Becoming a better leader through delegation

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You feel frustrated because important projects are progressing too slowly. Your manager says you need to be more strategic but you barely have time for lunch, let alone strategy.

If this predicament sounds familiar, you may need more staff. Or your job description may be impossibly broad.

Or, though you may not like to admit it, you could be spending too much time on tasks that could be done by others.

How you can get better at delegation

Difficulty delegating is a common issue raised by managers on our leadership programmes. The good news is that you can get better at delegation.

  1. Recognise the problem

First, you need to recognise that you have a problem with delegation.  Perhaps you find that you are working late on a consistent basis, or you miss deadlines or are much busier than your direct reports.  Your colleagues may have dropped hints – you may have been told that you ‘take on a lot’, for example. 

  1. Identify what is preventing effective delegation

The next step to delegating well is understanding how your actions and feelings may be hindering effective delegation.

Protecting your reports: You shield your staff from work that is boring or repetitive and instead do it yourself. This may be because you want to be liked by your staff and are worried about how they will react to being given boring or repetitive work.

Perfectionism: You may choose not to delegate as you are convinced you will do the best job. This may well be true, but certain tasks may not be a good use of your time. Or perhaps you had a bad experience in the past so think it is safer not to engage others.

Wanting to be the expert: You may feel that your knowledge adds a lot of value to your organisation and you want to demonstrate your knowledge at every opportunity. However, this can mean you fail to engage and develop others. This can be particularly common in managers who have been promoted from positions as functional experts into roles requiring team leadership.

Anxiety: You may be hoarding tasks because you are anxious or insecure. Perhaps you are uncertain about your own priorities so you do a bit of everything in the hope that something will please your manager. Or perhaps you feel the need to justify your senior position by appearing busier than others.  

  1. Develop techniques to help you delegate

There are practical techniques to help you delegate. We dedicate a whole session to delegation on our leadership development programme for executives and focus on encouraging our participants to tailor solutions to their own strengths and weaknesses.

A good starting point is to define an effective structure for ‘delegation conversations’. Delegation conversations are the times at work when you attempt to delegate work to someone else.  I hope this structure provides you with a useful starting point:

Understand your audience – who is being assigned the task?

Consider the skills, confidence and experience of the staff member who is being given a piece of work. How much information and support will they need? Is what is being asked of them achievable?

Frame the request

Clearly express to the staff member why this piece of work is necessary and why they are being asked to do it. What is the background to the piece of work? Why is it important? How does it fit into the bigger picture? Why are they the person who is best placed to do this task?

Define success

Clearly define what outcomes you are looking for and make sure the person you are delegating to has a clear idea of practicalities like deadlines and approvals required.

Arrange follow-up

How often would you like updates on the piece of work and in what form?

This structure is simple, but it is surprising how often important issues are left unsaid or ill-defined in delegation conversations, causing frustration and inefficiency. 

Even seasoned managers can struggle to delegate effectively. Coaching can help you to improve your delegation skills and free up time to focus on the things that matter. 

Professor Nelson Phillips is Abu Dhabi Chamber Chair in Innovation and Strategy at Imperial Business School. He is also programme co-director for Leadership in a Technology Driven World.

Learn more on this upcoming programme

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Leadership in a Technology Driven World
Imperial Leadership in a Technology Driven World Programme is a five-day immersive course that equips participants with the skills to lead their teams through the digital age.

Developing a cyber security culture through continuous learning

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Cyber security can seem technical and obscure, but in many cases it is about dealing with the risks that arise from common human behaviours.

Using and re-using simple passwords, replying to emails without checking the identity of the sender and cutting corners close to project delivery deadlines may seem like common slip-ups but can often constitute cyber breaches.

It is important to realise that these types of scenarios play out across organisational boundaries and at all levels of seniority, including the C-suite. As a result, the chance of a cyber security breach occurring within an organisation is heightened when people believe that dealing with cyber security is “someone else’s problem”.

To avoid this, organisations need to cultivate a widespread and adaptive security culture that is driven by leaders and decision-makers who continuously learn and update their knowledge and skills.

A Government survey of large UK businesses – the FTSE 350 Cyber Governance Health Check 2018 – showed that company boards are increasingly recognising the importance of cyber security. Alarmingly though, this recognition is rarely followed up by the actions needed to develop and establish sound security practices.

One insight into this is that whilst 72 per cent of responding businesses recognised themselves as having high exposure to cybersecurity risk, only 54 per cent rated their board’s understanding of their data assets as comprehensive.

