Ever wondered what business school looks like?

I completed my Post Graduate Diploma in Management Studies with Waikato University in 2010.  People ask me what was it like and would I recommend it.  Watch this short video and then I will give some ansers -

What was it like - exactly like the video.  There was a very diverse and wide range of people put together in one classroom and given the task of producing quality business outcomes using their knowledge and skills.

We had doctors, accountants, lawyers, people in education all the way through to retail managers.  So as you can probably tell - it was a pretty diverse group of people.  Lots of opinions, points of view and heated discussion for sure!

The best bits of our course had to be the case study discussions.  We would spend hours poring over the case studies looking for different angles and possibilities.  Always on the hunt for the right answer or a knowledge advantage over everyone else.

Working in groups certainly had it's fair share of trials and tribulations but at the same time the value added through interaction was totally invaluable.

The other best part were the tutors.  We were fortunate enough to have Jens Mueller who is a total inspiration and motivator.  Jens has diverse experience and his constant mission was to stretch the students and question the boundaries they have established in their minds.  And he did it!

I actually miss the cut and thrust of the discussions and the fabulous input of the teachers (although my wife doesn't miss me disappearing for study nights and classes on the weekends, not to mention the endless hours of essay writing and revision). 

So - yes, I do totally recommend it.  100%.

Seriously - just keep it simple!

Book review: The Management Mythbuster

I read this book at one speed - FAST!  The best way to describe this book is to use two words - common sense.  And probably this quote as well - :“Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.” C. E. Stowe.

What David Axson manages to do is peel away the veneer and false front of modern management trends and actually get to the heart of the matter.  What this book managed to do was to confirm both my and most likely your suspicions and thoughts on what happens in the shady world of business today.

Here is how the book plays out - each chapter is between 6 and 10 pages long.  The chapters open with a mock company and the playing out of the appropriate scenario.  The author then incorporates the management area he is looking at into the story line.  So there are real examples of how such scenarios would play out within a company.

One thing this book does lack in is positive answers.  There are plenty of examples of what not to do but few examples and explanations of what you should do.  Maybe that will be released in the sequel "The Management Makeover"? 

Yes I enjoyed the book and recommend it.  I especially recommend it to people who are new to the corridors of power and senior management and want to be able to cut through to the true heart of the matter!

The real kicker is the very end of the book  A lot like real life it is a scary proposition...

Book review: The Management Mythbuster

http://davidaxson.typepad.com/american_idiot/2010/01/the-management-mythbsuter-pay-for-performance.html

I read this book at one speed - FAST!  The best way to describe this book is to use two words - common sense.  And probably this quote as well - :“Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.” C. E. Stowe.

What David Axson manages to do is peel away the veneer and false front of modern management trends and actually get to the heart of the matter.  What this book managed to do was to confirm both my and most likely your suspicions and thoughts on what happens in the shady world of business today.

Here is how the book plays out - each chapter is between 6 and 10 pages long.  The chapters open with a mock company and the playing out of the appropriate scenario.  The author then incorporates the management area he is looking at into the story line.  So there are real examples of how such scenarios would play out within a company.

One thing this book does lack in is positive answers.  There are plenty of examples of what not to do but few examples and explanations of what you should do.  Maybe that will be released in the sequel "The Management Makeover"? 

Yes I enjoyed the book and recommend it.  I especially recommend it to people who are new to the corridors of power and senior management and want to be able to cut through to the true heart of the matter!

The real kicker is the very end of the book  A lot like real life it is a scary proposition...

Taking a stand when you have to!

I'm a chicken.  There you go I admit it.

Confronting someone who may pose a violent physical threat (in both the literal and metaphorical sense) is not my idea of being smart.  I firmly adhere to the 'flight' option as opposed to the 'fight' option.

Don't get me wrong - in case of emergency or threat to family I'll happy foot it with the best.  That is at a time when the brain has no option but to immediately react.  The rest of the time (like the other 98%) I am happy to sit back consider my options and do something different.

When it comes to work though - you have to draw the line somewhere.  For example we deal with a wide range of people from various backgrounds in my job.  Some pleasant and some not quite so pleasant.

So earlier today when I had to 'confront' a student - my first reaction? "Hey, can you deal with this?”  Chicken.  Man was I wrong!

After a few minutes and some serious contemplation I decided to man up and do something about the situation.  Now there was no immediate threat of physical retaliation or whatever but believe me this guy was a gorilla and is known for his serious gang connections.

So what happened? 

1.  I got my paperwork together.  I got armed with everything I could to make an air tight case and gave the person no room to argue.

2.  I got a support person.  Having a second person in the room who was amicable with the person helped break down any issues that may have arisen.

3.  I took the lead and did what a manager should do.    It was my responsibility to deal with a possible negative situation and I did it.

