MSBA Class Spends Week in New York City

One of the experiences that sets the MSBA program apart is our annual week long visit to New York City to visit companies in a variety of industries.    Visit our photo album on facebook.

The class assembles at The New
York Stock Exchange 

 In early February the MSBA Class of 2013 boarded a train at Washington's Union Station and headed for New York to broaden our students awareness of the kinds of industries and opportunities that are available to them.  All of the companies were most gracious in sharing their time with the students.  More importantly, they shared their personal experiences and how their backgrounds and career paths led them to their current positions.  And they provided valuable advice to the students on searching for jobs, and in many cases applying to the very companies we were visiting.  

We had a busy week visiting eight different world class companies and finding time to squeeze in a little sight seeing and fun in the Big Apple.  The companies that hosted us were, in order of schedule:

DDB Worldwide                                                              Fox Business News
Cheshire Films                                                               Interbrand
The New York Stock Exchange                                        Madison Square Garden
Carat Media                                                                    Creative Realities Inc. 

2012 MSBA graduates Pat Six (left)
and Cole Willcox (right) catch up with
Associate Dean Brian Engelland. 

An important part of our annual trip is the Networking reception held at City Crab on Park Avenue.  We had 50 MSBA alums, CUA alums, company hosts, and friends and colleagues that live in the city and shared their experiences with some of the students that are interested in seeking work there.  Four of our 2012 alumni are working in New York; Jon Bell, Maureen Moran, Pat Six and Cole Willcox.

Visiting the 9/11 Memorial was moving

We visited the 9/11 Memorial and shared recollections and reflections of that day in our history.  Most of the students were quite young when it occurred.

Bowling at Times Square provided
some comic relief from a week of
long days.

And bowling at Times Square proved to be a popular team building activity for students and faculty.  Talent was optional though there were a few competitive souls in the crowd. 

We can't thank the companies that provided this opportunity to our students enough.  Their generosity and kindness and openness was so very much appreciated by the students, the faculty and myself.  Please take a moment and view our entire experience in our Facebook Album commemorating the trip.

Stewart McHie

Director, Master of Science in Business Analysis

mchie@cua.edu 

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Wall Street Journal Recognizes new CUA Business School

The Wall Street Journal broke the news last night that Catholic University has launched it's new School of Business and Economics, a major transformation from the Department of Business and Economics.  A long range growth plan is in place and significant donors are being sought for naming rights to the new School. 

It's not often a publication like the journal writes about small business schools but the uniqueness of the approach at CUA is newsworthy. 

Read the entire article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323706704578227870324048476.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet

And here is a video with the author of the WSJ article.  http://live.wsj.com/video/new-b-school-curriculum-faith-and-finance/6236956B-9869-47D9-B835-B3A107C7E7B8.html#!6236956B-9869-47D9-B835-B3A107C7E7B8

Stewart McHie
Director, MS in Business Analysis
mchie@cua.edu

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Check the culture before you accept that job

We advise our MSBA graduates to look beyond compensation and benefits at the core of a potential employer.  You can often discern important things about a company from 3rd party and employee blogs and chat rooms.  The internet is full of stories, the good, the bad and the ugly, about companies and their leaders.  Students should ask themselves, is this the kind of company I would be proud to work for.  Case in point:

Deepwater Horizon ablaze

I was saddened recently to see two BP rig supervisors charged with manslaughter in the horrible BP Deepwater Horizon tragedy from 2010.  What a cowardly act on the part of BP in my view to allow this as part of the negotiated settlement with the government.  Did these two veteran oilmen ignore some important red flags and procedures?  Apparently so and they share in the responsibility for the tragedy; but they do not deserve to be the sole scapegoats.

I've written before about the importance of culture in an organization and here is a prime example of the wrong kind of culture.  Had this been an isolated incident, perhaps we could focus blame on rogue employees that took unauthorized shortcuts that led to a disaster.  But there existed then (and hopefully not today) a corporate culture of putting the bottom line ahead of safety and concern for the environment and the community.    