Furthermore, only 16 per cent of respondents reported that their boards had a firm grasp of the wider impacts and losses associated with a cyber security incident.

Taken together, these points suggest that executives often lack the necessary depth of knowledge and understanding needed to make a proper determination on whether or not to take action.

According to the Research Institute in Trustworthy Industrial Control Systems – a multi-university research programme led by the Institute for Security Science and Technology at Imperial London -  this shortfall in knowledge can be attributed to the inaccessible technical language that is often used when discussing cybersecurity.

This language barrier can play a significant role in impeding the timely escalation, examination and mitigation of risks within a company.

In a recent speech, Baroness Dido Harding - CEO of TalkTalk when it suffered a major cyber breach in 2015 - argued that in spite of recent high-profile cyber security incidents, boards and senior staff are potentially not asking the right questions about cybersecurity risk within their organisations.

The problem of risk communication is also reflected in the FTSE 350 survey, where only 33 per cent of businesses reported that they had a written board position on cyber security risk that had been widely disseminated across their organisation.

Faced with a lack of clear information, employees will often use their own judgements on cyber security best practice, which can lead to negative security consequences for the business.

In addition to clearly communicating risks to employees, investment is also needed when striving to achieve organisational resilience.

The FTSE 350 survey suggests that this is not happening at a healthy level across businesses, revealing that only 46 per cent of organisations with a cyber security strategy (and nearly all respondents claimed to have one) could point to a dedicated budget for it.

This, at least in part, may be due to the fact that cyber security is still seen by many as a purely technical issue rather than a broader organisational challenge, meaning that provision for dealing with it is assumed to be taken care of within IT budgets.

Of the businesses surveyed, 29 per cent said that their cyber security strategy was largely focussed on technology improvements and implementation. Whilst technology is clearly a vital component of any cyber security solution, it is crucial that businesses do not enclave their efforts solely within specialist teams, as this only promotes the issues of compartmentalisation and poor communication discussed above.

Furthermore, business leaders must keep abreast of what new technologies mean for cyber security. Leaders without a base level of technical competence in cyber security will struggle to ask good questions of technical specialists and contribute effectively when identifying and prioritising security risks, enacting appropriate measures to minimise exposure, dealing with crisis events and generally driving the continuous development of the security culture within their organisations.

Only around 20 per cent of the boards in the 2018 FTSE survey reported that they had undertaken crisis simulation exercises on cybersecurity in the last 12 months and data from the previous year’s survey shows that only 28 per cent of businesses reported that their boards had received training on how to deal with a cybersecurity incident in the previous 12 months.

A separate Government survey of UK businesses, the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2019, undertaken by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport highlights similar issues beyond the board with only 27 per cent of businesses reporting that staff had attended internal or external training on cyber security in the previous 12 months. Of the businesses who did provide cyber security training, only 29 per cent of the trained staff were not cyber security or IT specialists.

The overall picture that emerges is that companies and organisations striving to improve their cyber security capabilities need to develop a culture where leaders are kept knowledgeable, risk communication and collaboration across teams is effective and investments in mitigations span solutions that are broader than technology. Achieving this means that decision makers must be engaged in continuous learning so that they can understand, adapt and react to emerging cyber security threats effectively. Picking the right blend of solutions for an organisation will be an enduring challenge – there is plenty of snake oil out there.

How to prepare for your scholarship video interview

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At Imperial Business School, we are pleased to offer a range of scholarships and significant funding to outstanding applicants across our MBA and MSc programmes.

Candidates will be considered automatically for some scholarships, based on information provided in the application form. For other scholarships, you will need to submit a three-minute scholarship video recording.

 

So, what is involved in the scholarship application process?

The scholarship application is separate to your application for your chosen programme, so you will need to submit both to be eligible. Make sure you take a close look at the application deadlines and scholarship deadlines. You can apply to the programme until the application closing date, but if the application and scholarship video interview are not submitted by the required date, you will not be eligible for a scholarship.

The deadline for each scholarship, along with scholarship amounts, eligibility criteria and how to apply, can be found on the ‘Scholarships’ page under ‘Fees and funding’ on each individual programme page. You can apply for multiple scholarships, but we recommend that you only apply for those that you have the strongest profile for.

Some scholarships do not require a video response to apply. For these scholarships, you will be automatically considered for this funding based on the strength of your application. However, keep in mind that you still need to submit your application before the scholarship deadline date to be eligible for these too.

How does the scholarship video interview work?

