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Category: consulting-abroad-program

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By: Sophie Titlebaum

For the CAP program through GWSB, I will travel to Berlin, Germany to complete a project for a software development company, Globant. Globant provides IT consulting services to a wide range of companies. My team consists of four GMBA students, in which we are aiming to help Globant expand its offerings in Europe, with Germany as its current area of focus. We have suggested expansion into the Electric Vehicle space and are helping to provide a concrete solution, implementation tactics, and risks to consider. 

To prepare for my time away, I have been sure to spend time with my loved ones. My boyfriend and I took a trip to see his family in Maryland and then went to see my family in Philadelphia. This was important to me, as I know that the upcoming summer will be very busy with lots of commitments. This was a great way to relax and reset. Additionally, I’ve been giving my cat, Macho, cuddles so he doesn’t miss me too much!

I am most excited about gaining real-life work experience in another country. I’ve studied in and traveled to other countries, but working with a client will be a whole new experience. I see myself living in Europe one day, so this will be a great opportunity to dip my toes in the water. I am most nervous about the final presentation. While I know it will be our time to shine, it will be my first time presenting to a European audience. It will be good to learn if presentation practices are the same in Europe, as well as new ways to present and capture the audience’s attention.

Throughout the semester, my work with the team and partner has been great. We have all had the opportunity to learn new ways of working and new ways of thinking. One challenge has been the fact that the business problem is pretty broad, so we have struggled to hone down on a very specific element with tangible action items. I hope that once we are in Germany, there will be even more fruitful conversations so that we can add as much value as possible!

Overall, this has been a great journey so far. I look forward to the in-country portion and know there will be many adventures, lessons, and memories!

Off We Go!

 

Now that the Silver Line goes all the way to Dulles, I decided to use this to get to the airport. My boyfriend took the metro with me, and we said our goodbyes! I am excited about the journey ahead! I will be on the same plane as a few classmates.

 

While Macho may look angry, this is his normal face (he was actually purring when I captured this photo). He is sad that I am leaving, but he will be under good care! For all we know, maybe he’s a German cat, and so he will feel more bonded to me once I’m back. 🙂

Prepping for the Trip!

Our CAP Professor, Dr. Messerli, provided each of us with this helpful guide. It’s been a great resource to learn more about the culture and country, while also getting excited about the trip! I’ll be finishing this on the plane.

 

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How do you hold yourself accountable? I write checklists and receive unfounded joy when checking a box off. I rely on systems to monitor and prioritize tasks whereas for others, it’s more passive and all about consistent routines and creating the right setting. But as memes about day pajamas and night pajamas or wearing blankets as pants circle the web, adjusting to the demands of 2020’s WFH lifestyle requires professionalism and self-discipline against distressing news. Finding the silver lining takes effort as we navigate a bizarre semester that puts our self-accountability to the test. 

After two months into the stay-at-home order, I’ve been impressed by the speed at which colleagues and faculty have adapted to new technologies. As a Graduate Assistant for the Global MBA’s signature Consulting Abroad Project course, our student teams did not miss a beat working with clients in Germany, Singapore, and South Africa. Our clients may be scattered across the globe but their dedication as a Global Partner never wavered. The in-country travel was suspended yet rather than wallow in disappointment, our teams continued to refine their recommendations in the wake of the pandemic. With many online communication trainings available, our teams have had to keep their heads up and embrace the challenges required by virtual presentations. 

The shift to all online meetings has created the expectation for all of us to be comfortable on a multitude of online platforms. Student rehearsal presentations were judged externally and provided students with best practices for online presenting: lighting, centering your face on the screen, smiling and projecting enthusiasm posed challenges different than those of presenting to a room. In group meetings, small talk and mic sharing play more critical roles in maintaining relationships when separated by physical distance. While some may prefer one mode over another, the experience is growing an important skill set that might have otherwise gone unnurtured. This experience forces everyone to adapt and keep their heads up. 

A GW professor lent me Angela Duckworth’s book, Grit, last semester who writes, “One form of perseverance is the daily discipline of trying to do things better than we did yesterday.” We hold ourselves accountable to keep persevering and must honor the learning required by distanced relationships and virtual communication. Across my networks at GW, friends, colleagues and advisors help keep me accountable and satisfied. We share a collective accountability through frequent communication and scheduled FaceTime happy hours. 

I am fortunate to be healthy and surrounded by friends and colleagues that maintain positivity and grit in this unprecedented challenge. As we all prepare to enter the global job market, our accountability is being put to the test and growing our virtual communication skills is important. Aim to do better than the day before and you might find yourself motivated to persevere. Now that I’ve written this, I can check another item off my list.  

