This week I was lucky enough to discuss a job opportunity with an organisation that is continuing to do remarkably well in terms of sales and production despite the current economic climate.
In common with most companies, the business wasn’t without its problems. In fact this is largely why they have an opportunity for me to analyse the situation and help implement changes. During my experience I was interested in discussions around the perceived lack of ownership and commitment to product quality demonstrated by some of the workforce. The business in question manufactures a luxury product with a significant brand awareness of very high quality, even amongst its competition. It seems odd that the some of the problems related to a lack of attention to quality during production. It was not clear that the workforce were as ‘proud’ of their product and its strong brand as perhaps would be expected.
Without providing details or identifying the organisation; the experience did remind me of an article I wrote prior to my MBA focused on the factors responsible for creating high performing (or winning) teams in successful organisations. In my opinion there are two key factors responsible; a company culture that promotes an environment where effective teamwork can flourish and systems in place that will ensure employees work together towards common goals.
Company culture, or the character of an organisation, is essential to provide a platform where employees can be made to feel part of the business and responsible for its overall success. The actual culture is of less importance than the strength and consistency of the messaging through the organisation. In fact winning teams across many industries often demonstrate vastly different cultures while still delivering a high performance. Contrast for instance the differing cultures that exist between successful companies such as IBM, Google and McDonalds. Each promote and demonstrate very different cultures within their organisations and when dealing with customers, but in each case the cultures are consistent throughout the business and reflected amongst all employees.
A solid team culture will frequently deliver a higher performance than would be expected based on the ability or experience of each individual. Though more commonly observed in sporting teams this phenomena does not go unnoticed by venture capital firms looking to invest in smaller start-up companies. Often it is the culture and enthusiasm amongst the employees that provides the necessary confidence that the business will succeed.
With a consistent and accepted culture in place throughout the organisation, the next key factor to enable a winning team is to ensure that everyone is working together.
Most companies have incentive plans and performance monitoring systems in place to encourage high performance. How these systems are used is the key factor to enabling a winning team. It is important to ensure a consistent application of the process across all business areas and employees. It is especially important to avoid any contradictions between objectives and goals across different areas of the business. The quickest way to introduce conflict and destroy teamwork is to allow employees to believe what they are trying to achieve differs substantially from others in the same organisation.
The best way to ensure everyone is focused on the same core goals and objectives is to use a cascading approach to goal setting. The CEO holds the key to the initial introduction and creation of these goals. Based on expectations of the company’s stakeholders, the CEO is responsible for deciding on what goals the business needs to be focused each year. These need to be converted in to objectives for the senior management team and then cascaded in a similar manner to all employees.
While the rank and file employees are unlikely to share identical goals to the senior executives, they should at least be aligned with the overall business goals and, ensure everyone believes that they are driving the organisation in the same direction.
A winning team is created in an organisation when each employee wants the business to succeed and feels that their individual contribution is an integral part of this success.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Mind the Gap
As mentioned on previous posts, the challenge of finding my next role has not been as smooth sailing as one might think with 20+ years experience in the software industry, a first class engineering degree and now an MBA. Unfortunately in the current employment environment it remains tough just getting past the first hurdle; from CV appraisal to interview. In many cases I’m not sure anyone actual reads my CV.
There are numerous on-line blogs, advice columns and even ‘old-fashioned’ books on the topic of writing a compelling CV. I’ve lost count of the number of unsolicited emails I receive from people offering me free appraisals of my efforts. One topic often covered if what to do about gaps in your CV, or more specifically, periods of time where there was no obvious employer. In addition to the most recent gap whilst I completed my full-time MBA and now search for my next position, my career also includes an 18-month sabbatical when I retrained to work as a service provider in the sports and leisure industry. This aspect of my career history has always required a certain amount of management. It has been necessary to ensure I report my activities away from progressive career roles in a positive manner, which is generally straightforward with honesty always the best policy.
But what should you do if the gap on your CV is because you were sleeping rough or, even more controversially, in prison?
Not a problem most of us face. But a very real problem to many job seekers caught in the vicious circle of not being able to find a job because of their current (or recent past) and therefore unable to take enough steps away to keep themselves clear of trouble. Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet and discuss these problems with a number of potential job candidates in exactly this position.
As part of my own efforts to keep busy during my job hunt I have been helping a number of friends with their own businesses. In particular I have spent a lot of time working with a small but rapidly growing landscape gardening business based in West London. We constantly have a need for additional on-site landscape assistants (or semi-skilled labourers), willing to work hard and deliver a good job. In addition to improving the physical environment we also have a commitment to helping less fortunate members of society. We were delighted to have the opportunity to support Crisis (the national charity for single homeless people) with their Employment Platform event.
