It is week 4 of term 2 and we continue doing our studies online for the part time MBA at Melbourne Business School.

Financial Management we have been looking at Capital Budgeting Decisions for viability of projects. In doing this we have looked at Net Present Value, Internal Rates of Return and the Payback methods. We have also been assigned our Syndicate groups and our syndicate has already begun to reach out communicate with each other on this and start to assign work on the assignment. Our lecturer has also posted a vide for us to watch as to the current economic conditions and things to watch out for. The current economic conditions are proving to be very relevant to our studies in Financial Management.

Financial Accounting we continue to look at accounting theory for recognition of assets and expenses, liabilities as well as the types of accounting adjustments that are used. This subject also has a Syndicate assignment and our syndicate have been quick to connect to begin looking at the assignment.

With this being my third term in the Melbourne Business School Part Time MBA, I have come to notice certain things about working in Syndicate groups.

• Firstly, you are working as part of a team which is not always something all of your syndicate members are used to. From doing Managing People you do need to know yourself before youn can then use this to understand your other syndicate colleagues.
• Second, you may notice some people who like to take the lead on the assignment. Again, from Managing People it is just as important for a leader to know how to be a follower then it is to just being a leader.
• Third, time management is critical as we only have so many hours in the day. We all have work, study and personal commitments that we need to prioritise at different times. It is important to manage these and to communicate this with your fellow syndicate colleagues.
• Being in 2 syndicate groups also means negotiating your available time between the groups and work as well as in addition to your existing study load

For work I can now disclose I have been working on a report on the impact of the current economic conditions on Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses. I provided this to Kinaway’s management for us to use to understand the needs and how best to service our members.

Damien talks about the last week as he hasn’t done a video since then. Damien talks about being on the back foot with studies due to not doing as much study as he needed to do that weekend. This also resulted in him not doing grocery shopping and buying microwave dinners as the quick and easy solution.

Damien on Friday drove to Ballarat for a member meeting for work and then returned to attend a Melbourne Business School Consulting Club interview panel with delegates from EY, Deloittes, Cap Gemini and AT Kinsley that was followed by networking drinks. On the Saturday he attended the Data Analysis Tutorial Assistance Help Sessions then worked with a fellow Syndicate member for the Managing People mid term assignment. He stayed until 8:30pm studying for the Data Analysis mid term exam and then returned home to watch a movie for Managing People.

Sunday he had a gym induction for his apartment complex and then went suit shopping. He then went to the Melbourne Business School to study until 11pm.

Damien also talks about his studies for Managing People that is based on emotions and feelings in the workplace and understanding ones self. He identifies how this relates to both work and personal relationships as well as with fellow students. He also tells how the word he has been hearing several times over the last week from people is ‘anxiety’ or ‘feeling anxious’.

Damien gives his debrief in the lead up to mid term assessments and exams for Managing People and Data Analysis. There is a mid term Syndicate presentation due at the end of Week 5 and the team have been progressing with this as we each contribute to the presentation. Damien and another syndicate member will contribute this weekend after the Data Analysis Help Session Tutorial Assistance session. There is also a Data Analysis mide term in class exam in Week 5 to be studied for. The topic for Managing People this week has been authenticity which has been an interesting topic.

For work, Damien has had a less jam packed week with several member and corporate meetings. He is also contributing to some marketing collateral for where he works at Kinaway Victorian Indigenous Chamber of Commerce.

Damien talks about his Monday at work where he did member Business Review. He went to the Melbourne Business School to do study. He is working with his Managing People Syndicate to start their group assignments. He also met a student who he discussed mentoring and pro bono / voluntary work with as he was a 180 Degree Consultant.

Damien talks about what he has done at work with internal meetings, Indigenous business members and Corporate Partner meetings. He has submitted his Social Responsibility and Ethics assignment, submitted his weekly Data Analysis prior to tomorrow nights class, done the Managing People quiz and has yet to complete the self reflection question.

Damien also talks about his registering with several MBS Clubs as the MBS Startup Club, MBS Consulting Club as well as other Alumni clubs as EY and Australia Post. Damien has registered for ‘Coffee Roulette’ where he will be matched with other students from other industry and experience backgrounds to share stories and knowledge.

Damien talks about Indigenous Business Month which is a legacy of the Murra Program which Melbourne Business School runs. Damien in his role as Relationship Manager with Kinaway Victorian Indigenous Chamber of Commerce and the video he is working on. He discusses his interaction with another student on the Social Responsibility and Ethics assignment and his finding another resource from Brown University.

The Managing People class was an information overload lecture. Damien found the class information intensive in the slides and content. There were class exercises around how we use past experience and knowledge/ heuristics to solve problems (one of the exercise problems was on Die Hard With a Vengeance in the park).

The takeaway from the class were the modern Motivation Theories which are Goals Theory, Consequence Theory, Justice Theory and Self Determination Theory. These now supercede the old Motivation theories as Maslows Heirarchy of Needs. He learns what Negative Reinforcement is where it is about taking away a negative impact on performance.

The Self Reflection was how in the workplace we ourselves or another employee performed poorly and how that was approached around feedback. The most notable reasoning most went to was it being the result of extrinsic reasons as to intrinsic reasons.

The Syndicate work has a Project due on the 26 November but we need to have our topic in as soon as possible, but then also have a mid term assignment due in week 6. We also discussed what technology we will be using as a team for the assignment. It was agreed by the Syndicate we use Slack for communications and Google Docs for document control.

Damien discusses the reading he did for Managing People which looks at the use of reward systems and how they don’t necessarily result in the desired outcome they were hoping to achieve. He discusses the work he needs to do for Data Analysis where he has the question to do before class on Thursday. He talks about his day at work having phone meetings with members of Kinaway, Victorian Indigenous Chamber of Commerce and his upcoming Business Review meetings with members and potential Corporate Partner meetings. He also has an overdue library book of Gareth Evans Politcal Memoirs.

A Framework For Making Ethical Decisions

Damien talks about completing his Social Responsibility and Ethics assignment as well as a recap of his weekend. He talk about his submission of his Managing People survey password, and completing the self reflection question, where he broke the self reflection into three components- Himself, his direct reports as individuals and as a team and the organisation. He has yet to do his Data Analysis class work for week 2, which he will commence after completing his Managing People readings. He also talks about his keeping up with his social life by retaining contact with his friends by phone and for brunch.

Damien discusses his first class for Data Analysis. He starts with a review of his last couple of days doing the Social Responsibility and Ethics assignment, the Leadership assignment, interview Will Henderson. Then his day at work speaking with Kinaway’s Victorian Indigenous business members and presenting to a potential Corporate Partner. That night he had the Data Analysis class and Damien realised he needs to do more self study in using Excel and Pivot Tables. He talked with a Managing People Syndicate member who showed him to connect to their Slack team for communicating with the team. He also talks about the self reflection of the Managing People class. He then discusses his goals for the weekend being to complete his Social Responsibility and Ethics assignment, self study on Excel and Pivot Tables, completing his readings for Managing People, doing his Managing People Self Reflection response and the survey password submission. He will socialise tonight and catch up with his Doctor friend from Brisbane doing his Fellow studies. Today is an AFL Grand Final Day public holiday in Victoria.