we realize that we have taught you something useful and this validates our efforts. But it also sends a message to you that all the hard work from your first year is paying off. These tools in your tool box are actually being used and they are actually useful! You impressed your boss and it felt good!
At this time of the school year, things are very hectic and stressful. There will be other crazy periods as well. At these times, it is important to remember to keep the faith. I realize that it’s very easy to say and very hard to do, but I’m asking you to trust me on this and I’ll look forward to receiving your email over the summer!
~ Sherry Moss
~ Ahkesha Murray is a first-year full-time MBA Candidate.
We wrapped up our "fall break" a few days back. A whole one day class free.
I spent my day off sleeping; went to bed at 2 am, woke up at 1 pm. You read that correctly. It was amazing. A perfect use of my free time! Now it's back to business and getting some work done. Since a lot of people were headed out of town for the weekend, it proved to be relatively quiet here in Winston-Salem.
I also had time to reflect on my first exam. Three hours of accounting was pretty rough. More exams are coming up in the weeks to follow, as we end the first mini and begin the second.
Most classes carry over between minis, so it's not like we have a fresh slate of professors. Just a new seating chart (I move from the cushy confines in the back row to the first row off to the side) and new material.
I've talked a lot about balance in business school, as have several other student bloggers. What is the right balance between class work, activities, and personal time? Honestly, I don't think there is one. I don't think I'll ever reach a point where everything fits into my schedule. Some weeks the coursework is light, so I focus on myself or other obligations. Other times, I have tons of work for classes and everything else falls by the wayside. Mostly, it's a mix of stuff and it's impossible to fit everything in.
~ Justin Bertholot is a 2011 full-time MBA candidate
Good morning!
We would like to thank the students who submitted suggestions to re-name the Babcock Women In Business. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that the majority of the suggestions came from men – thanks guys!
In the end, we decided on a name that reflects the fact that we interact with many different groups and are ourselves a very diverse group. We also wanted to keep it simple. However, we liked the mission statement from one of the suggestions because it reflects what the club does now and what we hope to do in the future.
Wake Graduate Women in Business is committed to empowering female students through mentorship and social support, as well as helping female students gain the skills and training needed to successfully position themselves in the highly competitive workplace.
Congratulations to Carmesha Scott, MA 2010, (right) for helping us define who we are regardless of what program we are in. The $75 gift certificate will be placed in her box in the next few days.
The name change is effective immediately and will be reflected in all materials as quickly as possible.
Thank you,
Wake Graduate Women in Business
Greetings Everyone!I trust that you are all doing well and enjoying the fact that you are now past the halfway point of the semester! Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks are rapidly approaching. As the end of the semester approaches, things can get a bit hectic and stress levels can increase. Please try to make sure that you are taking time out for yourself and getting plenty of exercise during these crunch times.
I understand that there are many intramural sports teams already set up through the graduate programs. These are an excellent way for you to have something fun to do, besides coursework of course, and to get to know others. If you are not currently involved in these activities I strongly encourage you to consider them. More teams will be forming as we move into the winter and spring so there will be plenty of opportunities for you to get involved.
I would also like to take this opportunity to update you on some important MSA events:
• We will have a Town Hall meeting for all students who have recently joined us from other universities on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 5 pm. Please plan to join me and discuss the transition to Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University services, job searches, and your current course load. We want to hear how things are going for you and hope that you will be willing to share your experiences with us.
• We will be setting up a Town Hall meeting shortly for all MSA students (those who have been here and those new to our campus). We would like to hear about program issues and concerns that relate to everyone and may not be as related to transition to a new place. Please plan to attend this event as soon as it is set.
• We are still looking for MSAs and MBAs to compete in the KPMG Global Case competition. This is an international business case competition and not just accounting so we need non-accountants on these teams as well. To be considered for this you need to have the following dates fairly open: Nov. 20-23, 2009 (WFU team competition); Jan. 22, 2010 (Atlanta trip for national competition ); April 7-9, 2010 (possible international trip to Athens).
