Please Gouge My Eyes Out: Dress Code 101

Oh m gee you guys.
OH MY GOSH.
WHOA NELLY.

Let me stop you right there.
Goodness.

Now that's all out of the way, let me explain why I am so altered.

Work guys. Where I work is awesome, don't get me wrong. But the dress code is to die for. And not in a good way.

Shorts with plaid shirts, calf-high socks, white socks with skirts, too much skin, not enough skin, it's bad. It's the type of bad where you see people walk in, and you think "did you get dressed in the dark?"

It's to the point where I want to just submit all my office to What Not to Wear. I think they could make it.
I could just imagine Clint & Kelly crying over the things they found in their closets.

That's not really the point though.

My point is dress codes.

Why is a dress code important? 
Why should you follow a dress code? 

Dress codes are important because they:

• Let you know what is appropriate for work
• Set the tone for where you work 
• It's professional 

Why you should follow the dress code: 

• It's an excuse for a shopping spree
• Show you are serious about your job
• You won't have to worry about standing out

A dress code is something to help you in your job, it is never created to make your life miserable. 

I know that when I dress up for my office, I always feel much better about myself, and I work even harder. 

What are some examples of rules of dress code that you hate? 

We Kind of Got Ripped a New One...And How to Analyze a Case Study

Enter marketing class number dos.

You guys.
This professor is legit.

As in, he's BYU caliber.
I don't know if it is because he is one of the best professors we've had (or we've gotten used to mediocre professors--either way) He's great.

He also told us that UVU is going to be offering a full-time program in 2014, which is think is awesome! I am just jealous, because I wish I could have been a part of it :)

Well, this is the real reason I am writing this post: we totally got ripped a new one in class last night. Mostly because MP (marketing professor as he will be referred to now on), started calling on people that didn't have their name tags on them. He's really keen on learning our names, so as punishment, he called on people that didn't have their name tags.

Guys, it was painful. The first guy he picked on was totally under-prepared--more like deer in the headlights. Almost like he was taking out teeth. I was the third person he called on (after the 2nd weirdo proclaimed he didn't have the time/funds to read it). I had actually read and analyzed this case because I thought it was an interesting. (Starbucks case).

(HUMBLE BRAG ALERT).

After a couple of painful minutes, MP asked the class if we had actually been taught how to analyze case studies. Guess who didn't? Our cohort. (Though, I don't really know how hard it is to read something, internalize it, and form an opinion--maybe cause I am a history major. And we do that stuff all the time).

Here are 8 tips we got from MP:

1. Investigate. Learn about the company that the case study is on. 
2. Identify. Find the strengths and weaknesses of the company. 
3. Gather. Find the information on the external environment (competition within the industry/bargaining power/substitute products) 
4. Analyze. Evaluate what you have found in steps 2 & 3. And then analyze those. 
5. Identify. Find the strategy of the corporation. 
6. Identify. Find the business level strategy. 
7. Analyze. Look into what the company is  using to implement business strategies. 
8. Recommend. Make a recommendation of what YOU think is best for the company. 

When you dive into case studies, it is imperative you know the case pretty well. Even googling it if you need a quick refresher is a good idea. It also is a good idea to be analytical, MP kept asked questions that we hadn't even thought of because we were being way more descriptive than analytic. 

No matter what MBA program you are in, they are always the bread and butter of each program. 

Good luck on case studies :) 

New Semester. New Plans. Jumbled Thoughts.

We just had our first summer block yesterday.

Let me tell you.

I AM STOKED for this class.

This is probably the first class that I have been actively engaged in all year.

Maybe because it is marketing.
Maybe because the professor is coherent.
Maybe because I had a two week break from all the madness.


Maybe because I am in love with marketing.

As we sat in class with all the humble braggers, I kid you not, one kid rudely exclaimed, "Well, I know I could have gotten into BYU..." Okay. Well that's cool.

Listen, I am not all about the "humble" braggers that my group so fondly likes refer to them as. One of the reasons that I've had such a hard time with the MBA program, is that is seems that everyone is out to prove how good they are. Honestly, I don't care who you talked with, or what company you could have been working for. All I am interested in is your ideas. All I want to get from my MBA is insight, knowledge, and the confidence to blaze new trails.

I'm all about this quote right now:

The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer. – Nolan Bushnell

Until next post.

