It was Steve Jobs who said "Innovation distinguishes from a leader and a follower". Nothing could have been truer of the season that has been 2020.
If there has been any take away from the year it's that we came out knowing ourselves even further as we were collectively plunged into a crisis which required us to either find ways out or follow those who had. This applies to individuals, organisations and industries alike.Various industries showcased their innovation and leadership in unique ways and stayed afloat during these trying times. At the Insurance Institute of South Africa (IISA) our focus remained on our members and the industry for whom we exist. Come what may we knew that learning needed to continue, not only because of what it could do for the industry, but also because of the power it has as a therapeutic tool to ignite hope in hopeless times.
Our strategy opened up the world of professional development to those individuals who had found it hard to take part in a number of opportunities that come their way due to monetary, travel, accommodation and even boarder restrictions and/or challenges. We quite literally brought learning to their homes in the following ways, which will remain our legacy projects long after the pandemic has been forgotten:
e-Learning
We launched our e-Learning platform at the start of this year, not knowing what the year would bring. We've always known the future of learning is online and had a burning desire to reach as many determined professionals as possible regardless of where they are located. Our e-Learning offering sought to fill the gaps we had identified, we had no idea the tool would fill the needs of our members to the extent to which it has since the start of lockdown. In keeping with our promise to the industry, the platform allows access to non-members as well, at a fee.
Online Sessions
We held numerous online sessions this year. These came in handy for many who sought knowledge while confined to the safety of their homes. The sessions brought people together, who would have otherwise struggled to be in the same room, they used a simple online meeting tool such and gathered industry subject experts to share their knowledge with their peers. These have proven to be very popular in the sector and are not only restricted to subject-specific training, but other general industry matters are often tackled as well.
Virtual support
Be it through our social media platforms or via email we made sure that our members didn't feel the transition from face-to-face interaction to a virtual world. The pandemic induced a lot of anxiety in many and we tried to ensure a peaceful adaptation to the 'new normal' through our dedication to virtual support. Members have always had dedicated support, we however wanted to ensure there was no break in quality during this time and that our members knew they are valued no matter the season.
Our efforts took into account the need for members and other industry professionals to meet their allotted Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours and the e-learning and online webinars count towards this. This also means with the holiday season coming up and the CPD cycle coming to an end in the first half of the year, members can use this time to continue learning while surrounded by their loved ones. Our innovations have made it such that you can learn anywhere, any time and at your own pace. These additions have completely enhanced our value to our members and made life that much easier for them.
Online Sessions
We held numerous online sessions this year. These came in handy for many who sought knowledge while confined to the safety of their homes. The sessions brought people together, who would have otherwise struggled to be in the same room, they used a simple online meeting tool such and gathered industry subject experts to share their knowledge with their peers. These have proven to be very popular in the sector and are not only restricted to subject-specific training, but other general industry matters are often tackled as well.
Virtual support
Be it through our social media platforms or via email we made sure that our members didn't feel the transition from face-to-face interaction to a virtual world. The pandemic induced a lot of anxiety in many and we tried to ensure a peaceful adaptation to the 'new normal' through our dedication to virtual support. Members have always had dedicated support, we however wanted to ensure there was no break in quality during this time and that our members knew they are valued no matter the season.
Our efforts took into account the need for members and other industry professionals to meet their allotted Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours and the e-learning and online webinars count towards this. This also means with the holiday season coming up and the CPD cycle coming to an end in the first half of the year, members can use this time to continue learning while surrounded by their loved ones. Our innovations have made it such that you can learn anywhere, any time and at your own pace. These additions have completely enhanced our value to our members and made life that much easier for them.