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Bloomington Audit: Ashley Sprawls, MBA’16

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Ashley Sprawls
Not only is the Kelley MBA program among the top in the world, so is our location—Bloomington, Indiana. A top college town with an amazing college campus, Bloomington boasts natural beauty, a low cost of living, and is nationally noted as a best place for food, theater, music, and adventure. In our ongoing #BtownAudit series, Kelley MBA students share some of their favorite things in Bloomington. Enjoy these top picks from Ashley Sprawls, MBA’16.
Vibe Yoga
I love yoga. It gives me energy, diffuses stress and is one form of exercise I actually really enjoy! Vibe Yoga Studio is my favorite place for yoga in Bloomington. Vibe offers a variety of classes – Vinyasa and Hatha styles, heated and non-heated, Pilates, yoga sculpt and meditation classes. And, the instructors are excellent. With such a busy schedule, I appreciate that the studio offers classes throughout the day (6 a.m. to 9 p.m.) as well as student discounts!

(more…)

Early-Career Communication Part 3: Leading Without Authority

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Kendell Brown

By  Kendell Brown, Associate Director of Graduate Career Services

Articulating a vision and getting people to work toward that vision is formidable for many. Motivating clients, peers and other key stakeholders can be particularly challenging for someone who doesn’t have a title that commands action. However, for you to be personally successful, that success has to come as part of a broader effort. I am going to highlight 4 characteristics that can help you lead despite having no specific authority to do so.

Speak confidently.

If you speak confidently and in a manner that underscores a belief in what you are saying, you are likely to get others to agree. Meaning people want to follow the lead of someone that appears knowledgeable and self-assured. 


It is necessary to note that sometimes people will undermine their own confidence by saying things like “I’m not sure, if you’ll agree” or “Is that in line with what you were thinking?” When you are rallying people and getting them to do what you want – refrain from using qualifying and confirmatory language, it will weaken you and your ideas. Instead focus on speaking with certainty and assurance.
Present a clear vision.

Another way to ensure that stakeholders listen to and respect your ideas is to present a clear vision.  The vision is the compass for your project and the keystone of your idea. 


What can you do to ensure colleagues will adhere to your vision? First, provide an end goal – it helps people get on board.  Think of the end goal as a destination. When everyone shares a common goal, or destination, they are likely going to also share an understanding of why a certain path is necessary. Consequently, when everyone knows the end goal they will begin to appreciate how their contributions will support that goal. 

Be flexible.

The third way to be a strong yet informal leader is to be flexible. While you may be the one with the great idea, you must admit that you don’t know everything. So while it is key to state your point of view, it is equally critical to be receptive to the opinions of others.  Listening to others is valuable because an outside idea may be just what is needed to make a good idea, a great one. Additionally, when you give people an opportunity to include their viewpoint in your plans, they are more likely to support the vision and goal you’ve laid out.


Be open to feedback.

Lastly, be open to feedback and solicit it regularly. Without feedback, you won’t know how your leadership is perceived by others and by extension whether it is effective. Therefore, take time to ask how things are going and check-in to see if people are still engaged. Getting feedback often, gives you time to course correct, if necessary. Furthermore, periodic feedback gives you a chance to know what’s working well and thus what you want to continue.

So while you may not have formal authority to get some things done, the strategies I’ve described are always available to you to informally and indirectly influence. 

Why Kelley School Is Great Place to Get A Finance MBA

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Rebecca Cook
Rebecca Cook, MBA’96, is the Director of Coaching and Development for Kelley School’s Graduate Career Services. Prior to joining IU in 2009, Rebecca Cook was a portfolio manager and senior equity analyst with Voyageur Asset Management. She has over 13 years of investment management and non-profit experience.
Sometimes we spend too much time buried in the weeds and not enough time looking at the big picture.
Deciding to get an MBA is a big decision – I know it was for me when I went through the process. We look at rankings, review various publications, and get advice from friends and family. It is easy to get lost in the minutia of this ranking vs. that ranking, why one says one thing and another says something else, yet we really need to take a step back. What should someone be looking at when they evaluate MBA programs?
Make Your Campus Visit Count
 
