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December 27, 2023December 22, 2023

Diving in: action learning with impact

Experiential learning projects offer rich potential for showcasing positive social impact at business schools. Splash Projects MD Simon Poole outlines their value at a time when institutions are increasingly being judged on their contribution to sustainable development and purpose over profit

Seeing and experiencing social impact first-hand, for example by watching disadvantaged children play on equipment you built for them five minutes earlier, is by far the biggest motivator for social change. Seeing is believing, but we know that doing something with your own hands for a common goal also has a profound effect on a person’s resolution to do good.

The multitude of challenges facing humanity and the natural world, such as climate change and geopolitical tensions, has undoubtedly affected the psyches of the younger generation and we have seen a shift in consciousness among those embarking on the first stage of their journey to becoming global business leaders. They care about the world around them and they want to be part of an educational establishment – and, ultimately, part of a business – that cares too.

Business schools at the vanguard of sustainable impact

“The existence of businesses helps the world go round,” remarks Stephanie Villemagne, chief operating officer for international development at Essca School of Management. “Businesses drive economic growth for the planet, so the question is: ‘How can we make sure that making money and business development are both sustainable and impactful?’ The answer starts with who is running these companies, so education and business schools are at the vanguard because we are working with the very people who will be running these companies in the future.”

The corporate sector used to be synonymous with financial return and business schools fed into that world. Social responsibility has now come to the fore and, in a competitive market for talent, business leaders can no longer ignore those outside their immediate orbit. Perhaps it has something to do with the fallout of 2008’s financial crash and the realisation that those in power must shoulder responsibility. What is certain is that more questions are circulating about who big business serves and interest in holding decision-makers to account is rising.

“Having a positive social impact is a vital element in projects and ventures for me and my peers,” says Sam Ferdinand, a business and international relations student at IE Business School. “Many of us agree that the best way to have a positive impact on society is by doing well ourselves and then channelling our resources for a social purpose.

“Business schools train many of tomorrow’s business leaders and must include education in sustainability and social impact as a mandatory part of their curricula if we wish to have a society with more socially responsible operations in the future. Their role is key.”

Deans at the world’s top business schools are listening to students such as Ferdinand and have acknowledged that their incoming cohorts want to combine ‘doing well’ and ‘doing good’. In addition, employers want to align themselves with institutions that are bringing about positive change beyond their campuses and, in recent years, we have witnessed the emergence of ranking systems with a focus on social impact. Simply put, the onus is on business schools to show that they are doing their bit for the planet, both in terms of social justice and sustainable development.

Incorporating community projects that deliver

As part of efforts to do good beyond their campuses, a number of leading European business schools, including Essca, IE Business School and Insead, have adopted learning and development assignments from Splash Projects. These bring students together to build facilities out of timber for charitable initiatives that would otherwise not be able to afford the infrastructure. As teams, they are able to contribute to bringing about lasting positive social change in their schools’ local communities and experience what it feels like to make someone else’s life better.

Some schools include these projects at the start of their programme to help inspire and motivate students beginning their learning journeys. It also gives new students the chance to bond over meaningful experiences. Other schools opt, instead, to place these projects at the culmination of their students’ learning journeys, giving graduates-in-waiting the opportunity to say “thank you” to their host countries.

While each business school may have specific learning objectives for community projects, the overriding reason to include them is to give students the chance to experience positive social impact. Current demand for such projects is unprecedented. Last September was Splash Projects’ busiest month to date, with 10 projects for eight charities, involving 1,650 participants in London, France and Spain.

The project with Essca alone involved 1,200 students across six campuses and impacted six charities. At the other end of the scale for size, the company’s work with Insead’s executive education programmes, which dates back more than 16 years, often involves no more than 20 participants who have a day, or less, to build something that will have a huge impact for years to come. Loïc Sadoulet, affiliate professor of economics at Insead, requests that projects incorporate a complex problem deliberately designed to thwart their delivery approach and help produce impactful learning outcomes for the teams.

