Closing Social

Tuesday night we were treated to an elegant dinner at the USU Alumni Center. The idea of the closing social is to give the participants the opportunity to interact with professionals in a social setting. We were pleased to have the company of a few industry professionals representing the Merrill-Cazier Library, DuPont, West Host and ATK.

Along with a great dinner, we had the opportunity to hear from Paul Fjeldsted, senior lecturer for the Huntsman School. He gave a great wrap-up and summary to the 9-week course by sharing various experiences from his life as he took charge in discovering what he wanted out of life and worked to achieve a great career. The evening ended as we presented the participants with their certificates of completion.

We had a great time getting to know one another as students and faculty. This course has helped students identify and develop their unique skills and has given them the confidence to take charge, be bold and get the work they want.

The course will start up again in the fall semester. We extend an invitation to all students to make time to get involved in this incredibly helpful workshop. We’ll keep you posted on the upcoming dates and deadlines.

The good, the better and the best overcome headache during long meeting

Sometimes meetings can prove a headache. Unfortunately, last week I went to a long, long, long all-day meeting and I brought my headache with me. The meeting was to choose the architect to program and design our new building. Each firm was given the opportunity to make a presentation and we asked lots of questions. You might think that such an arduous meeting, coupled with a headache, would be just plain all around bad but actually, the meeting was really very good.

Ken Snyder

The architectural firms were well prepared and they all did a very nice job with their presentations. It was a case of good vs. better vs. best as opposed to good vs. bad. Despite the headache, it turned out to be an enjoyable and educational day. All of the final five were Utah firms that were partnering with other national firms that were experienced in designing business schools. While I think any of the five firms would have done excellent work, I think we picked the firm that will best meet our needs.

We selected a Salt Lake City firm, GSBS Architects, which is teaming up with a Seattle firm, LMN Architects. Just picking them, at this point, doesn’t mean, however, that they will be doing the work. We first must negotiate an agreement with them before we can proceed with the project.

LMN designed PACCAR Hall for the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. One thing you notice about PACCAR Hall is that it is designed to let in lots of natural light. When you consider that our building will overlook Cache Valley, it would make sense that a building be designed that would take advantage of the spectacular views our location will offer. You can take a look at PACCAR Hall, which I have toured, by watching the video below.

GSBS designed the Merrill-Cazier Library right here at Utah State University. It also designed the Gore School of Business at Westminster College.

Once we’ve negotiated an agreement, we can move ahead with the programming. That’s where the fun really starts.

Ken Snyder

Sharpening the saw and making the best of your situation

I’m in the middle of reading Robinson Crusoe. It’s one of those books that I've always felt like I should read but never have. I don’t know if you’ve ever read it before, it’s rather new, but I’m going to spoil it a little for you: He gets shipwrecked on a deserted island and has to survive by himself.

As I've read this account of a lone man’s struggle and his determination to keep living, I can’t help but compare myself to what he’s going through.

Paul Lewis Siddoway

He farms corn, tames goats, and builds two separate housing/fortification complexes and a boat all by himself.

I’m working two jobs and am taking an online summer class.

It makes me very grateful for everything I have, from the turkey sandwich I had for lunch to the fact that I don’t have to worry about the natives.

When I compare myself to the character of Robinson, I’m irked that I don’t quite have the motivation he does. I’m sure that if my one goal was stay alive, I could do it. But I have a hard time wanting to actually work. I don’t know if it’s that I haven’t taken time to sharpen that proverbial saw Stephen Covey told me about, or if I don’t feel like I’m validated through my work or something else entirely.

Working two jobs and going to school can make it hard for me to find some “me” time to allow myself to recharge. Whenever I do sneak in some R&R, I usually feel guilty, like I should be doing something more productive. Unlike being a grade schooler, I don’t have a whole summer to have fun. I have to schedule it in and earn every minute of it. I think of all that squandered fun time I had not that long ago and wish that I could have saved that somehow, so I could withdraw it now. And when I do find myself with a little relaxation time, I try to take full advantage of it.

My brother is a lawyer and he often will work 10-hour days. And he says he likes it, which is fine. I would not. I like what I do. However, I need fixed hours. When those hours are up, I need to go home and spend some time by myself and some with my wife.

I care about what I do, but it always makes my job easier when my boss says I did a good job on something. Student jobs don’t often allow for any promotions, so it’s hard not to feel stagnant, which could lead to feeling unimportant.

I worked for a bowling alley once. I looked at where I was at that point in life and thought, “Why am I working here?” I was working there because I needed the money. I didn’t think I was going to change the world. It happened to be a really fun job, and I got to work with some pretty fun people. I enjoyed my job, and I’m pretty sure my customers knew it. Looking back, I hope that because I liked my job, I transferred some of that happiness to my customers. They were going bowling, so it was pretty easy to be a catalyst for happiness. But maybe I did change the world, just a little. I made it better for a few people, a half an hour at a time.

