Harnessing Brand Communication to Reignite Momentum & Restart Commerce

Center for Teaching Research and Learning, Events22 MayPamposh GulatiBrand Building, Brand communication, Brand Story telling, IILM University, IILM Webinar

Brand communication is voice. It humanizes any brand to be able to create real and relevant conversations with people. In times of crisis like today, brands play a significant role in shaping the choices people make. These choices are not just about the product or service, but also message and purpose-driven.

IILM conducted an engaging and interactive webinar on “Brand Communication in Times of Crisis ” by Karen Wilson – Publisher & Business Head Lifestyle Division – India Today Group. The webinar was scheduled for 15 May and was streamed live on YouTube. The participants were a mix of students, faculty, and guests who joined through registration.

Karen initiated the webinar by talking about how in these unprecedented times, people look to leaders and institutions for guidance, reassurance, and information. We further deliberated that customers today are more aware and exposed to the realities of business. And that’s why it becomes imperative for any business to stick to implicit messaging.

The webinar took an interesting turn when Karen highlighted how increasingly, businesses require to reignite momentum and restart commerce. How they should perceive this moment of crisis not as a danger but also as an opportunity but not at the cost of sounding an opportunist. She added that this is the time for brands to take a moment and reassess past business practices and the road ahead. Karen showed some eye-opening advertisements from the past and from the present that exhibited what brands must do in times of crisis and how in the process maintain their reputation as well.

The latter part of the webinar was open to the audience and some interesting questions on how businesses should strategize their brand policy when sales begin to nosedive, consumers set stricter priorities and reduce their spending, and most businesses postpone new investments. To this Karen focused principally on the right brand messaging and its importance. She explicitly pointed out how brands must appeal to consumers’ emotions. All messaging must elicit a high emotional response to the said product. The underlined sentiments of this new normal must be reinforced in all communication. To a very interesting question on how businesses dealing in non-consumable services must do their branding? Karen was quick to answer that businesses must leverage testimonials and focus on the USP of their service for the end-user.

The webinar was a grand success in terms of the relevance of the content, the structuring of the presentation, the flurry of questions from the audience, and the huge participation. The crux that as humans, we’re programmed to stay connected. While social distancing measures offer protection and security, they come with a significant impact on the emotional and mental well-being of individuals, communities, and the world at large. It is at times like this that brands must continue to connect and reassure their customers that this too shall pass, and we are in this together, therefore resulting in them remaining top of mind.

Check out this post I wrote on “The Anatomy of Online business- Brand Storytelling the new normal, it’s packed with amazing tips.

Skills Required in the Digital Age

Faculty, General Blog, IILM University21 MayRachna Madaan

Skills Required in the Digital Age

The digital world is progressively penetrating the learning and skills domain. Technology is being widely used to provide learning, knowledge, and skills in novel and innovative ways. With the increased usage of rapidly changing digital technologies and knowhow in the workplace, there is an advent of new skills that are required to contribute to our digitally allied society. Currently jobseekers need specialized skills that will give them visibility in the crowd.

It is a persistent endeavor of the best universities and B Schools to meet this rising demand for digital know-how and other significant skills required. On 2 May 2020, Prime Minister Narender Modi in a meeting emphasized the use of technology and digital age skills in the education sector to enhance the experience of learning. Working on his belief and idea, IILM offers the key skills vital in a digital age embedded in its portfolio to meet students’ and industry needs.

Knowledge includes two intensely interweaved yet diverse components – content and skills. Content comprises ideas, facts, evidence principles, and explanations of processes or techniques. Instructors at IILM are well proficient in content and ensure a profound knowledge of the subjects in the areas they are teaching. Proficiency in skills development is another significant domain. Trainers help students develop these skills keeping in consideration that these intellectual skills match the requirements of industry, knowledge-based personnel. Therefore, at IILM adequate emphasis is given to skills development within the course curriculum. The skills needed in a digital age comprise the following:

Communication Skills:

Along with the customary communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking articulately and clearly, spoken business communication skills are ever more important. Spoken business communication is at the core of specialized business management and thus, at IILM, it is contained within the curriculum. It is contributory to achieving positive results, as it allows numerous ways to send a message to others. It comprises understanding and training of employability skills relevant to the industry and students, the capability to put forth via the internet to a wide-ranging community of individuals with one’s ideas, to share information correctly, to receive and integrate feedback, and to recognize trends. Business communication is prevalent, and all processes are channelized through communication, via a consistent flow of information.

Social Media:

Using social media communication is an indispensable skill for a digital age. Social media marketing goes further than a Facebook or Instagram update or posting a tweet; it is about understanding the vigorous relationship amongst influencers, consumers, and brands. Educators, who are familiar with social media’s influence, also understand the complexities of each platform and its possible influence to make the most of community engagement to provide students with valued and relevant skills.

Data Analytics:

Analytics predominantly let students take educated, informed, and data-driven decisions in their life choices and roles. Numbers state whether a campaign was effective and by what proportion. The fundamental to analytics is finding out what data to collect and how to measure to have a more effective next campaign. Hence, at IILM, data analytics as a complete course is embedded in the curriculum to make student’s industry-ready.

Thinking Skills:

Of all the skills required to be effective in a digital economy; problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, originality are some of the most significant. Businesses focus on the creation of new products, new processes, and new services to maintain low costs and upsurge competitiveness. Though universities in specific have always gratified themselves in teaching such knowledgeable skills and information transmission, yet it challenges this conjecture particularly at the undergraduate level. It is not only in the upper management positions that these skills are vital, people in specific trade profiles increasingly ought to be problem solvers rather than ensuing standard processes, which tend to turn into automated.

