Speaking to various project managers, and in the current module of my masters, it seems the one big bug for Project managers is getting users to adopt the new technology that is being implemented. Some complain that there is no interest at all from the clients even though they have spent a huge chunk of change on the project, or there are only a handful of the targeted users who are even aware that there is a new solution in place.

I have been witness to many solutions being implemented, both at clients and internally. At a previous employer, they had set up an extensive SharePoint solution with the intention that all internal events, training (plus related materials), the resource library, software library, and internal work-related blogs for staff, these basically turned into personal knowledgebase’s for work related topics, would be run through it. The problem was that they just launched the solution and never really did any promoting of it, so the staff in the office never knew it existed. I only found out cause I sent a question to a tech lead, and he sent me a link to a post on his internal blog. Even the HR people who sent out training event notifications didn’t include the link to the event, where you could also register for the event instead of RSVP by email, in the emails they sent out.

At a client in the UK, our main contact there, or rather the client’s Project Manager (PM), had gone about things differently. He had a core group of about 3 or 4 people in each department that would be using the system. These groups would meet with him once a week, and they would discuss issues that they face on the job, and how could the system help them with these. These groups where also our demo groups when we were there, we did lots of sessions with them, showing them the completed work and getting their feedback. They also became the test groups too. The benefit of this is that the end users were involved in the solution, and not just told to use it when it went live, so when the groups started seeing the solution for the first time in the sessions, they saw their work, their ideas, and were going back to their departments excited about the product, which in turn made user adoption so much easier when the solution went live.

So the question is this: How do you drive the adoption of a new solution that you are implementing at a client or even internally at your own company?

Well, it is actually very simple. You have to have a solution Champion, this has to be a person who is involved with the project in some way. They are the person responsible for getting users excited about the product, making them aware of it, but more importantly, they have to believe in the solution, and that it is the right solution. If it wasn’t for those groups of people at my client, I am sure we would have a hard task of getting people to use the new system. Many companies do have champions for projects, but what happens, and this happens a lot, is that the champion stops promoting the solution once it goes live, and this is when an excited champion is needed the most. A very good example of a champion is actually at my current place of work. A chap by the name of Francois Pienaar, he is the co-author of TecnicalLead, and the head of SharePoint strategy and Operations at Immix Solutions. He recently implemented SharePoint 2010, but has implemented a couple of new features. One of these features is a “Wins” news feature. This allows various people to let the whole Immix group know that we have won an award, or a big contract, basically good news for the group. He is doing some great work in promoting the feature, he is holding small sessions to educate people on how to use it, he is constantly sending out emails not only on this, but other things. The key thing is no matter how many times you talk to him about the same thing, he always sounds excited about what ever it is.

And that is the key. Excitement is contagious, and if you talk to someone and they are excited about that topic, a little voice goes off in your head telling you to go check it out some more, find out more about it, see what all the fuss is about. This doesn’t only work for getting users to use a new system, it works for winning clients over. If you really believe that your solution is the way forward for the client, chances are that you are more likely to get the work if you are excited about the fact that this solution will being big benefits to their business, compared to if you just push it. Just watch people in sales, the ones who are really excited about their products and really believe in the products, are the ones who do well.

So, how are you going to champion your next project?