You have just spent millions on the implementation of your IT software or application, but the adoption level is astonishingly low… Does this sound familiar to you? If it does, keep on reading! In this short article, I have 4 tips to share with you on how you can make your change become part of your DNA.
Written by Keren Castelli, Head of Change Management at Devoteam G Cloud
Have you ever launched a platform, a new way of working, or an application, and found out one year down the line that the adoption was really low? Well, you can rest assured you’re not the only one. As Head Of Change Management, many companies come to me to ask for help a few months after the project goes live. Some of their most common issues are the lack of :
- Adoption of the tool.
- Training for new joiners.
- Skill development.
If you are familiar with change management, you have probably heard of the popular model named “ADKAR”. The “R” stands for “Reinforcement”. It typically takes place at the end of the project and plays a very important role. Reinforcement is key for the viability and adoption of your project; however, it is often overlooked due to budget constraints, resources or deadlines. From my own experience and Jeffrey M. Hiatt’s book on ADKAR, I can confirm that your reinforcement efforts are what will make your change stick.
I’ll share 4 reinforcement tips with you that you can apply for any kind of change management that you are currently going through.
Feedback
Before you start planning any type of reinforcement initiatives, I’d recommend you to send out a short survey to the impacted users and ask for their feedback. Here are some questions you could ask :
- “Do you need any further support?”
- “Do you need more training?”
- “If so, what type of training or skill are you lacking?”
- “Do you have any suggestions on how to improve the user experience?”
- Etc.
Refresher trainings
Dedicate some time to do some refresher trainings. The benefit is twofold:
- First, it fills in any kind of skills gap that might still exist.
- Second, it ensures that every user is on the same level of application and understanding.
These refresher trainings can be planned upfront or put in place upon demand.
Onboarding new joiners
This important and crucial point is often overlooked. Making sure that the adoption process is sustainable guarantees continuity, and it starts with preparing the onboarding of all new recruits. You could include the information about your software or application in your induction process, plan training for new joiners, organize a mentorship system (knowledgeable mentor who provides guidance), etc.
Expert or innovation council
Reinforcement of your software or application will need traction! That’s where specialists, product owners and innovation councils come into play. They will be the ones in charge of tasks such as :
- Tracking adoption.
- Sending out tips and tricks.
- Informing about product changes and releases.
- Etc.
This is an important part of implementations of new solutions such as Google Workspace which help employees in their daily work.
This article has hopefully sparked your interest and made you think about the sustainability and reinforcement of implementations you are currently working on. At Devoteam G Cloud, we can help you with change management. If it is something you’re struggling to get to grips with, feel free to reach out! Our team of experienced change managers will gladly help you on your journey.
If you need help in your change management journey, our experts would love to hear from you!