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Yvonne Thevenot: From FOMO to FOGO to….

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Yvonne Thevenot MBA(FS) Class of 1999

Fear of Missing Out… A newish acronym associated with social media, but truly has been around as long as kids have been picking sides for baseball, or one group got to go hunting while the other stayed home to help. Of course, it doesn’t just apply to children – every day it sparks motivation in adults to join Club(houses), to gather Apples, and to take on 10-day picture posting challenges.

Fear of Going Out… Ok, I admit it. When I see someone without a mask, I just can’t help the “Hey You” reaction in my brain, heart and stomach. And when I see the CUTE little baby next door, I catch my breath and abruptly take 2 steps back instead of doing what every fibre of my soul wants to do but lean in and smell that baby smile.

Fear is powerful motivator. Fear of action, fear of inaction. And eventually that fear takes its toll. People get tired, worn to a place that sleep doesn’t solve, and even the acts of renewal – nature, reading, song and dance – don’t scrub the fear away… unless… we reframe, we relearn, we reinvent. Add to that some amazing support networks to make happen…to listen, to encourage, to champion, to check in.

So here’s my hope…. from FOMO to FOGO…to YOLO… just for YOU….

Maria Artuso: What have I learned during the pandemic?

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Maria Artuso MBA(FS) Class of 2015

As I reflect on the past year, I would be remiss if I did not share that the personal development and professional gains, I have experienced would not have been possible, if not for a global crisis.

The Covid19 pandemic was a pivotal moment for our global society.  Overnight, the structure of community services, healthcare, education, and business experienced an unprecedented disruption. Our collective courage was tested as we focused our energies for a quick response.  We were facing the unknown, recognizing that our situation required us to develop new skill sets quickly.  As a leader and member of my community, I challenged myself to choose compassion, resilience and to become a better person.

Reflecting on the beginning of March 2020, my team and I were still on the heels of widespread robberies taking place around our community.  Regrettably, members of my team were involved in a traumatic robbery in January. Personally, and professionally, we were still working through a rollercoaster of emotions when Covid19 was officially deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization.   Within a week of our robbery, my husband was involved in a similar robbery involving the same gang and community setting.   We were all experiencing a high level of angst.

There is never enough preparation to help you through these moments of truth. I admit that I was unprepared for the raw feeling of helplessness and vulnerability that came as a response to these experiences. The inability to provide the why, the how, the what, that would come next was foreign to me.  I pride myself on being able to make sound decisions, backed up by facts and details, and being able to connect the dots for people even when I do not have all the details, or when events seem far fetched or intangible.

For me, the year 2020 came with no rule books.  I recognized that I lived and worked within complexity and uncertainty. That prompted me to see that being human, bringing my true self to work and home, and genuinely sharing what I was going through allowed me, as never before, to connect more authentically with my peers, my colleagues, my work family, my immediate family, and my husband. This was a time when differences were set aside, biases were minimized and the purity of one’s health and wellness became top priority.

Moving into a full fledge pandemic with many unknowns, tested our resolve to accept there were more questions than answers and to avoid panic and misunderstandings. This was an opportunity to be creative in how we came together as a family, a community, and a nation.  Supporting each other as social distancing protocols were introduced, acknowledging fear, and then moving to actively seek solutions was what kept us focused on the task at hand.  Without question, we are in this together.

When I think about these past months, I am proud of the resilience and courage demonstrated by my colleagues, my peers, my family.   We continue to band together, with common goals and a united front to take on the challenge that continues to face our global world.  Regardless of the new norm that we often hear and talk about today, I know we have the capacity and determination to successfully navigate what lies ahead.

What have I learned in 2020 when it comes to work life and togetherness? For starters, never take others for granted – appreciate family, colleagues and those who cross our paths. Do not sweat the small stuff and be grateful for the life that has been given. Stay connected and foster support systems for the benefit of our mental health and wellness.  Belonging and keeping in contact using virtual technology is critical for our well-being. I have learned to be more patient and compassionate with myself and others. I have accepted that there will be difficult, and even more uncomfortable conversations, which will be necessary to advance our understanding of one another.

Above all, I have learned that humour is essential.  Focus and enjoy the little things in life that make us smile and laugh.  Kindness and respect, compassion and happiness will see us through the most difficult of times.

Let us forge ahead together – because we are stronger together.

Dr. Carolan McLarney: The Power of Ideas

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Dr. Carolan McLarney

Like many times in my life, what started off as a fleeting idea turned into an exhausting but rewarding experience.

On Sunday April the 4th, I had an idea, to see if we could try to replicate, as close as possible, a classroom experience.  I thought “What if during our International Business students could sit in front of their laptops at home at the office or wherever and look at me as if I were standing right front of them in the classroom.”  How would we do that?   So that evening I wrote an email to Derek, Cassandra and Michelle and said “Do you think there’s any way we could actually try and replicate a classroom experience?  What if you filmed me in a classroom and we just pretended as though the students were sitting in front of me?”

On April the 7th, I walked into the Executive Classroom (which many of you would know) and there was Derek (masked) with three different cameras, two different microphones,  this massive TV screen, tons of lighting and every kind of technology you could ever imagine.  Online was the CEGE team, who had given up part of their day to see if this technology could work.  We experimented for a long time that day to figure out what camera angle worked,  were to stand , how to move.  Morgan had great ideas in terms of the presentation itself…. the font size, the colour, the background, what would work best on camera.   Sarah was great at telling me when I was out of range.  She would say….you need to hit your marks.

