Five Questions with DECA U Brock President Tammy Boodram

Posted on February 4, 2014 by jvandendries

The Goodman School of Business sent a team of 60 delegates to the 2014 DECA U Provincials, held in downtown Toronto on January 17 and 18. DECA U is Canada’s largest undergraduate conference and case competition had has over 2200 members across 20 universities and colleges. DECA U Brock won 11 medals this year and two Chapter Awards.

Tammy Boodram

Tammy Boodram is the president of Brock’s DECA U chapter. We caught up with her to find out about her involvement with DECA U and the secret to her team's success.

Why did you get involved with DECA U?

I joined DECA U in my first year simply because my friend needed a partner to compete with her! I thought it sounded like a good opportunity to develop myself professionally, but I never expected to continue to be so involved with the conference five years down the road. I stuck with it because it allows me to continuously learn and develop myself every year. I have been able to travel around North America, meet some amazing and inspiring students, network with industry leaders, build contacts with business professionals all over North America, and of course advance my presentation skills!

Why should Goodman students join DECA U Brock?

Getting involved in DECA U Brock means having the opportunity to develop yourself professionally while showcasing your school pride. The club provides students with thorough training on presentation skills and practice for mastering quick, think-on-the spot analytical skills, which is a tool that every business student requires. The conference itself provides great opportunities to network with business professionals and exceptional students from other universities, while also learning important life-lessons from remarkable key-note speakers.

Furthermore, the opportunities to travel with DECA U Brock are incredible. Apart from the Provincial Competition in Toronto, the team has attended other conferences from the Collegiate Leadership Academy (CLA) in the heart of New York City, to the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in places like Orlando, Florida; Anaheim, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; Washington D.C., and more.

Can you walk us through a DECA U competitive event?

The most unique part of DECA U is the competitive events and presentations. Unlike most other business conferences, DECA U challenges students to assume a role-play position, think on their feet, be creative and make themselves stand out in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment. This is very similar to situations in the real business world, so it serves as great preparation!

For example, a delegate in a typical competitive event for an individual category, say Human Resources Management, would have 15 minutes to read, analyze and prepare a solution to a one-page business simulation case. Each case includes a list of about five to six ‘Performance Indicators’ which are business concepts related to the case. Students are expected to show thorough knowledge of each performance indicator since they are included in their judging rubric. As soon as the 15 minutes prep-time is complete, the delegate is escorted to a judge where he/she has 10 minutes to present their solution, and 5 minutes of questions from the judge. The timing is very strict so delegates can be cut off if they exceed the limit.

This 30 minute adrenaline rush is repeated again later in the day for the delegates’ second round of presentations.

Goodman had an incredible showing at the DECA U Provincials in Toronto. Can you share the team’s secret to success?

The success of our team can be credited to the outstanding dedication of the delegates themselves. We provided many training sessions and mock competitions, and received great faculty support from Professor Jacqueline Glenney, Professor Eric Dolanksy, and Student Engagement Coordinator Najlaa Rauf, all of whom provided excellent advice, feedback and insight. However, our delegates were a team of enthusiastic, goal-oriented, and determined students who wanted to perform their best; so ultimately, our secret to success was them!

In addition to a record haul of 11 medals, Goodman also won the Membership Engagement Award and the Marketing Excellence Award. What did these awards mean to the team?

Our team was extremely proud to have been awarded these titles since we definitely worked hard to earn them! To us, it meant that our students were the most committed to the purpose of the conference, and that our executive team had gone above and beyond throughout the year in recruiting efforts, improving communication through social media, and providing social mixers and team-building activities for our delegation. The awards were well-deserved and provided us another way to display our #GoodmanSpirit.

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Five Questions with the Goodman team who competed at OBCC

Posted on February 4, 2014 by jvandendries
OBCC Team 2014

In January 2014, Amanda Giesen, Deanna Horbay, Tyler Page, and Brittany Smith represented the Goodman School of Business at the 9th annual Organizational Behaviour Case Competition (OBCC) hosted by the Human Resources Student Association at the Ted Rogers School of Management. The team came in second, and impressed the judges with their case analysis and presentation. Members of OBCC team shared their thoughts on case competitions, the importance of HR and how to calm the pre-competition jitters.

Can you walk us through the OBCC case competition? What was your case about? How much time did you have to prepare before you presented to the judges?

Brittany: The first day included our keynote speaker (Stefan Danis), two workshops, dinner and networking. The next day included breakfast, the case brief, case preparation, rounds 1 & 2 of presentations and a dinner and networking event with another keynote speaker (Cindy Dunn).

Tyler: The first day of the competition was all workshops and networking events. The next day we had breakfast and then were given two hours to read, analyse and prepare the case followed by an hour for lunch and then presentations. When the three finalists were announced we all had 15 minutes to prepare to present again. Our case was about ethics and cultural change management.

Brittany: The case was about a police force that had a very poor reputation in the public eye (several officers were accused of sexually assaulting women in the community). It was our job to formulate a plan that would involve implementing a new culture, managing the change, and performing damage control with the public. We had two hours to prepare.

