As a Cary Grant fan, I was watching with my wife - the sleazily titled movie, "Operation Petticoat." Set in World War 2 around the journey of Rear Admiral Matt Sherman, played by Grant, the logbook sets in motion a reflection of the resurrection and adventure of the fictitious submarine - USS Sea Tiger, where the inmates are joined by five stranded female nurses.
Among the many funny scenes, there was a thread of sincerity on societal prejudices that continue to dominate our social consciousness. From- a one-dimensional approach to solving problems that the all-male crew engages in, the introduction of women in the story brings in creative ways to solve problems.
Even though the intent was for comedy, some of the narratives that I have read recently while editing MBA Essays address similar societal prejudices.
When you include them for Team Diversity MBA Essay Narratives, understand that these stories appear repeatedly in different formats. The only way to stand out is with the specifics.
Here are three common Team Diversity ideas:
Women and Caring
The primary thread of women and caring even in the movie was that with their introduction, the 'details' about the cleanliness of the floor, the continued inefficiency with which the engine was operated, and even the mental health of the crew got a recheck.
While creating the Sample Darden MBA Essay – Inclusive IMPACT (Women in Team)(297 Words), I included an example of an applicant who was in charge of the development team for a non-profit engagement. With a mix of talent who was working on the fundraising and developmental work, the first half of the project often hit milestones. The groundwork on educating the beneficiaries that dictated how the project was implemented led to a gap that had a high failure rate.
The introduction of women in the team improved the feedback-seeking and engagement among the beneficiaries. The stereotypical narrative that women care – should be used carefully as the tone shouldn't hint that women are not equally adept at handling tough negotiating tables or fundraising.
To manage this delicate narrative on Team diversity and increasing women's representation in teams to improve holistic thinking, Subscribe to F1GMAT's Essay Editing Service
Language - Just One Aspect of Effectiveness
I can't write about this person and name him as he often reads my blog.
Let us call him P (my former colleague when I was an engineer).
P was a Zen master, capable of reading thousands of lines of code, finding security loopholes, and fixing issues that kept the technology team scratching their heads for months. He had one problem – language was not his stronghold.
If you are working in an international or a team with strong analytical skills, this issue will crop up again and again.
Either the person's first language is not English or the person's communication is brief, with little effort in ensuring that the audience understood what they said. In P's case, it was the former as he studied in a non-English medium school where experiential learning was taught over preparing for an international job market. The result was a highly evolved problem-solving skill with limited English skills.
Despite the limitations, the company sent him to the US on a critical project. While the fluent native-level speakers (Indian engineers) hesitated to mingle with the American team, P didn't care how their US counterparts interpreted him. He had one another quality – he was not afraid to look foolish. The weekend poker games were mostly 4 American colleagues and P battling it out over pitchers of beer. And by the end of the project, everyone wanted P in the team.
I have read similar narratives on the before and after of candidates who were sidelined because of their language skills, but the applicant pitched for the person.
This is the route in most examples:
"Hesitant non-native speaker" Colleague -> Encouragement and Orientation from Applicant -> Confident non-native colleague with better communication skills
I have edited 3-5 narratives around this template. Before the narrative becomes a cliché, include the 'details' of how you helped overcome the initial hesitation of the colleague.
Finding a Common Thread in Diverse Culture
Another team diversity narrative is around integrating international teams or working with international clients. I don't have to preach on the timelines with which American, Indian, Chinese, South American, or German applicants approach a project.
There is a vast difference in interpreting 'the details and deadlines.'
Many cultures need all the details before proceeding with a solution.
Many find it insulting to go straight into the problem without building rapport.
The permutation and combination of stories around overcoming cultural barriers are often about adjusting to a different culture – a trait that is essential to excel in an international MBA class.
An even better narrative is around finding a common motivation in multiple cultures.
None of the books on culture give emphasis on finding common ground. This is the skill of a leader – finding incentives that motivate all stakeholders.
If you can do that cross-culturally, you are showing promise to be in a C-suite role in the future.
