Is the EMC the Right Programme for Me?

I have been asked that question numerous times by people from all different professions and corners of the world. And my first reaction often is a typical consultant answer: “It depends”, and it particularly depends on what you want to get from the programme and why you want to attend it.

Some of the typical answers then are: “I want to get a degree from a reputable business school”, “I want to learn the tools of managing change” or “I want to learn how to coach”. Fair enough. But, quite frankly, you can accomplish that also by choosing another university, enroll in a change management programme or get a coaching certification from plenty of other providers.

The difference of attending the EMC lies in its unique combination of the what, the whys and the how in leading yourself, teams and organisations, so that you can then coach and consult with them.

My own experience might explain that in a bit more in detail.

At the time I applied for the programme, I was a VP in Learning & Development at a French company, based in Paris. My career path had slowed down as there did not seem to be a job with a broader scope in the company.

Interviews with other companies were triggered by headhunters from Paris and for Paris only. My personal connections were mainly non-French. And I was rather bored: the job was not a challenge anymore, I did not have enough enriching professional conversations and did not learn many new things in general.

Lastly, I knew that I wanted to learn in a sustainable way and both experientially and intellectually. Hence INSEAD’s EMC programme looked like the right choice for me to submit my application.

The space here is too short to describe all the benefits and takeaways of the programme but some of my personal ones were:  top headhunters called me for interesting jobs, I’ve learnt how to deal with being stuck, acting on it, and how to lead change in my organisations.

I was enriched by other change topics outside of my own focus area, had room for reflections, and became part of the diverse EMC network in which we still support each other professionally and emotionally ever since.

You will have a different experience, but the main parts of the journey will be similar. It does not matter if your professional background is being a CEO or functional expert, an independent consultant or a manager, if you work in a big corporation or small family-owned business.

On the content side you will certainly get all the models and tools which you would usually have to painfully assemble from different coaching and consulting providers. And on a personal level: participants come with a whole set of different challenges - all unique on their own. But given the different backgrounds, motivations and personalities, the EMC is the best programme which is truly life-changing for the majority of participants and the way they do business afterwards.

It is a fantastic journey which I would not have wanted to miss in my life.