Ireland’s Ambassador to Singapore, Sarah McGrath, shared this question which she hears every day: “can or not?”. This incisive question sums up the Singapore our MBA class saw on the recent “Doing Business in International Markets” module, which brought us into contact with businesses across the country. It’s also a question that we’ve all asked ourselves–not least when considering taking the plunge back into full time education at UCD. For some of us, “can or not?” has meant, “can I leave my home and immerse myself in a completely new culture?” For others it has meant, “can I abandon a career I’ve worked hard to build, and take a chance on something new?”
For Singapore, a milestone “can or not?” moment came in 1965 when it found itself an unexpectedly independent nation, following the dissolution of its union with Malaysia. Suddenly on its own, without sufficient space or resources to be self-sufficient, Singapore had to learn how to self-govern and grow. They did this with the efficiency of a well-run company. Throughout the trip we saw proof of Singapore’s unrivalled ability to “plan and deliver”. Through this business mentality, Singapore designed an enviably liveable city. 85% of Singaporeans live in public housing. They have a world class health system, and exceptionally low levels of crime. Instead of “can or not?”, the question that comes to mind is, “if Singapore can, why can’t we?”
Every company we visited had stories of coming across a challenge and answering “can”. One example that stayed with me was 3M, a materials innovation hub. Their business began with an adhesive gone wrong: the adhesive produced was not sticky enough to permanently glue anything, not even paper. They asked the question, “can this be used for anything else?”, and so the Post-It was born.
There’s a metaphor in here somewhere for transferrable skills. Starting an MBA for many of us means stepping off the path we thought we were on, and discovering how to use the skills we’ve learned for a different purpose than they were intended. For me, stepping away from hospital medicine posed a similar dilemma. Like the dodgy post-it glue, I felt perhaps I wasn’t doing what I was made for. One of the greatest learnings of the MBA for me is that there’s always a way to use what you have, and add value. Medicine teaches empathy, curiosity, perseverance–all skills that can be applied to any area of life and work.
I’ve seen the same in classmates who are coming from different professional backgrounds: some are natural people managers; others have great analytical insights. Some have a unique perspective on any topic, and others are exceptional project leaders. Some can build a connection with anyone in minutes, while others can break down any concept and teach it to the rest of us. The MBA has helped us all to recognise the skills we have, and to adapt them to different uses–just like 3M’s post-it.
GSIC, a not-for-profit open innovation hub that connects sports bodies with tech start-ups, has a similarly can-do approach. Sports organisations contribute problem statements, often focussing on fan engagement, sustainability, smart venue development, athlete performance and wellbeing. Tech start-ups provide solutions such as virtual reality training programmes, sustainable drink dispensers, and smart equipment to give instant feedback on strength and accuracy. They answer the question of “can or not?” daily, and their answer is that somebody, somewhere, can.
Kerry Group gave us another example of collaborating to find your “can”. The problem they needed to solve was “what flavours will be popular next year, or five years from now?”. They found a unique way to answer this, in collaboration with Microsoft. Their AI programme monitors micro-influencers across many regions, registering when and how different flavours are mentioned and drawing insights from this data.
This is another lesson learned from the MBA programme: there’s no need to go it alone. I’ve seen from our group projects that when a group works really well together, the end result is better than what any of us could have achieved on our own. Outside of lectures, our class has worked together on successful events, community outreach projects, and more. This week we’re hosting a fundraiser for the Irish Hospice Foundation, which has been a huge class effort and has raised >€2,000 already. This goes to show what can be accomplished if you have the right people around you.
Speaking of which: https://www.idonate.ie/event/smurfitcharitycyclechallenge
Another memorable visit was to MONA, a social enterprise focussed on reducing food waste in the region. Also interested in renewable energy, MONA’s big “can or not?” is, “can we live more sustainably, and can a small group of people make a difference?” Forced to pivot from their original business plan, MONA adapted their skills to create an enterprise that provides low cost options to those in need, and reduces the burden of waste on their environment.
This, too, relates back to our MBA experience. As well as recognising the skills we have, and learning to benefit from those of our classmates and our network, we’re also learning that everything is teachable. Whether it’s negotiating work conditions, presenting to potential investors, or, like MONA, leading a team to tackle an important issue: nobody is born with the ability to do these things, and anyone can learn to do them.
If I take one lesson from the MBA and our Singapore experience, it should be to always ask “can or not?”. And if the answer is not, then it’s only a matter of finding the right people and training to change that. Luckily for us, many of those people can be found in our diverse, quirky, and multi-talented MBA class.
Text: Caitrín O’Leary, Full Time MBA Class of 2024
Photos: Sagar Srichand Purswani, Full Time MBA Class of 2024