Eamon O'Gorman

Resolution now more than ever

2009-12-31T20:18:00.000-08:00

As the decade draws to a close, I'm compelled to pick up where I left off some three months ago and continue my own small contribution to the blogosphere.

The last act of the "naughties" has been a difficult and stressful time for myself and others I'm close to. The sense I get as we hail 2010 is that many people are glad to see the back of 2009. I don't intend to present a postmortem here, but to look forward to the new year and focus on the good stuff.

The new year is traditionally a time for resolution. Resolutions are supposed to represent a true commitment to change. I think now more than ever, a resolution of some sort is a powerful way to dust off any bad luck or hardship and enable a new, invigorated outlook on life, however tough things may have been. While this is all very noble, many of us are only too aware that new year's resolutions often fall by the wayside come mid-January, or at the very latest, February 1st.

So perhaps they should represent less daunting challenges - things it would be difficult to fail at? They don't have to be goals or objectives that are specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-bound. They could be as simple as to do more walking, or to listen more to friends. Why not simply make small changes that are private and easy, changes that can develop naturally into bigger things over time?

Resolutions can also be fun. Why not simply resolve to smile more at complete strangers, or not get worked up about things that don't really matter? We're all different, we all have our little idiosyncrasies that make us all interesting to some and annoying to others. Try worrying less about each others' foibles and simply focus on the positive in all of us.

I'm looking forward to 2010 with a great sense of optimism. I feel lucky to have emerged from one of the top business schools in the world with a highly marketable qualification and to have secured a great job in the toughest economy of our lifetime.

I'm thankful for my health, my family and friends, and the warm California sun. Bring on the new year!

The end of a chapter

2009-09-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

I finished up my MBA last week in the rather anti-climactic setting of the local branch of FedEx Kinko's. My dissertation ended up at 25,856 words and 141 pages of strategy, marketing, operations and technology management content that I felt was a fitting way to finish a great year at Warwick Business School.

It's become clear to me since returning to California that the good folks at WBS are serious when they say that your involvement with them doesn't end the moment you finish the MBA.

I've had contact with WBS Personal & Career Development staff in the last few weeks who have reached out proactively to offer help and assistance.

I've enjoyed an afternoon showing the sights of San Francisco to my mentor from the Practice of Management module.

Of course there's also been plenty of contact with former classmates too - telephone calls, e-mail - a fun trip up to Napa Valley with a classmate who scored a job in London with that well known internet search company, and has already made it out to the Bay Area on business.

The end of one chapter, but the start of a new and exciting one with many of the same characters I'm happy to report!

Saluté!

2009-09-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

"Saluté! You inspire me!" was all I needed to hear.

I've been back in the Bay Area for a couple of months now and getting re-acquainted with Mt. Tamalpais. My bicycles have proved a constant and necessary companion over the last 12 nomadic months.

So as I began my ascent of Marin's famous peak yesterday, hearing the motivating cries from a lady on the sidewalk in Mill Valley, was all I needed to put an extra big smile on my face.

I've always been more comfortable going uphill on a bicycle than down. Something to do, I suspect, with a nasty mountain biking crash many years ago, and subsequent road biking crashes in quick succession, that took chunks of flesh out of my legs, and left them permanently scarred to this day.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the downhill part too; I'm just really happy when I get into a climbing rhythm and seem to effortlessly glide up an incline. The climb up Mt. Tam yesterday for the second time from Bolinas was just idyllic - no cars, the road to myself, amazing views, plenty of sunshine, and a little shade when I needed it!

So, cheers to the unknown lady in Mill Valley for her words of encouragement!

Yesterday's roller-coaster route through the hills, valleys, and canyons of southern Marin County:

Mt Tam
Find more Bike Rides in Marin County, California

Words

2009-07-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

I've now written about 16,000 words of my dissertation, which partly explains my sorry reticence here, although doesn't by any means excuse it. It's all about priorities, as Nicholas Bate would say.

And I have to say, I'm thoroughly enjoying the process. I was lucky, I picked a topic that I'm interested in and a good company to do it with. So the last month has had me consumed with busy work days and grabbing time in the evenings and weekends to put pen to paper on the dissertation.

My 16,000 words, whilst over the minimum word count of 15,000, probably represents a level of completeness of about 75%. Still lots to do; words to throw away, re-structure, or re-write.

So as I sit in the warm California sunshine, happily delving into the bowels of the University of Warwick's expansive library, accessing databases far and wide, I feel quite blessed that technology allows me to do this. How things have changed, even since I did my first degree.

I'll soon be done. The deadline is Sept 11 and the remaining weeks will fly by I'm sure. It seems a little strange that I will conclude my MBA experience by dropping a padded envelope full of words into a FedEx bin, but that, I'm afraid is unavoidable at this point.

Warwick Business School in pictures

2009-06-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Gaurav for capturing the moment!

The Time Has Come

2009-06-28T08:08:00.001-07:00

As I prepare to return to the United States and begin a new exciting chapter in my life, I'm acutely aware of the new friendships I've formed over the last 10 months at Warwick Business School. One of the great things about a full-time MBA; the many wonderful new friends you make along the way.

It's a little sad to think most of us are now dispersed and heading out to embrace projects that will complete our MBA experience, but reassuring to know those friendships will last a lifetime.

Another dear friend and reknowned Kiwi artist, Emma Wright captures much of the sentiment that for me epitomises the MBA journey rather well in a description of her wonderful work:

"My paintings offer a suggestion about how life can be lived. The texture in my work represents all that life throws at us. If we embrace and enjoy the ups and downs, they become the most interesting and rewarding part of life. When we remain clear and strong about who we are (hence the strong, bold shapes) the texture of life gives depth and beauty to our journey the rougher the surface, in fact, the more interesting it becomes. It is when we try and compete and fight against life as it is, our experience becomes small and confined. If someone looks at my painting and reflects on how they are approaching their life I feel I have achieved my purpose. I like to think my paintings capture an irreverent and determined attitude to life. An attitude captured in Alan Curnow's words: 'by sailing in a new direction we can enlarge the world'. It is my intention that my paintings in some way leave the world for the people who enjoy them a slightly bigger place".

International Marketing

2009-06-28T05:48:00.001-07:00

I walked out of Warwick Business School this week with a smile on my face; my last module done and the taught portion of Warwick's MBA over. It's a little sad to think there will be no more good times in the lecture theatre that had become like a second home, but my smile was nevertheless in place due to a sense of satisfaction and new found freedom.

I chose to conclude with International Marketing - a module delivered by visiting academic, Professor Colin Egan.

We learned that you can milk a dog, and if two dogs get together, the end result can be a cow. Of course, I refer to BCG's famous matrix; a handy little tool that makes an appearance at regular intervals throughout any MBA. Sadly misunderstood and wrongly applied by many, Professor Egan explains the BCG box from the perspective of someone who has rolled up his sleeves and practiced what he preaches.

Great companies such as Philips, IBM and BP have benefited from Colin's depth of experience and knowledge. He talks with authority about international marketing strategy and backs up his arguments with economic theory and example after example of how it's been done in practice.

It's a tough call for any academic to hold the attention of a room full of rambunctious MBA types for a whole week. Colin pulls this off with ease and balances the serious stuff with welcome humour and stories from his worldly travels and experiences.

This module rounds off the classroom portion of my MBA with content that is highly relevant for me and applicable immediately as I embark on my project/dissertation.

More on Colin at www.colinegan.eu. Thanks for a great week.

Calm amid the storm

2009-06-28T05:39:00.000-07:00

Interesting article in The Independent about the sanctuary of business school during times of economic turbulence. Good to read that the Warwick MBA "continues to carry huge prestige."

Strategy & Practice

2009-06-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

The enduring memory of my penultimate module at Warwick Business School will likely be the Singapore Airlines Girl. Not just because having spent the last few years racking up too many miles with decidedly average American airlines, I'm craving an airline whose staff understand the notion of exemplary customer service, but also for all the valuable and insightful content of Warwick's Strategy & Practice module that will flood into my mind whenever I think of Singapore Airlines' iconic flight attendant.

A thoroughly enjoyable week that really got to the heart of what strategy is all about, and more importantly how to actually "do" strategy; how to make it successful and how to drive profitability and growth through effective formulation, implementation and refinement of strategy.

The week was grounded in practicality and provoked deep thought and lively discussion as we grappled with very real examples of how successful companies achieve greatness through their strategic choices.

Thanks to Loizos Heracleous for putting together an excellent module. For more on Singapore Airlines, check out Loizos' book, "Flying High in a Competitive Industry".

What's in a "Wave"?

2009-06-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

If you've got a spare 80 minutes and are intrigued about the future digital collaboration, you should watch the Google Wave preview below. The software combines e-mail and instant messaging, adds a bunch of cool features, and allows conversations and documents to peacefully coexist.

Users create "waves" and add people to them. The "wave" then allows all participants to communicate and collaborate using documents, text, photos, videos, maps or just about any other form of digital content. Powerful stuff, but I can't help thinking it needs to be easier to use.

I remember having some deep conversations a couple of years ago with some software architects about the nuances of allowing users to edit documents concurrently. Looks like Google were having the same conversations!

Farewell MBA BBQ

2009-06-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

Last week saw the conclusion of taught modules for many of my classmates. To mark the occasion and allow people to bid farewell to one another, many of us gathered on campus for a little BBQ. It's quite sad to think that our year together has reached its conclusion. With only the summer project and dissertation remaining, many of us will be dispersing to far flung corners of the world (and England).

I have a couple more modules left before I head back to California to complete my project in the Bay Area.

International Business

2009-06-04T09:55:00.001-07:00

My second module of term three was International Business. Billed as a natural extension to the marvellous Economics of the Business Environment of term one, this week was eagerly anticipated by those who signed up.

The module topics covered a broad range of material:

globalisation, multinational enterprises and foreign direct investment
global and regional integration, global financial markets and institutions
global competitive advantage and multinational strategy and structure
selecting the market and entry mode
cross border mergers and acquisitions
role of culture in international business strategy
emerging market economies - risks and strategies
international joint ventures
international corporate governance

As if that wasn't enough, the final day (and much of the evening before) was consumed by the much talked-about FINS (foreign investment negotiations simulation) exercise and proved to be the highlight of a very enjoyable week.

The first four days provided a good mix of academic and practical perspectives on the topics mentioned above and the FINS exercise allowed us to put much of what we'd been taught into practice, albeit via role-play, and fairly heated role-play at that!

For the FINS exercise we were split into groups: 3 multinational enterprises, 4 smaller companies in 2 emerging economies and 2 government teams, one for each emerging economy country.

Each team then set about formulating a strategy for foreign direct investment based upon other teams' strengths and weaknesses and guidelines laid down by corporate management, all the time staying true to our respective cultural roots and tendencies.

The objective was to get deals done that would likely be both profitable and feasible. Agreement was required from both the companies concerned and also the relevant government in each case. Each team set about understanding the complex mix of deal permutations and did their best to operate within the finanical constraints, as well as factoring in any likely regulatory restrictions.

Needless to say with 20 minutes to go, the whole exercise descended into chaos as it became clear which teams were desperate to get deals done, those who had been deploying questionable tactics throughout, and emerging exclusivity agreements from governments, perhaps as prone to corruption as they might be in real life!

All good fun, and a thoroughly engaging way to finish up a hugely worthwhile week.

Managerial Economics

2009-05-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

Back in the saddle last week with 5 days of Managerial Economics, a module I found thoroughly engaging. It was something of a one-off, so if you're in the process of signing up for the 09/10 Warwick MBA, don't be surprised if it's different next year.

The course focused on a few topics: Competition Policy, Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights. Not everyone's bag, but three topics that I find both interesting and relevant.

Working in software, one can't help but take an interest in antitrust law, with Microsoft embroiled in its ongoing battle with the EU Competition Commission. The economics of sofware have a special set of characteristics, and having had some time to digest and think about the module, the ease with which my assignment is flowing out of me is testament to the nuances of antitrust in software and unique considerations that are unavoidable in the industry.

Innovation is interesting to me for two reasons; firstly, the pace of innovation in software is breathtaking. Three months is long time. The speed with which new features and product updates can be delivered to customers represents some unique challenges. Secondly, having spent a big chunk of my career talking to customers about their product development processes, and how they can manage innovation, I found the content to be of high relevance and value.

Finally, Intellectual Property Rights. We were joined for this portion of the class by a US patent attorney who gave us the benefit of her experience and knowledge in this area. Again, a subject I'm close to, having worked with engineers, designers and creative people across many industries, it was enlightening to hear the inside story on patents, trademarks, copyrights etc.

Not for everyone, but a week well spent in my mind.

Wildflower

2009-04-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend sees the 27th annual Wildflower Triathlon Festival at Lake San Antonio on California's central coast. For most, Wildflower represents the start of the triathlon season and provides an immense challenge for all participants; whether you're a pro, a seasoned age-grouper, a budding first-timer, or a collegiate champion, the long course at Wildflower is tough... really tough.

As soon as you exit the water and begin the bike course, Lynch Hill stings your legs and sets the tone for the gruelling 56 mile long course bike. The weather can be unpredictable - some years searing temperatures, others pouring rain, wind and cold. The 13.1 mile run picks up where the punishing bike course leaves off; as you negotiate the banked shoreline of the lake, you're faced with inclines that leave even the pros gasping.

I cut my long course teeth at Wildflower many years ago and have been back a few times since. It gave me the confidence to step up to full Ironman distance. One thing you're guaranteed is a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding weekend - whether you subject yourself to the long course, olympic or mountain bike race, Wildflower is one of those triathlon experiences not to be missed.

