Choosing the way forward

Maalik Khaskhely, who is the Executive Director of School of Leadership Foundation, takes centre to conduct the training on Day Two.COVER STORYIf we observe our surroundings keenly, we often feel the need to change quite a few things, or at least better them in some way. One thing that often leaves me wondering about the future of our homeland, our country is the mindset and attitude of today’s youth, who form a major chunk of our population. They need the right guidance and counseling to choose the right path for themselves and achieve their goals. Sadly, however, most of them are stuck somewhere, struggling to find a way out.This is where, I feel, comes the need of individuals and organizations working to facilitate young people in this fast-paced age. They may not guarantee a bright future for every young individual who chooses to knock at their door but surely there are some for whom the meaning of life changes forever!Recently, I attended a seven-day customized, training programme called Train The Young Trainer (TTYT) - organized for the youth of Pakistan by School of Leadership (SoL), an organization that believes in the power of an individual to live an enlightened life, be a source of positive change and to leave a legacy. It took place in Karachi during the month of December.As the title suggests, this premium training programme is targeted at those who wish to step into the field of training and development and/or are already operating in one but haven’t been able to make a mark yet. It is designed to equip young, enthusiastic souls with tools, models and skills required to make sessions absorbing and effective for diverse audiences.Essentially, TTYT is a rigorous learning experience featuring on-ground activities, interaction and much more with incredible experiential learning opportunities. It is indeed the first and an essential step towards becoming a respected trainer, counselor or speaker and a better-skilled employer anywhere in the world.Beginning with some fun, interesting activities on day one, aimed at setting the tone for the rest of the sessions in the coming days, TTYT 2018 was worthwhile. Lead Trainer and Consultant at SoL, Waqar Ali, opened the programme on December 8 (Day One) and engaged participants in activities that meant to charge them up. He divided over 20 participants into four groups comprising both male and female participants and assigned them a bunch of tasks within limited time. While most groups weren’t able to succeed in completing all of them in time, they were full of energy and enthusiasm at the end of the day.If we analyze the nature of activities these programmes indulge participants in, we realize that though they appear senseless at first, they hold immense importance in shaping up an individual and extracting the best out of him or her. For instance, when asked to do a rapid-fire with a stranger one spots on the road, the idea is to help participants get out of their comfort zones and be able to tackle varied situations. Similarly, taking a selfie with a 60-year-old, collecting change, earning a penny, speaking to strangers about life, etc. are things that one doesn’t always think of but they absolutely enjoy the experience. Just the way I did. TTYT participants working on tasks assigned to themUpon asking three people, whom I spoke for the first time, what life means to them and listening to over 60 responses to this same question, I learnt how people of different age groups look at life. I came to the conclusion that the younger ones are desperate to achieve their goals, middle aged people are happy making both ends meet for themselves as well as their families while older ones wish to make the most of the time they have and try to have as many good deeds as possible to their name. Abdul Basit, who worked tirelessly to manage the entire event, and Duaa Tariq Mansoor, Marketing Associate at School of LeadershipOne thing that Waqar made us all understand that day was that we need to fight and win our inner battles first instead of stressing on what the world thinks of us. Peace comes from within and if that is not achieved, anything material cannot make up for that.After a day of excitement and realizations, the actual process began the next day, with more techniques coming in and giving participants a tough time handling it. Man of the hour Maalik Khaskhely, Master Trainer and Consultant at SoL, introduced some ground realities to the participants. Content development was the centre of attention on Day Two with focus on Training Need Analysis (TNA) that is aimed at identifying the gap between the current and desired competency of an organization. The results of this survey help trainers determine what, why and how they are supposed to conduct their training, based on the outcome they wish to achieve for their clients.Master Trainer and Consultant Shireen Naqvi, who laid the foundation of SoL, made the third day of TTYT a rich, enlightening and fruitful experience. Starting off with the importance of communication, she highlighted the use of one’s inner and outer senses - from empathy, calmness to sense of sight and hearing. It is essential to make the