Where is my spring?

Now I know why besides sports, weather is the other most popular topics for chatting in UK. Well, it is now the end of March, which is the best season to see beautiful cherry blossoms in the fast east, but here I am still suffering the temperature around freezing point! But thank god! The sun has replaced the rain and continuously sharing the warm sunshine since mid of February. A luxury to enjoy the "indoor sunbathe"  especially at the corner seats in Lecture Hall 4.37.

Sorry for this late update. But I have been busy since the middle of February. Being quite relax for the first half of Term 2, the second half became a roller coaster with due dates of all the assignments and presentations of the term. The tasks are of course an addition to the usual classes, guest speaker series, career management activities, networking, partying... etc.

With the completion of the last exam paper of Term 2 yesterday, it marks the end of the term and the start of the Easter holiday. So, what do I think about Term 2?

Well, I have to say that most people, including me lost the excitement and motivation that we had at the start of the program. Partly due to the nature of getting used to the MBA life, and partly because people are shifting their priority from study to internship hunting. Most people spending most of their time searching for internship, which the outcomes are still not encouraging. Some did secure splendid offers from their dream companies but majorities are still struggling. This cause an uncertain atmosphere that people started to ask themselves "Why am I here?"

Nevertheless, the school did offer a great help to the students in securing internship. The CMS staffs are working hard to attract more potential employers, helping student with review of CV, cover letter, mock internship etc. However, economic condition here in UK is still gloomy, and the key success factors are actually depend on individual fit of experience, skill sets and background that companies are looking for.

The classes we have this term was designed as 3 hours per slot instead of 1.5 hours as we have last term. This change give flexibility for the professors to design the class with mix of lectures and case studies. However, the long hours of same subject sometime cause boredom among students, and some lectures were just too slack in 3 hours. This is especially true for the new subjects of "People Management and Organization" and "International Business and Innovation Management". The professors did try very hard to make the subjects interesting to students, but students tend to lose interest the half way of the classes.

OK, enough of the negative views. Let's share something cheerful in this term. Well, MBS won the second place in MBS MBA Football Tournament as well as the LBS MBA Football Tournament (Not surprise as we are the Manchester)! MBS also won the first place in the Sustainability Venture Capital Investment Competition (SVCIC) held in Kenan-Flagler Business School, US recently. And the Class of 2013 successfully completed their International Business Project last week, which means a successful graduation from MBS!

How about myself in this term? Secured an exchange to CEIBS, which is my first choice, and confirmed a summer internship with a management consulting company in Japan! So, I am leaving UK this summer!

Although the spring may not come, the summer will for sure!    

Elevator Pitch

"To be honest...our business will not make money...at least for the first two year...

But if I tell you that our business will make the world cleaner, will make the people happier, will make them  prouder of themselves, and ultimately bring millions in revenue, do you still reluctant to put in your money?"

This is the opening speech of my elevator pitch for my business idea in EBPY (European Business Plan) competition. Tried to be catchy to grab the attention of the judge at the first few seconds. The night before, when I was practicing it in front of my wife, I lost the lines several times in the middle of the pitch, which certainly will be embarrassing if the same thing happen on the real stage. Fortunately I somehow managed to memorize the whole script and conveyed the pitch naturally in front of the audiences.

So, what is elevator pitch?

According to Wiki, an elevator pitch is a short summary used to quickly and simply define a person, profession, product, service, organization or event and its value proposition. The name "Elevator Pitch" reflects the idea that it should be possible to deliver the summary in the time span of an elevator ride, or approximately thirty seconds to two minutes.

Ya, the big bosses, the rich guys, and those who can help to start/expand/rescue your business are always busy with little time to talk to you. So, your message need to be very sharp, precise, and "seductive" to stimulate their interest when you "accidentally" meet them in an elevator.

For EBPY competition, the elevator pitch scoring criteria is based on

1) Impact - whether you can grab attention in first 20 seconds
2) Content - idea is clear, superior, addressable target market, existing customer, evidence and traction, quality of the team, money required, exit strategy, likely financial return
3) Delivery - simple and fluent

Quite happy to be selected as one of the top 4 presenters in my cohort, but the judge, a VC criticized the profitability of my business idea. Well, it is true, my business is more on social contribution rather than profit contribution.

Forgot where I heard this from, "Don't care about money making at the first place, when your business are doing good for the society, the money will follow..."

May be I should target an angel, instead of a VC for my business idea...

Reborn!

"Reborn with new management after 5 years stop of operation"

Sounds like a news headline in the business press...

