Learning

Nuala Walsh on making smarter decisions

The third in our quarterly series of international speaker events this year, author Nuala Walsh addressed members in the RDS Members’ Club in Dublin in October on the subject of her new book Tune In – how to make smarter decisions in a noisy world. An adjunct professor of behavioural science at Trinity College Dublin, […]

READ MORE

From Metrics to Action: Sustainability event at UL

The MBAAI MidWest Chapter hosted an event on sustainability at the Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick in September. Under the theme of ‘Metrics to Action’, our panel of speakers covered the essence of sustainability, and looked to future-proofing a sustainability strategy rather than reactive compliance. Professor Sheila Killian of UL walked us through the […]

READ MORE

Wendy K. Smith on “Both/And Thinking”

The first in our quarterly series of international speaker events in 2024 was a virtual event with HBR’s Wendy K. Smith, co-author of Both/And Thinking – Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems. Wendy discussed how to use “both/and thinking” to make more creative, flexible, and impactful decisions in a world of competing demands […]

READ MORE

CUBS event in Cork with Carol Kulik

In conjunction with Cork University Business School (CUBS), the Association’s Southern Chapter was delighted to host a networking breakfast and seminar with Carol Kulik on Line managers: the unsung heroes in every organisation, taking place at the UCC Centre for Executive Education, Lapps Quay, Cork. Line managers are the unsung heroes in every organisation! Their […]

READ MORE

Lessons from the Boardroom with Pat McDonagh

The Association’s Mid-West Chapter was to host an evening with Pat McDonagh and Professor Stephen Kinsella at the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick. The format of the event was a fireside chat, which took place in front of a full house of members and students. Pat McDonagh is the Managing Director of […]

READ MORE

The Best Business Books of 2023

Irish Times Business Book Reviewer Frank Dillon regaled members at our recent Christmas event in the RDS with his favourite reads of 2023. Here they are : Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson & Risking it All by Michael Vlisman The Digital transformation Roadmap by David L. Rogers Right Kind of Wrong by Amy Edmondson * […]

READ MORE

Towards Better Networking

Expert Nishtha Chugh provides valuable lessons on perfecting the often neglected art of networking. Most people tend to treat networking events like fish markets. Armed with shiny business cards they move from table to table looking for the finest catch the place has to offer. But what distinguishes networking events from fish markets is that […]

READ MORE

The Microstress Effect

The Association was delighted to host the third in its series of international speaker events in 2023 last September with New York Times best-selling author Karen Dillon. How a million little things are dragging you down, and what to do about it – there is a force in our everyday lives that we aren’t even […]

READ MORE

The problem with webinars

Webinars are the new seminars. Ashish Mohan and Alfred Hauenstein on how to make them more effective. We’ve all done it.  We have all fallen asleep during a webinar.  As far as sleeping aids go, there is probably none as effective as the modern, one-hour webinar.  At their worst, these meetings are highly ineffective and […]

READ MORE

Better jobs mean bigger profits

Frank Dillon reviews the HBR book “The Case for Good Jobs” by Zeynep Ton. Many MBA students would be uncomfortable making a case for increasing pay if they couldn’t show – with the numbers all lined up on a spreadsheet – that higher wages would pay off financially for their businesses. The effect of this […]

READ MORE

Make Work Healthy

The Mid-West Chapter of the MBA Association was delighted to welcome John Ryan to speak at a lunchtime event in at ACI Worldwide in Limerick recently. This followed an evening with John in Dublin some weeks earlier. Formerly of the Great Places to Work organisation, John has set up a business focussed on the global […]

READ MORE

James Burstall: Prosper in a Crisis

The Association’s 2nd international speaker event of 2023 was an evening in the RDS with author and industry leader James Burstall. James is the author of a new book called The Flexible Method – Prepare to Prosper In The Next Global Crisis (Hachette, March 2023). It is a step by step guide to preparing companies for the […]

READ MORE

AI – for better or worse?

