mukhanov - Tumblr blog

[mukhanov]

summer: built out customer profiles to reflect the journey, designed and implemented an opportunity scoring system to accelerate growth

At Danaher, this summer, I tackled a chronic multi-year issue of low revenue growth in the dental business. I conducted over 40 interviews and shadowed 10 dentists. Insights helped me to weave customer data together, to build out a customer profile, and to define experiences to match profiles. This empowered over 180 sales associates to know which six dentists out of 90K they should visit on a given day. Dentists now have personalized marketing and sales experiences depending on their personas.

[mukhanov]

tough decision B

I made a tough decision to lay off a contractor to reorganize the team for better culture and performance.

A team of 30 software engineers was screaming for reorganization to better tackle 6 critical directions. An engineer particularly struggled with performance.  His low interest in the product appeared contagious across the team.

In that high-churn employment environment, it would take 3 months to hire. After several tough conversations, I established with him a performance improvement plan that the engineer could follow. 2 months passed without improvement. I decided to replace him but highlighted to the personnel agency his positive contributions.

This tough decision enabled me to remap teammates and to hire more. This also catalyzed cultural improvements. I explained the move toward a culture of direct ownership. I assigned 4 new subteam leads among existing engineers. This instilled in the team a stronger belief in the ability to influence outcomes.

[mukhanov]

tough decision A

Let me tell you how I decided to tell the customer 'no' yet exceed her expectations.

The industry downturn has created the buyer market. A client approached my team and requested consulting services, which it would take us 20 days to deliver. However, she requested to frame a contract for 10 days only.

I felt the pressure to balance the interests of the customer and the team. I sat down with the customer and the team separately to prioritize tasks. Then, I fit only the core pieces into 10 days. I said no to the rest of the tasks. Through several discussions, I highlighted the possibility that our team would revisit non-core pieces if our workload permitted.

As a result, I managed the client expectations and created an opportunity for available teammates to deliver those non-core pieces offsite. The client was happy and appreciated honesty. The team was thankful and liked the balanced workload.

[mukhanov]

creative problem solving | adversity | influence | strategic thinking | leadership | entrepreneurship: transformed collaboration among consultant teammates

Let me tell you how I transformed collaboration among consultant teammates.

When I transferred from a tech center to a consulting office, I discovered that my team of 10 consulting engineers was incentivized mostly by individual performance indicators, such as consulting work leads discovered, customer interactions, and trainings or webinars organized. The slump in oil prices continued and the prolonged downturn affected morale among my colleagues.

I realized how individual metrics were in a way limiting us to toward being individual contributors and competitors to each other. Importantly, I noticed a significant time waste on duplicate activities. My goal was to bring the entire team to a state of extra-heavy collaboration to improve morale. Collaboration and overcommunication are my strong personal values, and I’ve seen their benefits before. I created a shared folder and a shared OneNote notebook and kept uploading there my algorithms and FAQs. If a consulting work presented an opportunity to write a best practice, newsletter, or even an industry paper, I involved teammates. One colleague acted defensive, and I neutralized that behavior by asking for help and publishing our work there.

Not immediately, but my team followed the suit. At some point, everyone started sharing their solutions, compounding the database.People spent more time together in team rooms instead of behind their desks. Each person improved efficiency of consulting and phone support. Sadly, Gloria and Shanay were laid off, still, our team was not hit as bad as others.

This work style helped to save around $200K for the company. After I transferred to India, I heard from old colleagues that our common work has remained helpful every day.

[mukhanov]

weakness | failure: sensitive to people’s moods, yet handled a difficult client call

I find myself at times sensitive to other people’s moods. Once I had a difficult client call yet gathered myself and became a trusted advisor to my client.

When I was working at Schlumberger in Houston as a consulting engineer, I answered a customer support call. The client was representing a major company, complained how much easier the competitor software was, and kept focusing on how my employer’s software was not up to par. I led her to a portion of the solution and asked her to hold for 30 seconds so I could clarify with a colleague.

When I found out the answer and came back within a few seconds, she already dropped the phone. I was afraid of tarnishing the reputation of my company and me as a knowledgeable engineer. I gathered myself and took a few deep breaths and called her back. I focused on reaching the solution and maintained maximum friendliness. I let her vent out and wrote down every single comment she made. I summarized it back to her.

