Just got my arm twisted into participating in this… it’s on next Tuesday night, and we are expecting snow at the weekend. It’s a novel (but cruel!) way to raise funds for great causes.

“Hello all, a few dedicated runners are putting together a last-minute fundraiser for the Social Impact Club.  With your support we can give the SIC a wonderful 2012 graduation present that will go on supporting the SIC’s mission of leveraging business knowledge to drive sustainable communities. ”

The SIC has set up its own account on the microlending platform kiva.org and will use your donations to provide loans to low-income entrepreneurs around the world.
http://www.kiva.org/invitedto/b4g/by/luisa9088

So here’s how sponsorship works: teams of 2 will run a relay race to cover as many kilometers as possible within 60 minutes and we are looking for sponsors to make it worthwhile for us to run around in the cold for that long.

Your pledge (e.g. € 0.25, € 0.50, € 1.00, etc..) x total kilometers run by all ESMT teams = your donation

Teams:

Sam Obery, MBA 2012 + Nick Barniville, MBA Director — expected 14k

Luisa Maier, MBA 2012 + Daniela, Luisa’s friend – expected 10k

Ai Nakajima, MBA 2012 + Kristina, Ai’s friend – expected 11k

Nitin Nair, MBA 2012 + Sunmi Jin – Information Center Assistant – expected 10k

Rafi Todres, MBA 2012 + Karen La Macchia, Information Center Manager – expected 10k

Anna Hofmann, Research Assistant + Julia Zamit, ESMT Communications – expected 11k

We need your support!

If you would like to sponsor our runners, please reply to me directly with the following information!”

Anyone outside esmt reading this who whats to sponsor, e-mail sic@mba2012.esmt.org!

Cheers,

Nick

The average earning gap between men and woman in the job market is 20%. This means that men earn 20% more than woman do for performing the same jobs and this is an issue, clearly. To be honest, I didn’t realize HOW much of an issue it was until this year. I want to state outright that this is not a blue argument. This is not an inquisition as to whose fault it is.

I am approaching this from a personal perspective and identify my own self-beliefs – which i think are applicable to the average working woman. These beliefs contribute to the perpetuation of earning differentials.

1. I don’t know what I am supposed to be earning.

I am graduating in December so – as yet I have not asked for a increase or a salary! However, for the first time whilst applying for jobs I am aware of the earnings of peers and comparative salaries for similar positions within the market. I wonder if my female counterparts find asking questions about comparative earnings uncomfortable? I feel that most women dont ask what they should be earning for the job they do?

This kind of information is best sourced through informal channels. My most informative source on this matter was a male colleague. This is interesting to me, could it be that men have better channels for sourcing comparative earnings (boys club bias) or is it just simply that woman dont have the stomach to speak up and share with one another? Another interesting aspect to this issue may be the quality of the communications between women and their female networks. Are the individual walls which woman construct whilst climbing the corporate ladder to high to develop the strength of the connections which the boys have?

2. I apologize too much.

I haven’t truly overcome this behavioral glitch – I apologize for everything, its frustrating. (I am sorry if this post is too long OR I am not, and enjoy facetiousness! Sorry doh!) Unfortunately much like gagging is a reflex reaction when swallowing bitter medicine, so too, is the timid female apology when requesting a salary increase. Even though I am aware that I shouldnt, I still inwardly cringe wanting to apologize for even wanting a salary in the first place. When asked during an interview what my salary expectations are, I have to monitor my composure to ensure that my body language doesn’t betray my need to apologize. I think the need to apologize can be addressed if I realize the value of being straight forward. ‘Asking for what you want’ is a skill set which can be cultivated throughout the MBA program, and I am working on it.

3. I seek affirmation & identify a promotion/raise with being liked NOT valuable work contribution.

My salary should not be influenced by my need to be liked AND asking for an increase doesnt mean I will be liked less.
(Female readers: In your mind you dont agree with my last statement, but lets look at it another way.) Scenario 1: You ask for a salary increase, your boss considers your work over the course of the last 6 months – and gives you the raise. Awesome.
Scenario 2: (less attractive) You ask for a salary increase and your boss declines. You feel cheated BUT (upside) he/she provides you with reasons why you do not deserve the increase, or explains that due to the position of the company – a raise is not feasible. You have derived valuable information from this situation. Firstly, either a road map of how to improve your job performance or secondly, information relating to the well being of the company and a possible need to seek alternative employment.
Waiting for that promotion or raise or for your boss to acknowledge your valuable contribution to the work processes, doesn’t give you access to this information.