“We have an obligation to give the future leaders of the world the chance to understand the responsibility they have in helping society be a better place and to set that social barometer,” notes Patti Brown-Varnier, executive director for academic affairs and programme delivery for MBA and executive MBA programmes at HEC Paris. “Business schools used to be about profit margins, finance, accounting and marketing – all of which can be learnt online,” Brown-Varnier explains, “but we’re seeing a shift towards what really matters – social responsibility and sustainable development.”

A recent project with HEC Paris in April involved 156 MBA students leaving their mark on the community they’d called home for 16 months in the form of a play area featuring a three-part shipwreck, seating areas and a chicken ‘hotel’. By building this at the Diapason Juvenile Behavioural Facility in central France, the cohort not only got to experience effective leadership and the power of teamwork, but also had the opportunity to give back to others less fortunate.

“The projects prompt the students to ask themselves the question ‘How can I do more?’” continues Brown‑Varnier. “There aren’t many of them not crying their eyes out at the end of a project because they’ve seen the impact they’ve had directly. They see what is needed to help others and want to be part of the solution. In the classroom, they’re not making an impact on anyone. The projects allow them to use what they’ve learnt and then leave a meaningful impact on others, so it completes the circle.”

Simon Poole is the managing director of Splash Projects, a company that has delivered learning programmes to more than 55,000 participants across the world since 2005

This article originally appeared in the print edition (Issue 3 2023) of Business Impact, magazine of the Business Graduates Association (BGA)

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December 22, 2023December 22, 2023

What is reverse mentoring and how can it help your organisation?

Leaders can tackle the cultural malaise afflicting staff retention by taking a new approach to equity and inclusion. Patrice Gordon outlines the power of reverse mentoring

Reverse mentoring turns the traditional mentoring paradigm on its head.

Unlike traditional mentoring programmes, where a senior leader mentors a younger, less experienced employee, reverse mentoring is when a senior leader is mentored by a person from an under-represented background.

This background can be in relation to gender, age, ethnicity or disability, for example. Senior leaders become the novices and lean into their growth mindset to understand their biases and drive change.

Such a transformative experience not only enlightens the leaders, but also serves as a catalyst for organisational change, particularly in the realms of equity and inclusion.

In busy corporate life, leaders may inadvertently focus solely on the tangibles, such as profits and results. However, this narrow lens can obscure the less visible, yet equally critical, aspects of workplace dynamics. It’s only when employee turnover rises that the true cost of such oversight becomes apparent. Strategic change to ongoing, authentic engagement can staunch the flow and reinforce the foundations of a thriving corporate culture.

Reverse mentoring is particularly effective in pre-empting the kind of cultural erosion outlined above. By fostering direct dialogue between leadership and frontline employees, it uncovers the hidden pressures and challenges that often go unnoticed in the upper echelons of management. It invites leaders to step into the shoes of their teams and view the world through a fresh and invariably enlightening perspective.

Fostering inclusive cultures to address attrition

In one organisation, the attrition rate among Generation Z employees had reached a troubling 30 per cent – these individuals were all choosing to leave within their first six months of employment. During exit interviews, a poignant reason emerged for those who opted to voice their concerns: a feeling of disenfranchisement and a sense that their contributions were not being acknowledged, creating a pervasive feeling of not belonging within the organisation’s community.

In response to this unsettling trend, one company leader – drawn to action by his understanding of Gen Z through his own children – initiated a candid dialogue with one of the departing individuals. Over a coffee, he delved into the specific experiences of this younger cohort and the changes that could be made to better retain these recently onboarded talents. Aware that diversity in numbers does not inherently translate to an inclusive culture, he also recognised the insufficiency of a mere HR report to truly grasp the situation – personal insights were crucial.

From this initiative, the leader learned of practical ways to foster inclusiveness: inviting more frequent input; ensuring regular communication; increasing the leader’s own visibility in the office; and organising coffee mornings to encourage discussion and informal interaction. Such seemingly minor measures, even extending to the placement of snacks in common areas to promote social interaction, were in fact significant and economically viable strategies that could be quickly implemented.