The Association kicked off a quarterly series of international speaker events in 2023 with a webinar with Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, the renowned psychologist, author and entrepreneur, who uses science and tech to help organizations predict human performance. Against the backdrop of his latest book I, Human, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic took us on an enthralling and eye-opening journey […]

READ MORE

Entrepreneurs’ Evening in the GEC

With the Guinness Enterprise Centre in Dublin 8 as our venue, our popular ‘Meet the Entrepreneurs’ evening took place in January, when we heard first-hand the stories of a number of start-ups from the Centre and elsewhere. Among the entrepreneurs on the night was sustainability champion Dr. Mary O’Riordan, whose company HaPPE Earth has produced a […]

READ MORE

Driving Ireland’s Digital Transformation

The Association’s Southern Chapter hosted an event at Johnson & Perrott Jaguar Land Rover, Cork in November with John Cormican, General Manager of Vehicle Engineering JLR Shannon & Portland USA, who addressed guests on the topic of Driving the Digital Transformation of Ireland through Connected and Autonomous Vehicles. John originally helped Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) […]

READ MORE

Business Books of the Year

On the occasion of the Association’s Christmas event in the RDS, Irish Times business book reviewer Frank Dillon gave us his best reads of the year … Net positive, how courageous companies thrive by giving more than they take by Paul Polman and Andrew Winston. The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order by Gary Gerstle […]

READ MORE

Stop remote becoming silo

Transformation specialist Allan Boyle on how to avoid one of the key perils of remote working. If you want to store wheat, creating a silo is a great idea. On the other hand, if you wish to run your business effectively and efficiently, and offer a great customer experience, you want to treat silos as […]

READ MORE

Towards true diversity

Ade McCormack argues that we need cognitive diversity in the workplace rather than just tokenism if organisations are to thrive. Are you sitting comfortably? Imagine a world where giraffes are known for their ability to create start-ups. They love the buzz, and their height allows them to spot trends before others. Deep down they fantasise […]

READ MORE

Podcast: Mining the Imagination

Organisations need to move beyond exploiting what is currently successful says Martin Reeves, author of ‘The imagination Machine’, in this interview with Frank Dillon. Reeves is chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, BCG’s think tank dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. […]

READ MORE

How Successful People Collaborate

The Association was delighted to host a webinar on collaboration with acclaimed HBR author Rob Cross. Rob is author of Beyond Collaboration Overload, which reveals how successful people collaborate in ways that enable them to be 18-24% more efficient than their peers. Based on over a decade of research, the book shows how to invest […]

READ MORE

Good governance standards

The South East chapter of the Association recently hosted a lunchtime webinar with Carolynn Chalmers, CEO of the Good Governance Academy. Designed as an introduction to ISO 37000, the first-international standard for organisational governance, the key topics covered were: The purpose of the standard The governance conditions, principles and key aspects of practice recommended by […]

READ MORE

Better, Simpler Strategy

The Association recently welcomed Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee, author of the HBR title Better, Simpler Strategy, to speak at a virtual event. In nearly every business segment and corner of the world economy, the most successful companies dramatically outperform their rivals. What is their secret? In Better, Simpler Strategy, Felix Oberholzer-Gee shows how these companies […]

READ MORE

New Ways of Working: Employer Guide

The Association was delighted to welcome Kevin Callan of HR and Employment Law specialists Peninsula to speak on the evening of our online AGM in January. Kevin, Consultancy Manager at GraphiteHRM, discussed what employers need to do as they adapt to a new way of working, covering both HR and health & safety aspects, including […]

READ MORE

Best Business Reads of 2021

As part our Christmas event in the RDS. Frank Dillon, business book reviewer with The Irish Times, recently gave us his list of favourite business books of 2021: The Invincible company by Alex Osterwalder et al: The latest from the inventor of the business model canvas summarises his key ideas on innovation. In an attractively […]

READ MORE

Changing the rules of the game

Authors Seán Meehan and Charlie Dawson on how easyJet went from poor follower to an innovative and successful leader, spurring arch-rival Ryanair to follow them in becoming more customer-friendly Short-haul travel was revolutionised in the noughties. In the age of the national flag carriers, flying was an occasional luxury, but a new wave of pioneers, […]

READ MORE

Thrive by giving, not taking

Frank Dillon reviews Net positive, how courageous companies thrive by giving more than they take, a book that sets out a radical agenda for business to clean up its act. Reading Paul Polman’s Net Positive in the context of the recent COP 26 conference could leave readers with a sinking feeling. Polman’s book – co-authored […]

READ MORE

Entrepreneurs’ Evening in the GEC

The MBA Association was delighted to host our popular “Meet The Entrepreneurs” event in conjunction with the Guinness Enterprise Centre in Dublin. This was an opportunity to hear first-hand the stories of young entrepreneurs across a range of industries – and the funding, marketing and organisational challenges they face. Taking place in the newly expanded […]