4. I don’t know my true worth.

When I was first accepted to do my MBA – I struggled and asked myself some rather useless questions such as: Why did they chose me? What a waste of time I spent trying to figure out those answers!
Confident people don’t waste time wondering whether they deserve to be promoted – they just go about the process of incorporating the additional capabilities and requirements of their promotion. Choosing to do my MBA in a foreign country without the comforts of a support network back home, has instilled a deep commitment and sense of trust I have with myself. Translating these insights into an actual raise is perhaps the topic of the next blog.

Just a few days ago I and my classmates came back from the amazing International Field Seminar (IFS) that took place in San Francisco and the Silicon Valley, California. We visited lots of interesting companies there and met energetic and innovative people who were very open and willing to share their ideas and experience with us.  IDEO, Tesla Motors, Mozilla Foundation, Asset Management Ventures, Levi’s and other companies were among those we visited. IFS is definitely one of the unique and important highlights of the ESMT MBA program. Through the IFS we got an opportunity to learn from the best businesses first hand, and to experience the innovative and open culture in the Silicon Valley. This wonderful experience will be helpful in our future careers, for which I am very thankful to the ESMT. I will soon post my reflection on the IFS on topmbaconnect.com, but for now I would like to share some photos from our trip which I and Malati took. Our team had a chance not only to visit companies, but also to see some interesting places in San Francisco and Palo Alto and have fun.

Interesting article about the growing popularity of the German language in Spain. Many young people are trying to upskill themselves for opportunities in the German economy as the unemployment blight continues in Europe’s periphery. Spanish engineers with German language skills and an MBA, for example, could find great opportunities here.

http://ccaa.elpais.com/ccaa/2012/09/03/valencia/1346698500_773016.html

It’s almost time for the MBA 2012 International Field Seminar. I attended a presentation yesterday from the Silicon Valley group. Super impressive list of companies that they have confirmed – Ideo, Software AG, Tesla, Mozilla, Stanford, Levi’s in San Francisco, Khosla VC and lots of others. Should be an amazing trip. I am sure photos will follow on the blog. Looking forward to seeing the itinerary from the other group for Moscow and Istanbul on Friday!

Just saw a very inspiring presentation from Wulff Plinke, Founding Dean of ESMT. Wulff is now focusing his energy on creating opportunities for ESMT grads to give back and has created a 6 month post-MBA program for Social Impact Fellows. First opportunity is with TSiBA, a third-level business school in Cape Town offering free education to people from underprivileged backgrounds. Hope a few of our current MBAs are inspired to act. www.tsiba.org.za.

The fourth module is fraught with frenetic student scheduling and is quite distinct from the rigorous structure of the first three modules.
We have autonomy to define our group compositions. It was interesting to watch the social dynamics of the classroom affiliations during the formation of these self-selection groups. Our negotiation classes with Mark Young proved helpful as we managed to co-ordinate ourselves without significant loss-of-face or politicking. At ESMT the co-ordination of group schedules is not unlike the co-ordination of an UN summit, in fact, our diverse nationalities makes the analogy ring true.

Our classroom atmosphere is more moderately charged. I believe the following factors are contributing most significantly to this; firstly our upcoming international field trip as well as the consulting projects and secondly, the brutal reality – formal ‘substantive’ lectures end in a mere three weeks time.

A note on the international field trip – perhaps a precursor of what to expect during the job application process (which in itself is a further activity, running in tandem, to the above mentioned module 4 mania for most students). During the international field trip our groups of between 12 – 24 students will be visiting Californian based companies. Confirming these corporate company visits is proving, yet again, just how important that negotiation classes were! **P.S. If you are a Californian based company, and would like to host a group of German MBA students from ESMT in September please feel free to contact our MBA team!

The consulting projects sees members of our class scattered as far a field as India to Morocco. The diversity and scope of the business challenges which we have been presented with for our consulting projects is interesting. After working within our consulting companies for 7 weeks, a one week deadline looms before the submission of our final thesis and the presentation of a business plan for a start-up, finally (without a moment to spare)… we graduate.

