The Hindu Business Line : <I>`Self-assessment, my key takeaway from B-school' </I>

Ms Divya Ramachandran, passed out of ISB in 2002, is now Vice-President, Helios & Matheson Information Technology Ltd. She recently bagged `The Best Young Manager' of the year award from the Madras Management Association.

On what she learnt in B-school...

Self-assessment. When I joined B-school, a number of questions were running in my mind — what would be most fulfilling, working at a strategy consulting firm such as McKinsey or a company such as HLL, which is known for developing excellent managers, would I be happier running my own company or working for someone else and so on. The process of self-assessment discovering yourself to help you define your own future - is something that was a key take-away for me from the ISB. Systematic approach to problem solving and decision making with insufficient information, making decisions with uncertain information were some of the other things I learnt there. B-schools force students to grapple with exactly the kinds of decisions and dilemmas managers confront every day. I learnt to work with my cohort group to analyse and synthesise conflicting data and points of view, to define and prioritise goals, and to make tough decisions with uncertain information.

I rarely ended any class with a tidy solution to a problem; but definitely with a deep appreciation of the complex factors at play, a clear idea of how to apply appropriate techniques to analyse and assess the problem, and new insights into how to deal with the untidy uncertainties of real business. This clearly has given me the confidence to tackle any problem be it marketing, finance, production or supply chain related.

On what she thinks a B-school ought to teach...

I believe that B-schools must insist on the following to enable students have a holistic learning experience: Diversity among the student body. This is a foundation for the B-school experience — both inside and outside of the classroom. Indeed, these differences are critical to the B-school learning model, which thrives on the many perspectives and life experiences the students bring to the classroom from around the world.

On applying what she learnt in B-school...

The strong foundation that I received at the ISB has been instrumental in my career progression — it has given me the knowledge, the skills, and confidence to deal effectively with the wide array of difficult decisions I have faced in my career. Although there is no substitute for experience, the education I received at ISB helps them make the most of that experience, providing a solid foundation that I am sure will serve me for a lifetime, no matter what path I choose to follow.