By Alexa Rivetti.
Change is constant, and your ability to manage your relationship with change will dictate how resilient and successful you will be in the face of today’s ever-evolving technology.
If you’re experiencing some difficulties processing a change in your business, read the steps below to learn how to overcome resistance and embrace technology change.
1) Understand the dynamics behind the resistance
Are you or your employees unsure of the value of the change? Perhaps one doesn’t yet understand “what’s in it for them?” or has a fear of the unknown.
Make sure to take some time and dig into the reason why there is discomfort so it can be addressed, which brings us to our next point…
2) Communicate the change
Let every stakeholder know what is going on (what’s changing and why), and share a draft of your timeline. People don’t like to be left “in the dark” while the organization is going through major updates.
3) Plan a Technology Town Hall
Coordinate a technology town hall and ask employees to join in-person or via webcast. Make the meeting straightforward, concise, and leave time for fun and creativity. There you can invite stakeholders to try out the beta version of your new technology/process. The questions and concerns shared at the end are invaluable forms of feedback.
Remember: changes are opportunities for growth, and participants that get involved early and feel like they own the process will provide plenty of buy-in down the line.
4) Provide resources
Delegate a subject matter expert or change ambassador who can help research and disseminate educational tools to ensure everyone gets up to speed together.
5) Embrace the change
Changes involve growing pains, but change does not occur without a reason. The more everyone works together on a change, the sooner everyone gets to enjoy the benefits.
“I’ve helped many of our clients process change in their environment. It’s always scary at first, but those fears dissipate, and the changes typically improve their processes and workflow,” says Art Meyer, vCIO at Tower 23 IT. “Change and progress work hand in hand together. Our world moves too rapidly to just sit still; if your company is not changing and moving forward, they are most certainly falling behind.”
If the current technology in your business is getting you down, have no fear and ask for a free consultation from Tower 23 IT. At Tower 23 IT, we’re accustomed to talking our customers through the latest technology and process changes, and are ready to help you with your upcoming projects too.
Inspired by the book, Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson.
Photograph by Mike McKay, with a Creative Commons license.
Special thanks to Greg Clowminzer and Art Meyer for sharing their knowledge.