The event was arranged to help job seekers “connect directly with employers and improve their prospects of getting a job and leaving homelessness behind for good”. It also enabled employers to meet and discuss problems face-to-face with Crisis clients and gain an understanding of the type of obstacles typically placed in their way. In additional to the usual job-fair style stands, there were a variety of supporting workshops and a Q&A session with a panel of employers.
Though I enjoyed meeting prospective employees on my stand; the most interesting session for me was as a member of the panel for the Q&A’s. This was where the ‘gap’ problem was raised with passion by many in the audience. Most saw it as a real barrier to their success approaching organisations. The panel recommended that applicants put a positive spin on any activity or tasks completed during these gaps (such as attending the current workshop) but also to remain honest and be wary of deliberately hiding information. The reaction of the audience implied this technique hadn’t helped. One member of the panel did express the opinion there are many organisations not as forward-thinking and open-minded as those attending the event and this would remain an issue until there was better awareness of the problems amongst the majority of employers.
The discussion on convictions struck a particular note for me. It was suggested that for the large majority of roles there was no need to disclose any criminal background. In fact until someone is offered the job it is best to withhold this information to minimise the disclosure to a wider audience (after all why would anyone not interested in employing someone care about such things). Once given a firm offer it was then important to disclose this information to ensure honesty and integrity. It then becomes the employer’s risk management to make the decision on whether or it is necessary to withdrawal the offer based on the new information. Though a situation to which I have not yet been exposed, I think I understand and agree with this notion. As an employer I want to have the opportunity to make this decision myself, but not necessarily before I have chosen the best candidate based on the requirements in the job criteria.
Overall I had an enjoyable and enlightening experience. I also hope that as a business we are in the position to offer roles to at least some of the candidates as we expand over the next few months. In terms of my own job hunt it was a very humbling experience and makes me realise how easy I have it relative to some.
Everyone I met yesterday was either homeless or had recent experience of being homeless. All of them showed considerable commitment, enthusiasm and drive to attend the event and take advantage of the opportunity to enhance their career prospects. I can’t help but feel that they would prove far better candidates than most others with standard boiler-plate CVs with no gaps...
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Head in the clouds
A recent experience* has prompted me to write a few comments about the shift in the IT industry to the ‘new’ concept of cloud computing...
It is impossible to pick up a magazine or read an IT online article on without coming across a reference or advert relating to the future of cloud computing. But what exactly is this ‘cloud’ and how does it differ from previous internet-based hosting platforms?
At a basic level the answer is very little. Stripping away the buzz words, fancy marketing and media hype you effectively arrive back at the same place we were a couple of years ago before the whole cloud concept was conceived. In fact if you have used an internet-based email, calendar or other desktop-style application then you have already been taking advantage of the cloud. Microsoft’s HoTMaiL introduced cloud computing to the masses 15 years ago!
Cloud computing effectively provides the ability to use computer applications over the internet. Typically the application(s) in question will be located remotely on servers owned and managed by someone else. This goes hand-in-hand with another ‘new’ phenomenon in the IT industry, Software as a Service (SaaS). Again this is simply a change of business model to allow customers to replace high upfront software licence costs with more manageable charges based on their actual usage of computer resources. Computing power, storage and capacity become a commodity, purchased as and when required by the customer. Fundamentally the underlying computing technology behind the applications remains unchanged; please take note recruiters and HR personnel looking for 'cloud experienced' developers and project managers. Cloud services and SaaS are largely strategic business decisions not technological changes.
Now I realise that I am sounding a little cynical, so with a nod towards reality there are some fundamental differences with implementing a cloud strategy (especially for a large organisation). For a start there is the not insignificant impact on costs already sunk on bespoke, customised software applications currently running in-house on internally supported servers. Using a third party to simply host applications externally is an initial step, but this is unlikely to be much more different for a large organisation than simply handing over control of existing data centres to another company. The core idea behind cloud computing and SaaS is to encourage the use of standardised applications developed, supported and upgraded by third parties focused dedicated to this task, allowing your organisation to concentrate on its own core business.
I have considerable experience in the IT industry selling and delivering software solutions for business transformation projects based on the use of off-the-shelf products. In theory this lends itself well to the ideas behind cloud computing applications and SaaS. However, one of the biggest challenges consistently faced in all my deployments involved additional configuration of products to deliver the exact functionality required. The concept of change to existing business processes was not one easily accepted at any level in the organisations (top to bottom), despite any obvious business benefits. Attempting to sell these organisations a completely standard cloud-based solution is unlikely to be particularly successful without significant investment, even with C-level support.
