No rest for the weary

I've struggled a bit the last couple of weeks, to be honest, in trying to determine what to post about, but I want to maintain the integrity and honesty of my postings, so I'll be true to what stage I'm really in currently in my MBA.  Semester III has been a bit like hitting some kind of wall.  I've wondered what the cause may be, but have recently discovered 2 other students in my very own group had this same experience.  I'm not sure that the cause has been completely discovered, but last week, over lunch I experienced a bit of a revelation.

I was asked to have lunch with two of the new Cohort 3 students, and it was my pleasure.  I sensed their excitement, and at the same time recognized their sense of being a bit overwhelmed at the pace of getting back into school.  I remember feeling the same way in what seems to be ages, but was really only 9 months ago.  They also are attending the Main Campus, so they have the opportunity to have Professor Warren and Dr. JoJo.  They asked me questions about each teacher and about projects that are coming up.  It seems like so long ago that the same mountain of projects laid before me, and now those are only distant foothills behind me.  The lunch reminded me of the quick sprint that is Semester I.

One of the best selling points of this program is that its a very quick 6 semester program.  I guess where I and some of my fellow students are at, is that this program is taken at a sprint pace, but the race is a full 2 years.  From my experience, the first semester is dotted with projects, homework, writing assignments, and the sheer caseload can be daunting.  However, you make it through and feel like conquerors knowing your efforts now have you 1/6th of the way done.  Semester two seems lighter in the number of projects and papers, however the ones you do have are deeper in nature and takes more attention over weeks, rather than being knocked out in a weekend.  The dialogue opens in Semester II, and I felt that the majority of professors were true facilitators of the educational process.  Accounting was a bit heavy in assignments, but thats the nature of the course... to know how to do balance sheets, income statements, and the like, it takes alot of practice.  We ended with Organizational Behavior and Change.  Our experience was unique in that our Professor moved to San Antonio, and won't be back for future cohorts.  I loved Dr. Green, and her style of managing the classroom.  I'm also a great fan of Dr. Werner.  His teaching style is perfect for me- highly organized, however, clue to future students- he is an excellent writer and expects the same from his students.  SPEND TIME PUTTING YOUR PAPERS TOGETHER, PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO APA FORMATTING.  Anywho, enough of that rabbit trail- Semester II closes, and you can't believe you are 1/3rd of the way through the program

And so here we are at the great wall that is Semester III.  Professor Moten is amazing, and I didn't know a foundational course like Finance could be so well taught.  I'll be honest, the concepts are all new to me since I didn't have a finance course before in my life, so its taking some time to really comprehend the concepts.  This next week is our first exam, and I dreamt all night about Net Present Value and the Discount Factor.  I'm a little nervous, because up until this point, before most tests, I would take the day off from work and meet other students in the library for a study session for a final cram before the test.  I just don't have the luxury of that kind of time off, and honestly, the time I do have I want to spend with family and not these books.  Ah the price of being an MBA student!

Ethics has tons of reading this semester, and the class is open discussion, but sometimes proves to be a challenge for me.  Having a background in Theology and Psychology, when discussing morality and truth, people often bring into the conversation faith and human psyche.  I find myself frustrated sometimes  just because I've had extensive instruction in those areas, and I have to remind myself that because I have "been there, done that", that I need to have patience with the course.  Much like my friends who have extensive Marketing backgrounds as we covered some of the topics in the Marketing Course, I sat on the other side of the spectrum in that class, and am thankful for their patience then. 

This semester also has what I'd call "strings attached".  In 10 weeks of Ethics, there are three case study papers, a group debate with group paper, and individual paper,weekly readings, and weekly a topic to research and email the professor about and weekly a question to ask the professor about the readings for class discussion (which I have learned leads to him asking a series of questions back, calling for further research).  In the other 15 weeks Finance class there are tests, and off hand I can't fully remember about a group project, but there is an individual paper.  It's pretty intensive, and I know I'm not the only one who doesn't feel that I have my head wrapped around all of it or even a good grasp on a plan for getting it all done.  I have a fantastic group, and we have plans in place for the Ethics group project done, so I guess we have one leg under us.

So as you can see from my lengthy description- I would categorically summarize the semesters like this.  Semester I- High Quantity, Semester II- High Quality and Independent Thinking, Semester III- High Quantity and High Quality Expected.  Add to this "equation" that between Semester II and III is only a 1 week off (a "perk" of getting through the program quickly), and you can sense that some of us are feeling a bit ragged, and like the students of Cohort III just entering the program... a bit overwhelmed.

