Is taking a Drop Year in 2020 a good career strategy? – IILM’s Advice for Students

General Blog, IILM University, , ,

While the whole world is battling Corona, there are many students who have their own battles to wage. This is especially those who have appeared for Class XII exams and they may be worried for their future. A few exams of CBSE students are still pending. The results are yet to come. It is a critical year for them, given their decisions to take admissions in graduation. Some of them were aspiring to go abroad. Now all their dreams seem to be at a standstill.

Well, dear students and their equally concerned parents – The government regulations are no way indicating a pause in education – they have stated in their recent guidelines to delay starting the academic year, but it will begin. You have all options open as you would have earlier. The only thing that has changed now is a shift in the day of commencement of the session. So the question of dropping a year should not occur in your mind.

On dropping a year, one or all of these may happen-
– Your drop year will stay on your CV for the rest of your life. It may affect your candidature for selection, as recruiters are looking for all possible reasons to reject the applicants. You may not even qualify for the selection process, as in several global multinational corporations, a drop in the year is one of the reasons for not shortlisting the profile of the candidate.
– You may be the only one in your class or peer group to sit at home exploring options for the subsequent year- it generally leads to a dip in the motivation level and its not easy to sustain yourself during this time. The morale goes down and depression sinks in.
– You tend to lose confidence in your abilities to start afresh.
– It will also give the impression to any third person that you are not at all adaptable in nature – you do not have the strength to fight it out and brave the circumstances.
– Most importantly, you are still not sure that you will get what you are seeking.

We have all spent more than a month at home, and we do not know till when this will continue. Do not elongate this stay even further – believe me it is going get tougher
by the day. We have already had enough of negativity since the spread of the pandemic – let us not increase the problems in our lives. Make an informed decision about the course you want to enroll in – there are abundant prospects for you. All educational institutions, particularly the private ones are functioning online, and Universities like IILM are all prepared to welcome students in the new session whenever it starts. We are equipped to conduct both online and offline classes. Our faculty are developing innovative pedagogies to make the class more engaging. We have been ensuring that there is no academic loss for the existing students and the learning did not stop a single day during this lockdown period. We have finished our course syllabus for the semester, have conducted Club activities, we have done mentoring sessions, we have guided students for dissertation, we have conducted guest sessions for the subjects we are teaching and we are ready to conduct the exams. We have given ample opportunities for students to intern from home, and
almost all our students have their WFH summer internships in place. As faculty, we are working hard to respond to the situation to the best of our capabilities.

If you were aspiring for a foreign degree, as of now, you should take admission in an Indian Institution for now, and perhaps go abroad for your post-graduation. By that time, you will become aware of your career interests and you will be mature enough to take care of yourself. These next two years will be trying times, and your adamant desire to go to foreign shores may end up being an obstacle for your successful career. Things will certainly become normal – but how soon none of us know. When International borders and travel will open, it is unknown. And how soon they will start accepting applicants and student candidatures for admissions is also not clear.

But what is known for sure is that our career path has to be charted by us alone. Dropping a year has never been a good strategy. And in a world of uncertainty, it is a strict no-no. Based on my experience of two decades, I can only say that think positive, explore available options and get a stress-free life for yourself. Let these turbulent times not affect your careers.

Authored By
Dr Sona Vikas (Associate Professor – HR & OB)

Predictors of Wellness among Elderly

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Introduction: We are the second largest nation in terms of Elderly population after China. The magnificence goes to improved medical facility and community healthcares services. How so ever, elderly are also well thought out to be the most vulnerable population against physical and mental illnesses and cognitive impairments. With the increase of the elderly population there is also a need to address the issues related to the vulnerabilities affecting them. “Vulnerability” tends to indicate the factors that can add on to the possibility of adverse outcomes both physically and psychologically. Due to this, they widely need to be assessed on physical ailments, past medical history and ongoing medication. There is also a need to assess them with basic cognitive examination aided with screening for various psychiatric disorders.

