A common theme one tends to hear a lot in relation to pursuing an MBA is that of time management. Not to push a cliché too much, but it’s in disbelief I find that we are in our last week of lectures of semester one. Our midterms are complete and we’re certainly in the thick of the last of the assignments and preparation for the upcoming end of semester exams. Even whilst trying to be cognizant of the time with everything that’s been expected of us over the last 3 months, I find myself asking “where did that time go”?
A huge amount in that time has happened and in my view that is the reason behind the sentiment of the whirlwind of the Smufit MBA experience. In the last 3 months I’ve lost track of the amount of new people I’ve met – possibly the most in my life in such a short space of time. After having travelled extensively by myself when I was younger, I can say that is no mean feat! With networking being such an important component of the Smurfit MBA there is no shortage of promotion of those values I can say with certainty!
Whilst we have been incredibly busy with our core modules, in tandem with these we have been attending Leadership Development Program sessions on team and individual dynamics. These sessions have focused on our individual and team styles of contribution that have certainly given me food for thought about where people fit in in teams, how we work in teams and even showing us parts of our personalities that we might not have been aware of. All this has assisted in the various teams we have been a part of and how we fit in to perform at our best.
Another highly worthwhile mention of the activities of the last few months is the GNAM (Global Network of Advanced Management) week here in Dublin which focused on Digital Business transformation. This was expertly organised by Nicola Dunnion and JP Donnelly, CEO of Ogilvy. So much was packed into the 5 days including guest speakers such as the Liam Kavanagh, CEO of the Irish Times, Tom Kinsella, CMO of AIB, and company visits to Facebook, Google and the Abbey to name only a few! The content, presentations, visits and organisation were second to none. We had some fantastic conversations and us Smurfiteers did our best to impart some local knowledge and wisdom to make our many guests from FGV São Paulo, ESMT Berlin, Koç University, UBC Sauder, EGADE, Yale, IIMB, Fudan, IE Business School and Pontificia Universidad Catolica De Chile feel welcome during their stay.
As time creeps up on us and we advance through our workload, I look forward to our Christmas break to catch up with family and friends. Equally though, I feel that having recharged the batteries I will be looking forward to the next chapter of the Smurfit MBA Journey if it’s as eventful, challenging and enjoyable as this instalment which I’ve no doubt it will be.
Mark Blake, MBA 2018/19