Implementing COVID 19 Crisis Management strategies together. Living far from my family and friends under such circumstances hasn't been easy but I find some of the best aspects of the Full-Time MBA at SDA Bocconi have become even more salient in difficult times.
At the top of that list is our program director. Professor Daveri has always been accessible and light-hearted while taking very seriously his mission to guide and protect the value of the program. It was clear from the early days of this crisis how much he cared about each of us and wanted to find ways to support us from his home in Milano. He is now more accessible than ever, always ready to hear our concerns or just to say hello, with updates from his family and his two maine coons. I realized just how unusual and wonderful such access is during a virtual meeting, when Professor Daveri reminded us that he was available at a moment's notice since he was almost always at his computer and had, in fact, just been writing a piece for Corriere della Sera.
Other moments--like when Professor Ariela Caglio opened our online Performance Management class with Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now"--our first virtual happy hour, which we branded "aperiti(vide)o"--the air kisses I threw to a classmate from his third floor window when I went to get groceries--these are the moments that have celebrated remotely, that we will remember when we meet again, and that will define us for years to come. COVID-19 doesn't stop us from having these moments; it inspires us to savor them when they come along.
The next few months are uncertain but I believe that the effort I'm investing now to overcome the challenges imposed by COVID-19 will only strengthen my position in a job market that values empathy, flexibility, and resilience. I'm proud to be part of a community that isn't stopping in the face of these challenges but is committed to advancing through them, together.
Taylor Arno
- American