Sunday, 18 June 2006
Why would you want to do MBA?
Someone asked that question in our group. It caused a very interesting discussion, and we went through some brilliant perspectives. My thoughts, just to give an alternate perspective, follow ...
What do you want to do with MBA:
It is extremely difficult to give one answer to this question for numerous reasons. But here are the few that I have found:
When I had posed this question to MBAs several years ago, they wouldn't answer what I could do with it. I felt they evaded it or were not coherent enough. That feeling is typical, considering they were saying between the lines: "This is not a question you ask others. This is a question you ask yourself."
Much of the MBA, even if it is served as "here are all the answers you ever wanted", is about "knowing yourself". What one does with that new found ability is entirely upto each person -- some unleash themselves as ME Inc., some utilize their deeper wisdom to act towards results rather than speak about it, and some others make a switch in career that is so radical that they are humbled into being in a learning mode (as against mentoring mode) in their careers.
A focus on value creates dynamics that are unpredictable for each person -- for example, one dynamic is that of people coming to an MBA with a picture in their mind about how it will all be. Instead they find that they are not able to execute on their idea, and headout of the MBA to start a business right away. A few of them succeed too. (A colleague sent me this article that talks about dropping out from MBA: http://www.businessweek.com/print/bschools/content/apr2006/bs20060420_9021_bs001.htm?chan=bs). Some others use that picture in their mind of the "perfect MBA" to play down what's being taught to them at school -- you'll see several persons like that too. But then, that's not to say MBA coursework is perfect, either. Many others sincerely want only to be promoted to a manager or director in the same organization they work at, or simply want to be able to make better investments with their money (e.g., VCs, etc.).
Although entreprenuership is a cool concept, not all MBAs seem inclined to make their lives go through that. All of this points to the very personal nature of things.
Net, MBA is just a tool, and it can be applied in many ways. How you apply, you'll see, is upto each person. Some MBAs had told me that no matter how profound my MBA experience, they found that MBA only gives you the "vocabulary"; there's so much more to learn in the business world with that vocabulary. Infact, for success at executive levels, you need a core domain knowledge of the industry you are operating in than an MBA degree -- that goes to tell that importance of the degree itself must be tempered to the understanding of the domain you have. (Yet many business persons contradict this by saying: being in business profession like finance, accounting, etc., has helped them to move from one company to another in very diverse domains.)
Worth of SCU (LSB) MBA:
Many people join MBA also considering they'll be a CEO a few years after they come out of it. CEO is a dream role many MBA/business people want. Similarly, I had come to SCU (Leavey School of Business) hoping to be able to found a very large company -- simply fascinated by large scale problems. Sometime through the coursework, I detected that the leadership and management courses at SCU are aimed at making you middle-managers or suited for lower executive levels. Although I am still not sure if it is completely true, the entire positioning of SCU appears to be geared to deliver large number of middle-managers/executives to big companies like Cisco, HP, Intel, EMC, Sony, etc; alongside a few chance self-driven entreprenuers. One thought I've received in response is that rising to higher levels happens through crossing the middle-manager stage. True, but in Silicon Valley, we break that custom too by creating revolutionary business organizations. On those lines, recently, a speaker in our IDIS 612 class hoped one of us could do the equivalent of what Google has done for Stanford -- but I don't know if that is possible with so many factors playing into placing SCU grads into "comparatively lower" executive/managerial positions after MBA. But it is evident, we do need a string of more spectacular startup [IPO or acquisition] successes to shake things up for us - although, only time will tell, eventually.
Strategizing coursework:
The hardwork of the working students is admirable, but paying for school fees and extras plays into employer's needs too. Their employees with an MBA mindset help them out, and if it's at a cost of training, they are usually willing to -- hopefully if they can be guaranteed some direct benefit out of it too. On the other hand, it is one employment benefit they offer that helps them hire smarter talent than their competitors can afford.
Now, if you are hardworking and have demonstrated industry/domain experience, try to get your coursework (and networking!) planned strategically for maximum value. I DO NOT recommend taking professors who (a) just teach you what's known in textbook and cases, (b) explain the course material better than the textbook, or (c) try to answer all situations for everyone. Instead concentrate on professor's who provide (a) rigorous passionate business concepts, (b) make you think about it on your own or inspire you (sometimes for life!), and (c) are not hesitant in revealing profound connections they have made in decades of their career, so we can benefit from what they didn't know at their times. On those lines, I personally recommend the courses by following professors at SCU: Chris Paisley, Naren Agrawal, Linda Kamas and Dennis Moberg. It is possible other professors also meet these criteria -- and other alumni/students are continuously helping us find such professors for our gain.
