The role we are expected to play...

'This is gonna be a tough but a rewarding year'. That's the motto of Martha Maznevski's, current program director of the IMD MBA. That is what she told the MBA students in her presentation video and that's what she told us too, during the partner's presentation. And to illustrate her point, she gave us two very explicit examples of what we could expect of the year because before being MBA program director, she herself went through her own similar situation.

SCARY MOMMY

When she was working on her dissertation for her PHD, her daughter was a year and a half. Martha was very busy, working long hours in a cramped studio where showers and outfit changes were a luxury of the past. While she would work away in her tiny bedroom, her daughter would cry "Mommy!" from outside her door.  The only thing she wanted to do was open the door and be with her daughter. Her husband  actually played the good role we are expected to play: to make sure our partner will be only concentrated on their studies. So, what did he do? He entered the room, took a picture of his exhausted and scary-looking partner, put it on the door and told his daughter: "You see... it's Mommy... Do you really want to see her like this ?"

WHAT REALLY COUNTS

The second image and lesson to learn for a partner is the important role he/she plays for the morale of his/her student partner. During the same year,  Martha was really depressed and thought she could never finish her work...She was about to renounce and give up on her dissertation. Her husband told her "OK, look around you...We are the most important thing in your life. We are here now, and will be there after this tough year. So let's finish this dissertation, no matter how good it is. What really counts is the 3 of us". And with these supporting words, the love of a partner helped her finish her work. And the sacrifices she made this year paid off. She enjoys toiday her life with her husband and 2 teenage girls with high education and friends all over the world. As we'll enjoy after our partners graduation...

So, being loving enough to remind our partner the priority and telling them how important it is for our futures. That is what we are expected to do... Do remember this when you are fed up waiting for him/her at night and when he/she will arrive and possibly forgetting your name because he/she's so tired...

YES WE CAN...