Who will benefit from training inputs?

Emotional rigidity a guarantee of ‘future’ failure

There was training on “Project Management” conducted by NPC, Vadodara. Training was sponsored and organized by RTI, ONGC, Vadodara for its senior managers. I was invited as a visitor to quantify the effectiveness of the training by Shri Sujit Sen who, later, selected for the position of Director (HR), Heavy Industries. There are approximately 60 basic activities, which can be named differently in view of the ‘uniqueness’, and the hierarchical position one holds. Based on this, I motivated Shri Sen to look for ‘board level’ position as he was falling in the cluster of Board of Directors.

I acted as a psychologist and counseled the participants during training. At the same time, I measured training effectiveness through Color Test i.e. pre and post-training.

The participants, who were found attitudinally/emotionally rigid, were very vocal during training. Post-training results confirmed same attitudinal or emotional rigidity of those participants.

I was perplexed. I discussed with the faculty members of NPC, Vadodara. They confirmed the same rigidity but in a different manner, “You must have noticed they were not absorbing the training inputs.” Their explanation resolved the complex about my own inability to speak during the interaction. Neither I am a good speaker nor can I speak during discussions. I am an excellent student as well as a teacher. When I am attending a lecture I would be totally absorbed and forget everything I knew before. The only activity would be the absorption of inputs. When I am teaching I can recall what I learned even at the age ten. Otherwise, my brain remains blank.

Rigidity, I learned, is not only responsible for failure in getting support but is considered a good quality for administrators by their unprofessional subordinates. Normally, workers (unskilled) don’t like the mate (supervisor) who is wise but prefer the boss who is able to direct them through clear-cut instructions like: ‘yes or no’.

This was confirmed in case of CEOs who were not supported by ‘nature’ but they were rated as good administrators. For example, much popular in media Shri Subir Raha, C&MD, ONGC was an emotionally ‘stuck-up’ person. During his tenure, ONGC could not discover a single drop of ‘Oil’ but through his psycho-fear producing tactics he could run the ONGC very successfully. People consider him good administrator who made the systems more transparent.

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