Tell the Admission Committee about a time when it cost you to maintain your integrity and what you learned from the experience. Who was affected besides yourself? Was there anything you might have done differently? Would you make the same decision again if given the chance? (500 words)
Response:
"Real success of the team lies in maintaining its integrity" was taught in team building exercises.
After completing my onsite assignment at Angola in January 2010, I returned back to India and led a team of 6 for a development project. As my work experience was roughly more than 3.5 years by then, I was also assigned with technical development tasks of the project along with the project management and quality assurance activities. It was taxing to perform both the tasks together given that the timelines to complete the implementation are very stringent. Though it is an understatement, my multiple tasks at work and focus on GMAT made me occupied completely with no time to relax or to relieve my stress.
In March 2010, our team was selected for the CMMi appraisal and we had to get ready for the external audits. I worked with my project manager to put in array all the processes and ensure 100% compliance with the guidelines for project development and management. Consequently, I could not contribute technically on the work assigned to me and I delegated a part of it to my team members, who were already occupied with their respective tasks. This created a slight imbalance in the team. Two of my team members have expressed their dissatisfaction to my project manager on the work I passed on to them. They felt that I wasn't ensuring my tasks to completion and rather delegating all my work without addressing their concerns. I was shocked by this for my team was aware of the additional work I was doing after hours to complete all the tasks. For the first time in my career, my integrity was put under scanner. I decided to remain silent and failed to openly communicate with the team for a few days after this has occurred. However, couple of weeks later, I was appreciated by the senior manager for my hard work during the CMMi appraisal and for leading the team towards success. My team members congratulated me for the same and we moved on leaving behind all the issues that took place.
Though this appreciation restored my integrity in the team, I later apprehended that I should have attributed the success to the whole team rather than taking all the honors myself. I remembered my mentor's words "Your success is your team's success and your team's failure is your failure" and thought that my approach in dealing with the success and failure of the team must change. l also opined that an open discussion with my team members when they raised a concern would have "broken the ice", as it affected the healthy environment and created a vacuum in my team for a few days. The next time when I face this situation, I will be more proactive, involve the team in decision-making and will address and resolve the concerns in the team.
Lesson learnt: "Real success of the team lies in maintaining its integrity both during success and failure".
Hi Raghava ~
I have read your essay a few times. I think it shows a keen self awareness which will be appreciated wherever you are applying, and your organization and word choice are very strong. I am not sure, however, that the way you have framed your story serves your purpose. What you really want to communicate is that you maintained your integrity despite undue pressure. Instead, the essay is overshadowed by your failure to address the issues with your team straight away and your failure to credit them in the end. This does not show you in a good light. I am not saying you should change the story, but you need to use your language to draw less attention to those mistakes and focus on your propensity for hard work under duress, maintaining your integrity, and your ultimate success.
I also feel that your essay contains unnecessary background details and some convention mistakes. The first paragraph, for example could be shortened:
"After completing my onsite assignment at Angola in January 2010, I returned to India and led a team of 6 for a development project (Perhaps name the aim of the project) I was assigned the technical development tasks of the project along with the project management and quality assurance. It was taxing to perform all of these tasks together given that the timelines to complete the project were very stringent, and I was occupied all day, everyday, with no time to relieve my stress."
Finally numbers under 100 should be written out and full names should be written out the first time you use them (abbreviated names in parentheses). eg: Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). If you use it again you just say CMMi.
Now, could you please review my essay? Thanks
Thanks for the detailed review. I made a note of the comments you gave on the integrity vs mistake sentences.
