The Reasons Why Even Good Employees Resist IT Change

Have you ever been met with resistance when you implement a new IT policy or solution? You’re not alone; countless CIOs and business owners experience this issue any time they go to implement an innovative new tool that can have a significant impact on operations. Here’s how you can have a rock-solid approach to taking the friction out of new IT initiatives for your organization.

Address the Root Concerns

Resistance comes in many forms, some of which aren’t necessarily voluntary and many of which actually make sense.

Some employees might resist certain policies or using certain technologies because they’re unfamiliar with them. Others might simply feel like there are better options available, whether it’s one that your business has implemented… or even one that it hasn’t approved. Other times, they might be resistant to change simply because they don’t see the benefits, and making the change is more of an annoyance to them than anything else.

Whatever the reason is, you have the ability to challenge it by clearly articulating the benefits of using your proposed solution.

Communicate the Advantages

Clear and consistent communication is key if you want to make changes to your IT infrastructure with minimal dissent.

First, you need to articulate why it’s being introduced and what problems or pain points it addresses. Be sure to emphasize how it will make the employees’ jobs easier, as well as how it impacts the company overall. For example, a new cloud-based tool might involve a little bit of a learning curve, but once it’s implemented and everyone is trained on it, the solution has the power to streamline workflow.

Hands-on training can often be enough to sway employees who might otherwise be hesitant to buy in.

Lead By Example

Your team isn’t going to use a solution that you yourself are not prepared to use.

Practice what you preach and try using the solution for yourself. See it from the user’s perspective and go through its learning curves. Better yet, do this before you implement it at large so you get a feel for whether or not the tool will be useful.

Worst-case scenario, you realize it’s not a great solution for the job and you’re back to square one; but that sure beats having an entire workforce annoyed with you.

Offer Support

If you want your team to embrace your new solutions, make sure you’re offering the support they need during the transitionary period. You can do so by working with WatchPoint Solutions. Learn more about how we can help your team by calling us at (848) 202-8860 today.