Today was the day two of the ELW. It was going to be a longer day. As scheduled, the six of us met at 8.30 am at the national park gate and moved towards the meeting room inside the national park. After having breakfast and some group conversation, we were set to begin the session at around 10 am. The activities were conducted pre-lunch. Post lunch was the debriefing session and an introduction to the MBTI psychometric test. The activities conducted today were:
- 360 degree feedback – each of us was asked to present for about 3 minutes on our weaknesses and the benefits we would derive if we overcame them. The remaining participants rated and gave feedback to each presenter on three aspects – relevance, confidence and audience connect. The feedback was shared in an open forum in a constructive manner. Mr. Yatin Gharat also shared his feedback. Madhavi, though the youngest member, gave some of the best feedbacks as she spoke from her heart.
- Helium Gas Hula hoop – A hula hoop was to be balanced by the team with only the surface of the first finger and then brought down to the floor without any of the participants losing contact with the hula hoop. It was a seemingly difficult exercise and we did not manage to complete it. There are certain reasons which make this exercise almost impossible to achieve.
- Saathi Haath Badhaana – It is similar to any field game just that the way to score goals is different. There were half cut pipes on which a small ball had to be balanced and passed on to the next person. To score a goal, the ball had to be eventually dropped in a glass kept at a fair distance. The entire activity was split into 15-35-10 minute sessions. The first session was to practice and work out a strategy. The next 35 minutes were meant to score goals. This session was divided into two with a 5 minute break. The last 10 minutes session was meant to give a final chance to improve on the goal score. Later it was explained that this activity represents a typical project scenario in a work environment where goals are set and the project is divided into phases – preparation, delivery and final push. We managed to score 5 goals, all in the final 10 minute session. We did not score any goals in the 35 minute session. Inference being, in live scenarios too, 80% or more of the results is achieved with the final push.
- MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) – It is one of the famous psychometric tests, originally designed for the US army. It was modified and adapted to the management world in the later years. There are four dichotomies which represent the characteristic of a person. It is a useful tool for self- understanding and self-analysis. The session included exercises on the four dichotomies:
- Extraversion or Introversion
- Sensing or Intuitive
- Thinking or Feeling
- Judging or Perception
On a personal level, there was a lot for me to take away from today’s session. I got some good feedback from my fellow friends. Some of the feedback was spot on while some were an impression I must have created in the last two days. However, all feedback is accepted in the spirit of the activity. My friends made an honest attempt to give me suggestions to improve and I thank them for it. Mr. Yatin Gharat’s feedback was spot on – I am a silent observer and an analyzer. I would certainly like to think so about myself. He gave me one of the best compliments I have ever heard for me – I am like an anti-virus. I operate in the background but I am always actively working.
The second day was again full of fun, mixed with lots of learning. I can easily say that we six formed a nice group. Towards the end, it felt like we knew each other since some time now.
I must say that my expectations from the workshop were fulfilled. In fact I got more than what I had expected. I also felt good that I chose to do the ELW at the national park with nature. We spotted deer, monkeys and birds all wandering and flying around us (not in cages for a change) that added to the feel of learning with and in nature. If anyone wants to do the ELW with Welingkar, I would strongly recommend doing it at National Park with Mr. Yatin Gharat and team.
Photo (L-R): Ronak, Sachin, Mr. Yatin Gharat, Vidya, Madhavi and Yatin Usapkar.
Note: The blog on day one can be read at: Experiential Learning Workshop (Day 1)
— Sachin
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