How the MSc in Management Studies strengthened my professional profile
Thomas Hofer shares his insights on the value of the programme and how it has made him a stronger manager.
Thomas selected to attend the MSc in Management Studies programme because it matched his desire to acquire a holistic understanding of business with management training. Impressed by EDHEC's high international rankings, personalised attention, and technology-forward approach to learning; Thomas says, "I felt well looked after, and more importantly, I got the feeling that the School was actively interested in having me as a student.” He enroled into the class of 2017 with the goal of applying his skills and experience towards managing international marketing initiatives for technology and media companies.
Read below to discover the new abilities that Thomas has acquired and how the programme has transformed his thinking about business, organisations and management.
HOW HAS THE PROGRAMME HELPED YOU TO TRANSLATE WHAT YOU OBSERVED AS A MARKETING STRATEGIST, THE PATTERNS AND TRENDS OF YOUR PROFESSION, INTO THE LANGUAGE OF EFFICIENCY AND DIRECTING A TEAM?
I have developed a solid understanding of the fundamental objectives and methodology of the major departments in a company. As a result, I increasingly, take strategic aspects into consideration when discussing ideas. Because of the knowledge gained in the programme I am better able to translate my immediate tasks, what I am doing now, into the larger vision of the company. I can clearly communicate goals between team members and departments.
WHAT ORGAINISATIONAL STRATEGY TOOLS HAVE YOU DEVELOPED WHILE ATTENDING THE PROGRAMME AND HOW HAVE THEY INFLUENCED THE LONG-TERM VIEW OF YOUR CAREER?
Values-based management and generative listening have had a big impact on me. One of the great aspects about this MSc is that we were encouraged to work on multiple projects in different teams. The constant shift in team dynamics and types of projects required us to quickly adapt to a changing environment and allowed us to experiment with new ways of working towards a solution.
My course colleagues have extremely varied backgrounds, some with a previous business education some without. Thanks to our programme director Peter Daly, we had an excellent team-building exercise on the very first day of the course. This helped us to create a sense of community and camaraderie; something that we naturally carried and fostered throughout the year.
I think that if you build a team around shared motivations and values you can use the “flow” to pursue a strategy. When you and your peers truly are comfortable giving and receiving a critique from each other you can really draw out the best in people. My belief is, that in order to build a great organization, you need to build a great team.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR GREATEST CONTRIBUTION TO AN ORGANISATION OR TEAM?
Utilizing my active-listening skills, to identify how people can align their personal goals and values with the aims of the organisation. Also, creating an environment that fosters open, inter-personal as well as intra-organisational, communication.
Listening to people and building trust so that all parties can open up and share information is important for the productivity of an organisation. If you truly understand what motivates other people, it becomes easier to discuss ideas and to find and put into action, the most appropriate solution for the challenges you're experiencing.
Discover how the MSc in Management Studies programme can transform your life:
- Read the accompanying article: Meet Thomas Hofer: MSc in Management Studies
- Connect with an Admissions Manager to discover how you can kickstart your managerial career with an MSc in Management Studies
