Don’t Judge me by My Fluency in English – I may be the
Prime Minister of India
Don’t Judge me by My Simplicity – I may be Defence
minister of India
Don’t Judge me by My Humble Background – I may be the
Missile Man of India / Former President of India too
Don’t Judge me by My Caste – I may be the Person
behind Drafting Constitution of India
Don’t Judge me by My Poverty – I may won medal for my
Country in Olympics
And
Don’t Judge my Skills by My Trainer – I May Learn things by
my Own – By Being Ekalavya
There is no person in this world who do not have
limitation may be in their personality or in their background. Even the most
successful once who are the role models for many in this worlds.
So what’s make them so successful even though with
limitations and some even didn’t have proper resources in the beginning?
There may be many reason for that however one of the most
important part is their Learning Skills. All are good learner and their
hunger to learn & desire and interest on their subjects made them what they
are today. And that’s why this post of my blog is all about “How
We Learn New Things”.
And whenever it comes to Learning I always state
“Ekalavya”. Many of the people close to me knows how many times I mention
Ekalavya. I used to say “Ekalavya Bano (Become Ekalavya).
I am really impressed with his story. The way he has learnt Archery with all the odds and become one of the best in their time and even better than Arjuna (One of the Best Archer in Mahabharat in Indian Mythology). He became so good that his skills has no impact even after his Right Hand Thumb (Very Important for Archery) was taken as a Guru Dakhina (donation or payment for the services of a teacher) by Guru Dronacharya (who even don’t know he has taught him).
But the question is why only Ekalavya?
And the answer is very simple. Because of his “Learning
capabilities with Observations”.
Yes he was a great learner without any guidance of his
mentor. He was refuse to guide by Guru Dronacharya. However he has learn
Archery just by observing him while he was giving training to Kaurvas &
Pandavas.
So I will define “Being
Ekalavya” as –
The
ability to learn things by Observations
when you saw someone practicing it. Without disturbing anyone who is practicing
or without being taught by a teacher.
It’s not easy to become Ekalavya. There is always a
background behind a person to “Become Ekalavya”. It is true that
you cannot become Ekalavya always. There are certain thing where you required
proper training/mentoring. However certain things you don’t required training
or mentoring you can learn by observing while someone is demonstrating it to someone
else.
Let me clear one thing is that everyone is Ekalavya in
their life. However what they learn quick just by observation is depends on
individual. Like for example I will take my self – English as Subject was never
my cup of tea. I always required a teacher to understand it. I could not learn
English of my previous class properly so the backlog is always there. However I
was good in Mathematics where I learnt things by Observation as well. In one of
my life’s most memorable incident which I have mentioned in my previous posts
as well. One day incidentally I reached 1 hour before for my tuition classes of
Mathematics. I was in 9th and that time 10th class
tuition was going on. Tiwari Sir (My teacher) told me that you came on wrong time
however he asked me to sit in the class rather going back to the class. After
he finished his class he told to my seniors (from 10th Class)
confidently without asking me that tomorrow if you ask Rupesh to solve theory
we solved today he will be able to solve. I was shocked by face but happy from
heart. My teacher was understood me correct. And to justify his predictions
about me I intentionally went to tuition 1 hour early to attend 10th
class lecture and to solve that theory without any preparation.
Now I will take example of one of my classmate Vikas Jain was good in both English and Mathematics. So he could learn both subject with observations. My few friends were weak in both the subject as well.
While I took example of school life and school subjects
the same can be replicated to our normal life. What we learn by our self and
what we can learn only by training can differ from person to person. Of one
area is a strength of one person can be a weakness for another and vice versa.
There are lots of factor which forced us to learn.
Sometime the situations or the ecosystem you are in may force you to learn
without much resources.
Let me take you some points of the social and
self-ecosystem which makes you learn things faster and by observations and help
you to “Being Ekalavya” à
·
Interest:
The most important part of learning. Your interest is
something which is in your own control. Nobody can change it other than you. If
you want to learn something, the very first thing which comes to your way is
your interest. Are you really interested to learn that particular thing? Your
interest decides the area where you will be successful and no one can stop you
to learn. Your interest make you have stop where you found something related to
it and try to understand and observe.
·
Hunger
& Desire: Many people have interest in many things but could not
succeed. Because even though they have the interest but they lacks hunger and
desire to make an attempt to learn things.
·
Desperation
& Dedication: Half knowledge of a topic consider
to be is more dangerous than having no knowledge. Your desperation to learn and
to be good or in fact to be best increase your self-judgment capabilities to
understand the depth of knowledge. You judge your knowledge with unbiased way.
You always found good in others which you don’t have. And that makes you
dedicated to keep learning. Your continuous learning is a results of your
desperation to do unbiased review of your own skills and your dedication to
improve your own skill set.
·
Confidence
& Smartness: Are you confidence enough to face
the toughest part of learning. Are you smart enough to understand the complex of
complex things? Your confident makes you stand always to learn and your
smartness helps you to learn things innovatively. For example few people who
found difficulties to remember big jargons create theory own abbreviations to
remember the sequence of logics. Although they understand the logic in depth.
·
Necessity:
Some time we have interest on something but we hesitate to
learn because of usability of
learning. Does it have any significance in my life if I learn something? So the
Necessity is an important part of learning. Necessity can come in any form. It
may be forced by society or by family or by your profession or it can be your
own self-made necessity. Necessity is an important part of learning. If there
is no necessity then the learning is incomplete.
·
Will-Power,
Zeal & Hard Work: There will be lots of ups and down
will come on your way to learn something. You should have the will power to
face all this. Your enthusiasm, your Zeal to achieve what you want can only
give you strength to face all odd and learn. In this world nobody will give you
special attention until you show your potentials. You can now buy learning you
have to earn it. You have to work hard to get the best out of you to learn the
things with less resources.