I knew I wanted to get a degree in finance but wasn’t sure where the best place was to do that. I spent time evaluating rankings and getting advice on one school vs. another, and realized that I needed to look at what the school could provide for me throughout my career.
I visited all of the schools that I applied to (as well as a few that I didn’t), which was really the best way to see a program. My future classmates were going to be the people that I stayed connected to for my career. I met with students, staff and professors, sat in on a class, reviewed the alumni presence and wandered around the campus. I also met with the career counselors to see how the school could really help me to be successful.
I found that the culture of a program and the ability of that program to help me define who I wanted to be and then help me get there were THE most important things.
Seek Key Indicators for A Successful Finance Career
 
Kelley really fit everything I was looking for, as it has for countless other MBAs since I graduated:
  • The finance faculty is amazing and does a great job of teaching you both the academic side and the experiential side of learning.
  • The career services team works with you on an individualized basis to help you figure out what companies you are interested in and helps to connect you with companies and key alumni in the finance industry.
  • Top firms consistently recruit Kelley MBAs because of their knowledge, humility and adaptability.
  • Your academy directors help to expand your experiential learning through projects, visiting companies and alumni presentations, so you are ready on “day one” for that internship.
  • Kelley School is recognized as a leading school where MBA graduates can earn $100k-plus in finance.

I chose Kelley for these reasons and have never had a moment’s regret on that decision. The program helped me to have a very successful career in finance and then pulled me back “home” to work for it now.

Early-Career Communication Part 2: Getting Buy-in

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Kendell Brown

By  Kendell Brown, Associate Director of Graduate Career Services

The ability to influence is essential to leadership. If you can get people to buy into an idea that you set forth, you’re golden. But how can you get people to listen and take you seriously when you are the most junior person on the team? I’m going to guide you through a step-by-step plan you can use to get the buy-in you want.

Developing a thorough plan shows the upfront effort you have already made, in addition to highlighting your commitment to the idea. This course of action should include key steps, decision points and goals. With a clearly articulated action it is easier for people understand your ideas, rationale and goals and thus put forth the effort necessary to achieve your vision.
In business, facts trump theory, so find what you can to support your idea and bolster your plan. Do an analysis, “run the numbers”, create a case study – the idea is to accumulate evidence to show that you’ve done your homework and that your suggestion isn’t a fly by night proposal. Another form of evidence gathering is to become a subject matter expert. Take the time to learn the ins and outs of a process, a client, a tool, etc. – know the good and bad points, become the “go-to” person in the office on that topic. When it’s common knowledge that you know more than anyone on particular subject, your opinions and plans on that subject will carry significant weight.
Let’s say you’ve got a plan to grow the margin on the team’s 3rd largest product line. If you’ve been exclusively managing the product line and you’ve done a thorough analysis of the biggest factors affecting the line’s margin – your idea will get heard because you know the business better than anyone else.
Now that you’ve got a plan in place and evidence to support that plan, you have to be reasonable and understand that not everyone is going to get on board quickly. Some people will have questions and some people will flat out disagree. You will likely need some degree of consensus before moving forward and as they say “the best defense is a good offense”. Therefore, it’s best to have thought through what the concerns will be and develop arguments to address them. A really effective way to address concerns upfront is to answer the question before it even arises.
You can say something like, “You’re probably wondering about my plan’s reduction in approvals. So let me answer that question now before I go on further.” Answering questions before they have a chance to come up shows that you have thoroughly considered all perspectives.
Creating key performance indicators, aka KPI’s, to assess whether a project is successful is critical for getting others to buy-in. KPI’s are necessary for determining whether a project is on track, performing better or worse than expected and whether resources are being used as prescribed. A willingness to track your plan’s performance shows that you can and are willing to objectively evaluate the project.
For your idea to get a solid vetting, you need delineate what you consider success. So your plan should include a statement like, “I suggest we utilize my plan to collect all overdue receivables under $5000 for the next quarter. If my estimated 23% improvement is achieved, let’s move forward with converting 100% of our receivables to my proposed collection plan.
When trying to get buy-in ensure that key stakeholders and collaborators are present. Describing your vision, sharing your due diligence, highlighting measurement metrics is all for nothing, if you are not talking to the people that can give you a “yes”. Often that decision is from a senior member of the organization. Getting that individual or individuals as a project sponsor is critical for getting the resources needed and a team in place.
Consequently, a key logistical element is ensuring that you’ve included the right people. Check vacation schedules, meeting calendars, etc., so that decision makers actually hear what you have to say.
Influencing is a smart and strategic way to get work done. It’s a critical element of getting things done and making change occur. The ability to consistently and successfully get buy-in from others is a marker for work and career success.