The OBCC Case Competition goal is to provide attendees with a better understanding of how human resources plays a strategic role in an organization. Through this competition did you gain a stronger understanding of HR’s importance?

Brittany: Yes, I gained a stronger understanding of HR’s importance. I had the opportunity to evaluate a real-life case and present that information to industry professionals. The competition helped me realize that not anyone could have analyzed this particular case, created a plausible action plan, and clearly communicated this plan to the judges. The case dealt with issues surrounding public relations, organizational design and culture, employee motivation and change management – all key HR concepts.

Amanada: This competition did help me gain a stronger understanding of HR’s importance within all organization. The guest speakers and professionals at the networking event provided their experience and advice that would help students get a better understating of the field and profession.

Tyler: Between working on the case and talking to the judges, yes. Implementing a cultural change relies heavily on an HR team. Some of the judges asked us to consider what roles and responsibilities an HR team would take on.

Why do you think it is important that business students get involved in case competitions?

Brittany: I think it is important for students to get involved with case competitions because it provides them with an opportunity to improve both their written and verbal communication skills. Case competitions expose students to real-life situations and give them the hands-on experience that students don’t receive in most of their lectures and/or courses. Students can also get the chance to expand their network and meet other students, faculty members and industry professionals. I personally found that this competition helped to increase my own confidence in my presentation skills. Make the most of your Goodman experience and get involved!

Tyler: It may seem cliche but the case analysis and answering judges questions provides a real world application of frameworks and critical thinking skills we learn in class.

Amanda: Competing against other universities from across Ontario and Quebec allows students to network and meet other students from different universities.  Competing also provides students the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned inside the classroom to real life applications and situations. Attending and competing in case competitions sets students apart.

Goodman offers a number of Case Competition training sessions. What role did training play in preparing you for your case competition?

Amanda: Training for this case competition helped prepare the team for presenting.  Through training we learned which team member was going to present which parts of our analysis which allowed us to be more effective and productive while practicing the case.  We had also learned the specific HR topics that each person would be strongest in analysing to help create an accurate, relevant, and relatable action plan to solve the main issue.

Brittany: The Case Competition training sessions helped to prepare me for the case competition by teaching me the basics of case analysis and presentation etiquette. The Professor who ran the Case Competition training session pointed out a lot of little details that contribute to a good presentation, things I might not have considered myself. The time that we had to train together as a team helped us to get to know one another’s strengths and weaknesses and assign certain roles based on that information. The sessions also helped us to get comfortable with one another.

Tyler: The training I received by Prof. Robertson lent itself to developing our presentation. The importance of introductions, eye contact, body language, formats for delivering information all ended up playing a crucial role in our success.

Any tips for Goodman students that might be nervous about case competitions?

Brittany: Practice, practice, practice! Be confident in yourself and in your public-speaking abilities. And use the opportunity to network!

Amanda: My tip for Goodman students who are nervous about case competitions is to have fun.  Training and preparing for the competition is important but each student should enjoy themselves.  It should be a personal learning experience while representing the Goodman School of Business.

Tyler: Go to the competition as a learning experience and try to do your personal best. We were really laid back and it helped us stay calm. Also, practice, practice practice. As a team we only had two practice sessions and would have benefitted from more.

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Five Questions with ASA President Neil Bourque

Posted on February 4, 2014 by jvandendries
Neil Bourque

At Goodman, the Brock University Accounting Students’ Association (ASA) serves as the headquarters for all things accounting. The club coordinates and hosts events, conferences and competitions that help Goodman accounting students prepare for a future in the accounting profession. We chatted with ASA President Neil Bourque about all things ASA, including clubs, conferences, and what it is really like being a club president.

Why did you decide to get involved with ASA?

It was not until my second year at Brock that I discovered I wanted to focus my studies on accounting. Upon realizing this, I began researching what my options were for extracurricular involvement and the ASA emerged as an option. However at the time I was unable to make any sort of significant time commitment due to co-op placements and going on exchange. Therefore I attended a couple of ASA run events which were very informative and provided more insight on the accounting profession. Returning for my final year I wanted to be involved in the ASA so that I could give back to the students beginning University at Brock.

What skills have you developed as the president of a student club?

I have developed a variety of skills over the year through the role of ASA president. Time management was a crucial skill I needed to perfect as I had to manage an executive team, my courses and any additional extra-curriculars. Communication was a skill that came from learning more about time management. As I learned more about my position and the ASA portfolio of events it became clear that I needed to establish effective methods of communication with my team in order to function as efficiently as possible together. There are a variety of other skills I developed over my year as president but none as significant as time management and communication.

The ASA’s flagship event is the annual Brock University Accounting Conference that is held each fall semester. What made this year’s edition such a success?

