The pace picks up for the second opening week of the MBA program, with the official start just a few days away.
“You have all been admitted to one of the most selective programs in the world. You have been hand picked among the best in your fields, because you are the best in your fields. Maybe nobody said that to you before, but we will. And we’ll make sure you remember. You’ll go through an intense and innovative program that will change you for life. It is pretty much like table tennis, no matter what they throw at you, you will return.”
This is how it started. This is how we were received. And it is for real. You have the best facilities, you have support, you receive all the required tools, backpacks, material and … infinite coffee, tea, chocolate … you pick your preference – and amazing lunch. Did I mention the fruit?
It is almost like you are spoiled, yet, if IMD is composed by spoiling smiley parents, they manage to keep you aware of your reality with pre-program assignments, information, assignments, requirements … And they keep coming. In a speed that is unstoppable and overwhelming. Timing by the second, you miss something, and it is gone. Keep in mind: it has been three days of introduction classes. “Wonder if we can manage to keep our relations of outside the school” one of my colleagues said to me, seconds after I realized I had not yet responded to my mother’s message from Friday (this was on a Sunday).
You can see the smiles on the faces of the professors coming in for the first time, “It is always so nice to teach the first classes” they say, “It is always nice to see this stamina and energy” they say.
This is just the beginning; this is just the easy part. Shaking hands, hellos and where you come from. Hopes and fears. Scratching the surface of our personalities. The layers are yet to be pealed. The leaders are yet to manifest. Relationships will get deeper, probably stress out. And recover …
We have no idea how this is going to roll out. We have no idea how the year is really going to be. We don’t know, IMD doesn’t know. Each class of 90 has their own personality. We have ours, #IMDMighty90. We are different from the start, the class of 90 with 89. What we know for sure is: the balls will keep coming, with 178 arms to throw them back.