With this in mind it is probably small businesses (especially start-ups) that stand to gain the most from the shift towards the cloud (at least in the short-term). Rather than invest in an expensive IT support group, associated hardware and suitable premises; it is now possible to outsource the effort and complexity behind many IT functions. There is also a significant time saving; the lead-time behind ordering, delivering and configuring new hardware and software generally runs into weeks or months. With the right partner this time could conceivably be reduced to minutes for the most basic functionality. Another key benefit is the option of increasing (or decreasing) capacity to meet demand; a considerable attraction to businesses that have a fluctuating order book.
As with any new concept there are significant challenges to address with a cloud-based strategy. Security will be a major concern to all, even with a reputable provider many business owners will be reluctant to allow someone else to be guardian of their most important information. There will also be a need to ensure suitable backup and recovery strategies are adopted. Access/availability needs to be appropriate for each organisation. 24x7 access may not always be required, but there would be big problems if an organisation was unable to use its cloud services due to issues such as maintenance windows that are out of its control.
Finally there is one more very important benefit not yet covered here. Mobility. Cloud services by design are intended to be used remotely, this enables additional access opportunities to a mobile workforce potentially using multiple devices. This may yet prove to be the biggest benefit to organisations, increasing flexibility, reducing costs and improving efficiency.
Now selling that standardised application to end users by promising them access from home on their new smartphone or tablet starts to become a whole lot more attractive...
*Unfortunately the 'cloud' has gained popular support over the last couple of years whilst I was distracted by my MBA. The remotely hosted business applications I used to deliver pre-dated the 'cloud' concept, so in theory I lack cloud experience. The fact the same applications now reside in the cloud without any technical change appears lost on most recruiters/HR teams.
*Unfortunately the 'cloud' has gained popular support over the last couple of years whilst I was distracted by my MBA. The remotely hosted business applications I used to deliver pre-dated the 'cloud' concept, so in theory I lack cloud experience. The fact the same applications now reside in the cloud without any technical change appears lost on most recruiters/HR teams.
Monday, March 21, 2011
To tweet or not to tweet?
It’s Twitter’s fifth birthday today and judging by the comments left on most of the media articles I have read covering the milestone, there are still many people unconvinced of its value.
As far as the social media industry is concerned Twitter is widely regarded as second only in influence to Facebook. This doesn’t seem to be reflected in the opinion of the general public, indeed even amongst my largely ‘technology-savvy’ friends. The general gist of most conversations I’ve had seems to be ‘what is the point’ and ‘why bother’.
Despite this apathy it is difficult to argue that the micro-blogging site hasn’t already had a significant impact on many peoples’ lives. Much of the unrest recently seen in the middle east has been associated at least in part with rebels using social media sites, including Twitter, to organise demonstrations. The site has also been used extensively from within countries suffering under various government regimes to make the outside world aware. Many recent news stories, including Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, have also been initially notified to the world via tweets. If nothing else this shift to people-reporting must be impacting traditional news sources.
In commercial terms there still seems to be some ambiguity around how the site makes money, for its owners and users. Though Twitter CEO Dick Costolo has indicated that the site is already generating revenue through advertising, it would seem the ‘real’ revenue source has yet to be uncovered (judging by the sky-high valuations of his organisation). As far as users are concerned, especially businesses, the value generated by tweeting currently seems to be pretty intangible. There are an increasing number of companies offering insight and strategies or how you can generate revenue from Twitter (and similar social media applications) but the discipline is still in its infancy.
From a personal point of view, I use Twitter as a filter on the wider internet to steer me directly to things in which I have an interest. By following other users with similar interests to my own I am exposed only to links posted by others to web pages/articles/information that I want to read. I no longer need to ‘surf’ the internet, I just look-up the links posted by others. This makes the whole exercise far more efficient, especially when I’m using my mobile phone. I have also found Twitter particularly helpful for real-time updates on football scores and traffic problems... information that is often delayed elsewhere.
I have received a number of significant tangible bonuses from using Twitter over the last couple of years. The top three of which are:
Ticket to MWC11
Easily the most valuable benefit (in monetary terms). I managed to snag a free ticket to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona courtesy of BlackBerry. This provided a great opportunity to take a good look at the latest developments in the mobile industry and more importantly gave me the chance to catch up with many friends and ex-colleagues I hadn’t seen for a while.
