ALUMNI TESTIMONIALS!

" Silence and contemplation are needed in my work. that's what I'd learned from being a bedan."
- Chris Carpio (Accountancy '07)

" What is it that we always say? that in all things God may be glorified. I may forget all the lectures but the lesson that i get will always remain..."
- Pam Pua Hilario (batch 'o7)

" I learn how to be with other people. I used to be a silent person but when I got in SBC, everything had changed. I've learned how to speak for myself and was able to stand on my own."
- Dion Oabel (batch '06)

ROLE MODEL

Henry Sy  is a Chinese Filipino businessman and the founder of SM Group and chairman of SM Prime Holdings, the largest retailer and shopping mall operator in the Philippines. He earned his Associate of Arts degree in Commercial Studies at Far Eastern University in 1950^. Acknowledged as the country’s "Retail King," he set up a modest shoe store in Quiapo in 1946, then expanded his businesses until he became the biggest shopping mall operator with over 41 malls throughout the Philippines. He is the Philippines' richest man, gaining $3.7 billion in 2007, amid the global financial crisis. The huge gain was due to his holding company, SM Investments Corp., which has interests in Banco de Oro Universal Bank, inter alia. Forbes magazine's 2008 list of 40 wealthiest Filipinos, revealed the Sy family's net worth was $6.2 billion. Earlier, he was the second wealthiest individual in the Philippines, next to Lucio Tan, and (as of 2008) 843rd in the world.

He is a leader the practices common interest in his company and his employees. Mr. Henry Sy is a very hands on and strict management leader as he is the one who handled the day to day operations of his malls for more than 20 years. He also built a clear and distinct barriers of entry to his organization. He only allowed his sons and daughters along with some of the most established businessmen in his company. By creating this type of management team he is sure that everyone is of common interest and that each other has a strong sense of cohesiveness to reach the vision and mission of the company.

INFLUENCE OF BENEDICTINE RULE IN CORPORATE WORLD

“What the Rule distinctively does is (at least) two things.  It asks what the rhythm of life is that will best set human beings free to advance towards the joy for which they are made, how the priority of praise may be embodied in a responsible adult common life that is fully located in the material world.  And it asks what the style of authority is that will enable ‘faith beyond resentment’.”

- Dr Rowan Williams

From this quote given by Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury when he visited the Sistine Chapel last November 2006, we can say that the Rule of St. Benedict influenced the corporated world in a sense that the rule play as a factor which sets us to be free to go to things which are new especially in the modern world. A modern civilization which took a more Benedictine approach to authority would develop the ability to deal more or to stabilitize with distinct minorities within it. In the modern world where technologies are fastly developing and every lifestyle is very hard to keep in touch, the Rule guides us keep our path on the right track by following the said Rules and applying those not only to ourselves but also to the world that surrounds us. This means that the application of such Rule can be done in an organization that we belong. by this, we can be able to maintain an environment where there is peace, order and faith to God.

 

Business makes things happen and affects every part of our society. Whatever you want to do, understanding business will help you achieve it. In order to have that success, we must consider many factors. St. Benedict and his rules influenced the corporate world by his principles for success in business.

Every successful business begins with a strong foundation. The principles of Benedictine life are summed up in the vows each monk or nun takes. According to the rule, Benedictines promise to pursue a life of stability, obedience, and conversion. Obedience creates stability, and both obedience and stability bring about a total conversion of life. The Benedictine vows may seem solely monastic, but underlying them are universal motivations and meaning that can become the basic principles for good business practice. Every successful business professional must learn to listen-to the market, his suppliers, his customers, and his staff. The Christian businessman must listen to the voice of the Spirit speaking through Scripture, the Church, and the lives of others. He will listen so that his business life will be an extension of his Christian values and goals. A life of stability means promising to remain faithful to one community in one place for life. For the modern businessman, the guarantee of stability means building strong and sure foundations, avoiding unnecessary and foolish risks, and investing for the long term. For his employees, a manager must invest in their training, make the workplace enjoyable, and ensure that they remain on board for the long run. Maintaining stability in his relationships with customers means building a strong customer base, remembering that it's always easier to bring a satisfied customer back than to win a new one. For the Christian businessperson, seeking stability means building a solid, disciplined spiritual life and knowing and holding to one's spiritual values despite the pressures of competition and a constantly shifting marketplace.

VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT

MISSION STATEMENT

Mission statements are declarations of common interest, and must be absolutely correct. Mission statements are not simply institutional propaganda but a strategic tool to build organizational morale and efficiency. They need to be focused, explicit and correct.

The mission statement should be a clear and succinct representation of the enterprise's purpose for existence. It should incorporate socially meaningful and measurable criteria addressing concepts such as the moral/ethical position of the enterprise, public image, the target market, products/services, the geographic domain and expectations of growth and profitability.

The intent of the Mission Statement should be the first consideration for any employee who is evaluating a strategic decision. The statement can range from a very simple to a very complex set of ideas.

When you are preparing your Mission Statement remember to make it clear and succinct, incorporating socially meaningful and measurable criteria and consider approaching it from a grand scale. As you create your Mission Statement consider including some or all of the following concepts.

• The moral/ethical position of the enterprise
• The desired public image
• The key strategic influence for the business
• A description of the target market
• A description of the products/services
• The geographic domain
• Expectations of growth and profitability

VISION STATEMENT

 

A vision statement is a vivid idealized description of a desired outcome that inspires, energizes and helps you create a mental picture of your target. It could be a vision of a part of your life, or the outcome of a project or goal.
Vision statements are often confused with mission statements, but they serve complementary purposes.


Vision Statements also define the organizations purpose, but this time they do so in terms of the organization’s values rather than bottom line measures (values are guiding beliefs about how things should be done.) The vision statement communicates both the purpose and values of the organization. For employees, it gives direction about how they are
expected to behave and inspires them to give their best. Shared with customers, it shapes customers’ understanding of why they should work with the organization.

The Rule of Common Interest

THE RULE OF LEADERSHIP

          The Rule of Benedict was a masterpiece of leadership principles. It combined the best of Greco-Roman organizational theory with the tenets of Christian leadership. In the Rule, Benedict crystallized insights from his years of managing an organization during one of the most difficult times in history. As a management system the Rule has been remarkably successful and enduring. With lessons as fresh today as when originally penned, the Rule has provided the basic leadership text for thousands of organizations for almost fifteen centuries.

THE RULE OF COMMON INTEREST

Superior organizations are at all times shaped as elite fraternities, with a clearly stated common purpose. Mission statements must be precise declarations of the common purpose, as well as promises of organizational behavior.

ORGANIZATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF ELITENESS

Elite fraternities share three common organizational principles:

1.A well-articulated and common interest understood and shared by all involved.

2.Clear and distinct barriers to entry into the organization.

3.A strong sense of cohesiveness within the organization.

St. Benedict of Nursia

         

         St. Benedict, born in Nursia, Italy, around the year 480, was the founder of the Benedictine order and is the patron saint of Europe. People throughout the world revere him as the founder of Western monasticism and celebrate his feast day on July 11th.

         Benedict was the son of wealthy Roman parents, who sent him to study in Rome. He was repelled by the sinful atmosphere there and decided to become a hermit, retiring to a cave near the town of Subiaco. He founded 12 monasteries in the vicinity of Subiaco, and, eventually, founded the great Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino, which lies on a hilltop between Rome and Naples.

         While living at Monte Cassino, St. Benedict wrote The Rule of St. Benedict. Consisting of a prologue and 73 short chapters, The Rule describes how to live a Christian life in a community of Monks (or Sisters) and how a monastery should be organized and led. One of the most important documents of Western Civilization, it became the foundation of the Western monastic movement, which helped to spread Christianity, learning, and civilization throughout Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire.

          Nearly all that we know of the life of St. Benedict comes from the biography written by Pope St. Gregory the Great (ca. 540-604). St. Gregory's biography of St. Benedict is very short, and is available today. St. Benedict died at Monte Cassino in 547. He was buried beside his sister, St. Scholastica (ca. 480-543), who also followed the monastic way of life and remained close to Benedict throughout her life.