friendships – Smurfit MBA Blog

Go Explore!

An MBA degree is not just about classroom and networking. We are currently on a one-year-break from our career and life, to decide on what we should do on the next ten. It is now the time to explore choices, long-term-plans and places; and talking about places, Ireland has the best to offer.

County Wicklow is a approximately 1-hour drive from Blackrock and it hosts a very beautiful and amazing landscape. Nothing else beats driving to the countryside on the weekend alongside some friends, to look at the lush green scenery and clear blue sky. For international students, you could rent a go car and find someone who has an international license. That worked well for us.

Our trip started by driving to Glendalough to visit the alluring upper lake. The weather was fortunately not too cold and the sky was clear all day long. We took pictures on the bank of the lake, started our hike uphill, and reached the mountain top to enjoy the dazzling view from a different perspective.

We then drove on a scenic drive route via Sally Gap to visit Powerscourt Waterfall, the highest waterfall in Ireland. The park closes at 6 and we were a bit late when we arrived there. However, that did not stop us from running our way to the foot of the waterfall and having a good time in the park. A lady who lived nearby said that we could swim on the river above and it was a very cozy place to have BBQ with family and friends. I will definitely come there again to explore those options.

Exhausted but satisfied, we ended our journey with a delicious dinner in Bray. Afterwards, we walked along the coast line while watching the sun set on the horizon. What an incredible journey!

Erik Hormein, Full Time MBA 2019-2020

Whack-A-Mole

I remember saying to one of my classmates on the Tuesday of the second week “I can’t believe that I’ve only known you for eight days!”. Many of the MBA graduates I had spoken to before I started in August had told me about the close bonds formed with MBA classmates, but the speed at which it happened still took me by surprise. We’re into our sixth week now and we laugh and joke with each other like childhood friends.

But the introductory weeks are well and truly over now and while we’ve settled into our study groups, I’m starting to realise that the MBA is like a year-long game of whack-a-mole, but with projects, exams and adventures instead of moles. The GNAM week is just one week away, our first exams loom the following week and master plans for the MBA clubs are firing left and right.

GNAM will see our class disperse to universities across the world, attending one-week courses in fellow Global Network business schools. I’m delighted to be going to Berkeley, while classmates are heading to destinations including Yale, Shanghai, Berlin and Madrid. Though I don’t think I’ll be alone in bringing my books along for financial reporting and economics in preparation for our exams in the following week! The MBA clubs are off to a flying start and plans are afoot for events from golf to rugby to entrepreneurship talks.

There is so much opportunity in the MBA programme and even now, just six weeks in, while there’s no doubt that the marathon has well and truly begun and sleep is a distant memory, the prospect of learning so much, with so many wonderful people over the next 11 months is an exciting prospect.

Grace Bergin, Full Time MBA 2019-2020

Bursting the MBA bubble

Our International Study Trip ‘Doing Business in International Markets’ brought us to Singapore and Hanoi with visits to a number of organisations including Citigroup, Amazon Web Services, Caterpillar as well as the Irish Chamber of Commerce in Singapore and the Embassy of Ireland in Hanoi. We had the chance to listen to senior executives of both local and expatriate backgrounds, including a number of Irish expats. The focus was on how they succeeded in business, with insight into the cultural nuances, adapting to the country and the way things are done. We travelled as a large group of both full-time MBA and Executive MBA students together with Professor Patrick Gibbons and Roisin O’Loughlin from UCD Smurfit Business School. Much of the advice and counsel focused on building relationships and the need to invest in and nurture those relationships. Culture, language and traditions may vary in different parts of the world but people still value people who have shared ambitions, ideas and values.

*Picture by Eoin Carroll

Singapore oozed sophistication, calm and control with their increasingly wealthy economy and well developed infrastructure. Hanoi’s frenetic energy couldn’t have been a greater contrast with the noise and excitement and vibrant night life as we drove to our hotel on arrival. We spent a lot of time together; travelling, visiting companies, eating, sightseeing, shopping and even some socialising.

The intense goldfish bowl of the MBA means you spend a lot of time in each other’s company, at lectures, group work, social events and in both structured and ad-hoc meetings. Having come together just six months previously we soon found ourselves spending much of our lives in each other’s pockets. Almost all the deliverables are developed as group projects so that, not only is the MBA an accelerated learning experience covering the academic content, but you build strong relationships with your class. We see each other at our worst, but also at our best; under pressure when numerous assignments are due at the same time; trying to understand a subject that may be completely out of our comfort zone; sharing the expertise in the class and, with the collective efforts of the whole class focused on a weekend deadline -and a large pizza delivery needed to sustain us through the night. There is the immense satisfaction of achieving those deadlines with seconds to spare, supporting each other through presentation after presentation, asking the right questions and applauding appropriately; celebrating exam survival and success, and, of course, some days it is just about keeping each other going and helping each other make it to the next deadline. And even after all that time spent working so closely, many of us chose to extend our International Study Trip and spend a week’s holiday together afterwards.

