As I went through the MBA program at Hult International Business School, there were times when I would listen to my fellow students discussing our classes and think, \u201cDid you expect to just show up, read a couple of books and get \u2018MBA\u2019 stamped in your passport to management? You have to actually DO something.\u201d Occasionally, the person I was thinking about was myself.<\/p>\n
My point here is that once you\u2019ve plunked down a hefty sum for an education, it\u2019s easy to take the attitude of a customer in a restaurant and think, \u201cI placed my order. Please bring me my degree, now.\u201d And I\u2019m here to say that in this pressure cooker, one-year MBA program, you will get so much more out of your experience if you make the effort to avoid slipping into indifference.<\/p>\n
Now, I have observed that educational institutions everywhere set up structures with the intention of effectively and efficiently delivering education\u2014but this can backfire by breeding a passive attitude in some students. For example, if there\u2019s no slack in a program\u2019s schedule (understandably, a one-year program can\u2019t really afford that), it can cause some students to be less proactive about owning their education. They might start to see limitations and constraints everywhere, even where there are none.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why there\u2019s a bit of dissonance here, not least because most people pursue their MBAs in order to advance their careers. And what employers absolutely want is managers who are go-getters, not sit-and-waiters. There\u2019s a constant tension, which has existed for a long time, between how education generally is delivered and the results that are expected after that education.<\/p>\n
How, then do you, specifically, make sure that you get the most out of your educational experience? Design it yourself. Yes, you read that correctly. Your school has designed your curriculum, but you don\u2019t have to just sit (in a classroom) and have your education done to you. You actually do have a lot of say in how it goes.<\/p>\n
If you were to apply some very basic principles of Design Thinking and Service Thinking to create intentionality around your business program, I assert that your experience and the results that you produce will be dramatically different.<\/p>\n
The key here is the Empathize\/Define step. Usually, this involves interviewing and observing users\/stakeholders in the product or service that is being designed. In this case, that\u2019s you (and maybe your family or significant other). You need to be honest with yourself about how you want your educational experience to be, and what results you want during the program, as well as afterwards.<\/p>\n
So, ask yourself open-ended questions (questions that cannot be answered \u2018yes\u2019 or \u2018no\u2019), and answer honestly. What do you want out of your education? What results will that produce for you when the program is over? Why are you getting your master\u2019s degree?<\/p>\n
Then, you create a \u201cproblem statement\u201d. This is essentially a question that will lead you to solutions to your \u201cproblem\u201d. It should be broad enough to allow you to come up with at least 50 ideas. Admittedly, you walk a fine line with your problem statement because you want it to be broad, but not too broad. \u201cHow can I maximize the professional benefit of my MBA program while maintaining my health and sanity?\u201d is a good problem statement. \u201cHow do I get a job in Investment Banking?\u201d may be on your mind, but is not broad enough for a good problem statement.<\/p>\n
Once you create your problem statement, you can start writing down ideas about how to fulfill that goal. Again, you should be able to come up with at least 50 ideas. Don\u2019t neglect obvious ones. Write down everything. In the example above, you may focus on the part about \u201cprofessional benefit,\u201d and begin to break it down: \u201cWhat does that look like? Is it simply an increased salary? More responsibility? A new function?\u201d<\/p>\n
When I first went through this, I sat at my desk for about an hour, sweating it out until I hit 50 ideas. It was worth it. I saw for the first time that I thought I already \u201cknew\u201d what it meant to be an MBA. From there, I was able to design a process of discovering what it is to be an MBA based on the goal (and subset of goals) I had set for myself.<\/p>\n
The next step is prototyping, which is the easy part\u2014start implementing your ideas. Test them out on people. Testing is where the surprise value is. If you\u2019re talking about this with people, sharing what your objectives are and how you\u2019re trying to accomplish them, you\u2019re going to get feedback. People want to help, and it\u2019s important to be open to the feedback you get (make sure you reciprocate by giving feedback when you\u2019re asked for it). In doing so, you\u2019re co-creating and co-evolving your design\u2014two key components of Service Thinking.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind that you\u2019re not stuck with any of this. That\u2019s the iteration part. The graphic above is a bit simplified: this is not a strictly linear process, and you can iterate at each and every step. For instance, if your prototype involves going to one networking event a week and you discover that isn\u2019t fulfilling your needs, don\u2019t throw out networking events. Maybe you just need to test a different type of event. That\u2019s one of the beauties of graduate school\u2014you have one year to conduct experiments to see what works and what doesn\u2019t. You won\u2019t have time like this when you\u2019re out in the real world and in a real job.<\/p>\n
Because here\u2019s a reality check: it\u2019s pretty likely that your goals and requirements will change as you go through your program. So don\u2019t think of your design as fixed. Think of it as more of a tool to keep you focused on the ultimate goal.<\/p>\n
Any graduate program is a challenge. An accelerated, one-year program is going to be even more so. It can be hard to see the forest for the trees when you have three exams and four major projects due in a six-day stretch. But keep your eyes on the prize.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s my wish that going through this exercise will give you the opportunity to take a step back, remind yourself of your big picture goals, and keep in mind how each and every action you take is related (or not) to that big picture. And along the way, maybe you, too, can discover what it means to be an MBA.<\/p>\n
Guy Larkin is a recent MBA graduate of Hult International Business School looking for opportunities to apply design thinking and service thinking to business problems. He is also the father of two curious and ravenous children.<\/p>\n
Picture courtesy of Joachim Schlosser.<\/p>\n
Grow your leadership capabilities with an MBA in international business<\/a> at Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog Hult Global MBA makes impact in Latin America<\/a>, or give your career a boost with our Masters in International Business<\/a>. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As I went through the MBA program at Hult International Business School, there were times when I would listen to my fellow students discussing our classes and think, \u201cDid you…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[24],"tags":[175],"yoast_head":"\n