How people adapt to changing technology will define the future of their careers, their organizations, and the world. Embracing change is a no-brainer, but the workforce continues to fall behind. Here’s how to make change work with you, not against you.
Love it or hate it, technology is everywhere. Technology powers us through our workdays, connects us to the world, entertains us in our off-hours, and helps us create additional technologies faster than ever before.
We don’t just depend on technology; we live and die by it.But our relationship with technology is tenuous at best, particularly where our jobs are concerned. The only thing we can depend on as much as our technology is that it will change on us—fast and when it’s often the least convenient. Buttons move. Interfaces change. And the processes and workflows that we rely on are thrown into upheaval without warning. The pace of technological change is unrelenting, and for the American workforce, trying to keep up is no minor inconvenience.
The phrase “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” has no place in modern business. Today change is the new normal, and if you’re not innovating, you’re falling behind.
From an evolutionary standpoint, it’s no wonder why organizations have become obsessed with the concept of change. The very act of change is not one of convenience—it’s of survival. Our ability to adapt has helped us to stand on two legs, secure our place at the top of the food chain, and find solutions to life-threatening problems. Similarly, most organizations are finding that “going with the flow” isn’t keeping anybody in business. The organizations that embrace change and reject the status quo are the ones who survive—and thrive—while others struggle to compete.
It’s not that people don’t want to be current, competent, and at the top of their game. It’s that change requires time, patience, and adequate training—all of which are in short supply in an increasingly fast-paced, budget-conscious, and competitive work environment. One study shows that 65% of users experience change fatigue and feel overwhelmed by the number of changes they are asked to implement at once. 2
Worse still, users are aware that they’re falling behind as a result.
The days of updating software once every few years are far behind us. Cloud-based productivity tools allow Microsoft to release features and updates constantly.
Organizations know that lasting change starts with people, but most are ill-equipped or unsure of how to help their users navigate change and thrive with their ever-evolving technologies. Training is expensive, time-sensitive, and hard to scale. So managers deploy the best tools with no education to accompany them, hoping that the technology will work its magic unassisted. Inevitably, users struggle with their software, grow frustrated with the change that’s been dropped in their lap, and revert to old habits and practices—resulting in almost $30 B in unsued software each year. 4
Given the frustrating experience of trying to enact change when users are reluctant and training strategies are ill-conceived, it’s no wonder that 70% of change initiatives fail. 5
— If we expect users to see value in change and technology, that change needs to benefit them in a tangible, measurable way. Users who not only understand the purpose of their tools but how those tools can make their job easier instead of harder are more likely to embrace change faster in the future.
— Not every person learns in the same way and expecting one mass, one-size-fits-all training to inspire your users isn’t going to cut it. Offer users choices of video, live training, and physical learning guides to serve the largest number of learning styles and ensure a higher success rate.
— Most users don’t have hours to devote to learning something new. Offer training in bit-size chunks to give users the flexibility to make learning work with their schedule and see changes as an easy-to-manage task that is convenient and easy to consume.
— Users who are encouraged to make learning a habit find more fulfillment and success with their software tools. Reminding users of new content, pointing them toward tools that will streamline their day, and encouraging good work habits all reinforce change as a better way to approach work.
— Traditional training methods have left a bad taste in users’ mouths, with most believing
or rankings as users adopt new skills and become more engaged with learning.
— but there’s no reason to be afraid. Creating a culture of learning can inspire users to think about technology in ways that inspire rather than frustrate. As we arm our organizations and people with tools that help them see their technology as beneficial rather than detrimental, we create a more liberated workforce that thinks bigger, works faster, and succeeds to heights we never thought possible.
A personal touch — Only 12% of learners can apply skills they learned in a training session to their actual job. 6
Content that inspires — 1 out of 3 employees says that uninspiring content is a barrier to learning. 7
Less fluff, more meat — The average employee has only 4.8 minutes a day to devote to training. 8
Engagement — 54% of employees feel unengaged with their work and their software. 9
A little fun — 80% of users claim leaning would be more productive if it were more game-oriented. 10
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Sources:
1. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235366
2. PWC Culture’s Role in Enabling Organizational Change
3. http://www.thelearningwave.com/survey-shows-employees-want-more-workplace-training/
4. https://www.1e.com/resource-center/software-usage-waste-report-2016/
5. http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/change-management/barriers-to-organizational-change/
6. 24×7 Learning: “Workplace Learning – 2015”
7. https://trainlikeachampion.blog/infographic-why-corporate-training-is-a-colossal-waste- and-what-to-do-about-it/
8. https://elogiclearning.com/15-elearning-trends-and-statistics-to-know-for-2017/
9. http://news.gallup.com/poll/165269/worldwide-employees-engaged-work.aspx
10. https://elogiclearning.com/15-elearning-trends-and-statistics-to-know-for-2017/