10 Insights on Inspirational Leadership

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Introducing a new guest blogger: Scott Mautz, MBA’94. Mautz is an award winning keynote speaker and 20+ year veteran of Procter & Gamble, where he currently runs the company’s largest, multi-billion dollar business. He is also the author of the book Make It Matter: How Managers Can Motivate by Creating Meaning, which has been recently nominated for “Leadership Book of the Year” by Leadership & Management Books. 

Scott Mautz

Start your 2016 leadership campaign with a sense of renewal by considering the following question: Is inspirational leadership the holy grail of leadership?

Well, I define such a pinnacle – the holy grail of leadership – as that which engenders the highest levels of employee engagement and commitment.

So, by that definition, then yes, hands down, inspirational leadership is the summit.

And your employees would agree with me.

A major study examined a half million employees and their assessment of 50,000 leaders in terms of 16 core leadership competencies. The outcome of the study showed that the ability to inspire “is what most powerfully separates the most effective leaders from the average and least-effective leaders. And it is the factor most subordinates identify when asked what they would most like to have in their leader.”1

A pursuit worth the effort – but then you probably didn’t need a study to tell you that. We all know how it feels when we are around an inspirational leader. Inspirational leaders spur the expenditure of discretionary energy. You feel uplifted. The power of possibility surges through you. You might even physically get the tingles as you are reminded and reinvigorated about what could lie ahead and why you are doing what you are. You feel connected to the mission, to the leader, to others, and to your work. You feel worthy and worthwhile. You aim higher and try harder. You feel compelled to take action.

You can trigger this response.

And it turns out there are plenty of opportunities to do so.

In a major survey, 55% of managers said the ability to inspire was the single most important leadership attribute, and yet only 11% said their current manager was inspiring.2 Anecdotally and honestly, how many of the leaders around you can you say are truly inspiring?

So there is no question of the void to be filled. The question you may have though is, can inspirational leadership be taught?  In another major study, almost 900 executives were asked to pick one leadership attribute out of 16 to focus on to improve. Amongst the 310 who chose to work on improving their ability to inspire others, when doing so they moved from the 42nd percentile, (below average), to the 70th percentile – a statistically positive gain and evidence that you can indeed learn to become inspiring.3

You absolutely can elevate your inspirational firepower. And you don’t have to wait – you can start 2016 with a reinvigorated leadership agenda. What follows will fire you up to do just that.  Here are 10 ways to inspire others to action.

1. To inspire, be inspired

To inspire others to action you have to emit a passion for your own actions. Financial guru Suze Orman has openly admitted that the single secret to her success is her willingness to show her passion for what she is doing.4 Warren Buffet says that at Berkshire Hathaway, 75% of the managers they hire are independently wealthy and don’t need to work – by design. Hiring such a profile allows them to focus in on talent that simply loves and is passionate about what they’re doing “because that passion brings out enthusiasm and dedication in others.” 5

2. Be custom-built contagious

Closely related to point # 1 above, while it is certain that you must have passion to foster passion, it is just as essential that you demonstrate this passion and energy in your own way. If the energy is emitted in an inauthentic manner, it defeats the purpose. Yes, you can light up the room with loud and heartfelt oratory – that’s certainly one way to go if it feels natural.  But introverts take heart. Some of the most inspirational leaders I’ve ever seen command the room as they do what I call “elegantly electrify”. They might not even speak very often, but when they do, it is with a quiet authority and an underlying and intense focus and passion. There are many ways to transmit energy. However you do it, you must do it though. It is a fundamental requirement of inspirational leaders to be able to turbocharge via osmosis.

3. Remember it’s about them, not you, a greater cause, not your cause 

There is an underpinning of modesty and a sense of servitude inherent in inspirational leaders. They are connectors, not climbers, more interested in relationships than their own reward. They ultimately see their role as serving something greater than themselves and couldn’t hide it if they tried. Keep this mantra front and center for the times you might stray off center.

4. Motivate them to prove you’re right (about them) 

Sorry for the tongue twister – here’s what I mean by this: The first part of this involves a commitment to actively instill confidence in others. When we do, often the first thing they want to do is demonstrate we were right to place such confidence in them. They will show their appreciation by wanting to further earn yours. The second half of this idea though is to not just express confidence in someone and detach, letting the energy from the positive transaction wane and leaving the compliment feeling empty. Instead, remain an interested stakeholder in their ultimate success. For example, instead of just stating your confidence in someone, you can say, “I believe in you and I believe you are going to crush this project. I’m here to help you see it through to the successful conclusion of which I know you are capable.” You get the idea.  Instill confidence and install a conduit of continued support. They’ll take great pride in proving your belief in them is well warranted.

