Damien talks about his Data Analysis mid term exam, how he felt he went and how this has made him reconsider where he puts his time into which subjects and areas he needs to focus on for each subject. He is happy with the progress of the Managing People Syndicate mid term presentation assignment and the contribution made by all of the team mebers.

Damien attended the Melbourne Business School Net Impact Club’s event where during the networking part he was able to speak with Professor Glen Hoetker from MBS around Murra and Indigenous Procurement. He also was able to speak with Emily Jenkins from EY. Damien was also able to speak to other full time students doing the MBA and speak with Emily who has completed the part time MBA. This provided insight into the difference in time commitment between the two given part time students are both working and studying.

Damien went on his first date while doing the part time MBA. While he went on the date, he was actually hoping the other person would cancel as he wanted to spend it studying after the outcome of the Data Analysis mid term exam, even though he needs to also have some element of a social life. But while on the date Damien also made it clear about his time commitment to study and what time he had to date. There is a study, be it an urban legend or not, there is a high failure in relationships with students doing the MBA due to the level of time commitment to do the MBA. This is why it is so important to communicate with your current or future partners of the level of time needed to be committed to the MBA as to dating.

Sunday Damien slept in, had brunch at Mr Tulks cafe while also attempting to do a video edit and upload of the 20191021a video. He then went shopping for new business shirts, picked up his new suit and bought some new brown shoes for the new blue suit, as well as some grocery shopping.

Damien then talks about the value of time and how much he now values his time given there is only so much time in the day and week. Damien’s former manager, Ann Murray, once asked him “How much do you value your time?”. Damien now appreciates this now in the new context of doing the MBA, as time is now such a valuable commodity to him and is the new reality. He now values his time more then ever.

Damien also talks about his new issue which is now having to look for a new place to live after receiving a text message from his housemate who he sublets from giving him 2 weeks notice to vacate as he is now moving back home to country Victoria.

Damien talks about the hints and tips he has learnt to Week 3 of the subject. These Include

1. Create or join a Study Group
2. Do the class prep- it’s marked
3. Read the slides and cases before the class
4. Do the Help Session ‘Tutorial Assistance’ class exercises the weekend after the class
5. Go to the Tutorial Assistance with questions for attempted/completed exercises.
6. I forgot to mention to buy the text by Chris Lloyd- ‘Data Driven Business Decisions’

Damien discusses the pressures of work has on studying a part time MBA and then also fitting in personal life. Damien’s week has been filled with work as Relationship Manager for Kinaway Victorian Indigenous Chamber of Commerce. This includes corporate meetings, member business reviews, MBA classes, phone meetings, his boss’ farewell drinks and then the Murra Indigenous Business Master Class Program 2019 Second Intake dinner. He talks about his doing the Data Analysis Help Session Tutorial Assisted class in the morning and then Managing People Syndicate work. He also relates to the Managing People readings around ‘authenticity in the workplace’ as to how that impacted him in an organisation.

Damien talks about his weekend, starting with finishing his Managing People reading, attending the Data Analysis Tutorial Assistance Saturday morning, did a study group in the Mills and finished his Data Analysis class prep. Sunday was brunch before going back to Melbourne Business School to do more study and returned home to watch the NRL Rugby League Grand Final between Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders.

Damien gives a debrief of Data Analysis from the night before and an overview of his day at work doing a Business Review with a Kinaway Victorian Indigenous Chamber of Commerce member. He talks about what he did after work at the Melbourne Business School for study for Managing People for the weekly survey and reflection question. He then talks about the weekend ahead including the Data Analysis Tutorial Assistance class on Saturday and whether he will be watching the NRL Rugby League Grand Final on Sunday.

Damien also talks about managing his study, work and personal life as he plans for exams in December as well as work travel.