The scholarship video interview will work in a similar way to the interview you completed when applying to your programme. You will be given a question that you will need to respond to, and you will then need to record your answer as a video with our partner platform, Kira Talent.

Your video should be no longer than three minutes and must be submitted and recorded on Kira by the deadline date. There will be a short practice session to help you get used to the platform. Upon submission, you will have 30 seconds to gather your thoughts, followed by three minutes to record your answer. 

Top tips to submit a standout scholarship application

1. Ensure you plan your response sufficiently

The most important thing before recording your video response is to make sure that your answer is well-thought-out. Write some notes of how you can answer the question and ensure that it is in line with what the question is asking you and what the scholarship represents.

Give some structure to your response and plan it out so that you don’t find yourself waffling or trailing your sentences in your video.

2. Go into detail with specific examples

Make sure that your answer isn’t just one long list of everything you have done that vaguely answers the question being asked. All awards have a defined, specific focus, and we will be looking carefully for how you match up to this – sometimes one well-explained example is better than multiple examples that lack detail. We want to find out the really amazing thing that makes you the standout scholarship recipient.

We find that applications are stronger when you focus on a specific area of success or give a strong example of an achievement or project. If your example was as part of a team or group, make sure you showcase what you contributed individually. This is an opportunity to really showcase you.

3. Think of your video as a three-minute pitch

When you are recording your response, think of it as a three-minute pitch. Imagine that you are giving a presentation to a panel. Like a presentation, do your best to present yourself in a calm and collected manner – and let your personality shine through.  

We’re looking for the best in you and are interested in your experience and skills, so please don’t worry if you make the occasional stumble or mistake – we’ll be looking at the big picture of what you’ve told us.

It’s time to submit your application!

Make sure you look at our scholarship pages carefully for more information on the video response question, and scholarship deadlines.

We hope you found this article useful and wish you good luck with your application!

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Things you need to consider if you’re applying late for an MBA or MSc programme

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Do you have a Business School programme in your immediate sight, but are worried it may be too late to apply?

Applications are currently open for a number of our MBA and MSc programmes for 2024, and even if the start date is very soon, it might not be too late to apply.

We normally advise early applications for a number of reasons, however, every year we receive some fantastic late applications and we are happy to help those candidates who are applying later in the cycle, and offer some tips on what to consider when applying with limited time before the programme commences.

If you’re making a late application, there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. International students need a visa to join the programme

If you are an international student, make sure you find out what type of visa you would require – a student route visa is required for full-time study or a standard visitor visa may be required for a part-time programme. Check that you would have adequate time to obtain this before the programme starts, and remember that the process and timings may vary between countries.

If you are an international student applying to one of our part-time programmes, we can only provide you with a short-term study visa letter when you have met all offer conditions, so make sure you are preparing to meet your offer conditions in advance.

For the latest information regarding visas, please see our guidance here. 

2. Meeting your offer conditions

It is important to note that all applicants need to meet our offer conditions before you can join our programmes. As already mentioned, this is especially relevant to international students outside of the UK and EU who will need to meet these conditions before a visa can be obtained.

Even if you’ve put in a late application or are late applying, you can think ahead about how you will meet some of the offer conditions.

The following offer conditions need to be met by all applications:

  • Academic condition - you will need to verify your academic documents via the Qualification Check service - if your application is successful you will receive a link to verify your documents in your offer conditions. It's a good idea to have your documents ready or if your degree has not yet been awarded, confirm when the documents will be available.
  • You should be ready to pay your deposit, which is 10% of the total fee for all full-time programmes.
  • There may be a reference condition if we have not yet received two valid professional references. While you can submit your application with one of your references, there will be a condition on your offer if the second reference has not yet been received. To meet your conditions quickly, we advise you that you prioritise obtaining your second reference after you have submitted your application if you haven’t done so already.

3. Do you need to meet our English language requirement?

All students are required to meet our English language requirement, so if you have not studied your degree in an English speaking country, make sure you check the accepted qualifications and prepare to take an English proficiency test if required.

4. Additional requirements

In addition to the above, there are conditions that you might need to meet depending on your circumstance:

  • If you are being sponsored, then official confirmation of sponsorship will be required.
  • If you are applying for the Full-Time MBA or MSc International Management, a valid GMAT or GRE will be required (if not already provided with your application).

5. So now you’re prepared for meeting your offer conditions, what else should you be considering?

Embarking on an MBA or MSc programme is a big commitment, so you will need to prepare yourself mentally, financially, and practically. If you need a bit more time to sort out your finances, you have the option of paying the tuition fee in two instalments per year for our Full-Time MBA and MSc programmes. More information on paying your deposit and fees can be found on the Imperial website.