Well, it is... if you are
1) Well verse in Japanese (pre-requisite)
2) Interested to pursue an MBA degree in MBS
3) Interested to recruit Japanese speaking MBA students from MBS
4) Interested to networking with Japanese speaking MBA students from MBS
5) Simply interested on life in Manchester or any football teams in Manchester

OK, what is the big deal?

The website of MBS MBA for Japanese speaking students revived!!!
Eventually after 5 years!!!

So, if you fall into one of the categories above, access it now!

http://mbs-mba.jimdo.com/

Thanks to the initiative of students in Class of 2013! We Class of 2014 will sure take good care of your baby after you saying bye bye in April!
 

Sem 2 Started!

Snow continue falling from the sky since last night, when I was walking home together with my EBPY (more detail below) teammate. Feeling the first time that Manchester can also be so romantic, when the first slice of snow unexpectedly fall on my coat the moment I step out from MBS entrance.

This was the second time it snow in Manchester, but the first time it fell long enough to cover the part of the ground. Ahhh... this is the winter that I was looking forward! Hate the winter without snow but only uncomfortable cold. That's why I love Hokkaido so much, with a temperature of just below the frozen level, you can enjoy a scenary of whole-white neverland. And of course the quality of the snow is so good, so soft that you can lie on it comfortably.

2 weeks passed since the 2nd Semester started. Quite few things happened but a relatively relax pace compare to last semester. To some extent, we already used to the demanding MBA life. To some extent, we know better how to deal with each other in the group works and hence more efficient. And also to some extent, we know what to prioritize and therefore can just ignore what we think is low priority.

Grumbling among us on the slow feedback on our last semester academic performance. 7 weeks passed since the final exam but still the scores and the feedbacks on some of the courseworks are still pending with the academics. Wondering why they pushed us so hard for studying and completing the courseworks within dateline, while slacking on returning the feedback. Though taught in one of the class, prompt feedback is the key in learning process...

So far, only grades on 2 subjects were released. Got a distinction for Accounting and a merit for SfSM Module, which 80% of the module is the NfP Project. Not quite surprise for the grade on Accounting (Module of both Financial Accounting and Management Accounting) as the assessment is purely paper exam. For SfSM Module, for which I have been worrying about failing, as our team scored really bad in initial stage, luckily survived the passing mark, and being pulled up further to pass the merit line by the individual reflective report and final exam. Still waiting for Marketing, Finance, Economics...

So, Sem2 started. What we have for this sem?

Core Subjects
1) Strategy
2) Operation Management
3) People Management and Organization (PMO)
4) International Business and Innovation Management (IBIM)

Curriculum was changed from last year. For our senior in Class of 2013, they had Strategy, Operation Management, and a subject called Designing International Competitive Enterprise (DICE) which combined both PMO and IBIM. Due to their feedback that combining 4 subjects (HR Management, Organization Behavior, International Business and Innovation Management) into the single subject of DICE made the subject complicated and hard to digest, the school changed the curriculum this year by dividing it into 2 subjects - PMO and IBIM. 

Continue from last semester
1) Weekly Speaker Series
2) Career Management
   
2 alumni came so far. One talked on B to B Marketing and the other talked on leadership consulting. As before, it opened our horizon for an industry or a field that we may otherwise never come across.

CMS (Career Management Service) organized a career week that invited several companies to visit the campus for recruiting, both fulltime position and internship. Companies came included Hilti, Google, AT Kearney, Essar Oil, Admiral, Amazon, and BCG. All sessions were filled up with well business-dress students as this semester is the critical timing for both fulltime position and internship hunting.

Competition
1) EBPY (European Business Plan Competition)

An Europe level entrepreneurship competition, which we need to submit a business plan, give an elevator pitch and present the business idea in front of real VCs. MBS is so kind to design a series of lecture and workshop to prepare the participants for the competition. We had talks from the Academics as well as outside speakers like the Entrepreneurs, VC, Taxation Accountants and so on.

Have a business idea in my mind, not sure whether it can win the competition. But to my surprise, I'm so passion about it when I tell it to other people. Kind of uncover the entrepreneurship spirit that long 'hidden' in me! Still looking for my team members, hope fully can gather a bunch of bright minds who can share my passion!

Preparation lectures for nest semester projects
1) UK Consultancy Project
2) M&A Project

The classes will start in next few week. Mainly cover the topics on Quantitative Analysis and Financial Analysis, to enable a smooth kick-off for those 2 projects in next semester.

That's all?

Of course not!

Internship search, preparation for MBAT (MBA Sport Tournament), preparation for Asian Night, mentoring program, stock trading competition, house parties, networking sessions...lots more to go in this semester.

So, refill the fuel and keep moving!

Happy New Year!