As we listened to our international business colleagues talk about the importance of relationships in their different corporate environments, it may be worth reflecting on what we have achieved ourselves. Our class has become our primary network, our support network and our current, and no doubt, future career network. With such an international class, our networks are far-reaching; future business leaders, future business partners, mentors, business confidants, coaches, friends; those who can help us make the next biggest decision. Travel broadens the mind, widens the experiences, and helps us learn from international colleagues. But, sometimes it also makes us appreciate the international network we have built for ourselves in such a short time.

*Picture by Eoin Carroll

Lucy MacAuley, Full Time MBA 2018-2019

An MBA Halloween Treat

On Monday the 30^th of October over half of the MBA class decided to get out of Blackrock to see what life beyond the Pale had to offer. Loftus Hall located in the southern most point of County Wexford also known as the model county is a long way from Blackrock, so we decided to make the most of the trip and stop off at a few choice locations along the way, namely Glendalough and the Irish National Heritage Park. We got very lucky on the day as there were clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine, as anyone in Ireland knows so much of the good things we have to offer in this country is weather dependant. (Aside: Wexford is called the model county as we have a disproportionate number of models, supermodels and in generally beautiful people compared to the rest of the country).

The first stop on our extensive itinerary was Glendalough a beautiful monastic site set in a glaciated valley in County Wicklow. Wicklow is the most mountainous county we have on the east coast of Ireland, I relayed this information to my travel companions for the day who scoffed before bursting into laughter. Without naming names the offenders come from Venezuela and Greece, however shortly after our arrival in Glendalough they soon came around to the majesty of this ancient site. We took it easy compared to some of the groups who climbed the Spink. All that sightseeing, walking and hiking was hungry work so most of us took full advantage of the chipper vans on site, with the nutrition obtained from the Quarter Pounders and Garlic Cheese Chips setting us up for the rest of the day.

Next up was a guided tour around the Irish National Heritage Park which is located just outside Wexford town upon the banks of the imperious river Slaney. Upon arrival we were treated to a video which depicted life in medieval Ireland. The tour kicked off in prehistoric Ireland circa 7000 BC (Mesolithic era), through the Stone age, Bronze age and into the Iron age (coincidentally where we left off in Glendalough). On the tour we learned about pagan Ireland and how our ancestors worshipped multiple gods, how to cook a nice piece of ham in a fulacht fia, farming practices, Irish Kings, and how St Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland and chased out the snakes from the country while he was at it. At the end of the tour we found a playground for Spilios which he took full advantage of as our photgraphic evidence proves. All that learning, walking and playing proved to be thirsty work so we headed to one of Wexford’s finest pubs The Sky and the Ground to become suitably refreshed and also (*not for the designated drivers) to calm the nerves in anticipation of what lay ahead of us in Loftus Hall.

Loftus Hall, the main event, located down on the Hook Peninsula in the South of Wexford. Loftus Hall has a long and troubled history dating back to 1172. For those who don’t know the story the Charles Tottenham took over the mansion in 1666 with his second wife and daughter Anne from his first marriage. One night during a storm a ship unexpectedly arrived at the Hook Peninsula and seeking refuge from the storm a mysterious handsome young man arrived at Loftus Hall. Anne became smitten with the man and one night when playing cards Anne searching for a card bent down and looked on the floor only to see her mystery man had a cloven foot as per Lucifer himself. At that point the man shot through the ceiling leaving a hole there that could never be repaired. Poor Anne was very disturbed by this and became mentally ill. Anne died in 1675 and her ghost has said to have made frequent visits to Loftus Hall ever since. We got the chance to experience a live recreation of this event where I personally got the chance to play the role of Anne’s step mother and use my most feminine voice to address the crowd of 40 people which was very liberating I must admit. On the way out, we were chased by some very scary looking individuals with chainsaws towards the giftshop. I must say thank you to some of my braver classmates who held my hand when things got too scary, without you I don’t think I would be here writing this blog right now and could quite possibly have become another part of the Loftus Hall legacy.

To conclude I must give a big shout out to Laura Cunningham for initiating and organising the trip down to Loftus Hall for what was an unforgettable Halloween experience in Ireland’s most haunted house. The drivers Ian Ahern, Eoin Carroll and Laura for their efforts because I know for various reasons between, socialising, running marathons and coursework you all had a lot going on! Finally, thanks to everyone who made it down to Loftus Hall, it was great to spend time with you all outside the college and show off a bit of my county. For the rest of the class we hope to see you at our next outing!

James Kelly, Full-Time MBA 2017-2018

Team Coaching

“You see us as you want to see us—in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain…and an athlete…and a basket case…a princess…and a criminal. Does that answer your question?”

