Getting Beyond the Great Idea: Getting Buy-In and Doing Effective Training for New Technology

Thursday 8:30 AM
Getting Beyond the Great Idea: Getting Buy-In and Doing Effective Training for New Technology
Jenica P. Rogers-Urbanek - Blog with Presentation Link

Understanding people is the number one concern.

Jenica began by discussing the hallmarks of web 2.0 such as creativity, spontaneity, individualism and a do it yourself basis. Even though Web 2.0 projects are often individual/DIY they need a leader. A convincing plan is needed to implement 2.0 and to convince people.

Think about why are you doing the web 2.0 project? Look to your mission and goals, not at just what other people are doing "Me-Too-ism".

What is your project plan? Who do you need behind you to accomplish the web 2.0 project? You don't need everyone, just identify the necessary people. Get your ducks in a row.

Plan for success (what will you do if it wildly succeeds?), Write it down (document the process for guidance and future use), Assess the project (what is going well and what isn't? what data will you collect and analyze?), Plan for Failure (be open to criticism and be willing to make appropriate changes).

Avoid "Truthiness" (Stephen Colbert) - Don't rely on what you believe in your gut without regards for facts.

Have reasonable expectations, look for achievable goals, understand your institution and stakeholders.

Consider your stakeholders... information preferences (do they like soundbites, charts, graphs, research articles, case studies, self-guided research, conversation, seeing something in action?). What motivates your stakeholders? Maslows hierarchy of needs: physiological (ignore this one), safety (job security), belonging, esteem, self-actualization. What terrifies your stakeholders? Maslow again: physiological (ignore this one), safety (do they fear for their jobs or future or society), belonging (does your project threaten their community), esteem (is your project going to negatively impact their confidence and sense of achievement), self-actualization (does the project restrict their creativity or conflict with their personal philosophy).

Now convince them... focus on mission, goals, and your plans, offer them information in a comfortable format, address their expected motivations, address their expectations, be ready to think. Be an evangelist (but be the good kind)! And if it fails, let other people speak for you (maybe they need to hear it from somebody else).

Jump off the cliff and be ready to fail...training is your parachute. Individualized does not equal self propelled and easy does not equal intuitive. Training can lead to a soft landing, leads to confidence, and it must never stop.

Teach in multiple ways: show and tell, hands on workshops, and one on one help. Teach by example and teach it over again. Provide relevant learning experiences: teach a wiki by using it for a brainstorm project, hold a committee meeting using IM to teach Meebo, use skype the next time you need to use the phone, use a blog for an internal project. Combine training with daily tasks!

Still not learning? Encourage reluctant learners by convincing them this is a work product (not training), credit staff with success in the project when they learn something new, consider time saving - replace an existing task rather than adding a new one.

In Conclusion... Project must be relevant to mission, goals, goals are relevant to stakeholders, be sure your training your stakeholders on relevant tasks, it must make sense.

Jenica created an internal staff wiki for communication (search the wiki instead of flipping through pages of staff book!). Initially used a wiki for an evaluation of reference databases, instituted it as the committee chair, and people had to use it to make their feedback known.

Audience questions led to...observe your staff's response to training to see what queues they are giving you about their learning styles, level of acceptance, social dynamics (who has who's ear) etc... Listen to people's stories.