The Cranfield experience – my tribute to Term 1
More than three months after I arrived at Cranfield, I take stock of what has become of me. I have changed in three months - if ever that is possible for a 35 year old. Some changes are more evident than others. Some can only be felt and are not visible to the outside world.
I am amongst the many students to be on campus with family, and it was a tough call. Divya and I were working with two big multinational organizations back in India and wanted to experience international exposure and re-skill ourselves. We chose Cranfield over any other options for a varied number of reasons –top ranked one year programme in UK, average age of students, small batch unlike the mass MBA manufacturing schools across in other continents, on-campus housing (believe me, it can be a very critical factor) and value for money. And above all, we got selected at the same school with Divya securing a fee-share scholarship too.
When you have grown up for so many years in the protected environment of a close knit small family, when you have never stepped beyond your shores and when you are shouldering the partial responsibility of running the household, a decision for a couple to come together and study together was a bold one. In hind sight, our decision surprises me too. I could do that! I know it is a sacrifice for every one in my extended family – even if it is for one year only.
My motivation for the Cranfield MBA was so high that I quit my senior management, seven-digit figure paying job to be here – one amongst the many. It was time to step outside for a while and explore something more.
“Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves -- to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterday by our today” - Stewart B. Johnson
That is what I came here for. To be amongst people who are absolutely capable, if not more, as you are. To set my benchmarks higher than what I have had so far. And test my wings to see how high I can fly. I am reminded of what I share with our orienteers – “fly as high as you can; the height you attain will show the strength of your wings” (anonymous). Unknowingly, it seemed to have applied on me as well.
And Cranfield MBA has done just that for me – changed my views about myself, broken my complex and given me tremendous amount of feedstock to reflect upon.
It has stretched me more than I ever did in my life so far – staying awake till past midnight with complete attention, gathering courage to play rugby amongst big built Europeans and yet finding time in the always-so-busy schedule of a Cranfield MBA to write such diary postings – I never knew I could do so much. Sometimes, I surprise myself too.
It has also exposed me to my own blind spots – faltering in an accounting case despite being an accountant by education, failing to adhere the team code of on-time arrival for team meetings when I considered myself to be the most disciplined person on earth, experiencing the sense of not having done justice to my learning team when I know I didn’t contribute much to the group SMS presentation. All these and more can really pull you down while raising the respect of your team members in your eyes. It is these five other saints who made me sail through Term 1 -Andrew, Charlie, Jumoke, Maria and Mahesh. You helped me learn the meaning of “inter-dependence”.
One may wonder – how different it really is in the corporate world. I think it is no different except in one way. The inter dependence exists. Out there, however, the sequence is reverse – we all try to get ahead, at the cost of others. Little do we realize that there is that big, real possibility of getting ahead - with the help of others around you?
Cranfield MBA Term 1 has forced me to make choices at a very personal level; like when to fight my corner and when to let something go. It has also shown me the importance of self-reflection. And as I sit back and remember the three months gone by, I know I have covered some distance. I know I am not very far away from the point when I convert this knowledge into action.
I am amongst the many students to be on campus with family, and it was a tough call. Divya and I were working with two big multinational organizations back in India and wanted to experience international exposure and re-skill ourselves. We chose Cranfield over any other options for a varied number of reasons –top ranked one year programme in UK, average age of students, small batch unlike the mass MBA manufacturing schools across in other continents, on-campus housing (believe me, it can be a very critical factor) and value for money. And above all, we got selected at the same school with Divya securing a fee-share scholarship too.
When you have grown up for so many years in the protected environment of a close knit small family, when you have never stepped beyond your shores and when you are shouldering the partial responsibility of running the household, a decision for a couple to come together and study together was a bold one. In hind sight, our decision surprises me too. I could do that! I know it is a sacrifice for every one in my extended family – even if it is for one year only.
My motivation for the Cranfield MBA was so high that I quit my senior management, seven-digit figure paying job to be here – one amongst the many. It was time to step outside for a while and explore something more.
“Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves -- to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterday by our today” - Stewart B. Johnson
That is what I came here for. To be amongst people who are absolutely capable, if not more, as you are. To set my benchmarks higher than what I have had so far. And test my wings to see how high I can fly. I am reminded of what I share with our orienteers – “fly as high as you can; the height you attain will show the strength of your wings” (anonymous). Unknowingly, it seemed to have applied on me as well.
And Cranfield MBA has done just that for me – changed my views about myself, broken my complex and given me tremendous amount of feedstock to reflect upon.
It has stretched me more than I ever did in my life so far – staying awake till past midnight with complete attention, gathering courage to play rugby amongst big built Europeans and yet finding time in the always-so-busy schedule of a Cranfield MBA to write such diary postings – I never knew I could do so much. Sometimes, I surprise myself too.
It has also exposed me to my own blind spots – faltering in an accounting case despite being an accountant by education, failing to adhere the team code of on-time arrival for team meetings when I considered myself to be the most disciplined person on earth, experiencing the sense of not having done justice to my learning team when I know I didn’t contribute much to the group SMS presentation. All these and more can really pull you down while raising the respect of your team members in your eyes. It is these five other saints who made me sail through Term 1 -Andrew, Charlie, Jumoke, Maria and Mahesh. You helped me learn the meaning of “inter-dependence”.
One may wonder – how different it really is in the corporate world. I think it is no different except in one way. The inter dependence exists. Out there, however, the sequence is reverse – we all try to get ahead, at the cost of others. Little do we realize that there is that big, real possibility of getting ahead - with the help of others around you?
Cranfield MBA Term 1 has forced me to make choices at a very personal level; like when to fight my corner and when to let something go. It has also shown me the importance of self-reflection. And as I sit back and remember the three months gone by, I know I have covered some distance. I know I am not very far away from the point when I convert this knowledge into action.
posted by Sandeep Gupta at
10:38 am
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