How you can make the best use of a management education

A few years back, the TMI group commissioned a survey to study the usefulness of MBA education in the day-to-day lives of management professionals. MBA graduates from across B-schools, with up to 10 years of work experience, participated in this survey. Respondents were asked to rate usefulness of the course to their current job; almost all of them said that it is between 5 per cent and 10 per cent! Yes, astonishing indeed!

Then why, during the MBA course, are you expected to study 100 per cent of the curriculum? The reasons are: During the two years of the course, you are not certain which portion of it you would require for your first job. While you would use a certain 10 per cent, your friend would use a different 10 per cent! Given the diversity of management jobs roles, the MBA course curriculum is kept generic.

The portion you use varies as you grow in your career. The skills that you need for an entry-level role are different from those for a middle-level role. The MBA curriculum is designed to meet the needs of managers at different levels in the hierarchy. However, during your entire career, you would not use more than 30 per cent of your total learning from the MBA course. Then, why do academicians insist on students learning the remaining 70 per cent?

Self-discovery

The primary motive of the MBA course is to help you discover who you are. During the span of your career, which could be nearly 35 years, the biggest challenge you will face is competition with yourself.

Your mind tells you that you cannot do something. Still you have to do it — irrespective of whether or not you like it and know how to do it! The experience is recurrent at workplaces. So, the sooner you discover this and learn to deal with yourself, the faster would be your growth. MBA is a precursor to the exercise.

The curriculum is designed to make you aware of what you like, what you are good at, what you dislike and what you are not so good at. It is combination of subjects and activities that force you to push your limits and stretch your capabilities. Self-discovery is the purpose of not just the MBA course but of education itself. Interestingly, extracurricular activities complement self-discovery. The activities that you pursue shape your future. They convey, to you and others, your personality, passions and abilities.

---

Reach out

Given below is some guidance to help you use extracurricular activities to discover yourself.

• Try various options: At the age of 20-21 you might not know what ignites your interests. So, try a few options — sports, arts, politics, community service or anything else. Again, there are different outlets through which you can channel your interests. For instance, if you love writing, stories, scripts, ad copies and blogs are some outlets you should explore.
• Spend time: Dedicate time to understand and learn the activity. When you jump frequently from one activity to another, it indicates that you lack direction and persistence. Give yourself time to overcome the initial anxiety of learning. Try to enjoy the activity. Taking up too many activities will tear your focus, exhaust you and defeat the purpose of self-discovery. Go slow!
• Expand your reach: Connect with people with similar interests. Engage in conversations with them. Participate in group activities. This will open perspectives and eliminate blind spots. Clubs, online communities and forums are some places to find like-minded people.
• Compete: Attend workshops, give lectures at seminars and participate in competitions related to the extracurricular activities you pursue. Competition teaches you to lose gracefully, come back and win.

The author is Chairperson, TMI group.