Knowledge Management:

This is another important skill. Knowledge is no doubt one of the organization’s utmost valuable assets and is swiftly changing with fresh research, new developments, innovation, and rapid dissemination of thoughts, ideas, and practices on the internet. In tandem sources of information are growing, along with a lot of inconsistency in the reliability or validity of the information. The main skill in a knowledge-based era is knowledge management that defines how to find, collect, evaluate, examine, apply, and disseminate data, within a specific context. The ability and skill to access the right knowledge at the right time, through a strong knowledge management system, appraises accurate decision-making, and encourages collaboration and innovation. Knowledge management platforms are planned with best in class features as to capture the information needed, validate and organize and make it convenient to retrieve and share. Thus, it becomes the most in-demand skill that graduates will always need to employ even long after graduation throughout their life.

Strategy and Planning:

Companies that set in strategic planning in their decision making and marketing outline are most likely to achieve measurable results and succeed in the long-term. Rather than planning and designing on an ad-hoc basis, executives and digital marketers must create and implement campaigns and drives based on analytics and quantifiable data. It is also imperious that they examine past campaigns and choose which metric is giving better results. To put things in view, strategy and planning is an important skills gap in organizations. And so, IILM develops skills in strategic planning and executing a digital strategy, graduates pursuing new roles certainly have an edge over their peers with slight or no knowledge.

Teamwork and Adaptability:

The significance of teamwork is not only limited to the workplace but in every sphere of life. Teamwork and adaptability are vital to managing the everyday changing environment. In specific, knowledge personnel ought to know how to work in accord and collaboratively, virtually and at a distant space, with coworkers, clients, and associates. The sharing of collective knowledge, problem-solving, execution, and efficient implementation need good teamwork and adaptability for accomplishing tasks or solving problems that may be outside the purview of a thin job definition but indispensable for success.

Ethics and Responsibility:

This is a set of standards or codes of conduct, professional ethics comprises relationships with and responsibilities towards clients, employees, coworkers, vendors, suppliers, all stakeholders. This is essential to build faith and trust, most significant in informal social networks, however, because normally it is upright and great businesses worldwide where there are diverse players, and a higher degree of reliance and confidence in others are required to realize one’s own goals.

The crucial point here is that content and skills are firmly related and hence at IILM, much consideration is given to content acquisition as well as skills development embedded in the course itself to ensure that learners graduate with the required knowledge and skills to be effective in a digital age.

Dr. Rachna Madaan
Assistant Professor, IILM University
Gurugram, Haryana.

Mankind 4.0

Faculty, IILM Graduate School of Management, IILM Institute for Higher Education21 MayDr. Anjali JindalCampus Life, Career, IILM, IILM Blog, IILM Graeter Noida, IILM GSM, Industry 4.0, Marketing 4.0, Student Engagement

Humans are ever-evolving- This phenomenon is triggered by their needs and wants that are required to be fulfilled for survival; well sometimes for luxury too. Every kind of change that takes place in the world develops mankind in certain ways that makes them a little more capable. There are no limits to what humans can do, but it is only discovered when they face a crisis. This is the perfect time to move up the ladder of maturity and once again prove that nothing is superior to humans and nothing can end this mankind’s reign on earth.

What happened so far?

2020 is the year that escalated the revenues of the News Industry and Media Houses. A series of events have been taking place globally which have had a large impact, rather a very negative impact be it to people, biodiversity, climate, or economic growth. The Australian bushfire, Delhi communal riots, coronavirus pandemic are just a few examples to site. The effects of the pandemic have been the most massive so far, so huge that the world has come to a standstill. Lives have been lost exponentially and so have the hopes of people of going back to normal ever again. There is going to be the start of a new normal soon after there is some control over this situation. The pandemic has had far-reaching consequences on human behavior and there have been unforeseen innovations and development taking place concerning a new lifestyle.

It is the beginning of a new era with changes influencing healthcare, consumption, values, society, education, politics, finance, economy, and so on. Such humanitarian revolutions had been taking place from time to time with the genesis of civilization. Firstly, it was the discovery of fire, secondly, the rise of agriculture and thirdly, the industrial revolution. Perhaps a technology revolution is on its way because that’s the only way to keep things going in this crisis. Just when the world was moving towards technology adoption at a very rapid pace, the Covid19 pandemic has fuelled this phenomenon.

Re-shaping industry and economy

All the sectors that are likely to be dominant from now on are healthcare, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, education, and social welfare. There will be a significant influence of technology either in the form of virtual reality or artificial intelligence, in all these sectors. The new economy will be technology-driven. Disruptive innovation is going to be a focus point. Social welfare also will gain significance. All of it will be facilitated by public-private partnerships which can lead to socio-economic development. The need for the hour is to focus on all these areas so that the world is ready to face such a pandemic again without severe loss. Otherwise, the economic depression cycle will continue for a prolonged duration. The cycle goes on like this- business exists for profit and no production leads to no sales and hence no profits. The capability to employ becomes less. So, companies only hold on to very essential employees to meet demand when the economy picks up. Subsequently, people lose jobs or have the fear of losing jobs and buy less, consume less. So demand goes down and profit automatically goes down. It is evident that revenues are falling and both consumption and production are going down paving a path towards economic recession. However, post the pandemic, the countries with a zero growth rate will be looked upon as an attractive business hub as compared to the countries with a negative growth rate which is going to be common after this catastrophe.

