New Venture Creation Challenge…

A new thread (tagged NVC) to record learning and reflections relating to my Entrepreneurship module.

A team of us are starting a ‘New Venture Creation’ challenge in a week or so and this will be the place to keep track of it.

The reflections will also form part of my final assessment on this module.  Looking forward to creating a new venture with the rest of the team!

My Management Initiative

So, i haven’t been posting much here for year 2 of my MBA – its been busy…new job, longer commute and general life ‘stuff’…but I’m back.  Back more importantly in order to capture some learning for my Final Project – The Management Initiative.

I’ll tag all related posts ‘Management Initiative’ for ease of use.

First reflections from assignment one soon to follow……

Strategy in context…

So i learnt a little about my organisational strategy (at a HQ sort of level – rather than the whole organisation).  Its been really insightful.

I picked up the following strategic issues from a directing document, which did also contain an amount of what i saw as operational issues too.  I’ve put my thoughts on whether they are internal or external alongside….

– the development of opportunities to enhance training delivery based on relocation of the organisation (external)

– regularly changing policy relating to staff appraisals and the management of failing students (internal)

– development of new philosophies in relation to the information delivered to students, based on new research and best practice (external)

– development of technologies that can offer new methods and media of training delivery that enhances the learning experience (external)

I thought that these issues were all relevant for the current situation at work but did wonder about a few others…

– the regular turnover of staff inherent in my organisation and influences our ability to meet long term objectives

– the major, government driven, restructure of the wider organisation and its affect on the future needs of our customers.

– any financial implications related to the restructure (above).

What have i learnt? Ive learnt what my managers see as important in the longer term. that sometimes operational issues are easily confused with strategic ones. that perhaps one person can’t surface all the strategic issues. that much wider influences need to be considered as they can raise some significant issues – the restructuring example and implications on the product we deliver for the future. that some strategic issues have already landed and the best opportunity to manage them has already passed us by – not that this means we can’t still deal with them.  that the biggest issues can’t be tied down to purely external or internal ones – i guess it depends on impact.

What next? i already want to think about what we can do to about these issues and assume thats where strategic questioning/thinking comes in but will wait and see what journey my learning takes me through…

 

Exam prep….

All going to plan so far. Knackered after today but managed to stay on track.

Started easy with 2 models used in my ebi but no it gets serious – 10 models to get through in four days, starting with HR. Uuiuuueeeeggghhh!

Hope everyone else is getting on ok.

Holy crap!

House move coming to an end…..exam looming…..lots of prep to do!

Year 1 exam looming!

Managed to spend a bit of time looking into how I will prep for my end of year exam today. Three hours, hand written!

29th April in Sindlesham, Reading @ 1000.

Not really done much ‘cos were moving but have sussed out mandatory, optional and forbidden items and the exact format for the exam.

Next steps – further reading of the examination guide before creating a preparation timetable. Need to suss out unit strengths/opportunities for learning first. Good thing is that I have a while week off of work right before the exam.

Don’t think I’ve done an exam like this since 2001!