The Executive MBA class of 2017 participants gathered for a three-day residency session focusing on organization. Rafael Barros, Project Manager Sales, Tetra Pak Processing Systems AB, shares his experiences, thoughts and insights.
What was your impression of the organization session?
The organization modules were very well planned with real life cases from the group, which helped us to connect the theory with the challenges we face in our organizations.
What were the most important things you learned from this residency session?
How to understand and navigate different and complex organizational structures we face in our professional lives. We need to play different roles in these organizations in order to bring everyone towards a common goal.
Did you learn anything that you feel benefits you in your professional role?
That I can apply different styles of management to obtain better results. Organizational structures give us a framework for how we should be organized, but the results might vary significantly depending how the teams are managed and organized.
Rafael Barros, Linda Fastén and Håkan Grankvist
What do you hope to get out of the Executive MBA?
I expect to broaden my knowledge in areas in which I do not have very much prior experience and also make better sense of challenges you face in your career. I really appreciate the exchange of experience that EFL’s Executive MBA program brings to the table. Not only do you learn things from the professors, but also from the experience shared by your colleagues. This makes the whole EMBA experience much more interesting. It should also provide access to knowledge in areas such as strategy and leadership, which are fundamental to anyone who wants to take their careers to the next level with new challenges.
Give us an example of what you have gotten out of the program so far which has been useful for you in your work.
I work as a project manager for large project quotations in Tetra Pak Processing Systems. In my role I have to deal with different units within the Tetra Pak Group and, to a certain extent, manage people which I don’t have formal authority over. For me, the learnings from the organization module were really interesting and were related to my daily activities. This made attitudes I had already adopted make more sense and also gave me additional tools to deal with organizational challenges. In addition, it helped me to understand and better contribute to company goals and strategy.
