When you join a business school, you learn about formulating strategies and implementing them. You also learn how to analyze the market and prepare a business plan that is in line with the competition in the market. And you learn lots of other things that are directly and indirectly related to the world of business.
But, have you ever thought that what you learn in B-school is been taught to hundreds of other students too. So, the thinking mode of all students is molded in the same direction. For example, if you learnt about foolproof strategies to march ahead of your competition, the students who are going to enroll after you will also learn the same strategies. And so would have the students who enrolled before you. What if you meet the same students on you way to climbing up the corporate ladder? Or what if some of them become your rivals? They are going to use the same foolproof strategies against you!
A dangerous situation arises when you think that these are the only strategies available in the whole wide world. Trouble brews when you mistake your B-school to be “the be all and end” all of business learning. You fail to observe that business tricks are everywhere around you. When you fall for that glamorous commercial on television and rush to the store to buy the product, you must know that you have actually fallen for the business strategy, or marketing strategy, to be precise.
The crux is that you must not look upon business schools to be the sole place where you can learn to do business. Look around you. Even your local grocer would teach you a few foolproof business tricks. And he or she has not attended any business school!
And one thing: if your junior happens to use the same strategy against you in the business world, let him or her. You know the outcome, don’t you? Just be a little shrewd and mold your strategy to counteract his or hers. Business is like chess – you need to be ready with the next trick to knock off your rivals.