The MBA Talent journey of Senior Delivery Excellence Analyst at Nike is a testament to her bravery and perseverance. Overcoming many challenges, she affirmed her position and achieved proud achievements in both studies and her career.
As a Senior Delivery Excellence Analyst and Enterprise Project Lead at Nike, Ms. Dung is responsible for coordinating global projects, ensuring quality and on-time delivery for all orders. In a multinational working environment, she regularly faces complex challenges, requiring the ability to handle situations quickly and effectively to minimize risks and meet diverse customer needs.
As an excellent employee at Nike and a talented participant in the MBA Talent program, Ms. Dung has skillfully applied the knowledge from the program to her work, helping to overcome challenges in the working process. Let’s follow Ms. Mỹ Dung and discover how she applies valuable lessons to reality through the following article!
What led you to the MBA Talent program?
I learned about the MBA Talent program through the company, combined with the introduction from a colleague who was an MBA Talent participant in the 2022 class. After careful consideration of the school’s reputation, the program’s partner companies, the study location, and the cost, I decided to apply. I realized that this is the most suitable program for my personal and career development goals.
Coming to MBA Talent, what goals did you set for yourself?
I set myself 2 big goals before the threshold of MBA Talent.
Firstly, I wanted to fill the gaps in both knowledge and management skills. I believe that MBA Talent will bring me practical and useful knowledge that can be applied immediately to my current job.
Secondly, I hoped to be able to connect with talented people. For me, MBA Talent is a great opportunity to expand my network and learn from leading experts in the field.
In your opinion, what qualities are needed to pass the MBA Talent Selection rounds?
I went through the selection process quite smoothly, thanks to thorough preparation. Throughout the selection rounds, I was particularly impressed with the MBA Talent Final Selection Round, where candidates need to come up with solutions to complex situations, demonstrate leadership and teamwork skills in a limited time.
In this round, firstly, candidates need to promote analytical and critical thinking skills to quickly understand and assess situations. Specifically, we need to identify the core issues and influencing factors related to the questions posed by the school.
After that, we apply leadership and time management skills to come up with solutions in a short time. After agreeing on a solution, we present it to the opposing team and the jury, criticizing the other team’s ideas in case the two teams do not go in the same direction. At the same time, we need to provide sharp arguments to convince the jury that our team’s solution is correct and reasonable.
When faced with situations presented in stages, the application of communication and teamwork skills is very important. This helps us to communicate ideas clearly and convincingly, as well as to listen to ideas from other members of the group. Decision-making skills also play a key role, ensuring that decisions are made based on careful consideration and appropriate to the context of the situation.
Finally, flexibility and adaptability help maintain calm and confidence when faced with pressure. All of these skills have helped us to pass the selection rounds smoothly and make a strong impression on the jury.
What is your favorite element in the MBA Talent program?
It is the strong solidarity among the participants. Everyone always supports each other to overcome challenges in learning and exams, there is no discrimination or competition. We consider each other as family members, which has created a warm and extremely comfortable learning environment.
Tell us about the difficulties you faced on your MBA Talent journey.
A significant challenge on my MBA Talent journey is maintaining motivation and balancing emotions. Sometimes, feelings of overload and stress can affect my spirit and concentration. To overcome this challenge, I tried to build a strong “support system” from family, colleagues, and classmates. The sharing and encouragement from everyone help me maintain motivation, seeing every difficulty as part of the journey of self-development.
Besides, arranging time between work, study, and family also gives me a “headache”. When studying and working until 2-3 am, feeling tired from pressure, I always convince myself that learning is the right investment for the future. I also constantly remind myself of my initial goals to continue trying.
I also face some challenges in managing work and study pressure at the same time. The nature of the work at the company requires me to always be ready for important projects and respond to unexpected changes. This requires quick adaptability and maintaining a high level of focus on the job. Moreover, constantly updating new knowledge from the MBA Talent program also creates pressure for me to maintain the highest level of academic performance.
To overcome these difficulties, I have applied stress management techniques and practiced a healthy lifestyle, such as exercising and walking, to keep my mind and body always in the most balanced state.
How have you applied the knowledge from MBA Talent to your actual work?
Participating in MBA Talent, I was able to apply many tools and models learned to my work to improve processes, communicate effectively with the team, and superiors.
As Project Lead for the Planning department, I have applied some project management tools and models from MBA Talent to my work. One tool that I find very useful is Power BI learned from the Management Information Systems course. I use Power BI to collect, process, and visualize data related to production and distribution planning. This tool helps me create interactive reports and dashboards, providing an overview of operational performance and project progress.
Besides, I also deployed a Gantt Chart to track project progress. This tool helps me easily manage time, allocate resources, and ensure that tasks are completed on time. Applying the Gantt Chart has significantly improved communication with the team and superiors, as everyone has a clear view of the project’s progress.
In addition, I also apply the SWOT Analysis model from MBA Talent to assess the current situation of the project, thereby coming up with appropriate strategies to cope with challenges and take advantage of opportunities. These tools not only help improve the workflow but also increase transparency and efficiency in internal communication.
What changes do you see in yourself after participating in MBA Talent?
Thanks to the MBA Talent program, I had the opportunity to supplement modern and practical management knowledge, which has brought many benefits to my daily work. Besides, I also developed leadership, project management, and communication skills through practical exercises and projects throughout the course.
Specifically, my strategic thinking and leadership skills have been significantly enhanced through the Integrated Business Experience (IBE) subject and practical experience with the business simulation game (BSG). In this game, each group has to manage a virtual company; the members of the group together make strategic decisions based on real market data. Having to balance factors such as finance, marketing, production, and R&D has helped us practice strategic thinking and decision-making in a volatile environment.
Participating in this game, I learned how to analyze market information, forecast trends, and adjust business strategies to adapt to changes. For example, when we saw fierce competition from competitors, our group needed to adjust pricing and marketing strategies to strengthen the company’s position. This helps us better understand the importance of flexible leadership and the ability to change strategies to achieve long-term goals.
Practical experience with projects like BSG in the IBE subject not only helps me grasp theoretical knowledge but also allows me to apply it to real-life situations. These experiences have brought about significant improvements in leadership and project management skills, while equipping me with the ability to respond flexibly to challenges in the real business environment.
Do you have any messages for the next MBA Talent generation?
I encourage you to make the most of the learning and networking opportunities in MBA Talent. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself, because every difficulty will be an opportunity to grow. Finally, success comes not only from individual efforts but also from the support and learning from each other of the participants.
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