The Tales of Training

The week that was saw 15 of us going through 5 days of intensive training.
We were what one would call an assorted bunch. Some of us had been around the organisation for a while and we had a fair enough inkling of the processes and systems that go into making quantum, while some were complete strangers to the world of quali-research.

Gunita and Papia (they were blessed with the task of taming us) saw this as an opportunity to induce a little bit of fun alongwith ensuring that we took a fair share of learning from this workshop.

The pace was set right from the first day itself, where we were hurled into moderating a group post orientation and discussions. What did make life a little easier was the very fact that we were doing it in pairs. It allowed one to explore his/her creativity while still having a cushion lest he fall.

That still did not stop us from making faux pas and stumbling. Weird questions were asked, we were happy with surface level answers, protocol was forgotten, stimulus was labelled wrongly and tapes got re-recorded over. But in this entire gamut of chaos, we grew. Not just as individuals, but as a team.
I think i'd go out on a limb and say that everyone's learning curves showed a steep incline in the past 5 days. We dig deeper now....

The entire workshop was livened up by people coming in and adding a third dimension. Nisha Dongre gave us an insight into the world of accounts and made it a whole lot more accessible as a concept. Dr. K introduced us to the Brand Equity model 2007 and that was definitely a learning for all of us including our seniors.

Each one of us brought something new to the table, thereby adding spunk to the entire process. There were moments where some of us laughed so hard, our stomachs hurt!
Not to mention, the Jalsa factor. That is one word which has acquired a new meaning for all of us. Coupled with a long drive and some beer ofcourse. ;-)

Respondents we learnt, could be in all shapes and sizes. Literally. We had a 10 year old who looked more like she just stepped out of 2nd grade and a lady who had used all the cosmetic products available in the market. All. (impressive i'd say)
There were even the ones who thought they could get away with a little bit of flirting. (oh come on. we all felt that way now didn't we??)
All this gave us exposure levels that spanned across ages and SECs, and we got to know what to expect. Atleast a rough picture of what's ahead.... and having performed in such scenarios, it also acted as a boost to overall confidence levels.

A great 5 days in all, topped by an evening dinner session with the likes of Dr. K, Inty and Nishka was what completed the entire picture. I'm sure each one of us has taken something we now value from this workshop, and after ardent warnings from both Gunita and Papia, we are now much better equipped to handle being 'thrown' into the field :)