It’s not easy to get everyone across an organization on the same page about practically anything, let alone a new learning technology you want them to start using. But if you do the right things, getting others across your organization to adopt a new learning technology doesn’t have to be as arduous and painful as pulling teeth. Just remember these two things, and keep them top-of-mind, no matter what you do:
- The best adoption strategies for a new learning technology are always accompanied with a good internal marketing strategy. So, look for ways you can market the new learning technology to your intended users.
- 50% of learning and development (L&D) professionals cite poor user experience (UX) among the biggest barriers to learning technology satisfaction. So, if you want adoption rates for your new learning technology to be high, focus on the user’s experience.
Keeping those two things in mind, here are three things you should do if you want your company to successfully adopt a new learning technology.
Be Aware of Your Company’s Investment and Goals
Before rolling out a new learning technology across your organization, you should have a firm grasp on who will be using it and why in relation to your organization’s business objectives. For instance, is the platform going to boost sales revenue by distributing training content to the sales team on a frequent basis?
Directly connect how your new learning technology will increase your organization’s bottom line, and know how much money and time will be spent to keep it operational. This will help you keep your eyes on the big picture as you market your new technology to potential users across your organization and as you select the solution that’s right for your organization.
Know Your Intended Users and Stakeholders
If you’re supposed to market a new learning technology that is user-focused, you’ll need to know who your intended users are and how they tick. What other platforms are they accustomed to using? How can you make the experience of learning the new technology more enjoyable and relatable to them? Are there elements of the learning technology you can customize to their acquired tastes and habits? The truth is, if your users don’t like the technology or think it’s too hard or pointless to use, they won’t ever adopt it.
Select the Right Solution
Once you know your company’s budget and goals, find a learning technology solution that will help you stay within budget and reach those goals. It’s important to never start this step until you’ve already determined what your company needs and who your intended users and stakeholders are. You can’t force people to adopt a learning technology that doesn’t benefit the company and that’s difficult or worthless to use. First, determine your company’s goals, budget, and intended users, and then select the solution that will fit best.
[Part 2 of this article will appear in tomorrow’s Advisor.]