5. Inspire people to become better versions of themselves (not better versions of you) 

Inherent in this sentiment is a commitment to understanding the unique DNA of those you are interacting with and a desire to help them build from that singular blueprint. It is both an investment in and an understanding of the individual. It requires unearthing the best qualities of each person. Leadership expert John C. Maxwell likens it to the plight of the gold prospector who is “always on the lookout for potential gold mines. When they find traces of ore, prospectors assume there’s a rich vein to unearth, and they start digging. In the same fashion, inspirational leaders search for the best traits within a person and commit to uncovering them.”6

6. Communicate a clear, resonant vision with stretching goals

People want to know where they are going, and why. They want to be connected to something bigger than themselves and pursue goals with intrinsic value that help them accomplish things important to them. Communicating such messages in a clear and compelling manner is a central function of the inspirational leader. And if your vision requires change, by the way, make your case for change clear. People also want to be challenged and be given a chance to rise to the occasion. So set the bar high without being unrealistic.

7. Act like a pace car 

In auto racing, the “pace car” is a car that rides ahead of the field for a few laps at a high, even keel speed before the race starts. Then, having enabled a running start, they drop out of the way as the cars behind accelerate past with vigor. Likewise, the inspirational leader sets the pace for the organization, role modeling the behaviors they want to see, helping the “field” to a running start, and then getting out of the way after fully charging and empowering the organization.

8. Provide reality and hope

The key here is to provide a balance of both. It’s hard to be inspired by someone who infuses high doses of optimism and possibility but is clearly not grounded in reality.  Likewise, while transparency is inspiring, when that transparency involves a rough state of the union address, the constituents need to hear a reason to believe and a plan for better, brighter days ahead as well.

9. Know the tenets of How to Be, not just How to Do (to inspire) 

Inspirational leadership is not just about how to do, it’s as much about how to be. Research shows there are 6 core attributes that employees find most inspiring in their leader – 6 How To Be’s if you will:

  • Be Humble (people are drawn to humility, especially when it includes showing vulnerability)
  • Be Authentic (which makes you accessible)
  • Be Accountable (including a zeal for facing challenges head on)
  • Be Caring (including caring enough to really listen to what others have to say)
  • Be Trustworthy (including doing what you say you are going to do – the well-documented secret to Nelson Mandela being such an effective and inspirational leader)
  • Be Driven (including an ability to get to the heart of the issue, cutting through the baloney, making things happen)

10. Get (& Expect) Results 

The truth is, while losers can be loveable and, yes, at times inspiring, you are much more likely to be inspired by a loveable winner. Winners get results. Getting results inspires an organization on many levels. And expecting results does the same.

So make 2016 your year, the year you recommitted to inspirational leadership. The net result will inspire everyone involved – including you.

1 Zenger, J., & Folkman, J., “What Inspiring Leaders Do” (June 20, 2013), www.hbr.org.
2 Potter, A., “Inspirational Leadership and Executive Presence: Research Findings” (April 29, 2015), www.thetalentgene.com.
3 Zenger, J., & Folkman, J., “What Inspiring Leaders Do” (June 20, 2013), www.hbr.org.
4 Gallo, C., “The 7 Secrets of Inspiring Leaders” (July 6, 2011), www.forbes.com.
5 Neill, C., “Warren Buffet: We Need Inspirational Leaders” (July 3, 2015), www.conorneill.com.
6 Maxwell, J., “Five Attributes of Inspirational Leaders”, www.idisciple.org.

Scott Mautz has been named a “Top 50 Leadership Innovator” by Inc. Magazine and a “2015 CEO Leadership Thought Leader” by Chief Executive Guild. Scott has appeared in Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, Inc., The Accidental Creative, Switch-n-Shift and many other national publications and podcasts and has keynoted many times at top companies and universities across the country on a variety of leadership and workplace fulfillment topics. Connect with Scott at www.makeitmatterbook.com.