Looking for Eric

2009-04-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

This year's Cannes Film Festival has an interesting line-up. Not least, another Ken Loach Palme d'Or contender, Looking for Eric; this time featuring the inimitable Eric Cantona giving life-coaching lessons to a glum postman in the north of England. Loach won the coveted award in 2006 with the brilliant, The Wind That Shakes The Barley.

Traffic

2009-04-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

There's less traffic on Bay Area freeways than there was 6 months ago - a regrettable sign that there's a lot of folk out of work. When one of Silicon Valley's tech giants lays off several thousand people, the daily commute gets noticeably faster overnight.

But still there's optimism here. Thousands of people have been laid off, close friends have lost their businesses, but people somehow remain buoyant. It's contagious too and one can't help but feel good about the future. Since I've been here I've talked to one energetic friend about a venture capital conference in San Diego he's chairing, another who is getting into real estate investing.

These people are industrious and ambitious. Their resilience is impressive. These traits and others complement the invaluable MBA experience, make for an irrepressible spirit and nurture the confidence needed to succeed in a newly emerging economic reality.

And so it ends

2009-03-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Term 2 of Warwick's full-time MBA started off easier, less frenetic than term 1, but then got progressively more challenging. Thinking back, I suspect a false sense of security had a lot to do with it; having successfully completed term 1, we were lulled into thinking term 2 would somehow be a breeze.

The slow start didn't help and as the weeks rolled on, suddenly by week 6 there was lots to do: group presentations and assignments, exams looming and also a growing sense of urgency to secure a project for the summer, and ultimately a job. All amidst economic turmoil that was taking a grip on what seemed like every typical MBA sector destination.

Since our exams finished last week, the cohort has disbanded for Easter. However, wherever people are in the world, we're bound together by the deluge of assignments that consumes us all. I had three and just got done proof-reading, re-reading, backward-reading, word-reducing and refining - finally, good enough and it feels great to hit each submit button.

A couple of days to relax, catch up with some friends, get some exercise, then back to California on Wednesday. The road bike is tuned up, drive-train cleaned - just needs boxing up before I entrust it once again to United Airlines' baggage handlers.

Triumphant Irish

2009-03-22T02:29:00.000-07:00

Hearty congratulations to Ireland for winning their first Grand Slam in 61 years and taking the Six Nations rugby title back to Dublin. The final game against the Welsh was a nervy, nail-biting affair and was only decided in the dying seconds of the game.

It's great to be reminded of how a sporting occasion can provide such raw emotion and jubilance at times when it's all too easy to get bogged down in the economic doom and gloom that we're constantly bombarded with.

A Night at the Oscars

2009-03-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been something of a blur. Our exams finished this week and the term ended with a wonderful themed ball - A Night at the Oscars.

The exams were for many the last set of exams we will ever do. Next term's modules are assessed entirely via coursework, so it's a great feeling to be finished with the exam-assessed portion of the MBA. The end of this term is also a little sad in that it represents the last time we will all be together as a cohort, so the party was important...!

Last night's party was a huge success. Special thanks to our Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) for organising such a great event. Black ties, national dress, party frocks, ball gowns, a rockin' band and an Oscar ceremony to rival the real thing made for a truly memorable evening.

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit!

2009-03-17T01:46:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Alp d'Huez Triathlon

2009-03-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of challenge that gets me going. It's the bike course profile for the Alp d'Huez Triathlon. I just got an e-mail from the organisers kindly letting me know they're accepting entries for the 2.2 km swim, 115 km bike, 21 km run - all in a gorgeous alpine setting. How much fun would that be?!!!

Momentary distraction from revision swamp.

WARNING: Term 2 back-end bloat

2009-03-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

For anyone considering Warwick's 09/10 full-time MBA, Term 2 is seriously back-end loaded and should come with some sort of warning.

A little coordination between modules would be nice, but then again we've probably had enough mollycoddling. As we head into week 9, it seems most modules require some sort of presentation this week plus accompanying reports. These aren't really a big deal; some aren't even assessed, but for anyone who takes any sort of pride in what they do, they do imply time-consuming group work and significant preparation.

I'm personally involved in 4 presentations this week (which I believe is fairly typical):

Strategic Advantage - Apple's dominance of the digital music market
Practice of Management - Dragon's Den revisited & client sign-off presentation
Modelling & Analysis for Management - critique of linear programming model
Corporate Finance - capital structure of Marriott Corporation

It seems that most MBA module lecturers feel obliged to put participants through mini presentation bootcamps - conforming with that unwritten rule that says every MBA module shall carry with it presentation duty for students!

With exams looming in week 11, it'll be a relief to get this lot out of the way.

Maybe this is WBS's way of reminding us what life is like in the real world.

Those who say, "I can"

2009-02-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

I don't talk much about doing Ironman races. If people express interest I'm happy to talk about it, but usually I keep it to myself. I suppose my reticence is fuelled by the perception that people think you're a bit mad, or obsessive when you start telling them you enjoy spending the whole day working out: swimming 2.4 miles - cycling 112 miles - running 26.2 miles.

You learn a lot about yourself when you train for an Ironman; your strengths and weaknesses, both physical and mental. You go through good times and not so good times in your training. You question your sanity when you've been on your bike for 5 hours on a Saturday, when you'd like to be relaxing after a long week at work. You think about all the other things you could be doing whilst doing those long runs that occupy 3 hours of your Sunday.

Ironman training is hard - really hard; even for people like me who don't take it too seriously. I take my hat off to all those who do it with family commitments or in a climate that isn't quite as conducive as that in California.

People have different reasons for putting themselves through all this. For me it's about personal achievement; proving to myself I can do it - a mindset that says with hard work and determination, anything is achievable.

The feeling you get when you cross an Ironman finish line is like no other I've experienced. Months of preparation culminate in one final glorious moment. It doesn't matter how long it takes you, or whether you crawl, walk or run over that line. All that matters is you made it.

Ironman founder, John Collins famously said that if you quit, no one will care, but you will always know.

In finishing, you achieve something that gives you confidence and self-belief that you can lean on in all walks of life. No one can ever take that away from you.

Tour of California

2009-02-18T14:44:00.001-08:00

It's great to see Lance Armstrong back in action in the Tour of California. Despite a crash in yesterday's stage (3 of 8), he's very much in contention - 30 seconds down on his teammate and overall race leader, Levi Leipheimer.

Armstrong is ramping up for a return to this year's Tour de France; amazing to think he's making a comeback at the highest level in the sport after a 3 year absence.

This Tour of California is also significant as Floyd Landis is returning to professional cycling after a 3 year ban.

Check out the event web-site. Even if you have no interest in cycling, it's a great example of how the web is coming into its own for sports coverage: live picture-in-picture video feed, GPS rider tracking, dynamic rider analysis, play-by-play text updates, and live commentary.

OK, so the commentary doesn't come close to Liggett and Sherwin, but that would probably be asking too much.

Follow Lance Armstrong on Twitter.

And so starts week 7

2009-02-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

Term 2 is flying by. Three more weeks of academic content, a revision week followed by exams, a couple of assignments and it'll be done. Easter will be here before Warwick's full-time cohort have a chance to calculate the net present value of next term's alcohol stipend.

Term 3 electives are now locked down. If my experience is typical, many of my classmates will have spent considerable time understanding the content of each of the modules before figuring out their final selection. The structure of term 3 is different; rather than the drip-feed approach of one lecture per week for each module in terms 1 & 2, term 3 brings a drink-from-the-firehose approach, where each module is completed during an intensive week-long session.

This is presumably done to accommodate our modular and executive MBA friends. It also means welcome time in between modules to job hunt and finalise summer projects.

I opted for the following electives:

Corporate Finance
Operations Strategy
Managerial Economics
International Business
Strategy & Practice
International Marketing

from the mind-boggling list I posted earlier.

These, together with the core modules:

Accounging & Finance
Market Analysis
Operations Management
Economics of the Business Environment
Organisational Behaviour
Strategic Advantage
Modelling & Analysis for Management
Practice of Management

make for a well-rounded MBA worthy of one of the world's top business schools.

'Top' blogs

2009-02-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

It's jolly decent of The Times to sift through the estimated 200 million or so blogs floating around in cyberspace and compile a Top 100.

I'm naturally distraught at not being included, but then again I'm sure the other 199,999,899 people who missed out are gutted also. Whilst it would be nice to be considered worthy of the top 0.00005% of bloggers in the world, I don't plan on losing any sleep - especially because some of those that did make it are wasting valuable internet bandwidth.

The assortment is UK-centric and random at best; it includes some that are surprisingly enjoyable (Richard 'Dick' Madeley), some that simply shouldn't be there (Paris Hilton), some that enlighten us as to what has-been TV magicians get up to (Paul Daniels), and others that are pleasingly eccentric (Running From Camera).

My favourite so far is copenhagencyclechic.com. I'm down with any blog that promotes fashionable cycling!

Sierpinski Valentine

2009-02-14T10:34:00.000-08:00

From the marvellous xkcd - a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.

Whole lotta spending

2009-02-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

In case you're wondering how the $819 billion stimulus package is going to be spent, this Cultural Offering post has it all in one big picture.

The world's largest greenest building

2009-02-09T04:57:00.000-08:00

The recently re-opened California Academy of Sciences has been 10 years in the making. The building is the largest Platinum-rated building in the world - the highest standard possible for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Every facet of this remarkable building is as green as it could possibly be; from the rechargeable vehicle stations and bike racks, to the radiant sub-floor heating and energy-generating solar panels atop the amazingly green roof.

The full-time MBA Operations Strategy class had a fascinating session with James Barlow from Pepsico recently. James talked about the environmental challenges Pepsico faces everyday and the emphasis the company places on doing business in a sustainable way. Through renewable energy, improved agricultural practices and less intensive packaging materials, Pepsico continually wrestles with the trade-offs associated with their impact on the environment.

The hardest thing about doing a full-time MBA

2009-02-03T12:31:00.000-08:00

I'm rapidly reaching the conclusion that the hardest thing about doing a full-time MBA is the disruption it causes in your life. Yes, it's lots of work; assignments, case studies, syndicate meetings, exams and presentations, but none of that is hard compared to what people give up and sacrifice to immerse themselves in a year of full-time study.

As I've commented before on this blog, this year for me was as much about coming back to England and spending time with family again, as it was about merely getting a qualification.

To accomplish that, I gave up a relationship, a lifestyle and a lot of independence. Now that the novelty of being back has worn off and the excitement of those first few weeks at WBS has withered, I find myself longing for my old life back.

I'm sure there are others on the course who have also made sacrifices; people with children back home - loved ones who miss them terribly.

That said, I'm optimistic about the future, despite the economic climate. I'm planning a trip to the Bay Area during the Easter break to meet some folks to discuss jobs and summer projects. Who knows, I could be cycling up Mt Tamalpais, running over the Golden Gate Bridge and swimming in San Francisco Bay again sooner than expected.

Welcome IBM optimism

2009-02-02T01:39:00.000-08:00

The days and weeks continue to fly by at WBS for this year's full-time cohort. We're now half way through term 2, so there's lots of discussion about job prospects and summer projects.

In a sense this year, we are in a better position than last year's class. At least we know how bad the economic situation is now. This means focus and attention need to be given to job hunting; complacency just won't do. Research, networking and developing a crystal clear picture of one's own strengths and weaknesses are more important now than ever.

Hiring managers will be risk averse in the current climate. Thoughts of career change may have to be tempered as employers seek to hire those who will give immediate return. It's important to remember in all this that with an MBA in your pocket, career change can come at any time. A return to one's proven field immediately after the MBA is being seen by many as the prudent approach to getting back to work. This doesn't mean career change won't happen for those that desire it; it might simply mean waiting a while.

On a brighter note, IBM Global Services visited Warwick Business School last week. Their mood was buoyant and one couldn't help but feel optimistic as a result of their pitch. IBM's chairman, president and CEO Sam Palmisano commented last year at a conference for IBM's top business partners, "We are going to weather the storm and blow through it stronger than most. Just like IBM had to rethink its business model, you have to pick the segments of space and prioritize the opportunities. We have to invest and we have to invest together."

If IBM's year to date results for FY08 are anything to go by, it looks like Mr. Palmisano is executing on this and helping to inject a much needed dose of optimism into the current job market.

Financial Times Global MBA Ranking

2009-01-30T00:24:00.000-08:00

The Financial Times published its Global MBA (full-time) rankings this week. Warwick dropped a few places from #29 to #37. This drop was consistent with other top UK schools; notably Judge (7 places), Cranfield (5 places), Manchester (10 places) and Lancaster (5 places). London Business School was the only top 40 UK school to maintain its position.

The rankings are based on many factors that are weighted differently. A significant piece comes from participants' relative salaries pre and post MBA. A school that accepts many students with low pre-MBA salaries and propels them into high paying post-MBA jobs will do well in the rankings. To my mind, this makes no sense as there will surely be a positive correlation between pre-MBA salary and years of experience. These years of experience translate to a better MBA experience for all involved, and surely a better school.

In addition, Warwick and other UK schools won't have been helped by the current weakness of the Pound against the US Dollar when calculating salary based ranking factors.

When compared to their UK peer group, Warwick accepts students with an average higher number of years of experience. This is good for all concerned, but could negatively impact rankings. Warwick rightly makes no apology for this.