This year’s Accounting Conference was a great success thanks to our organizing committee and all of their tireless efforts. It was their hard work and dedication that brought 15 strong accounting teams from all over Ontario to compete for the title in the Junior and Senior divisions. Having Goodman win the Junior division of this competition is a great accomplishment for our accounting program. This year we added a networking feature to the event which the delegates enjoyed. The organizing committee invited the sponsors to attend the event to have a chance to meet some of the brightest accounting students in the province. This feature was a great addition to what BUAC has been in the past. Going forward we hope to see this competition grow to a larger capacity.

What should first and second year Goodman students know about March 29th’s Break the Case- the Junior Case competition?

Case competitions provide an opportunity to take the skills learned in the classroom and apply them to real life situations. Break the Case is a great introduction to case competitions for all business students in both first and second year. First and second year BAcc and BBA students can expect a day where they get to know their fellow peers while competing in an engaging and entertaining environment.

The Goodman School of Business attends a variety of different external case competitions annually nationwide. Those who participate in Break the Case this year will have an advantage over their peers when applying for external case competitions next year.

Applications for the competition will be posted on CareerZone as of February 10th.

It is your last year at Goodman and you’ll be graduating very soon. Looking back, what was the highlight of your time as ASA president?

Looking over the year I believe the highlight was attending the Distinguished Leader event held in October with Ned Goodman. Every year a leader from the business community is highlighted in an event at Brock University for students to learn from them. As ASA president I had the opportunity to sit in on an exclusive lecture given by Mr. Goodman. Listening and learning from such a business leader was an experience I will not forget.

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Five Questions with MBA Games Team Captains Tristan Urquhart and Eliza Beckett

Posted on January 31, 2014 by jvandendries
MBA Games 2014

Every year, Goodman MBA students participate in the MBA Games, an event which sees more than 700 students from across the country competing in academic, spirit and athletic team challenges. In early January, forty students from the Goodman MBA program travelled to Toronto and spent the weekend immersed in marketing, sustainability, finance and strategy cases, spirit challenges, and soccer, dodgeball and volleyball matches. We caught up with Team Captains Tristan Urquhart and Eliza Beckett to chat about their experience in Toronto.

The MBA Games are more than just an academic competition – it’s one of the best opportunities you’ll have to network with MBA students from across Canada. Did the Goodman team build any strong relationships with the other schools?

Eliza: The academic competition is only the foundation of the MBA Games. The event truly is about creating long lasting bonds and networking with other schools from across the country. We had the chance to not only compete but to learn and connect with other schools. Our spirit and presence at the games was definitely noted by the other teams and most memorably to me was the connection we made with Asper during their first year at the MBA Games.

Tristan: I think friendly rivalries are developing more than anything because we bring quality and passion.This was our first year attending as the Goodman School of Business. Last year we attended as Brock and unveiled the new business school name at the event. It has been great to see people recognizing the strength of the program.

How did you prepare the Goodman team for the Games?

Tristan: There is so much that goes into the preparation and without the support of the faculty it would be a big challenge, so special thanks to them. We had general information sessions, multiple tryouts for the sports teams, practices for the opening ceremony dance, athletics and cases. Not to mention the effort of the volunteers to prepare the video, music, choreography, and the list goes on and on.

Eliza: We had subcommittees to help coordinate and organize the team’s events such as the video, fundraising and opening dance. In terms of athletics and academics, Jason Barfoot and Bryan Butryn [Goodman staff members] were essential components. They not only helped select the team members but helped schedule, plan and attended the practices before the games. We also could not have prepared for the games without the support and dedication of the team members.

As Team Captains, what were your responsibilities during the Games – did you get to compete in any of the cases or athletic matches?

Eliza: As team captains our responsibilities during the Games were to help ensure that our team members were actively participating in events and showing our #GoodmanSpirit. We helped lead and motivate the team to help create the most enjoyable and positive experience for the team as possible. I was lucky enough to participate in the ultimate Frisbee team on Sunday and I got to dress up as Boomer the Badger on Saturday!

Tristan: As captains we’re there to liaise between the event staff and team to make sure everyone is where they need to be, when they need to be there and support them when they are there. Personally I participated in the Inside Ride event on Saturday and the sustainability case on Sunday.

What was your favourite moment of the MBA Games?

Tristan: This was my second MBA Games, and we didn’t place in the top 3 last year. So my favourite moment was when they announced the Goodman/Rowe 2nd place finish in the cardboard boat competition because it brings recognition and excitement to Goodman School of Business.

Eliza: The most memorable moment of the MBA Games for me was during the second qualifying match for the dodgeball semi-finals where we had not won a single game and other schools cheering us on while there was only one player, Bhavna, left on the court. The moment she caught the opponent’s ball and won the game for us, the whole team broke out from the sidelines and lifted her up on their shoulders. The excitement was indescribable and there was not a better moment than that Goodman victory.

Any tips for next year’s MBA team?

Tristan: Keep the momentum going. Build on the enthusiasm and success of this year. Good luck and Go Badgers!

Eliza: The Goodman Spirit this year was amazing and I can only hope that we can maintain this excitement and participation in the Games next year. My biggest tip for next year’s team is to get involved early to help build the long lasting friendships with your teammates and to have as much fun as possible – it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

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