At one point, we got some masking tape and put X’s on the floor to where I could stand and where I could  not.  Cassandra was great for saying “you know when you’re standing this way your voice is kind of trailing off a bit”.  Michelle, as always saw it the way the students would see it, she would say  if you looked at the camera more often that would probably be a great idea.  And throughout all this, Derek is running around changing the lighting, the microphones, and the camera angles. We rehearsed again the next week and we had our last dress rehearsal on the 19th, two days before we went “Live”.

On Wednesday April the 21st at 9:00 o’clock we started with students that were across this country literally,  from Newfoundland all the way across Canada out to Victoria.   We started and we said to them this is an experiment it may go badly but we hope it doesn’t.  For the next three days Derek and I (masked , socially distanced, with lots of hand washing) ran the IB intensive.  I taught the same way I would teach if the students were sitting in front of me. We had the students interacting.   We had students working in breakout rooms,  we had guest speakers and at the end of it I came away and thought that’s about as close as we’re going to get.  Then Derek turned to me and said “Oh I think we can do even better.  We can do even better….you just wait to see what we can do so for SLC this summer!”

To the students that were with us on this new adventure, I want to thank you.   It was an experiment and it was a tough one at times.  At times the mic went down,  or I was kind of out of range, and at times the lighting didn’t work. At one point in time Derek and I actually were hauling in a coat rack  so we could mount a light on top of it so that half my face did not make  me look like the I was the stand-in for the Phantom of the Opera.

For the students,  I think the real take away from this was that it was a different experience they had than for other virtual intensives.  The idea that they could sit across from me, with each other and all of us interacting well that came true.

While this was a stopgap measure until we can get ourselves sitting literally in front of each other I think it may be part of the future.   If we can make this a way that you can sit anywhere and be engaged, be challenged, to stretch your thinking, to be able to interact with each other, then what a wonderful tool to have in our toolkit.

What started out as an idea turned into three dress rehearsals, three different cameras, multiple microphones, every kind of lighting system you could ever imagine, a massive TV screen, and complete destruction and restoration of the Dean’s Boardroom.  It involved   incredible support and help from my TA Irena who managed to monitor and moderate all of our discussions.   Derek who was my unfailing audience all the way through this who often put his hand up when nobody was answering any of my questions.  To Michelle and Sarah and Morgan and Cassandra who gave me invaluable advice,  thank you for helping  turn the idea into reality.  The feedback from the students from both Intensives (yes, we did this twice over 10 days) agree that this was an intensive unlike others, which at the end of it all was the whole point of the exercise.

 

Michael Ryan Guglielmin: Podcast Interview with Dr. Kent Williams, Conversations with Canadians

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Michael Ryan Guglielmin MBA Leadership Class of 2024

 

 

Michael Ryan Guglielmin is currently enrolled in Dalhousie’s MBA Leadership program through the Centre for Executive and Graduate Education (CEGE).   Not long ago, Michael launched a podcast, Conversations With Canadians where he interviews Canadians across the country from all walks of life. Discussions cover a broad range of topics from politics and academia to sports and media. Michael’s goal is to highlight some of the interesting things we are up to, and attempt to uncover what Canada and being Canadian means to each of us.

Recently Michael interviewed Dr. Kent Williams, a professor of climate change leadership at Dalhousie University.

 

Michael Guglielmin host of Conversations with Canadians Podcast

 

 

 

 

This is your invitation to listen in to this excellent podcast conversation with Michael and Dr. Williams as they discuss, ethics, ethical leadership, climate change, and finding meaning and purpose in life.  Listeners will hear about training leaders to meet 21st century problems.

You can connect with Michael on Instagram, Conversations With Canadians and on Twitter,

@MikeRyanG.  You can connect with Dr. Kent Williams on his website Integral Dialogue Project.

 

 

 

 

Conversations with Canadians – Dr. Kent Williams: Ethical Leadership and Sustainability

Chris Strutt on Preparing for the Intensive Season

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Strategic Financial Management (MPA(M))

The virtual winter term Intensives are in full swing; some have ended, some are just beginning, and some are in the thick of it. Our MIM, MPA(M) and MBA(FS) program courses end with a two-to-four-day Intensive session in which students can solidify and apply their newly gained knowledge presented in the concepts, theories, and learning objectives of the course.

So, what should students expect during the intensive sessions?

CEGE Connection reached out to Chris Strutt, who is in the MPA(M) program at the Centre for Executive and Graduate Education.  Soon to graduate, Chris shares his thoughts with fellow students on how to prepare for their first Intensive.

Chris Strutt, MPA(M) Class of 2021
Parole Officer

Congratulations on making it to the end of your first course in the MPA(M)!

Honestly, in my experience over the past 12 courses, the Intensives have always been the best part of the class. Not just because they signal the end of 12 weeks of hard work, but everything we have learned and discussed in the course will suddenly come together. Intensives are the best opportunity to finally put the theory and concepts into actual practice with some real-world application.

My biggest piece of advice is pay attention during the Intensive.  You have completed your assignments and reviewed your course notes and text.  The Intensives are your opportunity to ask questions. Our professors are fully engaged with students and are committed to providing the highest level of teaching. By the end of the Intensive, you will understand the course materials and will be prepared for the exam.  Based on your efforts over the past four months, you are ready to be tested.  The readings, assignments, and term project have prepared you, not only to complete an examination, but to think strategically within your chosen career path.

While Covid19 prevented us from meeting in a classroom, every effort was made to ensure that there was a sense of belonging that fostered exploration and teamwork.  We are learning to connect virtually.  Ask questions, share ideas, and participate in discussions and real-world collaborations.     Use the Intensive to review and integrate main concepts, consolidate information and dialogue with your peers.   You will have an amazing time.

All the very best in your studies,

Chris Strutt, MPA(M) Class of 2021