Crisis at Christmas
In response to a link requesting volunteers over the Christmas period I started an ongoing involvement with the London based homeless charity Crisis. As well as helping out at their annual Crisis At Christmas event, I have also helped with a number of other fundraising and support events. In addition to the obvious benefit of helping others in a less fortunate position, I have made some really good friends.
Tour of local distillery
My most recent treat was a last-minute chance to visit a local gin distillery based just around the corner from where I live. Sipsmith is the first gin distillery opened in London for almost 200 years and already has some great stories about its location and product development. The ‘tour’ included a chance to meet the three ‘smiths’ behind the operation and a chance to sample their products (including a particularly enthusiastic tasting led by the creator/designer of the gin). Overall a fabulous evening I only discovered by following tweets.
Based on these three benefits alone I think I can justify my continued use of Twitter; now if only I could find a real use for Foursquare...
As far as the social media industry is concerned Twitter is widely regarded as second only in influence to Facebook. This doesn’t seem to be reflected in the opinion of the general public, indeed even amongst my largely ‘technology-savvy’ friends. The general gist of most conversations I’ve had seems to be ‘what is the point’ and ‘why bother’.
Despite this apathy it is difficult to argue that the micro-blogging site hasn’t already had a significant impact on many peoples’ lives. Much of the unrest recently seen in the middle east has been associated at least in part with rebels using social media sites, including Twitter, to organise demonstrations. The site has also been used extensively from within countries suffering under various government regimes to make the outside world aware. Many recent news stories, including Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, have also been initially notified to the world via tweets. If nothing else this shift to people-reporting must be impacting traditional news sources.
In commercial terms there still seems to be some ambiguity around how the site makes money, for its owners and users. Though Twitter CEO Dick Costolo has indicated that the site is already generating revenue through advertising, it would seem the ‘real’ revenue source has yet to be uncovered (judging by the sky-high valuations of his organisation). As far as users are concerned, especially businesses, the value generated by tweeting currently seems to be pretty intangible. There are an increasing number of companies offering insight and strategies or how you can generate revenue from Twitter (and similar social media applications) but the discipline is still in its infancy.
From a personal point of view, I use Twitter as a filter on the wider internet to steer me directly to things in which I have an interest. By following other users with similar interests to my own I am exposed only to links posted by others to web pages/articles/information that I want to read. I no longer need to ‘surf’ the internet, I just look-up the links posted by others. This makes the whole exercise far more efficient, especially when I’m using my mobile phone. I have also found Twitter particularly helpful for real-time updates on football scores and traffic problems... information that is often delayed elsewhere.
I have received a number of significant tangible bonuses from using Twitter over the last couple of years. The top three of which are:
Ticket to MWC11
Easily the most valuable benefit (in monetary terms). I managed to snag a free ticket to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona courtesy of BlackBerry. This provided a great opportunity to take a good look at the latest developments in the mobile industry and more importantly gave me the chance to catch up with many friends and ex-colleagues I hadn’t seen for a while.
Crisis at Christmas
In response to a link requesting volunteers over the Christmas period I started an ongoing involvement with the London based homeless charity Crisis. As well as helping out at their annual Crisis At Christmas event, I have also helped with a number of other fundraising and support events. In addition to the obvious benefit of helping others in a less fortunate position, I have made some really good friends.
Tour of local distillery
My most recent treat was a last-minute chance to visit a local gin distillery based just around the corner from where I live. Sipsmith is the first gin distillery opened in London for almost 200 years and already has some great stories about its location and product development. The ‘tour’ included a chance to meet the three ‘smiths’ behind the operation and a chance to sample their products (including a particularly enthusiastic tasting led by the creator/designer of the gin). Overall a fabulous evening I only discovered by following tweets.
Based on these three benefits alone I think I can justify my continued use of Twitter; now if only I could find a real use for Foursquare...
Friday, June 11, 2010
World Cup football takes over
I fear job hunting is about to take a back seat as the World Cup takes priority. Whilst I could continue with recent efforts, I feel it is a wasted opportunity to not watch all the football games on offer over the next 4 weeks. It would be interesting to know whether or not recruiters see a change in behaviour over the next few weeks, I can’t believe I am the only job-hunter with a similar perspective. I also wonder how many people will start new jobs in June, rather than take the opportunity for a convenient break between jobs.
There is still just enough time to write another post. Not least because much of this one has already been written as part of the dissertation I completed for my MBA. It also nicely fits the current theme of football. My wife suggested that I should do my dissertation on something I was passionate and interested in... so I picked beer and football! More specifically, how football clubs could provide more profitable catering to spectators on matchdays?
