There are some who say that all MBA work is based on the following core activities. Please take a moment to read through them. They are:
C. Counseling People: Helping others perform better and succeed in their careers. Includes building relationships, mentoring, advising, coaching, and training.
M. Managing People: Working directly with people and leading them in order to accomplish the organization's or team's goals.
O. Controlling the Organization: Having the ultimate authority over strategy and resources for the group, division, organization, or firm.
P. Creative Production: Being creative. Developing new products or markets.
Q. Quantitative Analysis: The ability to solve problems using math and quantitative tools.
S. Persuasive Reasoning: Influencing people (or buyers) using persuasive language (as in sales and negotiating).
T. Conceptual Thinking: Approaching business problems by developing a broad concept, as if one was postulating an academic theory.
U. Using Technological Tools: Approaching a business problem in a structured way, and solving it using planning, engineering, operations research, and process design tools.
It is probably best to print this page out, because in the second par of this exercise, you will need to decide between two core activities, circle that core activity, and then add up your score at the bottom. No ties allowed, and go with your first intuitive response.
Please indicate which core activity you find more interesting by placing the letter code of the activity in the space provided. Be honest with yourself
____ (P) Creative Production or (S) Persuasive Reasoning
____ (M) Managing People or (P) Creative Production
____ (O) Controlling the Organization or (U) Using Technological Tools
____ (T) Conceptual Thinking or (P) Creative Production
____ (M) Managing People or (C) Counseling People
____ (Q) Quantitative Analysis or (T) Conceptual Thinking
____ (S) Persuasive Reasoning or (O) Controlling the Organization
____ (Q) Quantitative Analysis or (O) Controlling the Organization
____ (U) Using Technological Tools or (S) Persuasive Reasoning
____ (S) Persuasive Reasoning or (Q) Quantitative Analysis
____ (T) Conceptual Thinking or (C) Counseling People
____ (U) Using Technological Tools or (P) Creative Production
____ (U) Using Technological Tools or (M) Managing People
____ (T) Conceptual Thinking or (S) Persuasive Reasoning
____ (P) Creative Production or (C) Counseling People
____ (C) Counseling People or (Q) Quantitative Analysis
____ (T) Conceptual Thinking or (O) Controlling the Organization
____ (O) Controlling the Organization or (P) Creative Production
____ (M) Managing People or (T) Conceptual Thinking
____ (U) Using Technological Tools or (T) Conceptual Thinking
____ (O) Controlling the Organization or (C) Counseling People
____ (P) Creative Production or (Q) Quantitative Analysis
____ (C) Counseling People or (S) Persuasive Reasoning
____ (Q) Quantitative Analysis or (M) Managing People
____ (O) Controlling the Organization or (M) Managing People
____ (U) Using Technological Tools or (C) Counseling People
____ (M) Managing People or (S) Persuasive Reasoning
____ (U) Using Technological Tools or (Q) Quantitative Analysis
Now add up all the codes below and you will probably be left with two or three top core activities that are you find the most interesting.
____ (C) Counseling People
____ (M) Managing People
____ (O) Controlling the Organization
____ (P) Creative Production
____ (Q) Quantitative Reasoning
____ (S) Persuasive Reasoning
____ (T) Conceptual Thinking
____ (U) Using Technological Tools
Now.... Just in case you didn't understand the above items, here is one more rendition in a more straightforward, but less precise language... Please indicate which core activity you find more interesting by placing the letter code of the activity in the space provided. Be honest with yourself
____ (C) Counseling People or (S) Negotiating and Selling Through the Use of Language
____ (C) Counseling People or (Q) Quantitative Analysis
____ (M) Managing and Leading People on Your Team or (C) Counseling People
____ (M) Managing and Leading People on Your Team or (P) Being Very Creative
____ (M) Managing and Leading People on Your Team or (S) Negotiating and Selling Through the Use of Language
____ (M) Managing and Leading People on Your Team or (T) Developing New Theories and Concepts
____ (O) Being the one to have final authority over what gets done or (U) Using OR, Models, Systems, and Process Tools
____ (O) Being the one to have final authority over what gets done or (P) Being Very Creative
____ (O) Being the one to have final authority over what gets done or (C) Counseling People
____ (O) Being the one to have final authority over what gets done or (M) Managing and Leading People on Your Team
____ (P) Being Very Creative or (C) Counseling People
____ (P) Being Very Creative or (Q) Quantitative Analysis
____ (P) Being Very Creative or (S) Negotiating and Selling Through the Use of Language
____ (Q) Quantitative Analysis or (M) Managing and Leading People on Your Team
____ (Q) Quantitative Analysis or (O) Being the one to have final authority over what gets done
____ (Q) Quantitative Analysis or (T) Developing New Theories and Concepts
____ (S) Negotiating and Selling Through the Use of Language or (O) Being the one to have final authority over what gets done
____ (S) Negotiating and Selling Through the Use of Language or (Q) Quantitative Analysis
____ (T) Developing New Theories and Concepts or (C) Counseling People
____ (T) Developing New Theories and Concepts or (O) Being the one to have final authority over what gets done
____ (T) Developing New Theories and Concepts or (P) Being Very Creative
____ (T) Developing New Theories and Concepts or (S) Negotiating and Selling Through the Use of Language
____ (U) Using OR, Models, Systems, and Process Tools or (C) Counseling People
____ (U) Using OR, Models, Systems, and Process Tools or (M) Managing and Leading People on Your Team
____ (U) Using OR, Models, Systems, and Process Tools or (P) Being Very Creative
____ (U) Using OR, Models, Systems, and Process Tools or (Q) Quantitative Analysis
____ (U) Using OR, Models, Systems, and Process Tools or (S) Negotiating and Selling Through the Use of Language
____ (U) Using OR, Models, Systems, and Process Tools or (T) Developing New Theories and Concepts
Now add up all the codes below and you will probably be left with two or three top core activities that are you find the most interesting.
____ (C) Counseling People
____ (M) Managing and Leading People on Your Team
____ (O) Being the one to have final authority over what gets done
____ (P) Creative Production
____ (Q) Quantitative Reasoning
____ (S) Negotiating and Selling Through the Use of Language
____ (T) Developing New Theories and Concepts
____ (U) Using OR, Models, Systems, and Process Tools
Now it is time to see what, with training and experience and luck, you might be well suited for given your levels of interest. If you find that there is not a match between your interest levels and your ambitions, just remember, this is only a test that someone dreamed up to put bread on their table and a Porsche in their garage.
(M) and (C) - A good counselor, mentor, and a manager. Well if you aren't already in the Priesthood, consider Human Resources and coaching.
(O) and (M) - Not to be confused with Ogilvy and Mather... Guess what, you like controlling the organization and managing people, this means you win, you can be the CEO, leader, President and boss.
(O) and (Q) - You get to be boss and you like numbers, therefore you may wish to turn your attentions to finance, accounting, and Wall Street.
(O) and (S) - General Management and Sales
(O) and (U) - Get thee to the Silicon Valley (or Alley) and seek to manage high technology and telecomm biz.
(P) - and the cheese stands alone. Entrepreneurship and creative solo-projects.
(P) and (O) - You have entrepreneur written all over you
(P) and (S) - You are both creative and persuasive. Think advertising and Hollywood, P&G and packaged goods?
(T) and (Q) - Have you ever considered going for a PhD? If not, consider consulting or a highly paid quant job.
(U) and (Q) - Yikes, the Daily Double, technological tools and quantitative analysis. You may wish to consider operations and consulting.