We are all experiencing disruption in our work life and the anxiety of how all this will play out is stressing us all. I for one, kept on refreshing my browser to check updates every time I sat down to work but now I’ve stopped. While, it is critical we follow measures taken by the government to stop the spread of COVID19 it is also important for us to get back to work so we do not stress about the virus all the time and have something to occupy us. Not everyone can truly work from home and while most schools and colleges have taken up to online lessons and parents are home schooling, the fact remains that once students come back, these lessons will be required to taught again.
“My view is that the Summer Vacations can be advanced from April 1 and the academic 2020-21 can be started later from June 1 onwards. The gaps can be bridged during October/Winter breaks.
Today the Schools and Teachers are adapting Technology but they may have to redo most of the concepts again based on our experiences.” – Dr. Senthil Kumaran, Chief Confluencer & Co Founder, The Learners Confluence.
Both online learning and teaching is difficult to get used to and to expect smooth transition specially during these uncertain times is asking for too much. So how can you make the best use of the faculty and the team at home and keep them motivated and get meaningful work done? Well, these 21 days which in all probability for the education sector will last for longer (looking at other countries) can be used to draw attention to work that otherwise is never prioritized. Here is a list of activities that can benefit your institution and keep could help you make the best use of your faculty and staff.
This is an ideal time to work on your School/College’s website, whether you require a complete overhaul or just to proof read the content or give it a face uplift or with getting the technical stuff sorted out. It will be easier to follow up with remote teams and there are several online tools to manage the progress. Making it easier to get meaningful work. For most schools 21 days is enough time to launch a new website and for big colleges and universities it is ideal to get the content in place. Whether it is scouting for data from respective departments or getting the time of trustees and older faculty to interview them for some yesteryear facts. This is the best time to do that. Everyone has ample of free time on their hand and really no excuse!
Schools and colleges currently working with us on their website overhaul with IOSIGNITE
Click here to view the original School website | Click here to view the New Website (WIP)
Click here to view the original College website | Click here to view the New Website (WIP)
A Brand Manual requires tremendous coordination between the agency and the institution, significant free time of top level stakeholders of the institution, from the principal to the trustees. This is an ideal time to get their attention as other issues or on a back burner. The agency too will be relatively free and via video conferencing and emails the Brand Manual and communication guidelines can easily be done during this period.
The benefits of having a well documented Brand Manual will far exceed the time put in it today. The manual not only jots down essential guidelines for the marketing and communication department but also helps all stake holders remember what the institution stands for and enables every faculty student and staff to behave and respond in synchronized manner.
The economic impact of the lockdown may contract our GDP by a few percent and will leave millions jobless and several in extremely difficult financial situation. For a country already coping with a slow down this is a knock out punch. Businesses and sectors relying on discretionary spends will be severely impacted. Wage cuts, job losses, extended periods of low economic activity are expected. Several industries like tourism, entertainment could get wiped out for a foreseeable future.
‘Brick and Mortar’ education businesses (K-12, Playschool and Colleges) despite being part of non-discretionary spend will also see challenging times because of the broader doom and gloom. It is good to start preparing for this and laying out a plan. Remember this is the time where brands will be remembered for their actions within the community (we have made several Brand Manuals and defined core beliefs and values, now we should put them in practice). If there is an upside to what is happening, now more than ever, brands can (if they act in the right way) gain brand advocates for the future. Rest assured, once this is over there will be a honeymoon spending period. Brands that act right now will enjoy the benefits of doing the right thing for their customers, their staff and their suppliers.
Be prepared for the following
An admission strategy that will help current parents and new parents financially in the short term will go a long way. This will need to be brainstormed by the finance, accounts and the management. A worst case and a best case scenario will need to be worked upon communicated to the marketing team so they can keep the strategies in place to execute the same as soon as we are out of this.
An informative podcast, blog or video interview started now will find it easier to garner attention and increase followers as most people have a lot of time on their hand. It is important to find a relevant topic for your target audience: if you are a school you can start a parenting blog or story telling session, if you are a college it’s a good time to start a podcast on cracking job interviews and preparing for them.
These initiatives are tough to execute and plan when the institution is in full swing but this unique lock down scenario has given you the gift of time, one can netflix and chill or come out on the other side as the incredible hulk! (to crush the competition)
Do your professors and teachers have a linked in page, are they active on quora? No, well, now is the time to get them hooked on to these platforms. The more popular and regular they get, the more recognition your college/school get!
Need help in planing this out? Call us at +91-9874766366 or mail us at [email protected] for a free one-on-one video conferencing consultation session. This gift of time will soon end and before you know it you will be bogged down by day to day operations and other difficulties that the economy will throw at us. use these days wisely.
March - 26,2020 | Posted by: Iosignite