Life comes first

Many of the best paying jobs only facilitate the exchange to make money and serve the no wider purpose to society. This leaves us with huge consulting firms, the advertising industry, and the financial sector. Health care and social care never got the limelight as they were considered “unattractive”. Looks like in the present-day people are realizing that there’s more than making money to survive. A much wider approach to life needs to be followed. Life should be valued more than anything else. Nobody anticipated that a microorganism can devastate the most evolved and developed organism on earth; the humans. This is a signal that the next phase of evolution has arrived where we need to reconsider our way of life. The priorities need to be altered and a more vigilant human needs to take shape.

A transition in lifestyle

Post the 1918 Influenza pandemic, many lifestyles, and hygiene etiquettes were being followed that were never imagined about earlier, yet are a part of our daily routine in the present day. Similarly, there will be some concrete transitions now. Just to cite an example, as social distancing is so essential, multistory buildings might become history. Too many people jammed in one apartment is undesirable. We need more open spaces with better ventilation. Filtration and neutralization of air and water will become mandatory. The home will be the new office for jobs that don’t essentially require movement and physical interaction. Work will be digitized to the farthest extent. The internet will be more accessible and the blood of information flow. Traditional jobs will be replaced by robots. Education delivery will become blended and rich. Globalization will move towards localization. Countries will try to be self-sufficient by having an entire supply chain within the country borders. Country borders might be closed except for extremely essential exchanges and international trade will be redefined. Social welfare, poverty reduction, education, and employment will be prime concerns. In addition to this, people will value their jobs, focus on productivity. Family life will be back, eating nutritious home food with the family together, interacting, bonding, all of it which was somewhere lost in the mechanical life will revive. The scarce resources will be better utilized for needs first and then wants.

Life on earth is precious and with every passing day, facing challenges and changes, mankind has always learned to adjust and endure. With this optimism, we can hope that with time we will evolve to a stronger, more sensible, and responsible being and harmoniously share the planet with our fellow beings. We need to make some quick lifestyle changes and inculcate healthy habits. With our efforts, we can have a better and happier ending to the year 2020 and have a successful decade ahead.

Please comment and share your views on how the Human Race will evolve in 2020.

By Manisha Kar Dr. Anjali Jindal

IGSM/PGDM Student Assistant Professor (OB & HR)

Zero Waste in Fashion Design

Faculty, General Blog, IILM University20 MaySeema Chaudharyfashion design, pattern cutting, zero waste fashion

Keywords: Sustainability. Zero waste patterns, zero waste, Pattern making

Limited resources and climbing cost have been the seeding ground for concepts that are new to our 21st century. Concepts like sustainable development, circular economy and ethical businesses have been focus of discussions for the past two to three decades. When applied for fashion design industry we are talking of how to save the resources in terms of limiting yarn and fabric wastage in current manufacturing process. The extent and amount of wastage is alarming in our factories and fabric wasted and discarded in cutting process is a matter of concern. It is a concern not only because it ends up in landfills, but also the fact that fabric is one of the main costing head of any garment. If we can save on fabric in Cutting Room of manufacturing unit it is a win-win situation for both maker and user.

It is estimated that as much as 15 percent of the fabric is wasted in any cutting plan. However, this was not so a few centuries ago. History is the evidence that limited resources were kept in mind while designing and making garments in any culture. Japanese Kimono dress is cut from rectangular shapes of Patterns which leads to zero wastage. Our traditional Indian garments like panelled skirt (Lehanga) and tunics for men and women (Kalidar Kurta) are some of the best examples of how not to waste fabrics in pattern cutting process. These garments were comfortable, gave interesting silhouettes and didn’t give up on the fitting aspects to the wearer. The saree is an excellent example of zero wastage in fabric – the saree is usable as soon as it comes off the loom, and you don’t need to cut or sew this classic costume of India. The versatile nature of this costume show possibility of a rectangular six yards of fabric draped in several styles on a woman’s body. Similarly, ancient costumes of Roman and Greeks were rectangles or circles that were draped around the body without much of cutting and stitching involved. People respected and took care that fabric which was made with so much of hard labour on hand operated looms, is put to the best usage.

Greek “chiton” for men and women were draped rectangular piece of fabric

Different Saree drapes

What can we learn from history of clothing? The zero waste concept was first coined in start of 21st C by Warren Snow in New Zealand in year 2000. Soon the concept caught on with US government programs for recycling at grass root level. Soon it caught on with Australia, Europe and Asia as well. In 2003 in Wales, Zero Waste International Alliance was discussed and formed with the mission to divert minimum 90 percent of waste from landfills and incinerators.

In Fashion Industry, Zero Waste clothing refers to little or no waste of fabric in their production. Before the garment reaches the consumer, we have to plan, design and manufacture garments in such a way that least of fabric and other resources are wasted. Patterns are the bridge between the fashion sketch and final garments. Hence, a Pattern maker is an import link in sustainable fashion chain. The usual process of Design as taught and practiced in design schools and industry is to sketch the idea of design from a trend and mood board, then the sketch goes to pattern master who makes the patterns of that style and cutting takes place as per the required design. However, once we flip the concept of making garment from design first to plan No-wastage first, we will notice that pattern planning comes as an important starting point. The fabric type and width is an important aspect and it has to be first considered as a deciding factor rather than final silhouette. The process becomes more logical than inspirational, as we usually are flexible in making our designs more in tune with our goal of not wasting any fabric. Another idea that is catching on is to recycle the strips of old garments or surplus fabric pieces into strips which are then again woven, crocheted or inter-laced into new garments.