Of course salaries aren't the only factor. Others include doctoral rank, aims achieved, placement success rank, and percentage employed 3 months after graduation. Warwick works hard in all these areas. I've been nothing but impressed with the focus and commitment of Warwick's Personal and Career Development team. Whereas current participants get the benefit of this team now, there is a 3 year lag before the fruits of this team's labour will show up in the rankings.

Too Much Too Young

2009-01-25T09:24:00.001-08:00

It would be remiss of me to spend a year at Warwick Business School (which is really in Coventry) and not mention Coventry's most famous musical export: The Specials. This year is the 30th anniversary of 2-Tone, the Ska label and movement created by Jerry Dammers. Throughout 2009 twelve plaques will be unveiled all over Coventry to mark the occasion.

Growing up in Birmingham in the 80's, you couldn't help but be aware of the black and white chequered rumblings coming from just down the road in Coventry. With commentary on diverse issues such as racism and welfare, and tunes with universal appeal, it's not surprising the music has a life of its own.

What They Teach You At Harvard Business School

2009-01-25T02:13:00.000-08:00

Philip Delves Broughton writes about his two years "inside the cauldron of capitalism." An interesting and enjoyable book for anyone considering an MBA. I tried not to read this book until I'd finished at Warwick, as I suspected it would be laced with a liberal dose of cynicism, but eventually caved.

Delves Broughton quit his job as the Daily Telegraph's Paris bureau chief to pursue an MBA at Harvard. The book offers a detailed review of his time at the world's most famous and prestigious business school.

Harvard MBAs run the World Bank, US Treasury, General Electric, Goldman Sachs and Proctor & Gamble. George W. Bush is an alumnus and was the first US President with an MBA. The Harvard brand represents "the union card for the global financial elite."

The book provides a humourous and revealing peak inside Harvard Business School. The author brings his British sense of humour and applies it to descriptions of his fellow students, faculty and Harvard traditions.

There's a wonderful story where, upon being admitted to Harvard, Delves Broughton is required to complete an exercise called "My Reflected Best-Self" where students are asked to collect feedback from ten to twenty friends and former colleagues and request that they share moments when the subject was at his or her "best-self". Nine out of ten people asked for feedback replied "This is ridiculous. Is it essential for your course?" However, one friend took up the challenge.

Quentin, a friend of the author and British journalist, Delves Broughton's first boss on Fleet Street replied, "Have sent the following. Thought I'd give it a spot of top spin, just to brighten their day!"

From: Quentin Letts

Re: Philip Delves Broughton

Dear Professor,

Thank-you for your e-mail. You ask me to help my former colleague Philip Delves Boughton with his exercise for your course. I am naturally happy to do so, even though we emotionally restrained Englishmen are generally hopeless at self-examination - or, for that matter, dwelling on the nitty-gritty character strengths of our confreres.

I am not sure I can run to three examples of his best self but here are two:

When Philip worked for me at the Daily Telegraph, a million-circulation British broadsheet newspaper, I was one day unable to attend the morning news conferences of senior executives. This was the meeting where the day's news list would be prepared and where the paper's coverage was planned. To the untutored youngster it was a daunting event to attend, requiring, as it did, a high level of bluff and confected confidence in front of the editor in chief (a tall man with a military manner and a formidably short attention span). I asked my deputy to attend the conference in my place. He was having some sort of nervous breakdown and fled to the lavatory, there to drain a small flask of some alcholic spirit. I invited another staff member to represent our column at the meeting. She whitened, clutched her throat and decided she, too, was unwell. With mounting dismay I turned to Philip. "Phil? Fancy going to a conference for us?"

He replied at once: "Sure, why not?" And with that he straightened his tie, brushed the lint from his jacket, and strode off to do battle with the top brass - and, in the process, conquer any fears lurking in his breast. It was brave. It was immediate. It got me out of a jam. It was classic Philip, seizing the moment and an opportunity...

Delves Broughton concludes that Harvard is a "factory for unhappy people", crammed with people hell bent on chasing jobs that they know will make them rich, but miserable.

In terms of the broad curriculum, there isn't much to choose between the world's top business schools. You learn at Warwick or Cranfield or Judge or Said what they teach at Harvard. We read the same case studies and learn the same theories. Warwick too encourages a liberal dose of self-reflection, but does it in a way that is tolerable and healthy. Sure, there's people in every MBA class who are chasing the money, but clearly Harvard is the extreme case.

Delves Broughton's book is recommended reading for anyone doing an MBA, or thinking about one.

Carol Bartz at Yahoo!

2009-01-17T03:17:00.000-08:00

Former Autodesk CEO Carol Bartz was installed this week as the new Yahoo! boss. Carol was the Autodesk executive behind the company's commitment to data management which defined the last 4 years of my career.

When Carol made this decision, Autodesk was the only major CAD software company that wasn't in the business of also selling data management products and services to complement its authoring tools. I remember my thoughts as I considered a move to Autodesk - all Autodesk has to do is sell data management to its existing installed base and the results will be immense. After my years of battling PTC, MatrixOne, Agile and SAP for large enterprise deals, this seemed like a no-brainer.

The challenge of course was in taking a data management product and driving it to volume. This hadn't been done before. The big PLM players had done well out of large enterprise customers; deals comprised as much of services revenue as software, but that wasn't going to work at Autodesk. The company's DNA, its channel and existing customers demanded quick, easy, high-touch, self-explorable - quite the opposite of traditional PLM - lengthy implementation, consultative & complex.

Carol pushed for volume. Autodesk does for designers, engineers and architects what Microsoft does for office workers. It democratises software - makes it accessible to all and puts it on every desktop.

I owe Carol Bartz a debt of gratitude for her commitment to Autodesk's data management business. She saw the opportunity and went for it. The air was often colourful, but that was Carol's style - she was nothing if not decisive, forthright and determined. We knew exactly what was expected. I learned much during my time at Autodesk and I'm grateful to Carol for being instrumental in driving those opportunities.

I'm not surpirsed Carol was offered the Yahoo! job - her track record at Autodesk speaks for itself. I'm also not surprised that Carol took it. With a compenstation plan comprising a base salary of $1,000,000, a 200% bonus and 5,000,000 options, who wouldn't?! (SEC Filing).

Good luck, Carol!

One man's impact on Apple's share price

2009-01-15T02:22:00.001-08:00

Apple's share price dropped 7% this week with the news of Steve Jobs' six month medical leave of absence. It's interesting to note that this didn't happen when Bill Gates stepped down from his role at Microsoft. Of course Gates' departure was gradual - it happened over 2 years, so investors had time to get used to the idea. Even so, Jobs' health problems have been known for some time, so any departure is hardly a surprise.

Of course the two men (and the two companies) are very different. Apple's fortunes have been turned around by Jobs' drive for innovation and new product development. Sure, Apple has a talented team of executives and designers, but Jobs is the guy who challenges the norm. When he says, "make it smaller" and hears the objection that the screen won't fit, he says "we don't need it - kids want random". And products like the iPod Shuffle are born. Radical, innovative thinking that Apple's legion of followers look to Jobs to inspire.

Gates is different. He remained Microsoft's chief software architect until the end - deeply involved in the technology. There is also a contrast in the relative fortunes of the two companies at the time of their respective leaders' departures. Gates stepped down at a time when Microsoft's share price was already struggling, Google were attacking and Vista was beset by delays. Apple, by contrast, have been on a roll; the iPod, iPhone and iTunes have all contributed to the company's current standing.

This interview is from May 2007 and was the first time the two had shared the same stage in 20 years. Their exchanges help to reveal some of the differences between these two icons of high-tech.

Classical music with shining eyes

2009-01-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful lesson in how to present. Zander takes a potentially dry, lofty and inaccessible subject and thoroughly engages 1,600 people for 20 minutes.

Storytelling, humour, attention-getting, emotion, simple benefit statements, compelling proof points and of course... entertainment. Oh, and no PowerPoint.

For the MBA readers amongst you, there's also some salient points about leadership. Worth 20 minutes of anyone's time.

Signing up

2009-01-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

At this time of year my thoughts invariably turn to racing - 10K's, 1/2 marathons, marathons, Olympic distance triathlons, 1/2 and full Ironman races; not because I have any great urge to compete, I'm just happier if I have something to get me motivated and focused. There's nothing quite like crossing a marathon or Ironman finish line, so I'm generally at odds with myself unless I have one to look forward to.

The memory of last year's Paris Marathon is fading fast, so I'm now anxious to get new challenges scheduled for 2009.

Thoughts of a fourth Ironman race are very much on my mind, but I've decided to put that off until 2010. The prospect of taking on the lifestyle commitment required for Ironman training, whilst finishing up my MBA and figuring out my next career move seems a little much.

So, here's what I'm shooting for this year:

Shakespeare Marathon - April 26
UK 1/2 Ironman - June 14
London Triathlon - August 2

I figure that should satiate me until my life gets back to something approaching normality.

Popular Ironman races sell out quickly these days, so I'm eye-balling several for next year - the ultimate goal of course is Hawai'i. Watch this space!

There's no one as Irish as Barack Obama!

2009-01-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

OK, a little rawer than the official version, but watch out for the The Corrigan Brothers (formerly Hardy Drew & the Nancy Boys) at the Presidential Inauguration Parade in Washington on Jan 20!

"My client is not in a hurry."

2009-01-09T11:43:00.001-08:00

In 1883, Spanish Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi received a commission that would last the rest of his life. The Church of the Sagrada Familia would consume Gaudi until his death in 1926. To this day, work on Barcelona's most famous building is ongoing and steeped in controversy. It was Gaudi's wish to have it completed by his followers and the people of Barcelona have expressed their support, but there still remain influential voices amongst Catalan architects who have expressed an opposing view-point. They claim work should be stopped because new computer modelling and construction techniques, which are aimed at speeding up the process, are deviating from (and simplifying) Gaudi's original intent.

Finishing the Sagrada Familia is a problem of funding. The work is not funded by government or official church sources, even though these bodies are in favour of completion of the project. Construction efforts are entirely dependent on ticket sales and private donations.

Of course, it's all too easy to be sceptical here. As the Sagrada Familia's reputation as an unfinished masterpiece could be diminished, were it actually to be completed, so some say it remains a work in progress for that very reason. I prefer to ignore this view-point and have faith in the romantic notion that it may one day actually be finished.

I also took some time during my recent trip to Barcelona to check out some of Gaudi's other work in Park Güell.

Back at it

2009-01-09T04:46:00.000-08:00

Excuse my reticence over the last couple of weeks. I've been enjoying a welcome break over the holiday period, during which time I decided to take Nicholas Bate's advice and have a complete break from work.

I spent a few days in Barcelona (more on that later), with no access to e-mail and internet; blissfully disconnected.

The experience was easier than I had anticipated and actually quite liberating. I suppose I've been disconnecting in stages. Having handed my Blackberry back to my former employer some months ago, and only recently been relieved of the sympathetic, imaginary vibration I felt on a regular basis in my left leg close to the pocket I used to keep it in, the next stage was really the laptop.

Spending many years working in software and collecting air miles for a living, you easily develop a habit of going everywhere with your portable office; the trusty laptop that keeps you connected, synchronised and working.

I say all this with my tongue firmly in my cheek, as for anyone who reads this blog with any degree of diligence will know, I'm currently doing a full-time MBA at Warwick Business School and not actually 'working'.

Yes, an MBA is hard work, but I don't really see it as work, per se.

So at the end of term two's first week, and having been introduced to an exciting variety of new modules and lecturers, I once again have that feeling of doing something extremely worthwhile and rewarding. We've already been reminded of how good an investment in ourselves this year is going to be...

Yesterday, during our Operations Strategy session, the managing director of Birmingham Airport gave a fascinating talk about his organisation's challenges and as an alumnus of Warwick Business School, offered valuable words of encouragement and reassurance that the MBA investment is a sound one. The fact that the content of this module will focus on what drives operations strategy from the perspective of market requirements resonates with me, having been responsible for Autodesk's Data Management Solution market requirements definition for the last couple of years.

Corporate Finance kicked off today, with a lecturer whose brain is clearly the size of a planet, who engaged the cohort with his fluid, coherent description of the module content; financial markets, valuing bonds and stocks, capital asset pricing model, portfolio choice and diversification, market efficiency, foreign exchange markets, capital budgeting, financing and capital structure, payout policy, mergers and acquisitions and IPO's.

Earlier in the week we were introduced to Strategic Advantage. Porter's Five Forces made an appearance for the first time (well, formerly at least) in Warwick's MBA.

Modelling for Analysis and Management sounds equally interesting and with core text's such as Pidd's 'Tools for Thinking', I'm looking forward to sharpening up the way in which I use my cerebral cortex.

And also, one of the week's highlights: Nicholas Bate on Emotional Intelligence. Excellent.

It's great to be back & Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and thanks for reading!

2008-12-24T00:18:00.000-08:00

The voice of the financial crisis

2008-12-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

Amidst the economic turmoil that has almost become the norm in recent weeks, you have to take your hat off to the BBC's Robert Peston. His timely reporting has helped ordinary people understand exactly what's been happening within the banking industry of late. Peston described recent momentous events with a degree of clarity that has allowed every taxpayer and bank depositor to understand the logic and implications behind the government bailout and the seriousness of just how close the country's largest financial institutions came to bankruptcy.

Criticised in certain quarters for pre-empting events perhaps too quickly; such as when he broke the news of the proposed Lloyds-TSB takeover of HBOS, or his exclusive on the imminent government bailout, and inevitably having an impact on the markets, it's important to remember in all this that Peston is just doing his job. He's breaking news stories the public have a right to know about and doing it very well.

