style |stīl|
noun
• a manner of doing something : different styles of management.
• a way of using language : he never wrote in a journalistic style | students should pay attention to style and idiom.
- excerpt from the New Oxford American Dictionary
The first time I heard the word "style" applied in a business context was also the first time I had been given meaningful criticism in the workplace and I remember feeling like I had been punched in the gut. My ex-supervisor (and current mentor) had said: "You are a star, but you need to work on your style. You are very impatient and it shows to your coworkers. Many times your message is accurate but your impatience gets in the way and you end up antagonizing the people you work with. Don't worry, you will get there - just relax and give everybody else a chance to catch up to you." I remember her also giving a few examples of my missteps and mentioning that self confidence would help improve my style. This was 5 years ago, but it has stayed with me to this very day, because it was as sincere as it was accurate.
Since then, I have tried to be a bit more self-aware, and a big area I have focused on and will continue to work on throughout b-school is this concept of "style." I am a strong believer that there is no one style that is the best; everybody is unique. Rather, the right style for you is one where you are comfortable in your own skin, one where you capitalize on your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. For me, the end goal is to communicate effectively. However there are many different ways to do this. Donald Trump may be the in-your-face authoritarian, but Meg Whitman has been described as "matronly," and using influence rather than force. I don't think you can say there is a "right way" or "wrong way," as both CEOs have achieved legendary professional success, but certainly one of the methods may gel more with you than the other. When I was an undergrad, I tried to shape myself into what I thought was the cookie cutter mold of a leader. I ended up feeling unnatural, and worse, unsuccessful. Rather than trying to force myself to act in ways I find contrived, I will concentrate on exploring and finding what works for me. I have no illusions that this will be a decades-long if not lifelong process.
Like I often tend to do, I have managed to write this post backwards, as what sparked this cogitation was a comment made to me last night, as we were passing stories back and forth over drinks. I have rarely heard other people use "style" in the same way as I do, but this definitely got me thinking:
Classmate: "----, your talking style is very much like an entertainer's."
Me: "Is this good or bad?"
Classmate: "It's very good."
Certainly the first time I have heard anything in this vein as an observation of me, and I'll admit to being really surprised. It just shows that often, your own views of yourself are as one-sided as others' views of you. I look forward to discovering out more about myself and my style in the next 2 years, and I hope my fellow classmates feel the same.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Laziness sets in
I was planning to write a short synopsis of my experience at Procter & Gamble's Marketing Camp, but fellow brand camper Tak seems to have done it for me.
I did have a couple of things I wanted to add though:
Procter & Gamble: Ever since I read "Built to Last," I knew P&G was a special company. The week-long experience simply reaffirmed it. The success of the company has been built on it's strong relationship with it's employees, and this bleeds through in every aspect: strong company culture, absolutely dedicated employees, commitment to training, etc...
Recruiting: Holy garlic-crusted steak Batman, did the stops get pulled out for us. It feels like we were on an all-expenses paid "best of Cincinnati" tour. There were steakhouses, sushi bars, martini clubs, and game nights; the company definitely spared no expense in making sure we had a good time. Obviously there was ulterior motive here; it is in their interest that we feel fondly about not only P&G but also Cincinnati (their worldwide HQ) but it was certainly an enjoyable week. I had forgotten that even as we as students compete, primp, and prepare to land a plum job, companies are also competing with each other to nab the cream of the crop.
MBA Preparation: The flip side of being wined and dined was a lot was expected of us as well. The schedule for the days of the week inevitably started at 7am sharp, and none of the days ended before midnight. It was a pretty good simulation of what b-school will be like, and definitely a kick in the pants that I needed to get back into gear. While there were many sleepless nights at the beginning of our startup phase, I'll admit the last few months after I submitted my notice were uneventful, as I mainly transferred work off my desk and maintained status quo. In Cincinnati, as we juggled scheduled events, mingling, case study, group work/presentation, and interview preparation I was reminded that the next 2 years will be flying by at a frenzied pace, and I need to be prepared for it.
A. G. Lafley: I still have a hard time believing that the (ex) CEO (but still current chairman) of one of the largest companies in the world took time out of his day to speak to 40 people who may or may not work for his company. It wasn't so much of a speech, as a back and forth discussion on leadership. He was very low key, yet undoubtedly a great leader and manager; I think I admire him more for being not the outspoken, charismatic stereotype, but instead quiet and even introverted (his words, not mine). In case you are interested, here are the 8 points he touched upon.
1. Know yourself.
2. Change is inevitable.
3. See things as they are.
4. Respect your consumer as boss.
5. Power of choices (strategy & execution).
6. Leaders develop and select co-leaders.
7. Leaders communicate.
8. Be yourself. Be comfortable. Be confident.
I don't think there's anything groundbreaking there, but it was obvious this man not only believes in but practices those 8 missives, and thus has found the success he has. It was very apparent that the head of P&G has internalized and then executed these fundamentals, as they pervade the entire company. Two of the key things I took away were 1) Between 1 & 8, it is much easier said than done, and yet there is nothing more important... always keep at it. 2) A plan is no good until it is executed.
Tomorrow will be my last day in Los Angeles; I fly Tuesday, so the blogging may be a bit sparse until I ... well, find a place to live, for starters.
I did have a couple of things I wanted to add though:
Procter & Gamble: Ever since I read "Built to Last," I knew P&G was a special company. The week-long experience simply reaffirmed it. The success of the company has been built on it's strong relationship with it's employees, and this bleeds through in every aspect: strong company culture, absolutely dedicated employees, commitment to training, etc...