Two days later I called her and checked how she was doing and if she had any questions. I mentioned that I walked upstairs and the engineering team took her comments and she should expect improvements in next releases. At some point, we became close acquaintances with my client, and she would often ask for me when calling for help. I realize that circumstances may lead people to different moods, so I am learning not to take it personal and to empathize.

[mukhanov]

strengths | weaknesses: collaborative and focused on specifics, empathetic and indirect in communicating, focused and not always practical

What would your colleagues, classmates, and family tell about you, positive and negative?

My colleagues would commend me for being collaborative. They know how I overuse the word ‘synergy’, because in several occasions I proved them its value. My colleagues would also mention how I sometimes get too focused on specifics and and not on the big picture. I am practicing a strategic view with every project at MIT Sloan.

Next, my classmates would praise me for being empathetic. They mentioned how my ability to read their moods and to find a connection helps them to interact with me. Also, my classmates would say that, even though I am relationship-focused, I am sometimes indirect in communicating. So, I am working on practicing a direct and structured communication style with every opportunity. 

Finally, my family appreciates me for being focused and driven. I may say less yet do more. My family would admit that I am not always practical. I compensate for that by delegating, coordinating, and trusting my family members to do their best at what they’re good at.

[mukhanov]

conflict | disagreement | convince: convinced engineering manager to turn toward iterative team workstyle

Let me tell you about a time when I clashed with my project manager over a team working style and convinced him to to adopt an iterative approach that benefited the team and the client.

When I was working with Schlumberger in India as a product analyst, I had a conflict with my teammate. My project manager was allocating workload among software engineers. I was representing to the team business requirements on behalf of my client. 

I found him often waiting for perfect client requirements. I felt this was outdated. My team would end up starting on a feature very late and shelve it halfway in face of a higher priority. The situation was coming to a deadlock. In one call, the disagreement was noticed by a client.

The morning after, I called a one-on-one meeting with him and encouraged a sincere straight talk. I understood where he was coming from. He was concerned about the team’s reputation when shipping a half-baked or buggy product. Given the client’s rapidly changing needs, I insisted that Agile was most relevant and effective. I explained that even though features would be quick and dirty, we could iterate with earlier feedback. We agreed to release earlier in more batches, and I convinced a client to engage and stay the course without dramatic shifts in priorities.

I continued containing the client’s shift in priorities and explained a change in our team work style. The ST effect was that more frequent updates helped us to complete work a month in advance. The LT effect was that the iterative and dynamic team work style helped to accelerate delivery.

[mukhanov]

teammate not at best | communication: mentored a teammate to help him adopt a dynamic, urgency oriented communication style

I recall a time when I mentored my teammate to help him adopt a more dynamic, urgency oriented communication style.

When I was working with Schlumberger in India, I was one of the two product analysts on the team. We translated client requirements to engineers, guided product development in the team, and engaged with regional client-facing offices. Over the first few months, I appreciated how detail-oriented and technically strong my colleague was.

Once, our manager’s manager sent him a quick email to ask how many days we need for a client patch. I knew he knew the answer. But after two days of no action I approached my teammate to offer help. He showed me a carefully prepared email draft that included a very detailed technical answer. The email looked so jaded and overdetailed that he even included his vacation to Northern India.

I sat down with him to get to the bottom-line. First, we put first the number of days + or - 10% for contingency. Second, instead of a full email, we removed the laundry list along with the table. Third, I suggested to write “I am happy to dig more, please see an attachment for details or call me.” He appreciated that I explained him the relative importance of effort vs. value in crafting a message. Often, it is important to distill info and tailor the message and style depending on a stakeholder.

In the short-term, this helped him to shift his focus from details to the big picture. Over the next few weeks, our stakeholders appreciated how my teammate’s emails and slides became quicker and to the point.

[mukhanov]

failure | weakness: focused on specifics and not on the big picture, remediated team updates

I sometimes get focused too much on specifics instead of the big picture.

When I was working at Schlumberger in India as a product analyst, my manager was out of town. He asked me to make sure team updates were ready before the management meeting. I coordinated updates from everyone and was preparing my part as well.