On the practical side, make sure you find out when the induction period is, as you will need to be on campus for this, and it is compulsory for all programmes. You therefore may need to arrange short-term accommodation if you are studying part-time and joining us from overseas.

Returning to study

If you have been in work for a number of years and are worried about returning to study, this is perfectly natural, but do not fear! Our Programme team will do all they can at induction to facilitate an easy transition. They will hold workshops focussed on study skills/returning to study, and remember there will be plenty of others in your position!

You will also be asked to complete pre-study modules via our online learning platform to get you up to speed with basics of topics such as accounting, maths, finance and plagiarism awareness. They vary slightly programme to programme but are all designed to ensure you have the knowledge you need to get off to a great start in your core modules.

If you are made an offer, make sure you confirm your acceptance at the earliest possible stage to receive access to these pre-study modules. If you are applying late and have little time to complete the modules, please do not worry, you can talk to your Programme team during induction about getting these completed.

So now it’s time to get excited about embarking on your Imperial journey! We look forward to receiving your application and hopefully welcoming you to the Business School when we meet you at induction.

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Six reflections on my first term on MSc Finance & Accounting

Kritika Tandon

The first term at Imperial has been both an exceptionally giving and rigorous experience. There is no way to anticipate the stress that comes along with the challenges one faces. But I have viewed this term as an intense training towards developing some very relevant soft skills in the workplace: time management and stress management. In light of this, I have six main reflections to share on my first term on MSc Finance & Accounting.

1. Set your priorities straight

Term one is all about juggling lectures, classes, and career workshops alongside job applications, tests, interviews and assessment centres. So, it is important to determine and remind yourself of the reason you undertook the programme. For some, this may be getting a job and for others, this may be to score a first in their degree.

The alumni day at Canary Wharf was an important insight into this idea. Every alumnus resonated that you cannot have it all and hence should prioritise. This means that if completing the degree with a first-class honour is your objective, then you must place 80% of your focus on studying for classes weekly and 20% on job applications and other activities. If getting a job is your priority, then you must place 80% of your focus on completing good quality job applications and 20% on studies and other activities.

Additionally, I would love to tell you that I was able to manage it all, that I was able to cook my own healthy food daily, go to the gym every day, ace my studies and land a job. But this would be far from the truth. Time will not permit you to achieve all of this. To manage this situation, it’s important to set priorities, but also to cut ourselves some slack when we could not be the all-rounder millennial we are always striving to be. In the words of Professor James Sefton, the Academic Director of MSc Finance & Accounting “Good enough is good enough”.

2. Modules are practical and relevant

The Financial Accounting core module was not about book-keeping but the professional judgement associated with financial reporting standards. The most interesting part about the subject was the case studies - completed in class and through group discussions – which challenge the financial reporting related interpretations and decisions made by professional accounting firms today.

This is a skill that stood at the core of my experience as an auditor and stands at the core of ethical decision making in all finance career paths. The module was conceptually challenging, engaging and has helped me build a holistic perspective about financial reporting decisions.

It is important to note the relevance and practicality spread across all the subjects we studied in term one. Whatever your academic curiosity, the Business School has something for everyone to look forward to.

First term on MSc Finance & Accounting Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum welcome event

3. Do not compare yourself to others

It is very easy to follow what the rest of the class wants to do. Everyone else’s experience will seem better than yours. everyone else’s goals will seem more glamorous than yours. But it is important to take the time to understand your strengths and weaknesses, your likes and dislikes.

Doing this before coming to Imperial will help you keep yourself in check in moments of doubt. Make sure you take into account the person you are, the kind of schedule you like to follow and the kind of goals you want to achieve. This will help tailor your experience to your needs. It is important to remember that you use your opportunity here to write your own story and not just live someone else’s.

First term on MSc Finance & Accounting friends

4. Group work is a boon and not a bane

Group studying and group coursework in the midst of job applications, student club activities and personal commitments can be time consuming. However, it is important to leverage teamwork efficiently. Once you are assigned to your teams it will be extremely helpful to agree on how your team would like to work throughout the term in regard to timely completion of work and the contribution of every team member. Having discussed this early on helps keep all members in check and allows for better resolution of conflicts if they arise.

5. Use Imperial Business School Careers effectively

While it is vital to diversify your understanding of the current job market by talking to alumni across all sectors, it is equally as important to choose which recruitment events, workshops and Career Consultant sessions are relevant to you.