Damien talks with Bode Muse who has travelled the world with his work and is now studying the Part Time MBA here at Melbourne Business School. Bode tells his story starting in Nigeria where he grew up to his work in England and now Australia in a wide variety of roles with various organisations. He has worked in government, Corporate and Non Government organisations. He has worked in various organisations including banking, energy, IT and education. He talks about his experience in the Not For Profit area around social cohesion and Corporate Social Responsibility with Kulture Hive. Bode talks about the importance of MBA students having a social responsibility view in their organisations.

Bode also talks about a term known as ‘Tribalism’ from his experience both in the not for profit and corporate world. He tells why it is important for organisations to understand about regional social and cultural differences when expanding into new international locations.

Bode also talks about why he chose to do a MBA at Melbourne Business School and how he has previously done a leadership program at Harvard Business School and considered it and Melbourne Business School in comparison.

Damien talks on the Excel Bootcamp and the importance of Data Analysis going into other courses in the MBA. While Damien has an accounting background, he found it useful for the Pivot Tables where they are now a lot more easier to use then when he used them. Not everyone attended the Bootcamp as those who use Excel regularly for work don’t need to attend.

Damien finished the Bootcamp then came down to the Mills to finish editing the video updates for his MBA Journey at Melbourne Business School. He is in the Hub at 6:30pm on a Sunday doing this video which is the cafe and bar area of the Melbourne Business School campus. He will go home, do shopping for groceries and have dinner and then do some more study on his Social Responsibility and Ethics assignment and start the readings for Managing People which starts this Tuesday evening, as well as Data Analysis on Thursday evening. He will finish work, have dinner and then walk to Melbourne Business School to go straight into classes.

Damien went home last night, had KFC for dinner while watching some Netflix and then spent an hour on the phone talking to a friend from Brisbane.

Damien didn’t do a video for the day prior, 20 September 2019 as he finished class and came staight down to the Mills to do a reading for an in class exercise the next day. He went home after completing the readings and started watching “The Hitmans Bodyguard” with Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson (sorry Samuel L Jackson!!) and fell asleep half way through it at 8:30pm.

He woke this morning at 7am feeling a lot more refreshed. He came to the Melbourne Business School to commence class and there was a power outage. So the Syndicate Team had to work in rooms with a window for lighting. Check out Damien’ Instagram account at dgfoley to see his Syndicate Team at work.

He completed the class at 12pm and started his Social Responsibility and Ethics individual assignement in the Mills study area. In between study on the assignment he worked on the Syndicate Leadership assignment using Microsoft Team. Damien wanted to focus on the final review of the Leadership assignment that the team references to ensure there is no implications of possible plagiarism, which has academic implications to be failed in the assignment, the course or the MBA program.

Damien is in the Mills study area which includes paintings he assumes are former Deans of the Melbourne Business School. He intends to return home, treat himself to takeaway for dinner and hit the gym.

Damien talks about the readings needed for the subject. A group exercise on ethics for deciding if a tram was to hit either 5 people or hit 1 person. We discussed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the value add it brings to a business to have CSR as part of its business practices and the benefits to communicate this to its stakeholders. We also discuss the negatives of CSR being used as a public relations stunt.

We also did a Syndicate presentation of an ASX listed company in an industry with social unease or contention where Damien presented for this Syndicate exercise. This actually included the company’s Indigenous strategy, workplace OH&S and green house gas emissions. As Damien was across Indigenous procurement, he was able to speak on the supply needs of procuring from Indigenous businesses directly from his knowledge and experience. Damien’s Syndicate Team continued working on their Leadership assignment.

Damien finished study early that morning before going to bed and didn’t make it to the gym. He woke and went straight to Melbourne Business School for the class to return home, have dinner, then go to the Victorian State Library until 9pm to continue doing study to return home and do more study. He still hasn’t finished all the readings which are intensive and couldn’t discuss the next day’s activity due to confidentiality requirements for future classes. He recorded this video at 12:40am in the morning and couldn’t concentrate to continue study.