Adaptability might not have been part of the job description when an employee was hired, but every employee needs a few adaptive qualities when faced with new technology. At the same time, supervisors and managers need to meet employees where they are when it comes to increasing technology adoption rates. Here are a few ways to improve employee-management relations while introducing new tools and technologies throughout your organization.
Model the Behavior You Would Like to See
Top-down management is sometimes considered a poor management model. This isn’t true when it comes to technology adoption. As a supervisor, you should learn the tools first and model the behavior that you would like to see in your employees. By adopting technology at top levels, you will be able to gauge the amount of training your employees might need, the segments of the technology that are most useful and how the technology can provide meaningful results. While adoption strategies must incorporate the experiences and feedback of all levels of employees, modeling the behavior and using the technology yourself builds trust and fosters honest feedback.
If like me you have reached a certain age and are not familiar with new tools and technology, ask your team openly to support you while you learn. Team Members teaching management is a very powerful motivational tool.
Keep it Simple
Off-the-shelf programs and software are full of what is called shelf-ware. Some estimates place the percentage of shelf-ware at 60 percent. Understand which features are essential and train your employees on those features and tools, even if it is only 20 percent of the entire package. An overload of information can reduce productivity and negatively impact adoption rates. But most importantly, never again do team or individual meetings, where the tools that were chosen are not used to present to the group or to the boss. Many people today, learn by doing, because APPs and Tools are based on intuitive learning.
Provide Training Options, But Do Not Wait– Start Using Them
Individual employees have training preferences that suit their personality and learning style. Beyond that, entire departments also have training styles that suit their mission and purpose. As a manager, it is essential to understand both the individual and department-level styles of learning and training that are most effective. To find this out, you might want to survey employees and then arrange a variety of training tools that can facilitate their training. This could include collaborative training options, self-guided training, tutorials, videos or even competitions that encourage the use of new technologies.
Your organization has decided to use new technology to maintain a competitive advantage. Your team needs to see that connection and must understand how improved competitiveness positively impacts them. By providing useful training and plenty of support, your organization can increase adoption and leverage the full potential new technologies offer.