From Kyle Palantzas of Coburg Consultants

 

With business hitting record speeds, frequencies and magnitudes, the line between right and wrong is becoming more ambiguous. History has painted an elaborate ethical spectrum, from the rise of Starbucks and the demise of Enron – ethics are more important now than ever before. Business acumen is being distilled through a stricter and amplified filter, as companies and managers maneuver their decisions and strategies to live within an acceptable ethical framework.

As ethics continue to gain prevalence, business schools across the globe are engraining approaches to breed ethically-charged managers and leaders. These efforts are producing well-rounded, informed and consequence-cautious minds, able to distinguish and narrow this spectrum.

However, most issues and circumstances are far more complex than just right versus wrong, good versus bad, or black versus white. It takes a combination of rational, values and social conventions to reach a constructive result.

Ethics take on many identities that affect decisions on a multitude of interconnected and diverse roles. To fully embody this moral compass, one must realize its complexity and adapt to situations. To personify the role of ethics in my life, I recognize the context and shape my approach accordingly.

As a student, my ethical identity is driven by a commitment to integrity and challenge. The initial step to shaping this framework is the use of my own thoughts and ideas to further my learning. My ethics test and foster my abilities, as I constantly seek development and opportunity. Digging deeper, my moral principles extend into respecting and accepting the open exchange of ideas and learning – adding to the productive, fruitful and expanding academic environment.

As an employee, my moral compass is steered by the combination of personal and corporate values and principles. Adding another layer to my ethical framework thickens the degree of severity, as the difference between right and wrong takes on more meaning. As an employee, I embody the ideals, standards and objectives of my company. I hold no conflicts of interest, give an honest and transparent effort and fully commit to my responsibilities and duties – treating my firm’s stakeholders as my own.

As an athlete my ethics are cultivated through competition and sportsmanship. My loyalty to train and participate in healthy rivalry is a privilege and test of character. To win with respect and lose with honour are both amicable outcomes. The allegiance to my team and the attitude towards my progress both encompass the spirit of sport.

As a shareholder my ethics are represented by another company, living through its decisions, actions and strategies. As an investor I only support a company that takes pride in its product, generates a sustainable profit and sees the world through a humane, environmental and sustainable lens. My investment must seek positive change and see the glass half full, reinforcing my moral values.

As a citizen my ethics guide my everyday routine and impact my future plans. From the simplest gestures of respect, to mapping out my objectives, values and life goals – my moral code plays an active role to influence and trump my actions and decisions.

As you can see ethics connects and is embodied in all aspects of life. It requires adaptability of beliefs, practice in situational contexts and awareness about its overarching reach. It truly is a balance between moral propositions, consequences and everything in between. The word ethics is derived from the Greek word Ethos, which means character. However, we are selling ourselves short if we limit ethics only to individuals.

Businesses are investing large amounts of capital to build and develop this “character” through powerful brands, missions, innovations and charitable initiatives. Balancing between maximizing profits and the increasing need for non-economic factors is continually shaping and re-shaping business strategies worldwide. However, every corporation, be it 2 or 2 million employees, is made up of individuals – allowing personal and corporate ethics to collide and come full circle. To achieve moral prosperity firms must honour and invest in ethical leaders to instil a focus of ethics on the entire organization.

What is an ethical leader, you ask?

To me, an ethical leader is someone who has the ability to capture and communicate their values and beliefs. This noble character is an advocate of accountability and acts as a support mechanism to promote ethical conduct and guide employees’ actions. This morale booster comes from many backgrounds and departments and is found at the bottom and top of an organization. A role model that leads by example, this type of leader understands and encapsulates the power, impact and relevancy of ethics in today’s business environment.

Companies are recognizing and rewarding these ethical leaders, who in turn act as a vehicle to promote and contribute to the firm’s corporate social responsibility. With uncertainty in the economy, many firms have taken a stance within this ethical realm, promoting cultures of collaboration while breeding influential and inspiring values.

In my opinion, diversifying and linking personal and corporate values not only promote ethical leadership, but also adds to the richness of what a company represents.

From Andy Dennis of Coburg Consultants

 

As we move into a new experience, be it a new program or a new job, we always have questions.

What will the work be like? Will I have time for a social life? How much should I be getting paid? 

Finding the right person to ask these questions can be a challenge though – especially when the questions you want to ask, are the ones you feel uncomfortable asking.

Mentorship offers an answer to this problem.

A mentorship is a mutual agreement in which a more experienced professional agrees to lend their knowledge and experience to their mentee in a safe context. This allows the mentee to ask those difficult questions and access a perspective that would otherwise be inaccessible.

In the CRMBA program, mentorship takes several forms. The Alumni Mentorship program pairs a current student with an alumnus who is established in the corporate world. This relationship can provide mentees with valuable insight into a desired industry, advice on job-hunting, or specific technical knowledge.

For students entering the CRMBA program, the first-year/second-year mentorship program provides new students with a valuable resource for learning about what life is like as an MBA student.

So what makes a good mentor/mentee relationship?

Ian McAllister, a GM with Amazon, outlines several attributes of a successful mentor/mentee relationship:

Mutually understood goals

Both the mentor and the mentee can have goals, but make sure they are communicated early on.

