Image: Columbia University in New York (parts of image are AI Generated)
Before jumping into the essays, if you wanna see what Michael Scott's resume looks like, you can have a look here- Michael Scott's MBA resume
The Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) is a co-curricular program designed to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to develop as inclusive leaders. Â Through various resources and programming, students explore and reflect on the following five inclusive leadership skills: Â Mitigating Bias and Prejudice; Managing Intercultural Dialogue; Addressing Systemic Inequity; Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking; and Creating an Inclusive Environment.
Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one of these five skills, and tell us the actions you took and the outcome. (250 words)
While the skills for inclusive leadership are interrelated, during my time at Dunder-Mifflin, I had a strong emphasis on an inclusive environment, where people can rely on each other and work collaboratively to welcome people with different backgrounds, identities and perspectives.
One conflict put our inclusive environment into question when one of our employees- Oscar Martinez came out as gay, which didn't go so well with another employee- Angela whose deeply religious values held her back. The growing hostility in the accounting department caught my attention and I decided to do something about it because on one hand, making someone feel included and not become a victim of systemic inequity was important and on the other, respecting the religious values of another was as important.
Finding common ground was important and upon discussing this separately with each of them, I found that Angela never hated Oscar, she didn't understand his identity. While not easy to resolve, I decided to organize a meeting in the conference room where each of us shared something about our personal identities that others didn't understand. Through this collective effort, Angela realized that while she may never understand Oscar because her religious views will always come in the way, she can still respect him as a person and a human.
Things restored to a better environment for Oscar, who was now able to feel more included in conversations and speak openly upon his return from Europe to the office. I learnt that values may conflict but we can still respect each other as human beings.
Here is How Michael Scott Brainstormed the stories- fun read!
Shaking Things Up at Dunder-Mifflin
So, picture this: Oscar, the accountant, decides to come out as gay, and oh boy, did it ruffle some feathers, especially with our dear Angela and her religious beliefs. The tension in the accounting department was thicker than Michael Scott's hair gel!
Bringing Harmony to the Chaos
As the office peacekeeper, I knew I had to step in and diffuse the situation. I mean, we couldn't have more drama than a Dundie Awards night, right?
Finding Middle Ground
I had heart-to-heart chats with both Oscar and Angela. Turns out, Angela wasn't a closet homophobe; she was just clueless about Oscar's rainbow-colored world. So, I organized a meeting where we all spilled our identity beans, even if some were more vanilla than others.
Lessons Learned
Long story short, after some awkward but necessary conversations, Angela realized she didn't have to throw Oscar a parade, but she could at least wave from the sidelines. In the end, we all learned that even in an office full of misfits, we can still find a way to coexist without burning the place down. Who knew, right?
AI used to create some part of the brainstorm, read with a healthy sense of humour. Michael is well intentioned.
We believe Columbia Business School is a special place with a collaborative learning environment in which students feel a sense of belonging, agency, and partnership--academically, culturally, and professionally.
How would you co-create your optimal MBA experience at CBS? Please be specific. (250 words)
The right to speak one's mind in an environment of psychological safety, to pursue one's goal while supporting the growth of those around them and to contribute to the mission of Columbia to create value for the society will remain the guiding principles to co-create my optimal MBA experience at CBS.
At CBS, the learning atmosphere will greatly benefit when we speak our minds to come up with transformational outcomes to the challenges we face in business. This diversity of perspective can enhance the learning experience of the clusters and the teams. While easier said than done, I have always maintained an open communication policy that promotes tolerance, diversity of perspectives and making a connection at a personal level. I believe that as our branch remained strong during the many challenges, the spirit of open communication can foster an environment of mutual respect that can reinforce the learning experience academically and culturally.
In the pursuit of our goal, a crucial aspect of aiding everyone in their personal growth is by assisting those in our midst to improve and grow stronger each day in my opinion. Such a strength usually comes from helping each other identify their weaknesses and helping them overcome them through mutual understanding. Being part of collaborative experiences with the Entrepreneurship association such as the movie nights, socials etc., can really aid in helping to get to know each other at a deeper level. We can come together to help each other in achieving our goals and what matters most to us, aiding in a learning experience at a cultural and professional level.
As we move towards graduation, keeping knowing that supporting one another grow in the industries we join can aid in following the vision of Columbia to create value for the society at large. And of course, having fun while we co-create this experience!
Here is How Michael Scott Brainstormed the stories- fun read!
My MBA journey at CBS is all about keeping it real in a safe space, chasing personal dreams while lifting others up, and hustling to make a positive impact at Columbia.
Here at CBS, we thrive on open dialogue to tackle business hurdles and embrace diverse viewpoints. I'm all about spreading love for tolerance, diversity, and making meaningful connections through honest conversations that elevate our academic and cultural game.
When it comes to crushing our goals, I'm all about supporting each other's growth by helping folks conquer their weaknesses through empathy. Whether it's bonding over movie nights or networking with the Entrepreneurship crew, let's build those connections and cheer each other on to success, leveling up our game both personally and professionally.
As we gear up to graduate, let's keep pushing each other to shine in our industries and make a real impact in society, in line with Columbia's vision. It's all about embracing the grind and co-creating this epic journey together!
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