Mondays - Harvard - Example business school statement

Example business school statement

I dreaded Mondays during the winter of 2004–2005. I dealt with problems: we ran into the wrong silo, ruining 150,000 pounds of material (a $75,000 mistake), Line 4’s motor blew, and the 1600 jammed. We just moved to the seven-day schedule, which meant running sixty hours without management on-site. I hated Mondays.

As the new production manager at Ultra-Poly’s main plant, I managed the company’s largest department through the biggest expansion of its thirty-year history. That fall we doubled capacity by transitioning to a twenty-four-hour, seven-day schedule and installing a fifth production line. The department’s workforce grew from thirty to sixty-five-plus in two months.

My first challenge was devising a strategy to facilitate the schedule change. Initially employees, unhappy with prospects of working twelve-hour shifts, threatened to quit. I realized employees’ anger stemmed from their perceived powerlessness. My proposal, designed to win support for change through communication and employee involvement, included interviewing every employee. In meetings, I explained the company’s need for change and presented scheduling options. Importantly, employees determined the adopted schedule via companywide vote. Thus, they controlled part of the process that fostered support. I built consensus and, amazingly, no employees left after the change.

Despite higher capacity, output dropped after we started running seven days. Restructuring meant experienced employees were spread thin. Mistakes caused downtime and quality problems. As pressure mounted, increasing production became critical. We needed to train the thirty-plus new employees fast. I initiated and oversaw development of an extruder-operator training course, complete with custom videos, tests, and certification criteria. The program delivered results: since early 2005, fifteen operators have been certified and daily production has increased by 25 percent.

Facilitating change highlighted my strong communication skills and grasp of organizational theory. Leading through the ensuing adversity required vision and confidence. At times however, my lack of management experience caused problems. Accurately setting expectations was difficult initially, and learning was a process of trial and error: low expectations meant underperformance, but unreasonably high expectations caused confusion and animosity. My solution was to gain expertise in the process. Understanding the equipment’s capabilities provided an important guide for setting expectations. Though I still need experience, I understand the value of the perspective it provides. Since the transition, the workforce has solidified and production exceeds forecasts. Successfully leading the department through this dramatic growth stage was the most challenging and rewarding experience of my career.

Analysis

From the outset, David establishes a very human connection with the reader. How many of us, after all, have felt some anxiety about returning to work at the beginning of the week? He draws us in further with his detailed description of the troubles he encounters, seemingly pulling the reader onto the plant floor alongside him with vivid imagery.

Beyond this compelling introduction, much of this essay’s strength lies in its organization. Notice how naturally and cogently the story progresses. David quickly moves from setting the stage in the first two paragraphs, to defining a problem, describing his role in crafting a solution, and discussing the outcome. Throughout, the focus remains on the results—“no employees left after the change.” He adds further depth, complexity, and credibility to his story by discussing some unintended consequences of his actions as well as the efforts he led to mitigate them, again focusing on the tangible results of his leadership.

The essay’s only faults lie in David’s last paragraph where he addresses the second part of the essay prompt: How did this experience highlight your strengths and weaknesses as a leader? His lack of managerial experience does not differentiate him from the rest of the young managers and analysts in the applicant pool where such failings are common. That’s a given. The pitfall is that the essay allows an admissions officer to wonder why David needs business school instead of more work experience. 

Applicants should not shy away from using a real weakness (i.e., not a disguised strength or a simple lack of experience), and use it as an opportunity to show their honesty, self-awareness, and their personal development as a leader.

Second, the essay clearly demonstrates how his strengths and experiences as a leader will make him a strong contributor to the school community, but in leading the project, he applied leadership skills he had already learned, e.g., consensus-building and communicating a vision. Writing about a reinforcing moment rather than a defining moment doesn’t make for a flawed essay. These moments can very clearly get their points across as David’s essay did, but they normally have less impact because the change isn’t striking or significant.

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