This Is No Dress Rehearsal
We’re continually being told how life offers few certainties – even less in this era of upheaval. Yet within that uncertainty there’s always been a constant backdrop of opportunity in the shape of change. But what hasn’t always been the case is the sheer size and scope of change facing us right now. It’s no exaggeration to say that the possibilities facing businesses today are monumental.
While the boardroom hot topic in 2019 was data security, 2020 is all about the impact of the coronavirus and 'remote work'.
We now live in an age where a teen can sit in their bedroom and be inspired by a free online video to learn how to code. Within weeks, they are able to develop a product and use free design resources to create illustrations and web designs to start marketing it. Through the cloud, they are able to make their web-based application available across the world, translated into countless languages using free tools.
They can accept subscriptions and payments with minimal effort through services requiring no up-front cost. In this small amount of time, through self-education and minimal investment, they’ve created an enterprise that can disrupt businesses that have long been implementing traditional methods and technologies. This example captures both the opportunity, and the considerable challenges for businesses today, afforded by the digital age.
The expansion of a more networked and mobile workforce coexists with a growing skills gap, particularly in emerging fields and specialties. Attitudes towards work-life balance are changing across multiple generations, as new technologies unlock new possibilities for more agile work patterns. As organizational cultures, processes and teams become more flexible, so will the range of places and spaces in which people undertake paid work. Many workers, both young and old, are looking for purpose and self-fulfillment in the work they choose to do. People expect employers to support their needs, desires and aspirations; they expect their working environment to accommodate their individual working styles and behaviours.
Success depends not only on acting, but making the right choices. Importantly, these choices don’t start and end with technology. It’s about understanding how technology impacts people and, most importantly, how people choose to work given the incredible array of options now available. Employers continue to embrace new digital tools with the ambition of increasing productivity, improving the quality of work and enhancing the user experience. But making the right investments in the future of your work is a continual puzzle for businesses to consider -- having a partner in that journey is critical.
Workplaces are changing to accommodate new digital tools, while smart wearable technologies and exoskeletons are enabling people to work safely and efficiently beyond their traditional abilities. The fusion of physical and digital technologies is now defining the unprecedented rate of change in the workplace. Artificial and augmented intelligence are seen as potentially the most disruptive change in the workplace to date. But it is unclear, at present, how positive or negative that impact is going to be. What we see is a coming together of factors, bridging major social, political, economic and environmental topics. For example, how AI will either eliminate or accentuate bias in the workplace, or if augmented intelligence can tackle the most complex of challenges in the climate emergency. What is clear is that level-headed understanding is needed about how these future technologies work and learn.
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 evangelists
Evangelists 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 evangelists. 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 organization.
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:
• In-person training led by a consultant • Online videos and tutorials • A knowledge base and discussion board • Lunch-and learn-sessions (either webinars or in-person) • One-on-one sessions with a manager or internal champion • Additional support via email or chat
Be sure to ask your vendor if they offer training packages, as this will alleviate the educational burden from your in-house IT team.
1 Remote Work Advocates Warn Companies About COVID-19 Work-From-Home Strategies https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurelfarrer/2020/03/05/ironically-remote-work-advocates-warn-companies-about-covid-19-work-from-home-strategies/#63c51ce12051
