What strategies have you found to be most effective in overcoming resistance to learning and adopting new technologies?


1.4k views2 Upvotes6 Comments

Chief Technology Officer in Software, 11 - 50 employees
Showcasing some successful external case studies to the stakeholders. Also, if possible build some POCs internally and demonstrate just to win their trust.
2 1 Reply
Director of Value Realization and COE Programs in Software, 1,001 - 5,000 employees

POCs are great, do you have a platform were you can do that? 

CMO in Software, 51 - 200 employees
The advocate of this adoption should ideally know as much as possible about the new technology, and if applicable, use it already for some common tasks. Then present to the team in a simple manner, showing how it's already used for company's tasks, where else and how it could be helpful, and be ready to be snowed under a lot of questions, including some passive-aggressive ones.
From my experience, most updates are just passed down in an authoritative manner, without at least making it look like you care about people's opinions and that causes a lot of resistance. In many cases, this resistance is just for subjective reasons and can be overcome if the solution is presented right.
1 Reply
Director of Value Realization and COE Programs in Software, 1,001 - 5,000 employees

You just made a great case for Change Management. In my experience change management can help people understand the need for change and may even win over people enough to have them embrace the changes and want to participate. Where I think it always falls short is in providing the employee with the ability to execute the changes, specially changes in technology and digital processes. And in reinforcing the changes when people start to revert back old habits. In my previous job as the Digital Adoption Manager at Nestle, I worked closely with Change Managers to provide the last two capabilities to help change stick.

CEO and co-founder in IT Services, 11 - 50 employees
People want to know what it means for them ... not for the company, the clients, the leadership but themselves ..
If you articulate and demonstrate that it is good news for their daily jobs or their LinkedIN profiles .. they will embrace the change and push fwd , even become a champion
1 1 Reply
Director of Value Realization and COE Programs in Software, 1,001 - 5,000 employees

The "what's in it for me" extends past the personal benefits, I think. A lot of times people just don't understand the details well enough to know what they should do. That is why I am a big fan of providing users with guided help directly in the applications and in providing then with contextual content. 

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CTO in Software, 201 - 500 employees
Without a doubt - Technical Debt! It's a ball and chain that creates an ever increasing drag on any organization, stifles innovation, and prevents transformation.
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