What I learned in MBA
When I was going through the airport I noticed there were many different books about how if you read this book you will know everything they teaches in MBA. When I flipped through some of them, they do a good job checking off a lot of theories we learned in class but did very little to contribute to things I actually learned during my MBA.
So what exactly did I learn in an institution
What they teach you in business school is different depends on where you are.
I’ve attended some of the best business schools in North America, Europe, and Asia. And I realize all the theories are universally recognized, such as prisoner dilemma and DCF, depends on where you went to school there are very different themes attached to them. For example, North American schools emphasize profitability, future potentials, and unions are a taboo corporations feared like the plague. European business schools emphasizes more on social causes including environment, sustainability and unions are a stakeholder they work closely with. While Asian business schools emphasize much in development, prestige and what is a union?
Of course, this is a gross generalization, but I hope it helps paint a picture of the business environment companies working in these geographies and depends on where you want to work (if ever outside of your home country), picking the right b-school will help you tremendously.
If you don’t do what frightens you now, when will you do it?
My friends and I have always imagined b-schools as a controlled experiment we are running in our lives. We tried one version post undergraduate when we worked for a while, but we realize something still missing. However, we don’t really know what exactly it is, and for many of us who are privileged enough to afford it, we use this time to self-discover. We become more bold in our choice of career, extra-curricular activities, and travels.
A typical schedule for an MBA student is very flexible but also very packed. You have classes, and generally I start off the week (Sunday night) my week’s schedule only have a few events. But by midday Monday your calendar will be packed with school events, career events, and social events. After a month or so you will realize what is important to you and what is not and form your schedules accordingly.
When we started b-school, everyone go to as many events as possible - some times we are tripled booked for the same time slot, that is why I learned how to hand-in assignment 1 minute before it is due (that never happens with pre-MBA Willie). By no means is it sustainable lifestyle but it if you remember to take the necessary break when needed then it will open your eyes up to more opportunities and ideas than you ever thought before.
There are many instances we arrived at and we know that is not our norm but if we did not do it then it would be seen as a missed opportunity. Similarly, because all of your classmates are as ambitious as you, many of them would be very strong (positive/ negative) influence on your decisions during that time. Whether you’re heading down a quarter-life crisis, need a jump in your career or just feel stagnated in life, a MBA is a great way to experiment with life in a controlled environment.
Diversity is not just a buzzword.
Growing up in Canada, I have always thought I am very well versed in working with diverse group of people. It wasn’t until I begin school, I realize I have no idea what diversity really is. I am very lucky to attend a school with 90% international students representing 40 nationalities. Diversity took on a new meaning for me, it is not just about agreeing or fitting in but it is about accepting, relating, and respecting each other’s differences. It is one of the fastest ways to travel across the world and learn about different cultures, especially if you live in the same residence with most of your classmates. You will discover you have more things in common than differences.
I think one of the most interesting things I’ve experienced was at the beginning of school we had a mandatory course called “Gender Balance”. It was 150 students in one room contributing to the topic of glass ceiling, quotas, and other important gender related issues in the corporate world. The first class we had, I was baffled and in disbelief by some of the comments my classmates contributed - and I quickly formed my opinion about some of them. It has the same vibe as an online forum, with less anonymity. Luckily my program was very good about mixing up teams for academics, I was lucky enough to get to know most of my classmates and quickly dispelled the judgement I previously held for them. Months later, I realize they shifted their opinions on these subject as well, and it is a great reminder that everyone is learning and growing.
Growth is extremely uncomfortable.
If you choose to stay in your comfort zone, you will never grow. An example of this is when you had a great workout your muscles would be sore the next day but you know you’ve become stronger. It is the same in all life situations.
I had many uncomfortable moments during my MBA, one of the most memorable one was in my operational behaviour we did a class wide survey mapping everyone’s relationships in a network. It is completely anonymous and only thing displayed is which country you’re from (if there are only a few people from one country they are labelled under one continent). It was a very candid view on who people thought was their “acquaintance”, “good friend”, “close friend'“ and all the way to the other extreme of people you have “conflicts with”. I won’t go into too much on the definition, but you can simultaneously have '“conflict with” with your “close friend” - so they are not mutually exclusive terms. Unfortunately, many people can identify where they are on the network map and it help open the door many important conversations. For me, I had the two extremes, a lot of good friends and close friends and equally as many as people I have conflict with. It made me reflect deeply on my behaviour and my communication style. It was very uncomfortable to have those conversations but it catapulted my personal growth. This type of experiment and feedback is not something you can read in a book.
The journey truly is more important than the destination.
The destination for every MBA is the JOB. Many of us sacrificed a lot to give up our lives for this degree and we all want those prestigious jobs that each of these school’s admission pamphlets were trying to entice us with. However, the journey to getting to that destination is far more important than that job. Forming friends from people around the world, 4 am candid conversations about the real life, meeting CEOs and creators that you will never meet if you stayed in your industry, and everything in between is that journey to the job.
I entered school wanting to work in the luxury industry and after career events, certificate program, interacting greatly with experts in these industry - it daunt on me, maybe there is a lack of fit in the very traditional luxury industry. This journey has also taught me maybe I was not heading down the right path, so I took a left turn and decided to try another path. It might have been a waste of energy and effort, but it made me appreciate the luxury industry more but also made me realize what our career counsellor was saying when she said “many of you are mixing your love as a luxury consumer with the industry.” I could not have agreed more - and if it was not for the journey, I would have continued to confused my love.