So, you’re ready to implement new technology in your organization. You’ve finally decided on what platform you’re going to use, and how you’re going to use it. Before you spread the word to your staff about the coming changes, make sure you’ve thoroughly considered the following:
Start from the Top
If you and your fellow decision makers are not visibly invested in the new technology you’ve chosen, it will never take root among the others who make up your organization. Like with any change you want to make in your institution, it has to start with you if it’s going to work. You must shout from the rooftops that you’re a believer! You need to master the technology and subsequently show others that you know how it works and uses it frequently. By doing so, you will share with your employees your contagious enthusiasm for the system and demonstrate for them how and when they ought to be using it.
Establish Goals
By creating a timeline and benchmarks, you can make sure your new technology takes your organization where you want it to go. Set dates by which you’d like to have everyone on staff create a login, and then another date by which you want everyone to switch away from email and start primarily using the platform to communicate. Celebrate small successes, like converting 50 daycare families to use Go2s! Goals get everyone on the same page and allow you to reward hard work.
Communicate and Educate
Not only do you need to share an enthusiasm for the change, but you also need to communicate to your staff why you’re making the change in the first place. They need to understand the logic behind the decision if they are going to agree that there is a need for the change. Use meetings, flyers, emails, and other messaging channels to remind everyone why the change is happening, when it is happening, and how it is happening.
Cultivate momentum
Identify staff members who are excited and knowledgeable about your new technology and label them as leaders on your staff during the adoption period. Offer individual training sessions to these leaders and keep them apprised of the adoption timeline. They get a unique professional opportunity, and you get to create more momentum among your staff members for your new technology tool. Win-win!
Create a feedback process
One of the great paradoxes of humanity is that we thrive on the growth that change creates, but can simultaneously resist the process. Any change will come with bumps in the road, and being prepared to respond to those hurdles dramatically increases the chance that you will overcome them. Create or make available how-to guide and FAQ articles about your new technology. Schedule a time and place for group feedback sessions. Designate a person to be the resident expert that staff members can go to with questions. When implementing Go2s, the sure to access the many resources on our website (blog posts, videos, FAQs) to help your team get started.
Be patient
Hardly anything worthwhile happens overnight. Real change takes time, and it is only with time that your new technology will become integrated into the way your organization runs. Be realistic with your adoption timeline and realize it may take longer than you predict.