Contrary to popular belief most clubs fail to make significant (if any) profit from providing refreshments to regular spectators on matchdays. Many football clubs (and their caterers) focus on corporate hospitality and very few consider the average ‘fan’. Most consumer research suggests that football fans think food and drink provided at grounds is too expensive, poor quality and the queues are too long. My research was focused on how football clubs could increase matchday revenue from public catering by addressing the actual needs, wants and expectations of their customers.
The research used an online questionnaire that explored the matchday attitudes and behaviours of football spectators from a catering perspective. Respondents were asked to provide information on their relationship to football, frequency of match attendance and attitude to purchasing food and drink at games. They were also asked for feedback on current perceptions of key service quality factors (cost/quality/queues/choice) and prompted for suggested on improvements that would increase their matchday purchases.
The results suggest performance in terms of quality, cost, queuing and choice was well below satisfactory. However, despite scoring lowest in performance, improved cost was not a key driver of increased sales; i.e. cheaper food and drink would not result in more sales. Respondents clearly identified improved food quality as the number one change that would increase their food purchases. Improvements in queue length were also highlighted as an area likely to generate more sales, BUT only of alcoholic drinks. This suggests that clubs focusing on reducing queues across the whole range of their products may be wasting time and effort (unless they are also increasing food quality). To generate more sales clubs need to focus on queuing ONLY when it involves the sale of alcoholic drinks.
Many of the suggested improvements in the report can already be found at other sporting/entertainment venues, e.g. local produce to raise food quality, early-bird pricing and pre-poured drinks ready for immediate serving at half-time. There seems to be a reluctance to introduce these changes at football grounds, something the results of this study suggest is misplaced. The one clear indication was that the majority of visitors to football grounds would tolerate a higher cost of product if the quality was much better.
Analysis of the results also uncovered a ‘new’ or previously overlooked spectator-type: One-offs. These spectators visit at least one game per season but do not consider football important in their lives; they attend games purely for entertainment and have no commitment to the sport. Despite infrequent attendance at games, this group show the greatest potential for purchasing food and drink at grounds. Typical marketing does not even recognise the existence of this type of fan, most football clubs are only interested in repeat visitors who will subsequently become regular fans. When was the last time you saw a football match advertised anywhere but on the stadium notice board (or the sport pages of a local newspaper)? My report made a few suggestions for how clubs may benefit from target marketing to these ‘entertainment seekers’ and suggested further research around measuring their potential.
The ‘casual’ or ‘one-off’ spectator is someone the World Cup tournament traditionally encourages to break cover. I am very confident that the number of football supporters in England will suddenly increase over the next week or so*. I also have no doubt that bars/pubs/clubs around the country will prove more successful in capturing their related spend on food and drink than most football clubs**. Here’s hoping that at least a few of these spectators consider venturing out to a live game next season and that football clubs start to take more of an interest in providing the catering their customers actually want.
Meanwhile I’m off to watch the first game in my local pub, which has suddenly discovered a real interest in football and installed some shiny new plasma screens around the bar ;-)
* Research from Mintel suggests that 71% of UK adults are planning to watch the World Cup this year.
**According to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) 9 million ‘extra’ pints of beer will be sold in pubs during the first England game versus the USA.
There is still just enough time to write another post. Not least because much of this one has already been written as part of the dissertation I completed for my MBA. It also nicely fits the current theme of football. My wife suggested that I should do my dissertation on something I was passionate and interested in... so I picked beer and football! More specifically, how football clubs could provide more profitable catering to spectators on matchdays?
Contrary to popular belief most clubs fail to make significant (if any) profit from providing refreshments to regular spectators on matchdays. Many football clubs (and their caterers) focus on corporate hospitality and very few consider the average ‘fan’. Most consumer research suggests that football fans think food and drink provided at grounds is too expensive, poor quality and the queues are too long. My research was focused on how football clubs could increase matchday revenue from public catering by addressing the actual needs, wants and expectations of their customers.
The research used an online questionnaire that explored the matchday attitudes and behaviours of football spectators from a catering perspective. Respondents were asked to provide information on their relationship to football, frequency of match attendance and attitude to purchasing food and drink at games. They were also asked for feedback on current perceptions of key service quality factors (cost/quality/queues/choice) and prompted for suggested on improvements that would increase their matchday purchases.
The results suggest performance in terms of quality, cost, queuing and choice was well below satisfactory. However, despite scoring lowest in performance, improved cost was not a key driver of increased sales; i.e. cheaper food and drink would not result in more sales. Respondents clearly identified improved food quality as the number one change that would increase their food purchases. Improvements in queue length were also highlighted as an area likely to generate more sales, BUT only of alcoholic drinks. This suggests that clubs focusing on reducing queues across the whole range of their products may be wasting time and effort (unless they are also increasing food quality). To generate more sales clubs need to focus on queuing ONLY when it involves the sale of alcoholic drinks.
