“We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.”
Peter Drucker
Archives for January 2021
Robert Wooden: The Pace of Change in the Workplace
Robert Wooden, Director, Management Career Services
“Many students expect to advance their career rapidly and expect many role changes. Our students’ ability to continue to learn, their health and resiliency will all greatly contribute to their success and the success of the organizations that recruit them.” Robert Wooden, Director of the Faculty of Management’s Management Career Services
“Are we really preparing business students for the future workforce?”
Six team members from Dalhousie University’s co-op offices joined other co-op and career services practitioners from across Canada with employers focused on student and early talent recruitment for two days of learning and engagement in early December for the 2020 edition of the Future Workforce Conference. Sessions included the Gen Z Mindset, EDI in Recruitment, Game Based Assessment Tools, and Virtual Education Programs to Equip Future Talent and much more.
Robert Wooden, Director of the Faculty of Management’s Management Career Services unit was one of Dalhousie’s attendees and returned as a repeat presenter, having presented last year on the topic “Growing Your On Campus Brand”. This year Robert joined reps from McMaster University, BMO Bank of Montreal, and KPMG to discuss the topic “Are We Really Preparing Business Students for the Future Workforce?”
The session dialogue was rich, questions many and varied all while the panel members engaged with the audience to answer chat questions in real time over the 60 minutes. The dialogue included examination of the need of hard skills and soft skills as well as the ability for today’s graduates to be prepared and want to continue to learn throughout their entire career.
Employers interested in seriously tapping into this talent must be mindful of such considerations as socioeconomic issues, inclusion & diversity, mental health, as well as adaptability and agility. Closing remarks included a resounding “yes” from all four panelists that business schools are preparing students for the future workforce however the pace in which we need to make these preparations are changing.
Many students expect to advance their career rapidly and expect many role changes. Our students’ ability to continue to learn, their health and resiliency will all greatly contribute to their success and the success of the organizations that recruit them.
Robert and the Employer Development Team at Dalhousie’s Management Career Services is pleased to connect with new employers and Dalhousie FoM alumni alike to discuss how they can recruit talented students from business programs with the Faculty of Management for co-op, internship and post-grad opportunities.
Celebrating Robert Burns Day
“Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne”.
Robert Burns, (January 25, 1759 – July 21, 1796)
Burns Monument Alloway, South Ayrshire, Scotland
Robert Burns message “Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?” remains ever relevant in a world where friendships have taken on a global perspective. His words, traveling across the centuries, are a call to action. On this Robert Burns Day 2021, let us celebrate and remember the importance of friendship and camaraderie.
Friday Reflection
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”
Wendell Berry, The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry
Terry Lampropoulos: Becoming A Better Teacher
“I can say with confidence that the Dal MBA helped me progress in my career while I was a student, but it did something else – it helped me become a better teacher.”
Terry Lampropoulos MBA(FS) Class of 2019
Terry Lampropoulos MBA(FS) Class of 2019
Graduations signify passages and transitions, of moving forward and of accepting new ventures and challenges. Terry Lampropoulos crossed the stage in October 2019 to receive his degree, signifying the completion of a robust academic journey. In a virtual interview with CEGE Connection, Terry shared his insights on how his years of study influenced his direction going forward.
Terry Lampropoulos:
The feeling that I had when I graduated from Dalhousie with my MBA (FS) is something that was truly surreal. I felt happy, nostalgic, grateful, and, honestly, weird because I now had something known as “free time.” I reflected upon what I had learned during my journey to my MBA and I thought back to all the wonderful courses and professors who I had the privilege from which to learn. With a background in sciences, learning about topics like accounting, finance, marketing, and international business was a humbling but very worthwhile experience because I, like many of the alumni finishing MBAs, work in the banking industry. I can say with confidence that the Dal MBA helped me progress in my career while I was a student, but it did something else – it helped me become a better teacher.
In addition to working in the financial industry, I am also the Coordinator and Instructor at Seneca College in Toronto, Ontario for their Risk Management program. I started teaching at Seneca in January 2015, but it has become an absolute passion for me. Seeing my students complete their studies on a part-time basis (something I can definitely related too!) but also excel in the classroom and in their careers is something that brings me unbridled joy. My time as a teacher, however, did not start smoothly. I had just started my MBA studies when I started teaching and my style was, well, rudimentary. Considering all this, I realized that my time as an MBA student was going to give me insights on how to control a classroom, communicate with students using an online platform, build knowledge through discussion, and ensure that my students were engaged in, not only the theoretical material being taught in the textbooks, but also in the real world.
Seeing my professors navigate course material with case information was a dream. Observing the teaching styles of Dr. Carolan McLarney, Dr. James Barker, and Dr. Greg Hebb (I do not intend to miss names, so I apologize) showed me that being myself in a classroom was the easiest way to get students to engage. I would like to say that I know a thing-or-two about risk but listening to my students, the way my professors at Dal did, is something that cannot be forgotten. I felt that I developed a rapport with my professors while I went through my Dal journey and now I hope to do the same with my students. Every time I am in the classroom, I aim to inject knowledge, humor, but, most importantly, create connections. It is these connections that resonated with me at Dal and I hope to do the same with my students at Seneca.
CEGE Connection Archives: November 26, 2019
Friday Reflection
“For he that does good, having the unlimited power to do evil, deserves praise not only for the good which he performs, but for the evil which he forbears.”
Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe
Eilean Donan Castle
Krista Phillips: Making a Positive Impact in the Climate Change and Clean Energy Sectors
Krista Phillips MBA(Leadership) Class of 2020
Krista Phillips, Clean Energy and Transportation Strategist, Government of Nova Scotia, is passionate about the development of vibrant communities. She believes that by supporting our entrepreneurs and promoting new and innovative development, our communities can be energized, dynamic, and culturally exciting places to live! A civil engineer and project management professional with over 20 years experience, Krista has worked in the environmental remediation sector across Canada. She is currently working to develop policy and programs to modernize the transportation systems in Nova Scotia, including electric and alternative fuels in both land and marine transportation.
Krista crossed the virtual state to receive her MBA(Leadership) in October 2020. CEGE Connection reached out to Krista for her thoughts on her MBA journey and how life-long learning has opened her to new opportunities.
Krista Phillips
I enrolled in the MBA program to change the direction of my career. I am an engineer and worked in the environmental consulting industry for many years. My main role was as a project, team, and client manager. I found that once I moved into a government position, I was largely seen as an exclusively technical person, which can limit opportunities for advancement and continued career growth, certainly in the direction I wanted to pursue.
Also, working in consulting had given me a background in some aspects of business management, but I found I had many questions related to senior decision making and corporate strategy. For those reasons, I decided an MBA would give me strengths in areas where I was lacking, as well as a different perspective and way of looking at both problems and opportunities.
Keeping the balance between work, study, and life required focus and a flexible mindset. When I initially considered doing an MBA, my consulting job required a lot of evenings and weekend work, and last-minute travel. With my current position I was fortunate that I had available time, which allowed me to schedule my schoolwork in such a way that I could work full time and study three or so evenings each week, working on weekends as needed. Typically, I would do all my reading and study work during the week and complete my assignments on weekends, when there were more periods of uninterrupted time.
The distance learning model used by Centre for Executive and Graduate Education for their MBA programs made it easy to schedule my own time, without having to attend a series of regular classes. I was able to study when I wanted, and still maintain a personal life.
Many people have said to me that they would have difficulty combining a full-time career with a robust academic course load. It certainly does require discipline to sidestep the temptation of procrastination, but once I became accustomed to the routine it became a part of my daily activities.
My work for the government is focused on addressing climate change through innovation, renewable energy, and clean transportation. These are all new and emerging sectors which need support to be adopted and integrated into our daily lives. The MBA(Leadership) positioned me to identify and employ strategic thinking and planning, skillsets necessary to evaluate and explore solutions for complex situations.
I now look at problems from various points of view and understand how senior leadership manages the decision-making processes. This MBA(Leadership) program helped me to change how I see each situation, to allow more room for differing opinions, and to remain flexible in my approach.
The program has a heavy focus on presentations to professors and classmates. Having delivered at least a dozen presentations has increased my confidence in public speaking events at conferences and seminars. This confidence is evident when I deliver briefings to senior executives and present my ideas to colleagues.
I chose the leadership stream of the MBA program, the direction in which my career is taking me. Whether it is in a senior executive leadership position, or simply applying my learnings while mentoring junior staff, these skills will be valuable throughout the rest of my career.
What are my next steps? Now that I have completed my MBA, this is the question I am currently exploring. I have a few ideas and avenues I am pursuing that will allow me to keep growing within an industry that I love. My goal is to make a positive impact in the climate change and clean energy sectors.
Friday Reflection
“There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.”
Louis L’Amour, Lonely on the Mountain
Alana Riley: Staying Connected in a Disconnected World
Alana Riley MBA(FS) 2017
Ironically, at the start of the 2020 business planning year, my plan title was 20/20 VISION. I think no one could have predicted that the world would be this flipped upside down in less than 9 months. Simple social norms and customs- now a complete social faux pas. Will people ever hold the door open for each other again when no one wants to touch the handle!
Remember when we jammed into elevators, holding the door to squeeze one more person in like sardines? Now we follow arrows, look down at which box to stand in and are encouraged to be anti- social. Where does anyone meet any new connections these days? The power of human contact has a deep and impactful meaning for our emotional well being, sense of belonging and purpose and of course can impact our business success.
One of the unique aspects of the Master programs offered through Dalhousie’s Centre for Executive and Graduate Education is that it was fully functional online long before the pandemic. My journey through the MBA Blended with Financial Services was enhanced by the meaningful relationships that were formed with the current students, professors, and alumni, most of which were originally initiated online. In fact, our network continued to grow post graduation- an underground alumnus if you will!
Last year, I attended a Calgary Dalhousie Lobster Fest (who would miss fresh Atlantic lobsters) hosted by alumni representatives and had the opportunity to meet Joseph Macdonald. Joseph, MBA’91, has been championing the Dal community in the West for decades! With his encouragement, I committed to volunteering in the Dal Circle, formalizing some of our activities together and most recently was appointed as Alumni Ambassador for Calgary. I look forward to connecting and building our community. Now, more than ever, the power of connection builds resilience and courage.
Welcome to 2021, a fresh year of exciting possibilities and opportunities. Whether you are deep into your online studies, working from home or in need of personal connections, join me in bringing powerful connections together in this disconnected world.
Happy New Year: Welcome to 2021
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language
And next year’s words await another voice.”
T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets
January 1, 2021 marks the beginning of a new year, one that holds the realization of fresh challenges and opportunities, celebrations, and milestones. Whether or not you entertain making New Year’s resolutions, there is a reflective moment that accompanies the transition from one year to another. It is a milestone that allows us to examine the passage of time and look forward to what comes next. Whatever that may be, our efforts and energies are focused on adding to the breadth and depth of knowledge and experience. In so doing, we are active participants in creating positive outcomes, now and for future generations.
As we bid farewell to the Year 2020, the words of T.S. Eliot remind us to embrace a fresh year “that awaits another voice.” Welcome to 2021 and the many conversations that are waiting for us in the coming months.
We invite you to join the discussion.