5 Excuses You May Hear on User Adoption
You’ve finally done it! After months of planning, implementing and testing, you have finally pushed your changes in a release to make the work day better for those around you! Feels nice to take a breath, doesn’t it?
But, instead of celebrating new features intended to help the company, all you got was ignored emails or pushback from the teams these features were intended to assist? It can feel frustrating.
The lack of user adoption can cause issues ranging from processes becoming disjointed, to a decrease in data quality. While it’s important to get everyone on board, there may be reasons end users are reluctant to adopt new changes.
Understanding the reasons your users may not want to welcome changes with open arms will help with future releases, and it’s worth diving into. Here are 5 excuses you may hear with user adoption (and how to work around them).
1) “What I have already works.”
Your end user may as well say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Users can get into a rhythm of a particular procedure and may feel like something new is not as good as what they’re already doing. They have become comfortable and confident with what they’re using and may dig their heels into the ground to continue following the status quo.
How to Work Around This: This may come from a superiority complex, or just plain arrogance. Be prepared to show users with this approach the shortcomings of their current procedure and highlight where yours is an improvement. Also use this to talk about the direction your changes are taking the company, and how this is a small step in great things to come.
2) “I don’t have time to learn something new.”
Of all of the pushback I’ve received on new solutions, this is one that is likely to invoke more sympathy from me. At the end of the day, colleagues are people with both familial and work priorities to fit into what seems like a shrinking amount of time. With deadlines, sales quotas, and just the basic requirements of the day, the mental capacity to learn something new is quickly diminished.
How to work around this: This is an area where it helps to ensure management is on board. End users should be allowed to use uninterrupted parts of their work day as time to digest your changes and start putting them to use. If users are feeling overwhelmed with other responsibilities, plead your case to management for a structured training session or dedicated time that works best for your end users.
3) “We Can’t Afford To…”
Sometimes management is on board, and sometimes they need a bit of persuading. They may see the changes as necessary for the good of Salesforce, however, may struggle to dedicate time. To them, time is money, and time spent not bringing in new sales or closing deals is too precious to spare.
How to work around this: If management isn’t amicable to releasing changes or encouraging time for users to train, it may be worth roping in an executive sponsor for the project. Have numbers prepared to show the return on investment (ROI), and the time (and money) spent on current procedures versus how much will be saved with more efficient changes.
4) “This is too difficult!”
One lament from end users may be that the changes are too difficult to learn. This is often delivered in a frustrating email or awkward confrontation. You may hear complaints around “too many clicks” or procures relocating to a different spot in the UI that doesn’t seem as intuitive to the way they work.
How to work around this: This will take grace and patience to work through. To the end user, they may not learn quickly or easily due to a number of factors, and there may be a sense of panic over whether they can continue to do their job effectively. Offering one-on-one time with them for training may be a non-threatening solution. Make sure you hear their concerns, and make a note of whether there are improvements that can be released as a quick follow up or as a second feature.
5) Silence
One of the most common excuses I’ve had is one with no words at all. Silence from teams expected to adopt your changes in Salesforce can rattle your confidence. This is made worse when you send emails or communications and receive no response after a few tries. Silence is often an avoidance, and may need to be confronted head-on.
How to work around this: If you’ve sent multiple emails and received nothing, it may be time for a face to face zoom call or in-person meeting. If it’s a team issue, start with a manager and ask how you can ensure user adoption is being taken seriously. Offer an in-person or zoom training session with a follow up in the days after where you can ask end-users directly about further issues. This is one you will have to chase down, but persistence is key!
At the end of the day, keep reminding yourself that user adoption is important for the company to function as a unit, and is worth pursuing. Don’t be afraid to reach out to users who seem to be struggling, and ensure they see your presence in a calm, but consistent manner.
What excuses have you heard when it comes to user adoption?