Case Studies & Group Work

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Talking about assignments and projects, let’s talk Business Strategy Integration, or BSI– one of the most interesting and challenging courses you will encounter in your P1 & P2.

This course WILL put your team to the test for sure, but here are some of the tips to tackle the course and manage your team dynamics so that you can at least stand each other by the end of P2, if not fall in love.

Tips for Case Studies:

Let’s talk cases – they are one of the most interesting and challenging things you will encounter in the program, if you have never done them before. They will put your team to the test for sure, especially at the beginning but here are some of the tips to tackle them.

  • Every case is different. There is no right answer. Don’t trust your instincts. You have to find the facts and let the evidence guide your decisions.

  • Your BSI team will be your family for the first two periods. This is a great time to sharpen your conflict resolution skills and learn to get along with people who are quite different than you. They are chosen specifically to put you with students of different backgrounds. Be open, have fun, work hard, and learn everything. And yes, there will be conflicts. Deal with them in a constructive manner!

  • You will also not agree with every opinion voiced in the class, or teams, but respect that cultural differences and life experiences are what has created the diversity of perspectives in your class. This is a great learning space and healthy debate and constructive conflict is a good thing!

  • If you are great to work with and put in a good effort, you will never have trouble finding a team later on.

  • There will be things that you may get hung up on and it is important, as a team, to take a step back and re-evaluate what the goal is and if this helps you achieve it. An example would be a financial projection, you could build an intricately detailed model that accounts for many different variables or you could put together a short, but sweet, estimate and get close to the same number. Is it worth the 20 hours to build the first one? Depends on what you are trying to solve. Having a plan and looking at the bigger picture is key.

  • Be flexible, friendly, but professional. The golden rule is to be the best teammate you can be. Your BSI team will be your first and most important group experience. Be yourself but make sure to be your best self. If you are not delivering on your promises and always dropping the ball, it’s disrespectful to your team, this is also the time where you are building your reputation. ALWAYS finish assigned work as per deadlines given/decided.

  • Come prepared for every meeting. You might think people do not know that you’re pulling stuff out of thin air, but people are smarter than you might think.

  • Try not to form sub-groups within your teams. Great friends have formed from within groups but remember; all of your team will be bae in P1 & P2. Do not make anyone feel left out.

  • And finally, if you come late to meetings, Timbits usually work. If your team is high maintenance, go for the pizza.

If those tips are not good enough . . . here are some special tips from our 3x exemplars:

  1. Team bonding is extremely important. Go out with your team, hang out and get to know each other, take turns buying pizza for late night group projects.

  2. Understand each other’s strengths and help each other grow.

  3. The tools provided by your BSI instructors are excellent resources. Use it extensively while formatting and structuring memos.

  4. Celebrate wins and be proud. Do not take losses to heart. Keep giving each other feedback.

  5. BOOK BREAKOUT ROOMS IN ADVANCE!

  6. Take the team charter exercise seriously (even if you forget about it later, the process of making a charter is fun and enriching).

  7. Cut each other some slack.