Project IMD

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Was it worth it ?

‘Wouw, congratulations ! So, was it worth it ?’.

Most of the class of 2009 is taking a well-deserved vacation, before each of us goes on to climb new mountains – and I’m guessing that I am not the only one to get this question over dinners with the friends and family, who have seen so little of us this year.

Was it worth it ? For me, no doubt; a loud and resounding yes ! For so many reasons, I cannot even start listing them here – including some unexpected ones, such as falling in love with a little city called Lausanne. So, in the spirit of passing the torch to the 2010 IMD MBA class, I decided to collect a few pieces of advice, good memories and experiences and to-do’s (and not to-do’s...), which I hope will help you fall as much in love with Lausanne and your year at IMD, as I have. They are in no specific order or priority;

1. Immerse yourself in the learning from day one. Involve yourself in the group work, even if it hurts; participate actively in class. You will of course have off-days and sometimes be tempted to say that the IMD bubble is not real anyway – but don’t let it distract you from going all out.

2. That being said – and although I’m not a man of regrets, this is probably my biggest one of this year; do remember to spend time with your class mates, as much as you can ! The ten-minute coffee breaks are fine, but they are not sufficient to get to know another person well. There are so many inspiring people in your class, with so diverse and interesting backgrounds and stories to tell (and please, do get beyond their business CV’s !), that you just have to take them out for dinner or have a drink and a cigar with them at the Beau Rivage. You can’t possibly get to know 90 people as best friends – but you can try, and potentially make friends for life in the process.

3. Try your best not to get into the habit of eating desert after lunch at the restaurant. When you fail – and you will – make sure you use the fitness facilities or go for a run along the lake once in a while.

4. Another way to get those extra pounds off is to continue the Sunday morning soccer tradition at Parc de Milan. When you do, you already have a standing challenge from the class of 2009 to respond to.

5. Remember to tell Eliane how much you appreciate her coffee – an use the opportunity to learn French in the process. You will be her last MBA class before she retires – and if anyone personifies IMD, she is the one. If you don’t know who Eliane is yet, then find out on the first day of school !

6. Don't try to cheat in the bus or metro. This is Switzerland, everything is millimeter-perfect - and it will NOT pay off in the end. If you decide to do it anyway, have chf 60 ready to pay in cash – if you have to pay later, the rate is chf 80 (someone told me...)

7. Get a CFF half-price (demi tariff) card - you will not regret it. It may seem expensive at first, but in the end you will end up travelling more by train and bus, than you think.

8. Visit the terrace at the Beau Rivage in summer – it’s a perfect place to get a coffee, enjoy the view, read a book – and get a cigar, if you are into such bad habits...

9. For going out, I can recommend Restaurant Myo in Parc Montbenon for sushi and Cafe de Grancy for Sunday brunch (book a table). If you have a little group of Shisha-lovers, Bar Le Colony is worth a try.

10. When the going gets tough in the dungeons, think of Restaurant La Jongue; we call it Joe’s Uncle, as it is owned by the uncle of Joe Nai from our class. Ask for the special IMD rebate – they know what you are going through...

11. Get out of Lausanne, if and when you have the time. Arrange a skiing trip after the BB1 exams, take weekend trips to Interlaken and Luzern, do a day-trip to Rochers de Naye (with an amazing view on Lac Leman), make summer picnics in the vineyards between Lausanne and Montreux. Use www.myswiterland.com for inspiration.

12. Please continue the Polar Bear Club tradition. Start in March and feel the freezing water of the melting glaciers – and continue until the end !

13. On that note, enjoy winter as much as spring as much as summer as much as autumn as much as winter. Few places on earth will show you such beautiful seasons. You may not think so on a cold February morning – but I certainly have loved all four seasons.

To the class of 2010, from the class of 2009; congratulations on your choice to attend the best MBA in the world, bon courage upon entering the bubble – and whatever you do, don’t forget to enjoy the ride !

Simon

Saturday, August 08, 2009

Seven months down…

Wouw, it's already been seven months here in Lausanne, at IMD ! Time passes by incredibly fast, way too fast for my liking ! I really like it here and don't want to leave beautiful Lausanne. So, halfway through, and another 4 months to go; I think I owe many of you a little status blog post.

