Week 22: How to create the best groups to support your success!

Week 22: October 12, 2024

How to create the best groups to support your success!

Andrea,

Every successful business leader has an amazing team around them. Jeff Bezos had Amazon's "S-team," Warren Buffett had Charlie Munger, Elon Musk had Gwynne Shotwell, Serena Williams had Alison Rapaport Stillman, and Bill Gates had Steve Ballmer. This week, we will explore how to surround yourself with the right team to achieve your goals, whether it is career-related, organizing a conference, or just managing a student group you are passionate about.

The 100 Week Sprint team

To-do's this week

Got 5 minutes? List one of your activities, and think of a skillset you might be missing that would increase chances of success.

Got 30 minutes? Organize a coffee with someone who will help you fill a gap in an organization you are a part of.

Got an hour? List all the groups you are a part of, and identify at least one person who would improve the chance of your team's success.

Ways to build the best group around you

Set clear expectations regarding goals: Before deciding who you want to include in your group(s), be clear what you want each of those groups to accomplish. It will provide a clearer sales pitch you can use to recruit people to your group. Don't be afraid to be inspirational; remember, your peers are as ambitious as you are!

Consider diversity: Similar to building your Advisory Board, it is important to look for diversity in your groups. People from different nationalities, work experiences, and socioeconomic backgrounds can add a richness to your group's ideas that having too many "like-minded people" may not offer. While it can be exhilarating during group meetings to have a strong flow of ideas and quick agreement on the path forward, it can also be a sign of groupthink. If you notice it happening a lot, ask yourself if there is something your team might be missing.

Read more about how to build the best team around you!

Know someone who applied to Wharton?

Wharton’s interview process is unique in that it includes a group discussion. In an effort to help you prepare for this challenge, we offer group interview practice sessions. We conduct these sessions in a secure, online format to give you a chance to simulate the interview environment.

As you may remember, taking part in our practice session allows people to:

Experience the stress of interacting with Wharton-grade peers driving towards a time-sensitive deliverable (for many participants, a first) in a risk-free environment
Articulate their response to other Wharton applicants, hear their ideas, and gain valuable group feedback
The chance to give and receive critical feedback from their peers

After the session, we will offer detailed written feedback, highlighting our assessment of the following:

Effectiveness of their idea
Their contributions to group dynamics
Strengths to leverage and weaknesses to address

If you know someone interested in learning more, share this link:

https://www.sparreyconsulting.com/wharton-group-interviews

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