FORMING MBA RELATIONSHIPS IN A PANDEMIC
It is no doubt that the pandemic has changed the MBA experience. However, it does not have to ruin your experience, nor does it have to ruin your potential to form new MBA relationships. Many new MBA students are doing their best to make the most of the experience they have. After all, the return on investment of an MBA degree is still very high. According to a recent Poets&Quants article, here are a few ways that can help you form these invaluable MBA relationships.
1. CONTINUE TO INVEST IN MBA RELATIONSHIPS
Not only does your MBA degree allow you to network and build relationships that could turn into opportunities, but it is also a chance to meet lifelong friends who you will rely on for guidance career wise in years to come. Despite the challenge Covid-19 brings, you can still find safe and creative ways to connect with peers. Many MBA programs put on various virtual and Zoom events. Examples of these are book clubs, happy hours, small socially distanced barbecues, virtual and in-person workout classes taught or hosted by classmates, and virtual and in-person volunteering events for local charities. Get involved!
2. EMBRACE CONSTRAINTS TO FIND NEW WAYS OF WORKING
According to research from Stanford University Organizational Behavior professor Bob Sutton, it shows that challenges can streamline our attention and we can become more resourceful in the process. Sutton said, “When options are limited, people generate more, rather than less, varied solutions.” A good example of this is Marilyn Caton(Kellogg, ’21) who realized how Covid-19 was going to impact normal collaborative day to day life. She decided to create a Slack channel called DIY Kellogg. This channel grew from a social group into something much bigger. Carton said that it is now focussing on helping students build relationships virtually across more traditionally separate full-time, part-time and EMBA programs. Think out of the box!
3. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MBA COMMUNITY
Even though this is a difficult time for many MBA students, business school is truly the best place to be at this challenging time. You cannot always be physically present with people, but the community is still very much present. All in all you have access to a whole community of people for guidance, advice and most of all support. A good example of this is at UCLA Anderson. Some students couldn’t make it to their physical campus, so the administrators and classmates adjusted their schedules to ensure international students felt welcomed and supported virtually. Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much!
4. IDENTIFY HOW YOU CAN SERVE OTHERS
In this difficult time, there are many opportunities where MBA students can jump in and use their abilities to help others. An example of this is the MBA Response. This is where MBA students created a community assisting local businesses and nonprofits. They then connected them to other nonprofits who were in need. According to Founder Sarika Mendu, “A graduate degree is an incredible investment in one’s own career, but it should also be about giving back to the broader community.” Helping others is the way we help ourselves!
5. LEAN INTO LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Evidently, we can see that the world has benefitted from strong leadership and struggled with weak leadership. This is a perfect time and opportunity for MBA students to use their leadership skills for good. There are two advantages to this: Firstly, to help the community for the better. And secondly, to practice newly acquired leadership skills. It can be through clubs and organizations or other more proactive approaches in the community. Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality!
6. DON’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT NORMAL - CREATE IT
We don’t know when the next normal is coming and how it’s going to look like. Therefore, it is up to us to create what that new normal looks like. Since you only have one MBA experience, you don’t have to wait for the new normal to arrive. You know what’s available to you and you know what you’re capable of. You are already armored with the right resources to create your own MBA experience. Creativity is intelligence having fun!
Being socially isolated does not mean being emotionally isolated. Get out there and create your MBA relationships.