Saturday, November 23, 2013

The Champion MBA - Workshop at HCU

Thanks to the energy, enthusiasm and belief of Prof. Jyothi, I have been conducting what is called the Growth Lab (and what I call the Champion's Mindset for the MBA or Recognising Excellence etc) for the students of the School of Management Studies University of Hyderabad for the past five years. Mostly aimed at the first year students who come into the University with big dreams but no clear path, the workshop is aimed at throwing some light at the path, the process, the tools and the resources and make the students think about the benefits of using heir champion side - the best way to be.

This time its a 3 day intervention and as always it will focus on what the workshop is about. In a nutshell it is about being the best us - by which I mean the best unfulfilled potential in us. The best us concept itself is one of growth and when we look at our effort, focus and intensity that we take towards our growth, we find that it does not rank high up. Most feel that they are at 50-70% or below.

The idea is that the champion MBA, or the one who is aiming for excellence is aiming for the 100% effort and looking at a 'best in class' result. It is of high aspirations and goals and high effort. It is something that each one of us must aspire for in our own way - not because we will all become first in class but because it will grow us in ways that we become what we were meant to become. Understanding that growth, the need to be 100%, the need to have high goals, the need to put in effort and the need to feel the pushing of new limits is pretty much part of the process is the first thing we look at.

The benefits are obvious. If we give 100% we get much more because it grows us and we aim for more. If we give less than 100%, say 50%, we will be judged at that and we will over a period slowly shrink. 100% is a core concept.

The next question is why we do not give our 100%. In most cases it is one of the three
- lack of understanding of the process
- doubt whether 100% may not be enough and one may fail even after giving 100% (want insurances)
- fear of failure and fear of success

When we understand that the only logical way is to take the risk because it is a no win game anyway (you are stuck at mediocrity anyway) it is better to give 100% because that way there is always a chance that value is being added. Also as per the duality principle, if one recognises mediocrity inside, there must be excellence within too.

The next issue to look at is the concept of managing one's own life. This means one must understand and design their career. One must take 100% responsibility and have the courage to be the captain of one's ship and master of one's fate. How we go about a whole life studying, using and making things out of design and in our private lives believing that design will not work, is something we discuss. We must give our best effort and only then any superior master fate will help. But to expect fate to guide us all through with no effort from our side is plain foolishness, laziness and cowardice. We will therefore look at having some design which means we will look at planning ahead in some detail.

Having dealt with the core concepts we look at the workshop from the perspective of the whats, the hows and the whys. What do I have (stock of current situation), What do I want (the ideal situation), How do I get what I want (the process), What is my level of preparation (work to be done), How do I sustain it (repeating the formula) and from all these, the why of it which is looking at achieving one's potential.

More tomorrow.
 

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