Back when I was working in Tajikistan on project that took on a life of its own I learned something that has helped me through times like this before... No matter anything, that second hand keeps ticking.  The minutes and hours shall pass, and in time this too will pass.  No matter the effort, we will end up on the other side of this and it will be over, and its just up to us to give the best effort.  Until then, there is no rest for the weary... its time to keep going.  Remember, around Friday, June 17th, we will be on the pinnacle of this mountain.  Done with the first half, and heading down the second half of this journey that is the Concordia MBA.

A Dash of Light

This week we started early with a special session of our own to discuss the impending capstone and portfolio.  Dr. Ford gave us some great introductory information about what to look for in a capstone project, and the heads up to keep every project we've worked on to ensure we have content for these final portfolios that will demonstrate mastery and proficiency in each of the subjects we've taken.

We then moved to our normal classroom and proceeded with two hours of ethics and two hours of finance.  Hard to believe our first test in finance is already coming in two weeks!

This weekend, like many around the US, I traveled far distances to attend my brother and sister-in-law's graduations from college.  Like so many years we sat there, but this time that repetitive graduation song held a different tune.  This time, that "strange small group of masters students who make up the first two-three rows of the graduates" didn't seem so strange.  I knew the path of their journey, and in as little time as someone saying their first, middle and last name and a hand shake, they reached their final goal.  Their prize had been won. All those group projects, late nights, and chapter and chapters of reading were completed, and they were done.

Seeing all the robes and caps made me envision how in 15 months, these familiar faces of my cohort- my friends that I see weekly, will all be garbed in these similar gowns, and as quickly as it is to say all 20 of our names, this journey will be over.  We'll have the prize and accomplishment of knowing we did it!  And as quickly as this all will end, it will just as quickly begun.  After completing our capstone, and inspiring some positive change in our corner of the world we might just have the taste for what victories lie before us, and this might just lead to the question that got many of us here in the first place... How can I grow?  How can I make a bigger impact in the world around me? What's next?  And so it ends, as, really, it just begins.

Semester III: Two Parts Ethics, Three Parts Finance and a Dash of Leadership- a Recipe for the Half Way Mark

This week our cohort began the final leg of the uphill journey of our Concordia MBA.  After this semester, we will be halfway through the program... the tipping point.... the epic turn before the downhill run!

I just can't begin to explain how quickly this time has passed.  Last August, starting the program feels as though it was just 5 months ago.  Its so hard to believe that a full 9 months have passed!  Its hard not to be overcome with the sheer intensity that has gotten us here, and the mass of knowledge that we have compiled... everyday I'm still drawing new connections between the courses we have taken!  And the thing I feel that has grown the most in all of this- my confidence in what I know.  Sometimes you can be a confident person, knowing who you are, but if you are uncertain about venturing new ideas due to a lack of a solid knowledge foundation... well, I found that it can limit potential.  Its a very uplifting and empowering experience to stand on this kind of solid foundation.

As a student, to be honest, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now.  We just had team changes and the accomplishment of another semester under our belts, both were positive experiences.  But then you are brought back to reality that this isn't over, and semester three, in a way, feels like you are starting over again.  (A positive way of wording that would be "a fresh start")  Right now we've got emails flying in our new team trying to determine a brand new structure of operating than from our previous teams.  We also are engaging in two new classes that from the syllabus are a little intimidating.

(Course, isn't that the way it always is?  You look at a syllabus, and you think- "they've got to be kidding, right?" Then when you complete the course, should you remember to look back, you see that little by little everything was completely accomplished).

So in feeling a little like this all needs to start to get organized I opened an excel doc and lead off.  I went through both syllabus and made row headings of "Date", "Week", "Ethics", "Finance", "Leadership", "Group", and lastly "Unavailability".  For the columns, I then had a date, then below I had the week numbers 1-15 across 15 columns.  Then I went through each syllabus and put all the assignments in so you could see week by week what each class was expecting.  I highlighted when group projects were due, and then listed my name under weeks where I knew that weekend I would be out of reach.  I then posted this document on Google Docs and invited my teammates to list the weekends they are unavailable.  Now that we've all posted, we are going to meet prior to the second class at 5:15 to start mapping out the projects progress over the timeline, and take advantage of the weekends we all have available.  This will then be mapped out in each column with the Row Heading "Group".
(I tried to insert a print screen, but couldn't.  If you want to see it laid out, comment with your contact.)

I'm not out from under feeling stressed about this semester just yet, but I know with the right amounts of preparation and getting things done early on, this will make for a great last semester til we are half way done!

