Getting Staff On Board with New Tech

We’ve all been witness to the public outcry when Facebook changes their interface or Apple immediately releases IOS 9.2 when everyone just downloaded 9.0. People tend to get a little miffed when you mess with their routine and they tend to get a lot miffed when you mess with their tech routine. Then there are those who don’t even know what IOS means, and no, they don’t care to learn. It really doesn’t matter who you’re dealing with, most people are anti-change, especially when it comes to their tech.

Implementing a new technology at work can be work all on its own. Let’s talk about what you and other leaders can do to help the team embrace whatever type of tech you’re introducing into the work environment.

Give Context

It is ingrained in us to ask “why”, especially when we’re being asked to do something we don’t want to do. The worst thing you can do is drop a tech change bombshell and walk away. Give some context! Why is this change happening? What benefits can the employees expect? What are the benefits to the organization? How will this change their everyday routine?

Odds are, the whole point of this tech implementation is to improve upon a system or process, but that won’t be apparent right away. If you want buy-in, you have to be selling something.

Customize Training

Remember you’ll be working with people of varying interest in technology as well as experience. The more sophisticated the technology, the more customized you will need to get with your training. Some will require step by step guidance. Others might be annoyed by a lengthy, in-depth training course they don’t need.

Instead of whizzing through a one-size-fits-all training course, communicate with employees on a one-on-one basis about their specific training needs. While some might require more of your resources, you aren’t wasting time on those that can help lead the way and get the ball rolling.

Plant Ambassadors

Target your most tech-savvy go-getters and get them familiar with the technology before you introduce it to the entire team. This way, your team has several people to go to for guidance. Additionally, your ambassadors can help communicate the end goal. They can rally the team and help leaders highlight the context of the change.

Reward Buy-In

If you’ve managed to find a way to make “because we said so…” motivational, please share your secret. In the meanwhile, you’re going to need to positively reinforce your employees’ efforts. Consider gamification of the training process; making it fun, engaging, and exciting. Creating a buzz around the change with rewards is a really effective tool.

We know better than anyone how beneficial the right technology can be to an organization. The possibilities are endless, but if you don’t thoughtfully implement the technology, you run the risk of turning your employees off to the transition. Be sure to rally the troops before you task them with learning a new tool, it will pay off in the end.