Researches studies have shown the ones with significant co morbidity and functional impairment are presumed to have lesser life expectancy as compared to the ones with good functional status i.e. independent in terms of activities of daily living (ADL’s) and without co morbidities i.e. diabetes mellitus, cancer, heart failure, oxygen dependent lung disease etc.

With this there is a high need for planning appropriate interventions and treatment plan for the accurate understanding of the potential risk factors during old age. Many of them despite being conscious about the fact of suffering from cognitive, psychiatric or physical problems would still not seek assistance.

Factors making the elderly prone to health risks and hazards: Research studies have cited the role of both internal and external factors that can lead to such risks and make them vulnerable. The internal risk factors would include increasing age, female gender, physiological co morbidities, substance abuse, mental illnesses, cognitive or sensory impairment or impairment in the activities of daily living (ADL’s) and malnutrition.

External risk factors on the other hand would include lack of social support from family and friends, staying alone, too much dependence on care givers, lack of finances, and unpleasant past life events.

 

Suggestive measures and Counseling for reducing vulnerabilities: Preventive health care measures become more complex as people age. Physiological decay and complications stand out to be as one of the most important reason for illnesses and ailments. However, the role of life style factors also cannot be denied. Physical inactivity, stress, malnutrition lack of social support etc also affect the ageing process.

A number of preventive therapies can be administered to help the elderly regain their physical and mental health. To name a few nutrition counseling which aims at eliminating Trans fatty acids form food to prevent against coronary heart disease. Instead, focus should be shifted towards healthy diets with rich fat like the Mediterranean diet, moderate alcohol consumption and non smoking. A higher level of physical activity is also an essential prerequisite for decrease in mortality. Similarly exercise counseling is the other form of preventive therapy that helps to prevent osteoporosis and obesity. The therapist would provide training for regular exercise weight reduction and weight maintenance program. The elderly are also taught about the benefits of physical activity. Tobacco and smoking cessation counseling is the other form of therapy that is provided to both the primary smokers and the ones exposed to second hand smoke which can make them prone for cardiovascular health risks.

Conclusion: Identifying the vulnerable elderly and assessing the health hazard is an essential process under social policies and issues. Additionally it also holds relevance to understand the causes and consequences of such cognitive and physical dysfunctions. Thus an attempt should be made towards understanding both the sources and consequences of vulnerability. The focus should be to ensure that all the elderly get an access to the counseling and guidance centers and can sustain and maintain healthy forms of life style.

 

Rising-Above-the-Challenge

Rising Above the Challenge

Campus Life, IILM Institute for Higher Education, , , , ,

IILM Adapts and Innovates

Human Resource professionals, consultants and HR specialists have always maintained that the flexibility of ‘Working from Home’ is an HR best practice that has been adopted by some of the top, most innovative and forward-thinking organizations.

Rising-Above-the-Challenge_1According to several studies, flexible work arrangements can improve recruitment and retention, augment organizational diversity, encourage ethical behavior, and help the organization’s efforts to be socially responsible. Employers can experience cost savings, improved attendance and productivity, and an increase in employee engagement. Other identified benefits are reduction in costs in terms of travel by using Conferencing technology; upgraded technology making the company competitive; reduction in space requirements; Work- life balance; and increase in sustainability by decreasing harmful impact on global ecology by reducing carbon emissions and footprints.

Many Millennials consider work-life balance and flexibility to be the most important factors while considering job offers. Infact,64 percent of Millennials said they would like to work from home occasionally and 66 percent of non-Millennials said they would prefer to sometimes shift their work hours to the house according to a recent Price water house Coopers (PwC) study. Most employees long for workplace flexibility, and those showing up for work on time every day often end up resenting employees who worked from home.

Rising-Above-the-Challenge_2However, teaching was always considered one job that could not be done from home. A brick and mortar classroom, a campus life and face to face student-teacher interactions was always considered to be the best way for education. IILM Institute for Higher Education has always believed in the importance of faculty and student interaction, not only inside classrooms but outside them as well. The faculty constantly mentors’ students, guiding them personally and professionally at all stages of their time at IILM and even beyond. So, it was not an easy task for IILM Institute for Higher Education to adapt to the new and challenging situation faced by the world.