Many designers use the draping technique to arrive at garment designs than sketching to start with. In this technique, you drape a piece or pieces of fabric on the dress form to make 3 dimensional garments straight on a dummy. The approach is open ended and gives room for experimental drapes and unusual functional details. Another approach is to weave that much panel of patterns that is required – Direct panel on Loom, it is something like whole garment system where yarn is fed into the machine and out comes the garment – No fabric is produced and yarns make directly the shapes of panels or patterns required for the garment. These techniques are expensive and not many can afford its cost.

Some famous designers who have worked with zero waste in their design approach are – Zandra Rhodes, Julian Roberts, Holly McQuillan, and Siddharth Upadhdhya for his Direct Panel on Loom approach.
Zandra Rhodes was one of the pioneers in the zero waste concept in the British fashion scene. Her simple, geometrical cuts are famous with celebrities. Julian Robert is an exponent of zero waste throughout the process of design, Cut and make through his inventive method of pattern cutting called “Subtraction Method”. He starts with less of planning and more of creative risk, cutting the fabric, manipulating on dummy and sewing in unusual ways. Here, in his own words –“Design comes last, not the first” and one enjoys the accidental innovations in the process.

“It (Design) is discovered by chance at the end of the prototyping process, not at the beginning where it would be a limitation or precondition. So to me ‘designing’ is making, it’s not making a pretty picture and then passing it on for more skilful hands to realise and bring it to life” – J. Roberts in an interview on January 30, 2019.
(source: https://subtractioncutting.tumblr.com/post/132676352496/vocal-reverse-subtraction-cutting-lecture-today)

Holly McQuillan wrote the first book on this concept in 2016- Zero Waste Fashion Design, whereby she expresses her concern that problem is bigger than we think. A prominent personality in Sustainable fashion, she continues to research and teach the same to her students at Massey University, NZ.

Julian Roberts draped dress using Subtraction Method

Many young designers are adopting this concept in their brands. One of the interesting one is Dr. Mark Liu who applied mathematical equations to make patterns in such a way to save onto a lot of fabric being wasted. Karen Glass is another one to be inspired from. She hunts scraps from various factories and joins these pieces in an artistic way to make forever fashionable ensembles. Daniel Silverstone is working on same lines – to join pieces that are discarded into new patterns that make it look artistic and one of a kind.

Denim pieces patchwork by Daniel Silverstone

The functional need gives rise to design intervention. The function remains top priority. The less is wasted, the more is saved of every resource – labour, money invested, materials, ideas; and, most importantly, there is always so much already produced in society, can we not reuse that itself?

Circular economy as a concept can be a reality for every business. Given the risks in supply chain and system becoming too complex, we need simpler strategies to solve issues. We should not be making new solutions to solve a problem that existed due to a failed solution. That is a never-ending game, and we can see the repercussion of over-dependence on systems now. Basically, we should stop passing bucks – “my waste is government’s responsibility, Or, what consumers do with their clothing is not my concern”, etc. etc. The time has come to take responsibilities and contribute for everyone’s well being rather than being self centered as a business strategy. And, clever planning to reduce waste of fabric is one small step for a big issue facing our garment industry today.

Website References:

1. https://thefashionadvocate.com/blogs/news/julian-roberts-is-an-avid-sustainability-advocate-the-inventor-of-subtraction-cutting
2. https://eluxemagazine.com/fashion/zero-waste-designers/
3. https://textilevaluechain.in/2020/03/12/zero-waste-pattern-cutting/
4. https://www.modopactua.com/pdf/LEARN_Zero-waste_ENG.pdf
5. https://hollymcquillan.com/category/sustainable-design-practice/zero-waste/page/2/

Holding Space For Students: How It Helps Them Grow

Campus Life, IILM Institute for Higher Education, IILM University20 MayParnika Sharma

Have you ever thought about ‘Holding’? Holding refers to support. The 20th-century psychoanalyst Winnicott used this word to explain the importance of a supportive environment provided to a person to help him achieve his/her full potential.

It is likened to the nurturing and caring behavior a mother engages in with her child to help him/her become independent. It has become an important concept in education where the role of the educator is to provide a safe environment where students can discover themselves without being judged and learn new skills that help them follow their calling in life.

What is Holding

To practice Holding requires attention at multifaceted dimensions. It is the art of being present with others. It is an attitude that comes from deep-rooted compassion for others. It requires cultivating the skill of active listening to understand what the other person is feeling, i.e. listening from the heart. It is about practicing unconditional positive regard which means treating another person with the utmost respect and completely be with the person to whom you are Holding space with.

In the life of a student, joining college after school is a period of major transition, especially if it requires moving to a new city. It is a time to cope with uncertainties which at times lead to loneliness as he/she is trying to fit into a new environment among strangers. At that time the environment that conveys trust and support becomes crucial for the overall growth of the students.

Holding Space for Students at IILM

At IILM, as a team we try to provide that safe space to the students where they can discover their interests and enhance their skills.

I still remember that day when I interacted for the first time with a student who came from a large family in a small town to join IILM to pursue his graduation. During that conversation that usually happy looking boy shared that he felt lonely and homesick. That comment by him was enough to understand that we need to offer him support to make him feel at home on the campus. After a series of one-on-one sessions to help him feel cared for and heard he realized his goal and the reason for pursuing graduation.

To help him follow his interests and exhibit his strengths, we encouraged him to be a part of various in-house club activities. Soon he became the part of a team to organize major events on campus which helped him make friends who were always there to support and motivate him. The supportive environment on campus gave him the sense of belongingness which he was missing initially. As a result, he became more punctual for classes and was always one of the first students to take initiative. This resulted in enhanced class participation and higher grades. This change in him was possible because of the Holding environment which was provided to him by IILM, filled with care but at the same time non-intrusive where we responded to all his concerns.

