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Let's look at an example. This financial services organisation was introducing a new back office system. In the past employees worked in separate divisions so customers were transferred from one area to another to process their request. The new system meant that all of the customer details were now available to employees and that they would now work in teams and "own" the customer from the commencement to end of transaction. It was a complete system and work style change so formerly specific system training was introduced a simulated work area was established and employees were taken through the customer experience. It was important that they understood the benefits to the customer by looking at the changes through the eyes of the customer. This way we created the "Aha" moment, employees acquired the message better than any intranet, data session or email bulletin could have conveyed it. And when employees went into system training they clearly understood the benefits and business reasons behind the changes.
Let's start with reviewing how most organizations manage technology based change. If your organization's technique to this variety of change is new qualifications training and employee communication strategies that include stakeholder management (translated briefings), intranet and email updates then that's not managing change, rather it is focussed on data. So what is the difference and why do we are looking to do anything more than provide data?
The five key things to remember when communicating technology changes.
IT systems are not introduced for the sake of a new system itself, they are introduced because there are benefits to be realised from a business management perspective. This may include more data on customer profiles and selecting other products or services clients may be interested in purchasing, the chagnes would possibly focus on back office systems such as greater data for human resources management or accounting or they may focus on the supply chain and logistics. Whatever the cause there is a business cause for change and this is what employees are looking to understand if the full benefits of any system implementation is going to be realised.
1. Be very clear about the business reasons for the changes who will benefit and what will those benefits be?
2. Establish why those benefits are important? What will the influence be on the organization?
3. Decide the key messages for your data strategy what will you are looking to communicate, to whom and when?
4. Concurrently design an engagement strategy at key points in your project plan that will engage employees at all levels in the cause for the technology changes.
5. Remember to ensure engagement the message is not about the system itself but about the business reasons for the changes.
Finally, as change management professionals can we take the same technique to managing system changes and apply it to every new organization? The solution is obviously no because as every organization's culture is different, so it follows that every technique to switch management and employee communication must be different to maximise the investment and potential of the system changes which are implemented.
Marcia Xenitelis is a recognized authority on the theme on change management and has spoken at conferences around the world. For access to case studies and more data on the varieties of strategies you can put in force to engage employees visit http://www.itculturalchangetips.com for a wealth of free informative articles and resources.
