Importance of Small Wins

Day 242 / 366

I love teaching and mentoring people. For most of my life, I have been a self-learner, and through that, I have come up with several ways that I think help people learn new skills faster. Through teaching, I get to put these to the test.

The toughest people to coach in my opinion are complete beginners. Not only are you teaching them a new skill, but you are also shaping what attitude they will have towards learning in general. Freshers are generally just trying things out. They are not 100% sure which field they are going to stick to. This means that there is always a high chance of them giving up if they don’t feel motivated enough.

I have found that the best way to keep people motivated is to make sure they have small but regular wins. And it should not feel spoonfed. You can guide them, but they should get to the win on their own. When they feel that they have earned it, not only will they be happy and motivated, but they will build some much-needed confidence as well.

In my last company, each new joiner was given a first task — To add their name to the “Team” page of the company website. It was a pretty easy change, which meant that most would finish it on their first day itself. And it feels like an achievement. Compare this to some of the other big corporates that I worked in, where you go through mindless training for weeks before you get to make some meaningful contribution.

This is why I think, it is important to keep giving yourself as well as your employees, students, or mentees small but doable tasks. Each small win would motivate them to keep going just a little longer.