Did you know that #Microsoft #Office365 could supply all the apps and services your employees need to develop the critical 8 #DigitalLiteracy Skills? Why not roll out a Digital Literacy Campaign first, instead of just throwing new tech at them? Let’s take a look at how you could do this. #Adoption #ChangeManagement #Training

Change Management

Any change management methodology refers to ‘creating a need first’. ADKAR is a perfect example of this. To truly achieve adoption of technology we need to create awareness first, which leads to the desire ‘to have’:

OneDrive as an example: 

Your users have been using a file share for years, and maybe some other external cloud storage options as well. They’re pretty comfortable using it and have come to trust the technology and how they use it.

Now the company decides to move to Office 365 (whether for cost or security) and they inform the users that they must move their content across and that the ‘old platforms’ will no longer be available after a certain date.

Resistance:

As this change will disrupt the users’ everyday working life, they also don’t understand why there is ‘yet another IT change’. The reasons behind these changes are rarely communicated well, and if they are, they’re communicated with the wrong reasons. For example:  Moving to cloud, cost or security, which doesn’t really make sense to the user, as they don’t understand how it really impacts them.

With sufficient communication (change management campaigns), you can inform the user of the personal benefit, as well as put focus on how ‘inefficient or unsecure’ the previous systems were.

Campaign Example:

The company decides to run a digital literacy campaign where information on necessary skills are shared and the negative side of not having those skills are highlighted.

Over an 8 week period one skill can be launched per week. Through email campaigns (yes you’ll have to start with those), desktop backgrounds, flyers, posters in common areas, banners in foyers, awareness auditorium sessions, shared news pages from SharePoint, Sway’s, videos on Stream and even FAQ bots through QnA Maker & Teams these important messages can be shared and awareness can be created which eventually leads to the desire.

This should not be an IT only project. Get HR, Training and Change Management involved as it’s a project about investing back into our greatest assets = our employees. IT merely supplies the tools to address some of the needs.

Here’s an example of a poster (take note of how the apps doesn’t take the spotlight at first, but rather the benefits and current issues):

Assumption is the evil mother of all mistakes:

Please do not assume that moving to Office 365 will be easy for users. It’s a completely different way of working. If they are not aware of all the new features and added benefits, they will not use it (correctly). Simply sending a mail and expecting them to watch a video if they think they need it will NOT suffice. Users will start using the products incorrectly, which will lead to unnecessary support, risk and eventually rejection of the platform. If you’re in IT or management, do not assume that they’ll manage because it’s easy for you.

WE ONLY KNOW WHAT WE KNOW. WE WILL NOT DO SELF LEARNING AND RESEARCH IF WE DO NOT REALISE THAT WE’RE NOT EFFICIENT CURRENTLY.

I know right now you might be thinking that this is too much work. How can it be this difficult to just roll out new software? But, if we had invested in our users in the past to make sure they’re pc literate and efficient in using their computers, it would not have been a problem. Moving to the cloud is not the problem, the pc in front of the user is. I can promise you that they’re struggling and frustrated, but they’re not saying anything because they think that’s how it is. Inefficient users are costing companies millions and lead to unhappy workplaces. It’s time that we man up and fix our mistakes from the past.

Other blogs that could help you:
Microsoft Adoption Resources:

Moving to the Cloud or stuck somewhere without adoption? Contact me for a FREE 60 minute, Microsoft 365 Immersion Experience.

Disclaimer: I create content 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. And yes, I change my mind all the time as well, because “The only thing that is constant, is change”.
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