The problem seems to be that due to Peston's fast-growing popularity and characteristic reliability, even those supposedly in the know are turning to his reports and blog to get their information. Banks have taken to summarising and circulating his blog posts for those too lazy or inept to type in the URL. His reputation for being the man with his finger on the pulse, connected to the FSA, the Bank of England, the Treasury and senior banking executives means the information he communicates can provoke unprecedented market reaction in these volatile times.

In this evening's Panorama, Peston made it clear that when he embarked on his career in financial journalism that he would remain devoid of any political affiliation and also that he would resist the urge to own shares in any company. At times like this we need people like Robert Peston and the BBC, who can inform and give us the straight story, without fear of manipulation or bias.

And to those who think Peston needs more polish and criticise him for not being as smooth as some of his colleagues, I would suggest that they need to re-think their priorities and spend more time worrying about things that really matter, such as whether banks that have been around for 280 years will still be open at the end of the week.

Sunny word day

2008-12-22T03:58:00.000-08:00

Wordle is a fun little web-site and one way to get a feel for the content of a block of text.

Having escaped "strategic hell" last week and completed my economics assignment, I grabbed a section of the report and plugged it into Wordle... just for fun. See if you can guess which company I chose!

Credit is of course due to Sun Microsystem's Java platform for enhancing life on the web as we know it and making things like this possible.

$17.4bn - 'nuff said!

2008-12-19T15:01:00.001-08:00

The markets: a historical perspective

2008-12-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

As I put a lid on the first term of Warwick's full-time MBA and finish up the final economics assignment today, I came across this rather depressing, but nonetheless interesting chart. It shows annual changes in the S&P Index since 1825.

I was tempted to work it into my assignment at the last minute, but figured I'd waffled enough about GDP, exchange rates, vulnerability and elasticities. I already had a couple of charts with S&P references, so this one may have been pushing it.

"It was Christmas Eve babe in the drunk tank..."

2008-12-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

There's nothing quite like seeing The Pogues perform Fairytale of New York to muster the festive spirit. They were in fine form last night in Birmingham; the drunken legend that is Shane MacGowan, clearly enjoying himself on stage, looked to be drinking beer rather than the customary gin concoction that has become his trademark.

After 26 years, The Pogues still deliver a live set that has their loyal fan base soaked in beer and sweat, delirious to have seen Shane and comrades still touring like it's their last. The festive outing has become something of a tradition for the band: this is their seventh Christmas tour in recent years. And why not? With Fairytale of New York, they have a Christmas gem that embodies Shane's songwriting genius.

Home stretch

2008-12-11T05:45:00.000-08:00

After what seems like a life-time of ratio analysis, balance sheets and net present value calculations; identity, motivation, culture and power theories; blue oceans, market segmentation, value delivery and customer focus, I turn now to Kaizen, lean and capacity management.

Four exams: Accounting & Financial Management, Organisational Behaviour, Market Analysis and Operations Management. All (so far) very reasonable; it seems the days where lecturers and professors try to catch you out and make things difficult are over. I still remember turning over my first Fluid Dynamics paper at UMIST almost 20 years ago and being faced with a set of highly theoretical and difficult questions that signalled no mercy and at times only vaguely resembled the lecture material. Navier-Stokes' equations are still emblazoned in my mind...!

I don't miss that experience, but something inside me thinks times have changed. Things are somehow easier now - students expect more help. Warwick's exams aren't easy by any means, but I've observed much more focus and attention given to coaching people through them and guiding revision plans.

This week has been a bit of a whirlwind, but the end is in sight. An Operations Management exam tomorrow, then an Economics assignment and the term is done.

We had Winter Pimms and mince pies today; the cohort already seems invigorated by the prospect of finishing the first term of what I'm sure will continue to be a challenging and rewarding year.

Lights, camera, action!

2008-12-05T14:26:00.000-08:00

It's always fun to watch movies set in your own backyard. In San Francisco I would often run to this exact spot from Hitchcock's Vertigo, have a stretch, then turn around and run home.

Trips up to Bodega Bay were eerily reminiscent of Hitchcock's The Birds, and of course it would be remiss of me not to mention Dirty Harry, Escape From Alcatraz and Bullitt for their memorable San Francisco sequences.

The Happiest Place On Earth

2008-12-05T03:20:00.000-08:00

We have end of term exams next week. The revision process always provokes a range of emotions as you trawl through lecture notes, case studies, text books and articles; highs and lows that test even the most resolute of students.

I'm currently neck deep in Organisational Behaviour and actually quite enjoying reading about Disneyland, "The Happiest Place On Earth".

I've never been to Disneyland. I never made it a priority during my time in California. I often stayed in the surrounding hotels when visiting customers in or around Orange County, and was usually treated to breakfast with hordes of excitable, hyperactive children, all eager to be first in line to see Mickey.

It's quite fun to read in Van Maanen's paper, "The Smile Factory: Work at Disneyland", of the techniques employed by ride operators for getting back at a demeaning and sometimes insulting public.

"For example, common remedies include: the "seatbelt squeeze," a small token of appreciation given to a deviant customer consisting of the rapid cinching-up of a required seatbelt such that the passenger is doubled-over at the point of departure and left gasping for the duration of the trip; the "break-toss," an acrobatic gesture of the Autopia trade whereby operators jump on the outside of a norm violator's car, stealthily unhitching the safety belt, then slamming on the brakes, bringing the car to an almost instant stop while the driver flies on the hood of the car (or beyond); the "seatbelt slap," an equally distinguished (if primitive) gesture by which an offending customer receives a sharp, quick snap of a hard plastic belt across the face (of other parts of the body) when entering or exiting a seat-belted ride; the "break-up-the-party" gambit, a queueing device put to use in officious fashion whereby bothersome pairs are separated at the last minute into different units, thus forcing on them the pain of strange companions for the duration of a ride through the Haunted Mansion or a ramble on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride; the "hatch-cover ploy," a much loved practice of Submarine pilots who, in collusion with mates on the loading dock, are able to drench offensive guests with water as their units pass under a waterfall; and lastly, the rather ignoble variants of the "Sorry-I-didn't-see-your-hand" tactic, a savage move designed to crunch a particularly irksome customer's hand (foot, finger, arm, leg, etc.) by bringing a piece of Disneyland property to bear on the appendage, such as the door of a Thunder Mountain railroad car or the starboard side of a Jungle Cruise boat. This latter remedy is, most often, a "near miss" designed to startle the little criminals of Disneyland."

I shall be thinking about this next week, when I turn over the Organisational Behaviour paper and discuss how people's identities are shaped and crafted through socialisation in organisational contexts.

Soggy Venetian tipple

2008-12-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

I can't mention Italy without noting that Venice appears to be under water right now. These gondoliers appear unperturbed as they enjoy a civilised breakfast in the shadow of the Rialto Bridge.

Italy's golden arches

2008-12-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

McDonald's former Italian country manager, Mario Resca, has been put in charge of Italy's museums and archeological sites. The controversial move is backed by Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi and has naturally caused outrage amongst the country's cultural guardians with claims that he will try to 'McDonaldise' sites like the Colosseum or ancient city of Pompeii.

Italy's most visited museum, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence attracts only 1.5 million visitors a year, whereas the British Museum pulls in 6 million.

Mr. Resco, therefore, has been tasked with transforming the business prospects of Italy's cultural heritage and injecting a dose of much needed business acumen.

I think this is a good idea. After all, you don't necessarily have to be an expert in what your business does in order to improve the balance sheet; in fact, being removed from the passion and intricate detail of the subject matter of any business, arguably enables you to take a cold hard look at the product or service and make decisions based purely on facts and metrics.

I'm sure Mr. Resca will also establish a team of people around him with more cultural and historical knowledge than he could ever want - the key will be that he asks them the right questions.

Although, the more I think about the Colosseum, the more I can't help but think about those arches...

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends!

2008-11-27T14:59:00.000-08:00

Pictures of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from an eventful autumnal weekend in New York City a few years ago.

Flip-flopped

2008-11-27T13:25:00.001-08:00

I've worn a suit and tie more times this week than at any time over the last 10 years. It's quite strange that I had to return to academia for this to happen. Between Warwick Business School presentations and client visits, I'll have been suited and booted three days out of five.

OK, so we're not required to wear business dress for MBA module presentations. Fair enough for a Dragon's Den appearance, but other than that our presentations are to the rest of the cohort and module lecturer. While not essential, it naturally demonstrates a level of professionalism that surely makes a positive impression.

Of course, had I been working in England for the last 10 years, things would have been different, but generally speaking suits and ties and Silicon Valley don't mix. When you regularly visit the likes of Cisco, Intel, Sun and HP, you quickly learn that it's OK to go with 'business casual.' I once knew someone who had their tie surgically removed on a visit to Cisco! When the customer is wearing shorts, jeans, flip-flops and t-shirts, a tie is altogether pompous and incongruous.

My tie wearing in recent years has generally been reserved for customer meetings in Japan, east coast US, Europe and oil men in Texas. Unsurprisingly, the Californian in me is itching to get back into those flip-flops.

The Warwick Global Energy MBA

2008-11-22T02:53:00.000-08:00

Warwick Business School just announced its new Global Energy MBA.

The course is intended for people working within the energy sector and will combine the broad management skills learned on the regular MBA programme with content relevant to the global energy industry.

Warwick claim to be the first top business school (with a global top 30 ranking) to offer such a course.

Technology, Business and Warwick

2008-11-22T01:21:00.000-08:00

As the full-time Warwick MBA 08/09 nears the conclusion of term one, it's become clear to me that IT issues affecting business are not well understood by most, and have so far not been well represented.

You could almost hear the cohort groan when an elective preview presentation mentioned large scale IT projects that have gone badly wrong. There is occasional reference to topics such as 'cloud computing' or 'Web 2.0', but any thoughts or murmours of explanation are quickly extinguished. The term 'software engineer' seems to carry a stigma that for some reason generally prompts a collective sigh, bordering on derision.

Now I realise the West Midlands is not exactly a hotbed of hi-tech, so perhaps doesn't attract participants with technology backgrounds or any specific hi-tech career aspirations. The antidote to this is perhaps the fact that Warwick handles all of IBM's MBA requirements. I can't help but think that not enough is made of this fact.

A notable and troublesome point here is that generally people seem unwilling to embrace the topic and gain a deeper understanding of IT and its relevance to business. The tolerance level usually stops with Google and Apple. People embrace Google because it gets them to Facebook or MySpace efficiently and they can quickly get information about a restaurant, or a map and directions. Everyone has an iPod or iPhone, so Apple is usually spared the prompt dismissal usually saved for Microsoft, for their monopolistic tendencies, as far as I can tell.

This can largely be explained by a couple of factors:

Negative press and general perception of large scale IT projects going badly wrong. Of course, we don't hear about the countless highly successful IT projects that are immensely successful and transform businesses into profitable, innovative, market leading companies.

The perception that it's all about sitting behind a computer writing lines of code. I've spent 15 years in software and have never written a line of code in my (professional) life, yet people who supposedly know what my experience and background is, still assume I've been churning out code all my life.

Minimal research will tell you that business invests significantly in IT. These investments add tremendous value to organisations - sure, there'll be some pain along the way, but if things are done right, this pain is far outweighed by the potential benefits.

Speed of information is increasing at an exponential rate. For future generations the current blistering pace of data will be normal. Access to relevant information will be faster than ever before. Business (and people's lives) will be transformed as a result and what seems fast now, will be slow in 10 years time. Google is only scraping the surface of what is possible in the future.

Warwick's MBA needs to embrace these facts and bolster its technology content. We've had cursory reference to CRM in the Market Analysis module and fleeting 'blink of an eye' reference to MRP/ERP in Operations Management. No mention has been made of PLM. We hear about the need for companies to innovate and develop new products quickly, but no one seems to have connected the fact that PLM is perhaps the only enterprise software technology that will help companies do this such that top-line growth targets can be realised.

Perhaps I'm biased, having been immersed in Silicon Valley for the last 10 years, but I can't help but surmise that Warwick's MBA would be enhanced and its participants developed further if more thought and emphasis was given to the way in which technology impacts business.

I await terms two and three with baited breath.

Project & Dissertation

2008-11-20T00:13:00.001-08:00

Last night the FTMBA cohort attended a session aimed at getting people thinking about their final term project & dissertation. This is conducted over the summer and is the cornerstone of the full-time programme.

A piece of work that one should realistically expect to get paid for, the project can also serve as the perfect entree to a new career. Globally 44% of MBA projects lead to full-time job offers. Those students that didn't receive offers in 2008, estimated that they had a 63% chance of receiving one. (GMAC RR '08)

We're currently in week 8 of term 1. Warwick's emphasis on getting a project sorted out early is entirely welcome and should serve as another reminder that everyone should be thinking now about life after the MBA. For me this is exciting - while it's great to have taken the decision to study for a year, I also have an acute urge to get on with life.

One of the many challenges of a full-time MBA is how to reconcile your life being on hold, with the fact that the learning process will ultimately yield something new and challenging, so is worth the time investment. I suspect throughout the course of this year, there will be a growing sense of urgency to get back out there and prove to prospective employers that an MBA from Warwick really does make a difference.

The project and dissertation provides that welcome segue back into real life, sooner than I think many have intellectualised.

'Strictly' John Sergeant

2008-11-18T00:09:00.000-08:00

You have to admire the British for their innate ability to forget the serious stuff in the world and become engrossed in the fortunes of b-list celebrity dancers as they prance around the television as if their lives depended on it.

