Top Tips to Deal with the Devil in the Details

It is not uncommon to hear about big problems that have been caused by the lack of attention to details (ATD). An important document incorrectly sent to an unauthorized recipient because of a typo in the email address, a kitchen floor plan design not considering the size of the equipment that needs to eventually fit in the kitchen, a small distraction while driving leading to a fatal accident and loss of lives - these are some of the many examples around us.

I believe that the grandest of tasks depend upon the success of the smallest elements. If small things do matter, what is the best way to pay attention to details?

Here are my top 10 tips to improve attention to details:

1. Organize yourself and plan for everything including the small details. 

2. Write down important things; don’t always rely on your memory.

3. Create checklists of items you need to look for in the final output.

4. Take help from a colleague or friend for a review/double-check.

5. Don’t expect machines to be perfect; machines make mistakes all the time.

6. Don’t attempt to multi-task when doing critical jobs. Concentration is the key to  details.

7. Observe and learn from others on how they focus on smaller things. Ask questions to learn how they do it.

8. Listen carefully and read slowly to absorb and digest everything.

9. Exercise your brain by indulging in brain teasers and games that focus on developing your ATD skills.

10.Paying attention to details doesn't come naturally; train yourself and others you work with.

Remember that every detail matters. As Sanford I. Weill said, “Details create the big picture.” 

What Can the Olympics Teach Us?

It is the Olympic season! The London Summer Olympics begins Friday, July 27, 2012, and ends Sunday, August 12, 2012. I am sure many of you are looking forward to catch your favorite players and world’s leading athletes compete in the most challenging games. There are so many magical moments that happen during Olympics - success and failures, laughter and tears, achievements and injuries.

The Olympic motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius, a Latin expression meaning "Faster, Higher, Stronger". 

Inspired by the Olympic theme and the five rings, here is my take on what Olympics can teach us as learning professionals and how we can create learning opportunities that help learners get faster, higher and stronger:

1. Goals: No Olympian won a gold without dreaming about it. If I could ask any competing athlete what their goal was - I bet it would be to win a gold. As training professionals and trainees we need to start with a goal. Not everyone wins a gold, but it is a good place to start planning.
2. Plans: The intense planning for success, among other things, includes identifying our strengths and weakness and designing strategies to meet the goals by capitalizing on our strengths. It also involves gaining an understanding of things that can be controlled and accepting things that can't be controlled.
3. Resources: Trainers, training opportunities, equipment and so much more. Behind every gold, there is a well-funded training infrastructure. The individual can't perform his/her best without this support. It is the foundation on which individual and team success is built.
4. Practice: In the spirit of excellence, Olympics teach us about endless training and passionate practice. It is not always about the 'win'. Instead practice is about the commitment to be the best of what we can be and it is soaked with blood, sweat and passion.
5. Feedback: Perhaps the biggest teacher of all - feedback. Feedback from the coaches and our failures. It is at the time of failure that we can provide (and obtain) the best guidance, inputs and feedback. Motivating feedback helps athletes pick themselves up from personal mistakes and disasters and use failure as the stepping stone to success. 

The Olympics teach so much about individual goals, team performance, perseverance, determination, pride and humility but more than that, they teach us about how to live the best life we can, how to commit to excellence and pursue our goals with endless passion. 

Just like Coubertin's ideals as expressed in the Olympic creed:

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

Top 10 Tips on How to Become a SUPER Trainer

"It is by teaching that we teach ourselves, by relating that we observe, by affirming that we examine, by showing that we look, by writing that we think, by pumping that we draw water into the well." - Henri-Frederic Amiel (1821-81), Swiss philosopher, poet.

Training is at the core of all our activities be it personal or professional. But good training is not a matter of coincidence, it is a matter of the right mix of knowledge, skills and attributes.
So, what does it take to be a good trainer? Well, in short, it takes time and patience. For the long answer, there are some essentials to training. For example, all training is about communication so the rules of good communication apply to training. Similarly, good training is about robust instructional design and training delivery practices. An application of learning theories and principles helps in delivering good training. But beyond these theories, models and techniques - there are some specific personal skills and attributes that are worth a discussion. 
It is relatively easy to become a good trainer. This usually involves taking some formal education in training, getting certified and learning from your own experience. But in order to transition from good to great and to really embrace training and make an impact, you need to put in something extra! That's when you become a SUPER TRAINER!

If you are a good trainer and are aspiring to become a SUPER trainer, here are my top 10 tips:
1. Be knowledgeable: It is expected that as a trainer you know a lot about some things and be a subject matter expert in your area of specialization. But  it is also important to know a little about many things. Having a wider view of life makes the difference between a good and a great trainer.
2. Be curious: The common trait of all good trainers is that they are always curious and wanting to learn. In addition, super trainers are not afraid of learning from their learners!
3. Be accepting: As a trainer, you are likely to have a wide variety of participants who don't always learn in the same ways or at the same speed. Accept and embrace the differences and leverage the opportunities presented by diversity.
4. Be patient: Practice makes perfect and for a trainer patience makes super. It takes a lot of patience to teach and train others. 
5. Be a role model: It is one thing to teach someone and another thing to follow what you teach! A super trainer always walks the talk. You have to practice what you preach and become a role model for your trainees.
6. Be a good listener: Most training is about listening rather than talking. We have 2 ears and 1 mouth, not vice versa :) A super trainer is always ready to listen - sometimes even listen things that are not being said.
7. Be challenging: A super trainer has to provide ample opportunities for trainees to feel challenged. Life is never boring with a super trainer around. There is something new waiting to be discovered.
8. Be entertaining: When you are a super trainer, the show must go on. A good training always involves feelings and emotions. Humor and entertainment go a long way in making a memorable session.
9. Be passionate: All super trainers are passionate about their area of expertise and about teaching others. There is a certain degree of positive energy and aura around great trainers. Remember, only passionate trainers can create passionate learners.
10. Be inspiring: As a super trainer, you must aspire to inspire. Every conversation with your learners is an opportunity to train and impact others in a positive way. Seize that opportunity and inspire your learners to do the impossible.

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." - William Arthur Ward