Benefits of Holding

Holding provides a safe environment for students to understand and manage their inner and outer worlds. It helps them develop a strong personality with a clear understanding of one’s strengths and weaknesses.

During my work at IILM, I discovered that ‘Holding’ is a key element in a student’s overall growth and well-being. Practicing holding requires that one is grounded and has a clear purpose at work. It requires that we treat others with our hearts. At IILM, these are the important values being practiced by all faculty members to help students to adjust well when they become part of the IILM family. A good Holding not only helps students to feel comfortable and confident but also helps them shape themselves and IILM prides itself in providing such a conducive and caring atmosphere for its students.

SmartSelect_20200519-184411_Office Mobile

Placements at IILM – Training, Guidance and Opportunities

Career Development (Placement), IILM Institute for Higher Education, Testimonials19 MayIILMIILM Placements, Placements at IILM

As I entered the gates of IILM, the red brick buildings with lush green creepers seemed to welcome me. I was looking forward to a great journey of pursuing knowledge beyond traditional boundaries. My experience at IILM for the one year that I have spent here has not disappointed. IILM has lived up to all my expectations and beyond. Let me share a key aspect of IILM that is relevant and important for all the students aspiring to do a PGDM course in a B School. It is a question that is in the minds of every student studying at IILM and those aspiring to take admission in this B School. Yes, I am going to share with you about how Placements happen at IILM.

Preparing for Placements

IILM believes in preparing the students and equipping them with the latest knowledge and skill sets. It offers more than your usual PGDM course, where practical experience and live market exposure are of utmost priority. Our Placement Cell is aligned with the values of our institution and grooms students to make them corporate ready from the day we step into the classrooms, focussing on training and developing the students through innovative methods and best practices inspired by the best B Schools in India and the world.

Career Resource Centre (CRC)

I soon realised that IILM has a robust and active Career Resource Centre (CRC) that is well connected with the corporate world and with all sectors of industry. I was relieved and happy to learn about the placements of IILM students over the years many of whom have been placed in good organizations and are today well recognized leaders and executives in the corporate world. IILM has a great track record of developing industry-ready managers and successful placements. I felt that my future was secure with IILM as it would offer me the best placement opportunities.

If we talk about the internal processes carried out by this department, it includes:

►Helping students choose their career options.
►Assisting in drafting the industry-grade resume and building LinkedIn profiles.
►Organizing mock Group Discussion sessions, Aptitude Tests, and Personal Interviews to prepare the students for the final placement process.
►Giving students proper assistance for the Summer Internship process.

Student Board of the CRC

Another interesting part about the placement cell is that it not only includes faculty members for conducting all due processes, but also has a Board of 4 student secretaries who are responsible for efficiently coordinating/conducting Personal Interviews, Group Discussions, Guest Lectures and other placement related activities. Through this platform the freshers get great experience of the complete placement process which is a crucial learning. Being part of the Placement Cell is a great opportunity for students who begin the process of being managers right at the institute giving them an edge over other students.

I have been fortunate to be an active part of the Placement Cell and have gained crucial and significant knowledge in the one year that I have been at IILM. This has helped me to perceive my professionally journey strategically and make the right decisions during my course at IILM. I have also developed a good network as I have had the opportunity to interact with Alumni and industry experts.

How Mentorship Program helps Placements

I was really happy to learn about the Mentorship Program at IILM that has helped me immensely in my first year. At IILM the journey of every student isn’tstandardised but customised to suit his/her needs. Students are observed carefully, and the CRC is in touch with their mentors to constantly discus their interest and aspirations. The mentor-mentee platform provided me personalised attention and guidance to help me choose the right professional path in accordance with my interests and abilities. I can interact with my Mentors as often as I want to seek their guidance and I have built a relationship of trust with my mentor as have other students of my class. Our mentors help us to discover our core competencies and guide us towards career development programs in those respective fields providing 360 degree assistance to crack our dream job.

Industry Interaction

Apart from these internal activities, I was also part of other experiences that enriched my journey. IILM believes in connecting industry veterans and leaders with budding managers that study here. My friends and I had a very interesting and useful exposure and learning through guest lectures, Industry-institute interaction, industrial visits which were aligned with our course structure. The industry exposure helped us understand how to apply the classroom concepts in real life.

Future is Safe with IILM

I have realised that IILM works very hard to provide its students with the right career opportunities with some of the best organizations coming to IILM for campus placements. IILM believes in providing students all kinds of support such as personalised attention, guidance and trainingto be get their dream jobs.

I am happy to be studying at IILM, an institute that cares, guide, trains and provides the best career opportunities. I believe that my future is in safe hands.

IILM Website: https://www.iilm.edu/

Akash Pk
Batch 2019- 21, IILM LR

Family Business: The Need for Alignment in Times of Uncertainty

Center for Family Business, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation, Events, General Blog, IILM Institute for Higher Education18 MayRahul K.MishraBuilding Airplane While Flying it, IILM Webinar, Webinar organised by IILM

The Corona Virus pandemic has put more than half of the world under the lockdown with practically very limited economic activity. The economic growth rate has slumped into negative and unemployment rate has soared high.

In this uncertain situation, businesses need to adapt and change. Family businesses face bigger challenges for survival. In this context, IILM invited Dr Stephanie Brun de Pontet, principal consultant, Family Business Consulting Group to give insights into challenges that family businesses face in this scenario. Dr Stephanie titled her talk “Building AirplaneWhile Flying it”- the need for alignment in the times of uncertainty.