Half an hour before the meeting, after it was noticed, I realized I was missing two critical parts. I called up two teammates, scribbled those updates, and briefed the manager. I turned his face expression from a worried to a smiling one within half an hour. He walked into the meeting room fully equipped to represent our team.

Taking a step back, I realized that it would be important to keep an eye on the overall progress. Going forward, I implemented mechanisms such as soft deadlines and the strategic view. This helped to maintain the big picture in my subsequent projects a lot better. At MIT Sloan, before going down into nitty gritty of projects, I am practicing the 10K feet view.

[mukhanov]

teamwork | conflict: empathized with opposing teammates and glued the team back together

In one example, I had to resolve a conflict in my 6-person team at a training in France.

Our project required a 30-page report researching effects of on monetary affairs in Europe. In the beginning, we divided the work and started a reasonably strong progress. However, at one of the meetings, I am realizing the tension among the two people on my team. It turned out that one teammate perceived another’s comment as rude and snapped back too.

I kept noticing that this wound went on for a while. Unfortunately, the team started falling apart into two camps. I realized that we were wasting energy on battling through the interpersonal dynamics.

Interestingly, one teammate was from China, while the other one was from Germany. I reasoned that the direct vs. indirect communication style was at the core of this confusion. I approached my good friend on the team, who happened to represent a very direct culture, Israel. I asked him to help me arrange a meeting where we would help them talk it out and be friends again.

I am glad to say that the meeting helped them to be sincere, and both regretted and wanted peace. The remaining two weeks were spent very productively toward working on core parts of the project. 

[mukhanov]

Walk me through the resume.

- Kazakhstan and academics

- Houston and consulting, India and machine learning

- Product manager, value through teamwork and tech; drive business decisions with analytics; achieve the best outcomes with teams

- Vision: realize full analytical leadership potential; maximize positive impact on my teammates and customers

I was growing up in Kazakhstan, amazed at how hungry the world economy is for energy. This inspired me to pursue petroleum engineering to fuel the world with energy. After the undergrad, I pursued masters to understand the business side of the industry.

I started out full time with Schlumberger in Houston, TX, because I wanted to surround myself with top talent. I was improving their financial modeling software. I realized that it’s important to walk in the client's shoes. So, I consulted across the US and Canada. Earned the client trust through engineering studies and economic evaluations. I was ready to apply that back to the product development and transferred to India. India was so exciting in so many ways. I was leading a team of 30 software engineers. In addition to covering production operations client requirements, I organized a team of peers and worked on a weekend project applying machine learning for oil and gas.

I decided to pursue an MBA at MIT Sloan because I would like to grow from a functional expert to a product manager and deliver significant value through teamwork and technology. At MIT Sloan, I am growing my product muscle. This competence will help me effectively drive business decisions and achieve the best outcomes with my teams.

My vision is to realize my full analytical leadership potential and maximize the positive impact on my teammates and customers.

[mukhanov]

Why do we, at <company>, need you, Akhan?

- Leadership platform

- My skillset

- I make a good fit

Why <company>? I found a strong fit with <company> for three main reasons: the leadership platform, my skillset, and the culture fit.

Why do we, at <company>, need you, Akhan? I believe that I will demonstrate my general management potential at <company>, first, through the leadership platform, second, by bringing my relevant skillset, third, by making a good fit with the <company> mission.

First, I am pursuing my MBA to grow from a functional expert to a general manager. This is why I have been looking for a science-oriented company with general-management opportunities. <company>’s top-notch leadership platform offers a structured opportunity to demonstrate my potential.

Second, my teammates at <company> will gain access to my two critical skills. First, in a process-oriented environment at Schlumberger, I have mastered advanced operational analytics. Second, at MIT Sloan, I am enhancing my finance acumen to drive business decisions with a competent financial perspective.

Third, I want to help improve the quality of life around the world in a culture fully aligned with my convictions. I believe that exceptional people can achieve superior performance. Developing outstanding plans and constructing sustainable processes is key. That way, together we can bring change and improvement to people’s lives.

In brief, <company> attracts me with unparalleled growth potential for a management career, opportunities to improve businesses with analytics and finance, and a culture that reflects my core life goals and values.