Many of the suggested improvements in the report can already be found at other sporting/entertainment venues, e.g. local produce to raise food quality, early-bird pricing and pre-poured drinks ready for immediate serving at half-time. There seems to be a reluctance to introduce these changes at football grounds, something the results of this study suggest is misplaced. The one clear indication was that the majority of visitors to football grounds would tolerate a higher cost of product if the quality was much better.
Analysis of the results also uncovered a ‘new’ or previously overlooked spectator-type: One-offs. These spectators visit at least one game per season but do not consider football important in their lives; they attend games purely for entertainment and have no commitment to the sport. Despite infrequent attendance at games, this group show the greatest potential for purchasing food and drink at grounds. Typical marketing does not even recognise the existence of this type of fan, most football clubs are only interested in repeat visitors who will subsequently become regular fans. When was the last time you saw a football match advertised anywhere but on the stadium notice board (or the sport pages of a local newspaper)? My report made a few suggestions for how clubs may benefit from target marketing to these ‘entertainment seekers’ and suggested further research around measuring their potential.
The ‘casual’ or ‘one-off’ spectator is someone the World Cup tournament traditionally encourages to break cover. I am very confident that the number of football supporters in England will suddenly increase over the next week or so*. I also have no doubt that bars/pubs/clubs around the country will prove more successful in capturing their related spend on food and drink than most football clubs**. Here’s hoping that at least a few of these spectators consider venturing out to a live game next season and that football clubs start to take more of an interest in providing the catering their customers actually want.
Meanwhile I’m off to watch the first game in my local pub, which has suddenly discovered a real interest in football and installed some shiny new plasma screens around the bar ;-)
* Research from Mintel suggests that 71% of UK adults are planning to watch the World Cup this year.
**According to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) 9 million ‘extra’ pints of beer will be sold in pubs during the first England game versus the USA.
Friday, June 04, 2010
How to pick where to do your MBA...
Job hunting is continuing to prove unrewarding. Despite a number of leads and conversations with ex-colleagues, friends and various recruiters; I am still unable to secure a decent face-to-face interview. It seems that the few jobs on offer are going to those ideally qualified. If you don’t already have significant experience in a role identical to the one on offer, then keep looking. Not an ideal situation for someone looking to advance their career with a ‘stretch’ opportunity, or something that is a step-up (or even sideways) from their previous role.
Still it does leave me plenty of time to post further entries to this blog. Following on from the previous comments, I figured it worth mentioning how I selected my MBA course, a common question from others considering a similar career break.
Despite the enormous amount of information and marketing literature provided by MBA schools, various MBA websites and the general media; my choice came down to two things: the location and the cohort. The location because I didn’t want to move home or face a long commute. The cohort because I was looking for a group of peers with similar length of work experience, i.e. not recent graduates but experienced professionals with a number of years management under their belt.
Content of course is very important, but in my research I found that core subjects were generally similar; the only differences were to reflect ‘specialisations’ from some schools. How this content is taught does vary considerably; with a big range between classroom teaching, group case studies and self-taught. Most schools have their own style so it is worth checking this matches your preferred option. I chose a general management MBA with a focus on personal development. Content was taught with a combination of techniques, including real-world case studies and study trips to Eastern Europe, China and South Africa.
Some MBA schools (usually those that score highly) make a big deal of the various rankings. Whilst these shouldn’t be overlooked, it is worth remembering that rankings are statistics. They are very subjective (often based on questioning current or recent past students with a vested interest in rating ‘their’ school highly) and can be manipulated to reflect whatever is important to the message being relayed. Be careful placing too much emphasis on rankings and treat them in the context they are presented. For example a higher than average increase in salary on graduation could simply reflect a lower than average pre-MBA salary (and thus possibly a lower than average standard of student at the start of the course).
The reputation of the course and/or school is very important, but there is a need to ensure this matches your potential career path. There is no point spending a large amount of time and money completing a course at an international ‘prestige’ school, only to find that your industry doesn’t value the qualification higher than a more local/in-country school. Some companies also have their preferred list. Probably the best method to gauge quality of school is to ask people you trust. In particular ask people in your company, current industry or target industry. This maybe a requirement if you are looking for an employer to help fund your course (I was self-funded so had no restrictions other than mentioned above).