Texas City refinery ablaze

Anyone that follows the oil industry is all too aware of BP's horrible safety and environmental record.  In March 2005 an explosion at BP's Texas City refinery outside of Houston, Tx. claimed the lives of 15 workers and injured 170.  BP was charged with criminal violations and cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for over 300 safety violations.  They paid the then-largest fine ever of $21M. 

Fouling the tundra

In 2006, spills along the Alaska Pipeline were traced to shoddy maintenance practices and shortcuts.  While the pipeline is owned by a consortium of companies, BP is the operator and is responsible for inspecting, maintaining and repairing the line to preserve the pristine environment of the tundra. BP pled guilty to negligence and was fined $20M.  Once again, expense cuts and concern about profitability over safety and integrity surfaced. 

Is this just rotten bad luck or do they simply hire the wrong people to be in charge of multi billion dollar assets, the environment and most importantly, peoples lives?  No, it is traced to the culture of the company and its leaders over a long period of time.  It is said that employees do what is measured and clearly expense savings and profitability are emphasized at BP.  

At ExxonMobil, where I worked for 34 years, every management meeting began with a report and discussion of safety and environmental incidents and company policy violations.  It was only after thoroughly vetting these topics that a discussion on sales and profitability could follow. 

As I have written before, a company's culture starts at the top and the leadership at BP is every bit as much to blame as the workers that were doing their bidding.  But they are not charged with a crime; only the workers that succumbed to a bad culture.

Stewart McHie
Director, MS in Business Analysis
mchie@cua.edu

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Why the MSBA is right for me

By:  Tia Bent
MSBA Class of 2013

Deciding to join the MSBA program has been one of the best decisions I have made.  I stumbled across the program looking for graduate assistant-ships and I knew of Catholic University only through my years of running track in college.  I decided to look into the programs Catholic offered and found the MSBA program.  My undergraduate degree is in Exercise Science, and while I have an interest in how the body works, my true calling is working with veterans and homeland security.  I worked for a few years in my degree field, but I was constantly looking for ways to break into government.   My recent move to the DC area proved that it is all about who you know.  With that said, the two most important skills I have learned thus far in the program are networking and teamwork.

Tia and Prof Brach at first
networking event

 Networking is the first activity we engaged in coming to the program.  We had a meet and greet with professors and incoming classmates.  It was uneasy and awkward at first, especially for this introvert.  The small class size was appealing and it was less pressure.  Many of us had not spoken or communicated before this encounter, but we had a common goal, getting through this program with a graduate degree.  This was the first real taste of what I was getting into this upcoming year.

Learning to trust your teammates
is essential to a successful business

The program has many guest speakers intertwined through the classes.  This gives us the opportunity to talk with industry workers in relevant fields we are learning.  Business cards are given to us and we are constantly revamping our resume and cover letter in our Career Development class so we are ready to hand them out upon meeting these industry professionals.  Also, our Career Development class teaches us networking essentials and how to sell ourselves to prepare for unexpected encounters with professionals in prospective fields of interest.

Finally, the mentor program is the icing on the cake for networking.  We are strategically assigned to mentors that have similar backgrounds in fields we are interested.   Our first encounter with our mentors was at another meet and greet.  Again, it was awkward, stressful, and a lot of pressure to make a good impression of ourselves and the program.  I am the biggest introvert in the class it seems and I adapted quickly. This leads me to believe that anyone can and should participate in networking events or take advantage of meeting new people.  You never know who you will meet and what doors might open for you or the person you are talking to just with a simple conversation.

Tia and team at work on a case study

Teamwork is the other skill that is woven into each class we have in the MSBA program. I was skeptical at first, thinking of prior group work in my undergraduate program.  My fear of having to rely on others for my success is something I was not prepared to face.  We started off our teamwork and bonding at a ropes course in Maryland prior to the start of class (the day after our initial meet and greet).  This experience pushed me so far outside of my comfort zone, but it was okay, because everyone else was struggling with opening up to strangers.  More importantly, a few of our professors engaged in the activities with us, the experience was life changing.

Tia awaits her first turn in front
of an audience (she did fine!)