Strategizing networking:
A colleague brought up an important point. "Is there dilution of quality and value as a result of people getting their companies to pay for their education?"
Look at schools that are ranked below us, and you'll see that they admit anyone who wants an MBA. If you join such an MBA program, even after being hardworking and practical, you'll get a network of people who have joined to pay for a degree -- again, with them possibly funded by employers at times for the same reasons. Their lack of business passion and sense of achievement will continue to drag you down when you want to execute in a business role. Look at schools that are ranked above us, and you'll see that they have stricter selection criteria and tougher coursework -- shaping them to be better leaders in their domains, as well as providing them with diverse classmates who are passionate and rigorous in their course work. Their network will enable them to execute on demanding goals in the industry (e.g., VCs with deep pockets, angel investors in almost every domain, access to executive level contacts throughout the world, etc.). With average network contacts, you can only go so far -- and the school's business model reflects (unfairly) on your ability (although you may personally be capable of lot more - leadership wise). I am not faulting a school -- as numerous more educated people are a better thing than a select few having the privilege to study, but quality may not be the cream in comparison to top schools. (As one goes on this line of analysis, you'll find each school offer a vision/mission of their own - in essence, having a "personality" of their own.)
I believe that the only solution to such a predicament is to realize that many of us are cutting corners into the MBA program, and to make the best of what can be done. I propose strengthening our network ties and aligning the community to better execution in the industry (i.e., create examples of success). Instead of the ability to use one contact with deep connections or $$$ like top schools attempt, huddle into groups that can harness the same effect. Ultimately there has to be a deeper passion for business, a belonging as a group, and a sincere willingness to let go of the "I" to a greater extent, in order to conquer bigger hurdles than "one person" can by himself/herself.
I don't know all the right ways, but where we tend to be a crowd with [individually] one agenda each we want to impose on others; we could instead continue into being people who use "shared agendas of the larger SCU community" to successfully fuel our own individual agendas at work-n-life. And then give back some to empower yet another cycle of the process.
I think I've said a lot there, but the point is: given our collective situation, find power in togetherness and in alignment in our acts of giving-n-taking -- because alone you'll only do so much.
- Kaleem Aziz.
What do you want to do with MBA:
It is extremely difficult to give one answer to this question for numerous reasons. But here are the few that I have found:
- it is a personal matter, i.e., varies from person to person
- people change right while doing the MBA and identify that there's something else they'd want to do with this degree
- some don't like how MBA is being served as "one solution fit all", plus the time bandwidth issues they have, and often consider leaving (even if they don't)
When I had posed this question to MBAs several years ago, they wouldn't answer what I could do with it. I felt they evaded it or were not coherent enough. That feeling is typical, considering they were saying between the lines: "This is not a question you ask others. This is a question you ask yourself."
Much of the MBA, even if it is served as "here are all the answers you ever wanted", is about "knowing yourself". What one does with that new found ability is entirely upto each person -- some unleash themselves as ME Inc., some utilize their deeper wisdom to act towards results rather than speak about it, and some others make a switch in career that is so radical that they are humbled into being in a learning mode (as against mentoring mode) in their careers.
A focus on value creates dynamics that are unpredictable for each person -- for example, one dynamic is that of people coming to an MBA with a picture in their mind about how it will all be. Instead they find that they are not able to execute on their idea, and headout of the MBA to start a business right away. A few of them succeed too. (A colleague sent me this article that talks about dropping out from MBA: http://www.businessweek.com/print/bschools/content/apr2006/bs20060420_9021_bs001.htm?chan=bs). Some others use that picture in their mind of the "perfect MBA" to play down what's being taught to them at school -- you'll see several persons like that too. But then, that's not to say MBA coursework is perfect, either. Many others sincerely want only to be promoted to a manager or director in the same organization they work at, or simply want to be able to make better investments with their money (e.g., VCs, etc.).
Although entreprenuership is a cool concept, not all MBAs seem inclined to make their lives go through that. All of this points to the very personal nature of things.
Net, MBA is just a tool, and it can be applied in many ways. How you apply, you'll see, is upto each person. Some MBAs had told me that no matter how profound my MBA experience, they found that MBA only gives you the "vocabulary"; there's so much more to learn in the business world with that vocabulary. Infact, for success at executive levels, you need a core domain knowledge of the industry you are operating in than an MBA degree -- that goes to tell that importance of the degree itself must be tempered to the understanding of the domain you have. (Yet many business persons contradict this by saying: being in business profession like finance, accounting, etc., has helped them to move from one company to another in very diverse domains.)