— The Breakfast Club

It’s hard to believe that just one month ago we were enjoying a fun day of team building exercises that required leadership, teamwork, logic and patience. On this day, we were introduced to our Semester 1 study groups for the first time. Each group drew up a team charter, to clarify direction and common goals, while establishing boundaries. My team found no significant commonalities amid ourselves, yet we took immediate comfort in our differences, instantly recognising that they made us stronger. Like every study group, we are diverse, with not only distinct career experience, but also different nationalities; Irish, Canadian, Vietnamese and Indian. My team came from unique industries; from program management to teaching to technology management to marketing. We now have four approaches to business administration, four flavours of strategy, four perceptions, and the chance to see each challenge from four distinct angles. Nevertheless, in time all great teams will face hurdles.

Fast-forward 30 days, and we participated in a team coaching session at the Talbot Hotel. Since our team work is continuous throughout the year, it was important to debrief using a lessons-learned approach. Each team had the benefit of a coach to facilitate the afternoon session. We were provided with the opportunity to discuss openly as a team what we feel our issues have been, and then had the chance for one-on-ones with each team member to discuss what went wrong, what went right, what may be improved, and ways the improvements can be made. It was interesting to hear my teammates’ first impressions of me. The team coaching session helped us identify ways to improve our time management and teamwork efficiency. It was the perfect opportunity to reflect over the first month and recognise mistakes, errors, and failures, and make any necessary adjustments to our team charter.

Now that we have a better understanding of our colleagues’ individual strengths, weaknesses and personality types, it will be interesting to see how we evolve from here!

The days are long, and the years are short. After several 12 hour days at Smurfit, numerous hours spent in the syndicate rooms (for which we all received warning emails for overbooking!), social events, and communication outside of school hours, it feels like we’ve known each for months! With the close-knit nature of the program, I think it’s obvious to us all, that many life-long friendships are developing, and I’m looking forward to the countless adventures we will experience together throughout the year!

Laura Cunningham, Full Time MBA 2017-2018

An MBA… So What’s It Really Like?

As I near the end of Semester Two of my first year I have reflected on my experience so far. I thought I’d write a post which, had I read one year ago, would have given me a real insight into what was in store for me when I was considering the MBA Programme at Smurfit Business School. So here it goes………

Semester and Grading Structure – so what do you actually do?

Each semester has 4 modules (subjects). You’ll be assigned, by the school, to your study-team with 4 other classmates which will last for each semester. Some modules will be fully graded on the basis of a combination of individual or study-team assignments. Others will be graded by means of assignment (team or individual) coupled with an end of semester exam. If you have never experienced the delight of the Exam Hall in the RDS –this pleasure awaits! Some of the team assignments involve studying a particular case study or topic and formally presenting this to the full class. Your team’s class presentations will include low cost US airline Southwest Airlines (HR Strategy aspect) and Online UK supermarket Ocado (Supply Chain aspect). Every two weeks the Competitive Strategy module will require your team to prepare a one page assessment report in response to a problem outlined in the assigned case study on topics ranging from the Asian airline industry to an online dating company. You will learn.

Skills development

The program will take you out of your comfort zone straight away. If you are a reluctant orator / presenter, the program will assist in the development of your skills. In the opening orientation week Paul Slattery will give you a small taster of his Presentation Skills Workshop. You will have an opportunity to sign up for a 1 day workshop with Paul later in Semester 1 – make sure you sign up! You will have plenty of opportunity to practice and refine your presentation skills (and gain confidence) in front of your class as part of your presentation assignments. You will develop.

Resilience

You’ll figure out that your resilience is put to the test. Semester 1 is “full-on” – by week 5 you will wonder if you (or anyone!) can manage the combined workload of (1) your commitments to team assignments (2) your own assignments (3) your preparation for next week’s lectures and (4) all the while doing the regular 9 to 5 day job. By week 12, you will know that somehow you made it and that you won’t have left anyone behind. You’ll figure out how to make it work, how to find time and how not to waste time. You’ll get your reading and preparation for the next classes done before work a few mornings a week and you’ll spend one day out of the weekend between study-team meetings and assignments. Occasionally on weekends you’ll need to do more but life will go on. By Semester 2 – you’ll feel much more in control, less daunted and more organised. You will balance.

Not just Teamwork but Friendships

You’ve heard lots about the emphasis on teamwork. Trust me, you’ll form close friendship bonds that will last beyond the 2 years of the program. You will quickly learn to trust your assigned teammates not just in the narrow sense of the course work but in a broader sense. You’ll get to know them on a personal level and them you – you’ll closely share the ups and downs of the MBA life experience with them. Just before the end of semester 1, when final exams are closely coming into focus, you’ll find that you’ve given up a whole Saturday to coach your fellow teammates and some other classmates on an exam subject that you studied before. You’re motivated to ensure that no one is left behind. You will impact.

You will belong.

Derek Anderson ~ Executive MBA