The fear of the spread of the covid-19 virus forced people to stay at home. Business needed to be conducted online with employees overnight becoming adept at online forums such as zoom, skype, emails, conference calls and many mores. Webinars and online meetings are now the order of the day.

Rising-Above-the-Challenge_3IILM Institute for Higher Education had to quickly restructure it way of working and it adapt to the new ‘Work From Home’ scenario where the students and teachers stayed at home. Classes are now conducted efficiently and regularly over zoom, with assignments being sent on mail and the teacher-student interaction continuing steadfast. Students continue interacting with faculty mentors over zoom meetings, or even video chats or audio calls.

The work culture at IILM Institute for Higher Education is one that believes in adaptability and flexibility. Student interests are always put first at IILM Institute for Higher Education that has devised new and innovative ways of reaching out to students and keeping them informed and motivated. There are classroom sessions for teaching and there are fun sessions where teachers hang out with students for a chat to find out how they are coping with the new system. IILM Institute for Higher Education also believes in intervention to help students who may need help or are lagging behind due to any reason. The faculty are always alert to the needs of the students.

While these theories and mindsets about working from home being a best work practice crumbled for many Millennials and Non-Millennials within days of the forced lockdown when they were compelled to work from home, the faculty and Management at IILM Institute for Higher Education made the best of a challenging situation creating many innovative ways of working and not getting overwhelmed by the situation.

This is not a dream come true scenario for even the strong supporters of working from home because working from home under the current circumstances is difficult. One must work much harder to get even simple things done without the office infrastructure and interaction and the comfort of the brick and mortar offices, especially in academic in institutes.

IILM Institute for Higher Education has adapted and innovated to create an uninterrupted continuation of the academic process ensuring a comfortable and efficient experience for its students.

Atima Mankotia
Professor HR-OB & Communication
IILM

The Student Teacher Relationship at IILM University

The Student Teacher Relationship at IILM University

Center for Teaching Research and Learning, Faculty, , , ,

The bond I share with my students is an incredibly special one. This is a relationship which continues for life and, IILM University has given us teachers this flexibility to not only interact with our students inside the classroom but also outside.

At IILM University, this is a relationship of respect, love and trust. The foundation of this relationship gets laid on day one when a student takes admission. It gets nurtured during the tenure of the student, continuing even after the completion of their program. The teacher is a mentor, a friend, philosopher and guide in the true spirit. The students have long conversations with their teacher – whether it is in a professional area or an academic concern or connecting on a personal level or just generally talking on any topic under the sun. There is seamless communication between the teachers and their students. At IILM University, teachers not only guide them to make informed choices about their careers, but also motivate them to bring out their true potential. They give them feedback so that they improve themselves. The teachers enhance their confidence levels so that they are prepared to face the challenging corporate world. Most importantly, they spend time with their teachers at IILM University. This relationship transcends the boundaries of formalities and the teacher acts as a mentor for the students.

At IILM University, we understand that students are at the cusp of an important juncture in their life, and they need the support of their teachers to hand-hold them in order to take judicious career decisions. IILM ensures that they have a smooth transition from being happy-go-lucky students to sincere and serious corporate professionals. The role of a teacher in shaping the life of the students at IILM is far more critical and serious business than anywhere else. At an age when most of the students are unable to take professional guidance from their parents, the teachers act as an anchor in their lives, giving them the direction they are seeking.

IILM encourages its students to come out of their comfort zones. As teachers, we persuade them to take challenging tasks and set tough goals for themselves. In the process, they emerge as winners, because they also learn the art of accepting failure and moving on in life, even if they are not successful.

On my part, I feel, it is this bond with the students that completes me as a teacher. It does not matter what time they call or send a message on WhatsApp. It is my commitment to them that they will get a response at the earliest, if not immediate. I do not believe in scolding them. In fact, I do not remember shouting at any of them ever. But it certainly does not imply that I accept whatever they do and say. It also does not mean that I am a lenient teacher. Throughout these 13 years in academics, students have always listened to me and complied to what I would have said. The students of my first teaching batch of 2007 still get back to me for help and guidance. And the reason for it is only one – I treat them as adults and very gracefully put across my point. I do not hurt them, nor do I say anything that I would regret later. I do not believe in taunting them, nor do I ever expose their weaknesses in front of others. I have never embarrassed them by sharing their personal experiences to other colleagues or students.