Worth of SCU (LSB) MBA:
Many people join MBA also considering they'll be a CEO a few years after they come out of it. CEO is a dream role many MBA/business people want. Similarly, I had come to SCU (Leavey School of Business) hoping to be able to found a very large company -- simply fascinated by large scale problems. Sometime through the coursework, I detected that the leadership and management courses at SCU are aimed at making you middle-managers or suited for lower executive levels. Although I am still not sure if it is completely true, the entire positioning of SCU appears to be geared to deliver large number of middle-managers/executives to big companies like Cisco, HP, Intel, EMC, Sony, etc; alongside a few chance self-driven entreprenuers. One thought I've received in response is that rising to higher levels happens through crossing the middle-manager stage. True, but in Silicon Valley, we break that custom too by creating revolutionary business organizations. On those lines, recently, a speaker in our IDIS 612 class hoped one of us could do the equivalent of what Google has done for Stanford -- but I don't know if that is possible with so many factors playing into placing SCU grads into "comparatively lower" executive/managerial positions after MBA. But it is evident, we do need a string of more spectacular startup [IPO or acquisition] successes to shake things up for us - although, only time will tell, eventually.
Strategizing coursework:
The hardwork of the working students is admirable, but paying for school fees and extras plays into employer's needs too. Their employees with an MBA mindset help them out, and if it's at a cost of training, they are usually willing to -- hopefully if they can be guaranteed some direct benefit out of it too. On the other hand, it is one employment benefit they offer that helps them hire smarter talent than their competitors can afford.
Now, if you are hardworking and have demonstrated industry/domain experience, try to get your coursework (and networking!) planned strategically for maximum value. I DO NOT recommend taking professors who (a) just teach you what's known in textbook and cases, (b) explain the course material better than the textbook, or (c) try to answer all situations for everyone. Instead concentrate on professor's who provide (a) rigorous passionate business concepts, (b) make you think about it on your own or inspire you (sometimes for life!), and (c) are not hesitant in revealing profound connections they have made in decades of their career, so we can benefit from what they didn't know at their times. On those lines, I personally recommend the courses by following professors at SCU: Chris Paisley, Naren Agrawal, Linda Kamas and Dennis Moberg. It is possible other professors also meet these criteria -- and other alumni/students are continuously helping us find such professors for our gain.
Strategizing networking:
A colleague brought up an important point. "Is there dilution of quality and value as a result of people getting their companies to pay for their education?"
Look at schools that are ranked below us, and you'll see that they admit anyone who wants an MBA. If you join such an MBA program, even after being hardworking and practical, you'll get a network of people who have joined to pay for a degree -- again, with them possibly funded by employers at times for the same reasons. Their lack of business passion and sense of achievement will continue to drag you down when you want to execute in a business role. Look at schools that are ranked above us, and you'll see that they have stricter selection criteria and tougher coursework -- shaping them to be better leaders in their domains, as well as providing them with diverse classmates who are passionate and rigorous in their course work. Their network will enable them to execute on demanding goals in the industry (e.g., VCs with deep pockets, angel investors in almost every domain, access to executive level contacts throughout the world, etc.). With average network contacts, you can only go so far -- and the school's business model reflects (unfairly) on your ability (although you may personally be capable of lot more - leadership wise). I am not faulting a school -- as numerous more educated people are a better thing than a select few having the privilege to study, but quality may not be the cream in comparison to top schools. (As one goes on this line of analysis, you'll find each school offer a vision/mission of their own - in essence, having a "personality" of their own.)
I believe that the only solution to such a predicament is to realize that many of us are cutting corners into the MBA program, and to make the best of what can be done. I propose strengthening our network ties and aligning the community to better execution in the industry (i.e., create examples of success). Instead of the ability to use one contact with deep connections or $$$ like top schools attempt, huddle into groups that can harness the same effect. Ultimately there has to be a deeper passion for business, a belonging as a group, and a sincere willingness to let go of the "I" to a greater extent, in order to conquer bigger hurdles than "one person" can by himself/herself.
I don't know all the right ways, but where we tend to be a crowd with [individually] one agenda each we want to impose on others; we could instead continue into being people who use "shared agendas of the larger SCU community" to successfully fuel our own individual agendas at work-n-life. And then give back some to empower yet another cycle of the process.
I think I've said a lot there, but the point is: given our collective situation, find power in togetherness and in alignment in our acts of giving-n-taking -- because alone you'll only do so much.
- Kaleem Aziz.