Further galvanised by his initial and eye-opening interaction, the leader established a monthly ‘feedback session’. Attendance was sparse at first, but once it became clear that these were not just talk shops but forums for real change, participation surged. The sessions transformed into vibrant hubs of discussion, humour and, crucially, a birthplace for substantive business decisions.

Practice what you preach

This narrative emphasises how simple, yet thoughtful, leadership interventions that are underpinned by genuine conversations can create an inclusive environment that not only retains talent but also empowers it to actively shape an organisation’s future.

The broader impact on work culture is profound. Engaged employees, trust in leadership and a pervasive sense of belonging all ensue from such initiatives. This is not just about improving metrics, it’s also about fostering a community within the workplace where inclusivity is practiced, rather than merely preached.

Empowerment and innovation are natural byproducts of such a culture. Employees who feel heard are more likely to contribute openly, leading to a more agile and inventive organisation. Challenges are better addressed from within, transforming potential internal crises into opportunities for growth and learning.

Reverse mentoring, therefore, is more than a mere exercise in diversity – it is a strategic imperative for enlightened leadership. It prepares organisations to weather the storms of change and sail ahead, with every member at the helm, charting a course towards a more equitable, engaged and successful future.

Patrice Gordon is the founder of Eminere, which provides reverse mentoring and inclusive leadership programmes, executive coaching and strategic business development. She is also the author of Reverse Mentoring: Removing Barriers and Building Belonging in the Workplace

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December 19, 2023December 18, 2023

Overcoming adversity to serve the business community

Ukraine’s MIM Business School is overcoming the realities of war to continue serving its business community and training its leaders to build a brighter future. President Iryna Tykhomyrova tells Tim Banerjee Dhoul about the reinforced sense of responsibility that is felt by both the school and its students

Where is MIM Business School Ukraine currently operating and running its programmes from and where are the school’s students working and studying from?

“All this time MIM Business School has been operating in Kyiv. In April 2022, less than two months after the start of the war, we resumed our programmes online for students and launched two new pre-MBA groups. Some students enlisted or joined territorial defence units and suspended their studies, but most decided to continue despite the crisis and the challenges of war.

“In February of the same year, the debris of a missile damaged our building, but it did not take us long to restore everything. That autumn, we resumed in-person MBA classes and in early 2023, we held in-person graduation ceremonies for our MBA and senior executive MBA classes. These were emotional events that brought our close-knit community closer together and demonstrated our resilience. We felt invincible.

“Today, most of our students are in Ukraine, concentrated in the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Poltava or Odesa. We also have students from Mariupol and other cities that are either occupied or in war zones. They are mostly joining online and continue their studies from their new places of residence.

“Even before the pandemic, we had started to implement the HyFlex format so that we could teach students both in the classroom and online. We have all the necessary equipment and create the effect of presence to engage both offline and online students seamlessly in the learning process.”

Can you tell us about your most recent intake of MBA students, their two-year programme of study and their ambitions in a time of conflict?

“The new MBA programme started with 28 students, with 25 more people joining our senior executive MBA programme. Enrolment coincided with the peak of massive missile attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilian targets. It was very difficult to plan, especially for two years in advance, but our entrepreneurs and managers were interested in these programmes, they were enquiring about the course and were applying.

“The main goal of these participants is to accelerate Ukraine’s economic victory. The business community is working hard in regions free from military actions, paying taxes and volunteering. Moreover, those who have relocated abroad are helping to establish the reputation of Ukraine and Ukrainian business outside the country. These people will become the leaders of our country’s revival. They understand that they need to be ready for the effective reconstruction of their homeland and that this is the best time to acquire and improve their knowledge, skills and competencies.

“We are proud that Taras Chmut, head of respected charity Come Back Alive, joined our 2023 MBA class. This foundation has helped Ukraine’s military for many years and brought its activities to a new level last year. The charity’s founder and Ukraine’s current deputy minister of defence Vitaliy Deynega is also an MBA alumnus of MIM.

“Our MBA programme has been updated, with a curriculum that reflects military realities in Ukraine and global macroeconomic changes. Furthermore, to lay the foundation for the restoration of Ukraine’s economy, we have added an international online component that features leading business schools from across the world and their faculty.”

