"What leadership and/or communication skills do you look forward to learning in this class - or at the GSB in general - and why?"
I am really interested in learning how to improve how to express an idea in a strong and straightforward way. Having worked in Private Equity and Hedge Fund previously, I have developed strong analytical skills but have never managed an employee (except a summer intern). So managerial skills are new to me and I need to be able to convert my written notes into a speech in the most efficient way.
For example, during the Lazier case, while I previously put together all the different topics I wanted to discuss with Jeremy Smith, he left the room abruptly during the mock termination interview. While I intended to go through my pre defined plan((i) explain reasons why I wanted to terminate him, (ii) offer termination package and lay out transition period, (iii) negotiate the latter), he (played by professor Rapp) caught me off guard and focussed on how non legitimate I was to decide to fire him. I decided to play tough and go forward but it seemed that I forgot to include some humane arguments into my narrative (e.g. recognize how helpful he had been to the company and telling the termination package would reflect his strong commitment since he joined the firm)
I am really interested in the Managerial Course to introduce me to difficult situations a manager may face. It really highlights all the skills I may need to learn over the 2 years of MBA. Separately, I have started learning how to express myself better with a GSB communication coach. I need to behave way better in situations when the reality does not go the way I assumed in my preparation.
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