Welcome back to the second appointment of our MBA journey! Discovering that other MBA candidates had a great interest in sharing impressions and feelings about their MIP experience with the #growingleader community, I’ve decided to write this article with Federica, who has kindly chosen to join us.
Always on the trail of the MIP experience energy, this appointment has already taken place outside Milan for one entire week. We are, in fact, returning from Spain, where our class was hosted by MIP partner business school EADA for a week dedicated to the discovery of Catalan territory and its economic realities.
The schedule was divided into two main sections:
1. The first part took place at the EADA campus of Collbatò, right opposite the gorgeous Montserrat Mountains, where we attended leadership classes and team-building activities. If the first moments were marked by a general embarrassment due to the lack of knowledge of the candidates and ordinary initial shyness, the sense of this international experience immediately emerged from the second part of the first day: get to know others and form a group following that common feeling that is leading us towards our goal. From the beginning, in fact, we were forced to work in teams, completely leaving our shyness and fears behind, and this immediately permitted us to find and follow that common guideline that was a feature of all of our international experience. We were asked to sing and dance, to climb a 4-meter wall, to face and cross a rope spider web, to walk on ropes in the forest… and WE accomplished (almost) all the tasks like heroes!
Competition among the teams was high but these activities encouraged critical thinking and communication as well as cooperation and the building of trust. What was our reward? Well, a wine-tasting after a visit to a typical CAVA winery near Monserrat.
2. The second section was held in the city that never sleeps, the beautiful Barcelona, where we were involved in Macroeconomic classes and organizational behavior activities, whereas the hardest task we had to face was enjoying the Barcelona movida!
Before the International Week everyone had different feelings: fear, enthusiasm, curiosity, shyness… Salvatore, for example, arrived in Barcelona in a bad mood, since he had been fired just before leaving. But thanks to that, he discovered the human side of the MIP team and candidates. Indeed, everyone was really interested in his situation and tried to help him. In this way, a tremendous network of interesting people and opportunities immediately emerged, putting him into a very good mood that helped him not to give up and to keep on in the best way he could.
At the end of the week in Barcelona, 40 strangers became brothers who are now thinking that MIP is also this: a place to find new friends and share all your experiences with them, creating a network of people always able to help each other.
As we write, 2 weeks have passed since our last day in Barcelona and we feel that we cannot wait for next weekend in Milan!
Hoping that you can feel our energy, please continue to follow us in order to know ever more about our MIP experience.
Never blow out the flame.
Salvatore Interdonato. Salvatore is one of the students of the 2017 edition of International Part Time MBA. Born in Italy and currently living and working in Romania as management controller for a manufacturing company dealing with the injection molding of plastic material. Answering to the question “what’s your purpose in this world?” he will answer “I’m here to solve problems with more efficiency and productivity. Problem solving gives me energy and satisfaction as well as the proof that we can always face new challenges within our companies offering new valuable solutions”.
Federica Mingione. I am a student of the International Part Time MBA (2017-2019 edition). Currently I am working in Supply Chain Management for the Boeing Company for 787 and 767 Programs in Southern Italy. I have a Second Level Master Degree in “International Public affairs” and a Master Degree in “Relations and International Politics”. Before joining in the Aviation Industry, I worked in Communication and Social Media Marketing in London and in Human Resources, Recruiting, and Counselling in Rome. I love travelling, swimming and I am a passionate photographer.
