5 Crucial Takeaways from Ryan Group’s Digital Transformation
How Ryan Group changed the reality of Two Lakh Seventy Thousand Indian school students?
Change is never easy.
Especially if the change is on a scale that will impact the lives of 270,000 students pan India.
Yes, you read it right. We are talking about the changes in the delivery of education that changed the reality of 270,000 students in 40 cities in India during an unprecedented crisis.
In the wake of the COVID pandemic, India’s Biggest K-12 Education Ryan Group like many institutions went all digital. However, one of the key challenges of an organization which serves at such a massive scale and in many demographics is to ensure three important things.
- To make the right decisions
- To make the decisions faster and
- Most importantly, TRUST — To inspire trust among the teachers, students and parents as they embrace the digital transformation at a time of extreme uncertainty
While navigating its way through this pandemic Ryan Group has emerged with a surge of innovations through strategic collaborations and exploring new possibilities to ensure that Ryan schools in 40 cities across India are on the same page and most importantly to ensure quality education to every Ryanite. In many ways, the digital transformation has been led by the people and for the people.
And every student has been placed at the heart of the transformation in making key decisions and driving the change.
Does this indicate that Ryan Group has a new recipe for Organizational Digital Transformation?
Can Ryan Group’s experience help harness India’s edtech Transformation?
Can Ryan Group’s experiments in Digitization help you to lead digitization at your workplace? Maybe. Let’s discover.
As a proud Ryan Alumnus, I’ve had the distinct privilege to observe, participate and learn from Ryan Group’s Digital Transformation. And here are my five incredibly impactful takeaways.
1. Capacity building for the present and the future
“ 5 Inspired E’s ( Inspire — Empathize, Engage, Elevate, Enable & Empower is my mantra for Ryan teachers in these uncertain times,” said Director & Chief Mentor Dr Snehal Pinto in her debut webinar in April communicating a new vision and a call for overall transformation.
This was followed by training led by Group’s Technology Team for teachers to figure online teaching and equip them with new skills to face what lay ahead of them. This had put the whole staff in a chaotic condition but having a Cheif Tech Officer who could primarily empathize with teachers and tailor her teachings for teachers from different Indian states made the transition easy and successful setting a foundation for the new academic year.
I had my pre-primary teacher calling me up completely clueless of what's actually happening and why she has to learn things beyond online teaching, her resistance was natural but with well-designed learning experience she enjoyed the amazing peer learning experience as these sessions became her way to connect virtually with her colleagues and remain purposeful during the pandemic. I am sure my pre-primary teacher’s story is the story of Ryan Teachers for preparing themselves for the present and with an overview of the future.
My personal analysis:
- In this takeaway Ryan Group, first of all, made a strategic decision to use the unique advantage of summer break to prepare the teachers for the present and the future.
- Peer learning exercise was used at the right time to create a virtual collaborative experience. It is interesting how our human drive to bond was strategically fulfilled with peer learning and training enabling joyful learning experience for teachers.
- We can say that summer break was all about Learn Unlearn Relearn which enabled the Group to run many experiments and also assess reactions and feedback to have a clear recipe for digital transformation and craft a clear vision for the new academic year.
2. Vision: A clear transformation story
After a summer break full of learning and putting new systems in place, it was now time to start the new academic year in 40 cities pan India. Ryan Group charted its trajectory keeping it agile enough to take turns whenever needed for an unknown future.
A daunting task for students teachers and parents.
In a crisis like this people crave leadership. They want someone at the helm of affairs to say that we will get through this.
At this critical juncture, the senior management made a pan India empathetic appeal virtually through endless meetings and webinars to ensure that everyone is inspired and that every Ryanite receives quality education, most importantly to exhibit a sense of belonging.
The senior management strategically communicated and united the Group under a single narrative which is: to begin an overall transformation and we are all in this together.
Here’s my analysis of the empathetic communication by the Ryan Group’s leaders:
Founder Chairman Dr A F Pinto — Reminding everyone the WHY of Ryan Group
Analysis: In his Teacher’s Day virtual address Chairman Sir communicated a bible verse: Train a child the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. With this, he reminded everyone the WHY of Ryan Group, Why does Ryan Group exists and encouraged everyone to unite in the WHY and find meaning and purpose in their work to train children to ensure their development especially during an unprecedented crisis.
Managing Director Dr Madam Grace Pinto — Call for Duty
Analysis: Madam Pinto made a powerful statement. She started her address with a thought-provoking question: When God asks you what did you do? Your answer should be that we have served to the fullest. This statement deeply resonated with teachers and staff and was a powerful reminder of their unique duty to serve the future of India.