Little did we know that was just the first of many teamwork activities.  Each class involves team projects, team assignments, and group presentations.   Even our Quantitative Analysis and Financial Accounting classes have group projects.   Again, coming from an introvert that dreads public speaking and has anxiety about relying on others, I am overcoming these insecurities.  I cannot think of any better skill to focus on to prepare for the business world.

I can go on about how I have benefited from the MSBA program thus far, but focusing on these two skills I am developing is the most important to me.   The content of the classes are relevant, practical, and apply to each class we are taking.  I learn so much in each class on business; it is fascinating to see it all come together.  I am strong in academics, but lack on the social necessities.  These two things alone are developing me into a professional that I can see differences in already; I will be forever grateful for this experience and opportunity.   

Stewart McHie

Director, MS in Business Analysis

mchie@cua.edu

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The MSBA and the New Evangelization

By:  Andrew Browne 

MSBA Class of 2013

The Catholic University of America’s new MSBA program is one of the most underutilized tools in the “New Evangelization.”

 According to the USCCB website :

             “The New Evangelization calls each of us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim the Gospel. The focus of the New Evangelization calls all Catholics to be evangelized and then go forth to evangelize. In a special way, the New Evangelization is focused on ‘re-proposing’ the Gospel to those who have experienced a crisis of faith.  Pope Benedict XVI called for the re-proposing of the Gospel ‘to those regions awaiting the first evangelization and to those regions where the roots of Christianity are deep but who have experienced a serious crisis of faith due to secularization.’ The New Evangelization invites each Catholic to renew their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church.”

Dr. Andrew Abela

This program fits the description perfectly.  Dr. Andrew Abela recently pointed out that one of the goals of the program is to encourage the professors to dedicate a portion of their day to the study of the faith.  He then encourages them to incorporate that knowledge into the classes that they teach.  This is especially evident when the professors discuss Catholic Social Teaching explaining the importance of making management decisions based on human dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity.

The other benefit of this program is that the students will hopefully and eventually become leaders in various corporations.  When this occurs they will have the ability to make right and just business decisions based on the education and experience they received from The Catholic University of America.

John Abbate

Heaven knows the business world needs evangelization.  A recent speaker, JohnAbbate, pointed out that we cannot run from the corporate world but rather we must engage in the corporate world in order to effect positive change.  And what better way is there?  This program equips talented students who have a deep faith in God with business skills necessary to attain a job and begin a great career.

Finally, this program gives an affordable solution for those who want to use their talents and business knowledge to serve the greater good of society by working for and with non-profit organizations at the local, national, and international level.  It is a great opportunity to learn what makes a company efficient and financially viable in order to better assist those great charities.

I guess my question is why would you not consider higher education when it comes to the “New Evangelization”?

Stewart McHie

Director, MS in Business Analysis

mchie@cua.edu

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Chris Scanlan at memoryBlue

Chris Scanlan, a 2012 MSBA graduate, has been named an Account Executive at memoryBlue, a Northern Virginia firm specializing in lead generation, inside sales, full sales cycle management, and recruiting.

In his current capacity, Chris works closely with clients to increase business development by providing Lead Generation services. He says, "I provide research into existing marketplaces to discover new business opportunities, reach out to the C-Level executives of target companies to develop and retain relationships, and conduct the initial meeting between the customer and client."

Chris is a graduate of Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida where he majored in Philosophy and played varsity basketball. 

In his words, Chris says; "This program was a great time of my life and it really will be something I'm proud to have done. Thanks to all of the professors, I really can say that I was more prepared to be successful and I can see positive effects of having completed the MSBA program.  I know I am more confident.  I have used the Excel skills that I've learned all the time. I've taught my co-workers a few things as well.  I really would recommend this program to anyone that was interested entering business from a liberal arts school. It was a great experience and something which put me on the path to becoming successful. -Chris Scanlan, MSBA class of 2012

Congratulations Chris!

Stewart McHie
Director, MS in Business Analysis
mchie@cua.edu

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Affirmation in the Workplace

By: Samantha Donohue
MSBA Class of 2013

The Nature of Affirmation

Remember back to the time when you first learned how to ride a bike without training wheels. You are holding your dad’s hand as you mount the bike and he guides you through the motions of pedaling and steering. As soon as he lets go of your hand you begin to pedal on your own, and you instinctually look back to see if your dad saw you succeed.