Provide Stability and Innovation

Dr Stephanie started with pointing out the way people are feeling intense disorientation because global corona pandemic. The life as we know has been disrupted. This has changed many things in the world while lot of things have remained same. There is sense of grief in this loss. In this scenario when it is difficult to predict the future, it remains quite a challenge for businesses to plan and look ahead. Quoting from Charles Darwin who had said “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent ones but the most responsive to change”, Dr Stephanie went on to emphasise the need to provide both stability and innovation for family business . Family businesses have strengths as they look at business long term and also they have long term connection with employees, suppliers and customers.

Adapt and Reinvent

The intensity of disruption is quite massive and there is sudden loss of control of everyday life and business. In this scenario of crisis when the future is not clear, there is a need for definitive planning to protect people, and also viable part of business, to adapt and to reinvent the business. There is also a need to try out new things and innovate. Innovation is the least risky option now.

Alignment with Values and Core Purpose

Family businesses need to get aligned to values and purpose. The values and purpose give direction and also meaning to business which everyone shares. Clear values and purpose are great force if acted properly. It makes things simpler for employees, associates.

Family businesses need to look at the core values to protect the business in these uncertain times. Core values are the handful of guiding principles by which a company navigates. Giving an example of Disney’s core values of imagination and wholesomeness that stem from the founder’s belief that these should be nurtured for their own sake, not merely to capitalise on a business opportunity. Instead of changing its core values a great company will change its markets, seek out different customers to remain true to its core values.

Core purpose is an organisation’s most fundamental reason for being. It should not be confused with the company’s current product lines or customer segments. Disney’s core purpose is to make people happy – not build theme parks and make cartoons. Theme parks or cartoons or any other product will flow from the core purpose.

Struggle between Tradition and Innovation

Family businesses normally struggle with the choice of honouring tradition and pioneering change by bringing innovation. A good leadership always find a balance between the two. Few companies manage to do both – they are more stable, and they are more innovative.

Giving example of a company and how it has adapted its business in the current corona crisis by reinventing itself she spoke about J W Lopes, a 4th generation family owned suppliers of produce and dairy to restaurants and institutions. It has changed its business model shifting from institutions to residential distribution by configuring the new way of distribution channel. The company has rightly assumed that people are spending more time trying out new dishes at home and that they would like to have new fresh produce and dairy products. New ideas and experimentation are needed to survive and thrive in the new normal.

Rise of the Younger Leadership

Dr Stephaniebeautifully combined the new ideas and experimentation of rising generation with the experience of the leading generation. The future is going to be different. New ways of thinking and working are needed.
The leadership in this crisis is needed from both the young generation,and leading and older generation. The leaders are expected to do certain things to tide over this massive disruption and crisis. They are expected to figure out the situation and protect and support the team. Leaders also need to provide clarity and guidance and to bring wisdom and perspective. Leadership is also about sharing sacrifices. Dr Stephanie emphasised the action needed from leaders from younger generation. Leaders from younger generation need to gain different perspective on options and future. They need to share ideas on new technology and markets. They are expected to show solidarity and commitment of the family.

Honest and Transparent communication

The webinar was followed by a lively and robust question answer session where Dr Stephanie emphasised the need for honest and transparent communication during the period of crisis. She also went into great detail in bringing professionals in family business and keeping family members in the Board and the Management.At the end it is all about emotional resilience to bring change and adapt and survive.

The webinar organised by IILM that offers several courses on Family Business and Strategy as well as Management, was well received by the listeners. It gave insight into how family businesses need to tide over this current crisis that was informative for the students and faculty members of IILM as well as the for the guests who attended the webinar.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYtmeedo2V4

Professor Rahul Mishra
IILM

Organisational Citizenship: Going Above and Beyond

IILM Graduate School of Management15 MayDr. Anjali JindalORGANISATIONAL CITIZENSHIP, Organisational Citizenship Behaviour

Every organisation thrives to create high efficiency and super effective manpower to remain competitive. This makes creating organizational citizens more imperative and important.

An organizational citizen voluntarily does the extra efforts for the company not only because of the job contract.

Organizational citizenship behaviour has been studied since the late 1970s. In more than 30 years of this concept’s existence, it has substantially gained the interest of organisation leaders and academia. Organizational citizenship has been very closely linked with the overall effectiveness of the organisation; thus, organisational citizens play a very important role and have positive consequences in the workplace.

IILM has been a pioneer in developing organisational citizens with its very professional work culture where every member works as a part of a team. The culture at IILM naturally develops and motivates each and every member to deliver the best out.

Organ (1988) defines Organisational Citizenship Behaviour as “individual behaviour that is discretionary, not directly or explicitly recognized by the formal reward system, and that in the aggregate promotes the effective functioning of the organization”

An Organizational Citizen can be defined as the one who possesses these five behavioural characteristics:

1. Altruism: It can be defined as discretionary behaviours that have the effect of helping a specific colleague with an organizationally relevant task or problem.

2. Courtesy: Courtesy has been defined as discretionary behaviours that aim at preventing work-related conflicts with others (Law et al., 2005). This dimension of the organisational behaviour relates to helping behaviour and also keeps preventing the problems. Courtesy is a basic human value that makes him more helpful and understanding towards fellow citizens.

3. Conscientiousness: It consists of the behaviours that go well beyond the defined job role requirements. Every employee of the organisation accepts and adheres to the rules, regulations, and procedures of the organization. Every member of the team takes ownership of all the rules and procedures as the decision process has been effectively collective endeavours.