Mentee-driven

The mentee should be the one initiating contact and having topics ready for discussion at meetings.

Bandwidth-appropriate

Mentors should only commit to a relationship if they actually have time to meet with their mentee. Conversely a mentee has to be respectful of the mentor’s time and have reasonable expectations around meetings.

A focus on approaches, not tactics

The real value for the mentee comes from learning how to think about a given issue rather than looking for a step-by-step guide on answering a problem

A focus on listening

A mentor/mentee isn’t a job interview. It’s important to avoid talking too much about your own experiences and learn form your mentor’s.

Transparency

Sometimes criticism is hard to take, but a mentor should be straightforward with their mentee. A mentor/mentee relationship should be a safe one and critical advice with guidance around improvement will only help the mentee grow.

For more information on the Rowe School of Business Alumni Mentorship please click here.

 

From Andy Dennis of Coburg Consulting

With March well underway, the CRMBA class of 2014 is closing out their final semester of what has been an exciting journey through Dal MBA. Meanwhile, across Canada the class of 2015 is a quarter of the way through their 8-month Corporate Residency.

This week we check in with some of the first-year CRMBA students currently on residency to find out what their experience has been like so far and the challenges they have faced in their first two months.

“To date, I’m really enjoying my time with the company and the challenges of my position. Upon arrival in January I was surprised to learn that I would spend my first five weeks in a TJX classroom being introduced to their norms, systems and reporting methods. Although the training period was lengthy it is a testament to their willingness to invest in their co-op students. In my relatively short time at TJX, I’ve been entrusted to research multi-million dollar initiatives, encouraged to participate in quarterly strategy meetings, and offered the opportunity to freely interact with executives.”

Courtney Carnahan – Store Planning Analyst, TJX Canada (Toronto)

“In the past two months I’ve been able to help on a number of projects and proposals, doing anything from research to stakeholder interviews. It’s been great to be given so much responsibility off the bat and which has allowed me to gain insight into a few different industries. One of the challenges I’ve found is leaving things at work. It’s really easy to take work home with me and sometimes I do, but I’ve learned to better separate work from personal time in order to better enjoy both.”

Morgan McCunn – Business Analyst, Deloitte (Halifax)

“In Global Banking and Markets the work I am doing is mostly centered around company analysis. I really like applying an analytical mindset to complete the job efficiently. Applying knowledge of financial statements and classification of different expenses/revenues to paint a true picture of a company’s financial position is something that intrigues me and keeps things interesting. Each industry has different ways of reporting its financial health, and for each industry, Scotiabank takes a tailored approach to evaluating the risk of the company. Using both qualitative and quantitative information to assess and quantify this risk is what I really enjoy.”

David D’Cruz – Corporate Banking Analyst, Scotiabank (Toronto)

“Working at DHX Media is great.  I love that I was able to dig into the work right away.   It is providing me with a tremendous learning experience.  I have also enjoyed the unique challenges that DHX faces as an international organization.  I am looking forward to seeing how the next six months unfold.”

Rebecca Hebb – Corporate Development Analyst, DHX Media (Halifax)

To learn more about the Class of 2015 and their Corporate Residencies please click here.

From Andy Dennis of Coburg Consultants

 

One month from now, the CRMBA class of 2015 will begin their eight-month corporate residency.

Eight months can seem like a long time. For those of us who entered the MBA program directly from undergrad, this could be the first time in our lives that we set our sights on one thing for eight consecutive months.

Questions like ‘What if I don’t fit in?’… ‘What if I don’t like what I’m doing?’… and ‘How do I make the most of my opportunity?’ are likely flying through the minds of many getting ready to embark on the hallmark experience of Dal MBA. The element of uncertainty is often met with nervous excitement, but one thing is for sure – the corporate residency is one of the most valuable experiences of our young careers.

So how do you make the most of this experience and what will it take to succeed?

“It is important to get comfortable with ambiguity,” says second-year MBA student Laura Fougere, who completed her residency with Bank of Montreal. “The workplace is constantly changing and if you are willing to adapt, you’ll be successful.”

Inevitably, something unexpected will happen during your corporate residency. Don’t panic. Embrace it. You never know what opportunities a new challenge will present.

The corporate residency is a truly unique opportunity. You have an extended period of time to show an employer that you can add value to their organization. In some ways it is like an eight-month interview – for both you and your residency company.

It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to immerse yourself in an organization and experience it’s culture first hand before taking on a permanent position. The best way to learn about an industry and an organization is by talking to those already in it. Especially for larger organizations, it will be impossible to fully understand the different lines of work available to you without branching out and meeting new people. Be eager and ask questions.

All of this may sound intimidating – but remember, you’re not alone. Your coworkers, fellow MBA colleagues both past and present, as well as Dal’s award winning faculty are all there to help. Again, all you need to do is ask.

“We are lucky to have such great resources during our residency, the second year students as well as the faculty, who are always so willing to offer advice and share their experiences”, says Nick Macarthur, a first year MBA student preparing to go on residency. “This allows us to approach our workplace with a greater sense of confidence.”

Finally remember to have fun. Social events can be a great way to get a feel for your organization’s corporate culture. So make sure you soak up the full experience. Eight months may seem like a long time but it will be over before you know it. Get out of the gates early and make the most of your time.