Exactly 1 year passed since I wrote my first blog. Intended to write the blog at least once a week, and started with full engine, but the engine seemed to be running out of lubricant half way and the momentum was getting smaller and smaller... Nevertheless, thanks to the initial passion, 50 blogs written so far in last year, an average of almost one blog per week. Certainly it can be done better, not in quantity-wise, but in the content-wise especially more focus on the learnings in each MBA subjects and their applications in business.

Anyway, leave the reflection on blogging aside. How about a reflection on my 2012? How I grade my 2012?

Well, 2012 was really a year of CHANGE for me, whether functionally, geographically, or intellectually. A good start in January by working on a new project in the leading position, got promoted in June, decided to resign in July, left Japan and flied to UK in August, returned to student life again in September, completed the MBA first semester in December, and continuing on the quest for a dream future in the uncertainties...

Did I satisfy on all these "achievements"? Can I declare my 2012 a good one?

Well, the answer can be "Yes!" or "I don't know!"

"Yes!" because those are all I wanted to do. I planned it, I worked on it and I achieved it

"I don't know!" because I still don't know the outcome. The future is full of ambiguity. Does a MBA degree means that I will change my profession in future? Does a farewell of Japan means that I will leave Japan permanently? How my future looks like? Where will I be in 10 years from now?

Asked by my wife that if there was a Doeramon Door, that can get me to the future to see where am I and what am I doing in 10 years from now, would I dare to open the door? Of course, I dare. But the question is your life will be less interesting after you know what it will be in future! The ambiguities and the uncertainties are actually the spice of the life that make you anxious, make you excited to explore any unknown opportunities!

So, why worry so much about the far future? I should be grateful that I am now doing what I wanted to do. And this will certainly improve myself for a better career and better future!

If my 2012 is all about CHANGE, I hope the theme for my 2013 will be EXPLORE. So, here is the list of my goals in 2013.

1) Secure a good internship, which may decide my post MBA career.
2) Better time management to digest as much as possible the MBA knowledges and skills.
3) Take part in more MBA events especially the MBA competitions.
4) If possible, an exchange to other university in other country.
5) Visit as many countries as possible to open my horizon.
6) And of course try to enjoy UK life!

Wishing 2013 a good one for everyone! Happy New Year!

White Christmas???

When I was small, I thought the Christmas in the western countries was like, the shopping malls were crowed with people busy on shopping, the shops were decorated with Christmas Trees, Christmas decorations and illuminations; streets were covered by snow, children were playing with snow and some built the snowman in the playground, people wearing in festive color especially with the red Santa hats, singing Christmas song here and there, the noise of joys were coming relentlessly from your neighborhoods...

Well, there's the power of TV, make your childhood believe everything shown on the TV is true. And today, I celebrated my first Christmas in the western country, in a city with the most student in the Europe (told by someone but not sure whether this is true...), the Manchester. As you can imagine, most of the residents, the students, have gone back to their home in other cities or other countries for vacation, and therefore the city was very very very quite, even the pubs that used to be noisy in the weekdays were closed and the whole city was in terrifically peace...

No shops open on the Christmas day, even at the busiest shopping district, Arndale. The shop that I found open today in the city was Spar, a convenience store. People walking on the street were mostly Asian face like me. I think they might also wondering where the hell of all the people gone. Shouldn't people come out and celebrate in the festive season???

Still waiting for my first snow in Manchester. But unfortunately instead of snowing, the city raining as usual. So, my anticipated White Christmas was more towards a Grey Christmas...Never thought that I will hate raining so much...As in Malaysia, the rain bring the cool breathe to the hot weather, so I doubted people associate rain with bad weather...Well, I fully appreciate this association now. Yes, rain means freezingly cold, wetting your shoes and socks, made you feel uncomfortable to walk on the street...

So, how I feel about my first Christmas in the western country?

Well, not so bad actually. Had a wonderful petite Turkey Christmas eve dinner with my wife, strolled on the people-less Manchester's streets (happen only on Christmas day), relaxed at home with Nescafe and a chocolate cake bought from Spar, played iPad games, planned for next year Europe trip, and now writing this blog. Everything is so calm, peace and relaxing...so what can you ask more?

Still anticipate for a White Christmas?

Of course! But may be in other cities. After the boxing day, I have planed a trip to Inverness, the north most city of UK...hopefully what fall from the sky will be snow instead of rain.    

Dec. 21 - End of the World

After sending the NfP report to client tomorrow, my first MBA semester will officially come to the end. Not sure whether the end of semester also meaning the end of the world, as the rumor of December 21, the end of the world according to Maya Calendar was here and there. Not so much in UK, but the people in the the Fast East, including people in my hometown which is located near the equator, scrambling to buy the winter cloths as rumor says that the temperature will drastically change from above 30 degree Celsius to below 30 degree Celsius. Some even made a joke that if the end of the world end up didn't come, there will be another baby boom next year September!

