Please provide an example of a time when you had to make a choice between two equally important obligations
Please provide an example of a time when you had to make a choice between two equally important obligations.
a) How did you decide which obligation deserved your attention?
b) Did you try and predict other people's reactions to your decision? If so, how accurate were you? Why do you think you were or were not accurate in your prediction?
c) Reflecting on this experience, how do you think an MBA from Chicago GSB might have aided in your decision making process?
As a Project Manager for a homebuilder, sales and construction are two important areas of my responsibilities. When I was initially promoted to Project Manager, I was given responsibility for a project requiring significant warranty and construction repairs due to poor workmanship. This quality control issue was evident in the post-closing surveys and resulted in unsatisfied clients. Upper management’s mandate was to focus our resources on improving construction quality.
With the objective established, I created several initiatives to develop the construction staff. First, we transferred a Senior Construction Manager to the Division to administer a training program. This ensured the companies acceptable construction standards were adhered to by all. Second, more subcontractors were brought in to increase competition. By re-bidding the contracts, we provided our construction team with better quality. Finally, we decided to bring in the quality assurance inspector on a more regular basis. These spot checks helped identify any improper methods and ensured proper installation. Unfortunately, during this implementation process the national housing market’s slowdown reached our region and we experienced perpetually declining sales.
As a manager, I was faced with the decision of developing the construction team or focusing on diminishing sales and due to the intensive support needed I could only focus on one area. Initially, I continued to train and support the construction team. We were in the midst of improvements and I felt my presence was necessary to complete the implementation process. However, the continued underperformance of our sales staff could no longer be ignored. At that point, I recognized the need to turn my concentration to sales and delegate oversight of the construction quality improvement to a staff member. A critical obstacle was convincing upper management that this was a prudent decision and the most efficient way to improve both areas in a short period of time.
My initial resistance to the transition was based on the construction staff’s past performance and upper management’s focus on improving construction quality. The ramifications from poor quality construction were evident in the repair bills. But after outlining the dilemma, I felt it necessary to turn my focus to sales. The groundwork had been laid for construction quality improvement, and I felt confident in the abilities of the staff member I planned to appoint. I anticipated that my boss would be hesitant to support the change. He and his colleagues had been very clear when I started running the project that construction quality should be a focal point; given the constructions staff’s past performance without proper guidance, I had originally agreed. Yet after I spoke with my boss about the pressing sales problems and the steps we had outlined to improve construction quality, I persuaded him to fully support my plan. The information I presented clearly showed a method that would achieve the required results.
Once I received approval, I had to implement the transition quickly. Sales problems had arisen from several areas. Prospects were posing difficult questions the sales staff had not previously encountered; they were having trouble selling their existing home or securing financing. I decided that this required a radical shift in our approach and started working weekends with the sales staff. With my increased presence, we were able to provide a quicker response to these objections. We established programs that required us to delay the start of construction or grant settlement extensions at certain critical points to combat these objections. In addition, my local mortgage broker was able to tailor programs to the buyers’ needs. By role playing with the sales staff, we instilled the confidence they needed to effectively overcome the buyers’ objections. Due to this training and support, our sales staff now had a “toolbox” of programs to utilize and we successfully exceeded our next quarterly projections. During that same period, the construction staff increased the construction quality and achieved the goal that had been established for them.
After encountering this dilemma, I was able to reflect on my decision and its effectiveness. The clear expectations my boss had set were an obstacle to my proposal. But I was able to overcome the burden of proof he required by presenting him with a well-reasoned proposal. I could see from the buyer feedback that we still had a high volume of traffic but that the sales staff was ill-equipped to overcome the objections they encountered. The research I provided my boss was enough to influence his decision and turn him into an advocate for my plan. We challenged the current strategy, and with a few creative ideas, we generated a spark in the sales office.
At Chicago, being the “CEO of my experience” will allow me to adapt the available coursework to best fit my goals and strengthen my credentials. The frameworks for strategic problem solving taught in the program would have prepared me to seek alternatives to this situation. If we had utilized statistical analysis, we would have discovered another solution to our significant decrease in sales. After the experience, I discovered our highest conversion rate was through homeowner referrals. Additionally, I was not comfortable delegating the construction quality improvements until it became necessary. The team projects and wide range of clubs and groups on campus offer the type of leadership roles where I can enhance my ability to not only delegate, but also motivate and provide constructive feedback to others. Improving in these areas will also make me a more effective leader, as I will understand how to leverage the talents of others in order to grow my future company. On my recent campus visit, the participants of the information session displayed Chicago’s incredibly diverse student body. I am excited to participate in the highly collaborative environment and share this experience with other students. It has been highly beneficial to my development and will continue to be through the constructive feedback I receive from other students. In hindsight, had I been armed with an MBA I would have seen past my perceived obstacles to the underlying problem and effectively solved it sooner.