4. Civic virtue: Responsible participation in the political processes of an organisation. It can be understood as a positive involvement in the concerns of the organisation. Civic virtue can be seen in an individual who takes an interest in the affairs of the organisation and keeps up-to-date with the developments and processes of it.

5. Sportsmanship: It can be defined as tolerating the inconveniences and annoyances of organisational life. No organisation can make perfectly suitable rules and policies for every employee and this should be understood by an organisational citizen. One who is ready and happy to stand with the organisation and serve beyond his defined role overlooking the inconveniences is an ideal organisational citizen.

These characteristics can be developed in an employee by having good practices at the work place and motivating such behaviours by rewarding them. There are alot of tools for doing so in an organisation that starts right away from the hiring process to induction, training, and setting goals that motivate the incoming employee.

Since Organisational Citizen is beneficial for any organisation, it becomes important to consider the factors which affect it. These antecedents can be broadly categorised into three major areas: personality/traits, attitudinal, and leadership/group factors. Among the three personalities has a minimal effect on the tendency to becoming organizational citizen however it does mean that some staff will be more naturally inclined to such behaviour. The other two are more promising as the attitude can be cultivated and leadership can be developed by facilitating more employee engagement.

These antecedents make a guideline to create organizational citizen in any organization through various steps as:

• Job Embeddedness: It is a reflection of the extent to which people are connected in a social web either in an organisation (‘on-the-job’) or in a community (‘off-the-job’).There are three aspects of embeddedness visually, Links: the extent of links to other people or activities,Fit: the extent of fit of their jobs and communities and Sacrifice: the ease with which links could be broken

• Setting examples: The leaders must set an example for the behaviours they want their employees to exhibit. It is well said that cultures are made at the top. Leaders must exemplify being considerate, jumping to help others, putting forward themselves in the events outside the job etc. This will help employees engage into a frame of reference to develop them into organisational citizens.

• Encourage teamwork: Strong co-worker bonds and good interpersonal relationship put a significant impact on employees. People tend to turn into organisational citizens when there is cohesion between them and they feel connected to each other. A culture of collaboration and cooperation must be seeded early so that employees see themselves playing a vital role in supporting co-workers. Job roles must be defined such that they are encouraged to look out for a team which in turn enhances qualities like altruism and courtesy.

• Connect the qualities of Organizational citizenship with company goals: principles of organisational citizenship like altruism, courtesy, civic virtue, conscientiousness and sportsmanship must be linked in any form with the company goal in any verbiage. This will encourage the employees to get into the culture and show the traits as their duty.

• Office social environment: Employees must be given an environment of work that nourishes the organisational citizenship behaviour. Group norms should be made in such a way that encourage the employees to positively interact with each other, attend office functions, seek help, and do help others, etc.

• Supervisor awareness: Training the supervisors about organisational citizenship will help them to look for such traits in the team members and reward them to encourage others to follow. This can be done by adding the OC traits into the appraisal as well. Continuous positive feedback by the supervisor will make more organisational citizen in the team.

• Hiring practices: Though we had learned earlier in the article that the impact of personality on the organisational citizenship behaviours in very low but an outgoing, enthusiastic employee with a positive outlook will be more prone to turn into an organisational citizen. So during the hiring process psychometric testing for such traits must be considered. This is the best stage to look for people who can easily be moulded into organisational citizens.

• Leadership and procedural justice: There must be unit-level organisational citizenship which depends on two variables fairness perception and leadership. An organisational citizen is defined by altruism (helping behaviour) and conscientiousness. Unit level OC is defined by overall OC ratings of the individuals and a unit rating from the supervisor. It is the moral responsibility of the leader towards the success of the organisation as well as the individual success of his subordinates. This gives a feeling of justice to the employees and encourages them to turn into organisational citizens.

At IILM we follow the above points to develop and nurture the organisational citizen in all our staff. Every individual in the institution shows a high degree of traits defined for being an organisational citizen. They go beyond the traditional role definitions or job descriptions. Each member of the team does ‘extra effort’ that is nonetheless essential for the effectiveness of the institution, especially where organisational performance is dependent on the interconnectedness and social networks. Through years IILM has developed its social capital and that translates into its competitive advantage.

References:

1. Law, S. K., Wong, C., & Chen, X. Z. (2005). The construct of organizational citizenship behavior: Should we analyze after we have conceptualized? In D. L. Turnipseed (Ed.), Handbook of organizational citizenship behavior (pp. 47–65). New York: Nova Science Publishers.

2. Organ, D. W. (1988). Organizational Citizenship Behavior – The Good Soldier Syndrome. (1st ed.). Lexington, Massachusetts/Toronto: HD.C. Heath and Company.

Dr. Anjali Jindal
Assistant Professor, IILM Graduate School of Management
Greater Noida, UP

ART THERAPY- DISCOVER YOURSELF

Campus Life, Career Development (Placement), Center for Emotional Intelligence, Faculty, General Blog, Guest Blog, IILM Graduate School of Management, IILM Institute for Higher Education, IILM Undergraduate Business School, IILM University15 MayMegha KochharArt, art therapy, channelizing energy, Coaching, healing, IILM keeps students motivated, inner growth, optimism, psychology, stress management, Transformation, Well being

“Mirror is a reflection of our faces and Art of our Souls”

Art has the ability to change and transform lives, in profound ways. When words fail, we turn to images and symbols to narrate our stories. Through art we can reach out to people with our stories and find a path towards transformation and healing.