Anyway, whether the end of the world will come or not tomorrow,  it is still worth a celebration for me - I survived the first semester of my MBA! Phew...can't imagine that 4 months have passed since the course started. Still couldn't enjoy the city especially the weather, but the MBA is really something worth coming for. Looking back the 4 months, can't tell how much I have learned, how much my perspective have changed, and how much new experience and new skills I have gained. To summarize it, 4 core subjects - Accounting (both financial accounting and management accounting), Corporate Finance, Marketing, Business Economics; series of soft skills lecture in Skills for Successful Management Module; one big real-client project - the Not-for-Profit Project, weekly guest speaker series, career management sessions, supplementary English classes, numerous group works and presentations in the core subjects, company events, networking events, internship research, internship interviews, private social events...

Wow, I have gone through so much things in just 4 months! So, what did I really take aways in these 4 months. Here are the 5 main GAINS!

1) Equiped myself with the basic business knowledge
Accounting, Finance, Marketing and Economics are the most basic business knowledge that a manager, or at least a senior manager should know no matter which profession you are or what industry you are in. Even as an engineer (like me), if you are in the manager level, you should not only well-verse in your engineering problem solving, but also the basic business knowledge that enable you to articulate the company business performance and strategy to your subordinate, evaluate the efficiency and profitability of the project (or at least your own team), market your company to client externally, or market your team or department internally, judge whether you are still in the right industry considering the change in economic environment etc.    

Well, can't say that I mastered all the knowledge within 30 hours session classes for each subject. But the key ideas and how to apply these ideas are efficiently taught through the well-designed curriculum. I think this might be the strength of Manchester Method - the so called "Original Thinking" and "Learning by Doing". The course stimulated your independent thinking in the lectures, made your hands dirty by lots of case studies and group works. As people used to say, "Knowledge in your mind is useless if you can't articulate it or put it into application".

2) New exposure to other industries
Have no idea at all what is the different between an investment banking and a commercial banking. No idea what really Private Equity and Venture Capital do. No idea how a strategy consultant can advise a company CEO who has more industry experience than him. No idea how to establish a start-up. No idea what is a content business. No idea what is arbitration...

Well, when you get to know more, you will know that there are more you don't know. The finance industry, the consulting industry, the entrepreneurship, the media industry, and lots more that I think I would never not know in detail if I didn't come for the MBA. There are lots of fun and bright people out there in different industries, which broaden your horizon and again stimulate your thought. Looking back my previous years as a civil engineer, professional interactions were confined to other disciplines engineers and architects, which somewhat help you to think deeper but definitely not wider.

And it is just feeling so good that you can talk the talk whether you are in a group of engineers, or bankers, or entrepreneurs, or consultants, or accountants or any other professions. And most important, you enhance your chance of employability in a different industry if, let say your industry is heading down the slope.

3) Team work in a multicultural context
Talked about this in my previous blog. See NfP.

4) Ability of multi-tasking
All MBA schools assume that you come to the MBA with aims to become a future leader. And they also assume that requisite quality of a leader is ability to handle multi-task at the same time. So, they designed such a curriculum that make you do everything but you just can't finish everything to perfect. You have to attend the classes, pre-reading of case studies, solve the after-class assignments, participate in the group works, attend the company events, socialize in the networking events, etc. all in one day!

So, everything is about efficiency. Efficiency in your pre-reading so that you can grasp the key ideas after your first reading. Efficiency in the lecture, for me is more on staying focus. Efficiency in the group meeting, pre-determine the agenda, prepare before the meeting, set the time limit. Efficiency in assignment and efficiency in so and so and so...

Sometimes the situation is just not possible for you to handle both at the same time. So, you may need to weigh which one is more important, rather than which one is more urgent to you. Choose the more important one and drop the other one.

5) 114 great friends from 29 countries
For sure, this will be the greatest take away from the MBA and even after the MBA. Thanks to Manchester Business School evaluation system that emphasize on collaboration rather than competition, we can observed generous knowledge and information sharing among us. The friends with accounting and finance background particularly helped us passing the exams! Not forget to mentioned also since everybody has different industry and culture background, you will find a lot of fun and learning in this diversity. And of course the after-study, after exam parties, trips, all contributed to the unforgettable memories of the MBA!

Those are the key gains in the first semester. So, what to do with the end of the world???

Well, we can't really do anything to prevent it if the end of the world is really coming. So, why not just stay calm and think that, if it didn't come tomorrow, how should we live a more MEANINGFUL LIFE hereafter...