To do this, research about the job market beforehand, outline your career strategy before coming to school and discuss this with a Career Consultant before term starts. This will give you the jump-start you need to effectively manage job applications and studies.

6. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

The first term has undoubtedly been hectic, but fun is not far away when you study in the heart of London. Some highlights of term one include:

  • Skating at the Natural History Museum
  • Diwali at Trafalgar Square
  • Christmas lights
  • Albert Memorial at Kensington Gardens
  • Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park
  • Primrose Hill
Natural History Museum and Diwali
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Kritika Tandon

About Kritika Tandon

MSc Finance & Accounting
Kritika Tandon is a student on our MSc Finance & Accounting programme 2019-20.

Sustainability in action: Full-Time MBA trip to Copenhagen

To kick off 2020, the Full-Time MBA cohort travelled to Copenhagen for our Business Insights in Europe trip, where we learned about how the city has become one of the most sustainable cities in the world, networked with Copenhagen Business School MBA students and experienced a new city!

Day one: Copenhagen Business School

On our first day in Copenhagen, we went to Copenhagen Business School (CBS) for a lecture on sustainability in Scandinavia. The talk focused on how Denmark has created a better future and is aligning with the UN sustainability goals. Here, Professor Andreas Rasche discussed Denmark’s cultural predisposition to meet these goals along with the steps the government and corporations are actively taking to create a better society. It was a great reminder that change needs to take place from all angles and needs buy-in from the broader community to successfully achieve its goals.

After the lecture, we had a networking session with the Copenhagen Business School MBA’s. This was an excellent opportunity to connect with other MBA students interested in similar industries and learn about their programme and experiences. The first day closed out with a full class dinner.  It was amazing to have all 70 of us enjoying a meal together, excited for a weekend of bonding and fun!

Carly Gerlach Copenhagen view

Day two: company visits

Our second day in Copenhagen, we embarked on company visits. I was in the group that went to Nordhavn and Amager Resource Center.  At NordHavn, we first went to the top of a bike park (yes, a car park just for bikes!) where there was a playground! After some climbing, swinging, and trampolining, we learned how Copenhagen is building new infrastructure and establishing a new neighbourhood in the Northern Harbour. They are using the space they have to create more community and healthy living areas, such as putting a playground on top of the bike park. We then ventured into an old silo that was transformed into office buildings for an intriguing discussion on how Nordhavn has successfully changed the city. 

What stuck with me is how they created such a bike-friendly and family-oriented city. They started by asking, how can we create a place where families will want to live? The answer was to ensure that wherever you were in the city, you were never more than a 15-minute bike ride from a kindergarten, making it easy to get kids to and from school.  They also discussed infrastructure that encouraged biking, such as cleaning the bike lanes before the car lanes after snow.  Little changes like this that make cycling a better option, creating a city and culture that is healthier and better for the environment.  We had a break before our next visit, where we explored a Copenhagen food hall and tried Danish food such as the Smørrebrød, an open-faced sandwich.

Our second visit was to Amager Resource Center (or ARC), which is the waste disposal facility for Copenhagen. I will admit, learning about waste disposal was not my first choice for a company visit, but I was pleasantly surprised by this facility, how and why it was built, and the sustainable solutions they’ve found in this area.

Carly Gerlach Copenhagen waste disposal

We started with a quick discussion about ARC. It was uniquely created to burn Copenhagen’s rubbish and circle heat and electricity back into the city. This not only provides a productive use for waste disposal but has a lower carbon emission than a typical landfill. The building was also designed very strategically. Being close to the city centre, they ensured that the design would be appealing to the city skyline but also ensure its safety. The solution for this: put a ski hill on top of the building (complete with an après-ski bar)! Most power plants release emissions through the roof, but this facility is so safe you can ski on top of it year-round!

Overall, I was amazed at how these organizations built a better future for Copenhagen. One of the biggest lessons I am walking away with is how they set goals to achieve their desired outcome. “We want a family-friendly, bike-friendly city, so let’s ensure you can always bike to kindergarten. We want sustainable and safe waste disposal, so let’s not only make sure it passes the regulation tests, but it’s so sustainable you can ski on top of it.” Both organisations set their vision and built goals to achieve it. 

Exploring Copenhagen

Most of our class decided to stay in Copenhagen to explore the city and enjoy our time together.  We had a group walking tour, bar crawl, and dinner organised, and the rest of the time, we wandered and explored. 

