UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND; GRADUATED DECEMBER 2015
For 52-year-old Jeff Oakes an MBA was a long time coming. He first contemplated taking on a course aged 35, but owning and managing Lake Tarawera Lodge back then meant he was constrained for time.
It would be many years later before circumstances allowed him to finally commit, and he began the University of Auckland’s MBA programme in 2013 when his personal situation allowed him the freedom to move to ‘The City of Sails’. He was attracted by the University’s ranking; its association with MBA Schools; and his ‘ MBA for a Day’ experience.
“Having alumni candidly respond to questions and hear them speak glowingly of the learning environment and challenges they’d overcome to graduate sealed it for me,” he says.
Oakes chose the Auckland Pathway to MBA, obtaining a PG Dip Bus Admin, which credited towards the MBA’s final year, “purely because I didn’t have an undergrad degree.
“And having some flexibility with work commitments, the different timetable suited me,” he says. “Tuesday and Thursday evenings weekly rather than Friday afternoon and Saturday fortnightly.”
Prior to starting his self-funded MBA, Oakes had enjoyed an unconventional career path, moving from international banking to lodge ownership to, more recently, consulting to tourism SMEs.
“Not having an undergraduate degree, it was with some trepidation that I embarked on my Masters,” he admits. “However, I was determined to dedicate whatever time and resources were needed to achieve what I had wanted to do for some time.
“I was looking for the MBA to challenge, while also validate, some of my thinking. And to gain a greater understanding of the post- GFC global business environment.”
Oakes, who graduated in May this year, chose the MBA to strengthen his management skills and experience, and become a better decision-maker and leader. He says the most enjoyable aspect is the camaraderie. Being with talented individuals who are driven to learn and willing to share their own experiences is very powerful, provides richness to the learning experience, and broadens perspectives, he says.
“While debating case studies in lectures and managing projects within our MBA teams alongside businesses I was exposed to different perspectives to obtain solutions to business problems,” he says, “highlighting the value of diversity in work teams.”
Oakes advice for new students is to firstly understand why you’re doing the MBA. Are your expectations realistic? Time management is crucial, he says, so get into some good [study] habits and be prepared to make sacrifices.
Oakes, who was managing a resort and subdivision development on a Fiji island while studying, flying in and out monthly, made good use of collaboration technologies such as Skype, Whats App and Dropbox. “The key to my success in graduating was that there was only the thought of graduating,” he says. “I had a determination to succeed and my focus was unwavering – cliché, I know, but that meant socialising a lot less, compromised weekends, early morning starts and committing to my MBA project teams.” So does he think the MBA is still relevant? Absolutely. There may be a perception that the MBA has not evolved with the changing business environment, he says. “Yet ironically that is why I wanted to obtain my MBA – for the latest critical thinking on complex business issues in today’s global environment.
“It is a business management and leadership programme where hard-core quantitative and analytical skills are taught and complemented with the soft skills of leadership, by understanding your own EI (Emotional Intelligence) and EI in an organisational behavioural context.
“That makes the programme more than relevant; it’s a necessity for becoming an effective manager and leader.”
Oakes is now looking for a role where he can demonstrate his greater capacity to lead, follow, mentor and coach. “One that has autonomy and an opportunity to create a legacy.”