Calling all IMD Applicants: (2016 Intake) Class of 2017!!

FROM IMD Admissions Blog: All the world's a stage

I am sure you recognize the title of this post as one of the most famous lines of Shakespeare. "But what does  this have to do with IMD MBA", you might wonder. If anything, you might expect a business school to have very little to do with acting or theatre, let alone the Great Shakespeare. Up until this morning I thought the same but everything changed when I entered the class at this morning and was greeted by the presence of this unassuming gentleman. At first sight there wasn't anything particularly remarkable about him. If anything he was calm, quiet and in no way tried to assert his presence. The class was titled "Communications" and so I settled in my chair waiting for him to introduce himself as a speaking skills coach or so. "Hi, I am Richard and I am a theatre actor". "A what?" I couldn't help but exclaim. My ears were not ringing, my neighbour confirmed what I had heard and it didn't take Richard long to demonstrate that not only he was a theatre actor but a fine one at that. Yes this was happening - I was going to learn about communicating from a theatre actor here at IMD Business School. If ever I had run out of reasons to congratulate myself on joining IMD then here were 100 of those packaged nicely in one session. As the day wore on it dawned on me that indeed who better to learn the art of communication from than an actor. Actors are pursuasive, convincing, credible and moving- what else does great communication look like? Actors transfer us into a parallel reality and show us what they see and make us feel how they feel- how else should a great leader communicate? Sometimes the obvious is not so obvious and what should feel like a natural connection seems a bit misplaced in the beginning - like a theatre actor running an MBA class. Back to Richard! So Richard conducted the class of 90 like a master conductor. His orchestra hit all the notes - in one moment he had us reflecting deeply on a thought and in the other he made us burst into peels of laughter. Here we were watching our classmates go from inhibited, shy speakers to confident, pursuasive communicators in a matter of minutes. What he taught us were not merely tricks but some deep rooted principles. For instance I learnt that in most communications a lot is being said but not a lot is being heard.   Like a master, he appealed to the best in us, gave us confidence and elevated us to the next level. He made us feel like leaders and gave us a profound message - one that resonated with Shakespeare some 500 years ago - "All the world's a stage". What an apt message from someone who loves the stage to those who aspire to make a difference on the world stage! Thank you Richard! Kunal

FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Class with an actor

As Kunal mentioned it in his post "All the world's a stage", we had a quite exceptionnal class with Richard, an actor from England.He was kind enough to take a picture with us, and this is how we looked after the class. Can't wait for other exceptionnal moments like this one during the program! Fouad

FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Meet our ombudspeople!

Last week we elected our Ombudsman and Ombudswoman! Alex Khairallah and Neha Kabra will represent the class in various topics when dealing with the MBA Office. I thought it would be nicer for you to hear directly from them on the new responsibilities and expectations for the year ​ Congratulations and good luck, guys! ___________ Thank you Silvia for inviting us to pen this blog. I am Neha Kabra, a banker by profession. Just last month I had the opportunity to share my early experiences from the program with all of you. Days at IMD pass by incredibly quickly and we are already at the end of month two! I am back once again - this time in the capacity of the Ombudsperson for the Class of 2016, a position I share with my buddy Alex Khairallah. Alex comes from GE where he worked in financial management for GE's Healthcare and Capital divisions. Alex is a the calmest guy I know. Bring in the most "nerve wrecking" problem, and he presides over it with a zen-like calmness. With Alex around, no issue is big enough to not be resolved. On that note over to you Alex..... Hello everyone this is Alex. Thanks Neha for a "smashing" introduction Neha and I were chosen by our classmates to be the voice of the class. The idea is to balance my "zen-like calmness" with Neha's "enthusiastic energy" . We have already spent a couple of weeks working together as Ombudspersons and we make a fantastic team (we have celebrated small victories already ). We share similar thoughts on how and what we would like to achieve for the class over the course of the next year. Here's our joint view. The Ombudsperson role is multi-faceted and will require us to be the voice of reason amongst diverse opinions. At IMD 90 strong minded, independently thinking individuals are being constantly challenged in a high performance environment. The program is designed to test us to limits. IMD recognizes this and wants to give all of us a fair opportunity of being heard. So as Ombudspersons, our main idea is to reconcile diverse opinions and position the class as one entity to bring top quality change. In short, we are the interface between the MBA Office and the class. We also mediate in the intra class dynamics with the aim of bringing the class together to make this a memorable year for all of us. As we pen this blog, we have already held a class-wide session where we shared our 2-way communication approach to listen and share ideas with our classmates : "we come to you" and "you come to us" (cheesy, we know!). But it works . Our challenge this year is to consolidate and prioritize the views of our exceptional classmates when linking with the MBA Office, and to leave a legacy behind for the next class. We are in the process of agreeing on the strategic and tactical ideas that we would like to work on over the course of this year. We will keep you posted on the progress made Signing off, Neha and Alex Ombudspersons ​MBA 2016

FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Time to deliver

The honeymoon period, if ever there was one, is over. It is now time to deliver. We are no longer the incoming batch – we are the incumbent batch. Our first major team task was due last week. In a semi-professional setting we presented our ideas on some critical challenges facing different industries – from packaging to alzeihmer’s, from insurance to energy – everything was on the menu. We didn’t have much time to relax as the next task is upon us sooner than we realized. We go into the now-famous integrative exercise starting tomorrow. What it really means, we don’t know yet? What we do know is that it will be a first opportunity for us to apply all the principles learnt over the last 10 weeks to a business problem in a 48 hour marathon. More on integrative when we come out of it on Saturday. I also had the opportunity this week to meet some of the MBA applicants and it was a delightful experience. It was hard to believe that I am already on this side of the table. It feels like yesterday when I hit the submit button on my application and waited with bated breath for the outcome. Time does really fly. To those of you applying this year, I wish all the best and hope to see some of you on campus soon. Kunal

I heard a feedback that the IMD MBA is not worthy of doing ! The average placements salary have come down in the last four years. It is a marketting gimmick to attract students. I also heard that from a german MBA admissions recruitment manager criticizing the MBA Program director's volatile attitude in planning schedules that keep changing every minute.

If the number of posts is a criterion to judge how many are applying, then it seems very few are applying for IMD. Or, maybe it is too early because the program will start in Jan-17

FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Grab a thought, be happy

​It’s the first week of spring. Suddenly days are more beautiful, sun light during the rain breaks seems warmer and more yellow, primroses follow my morning run to school, and almost half of our class gentlemen have a fresh hair cut. We’ve changed our places in the auditorium and I get to know another neighbors of mine and observe our professors from a new perspective. Two months of our studies are behind and our operations course is coming to an end. Each session was a discovery into another industry, geography and mindset. Every case was at the turn of various business functions. Our sessions were full of interactions, impressions and fun. We went into new concepts in supply change from the whole business perspective. Within our teams we struggled to find our solutions for complex cases. We presented, argued and had a lot of fun. Curiously, real outcomes in the cases analyzed were very different from our projections. Thanks to our operations prof. Ralf Seifert, we had fantastic learning experience. I envy the next generations of Ralf’s students. It’s sad to realize that our MBA experience will finish one foreseeable day. This week, when I saw the next generation of MBA candidates coming for an assessment day, my memory brought me to a solar eclipse day a year ago... Now I live a leap-year and, to an extend, I am three times younger, learning from scratch. The moto of my last week was “trust”. Trust yourself, trust people around, and trust in markets! Financial professionals can achieve amazing results by following the latter principle. Today is the first day of our integrative exercise. But in the morning session we start working on another group project. Prioritize, overcome uncertainty, stay positive, support each other and have fun! Till soon, Aysylu​

I know several alumni who graduated just recently and they are all happy with IMD and what it gives.

What do you mean by volatile attidude? How does it refer to the program?

Check the Insead thread, the deadline for first round of Jan intake was yesterday, and the program is times bigger, but forum is not that active.

true !
Are candidates using any other channel for discussion ?

At IMD, The MBA Program director will suddenly plan and say next day we will go to a company visit and take the entire class for a industry trip. It is hard for the administrative staff to plan and dance to his tunes. The admissions manager also expressed the abnormal behaviour of the Program director with one of the batches who attended the assessment day. (sounded very unprofessional though - probably reflects on the quality of the admission managers they have) It is not on the number of posts. The Program director also boasts that he is a german but he is an economics guy. Few students are not happy with their choice too. Couple of years back they had let go a lot good quality staff. The placements have declined and not all the students of 2015 are placed so far. The current students do not have a choice but few students still admit that IMD is not the best choice. INSEAD and LBS are way far better. IMD was a good school earlier during 2000s but the quality has deteriorated.

FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Happy survivors or what does it take to be a team

We completed the famous integrative exercise! A complex case and 6 people to provide a solution to a management board in 2 days. Thirty-eight hours of team work, endless coffee and several packs of snacks, red eyes, head aches and some, but very little, broken hearts and… we are the champions! Wednesday evening. Excitement is growing, we have read blog posts from previous participants and many of us are stressed and try to build up scenarios to determine survival rules and overcome a feeling of chaos. The next-days events showed that a very small part of those predictions turned out to happen. Conclusion: scenario planning is helpful in managing anxiety, but one shouldn’t too much rely on impression of others – individual experiences are truly unique. Thursday - here it comes! Who is the first to understand the case? You have a solution? Five others challenge. Time flies. No solution yet. I am tired. A strange noise in the dungeons corridor as if an asphalt roller is approaching. We are looking at each other – what’s up? A neighbor group chills out riding rolling chairs. Come on, tomorrow morning we deliver our presentation! And we need to sleep. We seem to have found our solution. “I don’t trust your numbers”. It’s early morning and other four bent over backwards to reconcile debaters. Friday after the presentation. We are on the right track – fine-tune here, adjust there and we are done. Let’s finish early! Discussion. Oh, we are tired and slower than yesterday. Let’s split and divide the tasks. Several a-ha moments. After dinner we still have white spots in our story line. Group skids. Group dissolves. Group reassembles. Friday, 9 p.m. A cake party to celebrate B-days! What a unique celebration spirit! I love our class! Back to my team. Someone challenges the basis. Oh, no! Two short rhythmic stamps, one long clap – “we will, we will rock you”. Group reassembles again. Let’s make slides! Close the window, it’s cold. Open the window, it’s stuffy here. We need to help you! Go on, we are almost there! Saturday morning, team dry run. You need to see those handsome smart guys! I know we are well prepared and it’s gonna be fine. But I am nervous. “Calm down, take my banana!”. “No, can’t eat now”. Saturday after the presentation. Yes, we did it! Why didn’t we consider the other side of the coin? We leveraged our internal expertise, we were great. However, we had some blind spots due to our professional inclinations. At some point during the preparation stage I though I wasn’t contributing, but now I see that I actually did a lot. How much contribution is too much? Would I contribute if I were 100% passive? Definitely, yes, but in a negative way. Did we have fun? Incredibly, yes! I am blessed to be in this team. From left to right Xu, Jonas, Gianpaolo, James, me and Edison. Till soon, Aysylu

FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Newborns and birthdays, how to keep the integrative exercise interesting

​While we are anxious to know what the long nights of the integrative exercise would look like, one of us started practicing a few days early with the birth of his twins... ... and others made sure we took our minds off the exercise for a few minutes on Friday night by organizing a short but fun birthday celebration. The integrative exercise is always full of surprises! Congrats Vlad, happy birthday again Sophie and Dustin. Fouad

Is anyone coming to Singapore for the assessment day?

FROM IMD Admissions Blog: The Integrative Exercise: When push comes to shove

I didn't know they were called "Integrative Exercises", but I had heard before coming to IMD about the infamous 48-hour-straight assignment that  encompassed much more work than humanly possible, blood, sweat and tears. Or so I thought! A friend from the 2015 class about a month ago said to me that I would love the integrative exercise. I thought to myself: "Either he is crazy, or he doesn't know me at all." Guess what? He was right! I did love it!!! By saying I loved it, I don't mean that is was easy, simple or that I'd do it again on my free time but it is definitely something I'll cherish from my IMD memories. Our group tried to enter the exercise with full power and a clean slate. We had feedback sessions prior to the start and tried to learn about what worked better for us as a group as we advanced through the regular class assignments. We agreed that it would be tough and we would get stressed and committed to help each other cool off if things got ugly. I won't say it never got ugly, but considering the situation and lack of sleep (2,5 hours each night, plus a 2hour break mid exercise) I think we did a great job at keeping together as a group. One of the high points was right after the second night dinner… we felt the energy going low and still had a LOT of work to do. We decided to put a power song to cheer us up and get the energy going. Then one of my group mates had the idea of going around spreading the energy to the other groups and we did a chair tour:   Not everybody loved it though hahah but it took us just 10 minutes and when we were back, the group was energized and ready to start another long shift! (I'd definitely recommend it to future classes.) Nicolas had the cool idea of shooting us the entire time! Here's a peak at our room - or should I say our home - during the exercise: This experience taught me so much! I learned a lot through the board's feedback and pitfalls that were absolutely real life applicable. Learned about myself and how far I can push my body. Learned how my actions can trigger unintentional consequences in the group, and the other way around. Learned about the incredible power of collaboration and trust. And my final lesson came later with the grade: During the exercise I really felt we were doing great work. We were very much committed to it and pushing to get the best out of every part. The first board meeting seemed to have gone well and we worked super hard on the changes for the second board. However, I felt from the board's final feedback that they had not liked it very much. I had spent 47:30 hours happy and excited and after the final presentation I was super down… Guess what? I was wrong yet again. We got a very high grade! And I learned I should trust myself and my group yet some more Thank you so much, guys. You rock! Au revoir, Sílvia Simões

FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Reflections on my MBA admission journey

​Blog posts are getting a bit irregular as some of you might have noticed- a sign of things to come. As mentioned in my previous post, the honeymoon period is over and now is the time to deliver. Deliver on projects, integrative, start-ups and shortly on exams too. We are fully embedded in IMD now and there has been no better reminder of this fact than all the queries I and my classmates are receiving from potential candidates on our MBA experience. We are indeed, finally living those "plans" that once seemed eternally futuristic. All the apprehensions, hopes, concerns and expectations we had from an MBA program are unfolding in front of our eyes one after the other and therefore it is only natural that those who aspire to be on this campus next year look to us for counsel. So let me use this post to share some advise I received from my IMD seniors when I was doing my application. 1) Get clarity on why you want to do an MBA - it took me a while to polarize this question. I could always come up with alternative narratives for my career that included and excluded an MBA. There are many different models to think about once future career. We can think of our career as a "business venture" in which we make investments and hope to get back financial returns. We can think of it as a continuous learning journey where at eac next step we seek new knowledge or as my senior suggested we can think of it as an athelete's pursuit - where we will do all that it will take to make us perform at our full potential. None of these models are right or wrong but it is worth noting that you have to find the metaphor for your career which will be distinct from others and see how an MBA fits into it. 2) Know your MBA college - It is critical that once you have made your mind to an MBA you must put in a lot of effort to fully understand which college works best for you. this is important not only because you have to spend 1 or 2 years of your life in that place but also because for the rest of your life that college remains a part of you - what do you want that part to stand for?  My senior advised me that an MBA addmission is not a one way selection process. It is in fact a test for compatibility. Use every opportunity to know the school, just as the school is trying to use every opportunity to know you (oh yes!  those casual chats at the end of the assessment day were not so casual after all - be in your element always). Talk to current students, spend a lot of time on the website, talk to alumni and make your own decision. Find your inspiration to join that school. 3) Stop second guessing the admission officer's mind - One question I seem to be getting quite often these days is "Kunal, I have a poor GPA but my GMAT is high, do you think the admission officer will overlook my grades?" or something similar. The honest answer to all such questions is - I dont know. And in fact I can bet you no one knows what is going through the admission officer's mind and it shouldnt be your concern at all, simply because you cannot influence it. You can only spend your valuable energy worrying about it. What you can influence though is your application. You can put up for consideration your best self as reflected in the application and that is where you must focus your energy.  4) Take pride in yourself - This last piece of advise I received from my senior was quite critical. Often when we read sample essays etc. we tend to walk away with a feeling that we must put up a story that is completely ironed, spotless and smells of prodigious talent. We tend to find ways to hide our failures and amplify our successes. But in fact we must take pride in our failures and successes alike. We must spend time thinking what have we learnt from our experiences and showcase the learning journey. Taking pride in our journey does not mean being arrogant rather having a silent confidence that we are better off for "all" our experiences. I hope in passing on this advise, I have done justice to the message of my senior. It is worthwhile to highlight though that these were the things I personally found valuable in my MBA admissions journey and I am sure there are others. So continue your quest that will hopefully guide you to your decisions. Lastly, dont forget to find your inspiration. Kunal

FROM IMD Admissions Blog: Impression rage

​This week was notable by the number of speakers in our program: IMD alumni of 90’s, 2000’s and 2015, as well as J&J and McKinsey&Co guests. The whole gallery of characters, personalities, stories, individual and professional challenges, power of knowledge and will, flexibility and firmness and what not. Career services occupy more space in our agenda. We worked with dilemmas of brand power, in- and outbound marketing, accounting and conflict solving; we “sold” lab equipment and made cash flow reports. Our committees perform so well, that I struggle prioritizing: healthcare, consulting, technology, energy, social and women in leadership clusters organized activities this week. Sports committee visualized the whole spectrum of assets that are luckily represent in our class. After three months of waiting a small branch of my granny's houseplant finally took rootes in a glass of water on my window-sill. Till soon, Aysylu