Train the Trainer

I was doing a follow-up workshop today when I saw my facebook memory share alert … exactly  a year ago, my mentor and teacher Elango Thiyagu did the first company follow-up workshop with the intention of teaching me how to do it. And here I am, for the first time truly doing the follow-up workshop on my own. A proud moment for me indeed. I have come a long way.

Be At Your Best follow-up workshop for PPG Coatings on 18 March 2015

This isn’t the first follow-up workshop I have done on my own though. The first time was a couple of months ago when Elango suddenly told me he needs to watch the markets because of the currency volatility and I had to do the follow-up workshop the next day. My mind went like ‘oh…. Noooo’ but I heart said ‘okay’, so I did it. It was an awesome learning experience. I would term it as a success. Hey I can do this.

Then there was this other time, the night before the workshop he got sick, fever and shiver and all when he asks me .. “tomorrow’s workshops you do ah?” and I reluctantly nodded. Then scramble and prepare and do the follow-up workshop. Another awesome learning experience! Another success! After that I got smarter and volunteered to do most of the company follow-up workshops. All different experiences … yet successful in delivering the intended message. Getting better with each workshop.  All in all I’ve done 7 workshops to-date. Today was two continuous  8^th and 9^th workshops. So why was today different? Why am I saying for the first time truly doing the follow-up workshop?

Today I was doing the workshop without any disturbance from my senses with my mind firmly focused on my end goals. No battle with myself. I was having fun. My newly programmed subconscious mind was sharing experiences from a few years ago, from a few weeks ago, borrowed experiences, personal experiences, work experiences, experiences of doing my best, experiences of practicing SIEP and so on … it was on a roll, going with the flow … and I was having fun … picking the correct amount of information and examples the participants needed to understand the concepts and put it into practice…. high energy from within, irrespective of what the participants did or said.

Be At Your Best follow-up workshop for Secure Guards on 18 March 2016.

Today I understood why Elango said I need to practice SIEP, giving my best without expectations, give first, be truthful, thoughts, words, actions aligned, do the relaxation exercise, have end goals, focus on solutions, respect and work with the laws of nature … basically practice all these first to a certain extend before I can do the classes.  [for people who have no clue about the jargon I am using , well come for our next Be At Your Best program to find ou] For the first time I see how Elango has been training me over the past two and half years to do the training program.

You see, when I told him I wanted to do the program more than 2 years ago he answered, “Okay. I’ll teach you. Are you willing to learn?” Confident was my reply ‘Yes’. Then for the next few weeks we had weekly meetings talking about everything except the  program. We talked mostly about myself. I did wonder  when was he going to talk about the program. I was expecting him to tell me the layout, training module , training plan etc. Every time I brought the subject of the program up he will avoid it. I was a bit confused on how was this teaching me how to do the workshops but I trusted my teacher and went along.

Then one day he said I need to meet as many people as possible so that my subconscious mind can learn. Mmmm… how was I going to do that? He suggested that I do a 1 day program. I thought it was a good idea too and came up with a one day program on goal setting. Then came the difficult part, how do I get participants for the 1 day program? I needed to do marketing but had no clue where or how to start!

Getting a bit desperate now, I talked to a wise young girl about this and she asked why should they come? They need to see the need for it first. Mmmm… so I thought I’ll design a questionnaire and go survey people in the malls. There started my mall walks! I remember on my first day, I had lunch with my mentor. The experience of the mall survey was overwhelming I just sat there and cried and cried. He passed me his handkerchief, bought me lunch, listened to my experiences and realizations about myself and told me he was proud of me.  Then at 2 pm he asked me to go back to doing the surveys. I stared at him in shock but got up and went back to doing the surveys.

I started surveying random strangers in malls for a few months, with a lot of resistance and non-consistency in the beginning until later it turned into a daily activity which I started enjoying. I started enjoying having conversations with random strangers. Everyone was a reflection of myself and with the help of my mentor I started getting to know myself better. I did over 100 surveys. Then came the second part, calling them up and signing participants up for the 1 day program. Again, a learning curve of falling sick when I make calls to enjoying talking to people on the phone. Then I did my first 1 day program, then the second, then the third and fourth.

1:1 meeting with my mentor during ET Ideas Tuesday meetings.

Then one day during ET Ideas Tuesday meetings [www.ET-Ideas.com], Elango was telling someone that he will teach him to do his program in his country in Sudan. You should have seen my face. I went ballistic! I confronted Elango on why he has not taught me on how to do the program yet. He laughed and replied he has been teaching me all along and testing to see if I really wanted to do the program. I replied ‘Yess!!’ to which he said okay let’s schedule a date, you get the participants and I’ll do the program which you can video record and learn. However, only today did it fully dawn on me that in our many meetings, the surveys, the phone calls, doing my 1 day program and working with the ET Ideas team in other projects he was actually teaching me how to do the ‘Be At Your Best’ program [www.globetrotterconsultancy.com.my]. He was teaching by getting me to correct my habit patterns, do SIEP and manage my emotions, give first , do my best, repeat my goals, learn how to do marketing, have end goals and numerous invaluable lessons regarding my subconscious mind, listening to my heart and achieving success which I will come to share to my participants when I started doing the ‘Be At Your Best’ program.

Be At Your Best Public Program - 2014, 2015 & 2016

We did the first ‘Be At Your Best’ public program in October 2014. In 2015, we did the second public program and 3 Corporate Programs. In Q1 016, we did the third public program and another Corporate Program. Gradually I have started doing the follow-up workshops as mentioned earlier. So why was today’s workshop truly successful?

To an extend it was because in the past two weeks I have actually started doing SIEP correctly and responding to situations and people instead of reacting to what my senses picked up. I was actually thinking and responding. It was slowly becoming a habit pattern. Hence, when I was doing the workshop today, I was not reacting to what my sense saw or heard. Eg. it didn’t bother me that some of them looked sleepy, some were on their phones, some were busy talking among themselves. My mind was so firmly focused on my end goal of delivering what the participants need and getting them to understand how to put it into practice that what my senses saw didn’t bother me. I didn’t have to use willpower to focus. It came naturally. Gradually, my participants engaged and I achieved my end goal, effortless while having fun. This, I could do only because who I have become. Today I fully understood how Elango has been teaching me and preparing me from day 1 to do this workshop. I understand why if I don’t live it I will not be able to conduct the program.

I have a long way to go but now I feel the extent to which I have grown in a short period of 2 years and I am grateful and thankful to Elango for guiding me patiently and not giving up on me. I am also thankful to nature for bringing me to Elango and the ET Ideas team. I would not have seen the bigger picture of life, my purpose of life if not for them..... and having so much fun too!

Outing with the ET Ideas team.