READ MORE

Whistleblowing Policy and Process

Grainne Madden, founder of GMJ Associates, a consultancy offering advice and training in business ethics and responsible business practice, recently hosted a webinar for members on Whistleblowing Policy and Process. The EU Whistleblowing Directive has introduced common minimum standards for the protection of whistleblowers in EU countries.  In Ireland, the General Scheme of the Protected […]

READ MORE

Creative Conflict with HBR’s Bill Sanders

The MBA Association was delighted to invite Bill Sanders, co-author of Creative Conflict: A Practical Guide for Business Negotiators, to host a webinar on negotiation in September. Negotiation is stuck. It’s time for something new. Almost everything is negotiable. Almost every interaction is a negotiation. And in no field is this clearer than in business, […]

READ MORE

Changes in the Pensions Landscape

The MBA Association was once again delighted to invite Ralph Benson and Olive Ryan of pensions adviser Moneycube for a lunchtime webinar on pensions. The event covered the following: Changes in the pensions landscape Legislative, professionalisation of governance Control, costs and transparency What’s around the corner? IORPS II, auto enrolment 5 big opportunities to enhance […]

READ MORE

Wedell-Wedellsborg: ‘What’s Your Problem’

In this insightful interview with Frank Dillon of Decision, made available for MBAAI members, Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg, author of ‘What’s Your Problem’ (HBR Press), looks at how to reframe business and personal problems to achieve better outcomes. Thomas has worked with managers in nearly all parts of the globe, including China, India, Russia, Singapore, Britain, France […]

READ MORE

Why developers are central to your business

We are delighted to bring members an exclusive interview with Jeff Lawson, CEO of software giant Twilio and author of ‘Ask Your Developer’, talking to Decision’s Frank Dillon about why developers should be central to your business. Lawson is a serial inventor with over 15 years of entrepreneurial and product experience. You can view the […]

READ MORE

Out-think the Competition: Kaihan Krippendorff

To coincide with the Association’s National Strategy Competition 2021, we were delighted to have world-renowned strategy expert Kaihan Krippendorff of outthinkers.com address members on the subject of  “Outthink the Competition: Excelling in a Digital, Agile, Purpose-Driven Future” .  One of the most influential innovation thought leaders in the world, Kaihan was participating as a judge in […]

READ MORE

Pitching when you’re not in the room

With online meetings rather than face-to-face being the new norm, Michael Collins from Toastmaster International shares his insights on how to make successful virtual pitches. Pitching a product or service to a client is traditionally done in a face-to-face meeting. But how can you ensure you deliver the best pitch and win the client over […]

READ MORE

How project management has changed

The pandemic has changed project management forever and how we plan to move forward in a post-covid landscape says Jackie Glynn Since March 2020, organisations across Ireland have had to cope with and adapt to unprecedented changes. The way we live and work has been changed, in some ways, forever. For businesses to survive in a […]

READ MORE

Cybersecurity & Internet Fraud

The MBA Association recently hosted a webinar with Donal Murphy of Intuity Technologies on the pressing topic of Cyber Security and Internet Fraud. In light of the high profile cyber-attack on the HSE IT systems, this webinar was designed to provide businesses and managers with relevant guidelines on how best to protect themselves and their […]

READ MORE

Why Brand needs to be on the board agenda

We were delighted to welcome Gillian Horan, CEO and founder of branding consultancy The Pudding, recently to speak on the subject of “Brand – why it needs to be on the board agenda”. Companies dramatically underestimate the value of a strong brand. Now more than ever, executives need to consider how building and developing purposeful […]

READ MORE

Marketing Effectiveness with Paul Dervan

The Association was delighted to welcome Paul Dervan, Chief Marketing Officer with National Lottery, to speak on marketing effectiveness recently. Paul is author of Run with Foxes: Make better marketing decisions, a contributor to WARC, the online effectiveness website, and has judged the European Effies Effectiveness Awards. Prior to The National Lottery, he was the […]

READ MORE

Out-Innovate with HBR’s Alex Lazarow

The Association was delighted to invite acclaimed HBR author Alex Lazarow for a virtual fireside chat recently. Alexandre (Alex) Lazarow has spent his career working at the intersection of investing, innovation, and economic development in the private, public, and social sectors. He is the author of Out-Innovate: How Global Entrepreneurs – from Delhi to Detroit […]

