The Power of Deliberate Practice

Angela Duckworth, the author of 'Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance', says, "Grit has two components: Passion, which is based on a sense of purpose, and Perseverance, which means sticking with one’s mission even when the going is tough."

Pravin Tambe’s story exemplifies "Grit". Tambe made his Indian Premier League debut at the age of 41, becoming the oldest ever IPL debutant. He had no experience playing professional cricket prior his IPL debut.

I used to watch cricket, but after the 2011 World Cup, I don't follow the game in any of its formats. So, when my friends recommended that I watch the video of Rahul Dravid talking about a player named Pravin Tambe, I didn’t give it much attention. But after seeing the trailer for "Kaun Pravin Tambe", I went back and saw Rahul Dravid’s talk. And I was so inspired when I learned about Pravin Tambe and his story. Why is Pravin’s story special? Too often we attribute success to talent alone, and when we think of talented people, we think of those with a natural ability. Pravin Tambe was no natural but put in "deliberate practice", a key element of grit, to reach his goals.

What is "deliberate practice"? Deliberate practice refers to a special type of practice that is purposeful and systematic. While regular practice might include mindless repetitions, deliberate practice requires focused attention and is conducted with the specific goal of improving performance. Deliberate practice ends up improving your skill. You analyze everything you do during this phase. You get feedback mainly on what you are doing incorrectly. And finally, you make adjustments, try again, and repeat the process. In other words, what people often attribute to talent is actually the result of a lot of deliberate practice.

In the world of quality, we talk about "Kaizen (continuous improvement)". Angela Duckworth uses the phrase "Kaizen" in her book when talking about deliberate practice. It's not just about what we are doing; it's about how we can make it better. Rahul Dravid found the same about Pravin Tambe - Pravin was always looking to improve and get better.

"Nobody wants to show you the hours and hours of becoming. They’d rather show the highlights of what they’ve become", says Duckworth in her book. Rahul Dravid says, "Pravin was not an overnight success. It was 25 years of effort that helped him become a success." Duckworth and Dravid are saying the same in their own ways. Isn’t it?