We ventured around some of the famous sites such as Nyhavn, various palaces, and the Little Mermaid statue, all meeting up for big group dinners and fun nights out in a new city.  Overall, the weekend proved not only an excellent opportunity to learn about Copenhagen’s sustainable transformation but a fantastic weekend of fun shenanigans with my MBA family. 

Copenhagen
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Carly Gerlach

About Carly Gerlach

Carly is currently a Full-Time MBA student. Prior to studying on the Imperial MBA she was working in Chicago at a market research company in sales and account management. Once she completes her MBA programme she hopes to move into the consumer goods industry and work in either marketing or global strategy.

Students share the best part of Imperial’s Executive MBA

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The Imperial Executive MBA is a part-time programme for high achievers who want to develop the skills that will launch them right to the very top of the ladder. At Imperial Business School, our emphasis is on future-proofing you with the expertise to be ready for the challenges of today, and for whatever the future holds.

This programme is designed especially for high-calibre professionals who want to gain not only an understanding of the different business functions, but also the advanced management and leadership skills on par with a C-suite level executive.

So, how does our Executive MBA stand up? Students studying on the programme or who have recently completed their studies share why Imperial’s Executive MBA has been transformative on a personal and professional level.

Susanne Juhl

Executive MBA 2018-19

CEO, HMN Naturgas

Location: Copenhagen

The Executive MBA has been a truly transformative journey. Imperial’s unique selling point is the connection between the Business School and the other faculties at Imperial. I recommend Imperial’s Executive MBA to any business leader who wants to deepen their understanding of the relationship between business, technology and the challenges our planet faces. One of the best things about the Executive MBA has been the STEM talks by the leading professors from Imperial London, a global top 10 university. The tech talks really connected the dots between business and science and pointed to cutting edge solutions to the challenges of our planet.

Jack Tang

Executive MBA 2019-20

Senior Consultant, Arcadis

Location: London

The best part of the Executive MBA so far is the blended learning approach. It allows me the flexibility to learn the concepts through the online learning platform, The Hub, and to raise queries in advance to the Teaching Assistant sessions.  The learning is then reinforced during the on-campus sessions where I get the opportunity to apply them to real-world case studies, which I felt was useful.  The on-campus catering throughout the two-day period is truly wonderful as this takes the stress out of worrying about food and enables me to focus on the learning. In addition, the planned cohort dinners have been another great highlight as it has allowed me to develop my social network through engaging with my fellow cohort, the programme team and the lecturers.

Marta Lesiewska

Executive MBA 2019-20

Sustainability Consultant

Location: Warsaw

Imperial’s Executive MBA represents a new generation of MBA programmes. The curriculum is enriched with the Executive Leadership Journey and speaker series dedicated to new technologies and solutions that are at the heart of Imperial London. The programme gives you the tools to accelerate careers in a technology-driven world. It takes you out of your comfort zone, helps you to identify and fight your weaknesses and appreciate and build on your strengths. The first year was an inspirational journey, and along the way, I met incredible people from all backgrounds. A lot of them, like myself, commute from different countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa or from the US. Working on projects together creates an excellent opportunity to learn not only new skills, but also embrace management skills in a multicultural environment.

Matteo De Tomasi

Matteo De Tomasi

Executive MBA 2019-20

Director of Sales, Hilti Great Britain

Location: London

The best part of the Executive MBA so far is the strength and motivation to get better, which comes from my cohort. I had a demanding job and a soon to be born baby when classes kicked-off last year, yet being surrounded by like-minded individuals, also going through similar challenges, has helped me to improve my efficiency and prioritisation, managing to enjoy the modules as much as possible, and deliver on my commitments. The power of doing this journey alongside colleagues from completely different industries and professions is incredible. Working in groups has highlighted the skills each of us bring to the teams and has definitely supported my own leadership awareness and development.

Brett Gibson

Brett Gibson

Executive MBA 2019-20 

Client Strategy & Value Adviser, Domo Inc.

Location: London

A year ago I started preparing to start my Executive MBA at Imperial Business School. It's been an incredible learning experience and supported my transition to client strategy and value consulting. The alignment to technology, innovation and the diverse cohort is what attracted me, and studying at one of the world's leading programmes didn't hurt either. Being able to cover gaps in my experience from great lecturers, and discussing the practical applications with an experienced cohort has been incredibly powerful.

