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Gina Abudi shares an article that outlines techniques to encourage team members and employees to accept and adopt change.

Not everyone in the organization adopts change in the same way, or at the same time. We need to use a variety of techniques to engage employees in change, and ultimately get them to adopt that change. Below are just a handful of techniques to drive engagement and adoption of change:

Digital Tools – Using tools that provide in-app guidance as users work through new technology platforms is a great way to learn as they go. For one client, the use of an in-app tool enabled for those “stuck” to move forward with guidance from the system; increasing their confidence in using the technology. Additionally, through analytics, we were able to see where employees were struggling, so that we could provide additional training in key areas.

Similarly, learning management systems (LMS) enable for training support, interactive videos to walk through technology, knowledge bases, and other features to support adoption of change.

Engaging Managers of Employees – Managers are closest to their employees and if you can get them engaged in promoting and championing change, and supporting inquiries about the change from employees, you can drive adoption quicker overall. Managers can help by providing “hands-on” support for employees impacted by the change and connecting struggling employees with those who can support them. When managers support the change, employees are more likely to also support and adopt that change.

Personalizing the Change – Change is adopted by employees when they understand why the change is beneficial for them, and not just for the company. Personalize the change for employees by making it all about them – a chance to learn new skills, a way to make the work more effective, the ability to more effectively collaborate across the organization, etc. When we frame change that is happening in the organization in a way that supports employees understanding the benefit of what is happening for them, we increase adoption.

Fun Events – Make change fun! Hold information sessions over pizza at lunch, reward adoption with gift cards, provide rewards for attending training sessions, use skits at road shows to introduce the change. There are any number of ways to make the change happening fun for employees. For one of my clients, I did road shows with the CEO to introduce an upcoming change with a skit that employees found fun. The CEO would go on stage during a town hall and talk about the change from an organizational perspective (charts, graphs, financials.) After about 15 minutes, I’d come onto the stage, push him off, and bring a chair up to the front and talk about change from the perspective of the employees – why it matters for them. This little skit drew lots of laughter and make the atmosphere more relaxed so we can think about change differently. Adding a few fun activities calms nerves of those going through the change.

What are some techniques you use to drive adoption of change?

Key points include:

• Learning management systems
• Engaging managers of employees
• Personalizing the change

Read the full article, Drive Change Adoption Using a Variety of Techniques, on LinkedIn.