,Contents
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1Corporate Strategy
Chapter 2Economics and Decision Making
Chapter 3Corporate Finance
Chapter 4Corporate Accounting
Chapter 5Operations Management
Chapter 6Marketing
Chapter 7Entrepreneurship
Chapter 8Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Chapter 9Leadership
Chapter 10Is an MBA Right for You?
Notes
References
About the Author
Index
I remember the day I was accepted into the Evening and Weekend MBA program at U.C.
Berkeley’s Haas School of Business (Haas). I had applied to three other schools in case Haas didn’t
want me. In my mind, I’d just hit the lottery. Haas was a top 20 MBA program, and the Evening
and Weekend program was in the top three. I had a feeling that I had just caught a tiger by the tail,
and I was right. Haas was rigorous, intense, and costly.
There are a lot of reasons to pursue an MBA. Some do it to advance in the career they are in.
Some do it to learn entrepreneurship. Still others want to switch careers. I was toying with the idea
of becoming an entrepreneur. I felt I was stagnating in my project career, and I just didn’t know if
I had the passion to stay with it for several more decades. The MBA delivered a lot of benefits,
chief among them was a first-class ticket to understanding the way all parts of modern business
run. It also helped me clarify that—at that time of my life—I would have been a terrible
,entrepreneur. I avoided a big pitfall, and I am grateful for what I learned. It also helped be become
a better project manager because it exposed me to so much business knowledge that could be
applied to my project management practice.
This kind of knowledge came at a cost. The time commitment was enormous. I missed out on
three years of watching kids grow up. My wife paid a price by shouldering the burden of being a
Haas widow. The bill for this privilege was north of $80k. Was it worth it? Yes, but. The but is
why I wrote this book. What I do know is that the tools and strategies I learned have been and
continue to be of tremendous value both professionally and personally. It is my goal to share with
you the highest value learnings for a much lower cost than I had to pay. It is also my goal to arm
those considering an MBA with the information they need to make the right decision for
themselves.
I have been managing projects, programs, people, and PMOs for more than two decades. In this
book, I will distill the most important elements of a typical MBA to those of us who practice
project and program management. Not everything in an MBA program is of importance to project
and program managers, but some of the knowledge can help project professionals rise to new levels
in our profession.
Introduction
Most MBA programs don’t talk much about project management. To them, it’s a tactical necessity
to achieve a strategic end. In my career, I’ve learned that shrewd business leaders understand that
a strong project management function is as critical as any of the other functions taught in an MBA
program. What MBA program teach can make us better at what we do. Combining the skills of
project and program management with those of an MBA gives us a broader professional range
from tactical to strategic.
This book covers the courses in a typical MBA core curriculum. Chapters 1 through 9 will
cover one class each. Chapter 1 will focus on strategy, the heart of every business. Subsequent
chapters will work through the other classes, as shown in Figure I.1.
Within each chapter, I will introduce key concepts and terminology related to the subject under
study. The concepts will be broad because there is no way to pack an entire MBA course into a
chapter. Once the subject basics have been outlined, the chapter will cover those parts that
crossover into the project management world. Each chapter will examine concepts and tools that
can be adopted to and improve your professional toolset. The book covers decision-making
theories, financial analyses, business accounting concepts, and much more.
This book uses the word distilled on purpose. It’s not possible to cover two years of rigorous
academic teaching in a single book. You won’t be earning any degrees at the end of the book, but
you will come away with an understanding of what I consider the choicest parts of an MBA
program. Better yet, you will be introduced to new skills that, with a little practice, can be applied
to your projects right now. I wish I could promise mastery just by reading, but these are complex
topics that take regular MBA students concentrated lectures, homework, and study to master. As
, such, I have included links to additional resources to help you continue your studies. My
website www.mbadistilled.com is also a great resource as you continue your studies.
Figure I.1 Hierarchy of MBA core topics in this book
Chapter 10 is designed to help anyone considering entering business school. I share ideas about
who will most benefit from an MBA, what tier of school is right for you, and what you can honestly
expect if you decide to get your degree.
Who Will Benefit From This Book?
I wrote this book with a few types of reader in mind. My target audience is of course those who
are in project and program management, but the information covered and the tools and techniques
demonstrated are applicable to anyone.
Early Career Project Management Professional
The tools and techniques taught in this book will increase your professional toolkit and give you
concepts you can immediately apply in your work. I try to use the tools demonstrated in this book
whenever applicable in my work—but I don’t see these tools commonly used by others. I believe
if you can master even a few of these, you will be able to add substantial value and gain positive
attention within your organization.
Additionally, this book can help you find clarity as to whether you should pursue an MBA in
your own life. Those who know they want it will be guided to choose the type of MBA right for
them. Those who are unsure they want to pursue an MBA should find more clarity about the
decision. Those who’ve never considered an MBA may have their mind opened to an exciting
possibility they had not considered.
