I have spent over 6 months in Bangalore looking at how we could get our operation over there significantly more productive than it had been in the the 9 months to then. Before I arrived in Bangalore, everything seemed to be black and white. Now everything seems like shades of grey.
A key ingredient that we lacked 6 month ago was an experienced and talented team in India. I inherited a team of graduates, termed freshers in India. We now had some of the experience and talent that is crucial, but today I realised that this is still not enough.
The developers in India had created a specification and design document for a test harness they intended to build. When the document came to the UK for review, a few emails were exchanged and all seemed happy on the surface. A little further digging when I saw the UK reviewers face to face showed that they felt the entire approach was wrong - this much was not clear from the email discussions. Even with the brightest people working for us in India, it was still possible for misunderstandings to creep through between people and what is intended for the work. When the different people involved do not know each other, people can find it easier not to communicate than to make the effort to do so.
Going forward, the managers in India and UK need to encourage more interactive communication between the teams - particularly through phone and video conferencing. Greater mutual involvement and inclusion of senses, like sight and sound, can only increase familiarity between the two parties involved. If we can get both sides feeling like they are on the same team, they will be more willing to support each other through each other's mistakes.
Wednesday, 3 January 2007
Monday, 1 January 2007
MBA Applicant Archive
I first started considering getting an MBA in the Summer of 2006, after realising that I needed to learn a lot more about business if I was going to realise my dreams of starting a successful company. In March 2008 I sat the GMAT after a haphazard canceled attempt 10 months earlier. I applied to Harvard, MIT Sloan, Stanford and Wharton in the Fall of 2008, thinking that I had a fair chance of admission at these schools. I was wrong. Thankfully, I had also added to the short-list a school that I really liked and, as they say in MBA lore, is a good fit - Kellogg. I was admitted to Kellogg in December 2008. These blog posts chart that journey and beyond.
Advice
Application Advice:
Other Advice:
The Schools
Harvard
Kellogg
MIT Sloan
Stanford
Wharton
Chicago GSB / Booth
Other: LBS, Tuck, Insead, Columbia: thinking about Round 2
The Admissions Process Experience
October 2007
December 2007 & January 2008
February & March 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
Rants / Opinions
Advice
Application Advice:
- the GMAT
- my advice on the application process and 5 more tips
- That Stanford question: "what matters to you most and why?" (1) (2)
- my essay reviewers
Other Advice:
- developing a plan for entrepreneurship at business schoo
- starting a business at/after business school
- European VS American MBA considerations
- Kellogg's differentiators
- tips from Kellogg alumni on the Kellogg MBA
The Schools
Harvard
- Philip Delves Boughton (1), (2) ; info session, stats ; a Harvard alumnus banters
- draft essays done ; almost mistaken submission ; application submitted ; no interview invite ; denied
Kellogg
- application form ; draft essays done ; application submitted ; interview invite ; interview ; admitted
- researching Kellogg and finances ; psychological affect of Kellogg admission ; contemplating Chicago weather
- getting ready for Kellogg's admit weekend, DAK ; Kellogg admit weekend ; Kellogg VC/PE conference
- anticipating KWEST service trips
MIT Sloan
- info session, stats ; entrepreneurial strengths
- working on essays ; draft essays done ; application submitted ; no interview ; denied admission
Stanford
Wharton
- entrepreneurship information
- draft essays done ; application submitted ; waiting for Wharton interview invite ; Wharton interview invite ; interview ; denied admission
Chicago GSB / Booth
Other: LBS, Tuck, Insead, Columbia: thinking about Round 2
The Admissions Process Experience
October 2007
December 2007 & January 2008
February & March 2008
June 2008
- determining career goal (1) (2)
- shortlisting schools
July 2008
August 2008
- online application form confusion
- working on essays
- schools open applications
- have i written this essay before?
- Olympic distractions
- bugs in online application forms
September 2008
- lacking adrenaline
- depression
- banking crisis, draft essays done
- HBS, MIT info presentation, stats
- my essay reviewers
October 2008
- Wharton application submitted
- Harvard almost mistaken submission
- applications submitted
- Kellogg interview invite
- Kellogg interview
- worrying about exchange rates
- waiting for Wharton interview invite
November 2008
- the experience of others applying
- thinking about Round 2
- moaning about student readers, who read applications
- no Harvard interview invite
- Wharton interview invite
- lots of "dings" across the blogosphere
- Wharton interview
- selling my MBA research materials
December 2008
- considering Seth Godin's "alternative MBA"
- waiting for admit decisions
- no MIT interview; doubts over the need for an MBA
- admitted to Kellogg
- denied by MIT & Wharton
- developing a plan for entrepreneurship at business school
- researching Kellogg & finances
January 2009
- opening a US dollar account
- horoscope reading makes me thankful
- psychological affect of Kellogg admission
- denied by Harvard and Stanford
- contemplating Chicago weather
- getting ready for Kellogg's admit weekend, DAK
February 2009
March 2009
- retrospecting on the admissions process, here and here
- anticipating KWEST service trips
April 2009
Rants / Opinions
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