When I was 6, I tried to make my toy Zakky float by throwing it in the air. Over and over. It kept falling. I cried.
Then my dad tied a balloon to Zakky—and it soared.
Childhood lesson:
You can’t force things to fly. You need the right conditions to make magic happen.
The Adult Wake-Up Call
Years later, I had success, money… but no satisfaction. Why? Because, like child-me with Zakky, I was stuck in a loop:
- Production mindset: “Work harder! Push more!”
- Reality: My capability hadn’t grown, so results plateaued.
The Corporate Trap
We see this everywhere:
- A sales team hits targets but with shaky deals.
- Customer service logs complaints but misses resolutions.
Root cause? Focusing on output while ignoring capability.
How to Build Wings (Not Just Run Faster)
- Spot the gaps – Is it effort? Or ability?
- Train smarter – Not just workshops, but applied learning (buddies, action plans).
- Measure growth – Track capability pre/post training, not just KPIs.
The secret?
You can’t squeeze 2 mangoes from one fru
it. But you can grow a better tree.
(Stuck in production mode? Let’s talk capability-building: Excellential.com )
Excellential is an HR and L&D consulting firm with over 24 years of expertise in talent acquisition, leadership development, and talent management. Our consultants and practitioners work with startups, SMEs, and enterprises across India to build people practices that drive real business outcomes.
