Change Management Best Practices for Technology Implementations

Thanks to the pandemic, the use of technology to meet customer needs has shifted from being a competitive advantage to a business imperative.  The ongoing digitization and automation of everything from workplace communications to the customer experience has permanently changed the way companies do business - and in many cases for the better.  

The accelerated transition to digital platforms and tools also showed us what’s possible when people – not technology – drive the strategy and decision-making.  

Telehealth is a great example of this. The technology had been around for years, but provider adoption was slow, and low.  Fast forward to today, and the use of telehealth services has skyrocketed. The issues that had long prevented widespread acceptance and utilization were resolved in a matter of months so providers could continue to meet patient needs, safely.

Even though the transformation was necessary for survival, it reinforces the point that technology is an enabler – rather than a driver – of change.  Change leaders for IT projects and programs understand firsthand that adding new technology doesn’t always lead to end user adoption. This is, in fact, the very problem that change management attempts to solve.

Change management is a discipline that considers and plans for the impact of changes in products, technologies, processes, and team structures have on people so they can more quickly accept, adopt, and adapt to the new ways of working. The strategies, plans, and tactics employed are designed to minimize disruption, reduce resistance, and accelerate support for the change by socializing why it is happening, how it will impact people’s work, and what is being done to ease the transition.  

Like technology, change management is an enabler – not a driver – of change. Change leaders in the digital era must continue to build on current best practices and embrace a human centered approach to technology implementations by ensuring the ideas, perceptions, and preferences of the people who will be impacted by the innovation are included in the strategy and decision-making process.

Begin with the End (User) in Mind

Human centered design and organizational change management have the same starting point: the end in mind. Practitioners focus not on the technology, but how the technology empowers the end user and vision.  Change leaders who take a human-centered approach engage stakeholders upfront, and as co-creators in the process.

The frontline is where change leaders will learn the most about the current processes, pain points, and how the change impacts end users from their perspective. This information is used to build the case for change management and to secure the right resources to help manage the implementation. The data and insights collected should be shared with key stakeholders and program team members, which includes the executive sponsor.

The executive sponsor is an important role that maintains the vision for the change from start to finish, and how the new technology enables people to do what they do, when they need to do it. Ideally, the executive sponsor is not the head of IT, project, or change management office, but someone within the business who has both positive influence and authority over the people impacted by changes resulting from the new platform, system, automated process, or tool.  

Once resources, roles, and responsibilities have been determined, the next step is to build the change strategy and plans. A human-centered approach to planning would include collaborating with select end users to help design the change program and tactics, and define what success looks like.

The goal is to ensure impacted stakeholders are aware, ready, and trained on how to use the new technology, and that they possess the right mindset and behaviors to sustain the changes long term.  Who better to advise on the best approach to achieve these goals than end users? 

Change leaders must also coordinate with the program team throughout the planning and deployment process, which can include the project manager, workstream leads, subject matter experts, and the executive sponsor.  

The master change plan summarizes the technology impacts, the resources needed, how the implementation will be managed at the individual and organization level, and how performance will be measured. Specific plans for engaging and coaching stakeholders, communications, and training are included, as well as due dates for deliverables and the implementation roadmap.

In a world that is increasingly tech-driven, change leaders must balance competing priorities to ensure the impacts of business decisions on stakeholders are not only understood but integrated into the overall change strategy, plans and tactics.

Start Small, Scale Smart

When it comes to technology implementations, best practice is to start small, and scale smart. This means testing the technology with a small group of end users before deploying the innovation at scale. The benefits of this taking this approach extend beyond surfacing technical issues and enhancements.  Starting small enables change leaders to assess the effectiveness of the change program they designed with end users in mind, and to make improvements to the messaging, training, and engagement approach before go-live.

The pilot phase is critical for gathering early insights and evaluating effectiveness of the change and change plans. Considerations include, but are not limited to:

1. Did the technology work?
2. Were the benefits as promised?
3. Was the training accurate and sufficient?
4. Was the messaging and communications clear?
5. Were you excited about the change?
6. Did your have leadership support to change?

Working directly with pilot participants to acquire, analyze and address issues and opportunities equips change leaders with fresh insights and ensures the needs of people stay front and center.  Change leaders play a key role in helping to prioritize fixes and enhancements as well, and determining next steps.  

At the end of the day, everything in business gets done through people.  Including end users in the conversation from concept through close is key to success.  People want to know their input is valuable, and that it helps drive innovation across the organization. Remember: the use of technology isn’t a destination, it’s a journey, and people will always be the most powerful asset in the organization for driving change.