The final criteria I will mention is cost. Most colleges/universities now offer some sort of management degree. Prices for MBAs range widely, in the UK between £5K and £50K depending on the school. A high priced course will typically indicate one in-demand, but this may not mean it’s the best MBA for you. Similarly the lower cost options may lack the academic content and rigour of the more expensive courses and thus a reduced ‘kudos’ for their alumni. Again this may or may not matter to you, depending on what you are hoping to get out of the MBA, or where you intend to use it.
Finally, I completed my MBA at Henley Business School (previously Henley Management College), now part of the University of Reading. It was close enough to my current home to enable a reasonable daily commute and I was very impressed with the quality of my fellow cohort (in terms of ability and experience). Based on my main criteria, I was very pleased with the choice. In addition I was also really happy with the very high quality of the faculty and the overall teamwork demonstrated by everyone involved from cohort, through faculty to the admin staff. It really did feel as if everyone was there to help me succeed.
Overall a good choice of MBA. Now if only I could use it to get a job...
Still it does leave me plenty of time to post further entries to this blog. Following on from the previous comments, I figured it worth mentioning how I selected my MBA course, a common question from others considering a similar career break.
Despite the enormous amount of information and marketing literature provided by MBA schools, various MBA websites and the general media; my choice came down to two things: the location and the cohort. The location because I didn’t want to move home or face a long commute. The cohort because I was looking for a group of peers with similar length of work experience, i.e. not recent graduates but experienced professionals with a number of years management under their belt.
Content of course is very important, but in my research I found that core subjects were generally similar; the only differences were to reflect ‘specialisations’ from some schools. How this content is taught does vary considerably; with a big range between classroom teaching, group case studies and self-taught. Most schools have their own style so it is worth checking this matches your preferred option. I chose a general management MBA with a focus on personal development. Content was taught with a combination of techniques, including real-world case studies and study trips to Eastern Europe, China and South Africa.
Some MBA schools (usually those that score highly) make a big deal of the various rankings. Whilst these shouldn’t be overlooked, it is worth remembering that rankings are statistics. They are very subjective (often based on questioning current or recent past students with a vested interest in rating ‘their’ school highly) and can be manipulated to reflect whatever is important to the message being relayed. Be careful placing too much emphasis on rankings and treat them in the context they are presented. For example a higher than average increase in salary on graduation could simply reflect a lower than average pre-MBA salary (and thus possibly a lower than average standard of student at the start of the course).
The reputation of the course and/or school is very important, but there is a need to ensure this matches your potential career path. There is no point spending a large amount of time and money completing a course at an international ‘prestige’ school, only to find that your industry doesn’t value the qualification higher than a more local/in-country school. Some companies also have their preferred list. Probably the best method to gauge quality of school is to ask people you trust. In particular ask people in your company, current industry or target industry. This maybe a requirement if you are looking for an employer to help fund your course (I was self-funded so had no restrictions other than mentioned above).
The final criteria I will mention is cost. Most colleges/universities now offer some sort of management degree. Prices for MBAs range widely, in the UK between £5K and £50K depending on the school. A high priced course will typically indicate one in-demand, but this may not mean it’s the best MBA for you. Similarly the lower cost options may lack the academic content and rigour of the more expensive courses and thus a reduced ‘kudos’ for their alumni. Again this may or may not matter to you, depending on what you are hoping to get out of the MBA, or where you intend to use it.
Finally, I completed my MBA at Henley Business School (previously Henley Management College), now part of the University of Reading. It was close enough to my current home to enable a reasonable daily commute and I was very impressed with the quality of my fellow cohort (in terms of ability and experience). Based on my main criteria, I was very pleased with the choice. In addition I was also really happy with the very high quality of the faculty and the overall teamwork demonstrated by everyone involved from cohort, through faculty to the admin staff. It really did feel as if everyone was there to help me succeed.
Overall a good choice of MBA. Now if only I could use it to get a job...
Friday, May 21, 2010
Is it worth doing an MBA?
My MBA has officially finished, or at least I have submitted everything I need to submit. It is now just a case of waiting to see what grade my final MBA dissertation achieves (review comments on my draft copy were positive). Now I just need to find myself a job in one of the most challenging employment environments in recent times...
The job hunt is proving to be a little more challenging than I had hoped. Once upon a time it was sufficient to reply to a suitable job advert with my CV, head to an interview, then discuss the details of my potential new role. Prior to this year (and my current job hunt) I had a 100% record of offers to applications (though admittedly based on a very small sample). Since my MBA I have applied for a large number of roles have yet to secure even a first face-to-face interview (though I have turned away a few less senior roles).
At least I’m not alone, one of the best things to come out of the MBA experience has been meeting, working with and developing friendships with others on the course. We can now all sit around unemployed and discuss the challenges together.
