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Prompt: Describe a situation where you introduced
and/or managed change in an organization. How do you expect
the Sloan School to further the development of these attributes?
Five months ago, I had a unique opportunity to apply and
refine my leadership and communications skills. I spearheaded
a strategic re-positioning in our investment consulting startup
by leading the development and implementation of a business
improvement plan, which increased our monthly revenue by 40%.
This June, we had great difficulty in increasing our revenue.
To survive the competition, the management started a discussion
on how to improve our products. Since the decision resulting
from that discussion would determine the fate of our company,
we argued over three proposals for three weeks but failed
to reach a consensus. These unproductive meetings were detrimental
to both our revenue and our morale.
I took the initiative in resolving this impasse by changing
the way we conducted our discussions. In reviewing how to
enhance meeting efficiency, I found that, since we were operating
in a totally untapped market with virtually no available data,
managers did not share a common understanding of the market.
Moreover, they often argued out of intuition instead of systematic
fact analysis. Realizing this, I talked with our vice president
in charge of sales and convinced him to compile a market-understanding
document with facts collected from our sale team and other
sources, including industry executives. Once we had constructed
this solid fact base, the discussions became much more focused
and finally began to move forward.
Over the following five days, I led the meetings to reach
a conclusion that not only everyone agreed upon, but that
also gave everyone involved a sense of ownership. After reminding
my colleagues that we shared significant common interests
and that a delayed agreement meant disaster to everyone, I
set up a rule that we use out time more constructively --
that is, contributing to a proposal instead of criticizing
it. This way, colleagues were motivated to work for a better
plan rather than against something not feasible. By the fifth
day, we were able to develop a fourth plan aimed at strengthening
after-sales service and adding offline products. The plan
combined the key points of the three proposals we had been
discussing, and -- more importantly -- it incorporated contributions
by virtually everyone.
In implementing the plan, I set up a Customer Service Department
to provide clients with better after-sales service, and I
motivated our sales colleagues to coordinate with the newly
founded department. At first, although the sales followed
the order, I frequently heard from them that their incremental
work would cost them time without increasing their revenue.
I talked with our five senior account managers one by one,
carefully explaining my analysis and persuading them that
adding more service would actually increase their revenue.
Such communication greatly facilitated the work of the new
department. To my happy surprise, some managers even worked
out their own service measure and were eager to share it with
others. Two months later, I heard from our customers that
our new service style was the reason they recommended us to
potential customers. In addition, thanks to the plan our sales
jumped by 40% after the first month of implementation. As
our revenue soared, so did our morale.
Through this experience, I acquired a deeper understanding
of how critical leadership and communication skills are to
leading an organization, be it my startup or my future M&A
business. I also realized that, in order to influence people,
I must master the key elements of leadership, build a vision,
and align a system. As a manager, it is imperative to lead
an organization first by utilizing all possible resources
to define a feasible goal. In the future, when I launch my
own company in China's unexplored M&A market, I will prioritize
the task of designing a realistic yet ambitious plan and an
effective management system, thereby maximizing the staff's
collective effort towards our shared goal.
The experience of reshaping our meetings and setting up a
new department also reinforced my belief that effective communication
is the best way to motivate people. I was able to lead my
peers in reaching an agreement because I made each person
involved feel that he or she was a partial "owner"
of the agreement. In implementing a customer service system,
I could have forced every manager to obey orders without giving
any reason. But that would be far less effective than showing
them why the new system would benefit everyone. Likewise,
in developing my future M&A business, I will draw on this
ability to remind my colleagues that we are in the same boat
together, and that everyone is expected to row. I firmly believe
that acceptance of this concept by employees is itself a huge
management success.
I have no doubt that, apart from strengthening my analytical
skills and knowledge of management, a Sloan education will
greatly enhance my communication and leadership skills. This
is all the more important because, when I return to my native
China to launch my M&A company, I will find myself in
a largely unexplored and highly volatile environment that
requires both innovation and adaptability. I believe that
these qualities are best enhanced through a curriculum that
emphasizes teamwork.
Through conversations with Sloan alumni and through my research,
I have realized the benefits of Sloan's focus on teamwork.
This is precisely the type of environment I am looking for
in an MBA program. Through intensive teamwork, I will gain
exposure to new management practices and other real-world
applications, and I will simultaneously benefit from my professors'
and peers' diverse experiences. Moreover, since I believe
that education is not confined to the classroom, I am particularly
enthusiastic about joining extracurricular organizations such
as Student Investors Association and Future Venture Capitalists.
Through the close interaction with classmates, scholars, and
industry leaders that these clubs provide, I will both optimize
the lessons learned in class and practice my communication
and leadership skills. In sum, Sloan will provide me with
a rigorous and well-balanced education, preparing me to undertake
my ambitious plan of becoming a pioneer in China's M&A
market.
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