Apparently 'Strictly Come Dancing', or simply 'Strictly', as it is known to devotees of the show, has been around for donkey's years, yet still manages to capture the imagination of the British people with every new season.

Bruce Forsyth pulls out all the stops as host to deliver line after cheesy line of what he does best, as he fawns himself before a dubiously distinguished panel of ego-centric and intensely irritating 'judges'.

Former BBC political editor John Sergeant is giving them all palpitations with his against-all-odds survival on the show. The voting public appear more taken with John and his inimitable, bumbling style than cocky dullards such as Austin Healey, or the nice-but-wooden Andrew Castle. Recently bashed for reading The Guardian newspaper instead of practicing furiously, John simply shrugs off the criticism and makes no apology for being himself. If only more of these people were a little more like him, the ratings might be even higher.

Mid-term results

2008-11-14T00:23:00.001-08:00

Mid-term exam results were returned to us this week. Each exam is worth 20% of the total module mark for the term. This means it's not a disaster if you fail, you simply have a pretty good indicator as to where more effort is needed, or perhaps where a different approach should be considered.

As you would expect, each module pretty much reflected a normal distribution of marks for the cohort. It's hard to believe we only have a couple more weeks before we're into a revision week, then end of term exams. The comforting thing about this is that it simply isn't possible to cover a massive amount of additional material between now and then.

The thought also struck me in the Economics lecture this week (for which we have no end of term exam), that for the first time in my life I was attending a lecture, where there would be no exam looming. It was quite strange and enjoyable at the same time to absorb the material knowing that finally, at the tender age of 38, for the first time in my life I was being trusted to learn and digest academic theory; without the need for an intense period of cramming, an exam where you blurt out as much as you can remember, only to unload and forget most of what you've crammed in because you have another exam the next day.

Of course, we do have an assignment in Economics to complete that constitutes the other 80% of the mark for the term, but how civilised and considerate, I pondered, to let me learn the material and apply it through a thoughtful (and probably useful) piece of work.

First Family... code named

2008-11-13T12:14:00.001-08:00

I suppose you know you've arrived when the US Secret Service gives you a code name. President-Elect Obama will be known as 'Renegade' by his humourless chaperones as they whisper into their microphones alerting one another to his every move as they compare NFL picks.

His wife, Michelle will be known as 'Renaissance' and their daughters will be 'Rosebud' and 'Radiance'.

Fittingly enough, George Bush was known as 'Tumbler' or 'Trailblazer'. I wonder who decides these names and if 'Ruprecht' came up as an option for the embattled Dubya.

A few years ago I sat next to a couple of agents during a Bill 'Eagle' Clinton address. However, the agents kept quiet as the former president captivated his audience in a way I'm sure Obama will emulate for years to come.

Dragon's Den

2008-11-12T09:21:00.000-08:00

I haven't talked much about the Warwick MBA's Practice of Management module. It's an answer to criticism in recent years of top MBA programs; that they focus too much on the theory and classroom, rather than equip their students with basic 'soft' skills that are important for actually getting things done in the real world.

Practice of Management comprises an enjoyable mix of guest speakers and outside consultants offering the cohort sound advice and coaching based on their own experiences and subject matter expertise.

However, the cornerstone of the module has us broken into 'PoM' teams and assigned a client from the local area: real businesses and organisations with real business problems and challenges. Each team is assessed on their demonstrable impact on the client's business and results achieved by the end of term 2. This allows us to put into practice all those skills that one typically learns by being thrown in at the deep end: project management, presentation skills, meeting skills, selling, relationship management, change management etc.

Today saw the groups presenting to the 'Dragon's Den' - an external panel brought in by WBS to provide constructive feedback and guidance.

This was actually quite enjoyable, and not at all like the fabled TV show. Or, perhaps I was just thinking too much about Messrs. Enfield and Whitehouse...

Congratulations to the 'skinny kid with a funny name'

2008-11-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

You don't get to experience many truely historic moments in your lifetime, so it's a privilege to witness such a momentous occasion: come January, America will have its first black President.

Barack Obama has achieved what many thought impossible. His meteoric rise is remarkable and testament to his unerring self-belief. More than a third of his support came from the under 30's. Obama's ability to instill in these people that same sense of hope and the belief that things can be different, is what brought them out to the polling stations to help secure his victory.

In the wake of last week's exams, Warwick's full-time MBA cohort are going through a week of 'soft skills' coaching. Time management, stress management, personal branding & reputation is all good stuff, but leadership starts with self-belief and requires an ability to instill in others that same sense; that the toughest goals are achievable - giving people the confidence to succeed.

This is what Obama has done across the length and breadth of America - an example to us all.

Could the unthinkable happen again?

2008-11-03T00:23:00.001-08:00

I remember all too well the feelings of disbelief that permeated San Francisco four years ago at the news of a second term for George W. Bush. People were truely shocked and amazed at the outcome. The seemingly impossible had happened.

I personally felt let down by all those Americans who couldn't see the need for change and returned Bush for a second term. This was immensely frustrating because as a green card holder you pay tax, but don't have the right to vote.

There was drastic talk of emigration; a better life in Canada, Europe or Asia. An air of depression formed over the Bay Area that was worse than the aftermath of any huge lay-off announcement from the likes of Applied Materials or HP. People gradually came to terms with the reality of another four years of Republican dogma.

These were genuine, intelligent Americans who were driven to talk of desperate measures to evade the incredulity of a second term for a man whose misguided defence policies have left hundreds of thousands Iraqi civilians and more than 4,000 American troops dead, with many more gravely injured or traumatised. Not to mention the flagrant disregard for international standards of humane conduct for prisoners and neglect of civil liberties that has only served to defile the American constitution.

Barack Obama will have a big job on his hands to put right these wrongs. He needs to be given the opportunity to lift America out of its current malaise and begin to restore the pride and image of the nation to its rightful place on the world stage.

However, the seemingly impossible could happen again. While McCain would likely provide strong leadership, his vision for America is too aligned with the current administration. The appointment of Sarah Palin was a move too cynical to comprehend. Did McCain seriously expect female followers of Hillary Clinton to simply jump ship and vote Republican because of the gender of his running mate?

It's clear that McCain has gone out of his way to distance himself from Bush: a sorry situation for any outgoing president. But it's moves like this that might just put McCain in the White House.

It won't surprise me one bit if McCain is victorious, not after last time. Obama has to convert his supporters into voters and the youth of America need to be inspired to vote. The signs are that this will happen. America so desperately needs this to happen and Americans deserve the change that will only come with an Obama victory.

Ireland edge Aussies at International Rules

2008-11-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

International Rules football was developed to allow Australian Rules footballers and Gaelic footballers some level of international competition. The two sports are ordinarily domestic affairs played in Australia and Ireland respectively. International Rules combines the two sports and the two countries typically compete every year in the International Rules Series.

The two games are somewhat similar, but do have some key differences. For example, an Aussie Rules player can 'mark' a ball (that has travelled more than 15 metres) by catching it cleanly to gain an unimpeded kick. Gaelic footballers score goals, whereas in Aussie Rules, there is no goal and no goalkeeper, just 4 posts at each end of an oval. Aussie Rules football is also typically more violent. International Rules combines aspects of both games.

The 2006 series was marred by violence. Record crowds at Croke Park in Dublin witnessed an Irish player being knocked unconscious. This cast doubt over the future of the series and the Irish were highly critical of the Australians. After a break in 2007, the event returned in 2008 and has been deemed a success with Ireland securing a narrow margin (97-102) over the two fixtures.

Probably the biggest difference between the sports however, is the fact that in Ireland, the players have amateur status. They all have day jobs. Aussie Rules players are professional, and as such are highly paid and have more time for training. There is therefore a danger in all this that the International Rules Series will be used as a platform for Aussie Rules clubs to recruit the top Gaelic footballers with lucrative contracts and lure them away from their sport and homeland.

Let's hope we don't see an exodus of Gaelic footballing talent down under.

The Lives of Others

2008-11-01T01:54:00.000-07:00

The Lives of Others has won numerous awards including an Oscar in 2007 for Best Foreign Language Film. It focuses on the potentially difficult subject of how the State Police in the former German Democratic Republic monitored the work of artists and cultural activities in East Berlin.

The 'Stasi' are portrayed as being ruthless in their methods and attempts to quash any criticism of the 'The Party'. The opening sequence highlights their interrogation methods: a suspect is questioned repeatedly for 48 hours. Over time the man breaks down and cries as he repeats his story over and over again using exactly the same words. An innocent man, claims the Stasi interrogator, would be able to vary his language and the words he uses to convey the same information. The guilty rely on exactly the same rehearsed words as they break down and are reduced to tears, whereas the innocent are outraged and angered by the false accusation.

The film was directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and stars Ulrich Mühe as Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler. His obsessive chief, Anton Grubitz is played by Ulrich Tukuras and the subject of their investigation is playwright, Georg Dreyman played by Sebastian Koch.

Wiesler is portrayed as a cold, obedient and effective Stasi official who, through the course of his investigation into the activities of Dreyman, changes as he is affected by the playwright's work and influences as well as that of Dreyman's actress girlfriend, Crista-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck).

It is the unlikely Wiesler who ultimately conspires against the establishment to confound their determination to rumble Dreyman and his western tendencies. The Stasi's attempts to uncover the source of an article published in the West about the excessive suicide rate in the former East Germany are continually thwarted by the devious Wiesler.

There's a touching scene late in the film after the fall of the Berlin Wall, where Wiesler, who has by this time been reduced to menial work, discovers that Dreyman has dedicated his new book simply to agent HGW XX/7, after discovering and researching the large volume of material the Stasi had amassed in their foiled surveillance attempts to prove his guilt.

A potentially dry subject is given a human and artistic depth that makes this an excellent film. It reveals much about the totalitarian methods of the former GDR and does so in an accessible and engaging way.

Spoilt for choice

2008-10-31T00:59:00.001-07:00

Life's never dull here at WBS. Hot on the heels of our mid-term exams, today we have a full day of hearing about elective modules for terms 2 & 3:

Management of Change
Marketing Strategy
Corporate Finance
Operations Strategy
Management Accounting
Information Systems Consultancy
Corporate Governance
Global Sourcing of Strategic IT
Global Supply Chain Management
Entrepreneurial Finance
Global Information Management
Strategy & Practice
Financial Analysis
Strategic Brand Management
Project Management
EC Law
Business Decision & Efficiency Analysis
Service Management
European Taxation
Managerial Economics
Marketing Communications
Economics of the European Integration
Managing Complexity
Entrepreneurship & New Venture Creation
Corporate Mergers & Restructuring in the US & Europe
Investments & Risk Management
International Business
International Strategy
The Art Of Judgement
Corporate Strategy & Competition Law
Cross-Cultural Management
Corporate Citizenship
Leadership
Business Transformation
Advanced Corporate Finance
International Marketing
International Strategy

We have to choose six. These are in addition to two remaining core modules:

Strategic Advantage
Modelling & Analysis for Management

Oh, and a language:

French
German
Italian
Spanish
Russian
Chinese
Japanese

Exam week excitement draws to a close

2008-10-30T12:59:00.001-07:00

Warwick's full-time MBA 08/09 cohort breathed a collective sigh of relief this afternoon as the final mid-term exam finished. We concluded with Economics for the Business Environment and Operations Management.

Other than the GMAT, the last time I did a formal exam was about 16 years ago. Since then I've been embroiled in the dynamic and exciting world of global software business. The pressures of exam week reminded me of why I enjoyed that environment for so long.

The intense and often exponential effort one typically exerts in exam preparation emulates that of preparing for a big software benchmark or presentation. Weeks or months of discovery, preparation and practice culminate in one big event. There's nothing quite like the thrill of presenting critical business-changing benefits to a prospective customer over the course of several hours or days; establishing mindshare, trust and a partnership that leads to mutual understanding and respect. Getting to the point where the cost of the software is almost irrelevant and merely a detail in the sales process is truely satisfying. I miss that feeling.

Exams are cold and anticlimactic by comparison.

Mid-term musing

2008-10-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

We're halfway through term 1 already which means mid-term exams are upon us. For most of the cohort this means getting used to doing exams again. Instigated a couple of years ago (at the behest of the students), these (examination condition) tests are a process check to ensure things are on track. They provide a useful measure of progress to date and allow one to course-correct as needed.

A good idea, I think.

Accounting & Financial Management, Market Analysis and Organisational Behaviour are done. Only two more to go: Economics of the Business Environment and Operations Management.

I've so far found them a fair assessment of material covered to date - no surprises. I was pushed for time in Accounting & Financial Management and am a little concerned that the multiple choice format won't allow for credit to be given for 'workings', but the other two essay style papers were fine. Looking around the room at the end of each of these I noticed many people shaking their writing hand. In this digital age, we're simply not used to putting pen to paper.

Then as the snow began to fall this afternoon outside Warwick Business School's venerable lecture theatres and syndicate rooms, it was delightful to witness the first sighting of snow for many of the cohort from warmer climes.

Oh well, now I really must remind myself why airlines are particularly vulnerable in the short run...

The perfect pint of Guinness

2008-10-23T04:54:00.001-07:00

It's funny what you miss when you live an expat lifestyle. San Francisco has some great bars and a couple of decent Irish pubs, but generally speaking, if you're looking for a solid, old pub that knows how to serve Guinness, you're screwed.