right use of each sense while on floor and balance them out. It was also pointed out that 65 per cent of training relies on emotional involvement of a trainer. Beliefs, perceptions and truth were some of the key components that were in question. Trainer Uzair Ausaf indulging participants in some experiential learning during TTYT 2018She engaged the participants in diverse activities and assessed each and every participant on their performance; she pointed out their strengths as well as weaknesses and also mentioned ways to improve themselves. It was indeed a great learning experience with her, followed by a practical examination of sorts that required participants to conduct training on-ground with their group mates. They were then provided with feedback, suggestions and some tips and tricks by their facilitators to become a better trainer, based on how they demonstrated themselves during the task.Moving on, branding oneself as a trainer out there in the market was one of the key lessons learnt during the training programme. Waqar Ali, who took the stage yet again, explained the dos and don’ts of branding with reference to The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by marketing guru Al Ries and his daughter and business partner Laura Ries. Rest of the days focused on revision, and making sure that the participants hadn’t missed out on anything important. The emphasis was on the concepts, competencies and craft that they discovered to make learning meaningful and effective. Besides Waqar Ali, Maalik Khaskhely and Shireen Naqvi, other prominent trainers who took centre stage during the seven-day event were Umair Jaliawala, Arsal Faheem and Uzair Altaf; they were assisted by a few facilitators, counselors and trainers. Not to forget, Abdul Basit Patel, Programme Coordinator at SoL, who worked tirelessly to make this event a success. Hats off to him!The final day, that fell on December 23, was meant for evaluation of these participants and see where they stood by the end of the training. They took a test that to assess their theoretical knowledge while they gave presentations to demonstrate their learning alongside submitting their manuals. They were evaluated by trainers Umair Lodhi, Fahad Hussain, Nabil Kalu and Saquib Niaz, who gave them honest feedbacks and marked them for their content, body language, confidence and other key skills that are essential to become a trainer. Participants showing their presentations to evaluators on the final dayBeing present there myself, I could notice the difference in them. The way they carried themselves on the first day and the change they brought in themselves by the last day was commendable. Their confidence got stronger, spirit higher and above all, they were proud, not just of themselves but of each one of them. TTYT taught them to work on their core competencies, understand internal values and ultimately, to become a better person who spreads peace, positivity and happiness around - making this world a better place to live.TTYT is one programme that may not always end up landing an individual into the world of training and development but it definitely helps one realize whether it is their cup of tea or not. What I understood at the end of the seven-day programme was: TTYT not only polishes one’s skills as a trainer but it also makes it easier for those who are stuck in their lives and are unable to realize their true potential.You would know which path to take after you are introduced to yourself, once again! We understand that it is not always affordable for everyone to enroll in programs like TTYT but those who do have great things to say about it. Us Magazine spoke to a few of them who were part of the training this time around and here is what they feel.“TTYT was a fantastic mind-opening experience through lots of ragra (exertion) and training yourself to be a better human being.” - Shaheryar Nadeem, holds BBA degree from University of Karachi“TTYT was an eye-opening program for me that changed the way I used to see the world.” - Adnan Magsi, Lecturer – University of Sindh Jamshoro“A journey from a mediocre student to a self discovered facilitator.” - Urwah Zubair, Student“Overall, TTYT is a life changing experience.” - Qazi Asadullah, DSO (Data Support Officer)“TTYT is the turning point for youngsters.” - Basim Rasheed, Entrepreneur“For me, TTYT is a thought-changing experience.” - Muhammad Sunain Hasan, Teacher and Trainer“TTYT has made me realize what I already know.” - Syed Shehwar Ali Rizvi, who recently completed his A-Leveln “TTYT experience was beyond excitement. It is a life changing savior faire and a must-do thing.” - Madiha Farooqui, Government employee“A life changing, eye-opening experience.” - Arshiya Yasir, Lecturer of English“Training is a journey not a destination; the doing is more important than the outcome.” - Hafsa Imran, Student“TTYT is not only the key to becoming the trainer but also plays a vital role in capacity building.” - Husnain Ali, Marketing student“TTYT was a memorable journey for me. I really enjoyed the experiences and challenges there and had a lot of fun” - Zohra Noor, Enthusiast

from The News International - US http://bit.ly/2C5K5td