 

Latin America: The Land of Opportunity

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Clinical Professor of International Business Roberto García introduces the first speaker

at the Doing Business in Latin America conference.
Guillermo Kalen
By Guillermo Kalen, MBA ‘17
Every year, the Institute for Global Organizational Effectiveness (IGOE) and the Latino MBA Association organize an event focused on Latin America. This year we had a conference titled “Doing Business in Latin America,” which dealt with the importance of Latin America and the US economy and how to position yourself for a career in the region.
Roberto García, clinical professor of International Business and a member of the Management and Entrepreneurship department at Kelley, opened the event with a very special introduction: Jose Eduardo Claro, a Kelley alum who was a member of the first GLOBASE project, one in which García himself participated, has become a successful program within the business school that helps Kelley form and strengthen its relationships around the world.
Claro, a current Embraco/Whirlpool manager in Brazil, focused his presentation on solving two main questions: What is the importance of Latin America for corporate America? Will Latin American remain important for the US? Jose was able to not only to demonstrate the impact of Latin America on the U.S. economy, but also the opportunities American businesses have in the region through a presentation filled with useful and relevant statistics. For example, Walmart in the U.S. has one store for every 65,000 people, while Latin America only has one store for every 320,000 people. Another great example was Netflix. It has a current household penetration of 36% in the U.S., but only 0.9% in Latin America. He ended his presentation by sharing that there are some roadblocks in the region, but there are also opportunities.
Next, Erick Arnberg gave a presentation. Arnberg is currently a digital strategist at Google with experience in the U.S., Mexico, and Sweden. His approach was to compare Sweden, U.S., and Mexico in different cultural dimensions (Hofstede’s theory). He compared the countries in six main dimensions: power distance, individualism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and long-term vs. short-term orientation. It was very interesting to see that not only did Sweden and the U.S. share some cultural dimensions, but so did Mexico and the U.S. One thing was clear: Mexico thrives in uncertainty, values traditions, and relationships—key things to know when doing business with there.
After a brief break, Herman Aguinis, Founding and Managing Director of IGOE and the John F. Mee Chair in Management, talked about the Institute for Global Organizational Effectiveness; while Eric Johnson, Director of Kelley’s Graduate Career Services, introduced the second part of the conference: positioning yourself for a career in Latin America.
Roberto Cortez, Financial Advisory Services Director at Deloitte (Dallas), shared his experience in restructuring Deloitte South America, and the aspects anyone considering a career in Latin America should consider in order to be successful. The idea is to evaluate both yourself and your destination in geographic, technical, cultural, and both short and long term views. It was a very interesting presentation on how to identify intent and skills, define value, and recognize potential hurdles. Overall, he focused on the diversity of experiences, cultures, and needs in Latin America, and its potential for growth and development.
Our last presenter was Scott Dorman, Marketing Director for General Mills in Mexico City and also a Kelley alumnus. Visionary leadership, acting with agility and the importance of influence were his main takeaways from his experience in Mexico. Latin America not only has potential but is growing quickly.
In conclusion: We learned that Latin America is a place with impressive opportunity, rapid growth and of great importance for the U.S. The best way to be successful is by learning its culture, focusing on relationship-building, and leveraging those experiences and skills to generate value in the region. It was Warren Buffett that said, “You can’t make a good deal with a bad person.” So, let’s start to use some Latin American strategies in our future business dealings!
From left to right: Miguel Cruz, MBA’16;  Roberto Cortez, Financial Advisory Services Director at Deloitte; Herman Aguinis, Professor of Organizational Behavior & Human Resources and Managing Director of IGOE; César Sánchez, MBA’16 and President of the Latin MBA Association; Jesús Salinas, MBA’16, Erick Arnberg, Digital Strategist at Google, Sweden; Jose Eduardo Claro, Manager at Whirlpool/Embraco, Brazil; and Scott Dorman, Marketing Director at General Mills, Mexico City

Everything I Needed to Get through My MBA, I Learned from Yoga

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Jordan Leopold

By Jordan Leopold, MBA’16

I started mentoring a group of first year students through the leadership academy as a part of my growth and development as I continue on my MBA journey. Last week in one of my coaching meetings, I caught myself saying, “Take inventory of yourself and what you need and let go of what you don’t”.  I realized that I was reciting the words of my yoga instructor from the particularly steamy class I had taken the night before. Later on when reflecting back, I came to the realization that so much of what got me through the first year of my MBA, I learned on a 71”x 24” rubber mat.

I have been practicing yoga now for about three years and I am still terrible at it.  As a former college athlete, I do not take kindly to being bad at things. Despite my lack of headstands, splits or generally any cool trick, I have gained so much from developing a consistent practice and have carried those lessons off my mat and into the halls of the Kelley School of Business.

