Posting over at the FT MBA Blog

I will now be posting some items over at the FT MBA Blog: http://blogs.ft.com/mba-blog/

Further thoughts on my Management Experiences

The table below considers each of the four management situations identified in the post Managing Experiences dated 7 May, against the different levels of influence:

Management situation	Me	Team	Organisation	Business context	Wider environment
Being managed in a workplace environment	Given a large degree of autonomy. External stakeholder support to project	Failure to garner support of key decision makers despite broad interest in the project.	The Capability area for the Royal Marines is quite small within the Navy HQ and it is constantly torn between generating current capability and planning for future capability.	Paralysis in advance of a predicted SDSR	Affect of Afghanistan was underestimated.
Managing in a work-based situation	My previous experience in the Navy HQ is highly advantageous.	A need to sell the capabilities of the Maritime Reserves to the rest of the Navy.	Under significant financial pressure to make efficiencies whilst maintaining operational output in the midst of 2 conflicts.  A risk of sacrificing current and future capability to solve a current cash flow problem.	Defence has a huge financial black hole.  The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) did not solve the financial issues.	The Government/country is under severe financial constraints.  The impact of uncontrollable events e.g. Libya
Being managed in a non-work situation	ENTJ personality Self aware & adaptable	My wife has a different personality type which means that both of us need to understand the different ways in which we operate to ensure we avoid conflict.	Broader family commitments		Effects of the austere financial climate.
Managing in a non-work situation	ENTJ personality Self aware & adaptable	Self awareness is crucial.  The direct approach is not always the best approach; however it can be highly effective in certain situations.		Different groups have different attitudes and dynamics.

In summary, I believe that it is essential to strive for self awareness at all times and that if you can be honest and dispassionate about issues it allows you to conduct an analysis of the situation in which you are either managing or being managed.  Moreover, it is important to attempt to see the situation from as many angles as possible - or what I would refer to as "Red Teaming" a problem.  This comes from the fact that in military tabletop exercises historically the enemy is always portrayed in red.  We now operate in a much more complex operational environment so other players are now considered and they are assigned other colours.

My intro post to the Tutor Group Forum (TGF)

Hello everyone,

I am Sean Brady and I am currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Marines based in the Navy Headquarters in Portsmouth, UK. I am 38 and I have been in the Royal Marines for about 16 years and apart from a brief spell as the Athletic Union President at Southampton University, where I studied Oceanography and Geology, I have never worked for any other organisation. Nevertheless, the nature of the Royal Marines means that you move jobs every 18-24 months. This means that I have had a broad range of roles, some with a more obvious leadership function such as commanding a Rifle Company in Afghanistan for six months; whilst others, such as the role I am currently in, where I am responsible for the policy and the day to day management of the Royal Marine Reserve, are more management focused.

I am now moving into the second phase of my career where the skills which an OU MBA can provide will assist me greatly. However, I am also cognisant that I will be leaving the military either voluntarily or when my commission runs out. Therefore, it is prudent to plan ahead and I hope that by studying for an OU MBA I will be able to better quantify the experience I have gained through both study and work.

I am looking forward to studying as I enjoy it, and recently in 2007/08 I was lucky enough to spend a year on the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College where I was able to gain a MA in Defence Studies awarded by Kings College London. Fortuitously, I was also able to gain three level 7 qualifications in strategic management from the Charted Management Institute, which I have subsequently joined as a Member.

I am married and I have a daughter aged 2½ and a mad Springer Spaniel aged 4½. In my spare time, I enjoy outdoor activities with the family; cooking, military history and I have a desire to take up Kite Surfing however I suspect that is probably on hold until I complete the MBA.

I look forward to learning, working and sharing ideas with you all.

Kinds Regards

Sean