Training
through Movies
In this posting, I want to write about how movies can
be effectively used in Corporate for Behavioural Training.
The triggering
point for this topic was, I’ve recently watched a Movie, rather an old movie, “The
Pursuit of HappYness” screened by “HR Sangam”, at Chennai followed by a
discussion and debriefing by Nalini Ravindran, Behavioural Trainer. It was a
great movie and very much motivating.
Movies are great entertainment and FuN. Every movie has a different flavour. It strikes various emotional chords within us
and leaves us with different emotions and feelings. It may make us laugh, think deep, even cry, feel
motivated and leaves different messages & learning too.
I still remember that during my college days, I had a
classmate who used to watch movies before exams and whenever he felt little “low”. He was encouraged by his father to do
so. Though it sounded little strange,
that was very much true and it really worked for him.
I am sure that we all have our own favourite movies
that we would love to watch when we want to motivate ourselves.
Can we use Movies
effectively for Behavioural Training?
Have you ever felt motivated after seeing any
particular movie? If the answer is yes, I would say that it can be used,
provided the following two important aspects are taken care of.1. Context setting and De-briefing:
With the right context setting and debriefing, I feel
that Movies are one of the effective mediums to train people. A good debriefing will facilitate the participants
to understand the learning points and how they can apply or relate to their
real work-life environment. In the hands of a good Trainer, a good movie /
movie clippings can be an effective Training tool to train people and to drive
home the learning points very effectively.
But it may not achieve the intended learning purpose in the absence of
effective debriefing.
2. Selection
of Movie:
a. Selection of right movie with right messages that we
intend to drive and achieve during the Training is very important.
Say for instance, the movie “Lagaan” demonstrates
various behavioural aspects that are expected in the Corporate world. The movie is all about leadership, risk-taking,
Decision making, effective utilization of “available resources”, Team building,
Motivation, Positive Attitude and Courage. The movie shows what can be achieved
by a bunch of ordinary men with extra-ordinary efforts under courageous
leadership. I’ve used it for junior employees
and found it to be very effective.
b. Movies based on real stories can be a great
pick. The reasons are obvious. Acceptance of the messages is instantaneous
without any second-thoughts and learning objectives can be very easily
achieved.
For instance, the movie that I saw recently, The Pursuit
of HappYness is based on a real life story of Chris Gardner, an ordinary man rising
against all odds with a “never-give up attitude” in pursuit of his goals and ultimately achieving them. I am going to write about my learning from
this movie in detail in the next paragraph.
Cost: Another
advantage of using movie is, it is also a very cost-effective Training tool.
The Pursuit
of HappYness – Lessons to learn
While there are so many learning points and traits that
are well demonstrated and emulated in this Movie, I would like to talk about
few vital points that I personally liked.
Winners NEVER
QUIT and Quitters NEVER WIN
This is a trait that’s absolutely required to be
successful. It’s very easy to understand
what it means and to say the least, very difficult to practice in our
day-to-day life. At some point of time,
we give up. It’s all about taking that
one extra-initiative with extra-efforts and sustaining ourselves.
In the above Movie, Will smith (Chris Gardner) would apply
for internship program at Dean Witter (A Stock broking and Investment company) and he would try to meet up with Jay,
the program manager. When Jay is on his way to go somewhere by Taxi, Will smith
would ask for “sharing a ride” with him telling that he is also on the way to
the same place. But, the real purpose is just to create an opportunity to get
some time to meet up with him, which he would not otherwise get, and impress
upon him that he is the right person for the internship program.
Well, I think this is one common and important trait
of all the winners.
I would like
to quote from the book, Chasing Daylight wherein the KPMG CEO, Eugene O’Kelly
would have written about his experience of getting a Business deal from a major
Investment bank. When he is not in a
position to get face-to-face meeting with the president of one particular
Australian Corporate for weeks, he would not wait. He would find out his travel plans knowing
that he spends much time on the go in transit.
After coming to know his travel plan of flying from Sydney to Melbourne
in the next two days, he would book his ticket in the same flight and reserve
his seat next to him.
He would fly
all the way from New York to Sydney spending 22 hours and board the Melbourne
bound flight, sit next to the President of that company and introduce himself that
he had flown halfway around the world just to explain as to why KPMG is the
best to audit their accounts. He would
get that Business deal.
Risk-taking
Will Smith (Chris Gardner), a sales man who would be
struggling to sell his Scanning machines (Medical equipment) and to make ends
meet, would take a call to join the 6 months internship program against so many
odds. The odds are
Ø
There is no
stipend for the entire period.
Ø
He may or may not
get selected at the end of the training.
Ø
Only one would
get selected from a pool of 20 Interns at the end of the program.
Ø It’s a very
demanding program that needs full-time commitment and hard work.
Ø
If not selected,
he can’t even use the 6 months training as an experience and seek employment anywhere
at all.
Ø
He does not have
any saving for his livelihood for the whole period except for the 6 scanning
Machines to sell.
Ø
He has a son to take
care of.
He would still go ahead and join the program because
of the strong belief he had that he is good at it and he can become
successful.
An important decision that brings turning point in the
life of Chris Gardner. He would get
selected for his commendable contribution
as an intern in Dean Witter. Chris Gardner
went on to found his Investment Firm, Gardner Rich in 1987. In 2006, he sold a minority stake in his
brokerage firm in a multi-Million Dollar Deal.
Had he not taken that risk, he would have continued to
be a “Sales Man”.
Being Optimistic
Ø
Will Smith will
go ahead and enrol himself in the internship program even when there is
discouragement from his wife who would tell him, “why not Astronaut instead of
intern” and “salesman to intern is backwards”.
Ø
Will Smith would
get arrested (for failing to pay parking fine) the day before his Internship interview. He would be detained the whole night and be
released the next day morning when has to be there in Dean Witter for interview. I’ve to mention here that he would be painting
his house when he gets arrested. He would still be determined and show up for
interview in an inappropriate dress with paint everywhere. Instead of trying to manipulate or tell a
story, he would say the truth and he would try to impress upon the interviewers
by speaking about himself very candidly.
When the interviewer asks him, what would you say if a guy walked in for
an interview without a shirt and I hired him. What would you say? A critical
question for which Will Smith would say that he must have had on some “real
nice pant”. The entire panel of
interviewers would break into laughter and he will get selected.
Ø
Will Smith would
tell his son that “Don’t let others say that you can’t do something; when
others can’t do something themselves, they want to say that you can’t do it. If
you have a dream, you got to protect it. Period.
Let me assure you that there are lot more learning
points. In a nutshell, the movie demonstrates
that nothing is impossible with determination and will power. Constraints are
really not constraints at all, when you are not left with any choice. You will
never know how strong you are, unless being strong is the only option you have. I would highly recommend this Movie for
Corporate Training.
What do you think of training through movies..? What
are your favourite movies..? Have you ever felt motivated after seeing a
particular movie..?
Pls. do share your experience and thoughts... Look
forward to hearing from you.
diD yOU enJOY ReADinG ThIS ArTIcLE?
If yES,
yOU maY sHAre it wiTH Your FriENds tOO.
