Road Map to Success

"Time and distance in business school are relative—good luck trying to measure them"

By Linda Craib

My first year at business school ended with a map. Tasked to create a plan of action for my career as part of a class called Power and Politics, thoughts of journeys, destinations, and experiences came together in a paper and a cartographic representation of where I've been, where I'd like to go, and what skills from recent classes will take me there. Business school is like any journey. It begins with thoughts of a destination and ends up the sum of experiences you took to get there. Attempts to find your bearings at any given point result in a shift in focus from looking forward to looking back on the experiences we've had along the way. It may be a cliché, but it's the journey and not the destination that eventually quantifies the value of our endeavor.

DESTINATION AND SCALE

Time and distance in business school are relative—good luck trying to measure them. Never has a year in my life passed so quickly. I've settled into a steady but high-paced rhythm of twice-monthly classroom lectures that seem as natural a part of my life as breathing; I've forgotten what it's like to have time to spare.

With the business world all in chaos this past year, business schools have been under scrutiny for their part in the mess. In "The Buck Starts (and Stops) With Business Schools" (Harvard Business Review June 2009), former Yale Dean Joel Podolny, now dean of Apple University, tackled questions of accountability and responsibility, highlighting how the curriculum at Yale integrates ethics and values into a broad understanding of business scholarship and a holistic experience with clearly defined expectations. The stature of Yale has only increased for me as a result of a clear mission and focus relative to social responsibility and business; I'm proud to say that I am a member of the Yale School of Management Class of 2010.

This past year also allowed a glimpse of the physical future of the school. The new SOM campus, designed by Foster + Partners, was unveiled to students in early December. Following a presentation by the architects, students were encouraged to weigh in on the design and its conceptual foundation. Images of the school demonstrate an integration of the physical space with the unique core curriculum to create the best teaching environment in the business world; the Yale Corporation approved final construction plans in June 2009. Although I will be among the ranks of the alumnae when the school opens, I'm excited about what this new campus will mean for the school.

A culture of community was one of the four key functions identified by the architects in the creation and design of the new campus and buildings, and community permeates the atmosphere at the school. Relationships between students and between students and faculty are fostered from Day One and continue both inside and outside classrooms.

All work and no play would be a bore, and at Yale we have a good mix of both extremes. How many other schools have a dean who launches the school year by challenging the entire student body to a Labor Day road race to support charity? A professor who sends out an e-mail to the class asking, "Are you ready to rumble?" as we excitedly prepare for the challenges of the Littlefield Technologies Operations case at 10 p.m. on a Friday night? With professors who are engaging, supportive, and available outside the classroom, I have been shown repeatedly in words and actions that SOM is as vested in my successes as I am. That's a great feeling at the end of this first year.

ORIENTATION

I think it is probably all too common for students to think about how business school can help them succeed. Although individual success is important when taking on such an investment in time, money, and effort, looking at business school through such a narrow lens seems short-sighted.

Business Exchange

Track and share business topics across the Web.