At HEC Paris, mvlti svnt vocati, pavci vero electi!

Friday, March 23, 2007

Marketing Exams Over, and is Negotiation an Art?

We had our last Marketing exam this week and so we have one more subject down! The only thing left for this course is the project on which we are currently working.

Things are also beginning to churn regarding the MBA student council elections. A good friend wants to run for it and we have thought about putting in a team together but it does not help that another good friend wants to run too! I think it would be a fun thing to do to work in the council and I think HEC has a lot to show to the world about why it is a great school to go to. The course is hard, tough and demanding but it is also very flexible which suits a student looking for change. Moreover, people are generally very cooperative and HEC needs to do more to advertise all these good qualities. Also, the career service group is evolving rapidly and we should see the fruits of their labour in a year or so. But, I still say that career is self-driven. The question is, what can the student council do to proactively promote HEC...I wonder!

Last week, just when I was beginning to think that all of my groups are working as fluidly as water meandering on its own course with great ease, a situation that reminded me of a book I had read a while ago popped up. I guess such a situation, where one diasagrees strongly with what has been suggested or, in this case, I felt imposed, is bound to come up at least once when one is working with a diverse set of individuals and in so many groups. I believe HEC does this on purpose so that we all learn something about working in teams. Coming back to the book, it is called "Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In" and, as the aforementioned situation was developing, I was desperately trying to remember one point from this book which was not to take a stand and stay glued to it - the solution is to be understanding, logical, and to come up with an agreement that is a winner for both sides. But, when pushed to a corner, especially when one is running out of time, it is very hard to not take a stand to get things going. And, this can be bitter! At least, we seem to have come out of it wiser and I bet the group will benefit from this in the long run. Time to have a drink together, I think! And, you ask why we have not been to the bar already!?!?!?! :-) If you have not read the book, do read as it is not only interesting but also useful.

Today is Friday and the last day of the week. And, there are no classes as everyone was supposed to be in London for a career fair which got postponed so, for those of us not going to London for a tour of the city, it is a day off. Actually, some students are going to visit BCG on a day-long fact finding mission. As for me, I am going to take my son on a tour of HEC and for lunch in our fabulous student canteen. Take this last part of the sentence with a pince of salt! :-) I am also going to meet my friend who wants to be 'El Presidente'! ;-)

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