The four types of techology users
Category: General
When implementing new software, especially one that will streamline your operations and affect how work gets done, getting employee buy-in is critical. Your employees hold a lot of power over whether a change initiative will be successful or not.
We previously wrote about the barriers to gaining this critical support from your workforce. There is another factor that could be a challenge that is important to consider: how individual employee personalities can affect the implementation of technology.
There are four main types of technology users. Depending on the makeup of your team, you will have different challenges to overcome and strengths to leverage when working to enact positive change.
These are the true technophiles of your team. They are early adopters who find technology intuitive and get excited for new features and functionality. They “get it.” They understand the powerful impact technology can have on improving workflows and increasing productivity. They might even bring software ideas to you and suggest changes to your processes to better incorporate the efficiencies that technology offers.
Advocates will embrace change and be great long-term resources for you and their coworkers. However, they may not have the understanding or patience for someone who isn’t as enthusiastic or comfortable with technology. They will be your superstar performers, but may lack empathy to lead the rest of the team across the finish line.
This group understands the impact that technology can have on improving their work environment. They accept change, will work hard, and do their best. They will be motivated to succeed in large part because of their strategic understanding and ability to make the connections between the company’s vision and goals and the ability of the technology to get you there. They recognize the importance of change, but it may not have a completely smooth road to get to the desired level of expertise.
Supporters’ balance of strategy, technology and motivation make this type of employee an ideal leader for the rest of your team. Consider them for train-the-trainer roles. They have the necessary empathy for those who struggle at times with technology; they earn the respect of the rest of the team. And they also have the commitment and desire for the knowledge to perfect their skills through hard work.
These folks don’t have strong feelings about technology. They are hard workers, but prefer to do what they are told and not get too involved. If the systems are changing, they just want to know where to go and what to do – preferably in a step-by-step fashion – and have a clear grasp what is expected of them and how they will be measured.
Neutrals will perform well using business process management where the workflows are programmed and streamlined, leaving out the guesswork. They will also perform at their best when there is accessible reference documentation and clear paths for escalation when they get stuck.
Often thought of as your “old school” employees, they don’t understand why things need to change if they are working “just fine” as is. They will cling to the old way of doing things and may actually continue (in secret) to complete work the way they want to, in many cases duplicating effort and actually decreasing productivity. We ran into a lot of Adversaries when we first launched our document management software 15 years ago. They were the folks who insisted on keeping their paper files in parallel, and then complained that the workload had doubled, trying to pin the blame on the software and not their actions.
In some cases, Adversaries will actually try to sabotage your attempts to modernize and advance technologically. They will stall, complain, escalate small issues, and search for reasons to reject the software. Handling Adversaries can be a challenge. Sometimes moving them to a new position can be the best chance to help them succeed; find a role where they can start fresh. A personalized coaching plan may be helpful, but it may also simply be time for the Adversary to move on to a new company as the best solution for everyone.
When you are implementing change, take a quick stock of the make-up of your workforce. Avoid a one-size-fits-all approach to ensure a motivated team and the fastest path to going live. Just as people perform best in every day roles that are most suited to them, your employees will succeed during a technology change initiative if they are given the right tools, responsibility and coaching they need based on their personality type.
SHARE THIS POST
To learn more or request a demonstration of what Medforce software can do for you fill in this form or call our sales department at:
Even our demos let you preview without leaving your desk. View the power of Medforce right from the comfort of your office.