Please feel free to contact me anytime at hinsonyl@wfu.edu or 758-5113.
Best, Yvonne Hinson, MSA Program Director
~ Lauren N. Collins, first-year candidate, MA in Management program, and Corporate Fellow
Is it really the middle of October already? It feels like just a few short weeks ago that I arrived back on campus to start my journey as an MA in Management. Graduate school has certainly been different than my three years as an undergrad at Wake Forest. Business school has been a whole new ball game for this former History/French student. Talk about jumping into the deep end!
I certainly didn’t anticipate everything escalating so quickly in such a few short weeks – October for the MAs or at least me, has been akin to that one week of midterms undergrad when you never left the library aside from actually going to class – and even then you considered skipping class just to get your work done.
Here, skipping class certainly isn’t an option, especially since with only 40 students, its rather obvious. So thank goodness for classes starting at 11:30 in the morning as opposed to 8! So far the MA program has been challenging but rewarding, and I’ve seen an improvement in not only my basic business skills but also my ability to follow a business conversation.
Prioritizing has taken on a whole new meaning for me, especially this month, as I try to decide whether I want to study for a potential quiz, read the 20-some pages, work on the quant problems, attend one of three club meetings, see my best friends, hang out with my new MA friends, or actually eat and get some sleep. Whew!
My journey as an MA so far has been quite an adventure. I consistently remember Columbus and his belief that he was embarking upon a trip to the Near East, and his surprise at arriving in parts unknown and “discovering the New World.” Well … I certainly won’t compare myself to Columbus and his immense luck, nor do I believe that I will discover anything that is new to a seasoned business person. However, I certainly will admit that I am constantly surprised by what I’m finding in my classes and my journey through school and planned port is changing daily.
Next week looks particularly busy, with PepsiCo reps coming onto campus, club meetings, a debate on the Sherman Act, speakers, and a free “etiquette dinner” being offered to those interested in perfecting their business dinner acumen – and that’s only on the academic side!
~ Jen Ratliff is a first-year student in the MA in Management program.
This was an interesting set of observations included in a newsletter issued by Taylor & Co., an executive search firm. Rod Taylor recently conducted a survey of future leaders in finance, and these are his findings on the top issues faced by the industry.
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Throughout the world of financial services, industry and government leaders are making extraordinary decisions in the wake of unprecedented chaos. Inevitably, the next generation of leaders will inherit a new industry paradigm resulting from those decisions.
Too few younger leaders are ready to succeed the multitudes of retiring baby boomers so their career choices will determine which institutions win or lose as the future unfolds. Therefore, to help clients better understand how to attract and retain them, Taylor & Company surveyed over 100 young executives and asked “What are the issues, questions, or challenges facing the financial services industry today that concern you most?”
Here are 10 answers that represent the consensus of survey responses:
Trust
Shareholders, employees, customers and regulators no longer trust the system.
How do we rebuild, regain, and restore faith, trust, and confidence in our institutions?Talent
There are too few leaders ready to replace the many who soon will retire.
Who will win in the “War for Talent,” and how?Capital
Real capital has disserted the industry.
What must we do to attract investors with realistic expectations?Obsolescence
Much of the industry’s existing infrastructure is obsolete.
How can it be transcended without overwhelming losses?Education
As a new industry paradigm forms, “old school” credit skills are in short supply and badly needed.
The “skill vacuum” requires empirical knowledge beyond academics. Who will teach and train …and how?Ethics
A get rich quick mentality made many forget the virtues and values of an honorable career.
Can the professional traditions of integrity and loyalty as guiding principles once again be embraced in both policy and practice?Regulations
A new regulatory system must be practical, integral, efficient, cooperative, and focused on industry reality well beyond the systemic abuses of the recent past.
The rules can change, but can the “rulers” make them work?Globalization
Global economic interdependence will accelerate systemic integration universally.
