Simmons School of Management is partnering with Kaplan to offer the Kaplan GMAT prep course on the Simmons School of Management campus. This course will meet 9 times beginning on Monday, November 30th at 6:00p.m. and will be running until January 6th . The class will meet on consecutive Monday and Wednesday nights from 6:30-9:00p.m. Please note classes will not run 12/23 or the week of 12/28.

The course is being offered to Simmons MBA prospects for only $1035, over $400 off the regular price of $1449 for the Kaplan GMAT Classroom course! To receive this discount please fill out this form or email somadm@simmons.edu.

To enroll, you can call the Boston Kaplan Center at (617) 722-4180 between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday or between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

The fall line up of the CGO Distinguished Scholar Speaker Series, continues on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 with Leslie Perlow, Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership,Harvard Business School

Topic: Creating Predictable Time Off in a 24/7 World
Speaker: Leslie Perlow, Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership,Harvard Business School
Time: 4:30pm – 5:50pm, Reception to follow 6:00pm – 6:30pm
Place: Simmons School of Management, M-222
*Validated parking is available on site for $9

Creating Predictable Time Off in a 24/7 World

Service professionals work long hours and are expected to make work their top priority at all times.  If something comes up, they stay late.  When not at work, they check their BlackBerries. Of the 1,000 professionals we surveyed, 92% worked 50 or more hours a week and nearly half that group turned in 65-plus-hour weeks.  If you add time spent monitoring work while not actually at work, nearly a quarter of the sample was spending 100-plus hours a week on the job.  
 
More than the long hours, though, it is the unpredictability of the work that takes a toll. Individuals find themselves unable to make personal plans.  Yet they put up with the demands, believing that to be successful in a professional service firm, you have to be accessible and willing to jump into action whenever called.  80% considered this responsiveness necessary for the firm’s success and for their own.
 
But, is being “always on” fundamental to client service work?  To explore this question, I chose a “hard” test case—one of the world’s leading consulting firms.  Over the past four years, more than 75 teams have participated in a predictable-time-off experiment:  Each team member is required to take one scheduled day or night off per week for the duration of the client engagement (usually 3-6 months).   During their time off, individuals are expected to totally disconnect, neither working nor checking voicemails or emails.    
 
The results have been powerful.  The participants benefit, often more than they expected.  Moreover, the team effort to ensure the highest quality work and 24/7 client coverage, even while members have predictable time off, has generated a range of second-order benefits for the work process.  These findings have important implications not only for individuals’ lives outside of work but also for firms striving to provide the highest standard of client service.

Register online.

The 2009/10 Speakers Series is sponsored by
The TJX Companies, Inc.

Join Simmons for our MBA Showcase on Saturday, December 5th and learn everything you need to know to start your MBA program in 2010.

We designed this special event with your schedule…and your goals in mind. With just one visit to campus, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Meet Dean Deborah Merrill-Sands and learn about the MBA Program
• Participate in a live case discussion
• Learn strategies for tackling the GMAT from Kaplan Test Prep
• Hear from our alumnae panel
• Conduct an informational interview with an admission officer
• Gain an understanding of the financial aid resources available to you
• Take part in a conversation with our Director of Career Services
• Get to know our state-of-the-art “green” academic facility

Plus, you can customize your visit to maximize the impact…and your time. Simply tell us what you want to accomplish while you are here and we’ll build you a schedule that meets those goals.

FREE Parking is available!

Register online.

Past Attendee Feedback:

“My favorite part of the MBA Showcase was the case study. It gave me a glimpse of how an MBA class would be, I completely was engrossed. It gave me reinsurance Simmons is the place I want to pursue my MBA!”

“The overview and opening presentation were very well done. I also enjoyed discussing Simmons with in the Alumnae Panel, that was very helpful. It was nice to be able to have open discussions with the Alumnae and ask them for advice.”

Date: January 6, 2010
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: 300 The Fenway, Boston MA
RSVP: Call 617-521-3840 or sign up online

Join Dean Deborah Merrill-Sands, alumnae and current students to learn about the unique Simmons experience; hear firsthand stories about the Simmons MBA program and how it has opened up a world of possibilities for many women. You will also gain a glimpse into the classroom by participating in a “mini-case discussion” led by one of our esteemed faculty.

Find out about our 16-month program, our flexible part-time options, as well as curriculum, career placement, financing and the application process.

FREE Parking is available!

Register online.