User adoption is a critical element of any cloud technology implementation. Yet it can often be neglected in the planning and development process, in favour of technical deployment and project management. This may be because the teams involved are not as confident or knowledgeable in considering the user perspective.
Transparity’s executive sponsorship workshops are designed to help.
Adoption and Change Management looks at how your users and departments operate and supports their transition to the new technologies as they are introduced. We believe that executive sponsorship workshops are essential for a successful Adoption and Change Management engagement.
What does a sponsorship workshop involve?
Sponsorship workshops are sessions where senior leaders and business decision makers learn about their roles and responsibilities regarding the specific change, and how to communicate effectively with their relevant employees about it.
This isn’t only about aligning the vision and expectations of sponsors and Adoption and Change Managers; but also a good opportunity to hold open and honest conversations about the change itself.
We know it can be tempting to skip these workshops or rush through them. By giving them proper time and attention now, you are far more likely to avoid common pitfalls and challenges later.
It pays to define your approach, end-to-end
In our experience, one of the biggest challenges of adoption and change management is how to move from defining your vision statement to mapping out the current and future states of your transition. The vision statement is a powerful tool to inspire and motivate people, but not enough to guide the entire change process. You must also clearly understand where you are now, where you want to be, and how you will get there.
This is easier said than done. Often, when we try to brainstorm these questions with clients, we end up jumping ahead to articulate the solutions, without fully exploring the problems. We get distracted by the “how”, instead of focusing on the “what” and “why”.
This can lead to confusion, frustration and wasted time. It can also result in solutions that are not fit for purpose or don’t address the root causes of issues.
How can we make sure that we are asking the right questions, and getting the answers we need?
A simple tweak in approach can make a big difference. Instead of starting with an exercise to map out the current state, we ask this question instead:
What is the first next step we need to take, to achieve our goal?
In answering this question, we can focus on breaking down the adoption and change process into manageable chunks. We can prioritise which actions are most important and identify any gaps and risks that need to be addressed. In short, we concentrate on the desired outcome, rather than purely the process.
As a consequence, we can create a clear, achievable roadmap for the change that is aligned with our vision. We can then leverage this to engage stakeholders more effectively, by showing them how their input and feedback matters and makes a difference.
Here’s what we do differently, to make this happen:
- We don’t skip or rush valuable workshops. We take the time to start this journey with you in the right way.
- We don’t jump to solutions without first understanding problems. We make sure we help you understand what the first next step is in achieving success.
- We don’t lose sight of the outcome. We keep your vision statement and organisational strategic objectives in mind to make sure we’re all working towards the same goal.
At Transparity, nothing we do is out-of-the-box; we customise our approach, involve you in every step, and walk with you side by side, throughout your change journey.
