“They even taught us the smallest of things, like how to hold a microphone and the different ways in which one can enter the stage. I may have been confident before but now I feel I have the techniques, too,” he says. [break]
Personality development is not just about a way a person appears, or dresses up or carries oneself. It is also about maintaining the persona that one projects to the world and presenting one’s mental content effectively so that communication can flow smoothly. Moreover, it is about teaching people how to approach the others around them. Perhaps for that reason, personality development classes in Nepal are considered almost synonymous with public speaking classes.
A radio jockey (RJ) and television program presenter, Laxmi Mainali had always thought that speaking in front of the camera would be a piece of cake for her, given that she had always been such a confident speaker. But after taking some training related to this field, she realized that there was a lot more to it than putting on makeup and rambling on with a megawatt smile.
“I learnt the techniques of conducting interviews and exercising my vocal cords. I also became familiar with the series of instructions that I need to follow once I’m inside the studio,” she now says.
Grooming oneself professionally is essential in this competitive era. One’s promotions, perks, bonuses and salary raise depend on the performance at work. And since people are striving for bigger and better opportunities, if one does not keep oneself up to date with the recent developments in one’s field, they will soon be left behind in comparison to their colleagues and counterparts.
BIJAY RAI
Trainees performing a leadership exercise at a personality development class.
However, doing better in a job is not just about speaking well. So, along with public speaking classes, professional writing trainings are also high on demand.
A trainer of proposal and report writing and an employee at Oxfam, Rajan Ghimire informs that every organization has its own templates and demands when it comes to preparing their official documents. And the course structure has to be altered and molded in accordance with that.
“Different sectors have different requirements. Our course keeps getting redesigned, based on our trainees, depending on whether they are from the corporate world, media sector or somewhere else,” he explains.
One may be good at one’s job, whether it is connected to writing or speaking. However, when one keeps working for a long time without revitalizing oneself, or worse, if one has taken a break for some reason and stayed away from the work scene for a while, it is always better to reinvent oneself with the help of some kind of training.
Sharmin Rauf, a trainee for news presenting, believes that one always needs to keep updating oneself with the latest techniques and changes. That way, one can gain extra knowledge which brings about an aura of self assurance and self control. Training oneself, in her opinion, is a continuous process that should go on as long as one intends to remain personally and professionally active.
“I take classes on public speaking and news presenting time and again. They don’t just brush up my skills but also make me more professional, mature and creative,” she says.
In addition to public speaking, program presenting and professional writing, there are trainings related to self-conduct and etiquette as well. Be it education, medicine, media, entertainment or corporations, every sector fares better if the staffs are trained, professional, efficient and mature. A media person and trainer at Action Development Center, Shiromani Dawadi considers such trainings necessary for all walks of life.
“In the past, we’ve trained armed and civil police from 16 districts. Similarly, we’ve tutored 300 staff from Alka Hospital, and teachers and students from some 40 schools and colleges. Our trainings last for a day, a week or more, depending upon the participants, trainers, subject matters, venues, prices and other factors,” he says.
When one invests time, energy and money on something, one definitely desires for the best deal. There are trainings that can be conducted with local resources and trainers on nominal fees. Nevertheless, if one intends to go global and get exposed to a wider world beyond the national boundaries, there are also options easily available.
The British Council is an international brand when it comes to conducting professional writing and public speaking classes.
Suchita Shrestha, Market Communication and Learning Center Manager at The British Council, takes them as opportunities of sharing and interactions between trainers and trainees of different cultures and nationalities. The course structures, although flexible, stick to the global standards, and considering the repute and fame, these are quite popular.
“We train teachers, writers, journalists, media people and many others. Our trainers are mostly foreign experts. Some classes are free of cost while others are quite expensive, depending upon the nature and duration,” she informs.
Training is like a contract between the trainer and the trainee. For the best results, both parties need to be equally competitive and dedicated. How much one gains from the training depends on the capacity of the trainer. At the same time, it is equally important that the trainers are good at their job and deliver their best performance by making the class more interactive, participatory and interesting. Some of it may be instinctual but most of it comes from experience.
Sugarika KC, former Miss Nepal and media person, has also been a trainer of personality development and communication skills for quite some time now. She believes that such trainings help to explore oneself better, and if conducted properly, can excavate the hidden qualities in the trainees that can help them do well in the future.
“Trainers are a major part of the deal. They can bring out the best in their trainees. But unfortunately, these days, fake trainers have started institutes everywhere. They are a waste of time and money,” she says.
Following a trend always comes with its fair share of pros and cons. It is a person’s own responsibility to be alert about the way in which one’s money, time and energy are being invested. However, as long as one is clear about the objectives, trainings, whether they claim to develop the vocal skills or writing techniques, can always prove to be quite valuable to one’s personality and career.
People’s perspectives
Personality development trainings are all about presenting oneself in front of a crowd and behaving according to its psychology. Simply having enough mental content is not always sufficient. One needs to be able to present it to the mass in the best possible manner. One also needs to be dressed accordingly and also should be capable of carrying oneself with certain poise and confidence. Trainings should have plenty of exercises and activities and can be more beneficial when it comes to increasing the efficiency of the participants.
Radha Krishna Dhital,
media person and trainer
I believe trainings are important as long as they are related to one’s profession and can help to perform better at work. As far as the medical field is concerned, one needs to remain up to date with the latest developments and technologies and their usages. It’s always helpful for the medical staff to learn the etiquette regarding how to speak, behave and act in front of the patients and their families since every single word can be quite sensitive in our profession. Trainings should therefore be provided at regular intervals to brush up the skills of the medical personnel.
Maneesha Lamichhane,
medical intern
If the training is taken with the right objective, it will definitely be beneficial. Training classes are like any other classes. It also depends upon the grasping capacity of the trainees to benefit from them. My brother who is in the USA right now had taken public speaking training a couple of years ago. At first, I was quite skeptic about it but as I witnessed the gradual changes in him, I realized that trainings can be quite useful. One can also get the same tips from the Internet but then, having a trainer is always more convenient and practical.
Norbu Sherpa,
engineering student
Our course structure is a kind of training. After doing this course, I have learnt to understand the differences among people better. I have also been a teacher for a while. MSW has given me a good insight into the human psychology and behavior. I have a clearer idea about the way in which people behave and why they do so. As a teacher, another important thing is to understand child psychology and behavior. Once you comprehend that, you start to genuinely enjoy the company of a child. MSW has therefore been a perfect training course for me.
Laxmi Banjade,
an MSW (Masters in Social Work) student
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