“Sana ‘di ka na lang nag-Ateneo o nag AIM kung diyan ka lang pala. Sayang.”
I remember nung nagtetake palang ako ng masters ko 5 years ago nung pinasulat kami ng reflection piece ng teacher ko tungkol sa kung ano ang maaambag ng case study method (na sinimulan ng Harvard) sa magiging buhay namin.
Klarong-klaro yung nakita ko: in 17 years’ time, inimbitahan daw akong magsalita bilang guest speaker sa starting batch ng MBA batch 2038. At ito ang naisulat ko years ago:
September 28, 2037
MBA 2038 Convocation,
Asian Institute of Management, Makati City
Dr. Jikyeong Kang, President and Dean of the Asian Institute of Management, Dr. Felipe Calderon, School Head of Washington Sycip Graduate School of Business, Dr. Jerry Santamaria, Academic Program Director of the MBA Program, esteemed Faculty, Staff, Guests, and you, dear students of MBA 2038, thank you for giving me this wonderful chance to speak with you today. They say that for people who preach, give sermons or homilies, you have to save souls in 5 minutes, or else.
Kidding aside, I was once upon a time seated where you are right now, well figuratively I mean. Batch 2021 was the cohort that AIM had to learn online, due to the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic. And yet it did not stop us from learning from the great and experienced professors in this very institution. Being an old student of Prof. Jerry, it was an honor to receive an email from him one fine day while I was working for a renewable energy project with the Aetas of Zambales. It came as a surprise, being the regular guy in our cohort, and yet here I am, invited by the faculty and am with you today. Thanks, Prof. Coffee later, okay?
The case study method that AIM has instilled in me in my MBA year and that I have brought with me these past sixteen years of my career has certainly guided me to become the best that I can be today. This method of learning did not come easy for me, as it will for you dear students. The case study method requires this one thing for you to maximize your learning and be able to apply it in the real world: Generosity.
Be generous with your ears.
Be generous with your mind.
Be generous with your time.
Be generous with your ears. It takes a lot of humility to listen to the stories of the people around you. I believe you yourself have a lot of personal stories to tell, but maybe now is the time to also listen to the experiences of others. You have already learned from your own experience, why not learn from the cases that you read, and from the insights of your classmates. I would not have learned about the talents of the Aeta people I work with had I not listened to their context first, walked their walk, and understood their griefs and sorrow. Jose, one of the leaders of the people there, even said to our team, “Salamat sa pakikinig sa mga pangangailangan namin.” In English, “Thank you for hearing our needs.” I credit my learning of generosity of the ears through the case method to both unlearn and learn, in order to help them through my business.
Be generous with your mind. Be ready to grapple with your mind and the mind of others, whether it be your learning team, your cohort, or even the people you will face in the outside world. Be ready to take in the bitter pill of accepting that your opinion may hurt someone, or may not be the best one, but still you tried. The point of the Case Method is collaboration, and what would collaboration be if one does not, after listening to others, also share what valuable learnings or insights he has? Remember, the other people who you will work with, can shed light differently on a case where once upon a time you saw shadows. I go back to my undergraduate Philosophy class with the quote, “Bibigyan ka ng sapat na liwanag para makahakbang.” The insights that other people will give you will give “enough light for you to know the next step.” It may not give you the full path, but at least you would know which direction you are going.
Be generous with your time. And finally, be generous with your time. Take the time to listen. Take the time to see. Notice each detail. See the smiles of the people around you. Cherish the friendships. Hear their stories. Cry with others if you or your classmates fail. Enjoy the laughter. Drink a little. Pray with others. Because learning from AIM is not just through the Case Method, but in living life to the full. The Case Method helps you give a perspective of life. When you read a case, the things you learn about it are endless. Only if your give time and effort to actually reading, listening, and sharing will you be able to succeed not just in this MBA, but hopefully in life. This MBA is just one life-changing year of your life. Savor every moment of it. Be aware of the here and now. The here and now. The here and now.
Once again, repeat after me:
Be generous with your ears.
Be generous with your mind.
Be generous with your time.
Generosity is a sign of abundance, in that, because you have learned and experienced so much, you are overflowing with the talents and gifts you can share to others. As one Catholic Saint puts it: It is only through giving, that we receive. My challenge for everyone of you here is this: Don’t fall in the trap of giving just to receive. That is mere compulsory. Give BECAUSE you have received so much.
You may not remember these words I tell you, but I hope the learning we have today about giving can be summed up in a quote from my High School teacher, Mr. Onofre Pagsanghan:
"My ambition is to live like a used toothpaste tube, twisted every which way, folded many times over, scraped clean of all the beautiful things God has given me for giving away."
AIM MBA cohort of 2038, Mabuhay kayo! And my prayers are with you.
………
Back to the present. So ano isasagot ko sa mga nagsasabing sayang lang pinag-aralan ko?
It is exaclty because of the very Jesuit education and Harvard Case Study Method insights I have received that Grace has led me to the peripheries:
telling stories,
expanding boundaires,
weaving dreams,
connecting people (Nokia yarn?),
and finding God in all things (even in Humor).
Please pray for me. 🥹
