More than 90% of companies have users who work remotely either part or all of the time. As project leaders, more specifically Change Management specialists, we can’t forget about these important people!
Nothing says “second-class citizen” like a poor approach to engaging remote users, and an unengaged user usually will be a slow adopter to a new technology or process. There are several great strategies to engaging remote users in meaningful ways that will help drive engagement, adoption, and overall excitement to the pending change(s).
- Change Champion Networks: Leverage key resources in geographically disperse areas to become your project advocates, SMEs, and even trainers. This two-way communication channel also projects the project team with a critical source of intel throughout the project.
- Virtual meetings: New technologies have advanced web-meetings to commonplace alternatives to the dreaded conference call. Where possible, leverage Lync, Go-to-Meeting, WebEx, and others to “put a name with a phase” and build community around your project.
- Be Aware of Cultural Differences: While your written communication may be technically correct, you may be at risk of missing the mark culturally. Have a local employee review a communication for cultural appropriateness before distributing.
Poor adoption remains the largest single reason projects fail to meet their desired objectives. Engaging remote users is a key aspect of gaining the TOTAL user engagement required to be successful.