Here are a few of the things I’ve learned:

Lesson 1 – Leave Your Ego at the Door

Did I mention I’m really bad at yoga?  When learning more advanced poses, there is a high risk of toppling over in a grand fashion time after time.  But one of those times when you flail yourself up into one of the seemingly impossible positions, you won’t fall and all of those other times when you crumpled into a sweaty heap will be forgotten.  Kelley is very much the same experience.  I failed a lot in my first year.  I bombed exams.  I bombed interviews. I applied for many jobs I didn’t get. However, I also took first prize in a national case competition and scored internship offers from my dream companies.  At Kelley, we are encouraged to take risks and not all of those risks work out. But the way this community celebrates our successes and lifts us up from our disappointments makes it that much easier to jump again.

Lesson 2 – Keep your eyes on your own mat

This was one of the hardest lessons for me to learn both in yoga and in business school.  In yoga class, I invariably end up next to the bendy dancer who seems to be incapable of sweating.  I could spend all class glancing over at her to see what crazy position she had gotten herself into but that wouldn’t serve me.  If I allowed myself to be intimidated by other yogis, I would never show up to class and what good would that do me?  Same goes for business school.  Being at Kelley, I am constantly surrounded by amazingly smart people. We are all on our own MBA journeys together but we are all moving at our own pace.  It’s great to have a benchmark but you’ll drive yourself crazy trying to keep up with everyone else.  It’s important to know yourself and be able to let go of those things that aren’t serving you as you work towards your goals.

Lesson 3- It’s brave to ask for help

Help in yoga comes in a lot of different forms. You can use props like a strap or block to help you get into certain poses. Another form of help is to retreat into a static, resting pose in the middle of class while everyone else continues to move and flow. It took me a long time to get used to incorporating these tools into my practice. I wanted to look like a strong, solid yogi who could hold the pose without “cheating” but didn’t realize that I was compromising my form and ultimately risking injury by pushing myself beyond my limits. As I’ve started to practice more, I have embraced these assisting tools and it has had the most profound impact on my yoga experience. At Kelley, we have unlimited resources at our disposal. You will run into problems as you navigate through business school and I wish I had spent more time getting to know every single person in GCS, the different resources in the MBA office and the faculty members and bravely asking for help and support as I moved through my first year. These amazing people want to help you achieve your goals and love to celebrate your successes. Your Kelley classmates are also an amazing support system. Despite being in a competitive environment, I am always humbled by my classmates and their wiliness and desire to go the extra mile for me.  Kelley is a reciprocal environment.  I am constantly learning from my classmates and I work just as hard to help them through this process as well.

Lesson 4- Shavasana- Rest is good

It’s also important to force yourself to take a step back from the program every now and again and check in with yourself.  I learned so much in my first year but as I look back, the biggest impact Kelley has had on me was my own personal growth. Sometimes I got caught up in the rat race but allowing myself to take a moment, a night, a weekend for myself helped me re-center and focus on why I went back to school to get my MBA in the first place: to become not only a better marketer but also a better leader and person.  Kelley is a unique community and having the courage to ask others for help will immeasurably improve your MBA experience.

The lessons above are just a few of many that I’ve taken away from my yoga practice that have gotten me through the last year.  Honestly, I may always be terrible at yoga.  However, I will continue to show up because although I might not be reaping the benefits of my work in the studio, yoga has given me the confidence and the poise to perform in class, in team environments and in the interview room. That makes every bead of sweat and face plant worth it.

Why Rocky Never Gets Old

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Nicolette Michele Johnson

by Nicolette Michele Johnson, Associate Director of Kelley School’s Graduate Career Services

I was introduced to Ryan Coogler, the twenty-something creator and director of Creed, the seventh film in the Rocky series, while watching The Daily Show with Trevor Noah last weekend (I often record the show and watch a week’s worth in one sitting.)

Coogler told Noah that he was focusing on football in college when his college writing instructor called his dorm room, asking him to stop by her office, which was nearby. Coogler said that he thought that he had done something wrong or would be told something bad.

However, when he arrived and to his surprise, his instructor complimented his writing ability and encouraged him to continue to writing.

With that seemingly small piece of encouragement, he continued to write and later attended USC’s School of Cinematic Arts before directing his first feature film Fruitvale Station, a Sundance Film Festival winner, and the subsequent Creed film for which Sylvester Stallone just won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.

