Training through Movies

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.

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