Week 4: May 28, 2022
What goals will help me maximize the value of
my MBA?
,

While setting goals can sound easy, when faced with a blank page and a big question, students tell us that it is often hard - so much so that many never get around to setting them.
 
We want to make it easier!
 
This week, we'll share a couple of simple tools to set goals for your MBA, and not just any goals, but goals that will help you maximize the value of your MBA. While you have a few months before your MBA experience starts, the most successful MBA students point to how they used their time leading up to school to focus their thinking, explore choices, and establish relationships. Setting clear goals is an essential step in making great use of this time.
 
Excited to get started with you! 

  
The 100 Week Sprint team
To-do's this week
Got 5 minutes? Print out our Quick Start MBA Goals worksheet to start setting some key deliverables.
Got 30 minutes? Look over our list of scholarships that you could be eligible for, pre-MBA internships, and other pre-school preparation resources that could jumpstart your MBA experience.
Got an hour? Set specific goals regarding organizations you want to join, faculty members you want to connect with, events you want to attend, and more.
What do you REALLY want to achieve during business school?

This is the million dollar question! Before the tuition bills start coming (a time when students tell us that their perspective changes), it is helpful to figure out what you want out of your MBA experience.
 
What do you want to learn? Are there particular people you would like to get to know? Do you want to establish yourself as a leader in a specific industry? Are you hoping to deepen relationships in a specific geography? Want to make strides towards starting a new business?
 
If so, your goals might look like this:
 
  • Goal 1: Conduct a thorough assessment of my leadership style and learn three new tools or tactics that I could employ to be a better leader
  • Goal 2 Meet person by the end of my first semester.
  • Goal 3: Plan intensive experience in country - either an internship, group project or specific study experience, no later than halfway through my second year.
  • Goal 4: Decide which of my three business ideas to pursue, find at least one partner to get involved, and participate in the Venture Challenge to determine viability of our plan.
 
There are also broader goals that students contemplate, particularly those focused on growth. If you are interested in setting broader goals for yourself, they make look something like:

  • Goal 1: Sign up for three classes by the end of my first year that make me uncomfortable because of the challenge they represent
  • Goal 2: Design and launch an initiative in response to a challenge I uncover in my first three months at business school.
  • Goal 3: Set personal health and wellness goals, testing at least three new activities to assess my interest.

What have past students advised?

  • Set your goals now. Use our simple MBA goal-setting tool to focus on what you want to achieve. Utilizing the SMART® framework will help you to define goals and, ultimately, increase your chance of achieving them.
  • Focus some of your goals on learning. This is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime chance to make audacious goals and risk failure with almost no implications. Determine what you want to learn and how you want to experiment as you’re taking risks.
  • Need a jump-start on brainstorming goals? Check out our Quick Start MBA Goals worksheet. We've provided some suggestions to trigger thoughts about your own goals. It may seem like a lot at the moment, but you'll have all of two years to complete the ones you choose! 
How to make it easier to set goals (and stay on track!)

Have you defined your goals? Here are some tools to help you to think through what to prioritize before you enter the first few weeks (which is often a whirlwind of activities!) of your MBA experience.

  •  Brainstorm a wide range of potential goals. Sit with those goals over the period of a month. Discuss them with others and then revisit what goals represent your top priorities. Make a commitment to focus on those goals.
  • Actively track your goals. Set aside time once a week to track your goals. If you’re on track, great! If you’re off-track, consider what is taking you off-track. Are you taking on too many responsibilities? Changed priorities (if you have, it’s just fine to change your goals)?
  • Seek accountability for your goals. Goals are most effective if you have them visible throughout your day. Some 100 Week Sprint alumni have commented on the value of sharing goals openly with a small group of 3-4 peers; just as a mastermind group can help a startup, a team that is designed to hold you accountable to your MBA goals can increase your likelihood of success.
Take a first step to achieve your goals: Build experience through pre-MBA opportunities

After you've set your goals, take some steps today to start working towards those goals. In particular, if you're considering an industry change or are looking to build experience this summer, explore pre-MBA internships and conduct industry research. 
Check out CareerBoost recordings for powerful insights from students


One important tool when you're setting goals involves learning more about potential paths. Several students and recent alums have shared their perspectives via CareerBoosts that can be found here.
Have friends who are also starting an MBA this fall?

If you have friends or colleagues who are also starting business school this fall, refer them to the 100 Week Sprint or encourage them to subscribe here.
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