I’m always amazed at how simple words of encouragement can do so much to help people — move forward or bask in greatness right then and there. A simple positive comment can spark a special something in someone for only a few minutes or perhaps a lifetime, if the person really lets it sink in.

I recently participated in a coaching training class, where we focused on helping people work through their feelings and impressions about their present circumstances. One common practice in the class, like in the ones prior, was to verbally “acknowledge” another person’s good qualities.

The class was filled with adult professionals, who may not be quite as receptive to “acknowledgment” as more impressionable young people. Regardless, I believe that acknowledging adults also carries a strong influence, although we may need more of it to overcome the limiting self-talk that gets in the way, especially when positive affirmations are less sticky than negative thoughts.

I’ve done my share of acknowledging the greatness in people. But I haven’t done enough. There are too many people, especially kids with uncelebrated capability, who aren’t aware of their greatness or potential.

Beginning in 2016, I’ll make a point to acknowledge (hopefully with soul-stirring impact at least on occasion) the greatness in others and devise ways to reach those for whom acknowledgment will have the greatest positive impact.

If you have suggestions for acknowledgment or examples of how you do it, please let me know.

“Why Rocky never gets old” was originally published on LinkedIn Pulse on January 12, 2016.

Early-Career Communication Part 1: Expressing Dissent

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Kendell Brown

By  Kendell Brown, Associate Director of Graduate Career Services

How can you express dissent without sounding like a troublemaker? The key is to respectfully and intelligently highlight your thoughts and opinions without letting your emotions get in the way. Here are several strategies you can utilize. Each strategy works best in a particular scenario. So think through the situation you find yourself in and choose the option that is best.

Option 1 – Ask questions.
You can pose questions for the team to consider. Questions like – “Did anyone consider how the new pricing system would impact our smaller customers?” or “What about thinking through the likelihood that Legal will agree to those revised contract terms?” This way you are not seen as the one trying to kill an idea, instead you are viewed as someone who is thinking two-steps ahead of everyone else. When dissent is packaged this way, you are actually seen as being organizationally savvy enough to foresee potential roadblocks. Your comments may be construed as a “head’s up” versus negativity.
Option 2 – Highlight contra-indicative information.
Stating key facts is an alternative for highlighting a disagreement without fully owning it. A statement such as “Decreasing the timeline by 3 weeks will cause us to be 25% over budget.” A well-documented fact cannot be argued. In this situation, you are not seen as rabble rousing, instead you’ll be perceived as knowledgeable and informed. This is best for those times when you’re new to the team or you work in a highly consensus-building organization.
Options 1 and 2 are appropriate for when you want to de-personalize your dissent and you don’t want to be known as an “agitator”.  These strategies are most effective when you don’t yet have an established workplace brand or you don’t want to branded as the company instigator.
Now let’s Consider those times when you’re in a team meeting, an idea gets thrown out that generates a lot of excitement and energy. However, you for whatever reason are not in agreement. What can you do? Let’s continue with our countdown of options.
Option 3 – Be blunt.
“I respectfully disagree.” Clearly stating your thoughts leaves no room for ambiguity and is sometimes the best course of action. This tactic is best for when you can speak from direct knowledge or experience, letting others know your (well-informed) opinion can stop the team from wasting valuable time and resources. Utilize this option when you past experiences closely align with the plan the team is considering. Thus your opinion is not a point of view, it’s actually a case study.
Option 4 – Be cagey.
“Let me play devil’s advocate…” This is a way to insert some of your concerns into the conversation without explicitly disagreeing. This course of action is best when you believe the team needs to think through issues to a greater degree. Perhaps you like the general direction the team is taking, yet you are concerned about some of the details. Consequently, this option is best when you feel the team needs to do some further thinking about how to bring an idea to fruition.
Now let’s think about that same meeting. However, instead of disagreeing, you have your own idea that you want the team to consider. This leads me to Options 5 and 6:
Option 5 – Be provocative.
“Ok, this is going to seem as if it’s coming from left field, but what about we turn this thing on its head and look at it in an entirely different way?”
You should reserve Option 5 for when you have an idea that drastically changes the direction of the conversation, because you want to embolden and broaden the discussion.
Let’s continue with our team meeting scenario and discuss our 6th and final option. Perhaps as the team was talking, your concerns grew. Yet, you never said anything. So how do you disagree at a later point in time?
Option 6 – Present an alternative.
As time passes, it’s still acceptable to disagree. However, you should recognize that as time passes, it’s likely the commitment to the decision has grown and thus the challenge of getting people to change course has grown. Consequently, you have to do more than simply disagree; you need to also propose an alternative solution. This solution should be well-thought out and detailed. Ideally, it should include a new perspective, supporting evidence, a course of action, goals and success metrics. Although Option 6 requires a lot of work, the result can be immense. First and foremost, you can potentially save the team from pursuing the wrong path. Additionally, you may become the new team “hero”. Of course, the chances of you persuading the team to change are not guaranteed. No matter the final outcome, utilizing Option 6 you have added to your personal brand. You will be seen as someone that strongly advocates for your point of view. Additionally, you will earn the title of problem solver.
Option 6 is obviously best when a decision doesn’t need to be made right away and when you have the information to compose a compelling alternative.
So I’ve given you six ways to effectively disagree. Using any of these strategies, you avoid being labeled a troublemaker or malcontent. Instead you’ll be viewed as forward thinker, bold speaker and smart risk taker. It’s important to note that expressing disagreement is fine and in many organizations it is expected. However, once a decision has been made, it’s necessary for you to get on board and not cling to your dissent. Otherwise, you risk the goodwill you created by appropriately disagreeing. After your opinion has been expressed and fully vetted, no matter the outcome, you now need to move forward with the team and its decision.
Early-Career Communication is a four-part series by Kendell Brown, Associate Director of Kelley School of Business Graduate Career Services. Kendell and her team meet and coach hundreds of students, alumni, and corporate partners on tried and true recruiting methods, interviewing tactics, and career management strategies, while staying in tune to how these areas are changing and evolving. Email Kendell at kendbrow@indiana.edu. 