It all started back in January, when 90 students were dumped into the same class room. Combine a hectic schedule from day one with the insecurity I think most harbour to varying degrees, intense group dynamics, hectic deliverables - and you've got the recipe for why many today feel the first six months have passed by in a blur. Most people had warned family and friends that they shouldn't expect to hear much from Lausanne (kudos to those who have brought families; I can't even start to imagine how tough that must be !) - so the bubble quickly descended, and IMD became a little universe on its own, separated from the rest of the world. Again, no wonder many are now starting to joke that it'll be fun to get back into the real world some day.

Winter in Lausanne

The bubble descends on the crazy MBA’s…

We had a short break at the end of March, after the first semester exams, where we went skiing in France. Rumours had it that second semester would be lighter - but, at least in my opinion, it didn't. By the beginning of June, all we wanted was to get the last exams over and done with ! Four days, five exams - and we thought it was over....but there was another two weeks till vacation time. It was difficult to get the spirits back up, but we managed decently and finally went all our separate ways at the end of June, to many corners of the world, to finally be on vacation.

Spring is finally in the air

But Lac Leman is still a cold pleasure…

Some saw their families and new-born babies for the first time - I took a full week out just to be with myself, tried to digest what had happened the last six months. And to consider what is next; what am I passionate about, what could I imagine myself doing in my next work life - and how to get there ? It turned out to be a great week - and something I am certainly going to do again, at least once every year. Don't get me wrong; family and friends are important - but time with myself is equally important. And I think this is something we often forget to prioritize.... (comments are welcome).

Beautiful Lausanne

Contemplating life in the hammock – but the view is distracting !

After the vacation the whole class spent two weeks doing exciting project work in South Africa. We met in Johannesburg almost three weeks ago - and you could just see all the smiles and feel the energy. It was a funny contrast to the tired bunch having gone on vacation only three weeks earlier. We were allocated to work with small entrepreneurial companies in groups of 4-5 students, with the objective to assist them with whatever problems they might have by putting into practice what we'd learned the first six months at IMD. South Africa left a real impression on most of us, I dare say; it is an amazing country, so full of contrasts, of life and passion. Besides working with the companies and getting close to the people and the issues, the highlights were the great Umoja musical and the safari day at the end of the trip. Some even spent a part of their vacation in South Africa in the days before meeting the class. Most importantly, however, I think the trip served as a great way to meld together our class, laugh with each other in another way than the first six months in the dungeons (study rooms) at IMD had allowed us to do. Many friendships were formed or enforced.

Team Qinisa in South Africa

And that brings me to my only regret of the first six months (although I don't believe in regrets); that I haven't spent enough time, preferably face-to-face, with the many inspiring people in the class. There is so much to learn, so many friends or friends-to-be to play ping-pong with (literally and metaphorically), bounce ideas off - and just laugh with. I'm sure all previous MBA classes have felt the same way - and probably still felt that way, when they graduated. But I'll only go down fighting...! ;-)

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In closing: how to change the world – with your feet up. A lesson to learn for the second half of our year at IMD…

Monday, February 02, 2009

Responsible....what ?

Today was the second day of IMD's Responsible Leadership Summit, held at the new impressive Maersk Mc-Kinney Moeller Center.

I will not bother you with the details, only say that a less inspiring morning was somewhat redeemed by two more passionate and knowledgeable speakers in the afternoon; Peter Bakker, CEO at TNT and John Elkington of Volans.

Responsible Leadership - or whatever you wish to call it - is a damned hard topic to even just define, much less to get your arms around. But one dialogue in particular made my day;

Confronted with his company's spending on CSR (such as their sponsorship of the World Food Program), and whether it would not suffer like all other expense accounts in the current crisis, Peter Bakker made it simple; you can decide to cut for example marketing or other accounts - that is entirely up to the company. But know this; once you have decided to spend money on relieving poverty or bringing food to starving kids, you can't go back. It's a one-way street; you just don't stop feeding starving kids. Simple.

Thank you for the inspiring sessions, Peter and John.

Kamal Quadir of Bangladesh's CellBazaar has just been awarded a Young Entrepreneur award at the World Economic Forum. His idea of a cell-phone based market place is inspiring.

Peter Bakker of TNT. Bringing real and GENUINE (not just an advertising gimmick) CSR into the board rooms today is difficult - but Peter is a true believer - and he communicates it convincingly and with passion.