The MBA Way
You may have been considering an MBA as a way to improve your current position or to give you a head-start in business, but it’s crucial to get the timing right. An MBA isn’t a light undertaking, says Jeanette Purcell, CEO of accreditation body the Association of MBAs. “MBAs are huge investments of time and money. It’s a hell of a commitment. You need to be clear about why you’re doing it before embarking on a programme.”

Having examined what you hope to gain from the MBA, choosing one comes next. Course structure and delivery are important factors to consider, while accreditation is another. While Jeanette does not imply that unaccredited courses are substandard, if you’re doing it to become more employable, you should consider a prospective employer’s attitude to accreditation. Does it need to be from a leading school?

The exercise bike went back in its box on 2nd January and the diet lasted a week—but getting your career in order is definitely going to happen in 2006. Honestly. You’ve had enough of unfulfilled promises, so how are you going to manage the changes successfully this year?

Alan Gleeson, managing director at Palo Alto Software Ltd, took status into account when he completed a one-year MBA from Oxford University in 2004. “I believed the MBA would increase my employability,” says Alan. “I identified a few, looked at the rankings, spoke to people about the various options and ultimately chose Oxford as its reputation was second to none.” Another significant factor to consider is contacts—some business schools market themselves as intensely international, offering ample opportunity to build valuable contacts overseas. For example the ENPC School of International Management in Paris has a limited intake of around 50 students, but around 20 nationalities are usually represented within that number and the school has links and partnerships with other institutions around the world.

But you’re not going to find a bargain. With costs ranging from £12,000-£45,000 (¤18,000-¤67,000), you may be tempted by cheaper online courses. Patricia Hind, director of full-time MBAs at Ashridge, feels that such courses may not be able to provide all the elements necessary to derive the most from the MBA: “Virtual learning has its place but can only deliver knowledge. Interaction is important to develop skills and leadership qualities.” Ashridge graduate and operations director for the Motor Insurers Bureau, David Shutes, agrees: “I prefer to discuss issues and talk to people in the real world,” he says. “I also benefited from the diversity of the environment, which an online course can’t provide.”

That said, online MBAs can offer greater flexibility by allowing students to study without having to move away from home, fitting course work in around the day job with a minimum of disruption. Whether you decide to opt for prestige or economy, interaction or Internet, it’s important to know what you want to achieve from the outset. There will be a course that suits you, but don’t scrimp on the time you spend looking for it.

New Horizons
Fed up of the Monday morning blues? It’s all too easy to accept that boredom, restlessness or lack of motivation are just part of the routine, but it’s far more likely that you’ve become temporarily stuck in a rut.

Lucia Cockcroft has followed her childhood dream of writing for a living and is now a freelance journalist. She says: “I was definitely in a rut in my previous job as a features editor, craving variety and challenge in my working life and struggling to get it. I’m now free of the nine to five drudgery.”

Lucia was fairly clear in what she wanted to do, but this might not be the case for you. Sherridan Hughes, consultant occupational psychologist at Career Analysts (www..careeranalysts.co.uk), advises: “Take stock, consider your options, assess your current position and plan for the future. Construct a personal profile to determine your skills, experience and interests; obtain the relevant information, such as potential employer details and then make short- and long-term plans.”

Once you’ve determined your Holy Grail, do your homework and build on what you know with training and networking. Lucia adds: “It stands to reason that the more experience and contacts you have in your chosen field, the better. It’s important to think hard about how you would love your life and job to be and do as much as possible to move towards this vision”

Incommunicado?
Nothing seems to go right whether you’re talking to your boss, your colleagues, or the dog. If your office doesn’t seem to be functioning as it could, someone isn’t pulling their weight or targets are not being met it could be that poor communication is to blame. But how can you overcome the problem and improve your communication?

“Realise that there is a problem in the first place, that communication needs to change, is the first step to change,” says Peter McNab, director of training and development company Excellence for All www.excellenceforall.co.uk), which specialises in improving corporate communications through the underlying principles of neuro-linguistic programming. McNab continues: “Then say, 'If I want the communication to improve then I must take some responsibility for changing it’.”

It’s time for some self-awareness and analysis: McNab recommends that individuals improve their own skills by learning more about human communication and practising everywhere. “People-watch! Use those tedious meetings that you needn’t be at to practise observation skills. Keep a diary of how your communications are developing. Concentrate on one aspect of your behaviour each day and then review the results you get.”

Personally speaking
Your personal life isn’t work, but it has a direct impact upon the job that you do. Achieving goals outside the office are as important as steaming ahead in your career. If the fires of desire are burning inside it’s time to act. Andrew Murrin recognised the importance of this—and how it could benefit his business—when he decided he would participate in the Fastnet 2008 Global Challenge, sailing for eight months on a yacht with 17 people he didn’t know.

“I wanted to push myself and get out of my comfort zone,” says Andrew. “It is tied into the business as it’s a team event, and will give me fresh perspective when I get back, but I’m obviously stepping into a personal arena.”

As a principal partner in project management firm MBH Partnership, Andrew has had to convince the staff that it will be a good opportunity for them to take on more responsibility. “It’s been important to get them to understand my goals,” he adds, “but personal growth outside the office stretches your mind and has a positive effect on your work.”