Change Seems Hard, But It Doesn’t Have to Be

In this clip from AgilCast, AgilLink talks to Risclarity’s CEO, Rick Higgins, and President, Carl Knecht, about the difficulty of invoking change and change management. Why do family offices and business managers struggle to adapt to new technologies? These firms can ease the transition by following the best practices below. 

Prioritize the Human Element, Or It Will Be Your Kryptonite

Managing change successfully boils down to paying attention to the human element. Technology is a great tool, but it is only a tool. The people in your organization will be using it, so it has to function in a way that will make their jobs easier, not harder. Here are a few change management best practices that will help your organization succeed when your integration solution is ready to use:

Make the technology fit in with the flow of what your team is doing now

While the technology may eventually change how they do things, initially, your team is much more likely to learn and use a tool that fits into an existing workflow. Maybe it eliminates a couple of steps. Keep in mind that initial implementation is more readily adopted if they don’t have to redo an entire workflow just to use it. In time, they will become experts in using the tool and voluntarily modify their workflow so it becomes even more effective. 

Provide training for the paradigm shift

You value your people. Help them become more valuable. Introducing a new tool isn’t a time to cull the herd or see who sinks and who swims. Your people are your company. If your company is positioning for growth, preparing to scale, and building momentum for a stretch goal, your people are the key. Make sure they have the knowledge to build the skills they need to make that stretch a success. 

Staff up so training can be successful

Often, a team is offered training, but they are still being asked to do their full-time jobs while training and implementing a change. Remember that people are already filled to capacity, and training takes them away from that. Bring in support for your people so they don't have to do their old job at the same capacity and learn the new process during the transition. Providing support for clients is their first priority. Don’t take them away from that.

Ready, Set, Success! 

Your team is laser-focused on the success of their clients. Honor their commitment by focusing on what they need to succeed and presenting them with a new tool during a well-planned transition. Identify a starting point that allows them to implement the new tool and skills in something they already do. Offer them the training they need with the staff needed to ensure their clients are satisfied while they learn new skills. Then, ready, set, success!