CEO Mr Ryan Pinto — Communicating the Big Picture
Analysis: Ryan strategically chose a radio interview for a casual tone and a better reach to communicate and unite the Group under a bigger picture with his plans for the Group and various integration like young teachers will drive tech training and plans for tests, etc covering all aspects and possibilities that the Group aims to explore.
Director & Chief Mentor & Innovation Evangelist, Dr Snehal Pinto - Hope for the Future
Analysis: Snehal communicated a clear and consistent message of Hope to keep the Hope alive and emphasized that innovation and collaboration is the only way forward. She used her every webinar to educate and empower teachers to experiment and innovate rapidly by keeping students at the centre. Lastly, she redefined the new roles of the teachers that they are no more sage by the stage but guides by the side of their students. Snehal truly emerged as a digital guide to every student, teachers and parents by curating her personal social media content to stay connected and keep the momentum alive.
Director Ms Sonal Pinto — Holistic wellbeing
Analysis: Sonal, being the chief architect of early childhood learning experiences at Ryan Group, she consistently empathetically communicated the holistic well being of children and teachers and studied and came up with her strategies to ensure there is a smooth and healthy transition for all.
It is interesting how these leaders clearly communicated on diverse yet critical aspects to unite the Group under a single narrative that is to ensure the holistic development of every Ryanite and also exhibiting an agile approach to be open to new possibilities.
3. Pandemic: An opportunity for digitized Personalized Learning
Today, businesses are thriving on customization. From designing our phone covers to receiving curated hampers, we are truly empowered to customize the way we want things to be.
When will we be able to customize education according to our wants and needs and interests?
Ryan Group sees this virtual shift as a big opportunity to ensure a personalized learning experience. After conversations with many tech giants. Ryan Group finally could align its goals and aspirations with Toppers an Edtech solution startup to harness the personalized experience for every Ryanite making a meaningful and a strategic partnership.
Analysis: Partnerships are built on TRUST. During the pandemic thinking of partnership with tech companies is a risky business for two key reasons. One, the daunting task of simplifying tech and upgrading your staff and two, the threat of breach of data, etc. Ryan Group used this opportunity to engage in collective analysis and reflections for the right partnership.
It is interesting to note, Toppr and Ryan Group are both mission-driven organization and their values truly align which is the all-round development. When your values align it becomes far easier because both the organizations become passionately committed to the mission. Truly a lesson in a strategic partnership.
4. Transformation specific roles for leaders
The senior management apart from ensuring key decisions went on to became amazing virtual coach, out of their way to help develop talents of their teams
The HR leaders turned Talent Specialist to encourage young talent to lead the tech revolution
The inspection leaders and quality assurance became the Chief Mentors to helps teachers and students transition to digital
Teachers became the guide by the side and a source of strength, inspiration and knowledge to help them navigate through this unprecedented crisis.
Everyone united in the spirit of service to serve the future of our country — our dear children.
Analysis: Big organizations can also be seen as a web of complex systems and it becomes very difficult to give autonomy or to empower people especially if the person is geographically far away but during this pandemic, Ryan Group was able to give autonomy to many teachers and truly empower them to take up additional roles and in the process realizing their own true potential.
5. A culture of Innovation
Best selling author Daniel Pink in his book “Drive” writes, “Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.”
Ryan Group initiated many many changes in its organizational structure and the investment in preparation of the people helped into a seamless transition and truly empowered teachers to innovate rapidly.
Primary teachers found unique ways to keep their children engaged, Secondary teachers collaborated to make PPTs of pictures in motion, Graphics team which was only concerned with flyers and posters were all set to teach teachers basic editing.
It was a reminder that innovation often occurs when you connect the familiar with the unfamiliar and truly opening the avenues for cross-disciplinary learning.
To summarize
Let’s take a moment to reflect and let us understand one recurring pattern
From building capacity for the staff and teachers to communication of vision from the leaders to the people to empathizing, inspiring and encouraging children to drive innovation for children.
The recurring pattern is that every decision was taken by the people and for the people and keeping students at the centre.
As an alumnus of Ryan Group, the positive consequences makes me tremendously hopeful. Today, we can learn from Ryan Group’s Digital Transformation three simple lessons for each one of us:
- Change is never easy but never impossible if approached with empathy and strategic foresight
- Investment in people can help us tremendously to embrace change and adapt rapidly — a key takeaway for every small and large organization and for every leader
- With the right mindset and attitude, we can make full use of technology to make education and organizations more equitable and inclusive
Stay safe and keep learning!