Powerpoint Tips for MBA Students

We've been having a party over here at the UVU MBA program, which is the reason why I haven't been posting as much. We are taking two classes this semester, Ethical Leadership and IT Management.  So far, these classes have been the bomb.*

In all MBA programs, you will be subjected to presenting with power-points. Power-points can be your best friend, or your worst enemy. If you are looking to make your powerpoint presentation the best it can be, do not use these tips. (For your sake, and your classmate's sake...)

• Memes, memes all around: If you power point is devoid of a meme, you shouldn't even call it a power point. Go home. Find a meme, then you can actually be ready to present your power point. 

• Beautiful slide introductions: By all means, your power point better have those extremely awesome and cool introductions where the words bounce around the screen, or do some totally legit 

• Fancy, schmancy pics: Make sure that your background pic of the slides is the coolest (and most obnoxious) pic that you can find on the internet. It will be sure to make your power point shine. 
• Have one person dress up. Just one. Every one else should come in their sleepwear. Let's just make them stick out like a sore thumb! 
• Comic sans is king. Like really. This is the preferred font of MBA students at UVU. Forreals. 

• Wrap it up with: "That was it....", and look at the audience as if you are challenging them to ask a question. 

Sometimes this is how I feel after power point presentations: 

Please professionals, students, and especially MBA students, make your presentations better. Here's a beautiful little article from INC. on really making a powerpoint shine. 

*Satire or real? You be the judge. 

"Cheating" in Ethics #win?

Welcome to the second semester of UVU MBA.

We are sitting in our ethics class right now...

We may or may not have cheated on our first ethics group project.
#win
#mba
#yousnoozeyoulose
#winning
#smarterthanothergroups
#ethicssucks
#challengerexplosion

We just had our first assignment in ethics class. Entitled the Carter Racing case, we were instructed to choose whether or not to race a vehicle.

The first thing the professor told us, "Don't look up the case online". Shoot.

I already had.

I'm not gonna spoil the surprise fer ya MBA hopefuls out there, so you are going to have to wait your pretty little heads for it.

Here's to a great semester, no Dick, and no long cases (oh wait)...

But reading a comic book and talking about how to always "be the good guy", all I can say is this semester is gonna be a trip.

Ps, the professor just referred to one of our textbooks as a "door stop".
#promising
#UVUMBA

You already know this, but you don't know the formula

Uh...finance.
Yeeeah, I'm pretty sure I just don't know what you are talking about.

It's World War Three Over Here, and There Ain't No Allies

As the dust cleared, Jana* hammered the keyboard. Left, right, hack, space space space. 

"He thinks I do this?"
"Well, he's a no-good-useless-...."

Meanwhile miles away, in the good city of Konrad-vill, Lord Konrad* fumed as he glared at the white screen.

"How dare that mother--"
"She had no idea that..."

As the rest of the kingdom in MBAlandia** geared up for the ensuing battles, many were armed with well placed jabs, concrete insults, and steely looks that would stop opponents in their tracks.

For the MBA students had started what was called a "group evaluation" project for their Management class, and to say that blood will be spilled, will be the understatement of any of the MBA students' history.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
While this tale may seem like a silly fairytale to you, I assure you good reader, it is not.
This is real life.

As the semester draws to a close, we are faced with looming projects, and our stress mounts.

Our group has been nothing short of dysfunctional. Nearly every conversation we have, there is the feeling of near murder in the air. If we come out of this program without becoming serial killers or murders, I would say we were successful.

While there is tons of research to say why groups are great for learning, and I found some gems I just couldn't help but sharing:

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”

Touching really. 

“The nice thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side”

Someone on your side that you wish would just shut up. 

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.”

Aw Babe (Ruth)... 

Learning to manage groups may be the bane of every person's existence, but from all the reading I've done, it seems if you can get groups to work, it can really be beneficial. Here's to two more weeks before Christmas, and to all MBA students:

Fight on, fight the good fight.

Getting all riled up may seem like a good idea at the time, but take a deep breath and remember your group is working toward the same goal: getting an A. Remember that, and the feeling of strangling your team member just might dissipate.***



MBA students or professionals, what ways have you dealt with a group that annoyed you to no end?

*names have been changed for security purposes
**Although not real in life, MBAlandia is real in every MBA student's heart
***Not a guarantee