Who better than an Executive Coach, working closely with participants throughout the MBA, to offer good advice to MBA candidates? Frederique TOFANI took a moment to share some ideas about how best to maximize the MBA experience…before, during and after. Some valuable insights from a very “insider” perspective…
KEDGE GLOBAL MBA DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
K: What is your role within the MBA?
F.T.: I am an Executive Coach to whom a part of the EMBA participants refer during their MBA experience.
K: What objectives do you have for the EMBA’s that you work with?
F.T.: My objectives when I work with participants are principally to emphasize and identify conditions for success for both the MBA in general and the professional project (a project that can be put into place during the MBA or just following) while helping them maintain a personal « ecology » … an equilibrium between the various key domains of their lives.
K: Why is the EMBA experience a great time to focus on personal/professional development?
F.T.: I feel that the MBA is a good moment to work on personal and professional development because it is a favorable terrain for change.
Effectively, doing an MBA is often a “symptom” of a desire for change or change which is already happening…
Doing an MBA means also having to adopt new views, new beliefs, new perspectives…thanks notably to a stimulating environment which accelerates the opening of minds, punctuated by a daily confrontation of practices, intercultural exchange… and thanks also to the stepping back a bit from work and priorities.
Doing an MBA is also finally building confidence… capacities, employability, potential, futures… a new field of possibilities reveals itself.
The desire to change + opening up the field of possibilities + putting things into new perspective = an equation which concretely benefits the change in MBA participants.
And change comes also from « disruptions » which makes opportune…necessary even… work accompanying movement and development.
K: How can an EMBA candidate best position themself for success during their MBA experience?
F.T.: I encourage every MBA candidate to:
Clarify and specify the reasons pushing them to do an MBA. Ideally, each candidate will be able to clearly answer the following questions: What do I expect from this training? What impact am I targeting in my professional trajectory? In what ways will an MBA contribute concretely to my professional project? What will I build with all this?...
Evaluate, objectively and factually, the real capacity of the MBA to meet these expectations…in sharing experiences with programme alumni for example.
Anticipate, as far in advance as possible, the organization of personal and professional absences during the MBA. Which entails planning, defining priorities, delegating that which can be delegated, with respect to time dedicated during workshops…but also personal time required between sessions (homework, group work…)
These three items… according to my empirical observation…are often not invested in enough.
K: What are some common “danger areas” for EMBA’s during their MBA experience?
F.T.: My feeling is that the danger areas are principally :
Bad management of priorities, organization and an over-investment in the MBA which creates a definite disequilibrium in the different life areas: married life, family life, professional life…
Having an approach which is passive or conversely consuming toward the MBA which leads, for example, to relying too heavily on the MBA network without rolling out genuine actions for the required deliverables…
Taking an “it happens like magic” approach to the MBA….such as waiting for the MBA experience to spontaneously drop a promising and lasting professional project idea in your lap…or banking on the “MBA brand” to improve your professional life…
K: What factors can “side-track” a participant while doing their MBA?
F.T.: Personal and professional life issues: separations, births, moves, lay-off, new opportunities…
External pressure: pressure from the family environment, social, professional
Internal pressure: fear, resistance, auto-sabotage…
K: What do you enjoy most about working with EMBA participants?
F.T.: I genuinely appreciate working with such a diversity of profiles, backgrounds and projects and, even more, working on the issues and stakes involved in “life change”.
K: In 20 words or less, what advice would you give an EMBA participant?
F.T.: Be an actor in your EMBA and orient yourself….lead the direction of this experience !
Frédérique Tofani is a professional coach. She’s has an extensive history coaching thousands of people and working with them from issues concerning career evolution to professional stakes. Always touched by the courage shown by those who, in a moment of desired or required transition, renew and question themselves while at the same time get “back in the game”. Frédérique, gains great satisfaction daily in the role of building bridges, actively serving people and the projects which will bring them satisfaction and direction. As part of her professional activities, Fréderique has intervened as a coach of reference for Kedge Global MBA participants since 2006.
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