I conduct myself in such a way, that it gives them the confidence that they can connect with me and take my help any time they want to. This attitude has never let me down. It has made students connect with me, even if I would not have taught them in class. And not surprisingly, I am in touch with all the student batches that I have taught in these years, in some way or the other. I attribute this to the mutual love and respect that exists in my student-teacher relationship. I believe that if we want our students to become good human beings, we must treat them as one.

Building Relationships

Center for Emotional Intelligence

Necessity of Good Relationships

Good working relationships   give us several benefits: our work is more enjoyable; give us freedom from negativity; allow us to focus on opportunities; develop our careers, and give us success in life, and above all, make our lives more enjoyable and productive

Criteria for a Good Relationship

The cornerstones of a good relationship depend upon:

Complete Trust – This is the foundation of every good relationship. Trust leads to closeness and bonding which leads to free easy communication causing effective working

Respect for Each other – When you respect the people who you work with, you value their input and ideas, and they value yours. Working together, you can develop solutions based on your collective insight, wisdom and creativity.

Mindfulness – is caring for what one says to others, being responsible for one’s  actions and words thus keeping negativity at bay

Welcoming Change – People with good relationships also easily accept various people and ideas and are open to implementing different opinions and insights in making a decision

Communicate Openly – Open, honest effective and prompt reactions and communication lead to enriched and enhanced relationships thus leading to happiness  and satisfying social interactions

 

What can one do to Build Good Relationships

Develop Your People Skills

Good relationships start with good people skills, and how well you collaborate, communicate and deal with conflict. Developing these will help you to deal with any weaknesses that you have.

Identify Your Relationship Needs

Understanding your relationship needs can be instrumental in building better relationships. Finding out and developing what you need from others and vice versa helps in relationship building

Schedule Time to Build Relationships

Little interactions consciously dedicated to relationship building help build the foundation of a good relationship, especially if they’re face-to-face. Some time especially kept aside for this

Focus on Your EI

High EI also helps you to understand the emotions and needs of others.

EI is your ability to recognize your own emotions and understand those of others to develop better adjustment and relationships

Appreciate Others

Show your appreciation whenever someone helps you. Everyone, from your boss to the office cleaner, wants to feel that their work is appreciated. So, genuinely compliment the people around you when they do something well. This will open the door to great work relationships

Be Positive

Positivity is attractive and contagious, and it will help strengthen your relationships with your colleagues. No one wants to be around someone who’s negative all the time.

Manage Your Boundaries

A friendship sometimes can start to impact our lives and jobs, especially when a friend or colleague begins to monopolize our time. To maintain a balance between life, work and friendship it is good to manage boundaries assertively for healthy relationships

 Avoid Gossiping

Gossip is a major relationship killer. If you’re experiencing conflict with someone in your group, talk to them directly about the problem. Gossiping about the situation with other people will only worsen the situation, and will cause mistrust and animosity between you.

Good Listening

People respond to those who truly listen to what they have to say. Focus on listening more than talking, and you’ll gain people’s trust

 Tackle Difficult Relationships

In case of interaction with someone you simply can’t relate to, make an effort to get to know the person, make the first move to improve the relationship and focus on finding things that you have in common.

 Just Remember – not all relationships will be great; but you can make sure that they are, at least, workable!

International University admissions to be adversely impacted owing to the Pandemic

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Foreign Universities experience a huge influx of International students each year, these student numbers are integral to the revenue model and the overall profitability of the Institutions. A large majority of these students are from affluent families in the Northern region of India. The students from the capital city of Delhi and the National capital region mostly enroll in Universities located in the UK, USA, Europe and Canada for the Undergrad and graduate programs.