Plenty of places will sell you Guinness, but very few really appreciate how to do it properly. Most common is the bar that will lazily place the glass sitting a good 6" below the nozzle and simply turn on the tap. The pressure will typically be too high, so what you're left with is what I call the 'Niagra effect': a frothing whirlpool of Guinness gushing into the glass, trying desperately to calm down and settle in the traditional way. Only it can't because it keeps coming and coming. There's no stopping it. It'll be too cold, so the viscosity will be too low. What you're left with is a drink that looks (and tastes) nothing like Guinness - a watery, cloudy liquid in a 'sports bar' glass that will have a nasty Bud Light graphic on the side. Utterly sacrilegious.

Fortunately, I can now sniff out bars that do this, so typically don't frequent them and if I absolutely have to, I drink anything but Guinness.

I've spoken to bartenders about this. They've often been trained how to do it properly, but have either forgotten, or simply don't bother.

If only they would store it at the right temperature, clean the pipes regularly, pour it slowly with the glass carefully held upto the nozzle and tilted, so the stuff can gently dribble down the side of the glass. And stop when it's 2/3 full. I don't mind waiting 10 minutes for the final tantalising top-up and get positively excited as I wait, knowing that the settling process takes time and is worth waiting for.

We've been learning about demand management and capacity planning recently in our Operations Management module. Pubs in Ireland will often have several pre-poured and settling 2/3 full pints of Guinness on the bar in anticipation of busy times. Brilliant. It's the kind of inventory management that makes for a customer experience that is hard to beat. You get a perfect pint of Guinness in a timely fashion on a busy Friday night, that is at the correct temperature and has settled immaculately.

Here's a list of several bars that will serve you a pint of Guinness which is, as they say in California "to die for". I'm eye-balling several of them for the Christmas break.

Hedge fund boss does a runner

2008-10-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

At least someone made it big out of America's collapsed home loans industry.

I can't help but like this chap for having the huevos to quit while he's ahead. You have to applaud people when they make such 'quality of life' decisions.

Even a relatively small hedge fund business can't be the easiest thing in the world to simply close down and walk away from. For most of us, simply changing job is a time of significant angst. This guy has walked away from $80m worth of clients who I'm sure are more than a little upset right now.

And talk about burning bridges. For most of us, this is exceedingly foolish and career limiting. Andrew Lahde clearly has enough money to render this a non-issue.

I wonder what he'll do next - produce the next Cheech & Chong movie?

Read the full text of his good-bye missive.

Running again!

2008-10-19T02:29:00.000-07:00

Great run this morning. I'm easing myself back into it after my Achilles problem. It's frustrating as hell to not be able to run, but somehow this makes it all the more enjoyable when finally an injury subsides and allows the body to function normally again.

I know I'm all fixed when the injury isn't on my mind as I trundle off down the road. Thinking about an injury sends a signal to the brain to check to see if it's still there. Once your brain checks a few times and finds nothing, you gradually realise that any thoughts about the injury are futile and they disappear. I'm still thinking about it a little, but my brain isn't finding any cause for alarm, so very soon now my mind won't even bother to check.

It's exciting to be able to start getting back upto speed and distance. The great thing about triathlon of course is that when injury happens, you typically get better at one or both of the other two disciplines. As a result my swimming has improved dramatically over the last couple of months.

Bounced

2008-10-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

I was reminded last night of how susceptible Birmingham is to that most irritating and despicable of creatures: the small-minded bouncer.

I remember years ago having to deal with oppressive door policies in my home town; ridiculous dress codes aimed at keeping out riff-raff that only have the reverse effect, male-female ratio requirements that often prevented even the most rico suave playboy from gaining admission.

Sadly, this nonsense still goes on.

I wasn't even in the centre of town. The Green Man is a respectable suburban pub - the kind of pub where you wouldn't expect to see bouncers. Harborne is an affluent part of Birmingham. Sure, there's a student presence, so some drunkeness, but nothing that warrants heavy-handed doormen.

I was out with three friends. We'd had a couple of drinks and decided to have a nightcap in The Green Man. Upon trying to walk peacefully into the pub, I'm affronted by a bouncer and stopped from entering.

"You're not coming in. You're too drunk," barked the bouncer.

This caught me by surprise as I was anything but drunk.

Let's be clear - I don't do falling over drunk. Even when I am moderately drunk I hold it together and maintain composure. You simply can't tell. I'm 6'3" and 38 years old which makes me a big bloke who's old enough and ugly enough to be over it. Yet there I was, faced with a delusional bouncer trying to tell me I'm drunk, as if exerting some petty gesture of his authority was going to enlarge his diminutive manhood.

Of course I tried to appease the chap, but (being sober) immediately rationalised the fact that argument was futile and would have provided the only validation of the bouncer's position. A no win situation.

I did calmly explain that I wasn't drunk and he was mistaken, but bouncers tend not to change their minds in these situations. They don't have the luxury of video replays. I did look to bouncer #2 for some reasoned input and perhaps a second opinion. The look in his eyes told me he knew his colleague had screwed up, but he did nothing.

I've met lots of friendly, rational and still very effective bouncers - mainly in America I have to say. Why do the owners and managers of Birmingham's pubs and clubs give credence to bouncers whose inadequacies drive them to wield the axe of power so inappropriately?

Why does The Green Man in Harborne employ such an asinine individual?

One of our party had already gained access to the pub when I was body-checked. Upon pointing this out and requesting politely that I at least be allowed to go and retrieve my friend, I was told even this would be impossible - as if once inside, I would hide under a table where he wouldn't be able to find me, just to annoy him. Give me strength, I thought to myself.

Instead, I was made to wait at the door, while another friend was allowed entry so we could reassemble.

The Green Man lost four respectable customers last night.

Then ironically, today I get invited to lunch with my family.... only to a pub in Harborne.

On the way there The Green Man was mentioned, so I relayed my story of the night before. My only reason for returning to The Green Man, I conveyed, would be to explain my grievance to the manager. I certainly didn't feel like spending any money in there.

So The Green Man lost another four customers this afternoon.

Instead we went to The Junction. A lovely old pub with delightful staff, excellent beer and great food.

CHEEEEEEESE!

2008-10-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

There's no going back now. The class photo has been taken. Resistance is futile. Any thoughts of the real world and earning an honest living have to be put on hold for a few months.

Our collective MBA experience will only gather pace from here. A pace only likely to be matched by our Organisational Behaviour lecturer's speed of thought. Humongous sentences gush from his mouth that are every bit as elegant as they are meandering. Just when you think he's going to lose his thread, he reels it all back in with engaging tenacity. The man injects humour into his delivery in a way that underlines his passion for the subject. His use of language is delightful.

I can't help but feel inspired to investigate relevant discourse and tie that back to case studies and personal experiences. This is what good teaching is all about.

And the picture's not bad either!

"Our strategy is like Wal-Mart: We pile it high and sell it cheap."

2008-10-10T01:13:00.001-07:00

We've been hearing a lot about low cost airlines and in particular, Ryanair recently. Warwick's MBA lecturers often refer to the company in various contexts to illustrate their points; and rightly so, Michael O'Leary has crafted a formidable business in the face of considerable adversity.

O'Leary's strategy of reducing operating costs by any means possible is what has propelled Ryanair to be bigger than British Airways.

Ryanair keeps its planes in the air for as long as possible and aims to fill 85% of seats. Tickets are cheap, so profits are boosted by selling add-on products such as baggage check, food and hotel bookings. The airline flies to lesser-known destinations that offer cheaper take-off and landing fees; uses predominantly on-line and telephone booking systems and has a uniform, fuel-efficient fleet of aircraft that enables the negotiation of bulk discounts from suppliers.

O'Leary is a shrewd businessman, but also knows how to court controversy and keep Ryanair in the press with quotes such as, "Screw the travel agents. Take the fuckers out and shoot them. What have they done for passengers over the years?"

On being Irish, "I'm Irish and we don't have to prove anything. We are God's own children."

O'Leary has been at the helm of Ryanair for 14 years and plans to double traffic and profits by 2012. Passenger numbers are up 20% year on year, so at this rate he might just do it.

Bonus advice

2008-10-09T11:38:00.001-07:00

Valuable lesson today for the 08/09 cohort from our Operations Management lecturer...

When you're presenting to senior executives:

1) get your story straight

2) focus on a small number of key points

3) keep it short - have backup detail ready if needed

Of course you also need to have done your homework and ensure you're hitting hot buttons, but the stark fact here is that VP & C level people need to grasp what you're saying QUICKLY. These people are generally exceedingly busy and have short attention spans. The content has to be relevant and understandable within a matter of seconds, otherwise you're dead.

In my experience what tends to happen here is that if you manage to get and keep their attention, they typically find more time for you. Sometimes lots of time. It's quite amazing how schedules somehow get loosened up when people realise you can add value.

I remember presenting to the CEO, CIO and CFO of a large US company a few years ago. A meeting that was scheduled to be 1 hour went for most of the afternoon. The material presented was clear and simple. It was highly relevant and hit all the points that the CEO cared deeply about. Having grabbed their attention, the presentation was very short - most of the afternoon was constructive, forward looking discussion and a lot of listening. A big deal was secured and the foundation laid for a mutually beneficial long term partnership.

I've had this hammered into me over many years, but it never hurts to be reminded. It feels good to have had lots of practice 'dumbing down' complex or technical information to the point where ANYONE could understand the basic points. Which brings up another point: PRACTISE, PRACTISE, PRACTISE.

Banking bailout balti

2008-10-08T23:46:00.000-07:00

Marvellous to think that the details of Britain's £400bn bank rescue package were agreed over £245 worth of curry. Only in England would this make the headlines. As if the fact that Alistair Darling called his favourite restaurant personally to place the order underlines the gravity of the situation. I wonder if the tandoori chicken, vegetable curry and aloo gobi came with the prerequisite 6 pints of Cobra.

MBAs amidst turmoil

2008-10-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

It feels strange to be doing an MBA amidst financial calamity and disaster. One has to reflect on whether an MBA will be as valuable a qualification in 12 months time as it was 12 months ago.

Undoubtedly, the skills and knowledge we develop this year will be invaluable. What will be even more important however, will be how we blend these newfound abilities with experience. There will likely be fewer MBA positions in traditional markets in 12 months time than in recent years. Employers will use the financial crisis to get rid of dead wood. Let's face it, this time next year there will be 1,000's of fresh MBAs all over the world looking for employment and with fewer slots available, this will place greater emphasis on how much real world experience people have and how MBAs present that experience as complementary to their business studies.

44% of graduating full-time MBA graduates in 2007 had less than 4 years work experience. A further 43% had between 4 and 8 years work experience. (GMAC Global MBA Graduate Survey 2007 - based on survey respondents from 158 business schools around the world.) This suggests that with so many MBAs out there with relatively little work experience, and potentially fewer MBA jobs available, it will be critical for people to think carefully about their next career move and leverage what experience they do have as much as possible when selling themselves.

It's great to be 'cocooned' in a learning environment of such prestige for the moment, but there is a danger one could start to forget what it's like in the real world and get complacent about the next step. Kudos to the good folks at Warwick, who have thus far presented a very candid and honest picture of what one can do with an MBA. Sure, it opens doors and allows some degree of 'career change', but one has to be realistic. Adjacency is key. The more experience one has, the more potential for adjacency and presumably, career options.

Let's not forget, the real world is tough. Employers expect results. Stakeholders are very busy and have different agendas. Companies are embroiled in politics and corporate culture. Basic skills like running meetings, emotional intelligence, making decisions and actually getting things done don't come easy to most, but each and every one of my fellow cohort need to learn this stuff if they're to realise their potential.

Any sniff of happy ears or complacency should be swiftly dealt with.

27 days

2008-10-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

That's all it took. 27 days.

I've been back in England a mere 27 days and already some lumpenprole has tried to break into the house on a wet saturday night.

Marvellous. I spend 10 years in San Francisco - not once did I feel threatened walking down the street. Even wandering around the supposedly dodgy Tenderloin amongst the homeless people and crack addicts I still felt safe.

I come back to England - leafy Sutton Coldfield, barely a month goes by and there's some charley wondering around atop a single storey roof at the side of the house like he owns the place. Startled by lights being turned on, he starts making good his escape. The resulting noise provides sufficient alert so I start shouting and begin unlocking doors to get after the rather un-cat-like burglar. Adrenalin is a good source of bravery, so this seemed like the best course of action.

Once in escape mode and aware that he's been rumbled, he slips on the wet roof, puts his foot through some guttering, falls and manages to break some fencing whilst plummeting onto the neighbours' patio. Useless miscreant.

He makes good his escape through next door's garden leaving behind an assortment of weapon-like garden implements carefully stashed at the front of the house - presumably his planned escape route. Not just any old garden implements, I might add. One of them was more like an ice-pick; another, some garden shears, had been modified such that both blades were at an angle of 90°. The third, a common or garden rake.

The police came very quickly. A dog unit too. They were clearly ready to give chase, but alas, their man had fled. No doubt he'll try elsewhere next Saturday.

$700bn bill passed (263 to 171)

2008-10-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever watched a piece of legislation being rammed through Congress with such trepidation. The $700bn rescue package for the U.S. economy, which in reality is more like a giant bandaid that will be worn out in about 6 months time, is nevertheless hugely important to ordinary Americans.

The vote in the House of Representatives today made for gripping TV. What will be even more interesting will be how the markets react to the passing of this bill. Hopefully the bill will work and I'll have some extra pocket money during my year at Warwick!

No thanks to the miserable Republicans, a majority of whom notably voted against the bill in the House today. Sure the bill isn't perfect, but something had to be done.

Wake up Warwick!

2008-10-03T02:19:00.000-07:00

I've decided the University of Warwick needs to wake up earlier.