Why is it important for your school to continue offering programmes during a time of conflict?

“MIM was the first business school in the post-Soviet region to offer an MBA programme. For more than 34 years, our mission has been to consistently create a critical mass of business leaders who are the driving force of Ukraine’s competitiveness in the global economy. In times of crisis, it is even more important to have strong leaders who can run a company or a country successfully under difficult conditions.

“We have always felt a responsibility to contribute towards the development of an independent Ukraine, a country with European values and great potential. At this time, we feel an even greater responsibility to set an example of how the Ukrainian business community can be supported with intellectual resources and a mindset of doing business no matter what.

“A war most often brings with it a fall in the economy and business activities. Business education at such a time helps managers and entrepreneurs understand the complexity of the economic and political challenges they are facing. The labour market is also undergoing significant changes and skilled professionals are becoming increasingly important for companies looking for ways to survive and grow.

“The demand for business education in Ukraine is growing, so we need to adapt quickly. We believe that the more educated businesspeople and managers we have in Ukraine, the faster our country will develop and the more it can offer the world. Already, the war has shown that Ukrainian business can operate in international markets as well as they do at home.

“For example, the logistics company Nova Poshta is opening offices in Poland and the Baltic states. Our graduates are successfully launching businesses in Europe and other countries. High-quality international business education is one of the driving forces of Ukrainian business’ international expansion. We teach business to speak the same language as the rest of the world, so it is extremely important to continue providing quality business education during the war.”

What were the reasons behind the launch of the ReInforceUA initiative?

“ReInforceUA is an international educational project aimed at strengthening Ukraine by bringing the global agenda to our country. Despite the war, Ukraine needs to develop at the same pace as the rest of the world. We need to become more global, know what the world is doing and adopt new ideas to move in the right direction, as well as implement modern technologies.

“Between February and March 2022, international partners, students and graduates started reaching out to us to offer help. We realised that contributions from the world’s leading business schools, outstanding teachers and renowned experts would offer valuable intellectual support for businesspeople, managers, politicians and public figures who are doing their best to strengthen Ukraine’s economy. Last summer, we therefore launched a speaker series where ideas and opinions from leading thinkers are delivered to the Ukrainian business community each week.

“The lectures within ReInforceUA are free, but we collect charity donations. The funds are being used to implement a programme for female entrepreneurs who have been displaced because of the war. The purpose is to provide them with educational support, help them adapt and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to start and run a business wherever they reside now. I would like to take this opportunity to thank AMBA for its support of the ReInforceUA project.”

What have been the highlights of ReInforceUA so far and what plans do you have for its future?

“One highlight has been the speakers, including professors from business schools and universities, as well as experts such as [UK economist] Guy Standing, [Israeli author] Yuval Noah Harari, [Swiss business theorist] Alex Osterwalder, [Harvard Business School associate] Christian Ketels, [US marketer] Philip Kotler and [outgoing Insead dean] Ilian Mihov. It even featured Charles Camarda, a US astronaut who went into space shortly after friends of his died in the Columbia shuttle disaster to conduct research designed to avoid fatal mistakes in the future. To wrap up the project, we hosted an in‑person forum in Kyiv in October, entitled Facing the Future: ReInforceUA.

“To make this information available to as many Ukrainians as possible, we are also working on a book that will collate lecture materials from the project.”

How did the school come to partner with an MBA alumnus on Raise for Ukraine and what are the aims of this project?

“The Raise for Ukraine (Raise4UA) project is aimed at developing the volunteer community and accelerating and increasing both military and civilian aid. It also provides a platform for international donors and philanthropists that want to help Ukraine.

“Maksym Korolenko, co-owner of the Zagorye travel company and a student on MIM’s senior executive MBA programme began to work on the project in spring 2022. He has since graduated and become a faculty member at MIM.

“Korolenko came up with the idea of bringing together donors with those they want to help. At first, he provided official National Bank of Ukraine accounts specifically for the needs of the armed forces. We then realised that MIM Business School should create a resource of its own to optimise the capabilities of international companies and our own connections, so the MIM team acted as a partner in the creation of the Raise4UA platform. In particular, we collect funds for the programme I mentioned earlier that seeks to support Ukrainian women displaced by the war.

