In term 2 (Part 1) there was a week-long course in Project Management. A whole of the week was devoted for studying Project Management. We were involved in simulations and theoretical studies including risk analysis, programme management and project planning and execution.
It was another amazing experience especially with one of the most enthusiastic and interesting lecturers of Cranfield: Stephen Carver. Steve has also been teaching us about the presentation skills and communication skills. One cannot afford to miss him when he is around. He has an extensive industry (oil and gas) experience and is still involved in providing consultancy.
The best learning for me out of the course was: ‘replacement of BUT with AND’. We were told by one of the faculty that it would be lot better and easier to work in teams especially while executing projects, if we could replace ‘but’ with ‘and’. When I thought in retrospection, I found that it really means a lot when you start your sentence with ‘and’ instead of ‘but’ which usually gives a negative meaning. After that I have always made it a point to minimise the use of ‘but’ in my conversation. Thanks John (Algar) for this wonderful tip.
15 April 2008
Half MBAs have become Management Gurus
Well now it’s more than 6-months into my Cranfield MBA and I cannot believe that we all are Half MBAs. Why I cannot believe this is because these 6 months had went past just like 6 seconds; but there are many more factors which force me to believe that my MBA is half complete-
New admissions are being made,
Next year’s MBAs have already started visiting campus,
We have begun Part 2 of the MBA which focuses on the electives and now we all have developed abilities to give lectures like a management guru.
I see that anybody and almost everybody have developed the capability to deliver a speech or a lecture as if he/ she are management gurus. That’s where the real competence of the Cranfield MBA lays. It focuses on developing your personality and would try to bring the hidden competencies in yourself. Some of those would be an integral part of yours, but you would have never become aware of them.
The part 2 is loaded with many more opportunities for self-development. We have studio sessions, press conferences (where one faces real world journalists) and the much-awaited IBE (International Business Experience).
By now I have changed my MBA working teams so many times that team working flexibilities have just become a norm. Nobody is seen complaining about their team anymore, a feature which was very common in the beginning of the MBA. This is the second major USP of the Cranfield MBA: team working abilities.
When I look at the last 6 months, I feel that the skills which the Cranfield MBA has imparted into its students are the most essentially required ones in real life work environment. Sometimes we all wish that it would have been so easy to work if everybody around us would have been Cranfield alumni. Then this is the third learning we have got: be open about the type of people you have to work with; do not expect people around you to change and try to change and adapt yourself.
New admissions are being made,
Next year’s MBAs have already started visiting campus,
We have begun Part 2 of the MBA which focuses on the electives and now we all have developed abilities to give lectures like a management guru.
I see that anybody and almost everybody have developed the capability to deliver a speech or a lecture as if he/ she are management gurus. That’s where the real competence of the Cranfield MBA lays. It focuses on developing your personality and would try to bring the hidden competencies in yourself. Some of those would be an integral part of yours, but you would have never become aware of them.
The part 2 is loaded with many more opportunities for self-development. We have studio sessions, press conferences (where one faces real world journalists) and the much-awaited IBE (International Business Experience).
By now I have changed my MBA working teams so many times that team working flexibilities have just become a norm. Nobody is seen complaining about their team anymore, a feature which was very common in the beginning of the MBA. This is the second major USP of the Cranfield MBA: team working abilities.
When I look at the last 6 months, I feel that the skills which the Cranfield MBA has imparted into its students are the most essentially required ones in real life work environment. Sometimes we all wish that it would have been so easy to work if everybody around us would have been Cranfield alumni. Then this is the third learning we have got: be open about the type of people you have to work with; do not expect people around you to change and try to change and adapt yourself.
Apologies...
It’s really long when I last wrote something on my blog. With due apologies to all my readers, I would like to list down all the important happenings in the last one month, due to which I have been abstained from not writing anything:
1. There were so many assignments and reports pending in Feb/ March.
2. First ever Cranfield Career Fair was held on 12th March 2008. There were many such companies on campus that day, for which it was the maiden visit to Cranfield. It was a busy day for us as we interacted with company representatives. It was actually the race against time because there were many companies but the time span was short.
3. We had our exams in the next week. The most hectic period of my life, Term 2, came to an end with these exams.
4. Immediately after the exams we had a 2 week long Easter break and I went back home to re-connect with my family and friends.
So it was an extremely busy month and I came back to Cranfield on 6th April, 2008.
1. There were so many assignments and reports pending in Feb/ March.
2. First ever Cranfield Career Fair was held on 12th March 2008. There were many such companies on campus that day, for which it was the maiden visit to Cranfield. It was a busy day for us as we interacted with company representatives. It was actually the race against time because there were many companies but the time span was short.
3. We had our exams in the next week. The most hectic period of my life, Term 2, came to an end with these exams.
4. Immediately after the exams we had a 2 week long Easter break and I went back home to re-connect with my family and friends.
So it was an extremely busy month and I came back to Cranfield on 6th April, 2008.
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