Mentoring

Last week, 34 budding entrepreneurs were connected to mentors in a two-day residential workshop conducted by GEMS. Born of the vision of Rajkumar Kamat, GEMS is Goa Entrepreneur Mentoring Service Trust that seeks to share the experience of business achievers with the ones who are starting off. The mentors will provide expertise to less experienced individuals to help them advance their dreams, enhance their learning and build their networks.

Mentoring programs are increasingly popular in various organisations where newcomers are paired with experienced people, who act as friends and guides. However the GEMS initiative is commendable as the mentors are mentoring those who can be their future competitors. So does mentoring make sense when not within an organisation? Is it foolish to empower one’s competition?

We need to remember that the qualities of an effective mentor include risk taking, trustworthiness, a depth of knowledge and above all being emotionally strong. Mentoring obviously can come only from a position of courage, confidence and competence. It requires the ability to envision the worthy dream to pass on the baton of experience and thus be able to leave a legacy.

Mentoring needs us to move beyond illusionary insecurities. And it is the right attitude that makes the mentor moves to higher levels as he mentors his mentees. Indeed while it is great to be efficient in achieving, we will be better at creating an impactful legacy when we involve in mentoring. Having the courage to share through mentoring is the true test of every achiever.

True confidence does not stop at self-centred achieving

Let’s BE BETTER at having the courage to do mentoring!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Goa, India.

Use or Lose

The annual awards ceremony of the Trainers’ Association of Goa was held yesterday. The TRAINER ICON award was given to Atul Shah who has made a difference through his dynamic style of infectious inspiration, deep insights and creative innovations. Nevertheless, all those, whose lives he has touched, will tell you that his greatest competency is his flair for eloquent oratory.

While speaking on the occasion, Atul shared how his father literally pushed him into becoming an expert at elocution during his school days. However, in college, the skill was hardly used and Atul would dread to see the sight of a mike or a lectern. He said that it was a case of the famous saying ‘if you don’t use it, you lose it’. Atul had to resume the journey again to reclaim his skill!

The predicament, of losing a competency because we have stopped using it, is commonplace. Skills, we are proficient in at a younger age, seem difficult to take on, when we are older. So often, so many of us give up using the skills we have acquired in our learning phase. After a gap when we try our hand at the same skill, we find ourselves at sea.

Actually, we do not really lose the skill; we lose the confidence to use the skill. And this is the most importance lesson. Confidence comes from getting better and getting better will come from consistency. Not just oratory, to be better at sports, arts or any other skill, it is important to not stray away for long from its use. It is steadfastness in the use of that skill that ensures its sustenance.

Many of us give up on things because we are busy with other priorities. But, if we consider that we have invested considerable time and effort to reach to a level of confidence in using the skill, it is surely foolish to lose such a treasure. We must find the time to do all the things we could do earlier. We must reclaim our original capacities by just using every opportunity to use them!

To BE BETTER at retaining it

Just be consistent in using it!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Goa, India.

Recce

Look around and you will see that effective persons are the ones who are better prepared to walk the path they choose to step on. Singers, orators, performers would want to see the podium on which they would perform. Traders, entrepreneurs, sales persons involve in what they call a trial run. They use different words but what they are doing is a ‘recce’

 ‘Recce’ is a word frequently used by those in trekking and mountaineering. Every time we plan a new trail, some of us undertake a ‘recce’ – an exploratory excursion to confirm the best possible route. We identify spots to visit as well as do an estimate for time budgeting. Invariably a well done ‘recce’ ensures a successful trek with a larger group of participants.

The term derived from ‘reconnaissance’ refers to an exploration conducted to get information. Also known as scouting, it is a military idiom for a preliminary survey to gain facts. However, a ‘recce’ is more than a survey and analysis. It is about pre-experiencing the proposed plan to be better in responding to the challenges of the situation.

So often we plan to do embark on certain paths or projects. Quite often we do not start for lack of knowledge and experience. Whether it is a mission or an initiative or an endeavour, the path becomes familiar when we embark on a ‘recce’. Larger dreams are better realised by exploring the ‘recce’ experience that helps us understand the situation. Hence we are better prepared to tackle traps and plan strategies to optimise use of resources, including time.

To BE BETTER prepared use the right tactic

To know the path, a recce will do the trick!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Goa, India

Fab Four

The farmer ploughs the land to reap a golden grain…

The cowherd is not rewarded with milk, without any pain…

The blacksmith shapes the iron with tools that shine…
The potter shapes the clay with a picture in his mind…

The above lines are from a poem penned by yours truly inspired by the song ‘ye taara’ from the Hindi film ‘Swades’. They have been used to effectively convey the concepts of vision and mission. The analogies are of learning through the simple approaches of four traditional professions.

The farmer, involved in sustainable activity, is greater than the hunter who preys with greed and ends up depleting the resource. Before sowing the farmer ploughs the land to get it ready for sowing. The cowherd too feeds and nurtures the cow, before he can get its milk. Surely, we to need to involve in pre-project work to set the stage for the real activity.

The blacksmith ensures that his tools are just right. The potter envisions his creation even before he creates it. Both the craftsmen teach us the art of visioning and having the right tools. Those who can visualise their dream before it is realised are better placed to achieve it. Those who gather the right tools are going to empowered to execute the desirable actions.

Everyone wants a rich harvest. We reap what we sow! But we must learn to be better at sowing by doing the essentials before sowing. These essentials are of getting the ground ready, putting efforts in the incubation period, acquiring the right tools and envisioning the dream. Over the years, the fabulous four of the farmer, the cowherd, the blacksmith and the potter have just taught us so.

The law of the harvest is to reap more than you sown

Let’s be better at doing what the fab-four have shown!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Goa, India.

True Image

It doesn't make sense to call ourselves ugly, because we don't really see ourselves… We don't watch ourselves sleeping in bed, curled up silent with our chests rising & falling with our own rhythm…. We don't see ourselves reading a book, eyes fluttering and glowing…. We don't see ourselves looking at someone with love and care in our heart...

There's no mirror in our way when we are laughing and smiling and pure happiness is leaking out of us…. We would know exactly how bright and beautiful we are if we saw ourselves in the moments where we are truly our authentic self...

The above message was posted by Geeta Shanker, my facebook friend. How true! We are denied seeing our own inherent beauty that is obvious to others who discover it in our responses and behaviour. The charm of our personality lies in our little actions and expressions.

Of course, those who see us, in our inherent beauty, can hold the positive mirror to us. But so often, so many of us would refuse to accept the true image of our selves. We tend to deflect positive appreciation and on the other hand we easily succumb to negative feedback, even if it is off the mark.

Our true image is when we are free of inhibitions... when the child within is set free... when we laugh without covering our face... when we walk without worry... when we shed the masks of false pretence... when we are simple and sincere... And when we choose to be better at noticing our truly attractive traits, we will notice our true image of yet another beautiful human being!

‘Every being is beautiful’ insists many a sage...

Let’s be better at appreciating our true image!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Goa, India.