My first project at Accenture consisted of an SAP implementation for Chile’s largest copper mining company. Thanks to the experience I had acquired on the human resources module, I was asked to train the geographical division’s personnel. I had spent several days preparing the training material and rehearsing before I arrived to the Chuquicamata site, the largest open-sky mine in the world, where forty administrative staff and supervisors were expecting me for weeklong training. They were all men and most of them former miners. The first session was terrible! I did not get any attention from my audience, and they were even disrespectful toward me.

There is a strong cultural rivalry between Chile and Argentina, to the point that some Chilean clients refuse to be served by Argentinean consulting teams. Additionally, very few women work in Chile, and even fewer are executives. That day, I had the feeling I was paying for both being an Argentinean and a woman. Nevertheless, I was extremely disappointed with my own performance and incapacity to control the group.

Toward the late afternoon, I interrupted the formal session and opened up the dialogue, reinforcing why I thought this training was important for all participants, and how it would affect their daily work. I also clearly stated how unprofessional their attitude had been and how it made me feel. After discussing what they wanted to get out of the training, we agreed on having eight extra hours to compensate for the time lost. From that moment on the group’s attitude changed radically, my role was accepted, and the training turned out to be a great success.

What I learned from this episode was, above all, the absolute imperative to adapt the message and format of any presentation to its audience, and to identify and address the potential sources of conflict up front.

Analysis

Eugenia finds herself in a tough spot. Many professionals will have encountered a similar situation—on unfamiliar ground, feeling under-qualified, and facing a hostile client. Eugenia provides a great deal of detail in her story, and this helps the reader empathize with her situation as a woman facing cultural and sexist obstacles. With a limited word count you do not want to over-invest in setting the stage, but at the same time it is critical to take the time to tell a story people can relate to.

In describing her next steps, Eugenia walks through a three-point action plan and then assesses how she improved the situation. As in most good failure essays, the concluding outcome is positive. Eugenia demonstrates that she is able to react to setbacks in a mature and rational fashion, no matter how stressful the situation.

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