Bloomington Audit: John W. Scott, MBA’16

Posted on by Kelley School

John W. Scott, MBA’16, and his favorite things.


Not only is the Kelley MBA program among the top in the world, so is our location in Bloomington, Indiana. This incredible college town boasts natural beauty, a low cost of living and is nationally recognized for its food, theater, music and adventure. That’s why we’ve asked John Scott, MBA’16, to continue our #BtownAudit series and share some of his favorite things in Bloomington.


Birthday Beers at Function Brewing

If you are a beer aficionado like me, you will find yourself at home at Function Brewing within the first few sips. The Conjecture IPA is my favorite, and is especially delicious on birthdays! Pair it with one of their stellar paninis and you are on your way to one of the best meals in town.

Green Curry Chicken at My Thai

There are few things I love more than Thai food, and the spicier the better. My Thai is one of my favorite places in town, and I often crave their Green Curry Chicken. Their menu may say you can order up to level 5, but be bold and go for something higher – like level 8!

Harvest Moon at Cardinal Spirits

When the leaves start to turn, the best place to admire the beauty of Bloomington is from Cardinal Spirit’s patio. This year-old local distillery offers some of the best cocktails in town, and their locally-sourced spirits are top-notch.  The Harvest Moon, one of their own creations, has a cinnamon stick and granny apple slices. What’s not to love?

Cold Brew Coffee from Uel Zing

I love to support local. When I find myself in need of a much-needed caffeine boost, I go for some of Uel Zing’s cold brew coffee. It’s delicious and one is enough to last all day!

Walking the dog (or yourself) through the IU campus

IU’s campus is recognized as one of the most beautiful in the country, and when the leaves start to change, it is easy to see how it has earned that title. Walking our puppy through campus and getting lost in the trails is an excellent way to spend an afternoon after class. (For great photos of campus, check out these Instagram accounts: Indiana University, Kelley School, & Kelley School MBA.)

Saturday Farmer’s Market

Bloomington Farmer’s Market is not only a great place to get some fantastic locally-sourced meats and produce, but it is also a fun way to spend a Saturday morning. Go and enjoy the music, grab some fresh Indiana apples, and cook up something delicious!

Watching the game at The Tap (with Tap Fries, of course)

The Tap is one of the best spots in town, and their plethora of TVs makes it a great meeting spot for watching IU away games. Try one of their 300+ beers in stock and on tap, order some delicious Tap fries, and watch IU win.

Authentic Tacos from La Poblana Taco Truck

Love tacos? You won’t find anything better than the ones La Poblana makes. Their Cochinita Pibil and Al Pastor tacos are incredible and will leave you going back for more.

What are your favorite things about Bloomington? Join in on the discussion using the hashtag #BtownAudit.

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