Recruiting: Holy garlic-crusted steak Batman, did the stops get pulled out for us. It feels like we were on an all-expenses paid "best of Cincinnati" tour. There were steakhouses, sushi bars, martini clubs, and game nights; the company definitely spared no expense in making sure we had a good time. Obviously there was ulterior motive here; it is in their interest that we feel fondly about not only P&G but also Cincinnati (their worldwide HQ) but it was certainly an enjoyable week. I had forgotten that even as we as students compete, primp, and prepare to land a plum job, companies are also competing with each other to nab the cream of the crop.
MBA Preparation: The flip side of being wined and dined was a lot was expected of us as well. The schedule for the days of the week inevitably started at 7am sharp, and none of the days ended before midnight. It was a pretty good simulation of what b-school will be like, and definitely a kick in the pants that I needed to get back into gear. While there were many sleepless nights at the beginning of our startup phase, I'll admit the last few months after I submitted my notice were uneventful, as I mainly transferred work off my desk and maintained status quo. In Cincinnati, as we juggled scheduled events, mingling, case study, group work/presentation, and interview preparation I was reminded that the next 2 years will be flying by at a frenzied pace, and I need to be prepared for it.
A. G. Lafley: I still have a hard time believing that the (ex) CEO (but still current chairman) of one of the largest companies in the world took time out of his day to speak to 40 people who may or may not work for his company. It wasn't so much of a speech, as a back and forth discussion on leadership. He was very low key, yet undoubtedly a great leader and manager; I think I admire him more for being not the outspoken, charismatic stereotype, but instead quiet and even introverted (his words, not mine). In case you are interested, here are the 8 points he touched upon.
1. Know yourself.
2. Change is inevitable.
3. See things as they are.
4. Respect your consumer as boss.
5. Power of choices (strategy & execution).
6. Leaders develop and select co-leaders.
7. Leaders communicate.
8. Be yourself. Be comfortable. Be confident.
I don't think there's anything groundbreaking there, but it was obvious this man not only believes in but practices those 8 missives, and thus has found the success he has. It was very apparent that the head of P&G has internalized and then executed these fundamentals, as they pervade the entire company. Two of the key things I took away were 1) Between 1 & 8, it is much easier said than done, and yet there is nothing more important... always keep at it. 2) A plan is no good until it is executed.
Tomorrow will be my last day in Los Angeles; I fly Tuesday, so the blogging may be a bit sparse until I ... well, find a place to live, for starters.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Once upon a time a businesscow was eating breakfast and blogging
So here is the continuation of my post from last week, as I continue my liquid diet after having my (very last, thank goodness) wisdom tooth pulled out yesterday - I am surviving entirely on chocolate milk, pudding, and apple sauce for a few days.
I think a universal question that is struggled with by bloggers is how much of yourself to reveal on the internet. At the onset, anonymity is a comforting thought ... but while it is certainly safer to remain an amorphous blobby presence, one of my realizations last week is that much of what I would like to talk about would not resonate with others without them knowing a little bit more of my background. I have decided to share a bit more of myself, and will try to present information that will be relevant to the contents of this blog without spelling out my life's history entirely. I know this won't be finished in one-shot, but I will certainly give it a start now. Since one of my goals is to reduce rambling both orally and in my written work, without further ado I present some cliff notes of the modern businesscow to you below.
. I took a non-traditional educational path.
. The expectations placed upon me by my family and support groups are exceedingly high.
. I have a fear of homogeneity, which is how I ended up with a business degree.
. I am intensely ambitious.
. My work background is in analysis and operations.
. I postponed business school for 2 years to help my previous company get a subsidiary started up in China. It was worth it, a total life-changing experience.
. A core strength of mine, whether I like it or not, is my bicultural & bilingual knowledge combined with my international experience.
. I am a problem solver, a do-er, and am still learning to curb my impatience.
I also have a fear of being documented, which is why it has taken me now 2 days to finish this short post! However, hopefully now it will be easier to understand where I am coming from when I talk about things like my struggle with what career path I should go down, or my frustration at what I feel is the very disingenuous process of interviewing and recruiting (all future posts, I'm afraid).
I think a universal question that is struggled with by bloggers is how much of yourself to reveal on the internet. At the onset, anonymity is a comforting thought ... but while it is certainly safer to remain an amorphous blobby presence, one of my realizations last week is that much of what I would like to talk about would not resonate with others without them knowing a little bit more of my background. I have decided to share a bit more of myself, and will try to present information that will be relevant to the contents of this blog without spelling out my life's history entirely. I know this won't be finished in one-shot, but I will certainly give it a start now. Since one of my goals is to reduce rambling both orally and in my written work, without further ado I present some cliff notes of the modern businesscow to you below.
. I took a non-traditional educational path.
. The expectations placed upon me by my family and support groups are exceedingly high.
. I have a fear of homogeneity, which is how I ended up with a business degree.
. I am intensely ambitious.
. My work background is in analysis and operations.
. I postponed business school for 2 years to help my previous company get a subsidiary started up in China. It was worth it, a total life-changing experience.
. A core strength of mine, whether I like it or not, is my bicultural & bilingual knowledge combined with my international experience.
. I am a problem solver, a do-er, and am still learning to curb my impatience.
I also have a fear of being documented, which is why it has taken me now 2 days to finish this short post! However, hopefully now it will be easier to understand where I am coming from when I talk about things like my struggle with what career path I should go down, or my frustration at what I feel is the very disingenuous process of interviewing and recruiting (all future posts, I'm afraid).
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