What You're Missing Out On...

Obviously, taking part in an event such as the John Molson MBA International Case Competition gives you amazing recruitment and networking opportunities, but there's also more too it than that. But, don't take it from me. Check out what this previous winner says...

"It has been an honor to have won the Concordia Cup three times: as a competitor in 1995, and as a coach in 2005 and 2010. I can honestly say it is more satisfying as a coach, regardless of whether we win. To take five individuals and see their skills and business acumen grow both individually and as a team during our practices, and then make our school proud each year with good performance at the competition is really exciting. I tell our team they have already won 'gold' before the competition even begins: they have acquired a 'virtual toolkit' of skills, frameworks and analytical tools that will serve them throughout their careers and their lives. It's always a bonus to be in contention at the competition, and to win against such strong competitors is a great feeling. Our 2010 team did an outstanding job right down to the finish."

- Leo Donlevy, University of Calgary

Get the full story here.

Some Networking Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

This interesting article from the Harvard Business Review is more so meant for older people who are finding themselves in the job market once again, but I think everyone could use these tips to brush up on their networking skills. So, take a look at some of the common mistakes people make and ideas on how to avoid them.

Markers + Whiteboard = Motivation Magic

Sometimes it surprises me just how well markers and a whiteboard can breathe new life into a sometimes abstract (ahem... boring) concept like motivation. Courtesy of motivational guru Dan Pink, watch to see what really gets people performing at their best. Turns out money doesn't always make the world go around...

Let's Meet About When We're Going To Meet...

Stuck in endless meetings that go nowhere? Or, feel like after that four hour meeting nothing was actually accomplished? Oh, the joy of group meetings! Well, GOOD Magazine outlines some good ideas on how to make your meetings a little more effective.

A few things to consider:

Invite selectively. Bigger is not usually better. Only invite those people who are necessary.

Have a clear agenda. Think of it as a plan of attack to make sure everything is touched on.

"It's Monday" is not a good reason to have a meeting. Don't meet to just to confirm that everyone is still doing what they're supposed to be doing.

For more tips, check out the full article.

Smoke and Mirrors. The Art of Answering Questions.

This interesting article posted by the Harvard Business Review discusses the merits of the eloquent speaker versus the straightforward one. So, you're asked a question that you don't really know the answer to...What should you do? This study tries to provide some insights on that very question by showing audiences a video of a political debate. The first one shows the candidate answering the question asked. The second, where he answers a similar, but not exact question, and a third where he answers a completely different question.

Two things happened. First, people didn't even notice that there were differences in the answers given. Second, researchers found that audiences, "liked him better if he answered a similar question well than if he answered the actual one less eloquently." Take what you will from this, but it may be safe to argue when you don't have the exact answer to a question, at least pretend that you do!

Read the full article here.

Who Needs a Dream When You Have a Vision Statement!

Whether or not you're the new guy at work or the CEO of a company like Adidas, everyone needs to have a vision in order to succeed. Without a vision, there is no plan. Check out this video from Meet The Boss TV to see how it's done! 

Network! Network! Network!

From the time you first set foot in the business school, the one thing you are sure to hear about is networking.  First problem: How do you do it? No one really seems to give out step-by-step instructions. To start, if you know certain people are going to be speakers or attendees at an event, research before hand so you know what they do, and a little bit about who they are. But if you just meet someone by chance, how do you know you should make the effort to incorporate them into your network? Well, Monster.com + Hotjobs has put together a list of tips that will hopefully be of use:

Tip #1: Identify good contacts. They may not be in the same industry as you, or in one you're interested in...but you never know. If the conversation is easy and you have things in common, like your love of fashion or finance, then it's worth it.

Tip #2: Manage your contacts. Write a little note on the business card they gave you so you remember who they are afterwards. Follow-up with an email saying it was nice to meet them.

Tip #3: Offer value. Ask or find out what the other persons interests are. It will make you different from the guy who runs around giving/getting as many business cards as possible.

Tip #4: Stay in touch. By knowing the persons interests you can send them articles, for example, that they may find useful. They may do the same for you in return, but more importantly it keeps your name top-of-mind should any opportunities cross their desk. It's easy. You happen to come across an article about what a new marketing campaign by a fast food chain. Send it the person you met who mentioned Big Macs are their guilty pleasure or who works in marketing for the food industry.

Tip #5: Get back from your network. Mass emails to your entire contact list when you are looking for something specific are a waste of people's time and they often don't appreciate it, especially when it clearly has nothing to do with them. Get in touch with the exact people who could possibly answer your question, or can put you in touch with someone.

For the full article, check it out here!