Tuesday - The first day or Orientation. My entire class arrived for registration at 8:30 even though it was available from 8:30 - 9:45. We were welcomed and addressed by our Dean, Joel Podolny. Lunch was provided to each cohort so that we could meet the 70 students that will be in all of our core courses together. I am in the silver cohort, which seems to be a lively bunch with a lot of great experiences to draw from. After a dessert social hour we then discussed the expectations for the Yale classroom. This was fundamental stuff, but hopefully it will prevent any issues. In the evening, all the students and their families (if applicable) went to Lighthouse Point in New Haven for a picnic. Overall, the day was busy and tiring. I am really looking forward to working with and learning from some great classmates.



Wednesday - To start the day we had an interesting dicussion of the SOM Honors Code, which governs all students actions both in and out of the classroom. It is an exceptional premise that leads to unsupervised exams and few out of class mishaps. Lunch was a buffet of many restaurants (manbe twenty) in New Haven. The food was great and so was the socializing. After lunch we met the Career Development Office Staff and discussed many of the programs they provide. Fittingly, three successful alumni later spoke about their careers and progression from SOM to their current stage in life. We finished the day with a wine and cheese gathering in the courtyard.

Thursday - New York City Trip - After riding the Metro North Railroad to Grand Central Station, we went to the Yale Club for lunch. The keynote speaker was a '82 grad of SOM and recently named vice-chairman of Merrill Lynch. He did an excellent job sharing his experiences and recommending what we should do to get the most out of the next two years. After lunch, a small group of us visited IBM Consulting. We were presented the operational goals of the IBM Global Business Management Services division and discussed the relationship between an MBA and successful consulting. Very interesting. If the lifestyle for consulting were to fit with my commitments, I may be interested. After IBM we went to the New York Stock Exchange for a Gala Reception. Our Dean was privileged to ring the closing bell and we helped him celebrate. The floor of the NYSE was reserved for us to mingle and converse. It was a great time and one of my classmates (who was a trader) took the time to describe the entire process.

Friday - Language Assessment - Yale has an outstanding Language Center that we will have access to throughout our studies at SOM. For this particular exercise, we were asked a series of questions after which our responses were recorded. The recording will be assessed by language and linguistic experts and evaluated on everything ranging from tone to speed. I enjoyed the process and am looking forward to getting the results and working to improve.

Overall, it was an amazing week filled with terrific people and great experiences. My time is going to be sparse, but I plan to take advantage of as many of the things that fit in with my priorities as possible.

The Final Countdown

During the last couple days before school starts, I have been able to meet a number of my classmates and finish up the required summer reading. I am impressed, just as I was at Welcome Weekend, with the diversity of experiences and common belief in social responsibility of my classmates. As I posted earlier, the SOM Orientation schedule will lend to both great experiences and community builing.

Also, our apartment is now completely set. We sold an extra couch that we had and I repainted some patio furniture for our screened-in porch. The place is very comfortable and certainly feels like home to me. One of my favorite parts about our apartment is the study nook. I should be able to get a lot of good work and studying done here.

My Summer Workout

Since moving to New Haven, I have made a concerted effort to do a few things in particular; spend time with my wife, read, practice guitar, practice spanish, and exercise. While I haven't done great in all areas, I have been consistent in working out. By following a Vern Gambetta six-week core workout, I feel like I have gotten a little tune-up. The workout focuses on functional sports training by addressing aerobic, strength, flexibility, and especially core facility. I am grateful that the workout doesn't require a gym. Instead, I take a couple dumbells and a medicine ball to a local track. The track is in great shape and best of all, it has a spectacular view of East Rock Park, which the photo below doesn't do justice.

Meeting with Fred Sievert

Since the beginning of my career, I have always had an interest in what skills and characteristics separate executives from workers who never reach that level of management. In my search for answers I have met with and interviewed a few executives in the life insurance and educational industries. Thursday I had the privilege of meeting with Fred Sievert, president of New York Life Insurance, at his office in New York City. Mr. Sievert and I have been communicating since the beginning of my career, but this was the first opportunity we had to meet in person. He has always been very open with his time and knowledge, which is contrary to many of the executives with the companies I have worked for in the past three years. In the life insurance industry, New York Life is one of the top sellers of life insurance on an annual basis dating back to the early nineteen hundreds. The most significant lesson I have learned from Fred is that no matter what your job title, respect for others' time and requests is essential to successful leadership.

