TIme to stop to check

This is the first real break we have had since we started the MBA program - 4 days for the Easter, including the Monday. THis will provide the time for a reflection on the days past.

The MBA program started on 14th Jan. On the 16 and 17th, we went on a two day outdoor trip for team building at the Schloss Kröchlendorff ( http://www.schlosskroechlendorff.de/ ) - 29 of us. There was still a suspense whether Elka and Aysenur would join our class and they did, a week later after sorting out their Visa issues. This was sheer fun - 29 individuals assembled together to be moulded into a team. Circumspection gave way to trust as we crossed the "river" with 7 logs, hiked our way across fields using maps made by someone else and then climbed rope obstacles.

Some did it the hard way and the others found fun ways to do the tasks. These two pictures reminded me of how software is developed in different parts of the world. The picture on the left is the one, where I would imagine is done in, say, IBM US - following processes and doing it the right way, the one on the right is the Indian way of doing this - fewer resources but more man power - one on top of the other - eventually the tasks gets done and these guys also have the most fun - See the smiles :)

Felix, Adrian and Stefano are seen looking at the map - a perfectly done map - but incorrectly read and I wonder what they are doing on the watch tower looking out with head lamps into the darkness, maybe they should have used the walkie talkie and called the rest of the group who were already in the pub having beer. Trust a man to never stop and say that he is lost- and when you get a few men together - guess what!!!!

The classes started in right earnest - all the group work taught us more than what we learnt in class. Decision Analysis was a revelation - Francis was in his elements and taught us a trick or two and we are smarter for that. Konstantin was his usual business self - aced through the class and opened a new way to look at Organizational Behavior. The course I found the most satisfying was Economics - I proved to myself that I had it in me to understand Economics and I am grateful to Michal for that. Eric can never be faulted for not trying hard in Marketing. I do not know if I will ever be a marketing guy but the whole Marketing Case was a revelation of Team work. Accounting with Zimmermann laid the foundation for hopefully a future for me with numbers. By the time the module was over, we were tired, yet happy.

Module 2 relatively seems to be a walk in the park. We are done with HR by Jean-Marie Hiltrop and Intro to Finance with Jeorg Rochell will be done with early next week. We will still have Marketing with Luc Wathieu and two new new courses starting next week - Operations and Advanced Accounting. The tide may shift and we may have to spend more hours in the study rooms but let me enjoy when I am able to...