In a bid to avoid the crippling traffic that has resulted from the 'line of cones' that some invisible highway maintenance crew have inflicted on poor souls daring to use the bit of the A45 known as the 'Coventry Bypass', I've been arriving on campus at 7am.

Maybe this is symptomatic of dealing with a hellacious Bay Area commute for many years, and I realise that most respectable 'students' are still in bed with hangovers (and presumably each other) at this time, but there is something strangely enjoyable about the tranquility of an early morning campus. Reminds me of the days I used to get up and run over the Golden Gate Bridge as the sun was coming up over the bay... well sort of.

So this morning at 7am prompt I decided to treat myself to an early morning swim. I know the gym doesn't open until 7.15am, but something within me decided they might just let me in a bit early. Stupid idea.

Why they open at 7.15 is beyond me. Of course the staff likely start work at 7am; probably makes it easier to calculate the wages or something. Heaven forbid they could actually get the staff in before then and open at the far more sensible time of 7am. I'm not looking for a 6am opening time here (although that would be nice), just for them to a little more customer-orientated.

I obediently join the queue of 25 or so others trying to get in at 7am.

Once I'm done swimming I pop over to the library. 8.15am. Again, I know the library doesn't open until 8.30, but again I foolishly assumed I might have caught them on a good day. Wrong.

It's weird to me that at one of England's leading educational institutions, the library doesn't open earlier. What do off-campus people do when they have exams that start at 9am and want to spend a couple of hours reviewing notes before they put pen to paper? Go to the campus coffee shop that won't be open either?!

Again, I obediently wait. Again, with about 25 others who, from the expression on their faces as they roll up, are also surprised to find the place locked up.

[I should probably note here that I've so far found the library to be excellent, but feel justified in my minor gripe about the lackadaisical hours they keep.]

Oh well, looks like the 24/7 Business School is the place to be for those of us that keep anti-social hours. It's probably better that way anyway.

Why choose The Warwick MBA?

2008-09-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

For me this was quite simple, but before I get to the detail of what attracted me specifically to Warwick's MBA, I should perhaps comment on my reasons for choosing a British business school over the many fine schools in the U.S.

Firstly, having spent 10 years in California, this year represents a golden opportunity for me to figure out if I want to live in England again. Full-time MBAs in the U.K. are typically 12 months, so this is perfect to test my tolerance of England's weather and yob culture. Full-time MBAs at top American business schools are typically two years - too long and too expensive - for me at least. And clearly I wouldn't have been able to test my readiness for life in England again.

Secondly, I'm only too aware that seeing one's family once a year (give or take) isn't enough: perhaps the biggest downside to living on the west coast of America. For the time being at least, I get to rectify this problem. Warwick Business School is 30 mins from my immediate family.

Aside from these personal requirements, the rest of my analysis was really quite simple, the two main drivers for my conclusion being:

Warwick's firm ranking in the global top 1%
Value for money

Of course, I used some level of deeper analysis to reach this conclusion...

Whatever way you look at this data, Warwick comes out favourably. Said, Judge, Manchester, Cranfield, LBS and the other London schools are a good deal more expensive, not to mention London's additional cost of living. It's also surprising how many good schools are priced similarly to Warwick, but don't come close in terms of current rankings and international reputation.

GMAT scores are really a non-issue, assuming you put some time into preparing. If you want to go to LBS or Oxbridge, you just make sure you put in the required effort and get lots of GMAT practice if you need it.

I'll admit to being swayed towards schools where a greater number of years of work experience are required. A great deal of the value in an MBA comes from your fellow students' experiences and maturity level. This is important. Warwick, with 4 years is amongst the highest in the UK.

Since starting at Warwick, it's become abundantly clear that I overlooked one very important factor in all this: the strength of the Alumni Association. I must admit this wasn't even on my radar as I considered business schools. With 23,500 members in 32 countries, the WBS' Alumni Association is a vast network and knowledge base for graduates of the business school. Once you graduate, you're a member for life.

WBS ranking moves on up

2008-09-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

Good news this week for those of us who just started Warwick's full-time MBA. The Economist Intelligence Unit's Which MBA? Guide now has Warwick at 23rd in the world, up 4 places from last year. This means top 10 in Europe and firmly top 1% worldwide.

The interested and interesting Mr. Nicholas Bate

2008-09-26T04:57:00.000-07:00

Our 80 strong cohort spent day four of Warwick's induction week in the company of one man: Nicholas Bate.

Billed as 'The World of Work', I'll admit to being a little apprehensive about spending an entire day hearing what this is like, having just spent the last 15 years upto my neck in it.

However, the double-click on the high level themed item: 'Surviving, Succeeding & Prospering in the New World of Work' proved to be enlightening, refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable.

Testament to Mr. Bate, the day flew by and was packed with practical and clear advice about, not just work, but also life. I've attended these kinds of sessions in the past and often found them to be somewhat formulaic and uninspiring - you feel you've heard the same information and done the same exercises before, just with different people.

Yesterday was different, however - very different. Nicholas Bate is clearly a man who has done his homework. He knows what MBA students want, and more importantly, need from such a session. I particularly enjoyed his incisive style. No bullshit - clear guidance, no fluff or waffle.

For example, on how to cram more information into tired, already packed brains, the answer is simple: just make your mind up to make more space; discard useless data and information, disconnect old links between useless information like the relationship between carrots and improved eyesight or almonds and a better mind. Simply make a conscious decision to make room for more information.

On giving up smoking, it's all about mindset. Say to yourself, you've GIVEN UP, not you're GIVING UP. Throw the cigarettes in the bin and dispense with the procrastination. This is exactly how I gave up smoking at the tender age of 21. I could never understand why people who were trying to give up smoking would have cigarettes in their pocket whilst ordering a pint of lager and a packet of crisps at their local.

It's the same, simple technique I used to run my first marathon, my first Ironman: self-belief and confidence.

For some reason I relate easily to this kind of advice. Just make your mind up you're going to succeed. Foster a 'can do' attitude and good things will happen. I sensed some people in the room searching for more answers and resisting the simplicity of such life decisions, but by the end of the day, people were convinced. It really is a case of, as Mr. Bate would say, "JFDI".

We were taught how to do things like remember 20 random items. Not rocket science, but useful, practical advice and more importantly giving people the belief they can do stuff like this.

Anyone who has been responsible for standing in front of a relatively large crowd for a day or more and been charged with delivering useful information knows how challenging it can be to make it entertaining, lively and relevant - all day. Mr. Bate was all this and more. And there wasn't a PowerPoint slide in sight.

Warwick MBA: First Impressions

2008-09-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

Two things struck me within hours of walking into Warwick Business School this week to begin what promises to be an exhilarating and rewarding year.

Firstly, the diversity of the cohort. I'm suddenly surrounded by 80 engaging, smart, refreshing individuals all eager to get to know one another. Perhaps more importantly, I'm instantly impressed and energised by the sheer variety of cultures, ethnicities, professional backgrounds and personalities. The new full-time cohort comprises 27 different nationalities - a truly international bunch! 32% are female and the average age is 31. Yesterday was the first day we spent really getting to know our Syndicate Group team members for the autumn term. Even amongst this small group of 10, we have a promising mix of talent. I'm certain Myers-Briggs advocates would gaze upon our team and nod approvingly.

Secondly, the proactive nature of WBS' Personal and Career Development (PCD) team. A pleasingly aggressive schedule is already in place which promises to ensure candidates are prepared to a high standard, such that Warwick's considerable links with the business world can be exploited by each and every one of the 80 strong cohort. This is critical. Many people have given up perfectly good jobs, put already promising careers on hold and invested heavily. I'm confident those students who engage effectively and proactively with the PCD team will be met with the same enthusiasm and action.

Once

2008-09-20T01:10:00.001-07:00

While I'm talking about movies and at the risk of sounding like Barry Norman (Siskel & Ebert for American readers), I can't help but enthuse about Once - a delightful film I watched recently that was released in 2007 and has since won an Oscar for Best Original Song.

Set in Ireland, the film tells the story of an Irish musician busking on the streets of Dublin. Glen Hansard (of The Frames) - the guy - meets a young Czech immigrant, Markéta Irglová - the girl - who is also a musician. Their musical friendship blossoms as their affections for one another slowly develop.

Inspired by the girl, the guy is prompted to record his songs professionally and travel to London to find his fortune and estranged love of his life. Meanwhile, the girl deals with the arrival of her Czech husband and father of her child.

This is one of those movies that just makes you feel good and you could easily watch more than once. The music plays a big part in the film's charm and appeal. It retains a rawness that makes you believe it really is just a bunch of songs thrown together by a Dublin street busker who fights off heroin addicts trying to steal his earnings, and only plays his own material late at night when the crowds have gone home.

Warwick Arts Centre

2008-09-19T23:58:00.000-07:00

One of the cool things about the University of Warwick is the Warwick Arts Centre. Situated at the heart of campus, a plethora of events are on offer throughout the year: music, drama, dance, literature, comedy, film and visual arts all feature to give the university a cultural heartbeat.

I recently watched the French film, Summer Hours (L'Heure d'été), featuring Juliet Binoche, Charles Berling, Jérémie Rénier and Edith Scob. A very enjoyable study of family relationships, rocked by the death of Hélène, the egocentric septuagenarian matriarch, who, it turns out was in love with her uncle, an artist of modest acclaim.

Hélène has turned the family summer house in which she lives into something of a shrine to her late uncle. The story focuses on her three children and how they react to her death and wishes for the house and its contents. Frédéric, an economist living in Paris; Adrienne, a designer living in New York; and Jérémie, a businessman living in China interact in a sensitive and often humourous way to give a charming and elegant portrayal of how one French family reacts to the emotional business of selling, donating and dividing the estate of their mother.

I particularly enjoyed the scene where Eloise, the doddery old housekeeper wanders off with (unbeknownst to her) a priceless vase - a gift from Frédéric.

J-Lo's Malibu Triathlon

2008-09-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

J-Lo and Anna Kournikova were among the stars who turned out for the Malibu Triathlon this past weekend - taking their lead from Robin Williams who has participated in the Escape From Alcatraz race in years gone by (well the cycling bit at least).

Could this represent a new era for triathlon? Maybe if enough celebrities take to the sport, NBC might actually broadcast the Olympic race from London in 4 years time.

Why do an MBA?

2008-09-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

I get asked this from time to time, so before Warwick's full-time MBA programme kicks off next week, I thought it appropriate to take a moment to reflect on my motivation and reasoning behind the next 12 months.

Important to note here that I'm perhaps a little older than most who undertake a full-time MBA and as such, my rationale may not be typical (if there is such a thing). I would also add that this post is intended to communicate the thinking behind my decision to undertake an MBA. My reasons for choosing Warwick will be addressed in a subsequent post.

When asked why they are doing an MBA, most people will talk about the network one is exposed to and the ability to move to a more business-oriented (and perhaps senior) function post-MBA. Of course, the veiled response here is that people want to earn more money - a return on the significant investment of doing an MBA.

While I'm excited about the prospect of making new friends and contacts, this alone isn't enough. I've also grown my career to a point where I'm unlikely to increase my short-term salary significantly post-MBA. I've already held senior managerial positions with large multi-national companies. I've managed budgets, projects and product lines and held positions that arguably require an MBA. I've built and lead teams, hired and fired people and convinced C level people of the need for investment.

What I find really exciting at this point in my career is the doors that will be opened - the new career directions, industries and disciplines that will be accessible once I'm done. I'm also genuinely interested in the content of a solid, well-rounded MBA. Sure, I could read books and learn stuff myself. I could learn from peers and managers and those around me. All of this I do anyway, but after many years of long hours, constant travel, politics, egos and 24/7 Blackberry action, I'm ready for some time out to study, reflect and enjoy the learning process once again.

I'm deliberately not making any career decisions until I'm well into Warwick's 12 month programme. Maybe I'll continue my career in software, maybe I won't. It's too early to tell - the wonderful thing is that the MBA will give me more options along with the skills and knowledge to change direction if that's what I choose to do.

Free swimming

2008-09-14T02:56:00.000-07:00

It's great that the 2012 Olympics has inspired the government to act in order to stem the tide of obesity wafting over the UK. Time will tell as to whether it actually has any impact.

The plan for 2012 highlights the following initiatives:

To make the UK a world-leading sporting nation
To transform the heart of East London
To inspire a generation of young people
To make the Olympic Park a blueprint for sustainable living
To demonstrate the UK is a creative, inclusive and welcoming place to live in, visit and for business

This is all marvellous and I'm particularly excited about the free swimming idea which was recently announced in support of the 2012 Olympic Legacy Action Plan. Free, that is, if you're over 60 - although the announcement has also challenged local authorities to provide free swimming for under 16's and free lessons for adults who can't swim. Let's hope local government can make this happen.

Let's face it, the situation couldn't be much worse right now. As I sit here on a sunday morning, almost a week since I last swam, itching to get back in the water, the local pool that I learned to swim in is closed. Apparently the building is laced with asbestos - the pool has been closed for a couple of years due to lack of funding, but is supposedly scheduled to reopen in January 2009. The next closest pool is only open until 12.30pm and there is no provision for lap swimming on sundays. PATHETIC.

At least Coventry has an Olympic size pool (the only one in the West Midlands!), and I'm looking forward to using the sports facilities the University of Warwick has to offer.

Back on the bike!

2008-09-11T02:54:00.000-07:00

I've been suffering from bicycle separation anxiety over the last few months, having unwittingly shifted (sorry for the pun) my tri bike from California to England, and then returned to California to take care of some business and enjoy the summer. Sure, I borrowed bikes from friends and tried to talk bike shop owners into renting me a decent bike for less than the cost of car rental, but was all the time seriously missing my own two wheels.

