5 Must-Do's to Get Your Team Onboard with New Technology

For some charity teams, Stephen King, The Master of Horror, would struggle to inspire more fear than the words "technology adoption". For a lot of teams, change is scary, and resistance is par for the course. It can be especially tricky to manage when you know that implementing new software, like a CRM, can make everyone's jobs easier, quicker, and your charity more productive overall. But the truth is, even the best technology on the planet will quickly gather digital dust if your team don't know how to use it, don't understand it, or simply don't like it. So, let's begin with why they might react that way.

Understanding the Roots of Resistance

Before tackling resistance, it’s crucial to understand its origins. Change can be unsettling, and staff members may fear job displacement, struggle with learning new systems, or simply feel comfortable with the way things are right now. Common concerns often revolve around uncertainty about how the new technology will impact their roles and workflows, anxiety about their ability to learn and adapt, a feeling that their input hasn't been valued, and worries about the time and effort required to learn and implement the new technology.

5 Must-Do's for Getting Your People Onboard

For the best chance of a positive outcome, a proactive and empathetic approach is really important.

1. Early and Open Communication

Start the conversation early in the process, explaining the rationale behind the technology implementation and how it aligns with the charity’s mission. Be transparent about the potential benefits and challenges, and create opportunities for staff to ask questions and voice their concerns along the way.

2. Involve Your Team in the Process

‍Include your people in the decision-making process. They'll be the ones using the software and they should feel like their opinions matter. Consider forming a cross-functional team of “change champions” who can advocate for the new system and provide peer support so there's someone to speak to when you might not be available. Gathering user feedback and incorporating it into the design and rollout can also foster a sense of ownership. On the technology side, your people will always warm to powerful, but easy to use software, over clunky, cumbersome platforms. So take into account the user experience and how intuitive it is when you're considering new software.

3. Provide Comprehensive Training and Support

Here's where you can really lean on your new tech provider. Make sure they've got a ton of learning resources and a track record of excellent customer support so your team can get up to speed and confident with the platform quickly. Internally, you can also arrange tailored training sessions for different teams covering how they'll interact with the software. That way, everyone has a chance to ask questions about the technology, but also your new internal processes around it.

4. Highlight the Benefits

‍Focus on how the new technology will make staff members’ jobs easier and more efficient. Showcase how it will improve data management, streamline processes, and ultimately, help the charity to achieve its goals. Celebrating quick wins and sharing stories of how the new technology has helped can also be motivating in the early stages of adoption.

5. Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement

‍Encourage staff to embrace change and view it as an opportunity for growth. Create a safe space for experimentation and learning. Recognise and reward staff members who demonstrate a positive attitude towards change.

Building a Culture of Change

Ultimately, a successful tech transformation is more than just implementing new software; it’s about building a culture that embraces change. It requires leadership buy-in, where senior leaders champion the change and demonstrate their commitment to it. Empowering staff to experiment and find new ways of working, encouraging teamwork and knowledge sharing, and fostering a culture of ongoing learning and development are also crucial.

Extra top tip: Make sure your new provider has a wealth of learning resources, and a responsive, top-class support team that will answer queries in minutes. Not only will it help your team learn the platform quickly, but it'll slash the time you'll need to spend on training them yourself.

By prioritising people power and building a culture of change, your charity can ensure a smooth and successful tech transformation. Remember, technology is a tool, but it’s your people who will wield it!