“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
- Peter Drucker, influential management consultant and self-described “social ecologist"
This certainly holds true for those companies that invest in an employee’s pursuit of an MBA degree. A company choosing sponsorship—either monetarily or in time—is making a long-term investment in its organization. Research shows that employees stay with a company, on average, for seven years.
An investment in an MBA program is one way to demonstrate to high-potential employees that their intelligence and skills are valued by the organization and that they are an important part of the succession plan.
Investing in an employee brings significant benefits to organizations. In many ways, the dynamic classroom environment serves as an incubator for new ideas, with the group as a whole benefiting from the shared perspective and experience of accomplished classmates. By allowing discussion and creative problem solving among diverse students and faculty, professionals are awakened to innovative approaches and the various strategies employed in different industries and companies. The classroom experience also provides opportunities to work through the challenges of cross-functional teams and helps foster a deeper understanding of corporate strategy and its affect at all levels. This training, and the resulting returns to the organization, grows out of your employee’s participation in the classroom.
You’ll witness other developments in your professionals as they progress through an MBA program. Some of these changes include:
- Mastering of business fundamentals: accounting, finance, economics, strategy, performance analytics
- Enhanced leadership skills, including communication, talent management, collaboration
- Broadened perspective, allowing for more creative problem solving
A new set of leaders is emerging in the wake of the greatest financial crisis in a generation. As the global economy undergoes rapid change, rising managers and executives must be prepared to analyze complex situations, drive organizational change, and operate in a landscape that is continuing to evolve at an unprecedented pace.
Facing these challenges requires a commitment to strengthening both the functional skills and leadership capabilities that allow top performers to transform into effective, responsible leaders. MBA programs foster that growth and can help keep your top performers where you need them—within your organization.
