Pallavi Kulkarni is currently the director at Power Fabricators India Pvt. Ltd. She attended UCLA OMP in 2019-20 and shares her experience.
It seemed to be the perfect time to meet new people who are in similar professional positions and situations as myself. Additionally, the course structure also makes it perfect because it doesn’t demand as much time as a full-time course does.
What have been your key takeaways from the program so far?
My single biggest takeaway is the insight to become more focused on people. The psychological aspects of running a business ultimately is about people. Demand is from people and supply is through people, so understanding them goes a long way for any business.
What was most useful to you in the recent module?
Operations management was what really stood out for me. The content was super relevant and definitely something I can readily start working on. It was also a good combination of theory and practical work. I also loved Prof. Bob Kulhan’s session. That was great too! A must for each cohort.
How has your peer group impacted your learning and program experience?
It is an intimate group with a great set of people. How the program is structured, helps in getting to know everyone really well. Most importantly, I realized I’m not in this alone. Someone else is always going through very similar experiences. Listening to their experiences helped me get perspective with regards to my own.
Are there any specific areas where you have already seen significant benefits as a result of the program thus far?
I have learnt to concentrate on my interpersonal skills and I now make sure I take in a lot more from general conversations with colleagues. I find myself being more patient and have also been forcing myself to think positively.
What unique aspects of the program have resonated with you so far? Please mention any specific event / class / anecdote.
The business improv session for sure. I went from being extremely skeptical to having learnt so many new things from it. I also helped the group bond and that, inturn, helped me immensely.