So was it all worth it? Would I recommend an MBA to others? To be honest... I’m not sure. Well not yet anyway.
It would be easy to say it hasn’t really helped being in a position of job-hunter at a time when the employment market is so depressed. The last year also hasn’t been cheap, MBA courses are expensive, living expenses are still incurred and there is always the niggling doubt around the lost opportunity cost (what I could have been earning if I’d stayed at work). Personally I am trying to keep a long term view of the decision to expand my career options. I am hoping the last year or so has been a positive investment in my future and in a few years time I will look back with conviction that I made the right decision.
My advice to others would be to take a step back and review the real reasons you want to get an MBA. Stuck in middle-management? A switch to another industry? Need a more challenging role? Just want more money? An MBA isn’t the only way to achieve major change in your career, though it is one of the most expensive and work intensive! Could you achieve your desired change another way? Career coaching, finding a suitable mentor, just expanding your network of contacts? It is worth finding out how much value others in your business or industry rate an MBA, what benefits do they see if you had one?
One thing I have seen is that different people have got different things from their MBA. From our cohort some people have developed their ability to analyse problems, others have seen an increase in their self-confidence, some have clarified their career and personal objectives (in at least one case resulting in a step away from a executive career)... everyone has taken away their own benefits.
Personally I have developed my ability to work in teams, with a significant change in my approach. Bearing in mind this is an area I have always considered a strength, it has been a revelation how much I have relied on team members having similar drivers and personalities as myself (not uncommon in technology-led industries). I now have a much better appreciation of how different people have different styles for learning, adopting change and motivation. My nature tendency is to be very result driven in terms of completing tasks; to adopt a cliché, I now have a much better understanding of the importance of the journey, i.e. how the result is 'achieved'. Hopefully this will help me build on previous successes and take my leadership abilities to an even higher level.
But first I need my next role... so back to the job hunt. Fingers crossed that one day this blog will wax lyrical about the wonders and benefits of taking time out from a career to invest in an MBA.
The job hunt is proving to be a little more challenging than I had hoped. Once upon a time it was sufficient to reply to a suitable job advert with my CV, head to an interview, then discuss the details of my potential new role. Prior to this year (and my current job hunt) I had a 100% record of offers to applications (though admittedly based on a very small sample). Since my MBA I have applied for a large number of roles have yet to secure even a first face-to-face interview (though I have turned away a few less senior roles).
At least I’m not alone, one of the best things to come out of the MBA experience has been meeting, working with and developing friendships with others on the course. We can now all sit around unemployed and discuss the challenges together.
So was it all worth it? Would I recommend an MBA to others? To be honest... I’m not sure. Well not yet anyway.
It would be easy to say it hasn’t really helped being in a position of job-hunter at a time when the employment market is so depressed. The last year also hasn’t been cheap, MBA courses are expensive, living expenses are still incurred and there is always the niggling doubt around the lost opportunity cost (what I could have been earning if I’d stayed at work). Personally I am trying to keep a long term view of the decision to expand my career options. I am hoping the last year or so has been a positive investment in my future and in a few years time I will look back with conviction that I made the right decision.
My advice to others would be to take a step back and review the real reasons you want to get an MBA. Stuck in middle-management? A switch to another industry? Need a more challenging role? Just want more money? An MBA isn’t the only way to achieve major change in your career, though it is one of the most expensive and work intensive! Could you achieve your desired change another way? Career coaching, finding a suitable mentor, just expanding your network of contacts? It is worth finding out how much value others in your business or industry rate an MBA, what benefits do they see if you had one?
One thing I have seen is that different people have got different things from their MBA. From our cohort some people have developed their ability to analyse problems, others have seen an increase in their self-confidence, some have clarified their career and personal objectives (in at least one case resulting in a step away from a executive career)... everyone has taken away their own benefits.
Personally I have developed my ability to work in teams, with a significant change in my approach. Bearing in mind this is an area I have always considered a strength, it has been a revelation how much I have relied on team members having similar drivers and personalities as myself (not uncommon in technology-led industries). I now have a much better appreciation of how different people have different styles for learning, adopting change and motivation. My nature tendency is to be very result driven in terms of completing tasks; to adopt a cliché, I now have a much better understanding of the importance of the journey, i.e. how the result is 'achieved'. Hopefully this will help me build on previous successes and take my leadership abilities to an even higher level.
But first I need my next role... so back to the job hunt. Fingers crossed that one day this blog will wax lyrical about the wonders and benefits of taking time out from a career to invest in an MBA.
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