The current crisis has posed a big problem for these students and their families, the pandemic will ensure that travel across borders will not be possible. Parents will feel safer to have their children study closer to home and mostly within the Delhi NCR region. The Foreign Universities may have offered admissions to several students but they will not be able to join them physically, although they plan to start online classes, but it won’t be the same feeling. The fee charged by the Universities is a huge amount and online classes from a remote location will not suffice student expectation. Another concern is that the timeline for the current situation is bleak and the future is uncertain. The above scenario might infact lead to a reverse flow to students to the top leading Universities in the Delhi, Gurugram & Noida belt.

Which Indian Universities will have an edge In the Delhi NCR region and will end up attracting these students to their campuses:

International Collaborations & Mindset: Universities that have historically been imparting International degrees and programs from India, they definitely have an International mindset and are equipped to handle student requirements. Also the students can easily transfer their credits after one year to any University of their choice.

Centrally located campuses: City campuses will surely gain in this situation, as students will not be moving to hostels and far off residential campuses.

Well networked peer group: Universities and campuses that are engaging students from the DLF Golf course areas and centrally located in Delhi or Noida will have a huge traction for these students, as they can network and study with a peer group they relate to

Globally benchmarked curriculum: Universities that deliver globally benchmarked courses, have strong intellectual capital and have a legacy in education will be the first preference

Boutique campuses: that cater to a niche segment of students and not mass universities will be the only option to choose from.

The choice for the students is only limited to a few and most will try to be able to secure seats in these Universities in India. The whole dimension of education is changing and government universities may not be in a position to offer the infrastructure the customer desires.

 

Reboot to a New Normal ? Some Trends

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The world would have changed; dramatically after COVID settles down ; like the AVENGERS Endgame or an X Men movie the time-line for the future seems to have altered.

Disruptive Technology stock photos and royalty-free images ...

The world economic order would have changed, the social interaction, recreation, education and even relationships would have undergone a transformation. The most pressing question is – what will be the new normal?

I am listing some trends that have taken centre stage in these uncertain times, and might possibly become the new normal in a post-COVID world too-

Social Distancing –

Concerns on safety today will get people used to meeting less and interacting more through technology. There was a time when everyone felt that technology and apps were irritants and interruptions; they have now become the basis of any information and communication. Even “Social Distance” marriages are getting formalized and celebrated online!

Productivity & Efficiency –

Meetings on Zoom, Microsoft teams, Google Duo is making people understand that even through distances trade & commerce can happen… it is difficult to learn all of it immediately , but work from home and learn from home will be the new drivers of various business models . Enterprises and students are realizing that unnecessary travel, meetings at brick –mortar locations apparently has been a drain on “human energy & finance”

An Exploding Digital Economy –

The digital connect for commerce will be the way to go around and possibly the time of a global currency, “contact less exchange of value “will again take route. The penetration of smart phones and mobile connections which is over 80% globally is set to grow https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/technology-media-telecommunications/us-global-mobile-consumer-survey-second-edition.pdf.

Sweden has already started exploring digital currency, even before COVID took centre stage, it will only gain more traction. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cenbank-digital-sweden/sweden-starts-testing-worlds-first-central-bank-digital-currency-idUSKBN20E26G

Disruption in Industry Structures & models –

Travel agents will perish at the hands of sites like booking.com, Expedia and so will any industry which has middle-men as an integral part of their model. https://disruptive.asia/covid-19-digital-disruptor/

 Businesses and industries will be struck by creative disruption and even creative destruction.

Education will possibly evolve & have new online models, where the best of University education will be available from home and companies will build their recruitment along these lines, factoring in the practical experience which would be brought in by guest lectures and interactive gaming.

Shifts will happen from discretionary spending to essential spends, brand trends , online news will become the norm and so will be the association with social causes. Distribution reach will not be the key anymore, as market places like Amazon will help innovators reach to the consumers.

