Congratulations! Your
business is investing in new technology.
You’re eagerly anticipating cries of joy from your team members when
they use that shiny hardware, dazzling software, or brilliant process.
Sadly, users often greet new technology with dismay instead
of joy. Faced with an abrupt change and
the need to learn a new process, people can panic and resist. To decrease panic and increase satisfaction,
you need a training plan. QBSI has
helped organizations of all sizes deal with everything from minor adjustments
to sweeping business process change. Here’s
what we’ve found works.
1.
Introduce the change. Tell your team that new technology is coming,
when it will arrive, and why the decision was made. In my role as trainer for QBSI, I’ve heard a
lot of variations of “It just showed up one day” and “why do we have to do
this?” We don’t want the users to
perceive the new technology as an alien invasion – violent and disruptive. We want it to be more like a cool new
coworker that everyone is looking forward to meeting.
2.
Explain when training will be scheduled. If training isn’t possible right away, most
people will muddle through their basic tasks if they know more instruction is
coming. We’ve found it very helpful to
post a “Questions?” sheet in a public place. Ask users to think about their typical work
and what they know they will need the new system to do.
3.
Put resources somewhere accessible. Many products have electronic documentation
and help databases. Place links to those
on a website or in a shared folder, and send an email to tell users where to
find them. Physical manuals or “how to” posters can be placed with new
hardware.
4.
Identify key users. Most organizations have either official
support staff, or an unofficial technology guru. Plan additional training for those key users,
with the goal that they will be a resource for their coworkers.
5.
Train on the basics, plus a little bit. An initial training can introduce the main
features and tools. Ideally, aim to cover the basics that all users need, plus
a couple of cool and helpful additional features to add excitement about your
new technology and keep your more confident users interested. Don’t try to cover everything.
6.
Plan follow up training for complex projects and
needs. These should be smaller sessions that address specific users. For
example, for a document management system, some users will need to know how to
manage import or archiving. For document
production and printing, identify complex packets or materials.
The goal of this introduction process is for your users to
become confident about exploring the capabilities and benefits of their new
technology. Help it be a friend, not an
invader.
By Melinda Morrow
Product Support Specialist
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