Commitment and communication, as well as consistency in messaging, from the executive staff are vital to the success of any new IT implementation.
“This was an important part of preparing everyone for our core processing conversion,” says Carangi. “If you don’t have buy-in from the leadership team, that impression can trickle down to the rest of the staff.”
Months before training started, Mercer County Community Federal held a leadership team meeting during which managers received a copy of the book “I Love it Here” by Clint Pulver.
“We had numerous discussions on what makes happy employees and how to focus on the positive changes that would result from the core conversion,” says Carangi. “Making sure everyone saw the positive side to what was about to happen really made a difference in employees’ willingness to accept this major change.”
Effective leaders recognize employees must be part of the process and that their opinions matter.
“Not only does this create buy-in, the extra perspectives lead to better ideas that make the change more successful,” says Barnes. “Also, be honest that everything will not go perfectly and there will need to be changes. You cannot prepare for every outcome, and course corrections will be necessary. This isn’t a sign of failure. Use what you learn during the process to make improvements that lead to greater efficiency and ease of use.”
Patience is a virtue
There will always be employees who don’t understand the need for a new IT solution and willfully resist acceptance.
If you or your team are frustrated with the time it takes some employees to embrace a new solution, remember that adapting to change takes time and varies from employee to employee.
“Employees deserve adequate time to absorb details and think through how this upgraded system or platform will impact their department and individual jobs,” says Jasper. “Building new technology into the routines and rhythms of the workday isn’t a quick process.”
She cites a rule of thumb: It takes 21 days to change a behavior when people receive positive reinforcement.
“If there is limited coaching, two-way feedback mechanisms, and technology issues that aren’t being addressed during and after implementation,” Jasper says, “it will take longer than 21 days to change employee behavior.”
This article appeared in the Fall 2022 issue of Credit Union Magazine. Subscribe here.
5 steps to implementation success
Carangi and Barnes offer five steps to optimize your technology implementation and gain acceptance from employees:
Communicate early, often, and openly.
Involve all subject matter experts throughout the discovery, selection, and implementation stages.
Realize perfection isn’t realistic. Emphasize communication, creativity, cooperation, and flexibility for success.
Stick to training schedules. Schedule training days so employees can develop and look forward to a routine away from their normal job duties.
Make it fun. Come up with a theme, decorate, and have giveaways and snacks.
Credit Union Magazine’s Summer 2023 issue highlights the lending outlook for the rest of the year, how credit unions leverage fintech companies to boost digital lending, the power of lending partnerships, common Bank Secrecy Act violations, and the shift board members must make when becoming chair.