Consumer Behaviour Shifts –

Consumer behaviour will evolve and buying sentiment would change ; and it would be even more difficult for brands to build & retain leadership. Testimonials will drive consumer opinion and purchase patterns. Every consumer holding a mobile connection will need to be targeted individually and the product, pricing will become extremely customised. Possibly the only thing which will remain constant is the “brand look & feel”. Gen Z, Baby-boomers , Silent generation all of them being poles apart in their buying behaviour , will further experience  “distancing” as companies will strive hard to have “Audience Specific Marketing “  & product offerings .

The question is, are we preparing for it? Psychologically, technologically & upgrading our skill sets? Are we enhancing the skill sets of the ecosystem we live in , work in ?

Recycling art for boys costumes in Kutchch nomads  

General Blog,

 

 

Western Indian region of Kutchch in Gujarat State is home to several nomadic tribes known for their distinct costumes. Rabari tribe is known by its intricate hand crafted costumes for men called “Kediyo” which is an overlapped fitted tunic with gathers at waist. It is replicated in smaller version for young boys too. On similar lines, The Ahir Tribe boys wear almost same costume but the overlap is missing. The making of the costume is unique as each tribe is known by particular motifs and style of decoration. After analyzing a few of the menswear costumes of various tribes it is important to highlight that this art of garment making is based upon the concept of recycling scraps from old garments using various techniques of hand stitches for seams and embroidery.

For study, primary sample were collected from Bhuj,  Kutchch region over several visits supported by secondary data is through books and articles on costumes of nomadic tribes of this region.

One such garment for young boy was sourced by the author in the year 2017 which is exemplary for its techniques of recycling and aesthetics. The patterns or shapes of pieces are rectangular or linear representing use of zero-waste technique. The upper portion has intricate embroidery on front and back with cotton thread. The embroidery is done on layers of old fabrics to make it sturdy and render a quilted effect. The quilting type layering technique uses old menswear shirt pieces.

Figure 1 – Kediyo for boys

The collar continued as curved shoulder panel is one “joined” patterns that are patched on to a basic shape of bodice pattern. The shoulder seam is eliminated and the curved shape on chest is highlighted using a thin piping of multicolor in the joint. The piping is of a striped fabric which is cut on cross-grain and acts as a binding for hemline using sewing machines stitches. The fullness at waist are made by are small pleats in waistline that are held together with hand-stitches of blanket type embroidery. The underarm seam is a hand done “flat fell” seam with running stitch. To complete the tribal look a golden strip lurex called as “Gota” is put on the sleeve hem with hand tacked stitches.

 

The embroidery is done by women keeping in mind the color combination that are already present in the recycled pieces. The pink, green and blue are taken from the stripes of the menswear shirt fabric in bottom. The open chain stitch is used to make abstract motifs representing flowers, home and peacocks. It doesn’t use any mirror work which is exclusive for girl’s attires. This embroidery is done on multiple layers of fabrics some of which are thick twill weave. The synchronous stitches with various colors represent the colorful spirit of these tribes.

 

Figure 2 – Raised collar as a patch on to main garment… and front opening with handmade loops and recycled plastic buttons.

Figure 3 – Hemline with colorful fabric

Figure 4 – The back bodice with raised collar and shoulder curved pieces

The Kediyo garments for young boys are exemplary of recycling art in desert tribes of Kutchch region where resources are never wasted. The culture of handmade clothes shows mastery in several areas – zero waste pattern making, hand sewing in layers, hand embroidery that is as decorative as well as functional to impart a composite look with recycling different kind of fabrics. The community has scarcity of all kind of resources, and the practice of using old garments to make new ones is transformed into a sustainable textile art form that can be an inspiration for many designers.

References:

  1. Under the Embroidered Sky: Embroideries of the Ahirs of Kutchch, 2010. Published by The Shrujan Trust, Kutch, Gujrat, India.
  2. Frater, J., 2002. This Is Ours: Rabari tradition and Identity in a changing world, Nomadic Peoples.
  3. Pabiben, 2015. Rabari culture. [online] Available at: http://pabiben.com/rabari-culture
  4. Heaphy L., 2017. Rabari People of Northwest India. [online] Available at: https://kashgar.com.au/blogs/tribal-culture/rabari-people-of-northwest-india

 

Before its back to normal-Pause and Reflect

Blog Catgeory, IILM University,

So we get these forwarded messages of how lockdown 2020 is treating us and how long we will be suffering in this self-imposed isolation. Satirical jokes about Husband-wife, working moms and home schooling, work from home and work at home, binge eating as well as pollution levels down to nil to be able to see far far away keeps all of us amused.