My In-Laws Came To Visit

My wife's parents flew out to see us last week. We had a great time, and once again, gave the whirlwind tour. On their first day out here we spent the day in New Haven. After checking out the Divinty School, my in-laws showed themselves around downtown while I helped a classmate move into his apartment. After that we took the guided Yale tour, which was terrific. I had been on the weekday tour and it is a little over an hour long, but since we went on a Saturday tour it was close to two hours! After checking out the view of New Haven from East Rock, the days activities were complete.

The following day we made our way to Boston. We started the day on a whale watch and saw three adults and one calf. Then we had a late lunch (my in-laws opted for fresh lobster) and hit the freedom trail. Boston is really a great city with some amazing history and fun things to do. The picture above is of the oldest public building in Boston and the sight of both the Boston Massacre (1770) and the reading of the Declaration of Independence (1776).

On our last day of activities we ventured to NYC. While we took a very similar tour of the city as with my sister, it seems that the city has a different feel everytime I am there. A new wrinkle added to the tour was a carriage ride in Central Park. It was fantastic and I hadn't realized how many landmarks and sites there are in the 846 acres. When we returned from NYC we picked up Pepe's pizza. It was terrific. The thing about Pepe's is that it is in New Haven's Little Italy and it the rival pizza shoppe to Sally's. Most people in New Haven are loyal to only one, or at least have an opinion on which is better. We will get Sally's soon enough and I will let you know which I prefer.

Having my wife's parents at our place was terrific and I think they really enjoyed themselves.

Book Review: Sam Walton, Made in America

Sam Walton's Autobiography, Sam Walton, Made in America, is the story of Walton's pursuit of the best retail company in the world. He got his start as a five and dime owner is the small town of Newport, Arkansas, and has since become the merchant king. The book is written with Walton's language style and makes for a simple and quick read. However, he clearly lays out his strategy for success while describing the progression of Wal-Mart from one store to the largest retailer in the world. The lesson I learned from this book is that hard work is always a key ingredient to success.

My Sister Came to Visit

Last week my sister and her boyfriend came to New Haven to spend time with my wife and me...and to check out what the East Coast has to offer. They arrived at LaGuardia, so we used that day to check out NYC. I put together a one-day tour that hit most of the "must see" attractions. They will both admit that it was a whirlwind, but now they are acquainted with the city and excited to go back. The tour included the UN Buliding, Chrysler Building, Empire State Building viewing deck with audio tour, NY Public Library, Radio City Music Hall, Broadway Theatre District, Times Square, Central Park, Ground Zero, NY Stock Exchange, and finally the Staten Island Ferry for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The photo below is of one of the great lions in front of the NY Public Library.

The following day we went northeast to Boston. We drove up and then walked The Freedom Trail, which was terrific. The trail is a red brick line throughout the city that highlights sixteen historic sights. While all sixteen are amazing, I most enjoyed the Old South Meeting House - where Samuel Adams gave the signal to proceed with the Boston Tea Party, the Old State House - where just outside the Boston Massacre took place in 1770 and six years later where the Declaration of Independence was read to the people of Boston, and the home of Paul Revere - built in 1680 and pictured below. To learn more about The Freedom Trail, check out thefreedomtrail.org.

Our last day of adventure led us first to relaxation at the West Beach of Hammonasset State Park, just east of New Haven. After the relaxing morning, we toured New Haven and Yale University. In the evening we joined 40,000 people on the New Haven Green for a concert by The Temptations. Here is a picture of the Green packed with community members.

Overall, we had a great time. Seeing my sister was really nice and I am glad that she could make it while we could entertain...

SoM Orientation Schedule

The School of Management announced the schedule for our first two weeks, orientation and our first class. Here are some of the highlights.

Dean Podolny and members of the Yale SOM faculty and senior staff will provide overviews of the innovative new MBA curriculum, including special presentations on the Mentoring Program, the international trips scheduled for January 2007, and the professional communications program.

The Class of '08 and our families are invited to a barbeque at Lighthouse Point Park overlooking Long Island Sound.

A "Taste of New Haven" lunch will let us sample many of the excellent cuisines the Elm City has to offer.

A panel of distinguished SOM alumni will offer insights on their own careers, from their internships to their current positions.

The Class of 2008 will head to New York City for lunch at the Yale Club, featuring a keynote address by a distinguished SOM alumnus. Following an afternoon of company site visits, my classmates and I will attend a gala reception at the New York Stock Exchange, followed by small group dinners with Second Year Advisers in NYC.

My first official day of class will be Monday, August 28. We will spend 3 to 6 hours per day in the Team Effectiveness course. This class is interactive, experiential, and coupled with Professional Communications and laptop setup sessions for each Cohort.

Only 2.5 more weeks until the first day of orientation. July flew by and I am confident that August will be no different. Constant Change...