READ MORE

Using AI to optimise business decisions

The Association was delighted to welcome change management consultants Sia Partners for a virtual event recently centred on Artificial Intelligence and how it can be used to optimise business decisions. The session provided an overview of some of the most common topics tackled nowadays in business: Customer centricity, Marketing and Productivity and connect them to […]

READ MORE

Blockchain 2021 with Dr. Aidan Duane of WIT

The South East chapter of the Association was delighted to host a webinar in February with Dr. Aidan Duane of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) on the ever topical subject of blockchain. Designed as an introductory business-oriented presentation to Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology, the session included examples from across multiple industries to suit all […]

READ MORE

Pandemic accelerates digital transformation

The pandemic has accelerated trends in digital transformation that were already well under way, says Matt Graves. In times of uncertainty, large-scale projects and investments are rarely a priority – and no one knows quite how long the uncertainty engendered by COVID-19 will last. As a result, many may see the impacts of the COVID-19 […]

READ MORE

Doubling down on diversity

Everyone has a role to play in making the organisation a more inclusive environment where diversity can thrive, explains Deirdre Gavin, HR Director and Head of Inclusion & Diversity at Bank of Ireland The case for inclusion and diversity The commercial successes accredited to more diverse organisations are well documented and the correlation between business […]

READ MORE

Connecting with your screen audience

Kellie McCord of Toastmasters International gives handy tips on how to build rapport on those zoom calls that our dominating everyone’s business day.  Moving from face-to-face meetings to online has been a challenge for many. However, the biggest obstacle has been: ‘How to connect with an online audience?’ For most of us, work has been a place […]

READ MORE

Best business reads of 2020

Irish Times business book reviewer Frank Dillon on some of the most interesting business titles published during the year. Humanocracy by Gary Hamel, Harvard Business Review Press London Business School professor Hamel is on a mission to rid bureaucracy from organisations as outlined in this bold manifesto for replacing traditional hierarchies with a more meritocratic, […]

READ MORE

HBR’s Dorie Clark: Entrepreneurial You

In conjunction with Decision, the Association was delighted to host a virtual event in November with renowned author Dorie Clark of Harvard Business Review. Dorie Clark has been named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, and was recognised as the #1 Communication Coach in the world by the Marshall […]

READ MORE

“Meet the Entrepreneurs” at the GEC

Once again the Association partnered with the Guinness Enterprise Centre to host our annual Meet The Entrepreneurs event, which took place as a webinar in October. We heard about the major development taking place at the GEC in Dublin, whose capacity will double in 2021, and a number of start-ups inspired us with their ideas, […]

READ MORE

Isolde Norris on Setting Up Teams for Success

Experienced executive and team coach Isolde Norris shared her insights at an event in September on a compelling question that all organisations grapple with – what makes teams effective in the workplace? Often when there is a problem in teams, personalities are blamed and people can be scapegoated. Drawing on research from Hackman and Wageman, […]

READ MORE

Unlocking the science of behaviour

From Tesco to Fidelity, three ways in which businesses are harnessing the power of behavioural science for business. By Jez Groom and April Vellacott. If you heard that there was a simple way to double your assets under management, would you try it? What if there was a secret recipe for re-designing your communications to […]

READ MORE

Opportunity in a crisis – a new view of presenteeism

Opinions on working from home and antiquated perceptions of presenteeism could finally be changing as a result of coronavirus, says leadership expert, equality campaigner and author Hira Alie Being absent or working from home is traditionally associated with laziness. There is also a long-standing office culture where the expectation is to not just to show […]

READ MORE

Key challenges and uncertainties for women

The authors of a recent book explore how business and society can adjust to ensure a more positive future for women. By Rohit Talwar, Steve Wells, Alexandra Whittington, April Koury, and Helena Calle of Fast Future In the last 12 to 18 months, the issue of ensuring a truly equal future for women in society […]

READ MORE

The missing link in Innovation

It is not what you know, its is who you can get to know and how you can leverage your advantages that determines whether you succeed in your innovation efforts, according to the authors of Innovation Capital. Many of those involved in innovation fail to win the funding, talent, technical support or other resources required […]

READ MORE

Open offices make us more image conscious

Open-plan environments influence the way workers dress and act, says new study Employees subconsciously act and dress differently in modern open-plan office environments, according to a new study published in the journal Gender, Work and Organization. Research carried out by Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Bedfordshire over the course of three years analysed […]

READ MORE