In this particular article I will share some of my experience in which I really struggled to become successful.

I have started my career as a programmer (Flash Action Scripting). With-in no time I learned many languages and software like PHP, ASP JavaScript, SCORM, AICC and lot many things after Joining CommLab India.

What ever challenges came to me in programming, I got through those challenges successfully. If I remember properly, approximately 97% of times I successfully faced the challenges and 3% were failure. From those 3% of failure, I use to learn and apply that experience in next challenges. For a period of 2 years, I was driving my career with an unlimited speed facing every challenge of my life happily.

One day every thing started changing. From an unlimited speed, I was dropped to zero. The reason was – CommLab India decided to start a new department called “Technology” which will play a supporting role to make the things better in courseware and I was going to head the department.

After this decision it took me a very long time to pick up my pace again. When I was a programmer, I was in the front line to face the challenges but now my team will be in front line to face the challenges and I was standing behind them.

Before forming the team, I was working alone and for any challenges I use to do planning by myself REGULARLY. When the team came, I use to plan for them once (when the project start) and forget it. Every time I was facing failure rather than success. I was not able to understand what the problem is going on.

Then I came across a method called RPM (Result Oriented Purpose Driven Massive Action Plan) by Anthony Robin. I went through the training material to learn RPM. Slowly I started implementing RPM method in my projects and found that it really works. The rate of failures in the projects started decreasing. Not only I am practicing the RPM method in my personal and profession life but also teaching this method to others in my surrounding to that I learn this method properly.

When we start any assignment – a project for a client or buying something for you – we put some milestones and we think that we have done enough of planning for that assignment. But if you really want to understand the meaning of the word “Planning” then it’s just not putting up the milestone but breaking each milestone into such small pieces that you can see each part of the project crystal clear. For example, you have to send a mail to your client regarding an update on the project. If you think that write a mail is not a part of planning then you are wrong. Every thing which you are going to perform in the project is a part of planning.

When you are putting milestones for a project, it’s just a “Plan”. When you start breaking the milestone into small pieces then it becomes “Planning” and you have to keep on evaluating you’re planning at regular milestones to see that your planning is going according to your plan.

It was a dream of CommLab India to have there own university from a long time and finally we had our University (http://www.commlabuniversity.com) because we planned it properly. Now I am heading Technology department in which I have a team of 4 members who take care of CommLab University, trouble shoot any technical problems and also support courseware in make there works simple.

It took me a very long time to understand the different between “Plan” and “Planning”. I am happy that I understood the difference and now I am able to apply it. I am thankful to CommLab for providing me the opportunity to get trained on RPM method.

Still I have to go a long way learning from my failures and moving towards a successful future.

Syed Amjad Ali
Sr. Manager-Technology