Drew Otto is a ‘20 Global MBA Candidate at The George Washington University School of Business.

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Upon learning that the Consulting Abroad Program (CAP) would not include travel to South Africa in May, students and faculty alike were understandably disappointed. There would be no in-person visits to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. No late evenings perfecting the presentations at the hotel in Cape Town. No opportunity to meet face to face with the clients at Cenfri, Discovery, Darling Sweet and Lulalend. However, as the Student Administrative Assistant supporting this program, I have been very pleased at how everyone involved in CAP, from students and faculty, to Global Partners and guest advisers, have demonstrated commitment to ensuring the success of the program.

A screenshot of team Lulalend's final presentation deck. 

This occurred because G&EE swiftly decided the program would continue to the fullest extent possible via distance learning. Communication between the students and the Global Partners, which is always done virtually throughout the semester, has continued with minimal interruption. The students have been working diligently to provide valuable recommendations and insights to their clients. Faculty, Student Administrative Assistants, and guest speakers have remained committed to setting the students up to succeed.

Throughout CAP, students gain hands-on experience practicing some of the most important 21st century business skills, such as teamwork, communication, client engagement, satisfying requirements from multiple stakeholders, and presentational speaking. In addition, students have also gained skills working with a variety of virtual communication platforms including Blackboard Collaborate, WebEx, Adobe Connect. Proficiency with these tools will undoubtedly be in high demand, even as life slowly returns to normal.

On April 20th G&EE hosted the virtual Panel Presentations, during which each student team presented their preliminary findings to a group of experts. The South Africa cohort was especially fortunate, as they received feedback and guidance from professionals from Deloitte, the World Bank, and the Embassy of South Africa. As I write this, the students are hard at work incorporating this new advice and putting the finishing touches on their reports and presentations. Although the presentations were delivered virtually, GWSB’s strong professional connections and alumni network in DC were instrumental in securing the evaluators’ participation.

It has certainly been a challenging semester, both inside and outside the classroom. People often say that what really matters in life is not what happens, but how you react to it. Everyone involved in CAP has been very resilient, and I am confident that the students have learned a great deal during the process. Next week, the students will deliver final presentations to their Global Partners, and we will conclude with a virtual happy hour. Although we will be unable to celebrate in South Africa, hopefully we can bring a bit of South Africa’s spirit to DC. Virtually, of course.

Mike Bonfatto is a ‘20 Global MBA Candidate at The George Washington University School of Business.

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Blog post by Calvin Sanders, GMBA '20

Our South African adventure has concluded after two full weeks of culture, food, business and bonding. I believe there was considerably more personal development for each individual on the trip than anybody of us expected. More on this later – first, a host of thank yous and acknowledgements are in order to those who made this CAP trip as successful and special as it was.

The first and biggest shout out goes to Bryan, Sarah, and the rest of the G&EE team that organized every component of the CAP experience. I have never experienced a two-week overseas program that went without a hitch, especially in a developing nation where things can be unpredictable. We had site visits at non-profits, government institutions, historical landmarks, tourist attractions, and everything in between. Every single restaurant we stopped at had already set a table for 20 dinner guests. The effort, energy, and passion of this team were visible throughout our time in-country.

Next is a thank you for Professor Akyuz and his Graduate Administrative Assistant , Tringa. Proessor Akyuz’s shared his intimate knowledge of the country and consulting processes with us during the semester in D.C., and while me made furious project improvements at the last minute in Cape Town. A special shout out to Tringa, who became a close friend of mine and of others over the course of the program.

Finally, I want to thank every one of my CAP South Africa classmates with whom I shared this experience over the last four months. I can say with confidence that we have all formed bonds that will stand the test of time, both personally and professionally.

So, what will I take away from over two weeks spent in South Africa? In some ways, being here has raised as many questions as it has answered. The country clearly stands apart from its other African counterparts in development and potential; the roads are mostly paved, the tap water is potable, and the entrepreneurial energy is apparent. Despite this, millions of South Africans live in informal metal and cinder-block structures. HIV remains widespread and corruption is pervasive. It will be fascinating to watch South Africa as time goes on because, if the country is governed well and the right economic decisions are made, we can expect the Rainbow nation to develop into a fully modern economy within a few decades.

Race is another fascinating subject in South Africa, perhaps because the racial dichotomy takes on an entirely different feeling than in the United States. Generally, race relations in South Africa seemed to lack the resentment that is pervasive in the United States. I believe this is because of lasting reconciliatory emotions from the Mandela years and Afrikaner acceptance that the Black African majority is benign to their presence. It seems like everybody wants the South African experiment to work. I, for one, am optimistic.

Thank you for following my experience with 15 other GMBA students as we completed our client engagements in Cape Town. Until next time!

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