Almost done with the 10th class!

Almost there! With only one week to go, I feel really close to the end of the MBA program, with just two additional classes for the concentration on Global Management. I think I have written before that this class on strategies for competitive advantage has been very useful in my job – very timely as we do planning for next fiscal year.

This week was almost all dedicated to advance the content of my strategic paper, so I would have a draft ready in time to share with the learning team. Also, working on the strategic plan alignment was a good exercise, since I chose my own department as the target for the strategic paper. It was a good opportunity to stop and think about these issues in my workplace.

The discussion questions were once again excellent material for thought. I liked the discussions on continuous improvement and operational control; it was good to see the diverse viewpoints and how people understand the issues. Excellent brainstorming regarding the topic; in my opinion it was clear the concept of continuous improvement as a way to achieve better operational control, although I can’t see one replacing the other.

The question on quality, efficiency and responsiveness also enacted good thinking and learning. The concepts of TQM and methods such as Six Sigma and ISO 9000 allowed good debate of ideas.

On to week 6 to close this class “with a golden key”, as we say in Brazil!