This article originally appeared on Fuqua’s Global Executive MBA student blog and is shared here with permission.
By Liyun Guan, Global Executive MBA ’25
This past year, the Global Executive MBA program at Fuqua has been an exciting experience. My background is in strategic human resources (HR) partnerships, both in the information technology (IT) and e-commerce industries. My experience as an internal consultant and partner for executives has motivated me to expand my skill set, especially the ability to ”think outside the box” like an external consultant.
The Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum (FCCP) has provided such explorational opportunities and has become an inspirational part of my Duke MBA journey. In many ways, it has empowered me to redevelop my hands-on fast-learning skills, critical thinking, high-level strategic analysis, and most importantly, instilled unshakeable self-confidence. There has been no shortage of great “Aha!” moments as I work with clients and my teammates of diverse backgrounds.
Exploration Into the Unknown and Growing Confidence
Leaving our comfort zone is easy to say, but hard to do. To make it work means allowing yourself to make mistakes.
In our FCCP project, my team needed to dive into a new industry and work out a solution for the client’s pain points. The timeframe was challenging and short; only five months. The class and the instructor provided excellent research methodology, guidance and theory structure. With this strong foundation, my team put in a lot of work.
However, in the early stage, the progress was slower than our clients’ expectations. Particularly, I was frustrated by my analysis and contribution. Strong feelings of self-doubt became overwhelming, but I didn’t want to give up.
Gradually, my team’s character and communication with the client built trust. In the mid-term presentation, we impressed the client with high-quality outputs. All of a sudden, I came to accept the fact that regardless of my solid career experience, I would make mistakes in this new attempt. And making mistakes and corrections leads to growth.
This self-acceptance encouraged me — fearlessly I kept trying and progressing in the project with true confidence. By the end of it, I was impressed by how much I could gain in such a mini-project.
Teamwork and Empowerment at Fuqua
My FCCP team consisted of five smart men and women with very diverse professional backgrounds from both the Weekend and Global Executive MBA programs and different cultural backgrounds. Benefitting from Fuqua’s team-building foundation that we all experienced at the beginning of our program, my FCCP team set up a routine of effective communication quickly. We discovered the similar core value of team collaboration and the eagerness to make the project as well as our client successful. This set the foundation for our success and enormously encouraged me to work through frustrations. Every team member’s value was recognized in our team communication and reporting rehearsals.
Our final presentation turned out to be very appealing to the client. Our presentation stretched on for an hour and a half due to the continuous questions and meaningful discussion sparked by our presented solutions.
Of course, participating in FCCP did not come without its challenges. My team had to balance conflicting schedules between our different programs with professional and personal priorities. Still, the FCCP experience was incredible. I am already noticing the growth in my capabilities and confidence.
For anyone considering taking on FCCP, I encourage you to research the program and understand what you’re getting into, have a full estimation of your schedule and the time you can commit to the project, then enjoy the wonderful journey of challenge and growth!