Now fast-forward a few years to your freshmen year of college. You raise your hand to answer a question and the professor picks you. After you present your answer, the professor compliments you in front of the class for your profound insight and personally congratulates you after class. You feel more confident and excited for the year.

Let’s fast-forward once more to your first week of working. Your boss calls you into his office to speak with you regarding the recent analysis you submitted. He praises you for your method and clear presentation and he rewards you by putting you in charge of a special project you expressed interest in. You are pleased with yourself and motivated to accomplish the next task. The key element amongst all of these examples is your fundamental desire for affirmation. Whether you are a child, a student, or an employee, you seek affirmation. No matter your stage in life, up-bringing, culture, or occupation, affirmation plays a role in your life. Affirmation is essential to the fulfillment of the human person.

 My Analysis of Affirmation

Through attending the MSBA program I have not only learned crucial skills for business analysis and marketing, but I have been challenged to evaluate my core values and understand the role they will play in the workplace. We look beyond the different management and marketing structures and functionalities to the core principles of successful manager. In our Management with Integrity class, we examine and reenact case studies of credible companies. Through our analysis we devise possible solutions to the presented situation.

One particular case, the Jensen Shoes Case, we discussed the poor management strategies and the lack communication between a CEO, manager, and employee. I would argue that at the heart of this predicament lies the lack of affirmation Chuck, the CEO, has for Brooks, the employee. Lyndon Brooks was hired to be the Product Promotions Manager for an undecided target market. He was then assigned to the African American and Latino markets without given a choice and he was given an inexperienced team. Brooks raised his concern to Chuck, but Chuck did not take his concerns seriously and simply advised Brooks to do his best. This conversation left Brooks more confused and unfilled. 

After Brooks had spent a significant amount of time on the project, Chuck reassigned him to work as an individual contributor to the Strategic Product Marketing team. Brooks was expected to tell his team the situation, leave the team behind, and work under a manager, Jane. Brooks was very frustrated at this new arrangement and at Chuck’s lack of concern. Brooks’ initial meeting with Jane is cordial and Brooks is hopeful of getting to do a special project he has expressed interest in. By the second meeting, Jane is upset that Brooks is focusing more on his special project than on completing the tasks he has been assigned. Jane is receiving pressure from Chuck and Brooks is not performing. 

A cycle of frustration and misunderstandings continues between Brooks, Jane, and Chuck. Chuck’s continual lack of affirmation for Brooks’ ideas and efforts is the cause of tension and ultimately Brooks lack of fulfillment at Jensen’s shoes.

Affirmation in the Workplace

  Through further investigation on the topic of affirmation in the workplace, I came across the book titled, “The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace” by Dr. Gary Chapman and Dr. Paul White. Gary Chapman is the author of the #1 New York Times best seller, “The 5 Love Languages” and he is director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. Dr. Paul White is a psychologist, author, speaker, and consultant who has been involved with businesses, non-profit organizations, families, and leaders for more than 20 years. These two experts have aspired to help business owners, CEOs, supervisors, and coworkers to increase loyalty and decrease turnover of employees and volunteers, reduce cynicism and create a more positive work environment, elevate employee engagement by making staff feel truly valued, and replace ineffective employee recognition with authentic appreciation. According to the book, affirmation is incorporated into appreciation in the workplace specifically as the language, words of affirmation. Words of affirmation is the language that uses words to communicate a positive message to another person. With words of affirmation, you are verbally affirming a positive characteristic about a person. There are many different ways that these words can be communicated. A few ways include praise for accomplishments, affirmation of character, and praise for personality. In order for words of affirmation to be effective, they must be given in the context of a positive relationship. Words of affirmation is one of the most powerful languages because communication is vital to the workplace. The other languages of appreciation in the workplace include quality time, acts of service, tangible gifts, and physical touch. I encourage anyone who wants to be successful in business to invest in this book and speak the 5 languages of appreciation daily.         

Stewart McHie
Director, MS in Business Analysis
mchie@cua.edu

           

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