“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person's future can be changed simply by changing their attitude.” Oprah Winfrey's”
Any software implementation, whether in a large enterprise, Best accounting in London , small business, or school/MAT, necessitates a shift in how people think and operate.
However, there will always be those who are nervous, resistant, and unwilling to accept a new world.
In the age of digital transformation, a comprehensive change management strategy is required to ensure that new software is successfully implemented and yields the best return on investment (ROI).
One of the most important but frequently overlooked aspects of change management is the psychology of change; therefore, how can you optimise your communications to create a smooth, engaging journey?
What exactly is change management?
Before we go any further, what is change management?
In essence, it is managing the people side of any project, getting people on board and excited while also resolving the concerns of those who are concerned about the change.
Increase awareness and motivation to address the psychological barriers to change.
Most change projects begin with knowledge, with organisations training their employees on the system and new processes.
Stop.
Before introducing new software to employees, two critical areas require your attention: awareness and desire.
Awareness
Why should I bother making the switch? Why are we updating our software? What is the benefit to me?
These are all concerns that your employees have.
In fact, even in the best of circumstances, 74 percent of employees feel disconnected from what's going on in a change project.
To alleviate these concerns, you must increase knowledge, raise awareness of the project, and assist people in understanding its purpose and benefits.
Desire
After you've raised awareness, the next step is to cement people's desire for the software, which will solidify the work you've done promoting benefits.
You want the original ‘whys and whats' to be replaced with ‘I'm interested, I understand the reason, and I'm willing to do this.'
Continue to promote the change and its benefits, and you'll notice far greater engagement in your training and adoption during the go-live.
What can you do to generate interest and desire?
As previously stated, communication is critical to raising awareness and desire.
Recognizing people's attitudes toward change
When it comes to change, we all fall into one of the following categories, with percentages indicating how many people fall into each:
- 2.5 percent are innovators.
- 13.5 percent are early adopters.
- Early majority (34%).
- Late majority (34%).
16 percent laggards
But what do these classifications mean?
With any change project, you have a small percentage who can't wait to try the newest technology, a majority in the middle who will come once the concept has been proven, and a minority at the end who are completely opposed to any form of change.
As part of your change management initiative, you should aim to persuade the late majority and laggards in your organisation by leveraging awareness and desire.
Five strategies for promoting change
Here are five steps you can take to foster positive attitudes toward change in your organisation.
1) Make use of communication
Communications will help spread the word about your project throughout the company, increasing awareness and desire.
Create a communications plan that details your messaging, what you'll send, when you'll send it, how frequently you'll send it, and to whom you'll send it.
What should your communications consist of? Be upfront about the software and what's changing, then concentrate on the actual day-to-day benefits people will enjoy.
Additionally, ensure that your senior management is aware of the changes so that they can respond to any questions that arise.
2) Form a champion group.
Recruit people from your organisation who are early and late adopters to be project “champions”; look after them, provide them with knowledge, and time in their days to learn.
By involving them and cultivating their understanding, these people will naturally become change ambassadors.
3) Education
After you've created awareness and desire, it's time to educate employees on the software.
High-quality learning is critical to ensuring that people understand the procedure changes and how to use the new software, allowing them to let go of the old ways/tools.
4) Appreciation
Celebrate your internal communications successes and achievements, and encourage others to try the new software.
Those who are resistant to change are given a glimpse into the possibilities by highlighting the highs, which helps shift their perception.
5) Accept your fear.
Be realistic about your change – there will undoubtedly be fear, but once you accept it, you'll be in a much better position to deal with it.
Communicate frequently, interact with others, and hold open discussions.
Learn to be a master of change.
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of what it takes to successfully manage change.
So, now is the time to upgrade some of your software and start your own project, right?
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