Patrick Wilhelm

Patrick Wilhelm

Executive MBA 2018-2019

Principal Consultant, ERNI

Location: Zürich

One of the benefits I did not expect at the beginning of the Executive MBA is self-confidence. I approach new professional challenges differently and use my newly learned methods and tools to find solutions. In this way, I reach the desired goal faster and more effectively. One of the modules that gave me exceptional benefit was the Entrepreneurial Journey. Here I liked the hollistic approach the most, because in my opinion it was very close to practice. The pitch session added the extra spice. Working with the service designers from the Royal College of Art helped me see the challenge from a different perspective and try out new approaches.

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Find out more about the programme

The questions to ask when considering executive education

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When investing your time and money into executive education it is important to be sure it will not only stimulate and inspire you, but also deliver positive returns to you and your organisation.

The key to achieving a return on investment (ROI) is to think systematically about your (and your employer’s) goals and motivations and how these will be fulfilled through executive education.

Assessing development needs

Firstly, take a step back and consider your development needs. If you benefit from a performance review process, your development needs may already be well defined.

It is also important to consider emerging leadership skills that you may not have considered, such as has ethics of AI, cyber security and innovation cultures. Professor Nelson Phillips’ gave a webinar that delves into more of these future leadership skills.

If you don’t have a formal personal review process, answering simple questions like the below can help you identify gaps and needs in your professional development:

9 questions for identifying professional skills and knowledge gaps

  1. What situations have frustrated you at work lately (can be the last few days, weeks or year)?

  2. Is this a single issue or recurring issues?

  3. Can you identify what has caused these frustrations?

  4. What excites you about the coming years?

  5. What are you fearful of?

  6. How do you feel your role will change in the next 1-5 years?

  7. What new skills or knowledge might you need?

  8. What areas do you feel comfortable in your knowledge?

  9. Which areas of your organisation/industry do you wish you knew more about?

The next step is to consider whether your organisation has the resources to fill these education gaps in-house or whether you need to look externally at providers of executive education.

All programmes in our open programme portfolio couple the latest technological thinking in leadership, strategy and innovation with sector-specific deep dives in topics such as cyber security, healthcare, risk management and entrepreneurship. We also often customised solutions for companies seeking a tailored solution.

How executive education can deliver ROI for your organisation

It will also be important to determine and demonstrate how executive education will benefit your organisation. Answering questions like the below can help you display ROI for your employer.

  1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your organisation?

  2. What opportunities and threats does it face?

  3. What are your organisation’s goals for the coming years?

  4. What are your team’s goals for the coming years?

  5. Where are the connections between your company’s corporate goals and the executive education course learning outcomes?

  6. How do you expect your performance at work will be different after you have completed your executive education?

If the executive education course you have chosen is aligned to your personal development goals and your company’s goals then it is likely to deliver ROI.

I hope this article helps you to define your development needs and identify how executive education can be of benefit to you and your employer. Of course, please to contact me or my team if we can be of any assistance.

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Seven things you should know about life at Imperial

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I have been studying at Imperial Business School for two months now and come across new things everyday – whether that's new friends, new events or new skills.

Here are the best seven things I’ve discovered in my short-period at the Business School so far on the MSc Strategic Marketing programme.

Programmes are practical

Before I started at the Business School, I worked as a marketing specialist for over two years. Having had business knowledge from my previous job, I found that all the modules at Imperial are very practical and highly relevant to future employment. Lectures are very insightful – the professors are always bringing trending news stories into their teaching, along with interesting campaigns on the forefront of digital marketing.

Learn to handle group work

You will be divided into a syndicate group based on the result of your personality test. Your team will have to work together to finish a series of group work from the first week of new term. Considering students come from more than 100 countries, cultures and working habits, it will be difficult at the beginning.

Hence, group work may not run as smooth as you imagined, which is common in a normal working environment. However, don’t be afraid. It’s a great opportunity to develop transferrable skills, such as leadership and effective communication, so you can be prepared for the future. More importantly, you can learn a lot from each other.

Plan your future career goals

Career planning is a main focus at Imperial Business School. You will be taught how to write a good CV in pre-study modules, before the first term takes place. During each term, there will be regular career-related workshops discussing a variety of topics, including industry awareness, interview skills and tips for networking.

If you are aiming to be accepted into graduate programmes, you can get personalised help through one-to-one appointments from the Careers service. As a student who already has working experience, I found the workshops on career planning and salary negotiation very useful.

Choose from the variety of societies and clubs

Sometimes, you may feel breathless during your academic study, group work and the job-hunting process. Yes, life at Imperial can be intense, but you can still have a lot of fun in student clubs and societies. Imperial has more than 300 clubs and societies for students.