So now when I’m working and I remember that I’m not a doctor or something that has obvious positive rewards and I have a hard time staying motivated, I just try and focus on how whatever I’m doing is an improvement on the world in any little way. It makes me feel less like a cog in the corporate wheel and more like Robinson Crusoe. Then I take a break.

My work might not determine life or death (you can breathe a deep sigh of relief now), but I’m still trying to make the world I live in a better place.

Paul Lewis Siddoway

Our new executive director of entrepreneurial programs featured on Utah Public Radio

To be honest, as a student, I’m nervous to enter the workforce.

I often find myself asking, “Will I be able to find employment in this economy?” and “Do I have the skill sets necessary to compete in a competitive market?” While this anxiety might be valid in the uncertain climate of today’s workforce, it’s important to remain optimistic.

Rob Goates

There are exciting changes going on around us, and it’s a great experience for students to have professors with academic and professional backgrounds that we can learn from in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business.

Michael Glauser is a good example. The new executive director of entrepreneurial programs was interviewed on Utah Public Radio yesterday.

Speaking on nurturing a passion for something, he said, “You have to really be excited about what you’re doing, and passion is the fuel that carries you through all the ups and downs.”

I thought that this was a marvelous point because everyone has a passion for something (mine is Aggie ice cream). You might laugh, but Dr. Glauser turned his passion for yogurt into a very successful business.

He said it is important to know your industry. The Huntsman School of Business works hard to make certain that the students here are given opportunities to study abroad, intern at businesses and rub shoulders with real-life professionals because, as Dr. Glauser stated, “Good ideas emerge in industry; you need to be out in the field.”

He emphasized the importance of teamwork. He said business leaders should share the load of carrying a company because “a lot of entrepreneurs want to fly solo and keep all the ownership, but statistics have shown that they won’t get far.” I’ve found this in group projects. To achieve the common goal (in many cases, to get an A) and do something extraordinary oftentimes requires the contributions of every group member.

With 50 percent of startup businesses only lasting three to five years and another 20 percent not making it past seven, it can be intimidating. Dr. Glauser said it takes a lot of work to get a business off the ground.

“I always joke with my students that they, as entrepreneurs, have complete freedom to choose when they work their 80 hours a week.”

He talked about Jon M. Huntsman, his entrepreneurial spirit and the principle that Dr. Glauser learned from him to “give back” to the community. With that ideology and the need to be ethical in business, Mr. Huntsman found enormous success and now acts as an inspiration, especially to the students that study here.

As an ending note, Dr. Glauser stated that “Our ultimate goal is to help to as many people as we can start successful companies.”

It will always be scary to graduate and move into the unknown, but knowing we have faculty that have been there and done that certainly helps.

Rob Goates

We have Brian Regan DVDs to give away!

Back in December, we announced that we would give away two Brian Regan DVDs as soon as we reached 50 followers of this blog. There are now 58 followers, and so it's time to announce the lucky winners.

The followers who have been selected by the website random.org are Spencer Bailey and Kris Winterton. Congratulations to both of you, and we would like to thank all of our followers for their continued support for this blog.

Build your village

Tuesday night we had the opportunity to hear from Barry Heninger, career accelerator and professor for the Huntsman School. Mr. Heninger shared the many experiences he has had throughout the progression of his career.

In Dr. Covey’s book, he teaches of the difference between simply a group of people you know and a “village.” He explains that in a village there are many diverse skills, talents, and professions, where each individual helps the other. Mr. Heninger shared multiple experiences where he was able to escalate his career through networking, and he also talked about times when he was able to help others out along the way. Mr. Heninger cautioned us to give at least as much as we receive.

We discussed different ways to network and build our village through social networking sites, as well as taking advantage of the many people we are associated with at our various jobs, internships and even our classes.

The main principle of Mr. Heninger’s counsel was clearly stated: “To get a great career, you have to ask for it.”

Why the best, so far, is not good enough

Many of you have heard of “kaizen” (改善), a Japanese word that refers to a philosophy that emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement. The idea is one very familiar to our people at the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence. They are recognized around the world for helping organizations achieve operational excellence by implementing the principles of “kaizen.”

The idea of finding a way to improve everything you do is not a unique philosophy to the Shingo Prize, however. Anyone in a competitive industry knows that a company that does not constantly evolve and improve is likely to have a short lifespan.

Ken Snyder

There are just five architectural firms still in the running to lead the work on our new building. I made it clear from the start that we wanted to hire a team that had experience designing buildings for business schools or a firm that could partner with such a company when it works on our project.

However, we want something better than their best so far. It’s second nature for our students to try to consistently improve in everything they do. When it comes to our building we must do the same. We’ll pick a top firm and we’ll make it a priority to help it succeed in creating the best building it has ever designed.

If we do our job right and they do their job better, we’ll have a tangible example of “kaizen” in our new Huntsman Hall. This all goes beyond creating an impressive new building with the newest amenities. We want to make sure that what goes on inside the new structure will reflect the progressive philosophy that created it. It will be up to us to put the “kaizen” inside the building.

Ken Snyder