In one of my previous posts, I had mentioned about how there are a majority of Business schools in India that should either mend their ways and get better or be prepared to close down in the span of next few years. I have also written about their most preferred communications when it comes to admission season, and why they don't work anymore.
When I sit and review how things might have changed in the last one year, I really don't see any effort on the part of bschools to make change happen and most of them have enough Ego to ensure that nothing good happens for the next few years. Its like they are waiting for someone to figure out their solution (thats acceptable by them) and then they will jump into that.
I had this meeting with a renowned University in South-India, which is famous for its Engineering programs. They intend to do something for their Business School now (which is languishing) and intend to know what needs to be done. Before I met them personally, I thought that their intention was to embrace the new-age communications platforms and also know from us (while we share our expertise) about how things are working for the good business schools.
Sadly, majority of the people involved were clueless and had such bloated ego that they did not want to encourage any exchange of best-practices and thoughts that will change the way their Bschool will brand itself.
This is not a singular instance that I have seen in India, and its sad that due to the inefficiences and indefference of some people, a Business School (which is an establishment larger than any individual) would perish or at best survive without any improvement. I am really doubtful if our so called "educators" have stopped educating themselves. If they feel that there is nothing more to learn, then they are hugely mistaken. Everyday, across the world, some of the best people in best of colleges are trying out strategies that will insure their brand against future trends in their specific domains. These are men and women who learn everyday - something which these people (I am talking about) are not interested to do anymore.
How does one improve one's institute from where it is now?
1) Improve the number of applications for the particular program
2) Improve the quality of applicants joining the program (direct impact on Placements and Alumni Strength)
3) Insuring the brand name through solving the top two issues
To these 3 factors, add things like improved faculty profiles, better pedagogy, improved projects and research, etc to make a better case infront of future applicants.
The top 3 issues listed here can be solved through better communication, over a longer period of time. Mostly, bschools in India are short-sighted in planning to reach out to prospective candidates with their admission communications. At most times, these plans are based on entrance test dates or results of tests. Now that CAT has gone into a 20days+ schedule, most people still want to start post the last date of CAT, forgetting that a person who has take his/her test on Day 1 is available for engagement from that evening itself. A bigger fact is that most applicants (given that a majority 70% come with work-exp or are of good profiles) make their decisions by interacting with fellow applicants, current bschool students and probably decide on their list of programs even before CAT.
I have seen decision makers stuck at their old ways of thinking and getting similar results year on year. By doing all sorts of mistakes, they are building a lot of ideas that are going against the very premise on which these bschools were built. My question then, is - What is stopping you from changing?
People still want to control the old ways of telemarketing, over-the-phone counseling, education fairs, and everything that worked almost 15 years back. A lot of things have changed but these decision makers are living in the past. It does not augur well for them as well as for bschools in India which are suppposed to produce talent for India Inc. With the Top 80 %ile of the applicants planning to join the top 15%ile bschools in India, its not a healthy trend. Will not one take notice of these facts?
My job is to allow business schools to top-grade themselves by reaching our and engaging good quality applicants through continuous communication, and it pains to see most of them missing the point. They need to Disenthrall and stop taking things for granted. They need to see the truth, however ugly it is, and however ego-blasting it might be. If they can't stand up to the fact that infront of new age communications, they have become dinosaurs fit to retire, then they are committing the ultimate sin of disallowing a better future to our country's talents.
When I sit and review how things might have changed in the last one year, I really don't see any effort on the part of bschools to make change happen and most of them have enough Ego to ensure that nothing good happens for the next few years. Its like they are waiting for someone to figure out their solution (thats acceptable by them) and then they will jump into that.
I had this meeting with a renowned University in South-India, which is famous for its Engineering programs. They intend to do something for their Business School now (which is languishing) and intend to know what needs to be done. Before I met them personally, I thought that their intention was to embrace the new-age communications platforms and also know from us (while we share our expertise) about how things are working for the good business schools.
Sadly, majority of the people involved were clueless and had such bloated ego that they did not want to encourage any exchange of best-practices and thoughts that will change the way their Bschool will brand itself.
This is not a singular instance that I have seen in India, and its sad that due to the inefficiences and indefference of some people, a Business School (which is an establishment larger than any individual) would perish or at best survive without any improvement. I am really doubtful if our so called "educators" have stopped educating themselves. If they feel that there is nothing more to learn, then they are hugely mistaken. Everyday, across the world, some of the best people in best of colleges are trying out strategies that will insure their brand against future trends in their specific domains. These are men and women who learn everyday - something which these people (I am talking about) are not interested to do anymore.
How does one improve one's institute from where it is now?
1) Improve the number of applications for the particular program
2) Improve the quality of applicants joining the program (direct impact on Placements and Alumni Strength)
3) Insuring the brand name through solving the top two issues
To these 3 factors, add things like improved faculty profiles, better pedagogy, improved projects and research, etc to make a better case infront of future applicants.
The top 3 issues listed here can be solved through better communication, over a longer period of time. Mostly, bschools in India are short-sighted in planning to reach out to prospective candidates with their admission communications. At most times, these plans are based on entrance test dates or results of tests. Now that CAT has gone into a 20days+ schedule, most people still want to start post the last date of CAT, forgetting that a person who has take his/her test on Day 1 is available for engagement from that evening itself. A bigger fact is that most applicants (given that a majority 70% come with work-exp or are of good profiles) make their decisions by interacting with fellow applicants, current bschool students and probably decide on their list of programs even before CAT.
I have seen decision makers stuck at their old ways of thinking and getting similar results year on year. By doing all sorts of mistakes, they are building a lot of ideas that are going against the very premise on which these bschools were built. My question then, is - What is stopping you from changing?
People still want to control the old ways of telemarketing, over-the-phone counseling, education fairs, and everything that worked almost 15 years back. A lot of things have changed but these decision makers are living in the past. It does not augur well for them as well as for bschools in India which are suppposed to produce talent for India Inc. With the Top 80 %ile of the applicants planning to join the top 15%ile bschools in India, its not a healthy trend. Will not one take notice of these facts?
My job is to allow business schools to top-grade themselves by reaching our and engaging good quality applicants through continuous communication, and it pains to see most of them missing the point. They need to Disenthrall and stop taking things for granted. They need to see the truth, however ugly it is, and however ego-blasting it might be. If they can't stand up to the fact that infront of new age communications, they have become dinosaurs fit to retire, then they are committing the ultimate sin of disallowing a better future to our country's talents.
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