During my first consulting project, I was asked to construct a sales plan for an insurance company. The first step was to meet Adam, the director of sales, to discuss forecasting assumptions. A list of questions in hand, I knocked on the door. To my surprise, Adam was very formal in his reception. He did not understand why we were meeting, so I explained that I would be creating sales plans. At that point, he became outright hostile. He barked out his non-answers to my questions and informed me he was very busy . . . preparing sales plans. Before I could suggest cooperation, I was ushered out, and the door slammed behind me. Too shocked to react to the secretary’s condescending smirk, I attempted to grasp why a textbook opportunity for teamwork became such a spectacular failure. What had I done to attract such hostility? I had just wanted to help. I called my engagement manager to complain, but he just accused me of handling the situation poorly. I was crushed and convinced that I was not cut out for consulting.

To this day, I am not sure why Adam was so hostile. Retrospectively, I can only guess that he was insulted and threatened, because no one had formally requested his assistance. Instead, a twenty-two-year-old appeared in his office, ready to perform one of his most challenging tasks.

Adam and I never became friends, but the incident profoundly affected the way I communicate. Now, every time I interview a client, I begin by exploring and allaying any fears the person might have. I explain the project’s rationale and seek a frank reaction. The rapport thus established makes the interviewees comfortable enough to share private opinions. This very human interaction not only secures me with quick yet profound insights, but also relationships that often far outlast consulting projects.

Analysis

This is a good failure essay in part because the main narrative does not have a happy ending. Many failure essays, in contrast, are really success stories told with a focus on the bumps along the road. In this case, the author is frank that he bungled his interaction with Adam. Although he does not say so directly, we can probably guess that he and Adam never had an especially productive working relationship (never mind that they did not become friends). As such, the essay is an example of a legitimate failure. When writing your own failure essay, do not waste time trying to sugarcoat a bad outcome. Say what happened and then move on.

The key, of course, is what the author learns from the experience. The answer: quite a lot. We see the author in a resilient light. He initially thinks he is not cut out for consulting but uses the experience to change his entire approach to interacting with clients. The result is a renewed focus on establishing relationships and building trust. The author has been humbled but emerges from the experience a more mature person and as someone skilled at working with senior-level executives. The ability to manage up in an organization as well as handle difficult conversations at all levels with both grace and candor will serve the author well at HBS and in his future career.

From 65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays edited by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson. Copyright (c) 2009 by the authors and reprinted by permission of St. Martin's Publishing Group