An Inspired Journey

This last week I got a message via facebook.  It was from a friend from college, and we haven't seen eachother in quite some time.  Honestly, with only 12 followers, I wasn't exactly sure of the impact of this blog, but then she sent this message:

Hi Amanda,
Just wanted to let you know that I've been following your blog about your grad school process and you have helped inspire me to pursue my MBA. I just got my acceptance letter to Florida Atlantic University's MBA program & thought you may like to know that your blog about your experiences, hopes, struggles, etc. are not falling on deaf ears! Thanks for sharing your journey so honestly!

Getting this message was such an encouragement to know that the decisions we make in life, and our ability to include others in this journey has its impact. 

What if I had decided to ignore that crazy thought of returning to grad school while Matt was in grad school and while living on a nonprofit salary?

I have friends who joined in Cohort 2 and now another has been accepted into Cohort 3. 

Would these two others have ended up in this program or chose to pursue their dreams in this manner? 

Please don't get me wrong- I'm not crediting myself with these three people's entrance into their MBA.  I just wanted to show how important it is that we not only live a life with pride in the path we make for ourselves, but we should be proud of the path being valuable enough for people to join in on the journey.  Are we living lives that inspire greatness in others, and enabling them to fully become all that they can be?

Out of The Neutral Zone and into New Beginnings

If there's one thing I've really learned about myself over the last couple of years it is how I react to change.  I like to dive in and get things done, and I don't campout for long in the land of tranisition.

In change, this can't always be done so quickly.  I'm thinking about a couple of models of change that go hand in hand that we've learned in Org Behavior and Change... the Lewin's "ice cube" Model and the Bridges Model.  The Lewin Model says that the org needs to be unfrozen (Phase 1).  Then there is movement (Phase 2) and then refreeze (Phase 3) within this new structure.  Bridges also has three phases in his model.  Endings, Neutral Zone, and New Beginnings. In Endings you have to move through a process of showing why "HERE" is no longer good enough.  (Which was touch on masterfully by a guest speaker we had in class this week).  In the New Beginnings stage, you often move into Lewin's third stage, and this is where you continue with the transformation put in place. 

It's this "Neutral Zone" that I just wrestle with.  Often times it feels like the Twilight Zone.... you are neither here nor there.  Bridges expands to say that this time is neccessary for parties to really mourn the loss of no longer staying here and find themselves really ready for transformation and what's to come "THERE".  But he warns this is a very uncomfortable place for people and the team shouldn't be left there for long.  I find I have a quick transition phase and embrace change readily.  However, considering leadership, its about how the team percieves this transition and how readily they are able to move through this phase.

As I've alluded to, we've been preparing for months that our original set teams would be switching up this week.  When we started class, I just felt a peace, and ready to proceed however the teams would be arranged.  I hit the end of my own Neutral Zone.  However, as a cohort, not everyone was there.  We went through some practices to warm up the group to seeing the new picture.  The teams were instructed, not using words, to seek out teams and then look around the room to see how the dynamics worked for the team, and how they worked for the individual groups.  Then we were allowed to use words, and were given brief times to discuss with our potential group roles and presentation preparation styles.  In a final mix up, we were asked if we felt good about our teams and good about the group dynamics.  One team pointed out that my group lacked diversity.  We switched out Jim and we got to get Kevin, from my original group.  There was another two groups with commuters who after dicussions realized that the distance wouldn't impair their learning teams or project development.  Finally, there was one last cohort dynamic, that several people pointed out.  Two gals from our cohort have really hit it off after being in the same group, and you can tell their friendship extends out of class.  They are both strong, type As, with take charge personalities.  I think the group as a whole kinda wanted to see the two of them independently.  However, the class came to a consensus that it wasn't an issue, and the teams were set in stone.

These teams will be ours for the next 12 months.  We'll work hard together and begin completing a working agreement within the team to ensure everyone is putting forth their best work, and that there is an understanding to how the team works.  There was even some discussion as to how delinquent members would be dealt with... an action plan and even the idea of should the group consider a potential firing from the project?  These decision will be made at a higher level, but its nice that the teams are empowered to confirm expectations and help other teamates meet those levels. 

As for me- I'm very excited about the collaborative nature of our team.  Each member is strong and can stand on their own two legs.  I see the leadership in this group is viewed as empowering rather than take charge.  I know I will feel challenged to take my contributions up to the next level, and learn from my team new styles and tools of leadership!

On a professional front, I really see these Models of Organization Change at play in my own office.  After two decades of leadership our President is retiring at the end of the year.  While formally announced earlier this year, talk of such change had been circulating for over a year.  I can see how we are in Lewin's Movement phase, and concurrently in Bridge's Neutral Zone.  Just as people are nearing completion of this ambiguous state, the rumors of additional leadership changes forces this stage to continue. Bridges warns that left too long in this stage, you will see an affect on employee morale.

