"Just Go For It."

a student roundtable on the jack welch mba experience

If there's one question we hear more than any other in the Enrollment Office of the Jack Welch Management Institute, it's about the texture and quality of the online experience. "How in the world," many candidates wonder, "will I get to know my teachers and classmates?" Others ask, "Will anyone really know who I am in a virtual classroom?"

A second line of questioning comes in a close second, and it's about how our program is different. "Will I really get a unique MBA at JWMI?" some candidates ask, while others want to know, "Does Jack Welch truly get involved to make this school better than the competition?"

To answer these questions - and a few others - we took them to a roundtable of current JWMI students. The transcript that follows reflects their comments in a conversation moderated by Suzy Welch, co-author of WINNING, with Jack Welch, and an active contributor to our program's curriculum.

The participants in the roundtable were:

Bonnie, a senior sales representative at a national pharmaceutical company;

Michael, a finance analyst at a major healthcare provider in the Midwest;

And Sandra, a contract manager at a manufacturing company.

MAKING THE CHOICE

Suzy Welch: Let's start with what brought each of you to JWMI. There are so many programs out there to choose from. Why ours?

Bonnie: Well, I had read WINNING, Jack's book, and that made it clear to me that I was closely aligned with Jack's principles and philosophies. Then I heard there was a Jack Welch MBA, which was exciting. Now, at the time, the program was new, so perhaps there was a little leap of faith in enrolling, but I really believed it was going to be a high quality program. I guess the quality always associated with Jack Welch made me choose the school over a place that I knew just because it had done a lot of advertising.

I also knew I wanted an online program to accommodate my work schedule and my teenagers' schedule. I live in the Northeast, and I knew on a cold February evening, I was not going to want to go out to a class in a snow storm. If I was going to get an MBA and make it work with my life, it had to be flexible.

Michael: For me, I knew I always wanted an MBA. It was just a matter of when. So a few years back, I started looking at the traditional schools with executive programs, and what I kept hearing was, "You're going to love our program. You'll spend every Friday and Saturday with us. You even get to go out to dinner with other students and the professors." Well, that was the last thing I wanted to do! I was working all week. I wanted an education where I could go to school on my own time.

The second factor was that I wanted a school that was different - a school with stature. I knew if Jack Welch was involved, it was going to be a quality education.

Sandra: I have a similar story. My company partners with GE on a number of projects and it also follows many of Jack's business principles and practices. I knew that getting a Jack Welch MBA program would provide me with an instant level of status and recognition that I wouldn't get with any other program.

LIVING THE IMPACT

Suzy Welch: One of Jack's biggest goals in starting this program was to create an MBA that could be put to use immediately, changing people's lives and careers even before graduation. Is that happening for you?

Sandra: Absolutely. I apply what I'm learning at JWMI just about every day. I'm taking "Financial Management" now, and it's been amazing. I can sit down with the VP of finance at my company and have really knowledgeable conversations. I can understand the ratios we're talking about, how they've derived, and the meanings behind them. I know how they apply to our company and our competitors. It's been a huge help.

Michael: I've taken five classes and they've all been enormously useful. For instance, when I was taking strategy, we learned how to evaluate companies and markets. Well, it just so happened that at the same time at work, we were in the process of deciding whether to enter a new line of business. I brought the concepts I was learning at school right to my team - there was a whole list of ideas, in terms of potential revenues, barriers to entry, and so on. It was really helpful.

Bonnie: I've learned so much about leadership and people management, I can't begin to tell you - I use those ideas every day. But in my case, the biggest example of the program's effect on my career is that my director recently asked me to create the strategy to launch a new drug in Massachusetts.

Suzy Welch: Because you're in the program?

Bonnie: Definitely. My company is paying for me to attend, and they have very high expectations for what I'm learning and how quickly I'm able to put it to use. So this is a big deal for me. It could mean a promotion. Essentially, I'm using everything I learned in my courses on strategy and global marketing. They were outstanding.

LEARNING ONLINE

Suzy Welch: Some prospective students worry that they won't get to know their teachers or classmates in the online environment. Can you each talk about that?

Michael: Yeah, I was a little worried too. The whole computer experience concerned me. How was it going to work? How would I learn from the other students when it wasn't in person and the communication wasn't verbal? It was all new to me. In a way, I'm old fashioned.

But I was pleasantly surprised. When I looked at backgrounds of the other students, I was like, "Wow!" I realized right away what people would bring from their jobs. And then, once my first online class started, I was very impressed with the way the instructor pulled concepts out of the materials and asked other questions to draw out insights.

Sandra: It's funny, but I've found you actually get to know other students more intimately in an online setting. You're communicating all the time -- at least three times a week, and sometimes more often. As for the professors, your communication with them is more informal than the traditional setting - and therefore more engaging. The teachers I've had at JWMI are just so much more qualified than other professors I've had. And the online environment gives them the opportunity to provide more individual attention to each of us and lead us in the direction we need to be going.

Bonnie: I've talked live on the phone and via email with my instructors. And I want to say the caliber of the instructors in the program has been phenomenal. I want to suck them dry because of the knowledge they have.

SEEING ALL SIDES

Suzy Welch: The Jack Welch MBA was designed to give its students all the foundational learning of a traditional MBA, but with the added content of Jack's principles and practices. In your opinion, how well-rounded is your MBA?

Sandy: It's great to have Jack's ideas in every class. You can read his ideas one way when you are taking an HR class, and you can get something entirely different out of his thinking in a finance class. But it's true, the case studies and texts and additional books bring other content into the program. There are plenty of perspectives to draw on.

Michael: It's important to me that the program is not just about Jack Welch's ideas. I mean, I think it's great to incorporate Jack into every class. That's one of the main reasons I chose this program. But I love the balance. Sometimes students disagree with Jack's point of view and we get a debate going. That makes the discussion fun. And the varied perspectives make your education stronger.

MANAGING THE BALANCE

Suzy Welch: Let's talk about time management. How much time do you spend each week on class assignments?

Bonnie: This program is not easy. I spend between 10 and 15 hours a week on a course, depending on the instructor and the content. It's worth it - I love it - but it's not for someone who can't manage their time well. But I've noticed that a lot of my classmates are really mature people. Many of them are well into their careers and have a lot of experience balancing work and life. They know how to manage their time. So I think it's the perfect program, actually, for people who know how to do that.

Sandy: I spend between eight and 12 hours a week on my school work, but you know what? That's OK. For me, it's a priority. And I truly believe, when people are ambitious enough, it's easy to find the time.

Michael: The program is really intensive. But if you plan ahead, you can definitely manage it with a fulltime job.

TAKING THE LEAP

Suzy Welch: Speaking of time, I really appreciate all of you taking the time to share your thoughts. Any last words of advice for people considering the Jack Welch MBA?

Sandra: If you're looking for a prestigious degree - and one that comes with flexibility -- this is the program for you.

Bonnie: The world is becoming more global and more technology-driven. This program is a great lesson in how the world is changing. It's not easy, but it's invigorating. You get great ideas, skills you can use, and a quality education.

Michael: If you're worried about the online experience, don't be. If you want flexibility, you're going to be happy. It's a great school. Go for it.

TAKE THE FIRST STEP

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