"A conversation with someone who is open-minded, who values growth and understanding, can be enlightening - even if you don’t agree..."
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| (Deep in the trenches of management theory) |
Date: 18 March - 18 May 1993
Location: Asian Institute of Management
Town: Manila, Philippines
To be honest, I didn't see much of Manila. Whatever I know of the city and its surrounding districts comes from a few free weekends, when I stole time to wander and explore. It was only a glimpse, but I treasured every bit of it.
The reason is simple: my MDP was no ordinary course. Think of it as a "mini-MBA", with the core of an MBA squeezed into roughly two months. Classes ran from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, with barely a moment to breathe. And when the lectures and discussions ended, the real work began: business cases to prepare, group simulations to get ready for, all due the next morning. Most days felt hectic, and some nights I wondered how I would keep up.
What made it more daunting was the classroom itself. Many of my classmates were seasoned senior managers, specialists and business owners. And there I was, a junior Central Bank officer, quietly wondering if I belonged. Looking back, that self-doubt pushed me to listen harder, ask more questions and lean on my teammates.
I survived, and I came away with more than the lessons. I learned that I can handle more than I think I can, and that being the least experienced person in the room is a gift in disguise.
