"Training Triumphs: Overcoming the Quicksand of Inefficiency

Introduction:

As a soft skills and behavioral skills trainer, have you ever felt like you are stuck in quicksand, struggling to make progress despite your best efforts? Inefficiency can be a silent killer, draining our energy and hindering our impact. Let us explore this common challenge and discover how to break free.

The Problem:

Inefficiency is like a slow-leaking balloon, quietly deflating our productivity and morale. It manifests in various ways, such as:

- Procrastination

- Lack of clear goals

- Disorganization

- Distractions

- Ineffective communication

- Lack of upgradation and learning

Imagine trying to build a house on shifting sand. No matter how hard you work, the foundation keeps collapsing. That is what inefficiency feels like – a constant struggle to make progress.

- "The average person spends about 2 hours per day on productivity-killing activities." - RescueTime

"Inefficiency is the enemy of productivity." - Brian Tracy

- "The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." - Stephen Covey

Let me tell you a story:

Meet Srini, a dedicated trainer, who has been invited to give a talk to a bunch of business entrepreneurs. He, however realises that, he does not have activities to keep the audience engaged. He posts the same in various WhatsApp groups that he is a part of in the hope that someone would come forward and help him with the activities.

Subhash, another trainer, reads the post and asks Srini to get in touch with him so that he can explain an activity through which he can engage the audience effectively. Srini is thrilled and they get into a call:

Subhash - Hello Srini. Good to connect with you. How many I help you?

Srini - Hi Subhash - So, I have been invited to give a 90 minutes talk to a bunch of entrepreneurs and I want to give them a strong message as to how they can avoid inefficiencies in their work. I have my content ready, however, I am struggling to find an activity through which I can engage them.

Subhash - Okay. Let us look at this in a different way. I will take you through something right now. Are you ready to go through it. Before starting, I want you to keep a pen and paper handy with you.

Srini - I already have one as I knew that you would take me through something useful.

Subhash - Okay great, let us start.

Please draw an I - Say about 5 inches in height on the left hand side of the paper. The lowest point of the I is 0 and the highest point of the I is 10. Now take the problem you came to me with and plot it on the I in terms of its severity, i.e. is 0 is least severe and 10 is extremely severe for you to give a successful talk tomorrow.

Srini - Okay, I have plotted it and it stands at 7.

Subhash - Great. Now draw another I parallel to the I you have drawn on the right hand side of the page. Plot the resources you have right now (ignoring this call) to handle the problem you were facing, again 0 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.

Srini - I have plotted and it stands at 4.

Subhash - Super. Now look at the problem vis-a-vis the resources you had to handle it, it looks humongous in terms of the resources you have to handle the problem. Do you agree? Srini says - Yes absolutely, I do.

Subhash - What would make you happy as a trainer right now and in the long run?

Srini - I don't want to be facing such a problem and such problems should not exist in my life.

Subhash - Exactly - This is what most of us will think and say, isn't it? We want the problems to reduce. However, Srini, tell me honestly - Will your problems in life ever vanish or go away completely? The answer is "NO". The only time you won't have any problem is when you are 'Dead" (Well, you don't have a problem, others have) or you are handling problems or doing something that is far below your capability, isn't it? For e.g. You can play cricket with the children in your building and hit every ball for a six. However, imagine playing with a seasoned cricketer, leave along hitting the ball for a six, you probably won't even be able to touch a ball. Am I making sense? Srini says - absolutely, very interesting indeed...

Subhash continues - Therefore, another way to look at the whole issue is - How can I increase my resources or my capability to handle the problem. Imagine, if you were to increase your resources or your ability to handle the problem to 9, what would happen? Suddenly, you are looking down at the problem and it will start appearing small in front your ability to handle it, isn't it? Makes sense? Srini says - I just got a big "aha moment" in my life Subhash - Never looked at it like this. I understood where I am actually lacking and what I need to do.

Subhash - This is true for most people out there, including trainers, business owners, entrepreneurs (whom you are going to address), business leaders etc. etc. Instead of addressing the issue of increasing their capability or becoming more resourceful, they keep thinking, how can I reduce the proble. Remember - Whatever you FOCUS on grows. If you keep focusing on reducing the problem, the problem will grow. If you focus on increasing your resources or your capability, your capability will grow.

This in the real-world is called "Inefficient Mindset", i.e. one which focuses more on the problem. When you focus on making yourself more capable and resourceful, it is known as "Efficient Mindset". If helps you make yourself more efficient rather than worrying about the outside world.

Remember - You can't solve a problem with the same mindset as you created it with. You need to think differently in order to solve the problem, and that thinking differently is becoming more capable or resourceful.

Srini - Thank you Subhash - I can't thank you enough for this eye-opening activity. And I am going to be in touch with you in the future also for any guidance. Will you help me?

Subhash - Feel free to connect, happy to help. All the very best for your talk tomorrow. May the Divine Grace and Blessing be upon you throughout. Now before you go, tell me what ae your 5 key takeaways from this activity which I just taught you? And will you be able to administer this activity tomorrow as part of your talk?

Srini - Absolutely yes Subhash. I feel so much more confident now. The 5 key takeawas for me in the form action points to avoid falling into the Trap of Inefficiency are:

5 Actions to Avoid the Trap:

1. Set Clear Goals: Establish specific, measurable objectives for each training session. And ensure that I have all the resources for handling them before I commit to anything.

2. Prioritize: Focus on simple yet high-impact activities and minimize distractions. Focus on building my capability rather than thinking about the problems. That way I won't get distracted.

3. Streamline Communication: Clearly define expectations and needs with my clients.

4. Embrace Continuous Improvement: Regularly reflect on my processes and seek feedback to optimize my training approach. Keep abreast with the latest and seek support to upgrade my skills.

5. Develop an "Efficient Mindset" rather than getting trapped in the "Inefficient Mindset".

Subhash - Brilliant - I must say - You are a quick learner Srini. I am sure you will do well.

Conclusion:

Don't let inefficiency hold you back from achieving your training triumphs! By recognizing the signs and taking proactive steps, you can break free from the quicksand of inefficiency and make a meaningful impact on yourself and your audience.

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Until next time, stay healthy and safe and keep improving yourself and keep inspiring your audience.

Kind regards

Dr Shanker Viswanath

Train the Trainer Expert

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