·
Demonstration:
What is the end product out of your learning? Do you have a
complete picture? Learning start from the very 1st time you have
seen any demonstrations of skills by any one in any form. Like a cricketer
start watching cricket from childhood & before he hits the ground he know
what he is going to be after learning the abc of cricket.
·
Out
Of the Box Thinking: Once Bills Gates said if you want
to get the Complex work done give it to the laziest person he will find the way
to do it faster. That is called Out Of the Box Thinking. While learning Out of
the Box Thinking is very important. While learning you have to go Out of the
Box to understand all the nuts and bolts of it.
·
Subject
& Content: Focusing on your Subject is very important. Knowledge
is everywhere, you have to be greedy for content. Whenever you get any content
related to your subject you have to pay attention. Learning can come in any
form. When you get contents from multiple sources in bits and pieces and if you
are able to correlated them and create a big picture out of that means learning
on the Subject going in the right direction. This required combination of
Logical Reasoning, Aptitude & Intelligent Quotient.
·
Understanding
What is Hidden: Its applies to both type of training formal or
informal/Observation. In any training you might not get 100% things. You have
to understand what is hidden. You capacity to drill down to the minutes details
and understand the context in bigger way is the real learner inside you. If you
have learnt what is not taught to you but you have found it by your own with
the help of minimum information you have is the ability which makes you the true
Ekalavya.
In my life I have many things which I have learnt as “Being
Ekalavya”.
The very first is the Desktop Publishing Work. Whether
it is Adobe Page Maker or Adobe Photoshop. And how did I learnt these work, I remember
I went for one DTP work for my shop to the nearest DTP operator. They design the
leaflets while I was sitting behind. I was just observing the mouse movement
and the hand in the keyboard of the operator. In another incident our Youth
Club “The Friends Club Barghat” decided to publish book on Career Path for
Rural Student after schooling. The book Called “Disha.. Career Ki Aur”. The whole
book was designed in front of me. Without disturbing Jitu Bhai (Jitendra
Kushawaha – Who has designed our Book), I and Naveen learnt lots of DTP work.
We haven’t taken formal training on DTP however just by observing work of other
we did learn and then later become the choice of many in barghat for any kind
of DTP work including commercial/political leaflets, wedding cards and so on.. Including
composing the local weekly News Paper called “Barghat Ki Bhoomi”.
Being a Marwari business is in our blood and that is another stint of “Being Ekalavya” to learn business from family by observing them from childhood. One of the best learning from my father is the Customer Care is the best most tool for your survival in your business.
When I entered in my Professional life, TCS has given us classroom training on SAP HR & Payroll. That was the demonstration of end results however the understanding the nuts & bolts of SAP HR & Payroll was not an easy task. Thanks to Sanjay Landage Sir who taught me the smart work. He always do things with innovative way whether it is comparing two excel sheet data with help of Pivot rather Vlookup functionality. Or creating a filters to divide employees in bunches. Or use of Macros to automate excel work and so on… His PCR writing skills and ability to understand the issue out of the Box and give solution to real pain rather the projected pain by user… He is genius. I have learnt this all from him just sitting behind him and observing him. As he has demonstrated these skill in front of me, I didn’t wasted this opportunity and by Being Ekalavya I have learn all this smart work from him by observing him from backend.
Thanks to Phiroza Mam to demonstrate the value of Professionalism. She taught me the value of time. Being a fresher worked under her and observe her utilizing her full time to meet the deadline, sitting at night, ready to work 24 hour in a stretch to complete the deadline taught me the value of Hard-Work. As she has demonstrated the value of Accountability & Responsibility and ability to take ownership by being in the top most post where she could easily get the work by ordering to subordinate, she always lead from front and show the path a true leader and a hard worker. By “Being Ekalavya” I learnt the hard work from her by taking self-accountability and responsibility.
The most important the MS-Excel Skills from Subbu Sir. Subbu sir was in TCS Service Deliver team where I happens to work with him for Data Migration. As fresher working with him made me shock. Oh My God look at his speed in MS-Excel. His finger speed in Key Board was like a Rocket. Mouse was hardly used. It was hardly possible to catch his speed and monitor his finger movement with what happening in MS-Excel in screen. Either you can see his key board movement or you can see screen what he is doing. However by “Being Ekalavya” I start sitting with him frequently and start observing screen and keyboard movement and then after all go home I started practicing the same in my computer. And that is what made me what I am today when it comes to MS-Excel.
Now I am 8.5+ Years old in my professional career with
10+ implementations & 20+ support projects still I am “Ekalavya” always in
my professional life. I try to learn things whenever I saw it happening. Whenever
I give training I asked my trainees to ‘Being Ekalavya” as it is my favourite
way of working which brings best out of you as a learner.
Let’s your internal Ekalavya alive inside you irrespective of your age. Being Ekalavya is a Mantra to survive in this evolving world. World is changing every day and for coping up with this change you have to have an Ekalavya inside you who is eager to learn the new thing. You can read book, read newspaper, you can observe things by while watching a daily TC shop. You can observe people in public place you can learn things everywhere, it’s up to you. Knowledge is everywhere and with or without interesting subject. It’s not necessary you try to understand each and every thing. Let’s your brain used for what it is better understand. Let’s be Ekalavya for the things which you are interested in.
Last but not the Least –
Being Ekalavya – Observe, Understand and Replicate and
Finally Learn… To become Productive & Successful…!!!
Thanks a lot for reading and watching... Take care & all the best...Hope you all are not bored while reading the blog J
regards,
rupesh
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