María Elena Carballo has spent more than 30 years training leaders in the classrooms of INCAE. Throughout this time, she treasures fond memories of this professional stage, so significant in her life.
Communication CD&AE
María Elena Carballo describes herself as an eternal learner who loves to listen to others and share with her loved ones. This Costa Rican teacher has been fortunate to have had extraordinary teachers during all her stages as a student, which influenced her decision to dedicate her professional life to teaching, especially in the formation of leaders Incaístas.
D. from Brandeis University in the United States. Maria Elena was a curious student; she was not satisfied only with what was presented in the classroom, but she went deeper into the topics and explored other options, versions and solutions, depending on the subject matter.
With this vast knowledge and experience acquired abroad, María Elena returned to her native Costa Rica with a great professional challenge: to become a professor at the best business school in the region, INCAE.
One of the standards of INCAE is the training of regional leaders. To be a complete leader, one must possess effective communication skills and know how to tell one's own story of value to companies. This is where the importance of the classes taught by Professor Maria Elena comes into play.
At the beginning, it was difficult for her to adapt, since INCAE has a different teaching style than what she was used to. Her first students evaluated her poorly, but this was not a reason to give up. She saw it as an opportunity to develop her full potential and to this day she continues to learn from each class group.
"I came from a very traditional method, practically giving lectures... So, I began to prepare myself to ask more questions and encourage student interaction in class. It was a very important adaptation process, in which I was greatly helped by two bosses I had at the beginning: Eduardo Montiel, who was the dean, and Roberto Artavia, who was the director of master's programs," said the professor.
"For two years in a row, I convened two groups of outstanding students and conducted focus groups to identify my mistakes. That taught me a lot; for that, I am always very grateful to the students. They guide me and teach me every day," she added.
Capturing the attention of a group of students is no easy task. This education professional uses, in addition to the methodology of questions and cases from INCAE, tools such as stories, movies and plays. These elements motivate the exchange of ideas and generate an atmosphere of trust that facilitates better communication.
Maria Elena treasures many memories and friends she has made at INCAE. Undoubtedly, she knows perfectly the characteristics that distinguish a graduate of this business school:
"A graduate of INCAE carries with him ties with all his classmates, because he has learned from different people, not only from the professors, but also from his colleagues in each country. The analytical capacity they have is very important, not only in numerical terms, but also in the way they develop the analysis in my class, which strengthens their capacities for verbal analysis. They are people interested in communicating with others, and that is why they are complete leaders," said María Elena.