“The Raise4UA platform puts transparency at its centre to help implement charity projects, improve communication and build trust. For example, it uses a CRM system that tracks both the flow of money and communication with benefactors. Any organisation involved in assisting the military or providing humanitarian aid to civilians can also post a fundraising request.”

What other initiatives have been set up by the school in response to the war?

“In the first days of the war, we created MIM Helps, a group chat in the Telegram app that around 500 people have now used to exchange messages relating to requests for, and offers of, support.

“One month after the start of the conflict, in March last year, we launched two online projects. MIM: Economic Front is a series of anti-crisis broadcasts in which experts and managers of leading companies discuss how they are overcoming the difficulties of war, the decisions they make to keep their organisations going, how they take care of their employees and the ways they are seeking to support the country’s economy. This project wasn’t just created to share information, but also to encourage members of our business community to help each other, so we created another group on Telegram where companies can post information, offers and positions.

“Another project is MIM Toolbox. The focus here is on managerial psychology in times of crisis. Our faculty members with experience in coaching and psychology host live streams aimed at providing support and enhancing managers’ resilience to help them cope. Participants can also ask questions during the broadcast and receive an immediate response.”

Do you think that management education has a responsibility to play a leading role in the reconstruction of Ukraine?

“The war’s impact has been devastating, but Ukrainian executives and managers are still going to school. It means they believe in the future of Ukraine. They feel that their individual contribution is important and that the kind of country they and their children will live in rests on their shoulders.

“For this reason, I do believe management education will play a leading role in the restoration of Ukraine. Effective management is critical for any successful business. If Ukrainian managers have strong skills, it will help companies and organisations to become more competitive in the global market and accelerate economic growth. Management education can also help build an effective public sector management system. Leaders in possession of good management and decision-making skillsets will improve the effectiveness of public administration and contribute to the development of the country as a whole.

“In addition, management education promotes a good corporate culture in Ukrainian companies. It also helps embed high ethical standards and corporate social responsibility. This, in turn, will boost the confidence of international partners and investors in Ukrainian business.

“Every time I welcome a new cohort of students, I see people who are eager for new ideas and contacts. They come to study today so that they can create both their own future and the future of Ukraine. That makes me feel stronger and inspires me to continue what we are doing. After all, as I tell all our students, education is always about the future.”

Should business schools around the world do more to include politics and international relations in their programmes?

“Business cannot exist outside politics and our MBA programme discusses the elements of politics that most affect business. Today, we need to act more decisively because business education is not just about enhancing knowledge and expertise, it also shapes the way we see the world. For me, it’s clear that global business schools should incorporate the development of students’ strategic understanding of politics and international relations. Business education must provide students with a wide range of knowledge and skills that will help them manage relations with other countries effectively and understand global issues.”

How is your school planning for the future in a time of such uncertainty?

“Of course, planning during a time of war is a challenge for any business school in Ukraine. We have become experts in resilience and crisis management. We need to be flexible and adaptable, ready for rapid and unpredictable changes. We also need to implement innovations and technologies in a timely manner. For example, we have several secured classrooms with all the necessary equipment. It means that we have everything we need to survive air raids, rocket attacks and power outages.

“It’s also important for us to stay in close contact with the business community. This is relatively easy for us because our 7,500 graduates help us understand the needs of the business community and this means that we can incorporate the latest and most efficient practices into our programmes.

“Lastly, we must continue to expand our collaborations and international partnerships to become more global and ensure a timely, high-quality interaction, as well as an exchange of knowledge and experiences, for all our participants.

“We are confident that management education will play a critical role in the future, so today we need to think about our contribution to the development of the educational management system in Ukraine. Our task is to train a new generation of teachers, develop new programmes and update educational legislation. This system should include the best international practices and experience.”

