Microsoft Teams is an unified communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent chat, video meetings, file storage (including collaboration on files), and application integration.
There is never one single approach that successfully drives the adoption of digital workplace tools like Teams; a range of different approaches work best.
Here are a few ideas to drive successful adoption with Microsoft Teams.
Build an adoption strategy
It is recommended to systematically drive adoption of Teams across the company by implementing a change-management plan that actively engages executive sponsors as well as end-users, creating training and evangelism programs, and promoting the transition to Teams through a comprehensive channel strategy.
Understanding your organization’s needs and situations and establishing a short high-level scope for the change will guide the transformation. Consider the following for building an adoption strategy:
- Clearly define your change scope and objectives
- Develop a change management plan for cultural transformation
- Support your changes with a formal framework
- Plan engagements designed to drive adoption and enthusiasm
- Communication designed to spread awareness
Choose the right peer champions to drive adoption
Champions can often be described as “informal leaders”, people whom others relate to, listen to and are happy to engage with. A community of Digital Champions is one of the essential success factors for driving sustained and organization-wide user adoption of Microsoft Teams.
To support a successful champions network, you need to get the right people on board and engage your champions through recognition and engagement efforts.
“Learning via coworkers is among the most effective and most used methods.”
Use targeted communication
As the adoption drive progresses, the messaging must evolve. When creating a communications plan to encourage adoption, the team found it valuable to target messaging by audience segment. Based on the targeted audience, identify ways to communicate the message while building excitement and hype around the adoption change.
Keep in mind to explore the bigger picture; communications need to explain the “what” and the “how”, but also “why” employees should use Teams, to win hearts and minds.
Provide training & support resources
Having knowledge is an essential outcome for a change to be realized, both for the individual and for the organization as a whole. While communications help to drive awareness and desire and usually give some advice on how to get started, training or support resources need to help users once they start using Teams.
Training is an intervention to build skills and capabilities. In addition to communication, training is probably the most common change management plan. As a best practice, plan enough time to train your employees. There are different methods and options to match training and education to your individual employees. Try to involve each individual inconvenient and appropriate preparation to get the best results.
Share success stories
Most employees get their motivation from others. Providing case studies celebrating how people are using Teams is the best way to motivate people and show them what their peers are doing. Post successful tips, tricks and ideas, and even questions on the Microsoft Tech Community areas.
It’s also important to celebrate both the wins and successes and challenges. Lessons learned are invaluable to ensure your employees do not repeat the same mistakes.
Share the insights you get from your feedback channels with the hashtag like #TeamsStories or #SuccessWithTeams, etc. for easy retrieval. Share a #TeamsStory per month on your intranet to highlight employees who are embracing the change to increase productivity and collaboration in your environment. Sharing these real-world examples from within your own company is extremely valuable to realizing sustained change over time with your user community.
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Stay tuned for more tips and tricks for driving successful adoption with Microsoft Teams!
