As Vice President for the Caribbean region at International Game Technology, Ann-Dawn Young Sang is familiar with the challenges of coordinating diverse cultures. A meticulous planner, she knows that anything can happen at any time. As she looks to her company's future, she wants to be able to think innovatively, plan effectively, and react quickly. That's why she enrolled in the Global Strategic Management program at Harvard Business School. She shares a few thoughts about her experience in the program.
I work for a global company, and I'm in charge of the strategic direction, growth and business development for the Caribbean region. In my role I have to handle a number of conflicts, challenges and opportunities, deal with cultural differences, and balance global, regional, and local demands. When I enrolled in the program, I wanted to engage and expand my mind and learn what else is out there. I wanted to find out if I had been thinking along the right path. And I wanted to learn a different way of thinking and a different approach.
It was everything I thought it would be-and more. The program confirmed that my thought process was in the right place. It provided different options and very thought-provoking ideas.
I particularly liked the entrepreneurial management case. I've always enjoyed interacting with entrepreneurs, because they think differently than many individuals in the corporate world. They don't necessarily follow a structure, and within global corporate and other organizations, sometimes the two do not mix very well. The case gave me more of an appreciation for entrepreneurs, who are often visionaries with tremendous insight. It made me realize that every organization needs somewhat of an entrepreneurship mentality, and inspired me to create an innovative culture because an entrepreneur challenges convention. It is always good to be challenged, as when you're too big and you've been successful for a long time, you have to be careful that you do not become too myopic in your thought process and thus become stale and static and then you will be left behind.
The program validated a lot of my existing beliefs, so I'm now more comfortable and confident in terms of my approach. And it enabled me to fine-tune some of my strategies. It was great to meet individuals from around the world and explore their diverse perspectives. We came from different industries and had different challenges, but underneath we were all the same. In business and in life, the one common thread that enables everything to function properly is how you treat others, the respect that you have. That's what I appreciated most about the program-both diversity and respect for each other's opinions were valued. I've always believed that a great idea can come from anywhere and anyone, and the program reinforced that. It was refreshing to see that appreciation, and that was probably one of the biggest takeaways for me.
