Now and then, every office needs to update, especially because software can sometimes change entirely depending on the developer responsible for it. Sometimes that can be a bad idea, as we saw with the Crowdstrike issue, but sometimes it’s essential, like an update to the Adobe Creative Suite.
Getting teams to adopt new software feels difficult though. It’s not nice watching skeptical faces during that first demo, fielding complaints about having to learn yet another system and dealing with the inevitable resistance to change. However, introducing new software doesn’t have to be a battle of wills or an exercise in frustration if you do tit right.
Generally, people generally want tools that make their work easier. The challenge comes from how we present those tools and support the transition. When an entire team needs to switch to new software, the approach matters more than the actual program, believe it or not. Even the easiest UI can face rejection if people feel blindsided or unsupported during the change.
It’s odd to say, but success usually comes down to psychology rather than technology. In this post, we intend to help you master that. It might sound like a tall order, but breaking it down into easy steps makes the process much simpler. Let’s help you with that:
Outline What To Expect
Teams tend to work better when they understand exactly what’s coming their way that day and aren’t thrown into changing when they’re not ready for it. So, if you can start by sharing the timeline for implementation, explain which features the team will use first, and show how their daily work might change, you’ll have opened the conversation well.
Of course, some teams prefer seeing examples of other departments or companies that successfully use the same software. That will help paint a clear picture of life after the transition without making it seem like some crazy new standard. Setting milestones for adoption helps as well as that, because it allows goals to work toward instead of expecting instant mastery.
Consider Your Implementation Timing
It’s fair to say that having the right moment to introduce new software is important, because the last thing you want is to drop it on everyone’s lap in the last hours of a Friday evening. The best day for demos usually lands mid-week, when people tend to be most open to new information but are not bleary-eyed from the weekend.
It’s wise to avoid project deadlines or busy seasonal times to ensure everyone has the mental space to learn. Holiday seasons and summer months often give us challenges too, as holiday schedules might mean only a certain amount of team members are even around. The best time tends to be during relatively calm periods when the team can focus on getting comfortable with the new system, and where making mistakes with it won’t cause huge disruptions.
Training and Support Structure
People learn differently, and so good training accounts for that. Some team members might prefer hands-on practice sessions where they get to see the software in a test environment, but others can certainly prefer written guides or video tutorials.
Now, the software itself will come with some material, but if you can, creating a mix of options allows you to easily find an appropriate comfort zone. Scanning such material or having PDFs available in the staff cloud resource share can be a good idea.
Managing the Transition Period
At some point, you have to switch between versions or software options. So, keeping some overlap between the old and new software will provide people with a safety net while they build confidence. It’s good to set up regular check-ins to help spot problems early before they become real issues.
If we could make a recommendation, setting up a good buddy system, which pairs more confident users with those who need extra support, can help you avoid your managers constantly gaining support requests from staff, even though these should of course be dealt with in a helpful manner.
Building Long-term Adoption
It’s fair to say that getting people to use new software initially is one achievement, but having them embrace it fully is another.
If you have team members share tips and tricks, you can somewhat build a culture of continuous learning, because we’re willing to bet even the software you use each day has functionality you may not have even realized, like software shortcuts the team should learn.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily adopt a new software package in your team.
