«Dojo» is a Japanese word that means place for immersive learning. Originally, dojo was a place where Buddhist monks meditated and studied. Today, dojo is a term used in various martial arts about repetitive exercises and training that makes athletes stronger and better.
During the autumn of 2021, Cegal has used the dojo mindset to develop and strengthen consultants through tough and practical exercises.
«We wanted to look at how we could prepare our consultants even better for the tasks that await with customers. Then came the idea that we could get inspiration from martial arts where you repeat a few exercises until they are mastered one hundred percent», says Arturo Viveros, Department Tech Lead, who has practiced karate.
«You can have as many certifications, courses and as much theoretical training as possible, but it is practical experience and ability to solve specific tasks in collaboration with colleagues and customers, that really counts», says Yilmaz Guleryuz, Chief consultant in Cegal, who has practised some aikido.
The dojo gives the consultants the practical experience they need before being assigned to customer projects.
Yilmaz Guleryuz, Cegal
So far, five consultants have been through the Cegal dojo. Viveros and Guleryuz say that the results so far have been incredibly good.
«The consultants work with technologies used by customers. Thus, the consultants are in practice onboarded with the customers before they start working there. The only new thing is the customers' specific IT environment», says Guleryuz.
Guleryuz is supported by consultant Phong Pham, who has completed the first dojo.
«I have been drilled in tasks and tools, and gained a lot of knowledge about the next customer I will work for, Elhub», says Pham.
«In addition to becoming experts on existing projects, the dojo training gives us the opportunity to prepare for new and upcoming technologies. These are solutions that we will eventually implement with our customers», adds dojo consultant Brahma Yaram.
«The consultants are invoiced from day one. Many companies provide consultants who in practice start with getting paid for training. Cegal's dojo enables consultants to solve problems and deliver value to customers from day one», Viveros adds.
Viveros adds that the consultants have clear and ambitious goals to work towards through iterations that run over 3-4 weeks. Once you have passed a level, you can move on to the next level, in the same way as in martial arts.
«And collaboration!» adds Guleryz.
«The best thing about the dojo has been to see how the other consultants solve tasks and problems. These are solutions that can be reused on several dojo tasks and on projects with customers», says Brahma Yaram, consultant at Cegal.
Solving tasks together is important. Being able to work together has become increasingly important when creating new solutions and developing new technology
Yilmaz Guleryuz, Cegal
He emphasizes that it should, however, not be too tough for the consultants.
«It should be challenging, but not too hard. The dojo program is not suitable for everyone. It is voluntary to participate in the program. You donæt always have the time and opportunity to focus this intensely on developing as a consultant. That's something we take into account», says Viveros.
«The best thing about the dojo has been to learn from my colleagues with different backgrounds and different experiences. I look at tasks with new eyes and have several new tools I can use when I start projects», says Pham.