How will we engage and/or compete with the much larger monolithic foreign institutions that are positioned to acquire and expand everywhere, including here?Consolidation
As universal institutions shrink in number, loyalties are becoming even more transient.
What will be the profitable service delivery model that wins and retains loyal, local customer relationships in the future?Demographics
New perspectives on segmentation are emerging with a dynamic demographic shift in America’s population.
How will market strategists reach multiple segments with superior efficacy and efficiency?
To view the entire newsletter, click here.
Lately, I’ve been feeling like business school is exploiting all of my weaknesses, so I wanted to post something that focuses on the positive.
Before I started school, I conducted a 360 degree feedback survey to identify both my strengths and weaknesses. One of the abilities I would have liked to have ranked higher on was Influencing Others. I believe this is a must-have quality for any leader, so the mid-level rating I received for this ability won’t do. I’ve seen myself lose steam advocating my ideas or those of others before, and the fact that others have noticed this too, gives me motivation to change.
I got my first opportunity to improve my persuasion skills as the co-chair of the Babcock Women in Business mentorship program. My co-chair, Vaishali, and I were tasked with four objectives: 1) identify women in the graduate business school who wanted mentors, 2) find mentors to match them with 3) design a mentorship program 4) host two workshops a year on the mentoring process.
When I was told this summer that we needed to find a speaker for our first workshop, I immediately thought of Kathy Korman Frey. She’s a professor at George Washington University’s business school and an expert on female leadership issues. Kathy also founded the Hot Mommas Project, a social enterprise that raises the self-efficacy of women and girls through exposure to role models.
I’ve been following Kathy on Twitter and her blog for several months and was jazzed about bringing her in to speak at Wake Forest. When I found out our budget for the event and her speaking fee, I saw a problem…and an opportunity.The problem was obviously the lack of funds, but I had the opportunity to influence others to supply those needed funds. I thought about the other student organizations that might be interested in utilizing Kathy’s knowledge on entrepreneurship and started chatting them up. Then, I thought about the lack of women in our program and how the admissions office might want to support an event like this that shows our school cares about helping women succeed. Vaishali had also developed a relationship with the Career Management Center and knew mentorship had become a significant priority forDean Steve Reinemund.
Our first attempt at selling this event to CMC was met with a luke warm response. The reason for bringing this particular speaker had to be put into perspective. I presented some research I had written an article about in my job as managing editor of the McCombs School of Business alumni magazine. It showed that women with mentors made less than men with mentors and that women with mentors make more than men without mentors. Now, our CMC partner is using this research in speeches he gives about the dean’s mentorship initiative, and his office is funding the other half of the event, along with the Admissions Office who was all for helping out from the start.
So what did I do to change my influencing abilities? I spent more time considering how the issue would be viewed from the other person’s perspective and sold the idea accordingly. In the past, I focused more on my point of view on why a certain idea was good and not as much on how benefits could be interpreted by others.
I’ll admit that even though school has been getting me down the last few weeks, I can at least look back and see that I’m growing from these experiences. In the last two months, I’ve probably had more opportunities to work on my weaknesses than I had in my four years of work experience. It’s a severe shock to the system, but perhaps if I celebrate these small successes it will give me motivation to keep confronting the mounting workload and overcome the discomfort I feel so often in everyday situations. This is what it takes to get an MBA.
Greetings students,
At the MA town hall meeting on Wed., Oct. 14, an issue that came up was your current workload and how to handle it. In addition to having a full load of courses, you are also working on finding a job, have Action Learning Projects to complete, and are trying to maintain some balance between school and having a life.
We all recognize how difficult this is and the stress it can create. Throughout the MA program there will be peaks and valleys in your workload and right now you are in one of the peak periods.
While all of these elements of the program are important, there will be times where you have to prioritize what is most important to you and allocate your time accordingly. Developing this skill now will serve you well for the rest of your professional and personal lives.
A couple of other strategies that you might also consider to help cope with the demanding workload include:
~ Scott Shafer, director of the MA program
~Rahul Goyal, full-time MBA candidate, class of 2011
