Success We’ve Experienced: We did thorough research and matched our purchase to our top three priorities and hoped that the remaining priorities would be catered for as the technology capability expanded. In hindsight, this was only 50% effective.
3.The vendor input and setup.
A signature on a contract is the end of the sale and just the beginning of the hard work. Make sure you check in with the vendor on a regular basis from hereon in. Information, user profiles and codes need to be uploaded, and aligned to other existing systems; the vendor cannot do this as required without your input.
Success We’ve Experienced: As it came closer to the introduction of the Change Management Strategy, the executive team had to get others involved in the ‘what, why and how’ to set the tone for the future success. We recognized that if the burden of setup was absorbed by only one business function, the whole implementation would become ‘their baby’ and not a cross-functional, cross-departmental shared goal, something we definitely did not want to encourage.
4.The Change begins.
In actual fact, the change has been operating in the background since the beginning. This is simply the stage where the Change may start becoming ‘publicly acknowledged’, yet Project Management and Change Management must have integrated, supporting each other from the beginning. The Project Manager (PM) may have identified the need for the change yet the Change Manager (CM) has analysed the change – Is the organization ready or resistant? Is the change incremental or radical?
Whilst the PM has been planning, designing, developing and implementing from the technical perspective, the CM has been choosing the likely ambassadors, has understood the risk this change will bring and has been working on the communication, resistance and coaching/training plans.
An understanding of ‘dual tracks’ is essential here as no organization will achieve success with this change until the very last person supports and utilizes the eLearning actively and willingly. Ensure the Change implementation also allows for individual assistance.
Success We’ve Experienced: The greatest learning points are from two successful eLearning transformation projects. They were for us, the leadership to allow double the time they had originally planned for and to send the same message in a myriad of formats and methods, time and time again. It required a lot of hand-holding; we had to be there with the people and have listening ears at the ready to gather points of resistance every step of the way. With an international implementation, we had to be ready for variances in speed of adoption and degrees of utilization. We had to work closely with the users and the ambassadors of each system.
5.The Change becomes the norm.
Reinforcement and rewards are essential for ongoing success. Creativity comes in here to ‘advertise’ real results from early adopters and unique examples. Gather evidence of why upgrading could be warranted.
Success We’ve Experienced: Whilst rewarding real results of the masses, we kept an eye out for unique wins, and advertised them everywhere. When an older employee who had been struggling with the new technology succeeded in cracking the eLearning code, we sang it from the rooftops; it was living proof that nothing is impossible!
Change in essence is a structured process that has people working differently for new business outcomes. With eLearning challenging the traditional methods of learning that have been the very cornerstone of our lives, it is essential to keep an eye on the adage ‘just because you build it doesn’t mean they’ll come’! Prepare, prepare and prepare!
Debbie Nicol, the managing director of Dubai-based business consultancy and learning organization ‘business en motion’, working with strategic change, leadership and organizational development, assisting businesses and leaders to move ahead.
http://www.businessenmotion.com
COLUMN - Spotlight On Change