Last week I learned in class about how some teams do reflections at the beginning of meetings  through fellow students.   My friend explained that this is a time just before meetings that a short story, prayer or thought can be expressed to empower a team and fuel them on the purpose of our mission.  Just before a meeting I led last Thursday, I decided to employ this option, and read a short verse and paragraph on the value of stewardship.  I hope this was an encouragement to our team, and was just a little reminder of the great vision and mission set before us.

The good thing I see for our work team is that when change does occur, we will be ready.  And those who are not, and those who cannot get behind this change can be given the opportunity to get on the train or stay at the station, but we will not be camping out in the Neutral Zone for longer than we have to.  It's time for New Beginnings!

Half Way through Org. Behavior and Change

I debated a bit the title of this posting... I certainly don't want people thinking I'm just counting my weeks through this program, but it is a bit hard to believe that this week marked halfway through a class I felt just started.

I've really enjoyed Org Behavior and Change.  After a class like Accounting, I was ready for a class that I had some foreknowledge about.  My Psychology background in this class has been really helpful, and I feel it enables me to take my critical thinking to the next level.

This brings me to another- "why to pick Concordia as your MBA" point- Traveling through your MBA with the same cohort allows you to be on a subject by subject journey.  In putting this program together, they employed a Curriculum Architect, meaning- the courses are intended to build on one another.  In a lot of programs, you take similar classes, but self register, which means you sign up for what you want to, but there may not be the understanding as you go along of how to build the classes on top of each other.  Of course, they have some classes that require prereqs, but that's not the same as a well placed Leadership and Critical Thinking Course near the beginning of the program to help shape the lenses through which you view the rest of the classes.  I think this is so wonderfully intentional!

This is the last week with our original groups.  This week we are to email the professor and program director with people we think we would like to work with, and a majority of this next class will be focused on coming to a class consensus of the arrangement of new teams.  There are some nerves in the room, and sometimes arrangements like this can appear as the analogy of picking teams in gym class, but I'm confident that with the level of professionalism of my fellow students and the organization of the evening, we are all going to be excited about the teams we are working with for the next 3 semesters.

On a side note- I'm an active participant in life, and generally cannot focus on just one thing.  So one month ago, I decided to balance school, work and training for my very first 5K.  This was not just any 5K, it was the First Annual SHAPE Diva Dash 5K and OBSTACLE COURSE.  Now this sounds like a feat in itself, however it was a much greater feat for myself, who one month ago almost passed out from trying to run one mile straight.  I assembled a team of Divas, from my friend all the way in OKC to KC who is in my cohort.  The 7 of us ran like we've never run before, and it was an awesome feat!  Even in the midst of studies, work and our biggest event of the year, there was time to train, run and complete my first 5K!

A visit from an old friend

What is truly expresses a lack of differentiating, and has equal regard for all?  The flu.  The unfortunate victim this week was Dr. Green.  I know she must be reeling, since she only has five weeks to get us through this course, and now she's had to miss a fifth of that, but luckily her friend and one of our favorite professors was there to back her up.  Dr. Thom made an appearance as our substitute, and I was glad to see him, and see his approach to this course.  He had some great visible aides that broke down OD and it's lenses and change models.  I liken his teaching approach as to having a 1500 ft view of a forest of a subject, and then take a closer look at each section of the forest, knowing how it plays into the larger part.  It seems often subjects are taught tree by tree and somehow at the end of your time in class you find your way out to the other side. This approach lacks effort on fully understanding how you got there, and focuses more just what you got there.  So that's what Dr. Thom did for us, we got to see a quick overview of the developments of theories, and this week, we put those to great use as we work on a professional challenge and understanding it through the lens and scope of theory and change models.

Here Dr. Thom offers words of wisdom to some of my fabulous fellow students.

It's hard enough to believe that this next week in class will mark being halfway done with this class, and the following week, we will be switching up our teams that we were originally assigned to at the beginning of the program.  I've been preparing for this change, and along the time we've been in our cohorts, recognizing who I thought I would really enjoy working with.  I've built amazing relationships with my current team, but I console myself that it's not like I won't be seeing them every week!!

Speaking of Team 1, this last week we led the class exercise, and it went wonderfully, We focused on Evolutionary VS Revolutionary Change in action and in leadership.  We divided the teams up into four groups and had debates!  Teams were assigned a position on the Egyptian crisis and on MLK.  Michael was able to come through with great prizes, and our winning teams, determined by points given by the class, won individual gift certificates of $10 to Kona Grill!  I was really happy with the way everything turned out, especially after only a week of preparation.  Go Team 1!

This picture was taken just after the debates concluded.  You can count on KC to smile for the picture!