Overheard at a nationalised bank, which had recently adopted core banking.
Employee one: “Damn! This computer is acting up again. Who said that this technology was supposed to make life easier? It has just added to my work.”
Employee two: “Let’s call the help desk people and ask what is wrong.”
Employee one: “As if that will actually help. Think we were better off without this new technology!”
Most of us would rejoice about how core banking would improve efficiency levels and services at a bank; but the employee was clearly unhappy about the ‘new technology’. This is often the picture at many institutions and work places which embrace technology and replace manual procedures with electronic ones. There is tremendous resistance to change, and there is a resistance to use technology. In a few casual conversations with such employees, we learnt why. Here we share the reasons and tell you how to make your technology adoption more successful.
Show the bigger picture. Most companies organise training programmes and technology orientation courses before rolling out new projects. However, often, these programmes fail to educate participants fully about what the new technology can deliver. Without understanding the true potential the change can bring in, employees are unlikely to accept it. So, tell your employees how exactly this change will benefit them and the organisation. Provide examples.
Keep it simple. Simplify the programme and show how the technology works or what the steps in the cycle of change are. Using technical jargon and complex diagrams will only add to the resistance. Instead, use common examples that your employees can relate to. Help them understand (though at an extremely fundamental level) and relate to the technology.
Remove doubts. Often, people are worried that a technological change may rob them of their position or importance. Calm such fears and talk about how this change will prevent redundancy rather than make people and their work irrelevant. If indeed the changes you propose will make a certain function redundant, find an alternative function to map the employee to. This will create a positive perception about the changes proposed.
Bring in clarity. Spell out what is expected from your employees clearly. Be it in terms of learning the new technology or in taking on new roles and responsibilities. Ambiguity in what needs to be done and how is another reason why some change-drives fail.
Have your systems and processes in place. Before launching your technology change, ensure all the requisite systems and processes are fully functional. From explanatory manuals, to efficient computers to help-desk services and incentives for positive participation, think through them all and have them working. A well-defined support structure goes a long way in boosting employee acceptance of a new technology.
Encourage a learning culture. Help your employees learn. Not just about this new technology that you are bringing in to work, but about a range of domains and skills. This will aid them in better understanding the overall importance of learning in the work context and prepare them for change.
*This write-up is more relevant to the context of a country like India, where there is tremendous scope for technology adoption, and has been created based on the experience of the Lucid Sense team.