Change management when going remote
Change management is vital to ensure rapid adoption and to succeed in your digital transformation project
However laudable the reaction and measures taken have been, the large-scale impact to work styles due to COVID-19 is resulting in hasty adoption of tele-commuting without adequate attention being paid to the change management.1
Change management is vital to ensure rapid adoption and to succeed in your digital transformation project. Here are three change management best practices that will help you get employees on board:
1. Show teams why they should change
To hasten adoption, you must show employees why your new technology is better than what they currently use. But many employees won’t care about all your cool, new features. Instead, they want to know how the technology will make their lives easier.
For example, will new conferencing systems give employees the ability to work from home and attend meetings remotely? Will new software reduce the number of steps that they must take to complete a task – saving them time and hassle? The more you focus on how technology will benefit others, the more you will improve your adoption rates.
“Change management” is now one of the top 5 professional skills for CIOs.
2. Partner with executive and employee change champions
Change champions can help you drive change in two directions – from the top down and the bottom up. They also hold a lot of power when it comes to influencing their peers. Find an executive sponsor in each line of business. They can help you understand what each team needs and then champion any technology that will make their processes more efficient.
Also, engage employee change champions. Look for at least one person in each team who is excited about your project. They can promote your new technology, answer questions, and help others overcome their objections.
Your executive and employee sponsors can also help you identify new areas that need improvement. This gives your IT team further opportunities to drive value within your organisation.
3. Train users on any new tools and processes
Before you implement new technology, make sure that you have a training plan for both new hires and existing employees. Your current employees may require more comprehensive training, as they are used to doing things the old way and may need to see evidence of how adopting these new technologies will improve their productivity and work environment.
You can provide a variety of training options, depending on how your employees like to learn. Here are some ideas:
• Online videos and tutorials
• A knowledge base and discussion board
• Lunch-and learn-sessions (Via webinar)
• Additional support via email or chat
Ricoh New Zealand are change management specialists and can assist you in going remote.
1 Remote Work Advocates Warn Companies About COVID-19 Work-From-Home Strategies