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1Corporate Strategy
Chapter 2Economics and Decision Making
Chapter 3Corporate Finance
Chapter 4Corporate Accounting
Chapter 5Operations Management
Chapter 6Marketing
Chapter 7Entrepreneurship
Chapter 8Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Chapter 9Leadership
Chapter 10Is an MBA Right for You?
Notes
References
About the Author
Index
I remember the day I was accepted into the Evening and Weekend MBA program at U.C.
Berkeley’s Haas School of Business (Haas). I had applied to three other schools in case Haas didn’t
want me. In my mind, I’d just hit the lottery. Haas was a top 20 MBA program, and the Evening
and Weekend program was in the top three. I had a feeling that I had just caught a tiger by the tail,
and I was right. Haas was rigorous, intense, and costly.
There are a lot of reasons to pursue an MBA. Some do it to advance in the career they are in.
Some do it to learn entrepreneurship. Still others want to switch careers. I was toying with the idea
of becoming an entrepreneur. I felt I was stagnating in my project career, and I just didn’t know if
I had the passion to stay with it for several more decades. The MBA delivered a lot of benefits,
chief among them was a first-class ticket to understanding the way all parts of modern business
run. It also helped me clarify that—at that time of my life—I would have been a terrible
,entrepreneur. I avoided a big pitfall, and I am grateful for what I learned. It also helped be become
a better project manager because it exposed me to so much business knowledge that could be
applied to my project management practice.
This kind of knowledge came at a cost. The time commitment was enormous. I missed out on
three years of watching kids grow up. My wife paid a price by shouldering the burden of being a
Haas widow. The bill for this privilege was north of $80k. Was it worth it? Yes, but. The but is
why I wrote this book. What I do know is that the tools and strategies I learned have been and
continue to be of tremendous value both professionally and personally. It is my goal to share with
you the highest value learnings for a much lower cost than I had to pay. It is also my goal to arm
those considering an MBA with the information they need to make the right decision for
themselves.
I have been managing projects, programs, people, and PMOs for more than two decades. In this
book, I will distill the most important elements of a typical MBA to those of us who practice
project and program management. Not everything in an MBA program is of importance to project
and program managers, but some of the knowledge can help project professionals rise to new levels
in our profession.
Introduction
Most MBA programs don’t talk much about project management. To them, it’s a tactical necessity
to achieve a strategic end. In my career, I’ve learned that shrewd business leaders understand that
a strong project management function is as critical as any of the other functions taught in an MBA
program. What MBA program teach can make us better at what we do. Combining the skills of
project and program management with those of an MBA gives us a broader professional range
from tactical to strategic.
This book covers the courses in a typical MBA core curriculum. Chapters 1 through 9 will
cover one class each. Chapter 1 will focus on strategy, the heart of every business. Subsequent
chapters will work through the other classes, as shown in Figure I.1.
Within each chapter, I will introduce key concepts and terminology related to the subject under
study. The concepts will be broad because there is no way to pack an entire MBA course into a
chapter. Once the subject basics have been outlined, the chapter will cover those parts that
crossover into the project management world. Each chapter will examine concepts and tools that
can be adopted to and improve your professional toolset. The book covers decision-making
theories, financial analyses, business accounting concepts, and much more.
This book uses the word distilled on purpose. It’s not possible to cover two years of rigorous
academic teaching in a single book. You won’t be earning any degrees at the end of the book, but
you will come away with an understanding of what I consider the choicest parts of an MBA
program. Better yet, you will be introduced to new skills that, with a little practice, can be applied
to your projects right now. I wish I could promise mastery just by reading, but these are complex
topics that take regular MBA students concentrated lectures, homework, and study to master. As
, such, I have included links to additional resources to help you continue your studies. My
website www.mbadistilled.com is also a great resource as you continue your studies.
Figure I.1 Hierarchy of MBA core topics in this book
Chapter 10 is designed to help anyone considering entering business school. I share ideas about
who will most benefit from an MBA, what tier of school is right for you, and what you can honestly
expect if you decide to get your degree.
Who Will Benefit From This Book?
I wrote this book with a few types of reader in mind. My target audience is of course those who
are in project and program management, but the information covered and the tools and techniques
demonstrated are applicable to anyone.
Early Career Project Management Professional
The tools and techniques taught in this book will increase your professional toolkit and give you
concepts you can immediately apply in your work. I try to use the tools demonstrated in this book
whenever applicable in my work—but I don’t see these tools commonly used by others. I believe
if you can master even a few of these, you will be able to add substantial value and gain positive
attention within your organization.
Additionally, this book can help you find clarity as to whether you should pursue an MBA in
your own life. Those who know they want it will be guided to choose the type of MBA right for
them. Those who are unsure they want to pursue an MBA should find more clarity about the
decision. Those who’ve never considered an MBA may have their mind opened to an exciting
possibility they had not considered.
