A competitive business can adapt to change with new technologies and innovate in their industry. Unfortunately, where innovation and new technologies are concerned, businesses often experience considerable pushback from employees who might not understand how the new solutions support the company’s mission. How do you get these employees on board?
Most employees will be resistant to your new technologies for a reason rather than simply out of spite for management (although the world has more than its fair share of these people, too), so you can lessen the resistance and learn how to overcome it by listening to their concerns well before you implement any new solution. What are your team’s major problems, and what does your proposed solution actually do to solve them? You might find that your team has much bigger issues that need to be worked out first before you can move forward with your desired change. A couple of ways you can measure popular opinion of your team’s concerns is through feedback surveys and one-on-one conversations.
Often, your team might not know what your new solution does, and the resistance comes from a knowledge deficit. Ask yourself why they might not be on board with a solution, then go into any conversations with your staff to teach them just how interesting and valuable your proposed change is. Once they understand how the new tool makes their jobs easier, they should be more willing to listen to what you have to say. Plus, you can involve key staff in the implementation process to aid in building training programs and materials that will help everyone stay up to speed.
When employees feel like they can get the support they need for any and all new technologies, they will be less likely to lash out when you implement a change to your infrastructure. All new solutions will come with a learning curve, and if employees feel supported while they get their feet wet with the new tools, they’ll have an easier time with the transition and, therefore, be happier about the change. A good help desk can go a long way toward supporting your employees the way they need to be, and it should be made very clear that employees are expected to ask for help when they start to struggle or feel overwhelmed.
Implementing new solutions is made much easier and more manageable when you’re not navigating these issues alone. First Column IT can assist with implementing any new technology solution, including all of the above steps. To learn more about what we can do for your business, call us today at (571) 470-5594.