The sun appeared yesterday for a few hours, so I jumped at the opportunity. Together with my Dad, we trundled around some of the finest country lanes Warwickshire and Staffordshire have to offer - even stopped for a cup of coffee and a slice of fruitcake at Packington Farm (home of happy pigs). Who needs Starbucks?!

My little jaunt was rather topical with the breaking news of Lance Armstrong's comeback and Floyd Landis' audacious return to professional cycling after a two year ban. I wonder if these chaps will ever be fuelled by Packington Farm fruitcake!

You get quite intimate with a bicycle when you spend a lot of hours on one. A few years ago I had my tri bike (along with my mountain bike) stolen just a few days before doing an Ironman race. The feeling in my stomach was one of physical sickness. Your bike almost becomes part of you - like a fifth limb - when you train for a race of that distance, so to lose it so close to a race is catastrophic. (My current tri bike is the one I replaced my stolen one with on that occasion).

For the bike geeks amongst you, it's a carbon fibre Kestrel Talon SL with full Shimano Dura-Ace kit, Syntace bars, San Marco racing saddle, Chris King headset, Speedplay stainless road pedals and X-lab CO2 rig. When I put my Shimano carbon tubular wheelset on the thing, it's almost like cheating - the complete bike is so light it floats up hills as if filled with helium.

It's marvellous to get reacquainted with such a machine and really is a joy to ride once again.

Pretty soon here I'll be getting back on my mountain bike too. Can't wait! Perhaps I'll save that post for another day...

Singin' in the rain

2008-09-09T02:53:00.000-07:00

I've always found something reassuring in returning to England over the years - even if only for a few days and this time is no different. Despite being on the brink of economic calamity and a summer that could well be the wettest on record, the Brits always find something to laugh about. Their defiant resilience, I suppose, comes from being a small island nation trying desperately to cling to its imperial roots and once flourishing empire. This refusal to be down-beat - a sense of humour like no other in the world - and the simple fact that I was born and raised here always makes me glad to be back, even if I do feel like a foreigner.

Yet still people flock to England. People want to come here to live, to study, to vacation, so it can't be all that bad, I say to myself as I think about what the next 12 months will entail and perhaps more importantly, what it will lead to. I have two weeks before Warwick Business School welcomes its 08/09 cohort to their full-time MBA programme. There's a contagious and growing sense of excitement amongst those already contributing to discussion forums and eagerly posing questions for their fellow MBA students.

Something tells me these guys won't care about the rain - after all it's conducive to study. I too will quickly adapt to the weather as I prepare to embrace a student lifestyle once again.

Bear necessities

2008-09-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

I recently spent a few days camping at Lake Tahoe enjoying the pristine water and idyllic surroundings; just me, a tent and a couple of good books. The water temperature at this time of year is perfect for swimming, so every morning I would get up before the speed boat crowd so as to enjoy an hour of flat, calm open water swimming. Pope Beach provides the perfect swimming location with a clean, sandy beach gradually giving way to the crystal clear water. No wetsuit required - I'm guessing the water temperature was hovering at about 60-65°F.

Everything was perfect until one afternoon in the campsite my tranquility was disturbed by a bunch of people shouting things like, "STAY AWAY!", and "GET BACK!". That's annoying, I thought as I tended to the chicken I was busy barbequing. As I stood, I immediately saw a rather large bear, loping along at the periphery of the campsite, minding its own business, not more than 50ft away.

Of course, upon hearing all the commotion, the kids next door ran towards the animal, only to be stopped dead in their tracks by the bossy bear patrol that was following at a safe distance and making all the noise. I was a little perturbed that the bear in question seemed disinterested in the feast I was preparing and opted instead for my neighbour's rubbish bag.

Ten minutes later I heard sirens, presumably accompanied by tranquiliser guns and lifting gear in order to move the friendly furball to less populace patches of pine.

Quite fitting that as I prepare to leave California, I should encounter a bear - the iconic creature that adorns the state flag.

La pasión del tango (Buenos Aires Part 3)

2008-08-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

"When you dance tango you must give everything.

If you can't do that, do not dance."

Ricardo Vidort

One can't help but be intrigued by the devotion los porteños (people from Buenos Aires) have for tango. I'm not talking here about the stage kind, the tourist-ridden shows that are simply designed to rip people off. I'm talking about the social kind - found in the milongas (tango clubs), where the locals practise their art - their passion.

Buenos Aires is full of milongas where milongueros and milongueras, as well as younger, more unique or avant-garde dancers, gather. Milongueros and milongueras are the older generation who typically learned tango on the streets and in the milongas of the 1940's and 50's.

Social tango is at the core of tango - where it all started. Every class, stage performance or movie scene was motivated and inspired by tango's social roots. It's been around for over 100 years, but little of its history is documented. Most of the information surrounding the history of tango has come about through word of mouth - anecdotal tales passed on from generation to generation. A murky past that adds to the mystique and intrigue of tango.

Tango is at the centre of Buenos Aires' charm and culture. It's a huge part of porteño society and is delightfully evident all over the city. Amidst the current turmoil of the Argentinian political scene and economic uncertainty, tango brings people together - their joy is contagious as they dance - whether you're watching or participating, the experience is incredibly moving. I'll always remember Buenos Aires for the passion and fervour that defines tango.

Sidelined

2008-08-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

The hardest thing about being a runner is NOT being able to run. I've had my share of running injuries over the years - illiotibial (IT) band issues in both legs, patella tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and a stress fracture in my tibia - just the usual running stuff, nothing serious - thankfully.

Your mind and body gets used to running 4-5 times a week. It becomes routine - something you crave - that endorphin rush you get as you reach the top of a hill and start a fast descent - the space and time to think (or not think) completely uninterrupted.

I've made big life-changing decisions whilst out running. I've come up with solutions to problems at work whilst out running - ideas for presentations & seminars, strategies for closing deals. Many people sleep on big decisions before cementing them - I go running.

So right now I'm frustrated. My Achilles tendon is playing up, causing sharp pain in my heel. Experience (and some web hunting) tells me that I have Achilles tendonitis. Hopefully I've caught it early enough and there isn't too much scar tissue already formed so I can fix it quickly.

I'm on a daily diet of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, massage, ice, elevation and of course, no running. Frustrating, yes - but a stark (and valuable) reminder of how precious it is to be fit and healthy.

Ants in pentathlete pants

2008-08-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

With the Olympic Games fast approaching in Beijing and The London Triathlon this coming weekend, this piece of triathlon history is both amusing and topical. (The Times, February 26, 1983).

Good luck to all the British and Irish triathletes in Beijing, in particular Emma Davies who becomes Ireland's first Olympic triathlete. I wonder how long it will be before Ironman is an Olympic event and amazing scenes such as Julie Moss finishing the Hawai'i Ironman in 1982 are reenacted on the Olympic stage!

Warwick Digital Lab

2008-08-04T16:39:00.001-07:00

This caught my attention recently when I learned that Siemens PLM and WMG (an international research and education group at the University of Warwick) have agreed a deal whereby Siemens will provide £22 million of software to researchers, students and businesses using the new Warwick Digital Laboratory.

Warwick and Siemens PLM Sign £22 Million Software Deal for New Digital Lab

I spent 10 years working for Siemens PLM (well SDRC, EDS PLM & UGS PLM prior to the Siemens acquisition) immersed in their digital technology from I-deas & NX to Metaphase & Teamcenter. I'm sure WMG have access to Siemens' complete portfolio, so Tecnomatix will doubtless be in the mix also along with Siemens' world-class visualization technology.

Now as I embark on my MBA at Warwick, I'll be very interested to see what WMG does with the software that has in many ways helped shape the PLM industry of today.

God's Middle Finger

2008-08-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

I've just read this intriguing book about Richard Grant's travels through Mexico's Sierra Madre. Not your typical travel book, this one actually turns the author against the place through his first hand account of his dangerous and violent adventure.

I've been to Mexico many times and always enjoyed the place and people. When you live in California, Mexico provides a refreshing change from the sterilty and structure that exists north of the border. I therefore dived into this book with relish and enjoyed Grant's account of his fascination with a part of the world that is essentially ungoverned.

Like all good travel writers, Grant is attentive to the detail and eccentricities of the people who cross his path, none more so than the indigenous Tarahumaras and their Easter ritual, which mostly involves drinking corn-based beer in huge quantities:

"Four centuries ago the Jesuits had tried to bring Christianity alive for the Tarahumaras by staging Easter morality plays. They formed the Indians into companies and showed them how to reenact the persecution of Christ, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. In the Jesuit days, the soldiers and the Pharisees were the joint persecutors of Christ. But many drunken Holy Weeks had passed since then and now the Pharisees and the soldiers had ended up on opposite sides, representing good and evil, although their affiliations are switched in some villages. Here it was obvious who was who. You can always tell the evil bastards in the Sierra Madre by their AK-47s."

It's the evil bastards - the "whoreson goat fornicators" and "sons of obscene perpetrations" - who own the mountains, making the Sierra Madre one of the most savage, corrupt, misogynistic, bandit-infested, nihilistic regions in the world, the sort of place where people shoot one another for no reason than to "please the trigger finger" as Grant learns from a man who would shortly try to kill him.

Grant takes his dangerous adventure and the inevitably grim material that results and gives it ample humour and a sarcastic flair that keeps the reader engaged. Be warned though, this book will probably also eradicate any interest you may have in ever visiting the vicious hell-hole that is the Sierra Madre.

One old buzzard

2008-08-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

This photo made me smile on a recent trip to Santa Cruz for the Wharf To Wharf race:

Tour doping

2008-07-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

At this time of year I become engrossed in the Tour de France. The race grabs my attention like no other televised sporting event. The prospect of riding 100+ miles everyday for 3 weeks just blows me away. Sure, there's a couple of rest days thrown in, but there's also the Alps and Pyrenees to contend with. The time trial days may be shorter, but on these days the cyclists average approximately 50km/h. That's over 30mph! Anone who's done any cycling knows how hard it is to sustain an average speed of 15mph, nevermind 30mph! Talk about VO2 max!

Add to the mix the weather - cold, wet, heat, wind - throw in a generous assortment of hellacious crashes and you have the toughest endurance test of any in the mainstream sporting world.

The Tour has been embroiled in controversy in recent years. Doping has long been used by Tour riders. The early Tours would see cyclists use alcohol to numb the pain. Since the first Tour in 1903, riders have used a variety of drugs. What many people forget is that this was an accepted practice for 60+ years. It's only in the last 30 years that the cycling authorities have been cracking down. The Tour is such a tough test of mental and physical endurance, that in the early years drugs were seen as an essential part of simply getting through the race.

This legacy aside, it is now critical for cycling to rid the sport of drugs if it is to maintain its popularity and attract the sponsors and media coverage it needs to survive as the biggest bike race in the world. As the doping has become more crafty, so the testing has had to become more sophisticated. No longer is it simply a case of testing for a particular banned substance - the labs now have to test for unusually high quantities of naturally occurring chemicals such as cortisone, testosterone and more recently, erythropoietin (EPO) - a drug that increases red blood cell production.

One only has to look back at the last 20 years of Tour de France winners to see that the testing is working. The cheats are being weeded out and thrown out of the race, along with anyone else complicit in administering or organising doping.

2007 - Alberto Contador - Clean

2006 - Floyd Landis - Banned

1999-2005 - Lance Armstrong - Clean

1998 - Marco Pantani - Banned (deceased)

1997 - Jan Ullrich - Banned

1996 - Bjarne Riis - Confessed

1991-1995 - Miguel Indurain - Tested positive*

1989-1990 - Greg Lemond - Clean

1988 - Pedro Delgado - Tested positive*

* for substances that were not banned at the time

For me, none of this detracts from the Tour. I'm still fascinated. You only have to marvel at the accomplishments of young Mark Cavendish in this year's Tour - snatching 4 stage wins and out-sprinting the best of the best in his first Tour. Cadel Evans going down hard, taking copious amounts of skin off his arms, legs and back, only to get up the next day and take yellow. Bravehearts like these are what make the Tour the remarkable spectacle it is today and has been for over 100 years.

Wynton Marsalis

2008-07-13T13:00:00.001-07:00

Wynton Marsalis is quoted as saying, "I wanted to make somebody feel like Coltrane made me feel listening to it". Widely regarded as one of the finest jazz musicians of our time, Marsalis has established a strong reputation in both jazz performance and composition and has undoubtedly instilled a love of jazz in his fans worthy of the adoration he himself feels for John Coltrane.

I was lucky enough to catch Marsalis perform live recently and was impressed by a couple of things. Yes, the music was wonderful - you don't have to be a jazz nut to appreciate Wynton Marsalis. He makes the music accessible to all with his earthy and hip style. But what really struck me was the total lack of showboating and ego. Marsalis simply blends with the other musicians on stage. Sure, he introduces the pieces, but that aside, he just gets on with things and lets his trumpet do the talking.

Hugely enjoyable, even for someone like me who knows next to nothing about jazz. Sure, I've listened to some Blue Note stuff, some Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and Coltrane, but wouldn't describe myself as a huge jazz fan. I've also chuckled irreverently at Fat Bob's interpretation of "Smooth Jazz" on the Fast Show.

Winner of the first Pulitzer prize for a jazz recording and nine Grammys, Marsalis has a way of enchanting audiences with his trumpet that is quite unforgettable and well worth experiencing.