University of Phoenix MBA - part-time MBA opleiding voor professionals - MBA Graduation Ceremony 2004 - De KUIP, Rotterdam, 22 May 2004
University of Phoenix MBA - part-time MBA opleiding voor professionals

Speech by Douwe van Der Zee - University of Phoenix Graduate 2004


My name is Douwe van der Zee and one of the students of the Wednesday evening class, started in 2001, together with Inge, Peter, Igor, Huub, Bram, Roland and Ali.

But before I start to tell you something about this class, I want to go back into time.

About 3 years ago, also in May, I decided to search for a study, providing me the knowledge to make decision based on more than only gut-feeling. At that time I was salesmanager of a small group and made my decision with respect to several subject only based of my own experience and what I saw of other managers. To my opinion I missed a lot of decision making tools.

I remember very well the introduction evening at the UOP in Capelle a/d Ijssel. Guy Knapton tried to convince the audiences by simulating a normal workshop by discussing the case called “ Robin Hood” . I will not go in to detail about the case, but I can tell you that I came home with a smile on my face, because I had found what I was searching for. Interaction in class, open minds, discussion, exchange of experience and most important an interactive pratical approach. That’s the reason why I joined the UOP and I am sure that this is the reason for many fellow students. And looking back I made the right decision.

And now: it is finished. This is the graduation. I believe I do not only speak for myself, but the originel objective at the start of this MBA has been achieved.

This study gave me the positive impuls, the positive impuls you can get from learning something and feeling that your are broaderring your horizon, and I am very glad that I took the decision to do this, although there were several times I wishes I didn’t. Especially the time a became father for the second time and sleeping at night became more a problem.

Now, it is like a puzzle. All the gained knowledge is slowly falling into place and is helping me to see things from another perspective in my work.
I feel more self-confidence, independent, must stronger and absolutely with more trust to growth as a manager. The MBA gave me stimules and incentives to continue the development of myself.

Pauze

Some weeks ago Henk Jan called me with the good news that I have the privilige to tell in 10 minutes something about the Wednesday class. I can assure you that I can talk for ages about our class, but I keep to the most interesting parts.

• Our class had a high the level of competition, especially during the enoumeres discussions and negotations. And without going into details, the management games were sometimes a real life soap. Joop van der Ende could have made a very succesfull programm out of it.

• Our class consist of a high diversity. It consist of IT persons, financial controller, consultants, lawyers and two salesperson, of which I was one. I was the person selling a real product, a product that you can touch. The rest was selling, consulting, advising : air with a lot of talking. So you can imagine that most of us were quite sharp in their communication.

• Our class was fun, we had good learning teams and workshops with good spirit. During the workshops we have had several situation, especially during presentations, that we really had good laughs. Also, very important, the food we ordered or even cooked during the learning teams was very good and sometimes even healty.

• Our class was sometimes very difficult for the teachers. Especially during those moments that the subjects didn’t have the impact to keep the audience awake after a day of hard working. I remember some persons that seemed to knocked out by a “sleep decease” , continiously noding with their head. Others made nice drawings to keep bussy.

But, in those cases, if there was an evaluation of the module, we informed the teacher about this, hopefully to improve it for future students.

During these two year we have had difficult moments but mostly good moments and I have to conclude I am glad that I was one of the team, which hopefully will keep in touch in the future.

Before I end this speech I wish all students many succus in the future and I hope that they get the opportunity to focus on development in the area they prefer to work in and follow their gut-feeling to feel as happy as possible.

And with respect to my own class. I have some specific wishes regarding my fellow students:

• Huub, a lot of succes in his IT job and of course a reduction of travelling between Groningen and Vught.
• Inge, the birth of a healty child and of course many succes in her carrier
• Peter, a position in the board of directors
• Bram, the position he is hunting for
• Ali a nice home in Amsterdam and a lot of succes concerning the other idea he has in Amsterdam
• Roland many succes in finding another home and of course succes at Shell.
• Igor, who could not be present today, a lot of succes in the russian subsedising market.

Thank you all.







- posted by University @ Tuesday, June 01, 2004