At this point, it may be appropriate to reflect on an observation I made whilst I was back in South Africa during the summer vacation. During the trip I visited my business back home and touched base with colleagues and business partners. I was really satisfied by the outcome of the visit as I realized how much this year has contributed to my own business skills and self development. My business partner confirmed the same observation (in writing!). For companies in developing market economies losing an employee for a year, is costly. This is generally the case because developing countries lack qualified and educated staff and is especially true for emerging market South Africa, faced with the with the added disadvantage of the apartheid brain drain and mass emigration of skilled labour during the late 1990′s. For my own company, my move to Germany is more likely to have been perceived as a risk as opposed to an investment in human capital. It was rewarding (and a bit of a relief) to receive consensus on the “added-value” from the firms perspective which the MBA has given me. MBA programs are criticized as a vehicle which enables candidates to switch and leapfrog into new sectors or join competitor companies. In those instances where this is the case, I believe there is still greater value to be gained for the firm.

This is not merely a sugar coated shop-front perspective. Consider the employee who does not rejoin the ranks after MBA. He is no less positioned to add value to the firm by reference of his employment status internally or externally. Employees don’t lose touch with previous industry networks. Career moves are informed by previous employment, even where the job sectoral movement is wide. For the previous employment firm the possibility of developing open and unique networks increases the likelihood of company collaborations and innovation.

Prior to my visit back home, I have spoken and usually think in terms of the risk that I took in choosing to do my MBA. I now realize the risk which our previous employment firms also accepted, when each member of my class decided to do an MBA and invest in our mutual futures. It is a privilege to have had so much support and trust placed in my capabilities and therefore refuse to whine about the magnitude of the workload before me.

After surviving the gaping black hole of the simulated world of Intopia, we are unwinding ourselves during these well deserved blissful days of summer vacation.
The memories of screechy voices, twisted mouths, tensed brows and what not have faded and we have finally found some days to enjoy pure slothfulness.

While we wander around the streets of our hometowns, of Berlin or the alleys of some strange towns, we have in our subconscious the urgency to do a lot of things; to think of ideas for the
business plan, find a group we would manage to work with, the international field seminar preparation and most importantly looking for jobs, planning the future. So much to do in so little time!
In no time, we will be back to our classroom sprawling in our seats, struggling to adjust our bodies that were so used to sleeping till 11 in the morning. Still the urgency in my subconscious is not strong enough, though we are more than half way through the MBA. So, like in the high school days, I’ll end up piling everything up for the last moment. It feels like my MBA spirit is also taking a vacation.
Looking for an inspiration.

Yesterday was the last day of Intopia business simulation. The simulation lasted a little more than a week. Really? Just a week? I can’t believe it. I felt it was more than a month… From day to night and from night to day our brains were not switching off from the Intopia world.

Decisions, decisions, decisions… short period of time… calculations… negotiations… conflicts of interests… trade-offs… a very exhaustive week… I am happy that it ended finally. But I don’t regret that it was.

Things arranged in a way that our company was in a relatively peaceful situation than other companies. Everyone took the game seriously and there was a clash of emotions in the Intopia world. Fortunately or maybe unfortunately these emotional battles took place outside of our company environment. My teammates were calm and respectful to each other, and the first priority for us was trust and respect, and profit came only after that. Maybe that was the reason that we avoided those battles.

The simulation was useful. I had an opportunity to learn how to apply my knowledge from the previous courses at ESMT. Sometimes I was working on my excel sheet even late at night and exchanging ideas through e-mail with my teammate from Russia, who was also awake and was working on the cash flows and income forecasts. Before the simulation started, we assigned functional roles (production, marketing and finance) to each of us. As we were four, finance was assigned to 2 of us (Shamil and me). Irrespective of our formal roles, our organization working structure was very flat, and everybody was trying to do their best to help each other and do whatever he/she could do at every moment of the game. Overall I enjoyed the simulation and learnt a lot from the Intopia company managing experience. Additionally I learnt a lot about myself and team dynamics. The only negative part for me was our shareholders’ presentation. Initially we planned that only two of us will present as 5 minute is too short for everyone to participate. But then I was very much surprised when three of our teammates did the presentation. I know it was a last moment decision, and nobody did anything on purpose. But I was very upset. Shareholders do not know who did what, and it is not that important, but if three of four are presenting, the impression is as if the fourth one was doing absolutely nothing. It’s a subtle and little thing, of course, but it made me unhappy for some time. Anyway, everything is in the past, and we should move forward. I am very much thankful to ESMT for this wonderful opportunity to experience the company management and face all the difficulties in a safe environment. I definitely learnt a lot and this experience will help me in my future career.

Eurocup is all the rage in Deutschland. Including football themed toilet paper and German flag make-up. Entire streets are closed down for public viewing and the Brandenburg Gate has been turned into a Giant TV. Half Final is tonight – Deutschland vs. Italy!