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FROM Kellogg MBA Blog: Asst. Dean Kate Smith: Why we’re focused on growth |
Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about growth at Kellogg. You may have seen it in our new brand strategy that builds on Think Bravely. Or noticed that we have a new suite of courses on growth and scaling. Or read stories about alumni who are driving growth in their communities or organizations. For Kellogg, this emphasis on growth isn’t something new. Rather, it’s an articulation of what we’ve long been known for: developing brave leaders who inspire growth in people, organizations and markets. It’s also an articulation of what makes Kellogg’s approach to management education unique. Our foundational departments are integrated with strategic, cross-disciplinary initiatives like the Kellogg Architectures of Collaboration Initiative and Kellogg Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative. We offer an innovative academic portfolio that includes global offerings such as Global Initiatives in Management and experiential learning opportunities like NUvention. And we’ve fostered a vibrant culture and community, widely known for its courageous, driven and supportive spirit; they’re values that are deeply ingrained in who we are and what we do. At Kellogg, we believe that there are a number of attributes that growth-minded leaders need to have:
You may be wondering whether Kellogg’s focus on growth will impact our admissions process. The truth is, it won’t. In admissions, we’ve always looked for —and will continue to look for — students who are interested in personal and professional growth. Who are passionate about their professional, philanthropic and community-building endeavors. Who can identify opportunities for themselves and others. Who want to have a positive impact and create lasting value for the world. Our goal is to equip these students with the knowledge, skills and insight they need to inspire growth. Why? Because in today’s complex, global economy, growth is a challenge that every leader and organization confronts, regardless of industry, economy or geography. These days, driving growth is more than just important for business; it’s imperative. Kate Smith ’98 is assistant dean of admissions and financial aid at the Kellogg School of Management. Filed under: Academics, Admissions, Student Life Tagged: brand positioning, Growth, inspiring growth, Kate Smith, Kellogg Architectures of Collaboration Initiative, Kellogg Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, think bravely |
FROM Kellogg MBA Blog: Taking on some of Chicago’s key social challenges |
In October, myself and five other MMM students headed to Chicago for two and a half days to participate in BarnRaise, an annual design workshop held at IIT Institute of Design. The MMMs are always looking for new competitions and workshops to participate in; it gives us the opportunity to apply our thinking, learn new design techniques and network with professionals and students passionate about design innovation. I participated in the Rotman Design Challenge in Toronto last year, and I’m starting to run into a lot of familiar faces at these events. There are two unique aspects to BarnRaise: 1) the two-and-a-half day design sprint format 2) the social impact focus of each challenge. At event kickoff, each MMM was assigned to a multidisciplinary team of design students, MBA students and professionals, and then paired with a design firm and Chicago non-profit. My client was Metropolitan Tenants Organization (MTO), and our challenge was to develop a new communications strategy to reach out to low-income renters. MTO is a 27-year-old grassroots organization whose mission is to find workable solutions to Chicago’s affordable housing crisis. The context of the challenge was fascinating, and our team was eager to learn as much as we could from our client. After a comprehensive Q&A with MTO to understand their unique business situation and their tenants’ needs, we got to work. Using the Discover/Define/Design/Build/Pitch framework, we set off on an ambitious two days of needs finding, concept building, prototyping and pitch development. We gathered around white boards to develop and debate journey maps, business model designs, constituent networks and value propositions, while our client made himself available for real-time brainstorming, feedback and question answering. Half way into day two, we sat surrounded by four concepts the team had narrowed down from dozens, feeling unsure about the direction we were headed. We constructively evaluated and built upon each others ideas as we walked around the room and reminded ourselves of our key challenge, our user’s needs and the nature of the constraints we were working within. And then the mood in the room suddenly shifted. Our conversations went from speculative and evaluative to definitive and excited. We had moved our concept in a new direction that the entire team, including MTO, could rally around. The energy of the group skyrocketed and, within minutes, we split ourselves into groups to divvy up and complete the prototyping phase. In small teams we designed the graphics and branding for our program, built a prototype out of foam core and sketched pages of storyboards that brought multiple use cases to life. I was amazed by the creativity and efficiency of the group as we drove towards our pitch deadline. The workshop culminated in a public exhibit and a three-minute pitch presentation to local professionals and the BarnRaise Community. There is no one who can summarize the end result better than Philip DeVon, our Metropolitan Tenants Organization client and essential partner. “I think it’s critical for you all to understand how important work like this is,” DeVon said. “What you helped create over the past few days is more than cool prototypes. You’ve helped us create actionable steps to reach more renters, and that means you are changing (by improving!) the quality of life in our great city. I can’t express enough how grateful we are for your teamwork, ideas, and positivity! We will be taking your ideas and running with them.” Shelley Hughes is a second-year student in the Full-Time MMM Program. She is President of the Design and Innovation Club and Co-Founder of the Kellogg Wilderness Club. Prior to Kellogg, she worked in marketing and advertising, and this summer she interned at Unum in their consumer innovation group. Filed under: Academics, Student Life Tagged: competition, Design, design challenge, design innovation, MMM |
FROM Kellogg MBA Blog: The secret Amazon, Nike and Zappos share |
First-year student Rohan Rajiv is blogging once a week about important lessons he is learning at Kellogg. Read more of his posts here. In their groundbreaking book, “Discipline of the Market Makers,” Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema argued that outstanding companies typically pick one of the following three disciplines to excel in: operational excellence, product leadership and customer intimacy.
1. KNOW WHY YOU CHOOSE A PRODUCT/SERVICE. My wife and I stocked up on winter clothes at “The North Face.” “The North Face” is known for outstanding product quality and we’re very happy with our purchases. However, we had a horrible experience dealing with their customer service number. After a few days of useless back-and-forth, we finally got the issue sorted at the store. So, would we recommend “The North Face” to friends? Absolutely. We chose it because of a top quality product and they delivered. Just don’t expect it to be cheap or for their customer service to rival Zappos. 2. PRIORITIZE SPIKES OVER SMOOTH EDGES. We are often taught to be smooth, rounded personalities. What we need to do, however, is to consider prioritizing developing areas of serious strength. It is these spikes that enable us to create real impact and make a difference. We can’t all be great at everything. Pick what you’d like to be great at and do enough of the rest so they don’t obstruct progress. Prioritize spikes. Pick. Uber created a media storm Tuesday with their CEO’s response to an executive’s irresponsible behavior. The company’s attitude shouldn’t be all that surprising. Uber, as a company, have clearly distanced themselves from the idea of customer intimacy with their actions. Their product leadership edge is questionable. It remains to be seen if they can succeed in their quest to build an outstanding company by continuing to excel in their operations while not letting their inadequate treatment of customers impede their progress. Time will tell. Rohan Rajiv is a first-year student in Kellogg’s Full-Time Two-Year Program. Prior to Kellogg he worked at a-connect serving clients on consulting projects across 14 countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. He blogs a learning every day, including his MBA Learnings series, on www.ALearningaDay.com. Filed under: Academics, Business Insight, Student Life Tagged: Amazon, Apple, customer intimacy, discipline, MBA Learnings, Nike, operation excellence, product leadership, Zappos |
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