In this case the situation could have resulted in becoming nasty.  Fortunately it didn't.  But I learnt a fair bit today about how to handle bad situations.  It looks like common sense stuff and the way handled it was - but sometimes common sense has to be acted upon before we realise we did it right!

 So now what situations do you find yourself in?  Do you find yourself fobbing off the hard decisions onto others that you should be dealing with?  Harden up, make a plan, and yes you do get the option to 'phone a friend' but I recommend you actually take a friend rather than phone them later (from the comfort of your hospital bed).

 

(Thats a joke too by the way...)

Friday Funny - My blackberry isn't working...

I'm too tired to think today (being Friday night and all) so I offer you this amazing piece of very witty comedy.

blah blah blah "Written communication" blah blah blah

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When it comes to written communication people read the opening line

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blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

and anything that is underlined after that

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blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

how good is your written communication?

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Beware the 'it does it all' sales pitch!

Have you ever had a sales person come to you and offer you a product that is so good that it does everything you could ever want it to?  It will reduce present workloads, relieve stress and makes everyone's life a lot more pleasant.  I have.

This type of sales pitch is standard among the modern IT companies who come 'bringing IT solutions' that are 'guaranteed to save you time and money'.

Bollocks!

I have yet to see an IT system for standard processes that really saves a lot of money and makes life easier.  So I might be a little narrow in my experience but I have yet to be convinced that real gains in productivity and time can be made.

Case in point number 1.

1.   Finance systems.  A good finance system should do a few things and do them well.  Pay the bills, tell users about financial performance and do budgets.  The amount of data that requires entering does not decrease.

What I have seen happen is an initial reduction of finance office staff with a view that there should be less work BUT this is not true!  All the invoices still need to be entered, the budget figures need entering and someone has to do manual reconciliations.

Case in point number 2.

2.   Student management systems (SMS).  Basically a SMS is a giant database that captures and records the data relating to students in an academic institution.  The program is only as good as the information that is entered into it.  So there have to be operators who actually have to enter the data.  Like the financial system the amount of data that has to be typed in does not decrease.  Even with automated systems registrars and back office people are still required to check the data and make sure it is correct.

Here's what I think.  When a new IT system is introduced what happens is the labor (people) required to operate the system are simply shuffled around.  That is the tasks are moved from one office to another and few real gains are made.  More IT professionals are needed to make sure the system works and is maintained, more input staff are required at the coal face (or wherever they may sit) to actually input the data and the only real 'savings' produced are on paper for the department for whom the systems have changed.

I have no issue with no systems and room for improvement.  I absolutely agree that changes must be made in order to keep up with ever changing technology.

My beef is with the way these 'do it all' systems get sold to the customers.  So when I hear a new system is being implemented that is going to save time, money and reduce the workforce – please excuse me if I roll my eyes and sigh.  No – I don’t believe your over-hyped sales pitch.

Bridging the social divide

by David Armano

A story of educational management change

Five years ago our educational facility was in the dumps.  Seriously.  It got so bad that the institute was facing wrack and ruin due to a lack of customers, loss of face with the community and bad internal decision making processes.  And all this was topped off by a lack of leadership in the highest office. 

Enter our current CEO - Dr Pim Borren.  Mr Borren made a number of sweeping changes and was able to bring some really common sense approaches to old problems that the previous management couldn't see.  Basically the old management was so stuck in their ways of doing business that they couldn't see any real way forward.

There were some classic management 101 changes made straight off the bat.  Here are a few examples:

1.  Reduce unnecessary overhead costs.  Cut the number of business units (faculties). 

2.  Restructure the levels of management and remove as many middle managers without decision making powers as allowable.

3.  Sack the previous management team (bar two) and hire new people who are both professional and capable.

4.  Give the power to make decisions back to the business units.

5.  Rejuvenate the marketing department with professionals who had tried and true skills and ability.

6.  Decentralise.

7.  Be open and accessible to the people.

8.  Work with the unions - not against them.

9.  Give credit to the people who deserve it.

And it worked.  Since 2007 we have had significant growth and have managed to achieve fantastic results both in graduating students as well as changing the demographics.

So here we are now in 2011.  Is it still working?

Yes.  Graduating student numbers this year were through the roof!  Building development programs are under way and last year we had our biggest ever financial surplus.

And no.  Let’s be honest - we don't have it all together.  There are heaps of changes that we the workers would like to have made.  But we're not boss.  So we get on with getting on.  And to be honest we have a lot of fun along the way too.

The last five or so years of Mr Borrens term as CEO of Waiariki Institute of Technology haven't been without the odd bit of controversy.  But at the same time there have been plenty of obstacles that we have had to overcome.  The wins far outweigh the controversies by far.

Leadership and management can be tough.  And at the same time it takes a strong person take a $27m business up to a $50m business in 5 years.

This post is my small way of acknowledging the work that Mr Borren (also known as Pim) has achieved at such a rapid pace and in such a small amount of time. 

Love him or loathe him - the results speak for themselves.