The Most Important Development Need and Why - Admission/Application Essay Example

1. Provide an example of where you overcame a problem. Given the chance, what would you do differently? In the past, I was not always an organised person and whenever I had tasks, I used to waste a lot of time before embarking on them. This trend always led me to the last minute struggle where I was forced to complete a task hurriedly in order to make up for the lost time. I used to do shoddy work, therefore, proving to be incompetent. It was very challenging to study for my examinations because I used to waste a lot of time, therefore, being unable to revise extensively. However, I experienced a difficult semester during my second year in college, which enabled me to overcome this problem. During my second year in college, the course of study required every student to complete three different projects by the end of the first semester. I knew that I could not complete my projects in time and study for my finals as well, if I managed my time poorly by procrastinating and wasting time. The projects were also very crucial in my entire studies; therefore, I had to deliver quality work. I was determined to change my ways, therefore, sought help from my friends and read a lot of reading materials on time management. I found out that the first thing I had to do was to avoid procrastination. I decided to embark on the projects immediately after they were delegated. Second, I had to prioritise different tasks according to their importance. This was very helpful, as I was able to determine the tasks that required more attention. Thirdly, I knew that I had to complete the tasks excellently to avoid repeating them. This was a way of reducing time wastage. As I approached the middle of the semester, I had completed two projects and was halfway through with the most difficult one. I had ample time to study for my finals and by utilising time management skills, I was able to read thoroughly and pass excellently. Tell us about a time when you were part of a team and there was a difference of opinion. What happened and what did you do? What was the outcome? At the end of my second year, I decided to join a summer internship at a local accounting firm, as it provided relevant learning opportunities in my field of study. All the students who were attending the internship program were placed into different teams, which were expected to work together in solving the problems presented. In our team, we decided that we should share leadership, as we considered every individual to possess equal leadership skills. However, many problems emerged from our team, as some team members became disrespectful, others disputed the process of delegating duties and some team members failed to complete their tasks. A particular team member tried to force his way into leading the team, but no one would listen to him. The team was in disarray and I realised that we would not meet our targets or successfully compete with other teams. I decided to contact one of the program managers and explained the leadership challenges that had rocked our team. I explained to her that the team needed some form of intervention from an authoritative person. The program manager accepted to intervene and she decided to start by checking the progress we had made into accomplishing our tasks. She was shocked to see that we had not accomplished a single task. She enquired about the challenges that we were facing and it was apparent that the team lacked cohesion stemming from lack of leadership. She acted like a mediator by explaining to us the importance of effective teams and team leadership. The intervention worked and the team members selected a team leader and we worked together to accomplish our tasks. We were able to define goals, delegate different roles accordingly, the team members respected each other and the team worked cohesively. I was glad that I had executed a successful plan that had helped the team out of it woes. 2. Imagine that you had agreed to an international assignment of longer than six months. What would you see as your greatest strength in achieving success in that context? Most of the international companies are comprised of multicultural employees, as they seek to compete fiercely in the international markets. Diverse employees make diverse teams that are able to gather unique talent from different cultural backgrounds. I consider myself to be an easy going person because I am able to relate well with every person that I meet. This means that I have the ability to interact freely with new people. This would be a valuable quality if I had decided to take an International assignment in a company that I was not familiar with the other employees. This would allow me to blend in with the other employees and relate well with others, therefore, contributing towards the company’s goals. Secondly, I have had the opportunity of interacting extensively with diverse people. At the university, I had many friends who came from different parts of the world and diverse backgrounds. We were able to coexist peacefully throughout our stay in the university. I discovered that I could learn a lot of things from my diverse friends due to the different experiences that we all had. We were all learning from each other. I realised that respect was the ultimate force required in establishing a successful relationship with culturally diverse people. In case of an international assignment, I would treat all the employees respectfully and ensure that I learn from each one of them about various aspects of life. The fact that I have lived with diverse people in the past, shows that I can easily fit in an international organisation. Thirdly, I am able to adjust easily in a new environment. This would be important in an international assignment as I would be able to live and work in a different location without being affected by homesickness. 3. If you could have any person (alive or dead) to be your management consultant who would you choose and why? What was most significant about their contribution to your understanding of management? The world is moving into the technological age, where management consultants will be assessed by their knowledge in integrating technology and normal business practices. Sir Richard Branson is one of the best management consultant that I k now about. If I was t choose a management consultant, I would definitely pick him. Richard Branson has been able to integrate innovation and other different business practices. He is well known for bringing fun into every business venture that he heads. He advises people to engage in business practices that make them happy, therefore, enabling them to have fun instead of working. This advice ha helped a lot of people to start innovative businesses where they followed their hearts and made sure that they engage in a business that brought out a fun part of their life. Richard Branson is also a consultant in some of the technological firms in the world. This means that he has adequate knowledge on the topics of technology and can utilise the successfully to make a profitable company. He has ventured into technology with his space exploration company, Virgin Galactic. He has developed extreme innovations with his technology based company, as he plans on taking celebrities and other people to space for a significant amount of money. He has been able to integrate technology and other business practices, therefore, making him one of the best management consultants. Sir Branson goes beyond giving motivational talks but he also practices what he preaches. He has been able to coordinate different people and resources to make successful companies. He has been able to plan, initiate and utilise technology in his businesses, therefore, leading into the future of business. What do you consider your most important development need and why? How will you go about achieving improvement? Outline an action plan. I consider my most important development need to be leading individuals without having to be too nice to them. I have one particular problem, where I am always too nice to everyone. When placed as a leader in a certain group, some of the team members fail to recognise me as their team leader as I am too involved in the group’s activities. At school, I had numerous opportunities of leading different teams and other small projects. However, I realised that the team members usually took me for granted because I worked with them and participated in every step of the way. I participated in the activities because I wanted the team to obtain the desired results. However, I realised that the team members did not take me seriously as they did not recognise my position. I have decided to change this situation by creating an environment where the team members recognise my leadership. This will be done by ensuring that I have a good rapport with the team members but ascertain that they will be reporting to me, show mutual respect and establish well defined rules that will be followed at all times. This will allow me to assert authority but at the same time create a friendly environment by working with the team members to accomplish their goals. I will also ensure that there is an open door policy, where all team members can freely ask anything for advice or relevant resources. However, the issue of mutual respect will be stressed, to make sure that all the team members are aware of the different ranks. This will lead to effective leadership and ensure that the team leader is respected. Read More