Regional and industry Career Clubs are very helpful in terms of getting latest industry news and guiding your career. Meanwhile, there are also clubs for sport, debating and food, if you need to blow off some steam. Plus, joining a club is a great way to meet like-minded friends.

Time management is crucial

As I mentioned earlier, life at Imperial can be intense but very interesting. We have lectures, network events, club activities and even internship or part-time jobs. Thus, time management and the ability to multitask are important.

Utilise your Google calendar or notebook to carefully schedule your timetable and to avoid potential conflicts. It’s great for prioritising your personal time too - after writing down ‘have a family call’ on my memo, I’ve never missed bonding time with my family.

English language workshops are available for international students

As an international student, I found it difficult to communicate with English native speakers. I find they speak too fast and sometimes with an accent that I’m not used to, which makes the first few weeks very challenging – especially when trying to make friends.

If you have a similar problem, no need to worry! The Business School has a language workshop for international students. I attended the business news discussion workshop, which helped me to practise speaking English in a very comfortable and relaxing atmosphere, with content provided to practise every day conversation. They also have an academic writing workshop for you to enhance writing skills.

Pack your luggage SMARTLY

Some friends asked me for advice on what kind of clothes they should bring to London. Apart from giving them the weather report, there are a few things to keep in mind. Normally, there is no strict dress code required for daily life at Imperial Business School.

However, considering the most events are career and networking based, smart casual clothing is good choice for. There’s also a large welcome event in the Natural History Museum in October and a May ball in Spring, so make sure you pack some formalwear too!

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Partnering with Business School Career Clubs is mutually beneficial for employers and our students

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“I believe employers really value seeing leadership skills in action and the fact that those involved in clubs aren’t afraid to mix studies with extra-curriculars even when it gets really busy. I always got asked about my role at interviews, and interviewers found it really interesting”, says Presiyana Karastoyanova, MSc Finance 2018-19 and former VP of the Finance Careers Club. Presiyana has secured a role as an Analyst at McKinsey for January 2020.

This year the Business School has fourteen student-led Career Clubs, of which the Finance Club is one. The clubs bring together MBA and MSc students with shared aspirations and are divided into major industries, interest groups, or geographic locations. They are always keen to work with employers and alumni in their related sector or region.

All of our clubs are led by students and organise or signpost events throughout the year which give opportunities to:

  • Meet other Business School students with similar interests
  • Learn from and network with alumni and other professionals
  • Build links with relevant employers in the sector
  • Learn more about roles available and the skills needed in the industry and many more.

“Being the President of Consulting Club played a major role in getting my job,” says Vineet Harsh, Full-Time MBA 2017-18 and former President of the Business School Consulting Careers Club. “The Consulting club provided me opportunity to network and connect with people working in consulting. It was helpful to know about their projects, company culture and career progression."

Student members can gain invaluable insight from employers to aid their professional development, whilst employers can use career club events to supplement their recruitment activity - raising brand awareness, showcasing company culture, providing thought leadership or direction on industry hot topics.

For example, Presiyana says:

Employers should leverage this great opportunity to engage with some of the most active students on campus and visit the Business School to share their opportunities. It’s always great when firms send Imperial alumni too, we all love meeting them and get inspired by their work.

Our clubs can also provide a route into the Business School for companies that are not always able to come on to campus. For example, a number of luxury brands or boutique consultancies with which Careers now work very closely had their first interactions on campus as small-scale events with Career Clubs.

Sarah Ranchev Hale, Director of Employer Relations, Careers says:

Career Clubs provide an avenue for employers to connect directly with students, raising their brand awareness and talent-spotting in the process. It’s a win-win for the employer and the students.

The Career Clubs are the student-led extension of Business School Careers – they are:

  • Consulting Careers Club
  • Energy & Sustainability Careers Club
  • FMCG, Luxury Goods and Retail Careers Club
  • Finance Careers Club (includes Fintech and PE/VC)
  • Healthcare Careers Club (includes Pharma)
  • Innovation & Entrepreneurship Club (includes Family Business)
  • LGBTQ+ Business Club
  • Social Impact & Responsible Business Club
  • Technology, Media and Telecoms Careers Club (includes Digital Marketing)

Regional clubs:

  • Africa Business Club
  • Asia Business Club
  • India Business Club
  • North America Business Club
  • Latin America Business Club

The most recent club to be created was the LGBTQ+ Business Club and you can read all about the story of it started out

Career Club group picture
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