#Microsoft365 #Office365 As part of a mini series for #CitizenDevelopers I’ll be sharing tips and tricks around Business Analysis, Project and Change Management etc. Today we’ll take a look at Communication and Training. These form a crucial part of Change Management and usually has a much bigger impact on user adoption than you think.

For previous posts in my #Microsoft365Challenge go to the index page.

DISCLAIMER: I WRITE ARTICLES ABOUT OFFICE / MICROSOFT 365. CONTENT IS ACCURATE AT TIME OF PUBLICATION, HOWEVER UPDATES AND NEW ADDITIONS HAPPEN DAILY WHICH COULD CHANGE THE ACCURACY OR RELEVANCE. PLEASE KEEP THIS IN MIND WHEN USING MY BLOGS AS GUIDELINES.

Recap: The purpose of this blog is to help you become a better solution builder. As mentioned, you might have the technical skill – but I want you to rock at building great solutions. And to do so, there’s some other skills you require as well. Like Business Analysis, Project Management, Communication, Problem Solving & Creativity. I’ll be basing this on the 8 Digital Literacy Pillars that I support through training, and you’ll see that Business Analysis is supported by all 8 of the pillars, so you need to apply all those skills in your business analysis.

Communication and Training

For me Communication is a form of Training. There are different mediums when it comes to Communication and Training. Here are some:

  • Emails
  • Announcements through News on SharePoint
  • Posters
  • Pamphlets
  • Desktop Backgrounds
  • Videos on Stream
  • Images in web parts on pages
  • Classroom led training
  • Online (Skype / Teams) Training
  • Quick Reference Guides
  • Surveys and Quizzes through Forms
  • Brochures in Sway
  • Teams (add training groups on Teams to help with sharing and support)

There’s no perfect plan or way to do things, but here’s a couple of things I want you to keep in mind:

  • The important thing to remember is that you should always communicate your failures and successes. If you didn’t roll out something as planned, be honest with the users and tell them why. We’re all human you know.
  • Always communicate in time and repeat the communications. Never assume – you might have forgotten already what your users still need to learn, have patience and make sure that you cover all the basics.
  • Include PC (Digital) Literacy in your training. People are still struggling with the basics, you can’t add advanced apps and expect them to just adopt it.
  • Don’t forget about Microsoft Office, this forms the foundation for everything we do.
  • Always address the same message / training on different mediums. People learn and consume different.
  • Teach people to help themselves, and stay up to date with all the changes in Office 365.
  • Don’t be boring.

Below are some tips / tools to help you get the message out and train your users:

Microsoft Forms

Use Microsoft Forms to create feedback surveys and quizzes for after training:

Communication Site News

The News on Communication Sites also pull through on the mobile apps. Use this to communicate with the company during projects / launches:

Training

I know I’ve said this a 100 times or more. Digital Literacy is super important. invest in your users by giving them the skills and tools they need to be more productive AND HAPPY:

Hero Web Parts

The Hero Web Parts are great places to add images that tell a story. Think motivational posters. Here’s some posts to get you inspired and even using GIF’s to get your message across:

Desktop Backgrounds

Desktop Backgrounds are a great way to communicate, and it’s pretty much free!! In this post I used Desktop Backgrounds for training:

Stream

Video is starting to become more popular, as long as you keep it short. Stream is perfect for loading training videos and messages and then surface them through SharePoint or Teams:

Sway

Create Information brochures with Sway and share them on pages and through emails:

Purpose of this blog challenge: I will write 365 blogs in 365 days around Microsoft 365. I did a similar challenge with Office 365, blogs can be found here. I won’t just be talking about the new Microsoft 365 subscription model. I will be sharing any news, tips and tricks around Office / Office 365 / Windows / Mobility and Security. And let’s not forget all the great new Apps & services available. A lot of what I’ll share on Office and SharePoint will also be applicable to none “Office 365” versions.

You can also find me contributing to REgarding 365. I’m a member of a group of enthusiasts, sharing their stories, thoughts and opinions about Microsoft 365. Catch us at https://regarding365.com | @regarding365 on Twitter and regarding365 on YouTube

Want to work with me? You’re welcome to CONTACT ME:

(If it’s related to a specific blog, rather comment on the actual blog please – do not send an email)