As they say there is a lot between the heaven and earth than just dreams. Art therapy has a therapeutic way of rooting the idea of creative expression that fosters healing our soul and leading us towards mental well-being. For years art has been a very communicative way to express our feelings. When we were young we would instinctively use painting, drawing, sketching to communicate and express our emotions, but as we grow, and maturity hits us we often forget the beautiful impact art had on our lives.

Through Art Therapy patients are provided with a safe place where they can explore not very pleasant feelings like fear, anger, aggression, unfulfilled expectations. Feelings that they would otherwise avoid to talk about. Rightly said “Art speaks where words end.” The field of Art and artistic people has always intrigued me. It feels like artistic people see life through a very different lens. They have immense waves of creativity within and so they life seems so sorted and calm. I wonder how various forms of art give them so much of peace. I guess the only reason why their life is so peaceful is that it’s not humans, but a form of art that is communicated as a Peacemaker and Healer adding the Art Therapy to experience the solace within.

Going back to Ancient history, art has been one of the oldest ways to communicate through wall carvings, sculptures, and paintings right from the Indus valley civilization. It is seen that when a person is unable to speak about his pain, they resort to expressing their feelings through Art.

Healing is totally an internal process which has a lot to do with a sense of positivity and inner strength. Ask an artist and they will enlighten you about the therapeutic impact Art has on them. Art Therapy is a type of expressive therapy that enhances a person’s emotional, mental, physical and spiritual well-being through the process of creativity. By art we mean everything that stirs our consciousness and inner strength to challenge our mind. This is the process where artistic expression helps lots of people to develop positive feelings, solve problems, change attitudes, boost their self-concept and be more content with themselves.

Art is like a life saving jacket in a world that’s growing crazy. Art keeps you grounded in your roots. It has a meditative impact to develop patience in life. We have to make a choice today either “let Art enter your world or you enter into the World of Art.” Choice is yours to discover the artist in you.

Remember friends Art is not a skill, but an expression and it really does not matter if you think you cannot draw or create. It’s an outlook towards life, which can be seen in the form of a new hobby, learning music, anything that keeps you occupied and for which you feel the desire to create time and it’s so becoming a part of your life in spite of the busy schedules you have as it heals you from all the stress that you’ve been carrying as a baggage of life.

It’s practically applicable and as a life skill trainer and therapist, I have seen my students experiencing the magic of art therapy in their lives. A group of IILM students took this initiative to apply this therapy for the first two weeks and shared such positive results in their level of expression, understanding of situations. One common response was that they learnt to respond rather than react in stressful situations.

Art Therapy gives people medium to express their feelings and problems and tread a happier life that is real and serene in nature. Art as a therapy has proved to be a powerful weapon to combat illness and spread well-being. It allows you to be yourself with no Form and that’s the Beauty. So let’s join hands together to inhale positivity and exhale creativity.

To connect on knowing more about the profound value and benefits of art, colors and visualization therapy write to me on megha.kochhar@iilm.edu

Alumnus Avlokita Narang shares her IILM experience

IILM, a great place to begin!

Alumni, IILM Institute for Higher Education, IILM Stories, Testimonials15 MayIILMAvlokita Narang Experience, IILM alumni, IILM Alumnus, IILM experience

HR Analyst at Google, Alumnus Avlokita Narang shares her IILM experience

When writing about my experiences at IILM, I have so many thoughts playing and dancing around in my mind. There is so much to say yet to sum up the lively and life changing experiences in one blog is rather difficult. Summarizing the amazing and awesome memories and learnings into a few hundred words seems like an injustice to the holistic and multi-dimensional experiences I had at IILM. However, let me pen down some of my thoughts and memories for you.

Caring and Supportive Faculty Members at IILM

The foremost thing I want to share about is the faculty at IILM. They are all brilliant minds brimming with knowledge. The faculty members at IILM taught us not just theory but explained all the concepts through experiential learning and case studies that helped us understand the theoretical concepts better and how to apply them to real situations. They trained us, groomed us, and trained us to make great presentations as well as how to speak and conduct ourselves with confidence. Although the daily routine and long hours of teaching sometimes felt tough but the professional environment and the strict code of discipline constantly pushed us to learn and improve ourselves, I am really grateful for it because it prepared us well for all the future challenges.

While the professors believed in academic rigour, they were caring and warm. They were always approachable, ready to lend a helping hand to students academically and emotionally. I developed strong bonds with my professors and some of them are still like family to me.

Industry Exposure at IILM

We were exposed to industry and their working style as IILM regularly organized industry visits, conferences attended by industry leaders, invited international guest faculty and internships. All these activities made us corporate ready by increasing our understanding of how the real-world works. The learning in the classroom and beyond had a long-lasting impact on my professional choices, decisions, and journey.

Exposure to International Education at IILM

The study abroad program offered by IILMprovideda great exposure to the students and we learnt about the nuances of business studies in other parts of the world. I had gone to University of Winnipeg in Canada and was exposed to a new culture and society as well as learnt about international business practices. I gained confidence and was able to do much better in my personal and professional interactions because of the study abroad program. The exposure was especially helpful when I began working in the corporate world.

After completing my PGDM I began my corporate journey and my experiences at IILM helped me to successfully manage my professional life. I can successfully approach problems, find solutions, and make right decisions because of my training at IILM. The encouragement received has also helped me to continue with my passion for public speaking and creative writing.

Thank you IILM for making me believe in me through an all-round educational experience, a holistic exposure and the support of your caring faculty

Avlokita Narang
Batch 2016-18