Effective Strategies for Bringing New Technology into Your Office

Though new technology can make life for your staff members a lot easier, the initial introduction process may bring about confusion and frustration as everyone gets used to the equipment. The unveiling process must be handled with care in order to prevent your employees from becoming completely overwhelmed. Here are some easy and effective ways to begin introducing new technology into your office:

Give the team plenty of warning

If you leave for the weekend on a Friday and come back on Monday and suddenly everyone is expected to use an entirely new operating system, don’t be surprised when chaos sets in. If you know that a major technology switch will be happen, it’s best to let staff members know as soon as possible. This gives them time to prepare, and also allows them to backup files and attend to other measures so that the transition is as seamless as possible. Even if you believe that the change is minor (or overwhelmingly positive) don’t blindside your team.

Get a few people on board right away

You’d be surprised how just one or two office influencers can help to spread a positive message about the new technology. If you can engage one or two people right away and get them to speak positively about the changes, they can usually help to shift the rest of the team’s opinion about what’s happening. On the flip side, just a few negative people can cause everyone else to start viewing the new technology as a negative thing, so make sure to squash any complaints early on to prevent this viewpoint from spreading.

Make the benefits abundantly clear

Even if your staff members don’t have a choice about whether they’ll use the new gadget or not, you still want them to be happy and excited about the change. One effective way to do this is by clearly explaining to them the benefits they’ll reap by engaging with this new equipment. When they know what’s in it for them, they may be more invested in the advancements.

Lastly, don’t forget to consider various learning styles as you unveil the new equipment. People learn in different ways, so you may consider offering a number of types of training to ensure that everyone gets really comfortable with the technology at hand.

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