And in the evening, when the rush of emails and pending work cools off and we are not expected to be logged on to any more meetings; a silence grows with a hounding question; Is it going to be like this forever? Will work structurally change where employers have realized financial viability of having people work from home and its efficiency? How are we going to cope with so many changes and so soon?

Clear blue skies, constant birds chirping, reduced pollution levels and an acceptance which was missing in the first week of #stayathome makes me realize the importance of slowing it down.  We all are compelled to take life easy while crumbling mental blocks to expect and deliver perfection and find peace looking at a messy home, jumbled up time schedules, eating boring home food and mostly not having a choice to step out.

Life before this lockdown was living a rush life; the experience to be everywhere and experience everything will certainly come back to us very soon. We all are wishing to return back to those experiences with a spirit of determination and hope that everything will be OK one day.

But before leaving our homebound lives and getting back into action, please let’s not forget why we are here. Did we learn something relevant out of this? Are we going to embrace self-isolation or just avoid seeing this quality time with self as a bad phase of 2020?

If we can just take with us where we are coming from to where we are going in the near future and accept that all life forms are important, so respect; we need each other, so empathize and to never take anything for granted- not a day, a person or a thing.

If we can just remember to be grateful to see beauty in finer things in life and be easy on self I think we have learnt our lockdown lesson well.

“Life becomes more meaningful when you realize that you will never get the same moment twice”.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         OURPOSITVE.COM

 

Brand Storytelling the New Normal

Brand Storytelling the New Normal

Faculty, General Blog, IILM University,

The world dynamics has changed. Personal to professional anatomy of living and doing business has gone through massive disruptions. Today’s COVID 19 world has become overly automated and digitally driven. Humanity is becoming the new premium. The web incessantly rewards us with expediency and instant gratification, making the human touch increasingly scarcer and more coveted. And this is when  brand storytelling smiles and walks in (drums roll please!!)

Irrespective of the industry, sector, or vertical, businesses should survive and survive well…they have to connect even more intensely with their customers and pull at their heartstrings and engage with them on a much deeper level than before. Brand storytelling is the cohesive narrative that entwines together facts and emotions that a brand induces. It’s not enough to present quality products and services to your customers or a price that they can’t refuse, but it’s now imperative for businesses to begin sharing the story behind their brand’s existence and what really matters to them consistently across all communication channels and platforms. Businesses need to touch on that emotional chord that the customers will evoke every time they interact with your brand. To place long matters short “In a sea of semblance, be unforgettable”.

Today, whether they are existing customers or new ones; they not only require world class products and services, but they also rummage around for something additional, something worthwhile, something to get inspired. Take Apple, as an example. They sell technology, but from the commencement, their audience needed to feel that it absolutely was okay to be brave, bold, and think differently from the crowd. Tesla’s customers need to feel that it’s worthwhile to support the environment and sustainable energy. So, it’s important that when you craft your message for storytelling you think what your customers really need from you.

An effective brand storytelling has a more conversational tone asking for engagement (no strings attached), involving the customer in what you do as a business. Brand storytelling is all about turning your brand into an experience your customers can consume — that’s what will turn customers who pay for your product/services because they need to fix a problem into a rabid tribe that will support your success,  be loyal, and come back for more.

That’s how trust builds in and once you have successfully done that, they are more likely to buy from you. The least you’ll have relationships with people who will become your business advocates for years to come.

Storytelling is changing the way of doing business now, it is actually the most ancient and powerful tool for effective education. You know why?  Because humans are genetically wired to love and respond to stories. A memorable brand story is exactly the need of the hour. So, go all out and connect your customers to your business in a way that they have a lasting positive impression of who you are and what you stand for, and become loyal clients.

So, it’s time for businesses to stand out and, ultimately, turn into a legacy.