Iryna Tykhomyrova is the president of MIM Business School, based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Under her leadership, the school – often referred to as MIM-Kyiv – has become a regional educational hub and established itself as a platform for dialogue between business, civil society and government agencies

This article originally appeared in the print edition (Issue 3 2023) of Business Impact, magazine of the Business Graduates Association (BGA)

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December 14, 2023December 14, 2023

Why harnessing your emotions at work can be beneficial to your career

Shutting down emotions at work makes it harder to build a productive working environment and communicate with others, says empathy expert Olga Valadon. Discover four steps to start dealing with feelings constructively

We’ve been taught that emotions in the workplace are unprofessional and should be left at home, but the opposite is true. Emotions are the real fuel behind business success because they drive motivation and purpose, which are essential for engagement and productivity at work.

No one, including leaders, can leave their emotions at the door when they engage in work-related conversations. After all, we are humans and not machines.

Therefore, it’s not about removing emotions from the workplace or trying to make everyone feel happy all the time. It’s about recognising that everyone has different emotional reactions to the same situation. Based on their backgrounds, life experiences, or motivations, each individual will respond differently.

Those emotions are real, valid and valuable at work. Getting comfortable with discussing emotions in the workplace is essential for nurturing more inclusive, collaborative and psychologically safe cultures.

If we don’t understand what those reactions are and why they happen, we’re going to have a hard time building a productive working environment and communicating effectively with others. People who don’t have an emotional connection to their work fail to be productive and are often disinterested in their colleagues. So, instead of trying to shut down emotions, we should deal with them constructively by acknowledging them, understanding them and managing our reaction to them. Here are four examples of how you can do this:

Put a name to your emotions

While it may sound simple or straightforward, people often find it difficult to describe their emotions. We fall back on default generic emotions such as “I am happy/sad/angry” but there are so many more nuances to the emotions you may be feeling. From being happy because you feel appreciated and connected to being sad because you may be feeling alone and alienated or angry because you may be feeling judged and frustrated.

If you are feeling happy, sad or angry don’t just settle for this, dig deeper by describing what leads to the happy, sad or angry feeling. That will help you become familiar with a whole range of other emotions.

Acknowledge your emotions

Acknowledging your emotions may feel uncomfortable, especially when the emotions are negative ones. You may be tempted to dismiss them, either as being new and unfamiliar to you, or because cultural norms may not allow you to openly talk about these emotions.

But you can learn as much from your negative emotions as from those that are positive. Simply dismissing those emotions doesn’t mean that they will go away.

Processing your insight into emotion

Once you put a name to an emotion and acknowledge it, the next step is try and get to the root of it. What caused it to emerge?

Say, for example, that you identified and accepted the fact that you are currently frustrated in the workplace. Once you have explored that further, you might realise the reason for your frustration is that people are not seeing the value you can offer because the work that lands on your desk is not very interesting and does not allow you to demonstrate your skills and potential.

How can you use this insight and put it to good use? It could give you the starting point for a constructive conversation with your boss as to potential work opportunities you would like to explore and how you can gain access to them. Of course, it’s important to remember that just going to the boss’s office and saying that you are frustrated is not going to lead to a real solution, let alone a solution that benefits you. In isolation, this approach is likely to cause the opposite effect and lead your boss to question whether you are able to manage your emotions effectively.

Be intentional with your emotions

One question that I often ask people is “how do you want to feel in the workplace in order to be successful?”

As part of this conversation, I encourage people to think of the positive emotions they want to experience and understand the ones that they wouldn’t want to feel (but may nonetheless experience). There are two reasons for doing this exercise: it helps individuals build awareness of themselves (what they want or do not want to feel) and it puts them in the driving seat. This leads to the following questions: “How do I create the environment that will help me (not) experience these emotions? How do I manage relationships with my peers and superiors to help me experience, or avoid experiencing, these emotions?”

Clarifying what we feel is extremely helpful. This understanding brings clarity, enhances emotional intelligence and awareness, reduces conflict and strengthens collaboration. Understanding our emotions helps us better understand ourselves and how we behave, as well as the impact our emotions and behaviours have on others. In turn, this knowledge can influence personal motivation and support the creation of empowered workplaces, while also driving high performance and sustainable success.

Olga Valadon is a corporate empathy expert and the founder of leadership, strategy and culture consultancy Change Aligned®

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