November 27, 2016
Cisco WebEx Teams is a revolutionary product. By combining the best aspects of other collaboration tools into one intuitive platform, Teams has the potential to change the way a company communicates and manages projects from the ground up. The efficacy of the solution is there; the problem that many companies face is an unwillingness from their employees to learn and use a new technology.
We get it. No one likes change in a business setting. It’s inconvenient, and worse yet, the new system sometimes makes things more complex. At least with Cisco WebEx Teams, we don’t have these hurdles to overcome. It’s easy to use, easy to learn, and poised to simplify a company’s collaboration challenges.
Still, an IT director or C-level executive looking to implement WebEx Teams must be diplomatic in his/her approach and persuade his/her teams to learn the new technology. It’s easier said than done, but with the right strategy, the team will come to understand the value of Cisco WebEx Teams.
Cisco WebEx Teams Adoption Strategy
Learn Spark Yourself
First and foremost, your name is going to be attached to the success or failure of WebEx Teams in your company, so you must understand the solution inside and out. If you can demonstrate mastery of Teams and easily move from one space to another or answer questions without fumbling through the interface, you will convey just how easy Teams will be to learn.
Sell It Hard
Don’t be fooled. Even though WebEx Teams has clear advantages over legacy collaboration tools and strategies, you are still going to have to sell Teams to your colleagues. Be prepared to host training sessions, answer random questions as they arise, troubleshoot issues, and explain the value. If the situation warrants it, you may even need to institute penalties.
Find Allies
When the time comes to rollout the new solution, it may not be the best idea to introduce it to the whole company at once. You need to find allies. You need to find those individuals who will be willing and eager to learn the solution and share it with others. Seek out those departments who are the most tech savvy or will benefit from Teas the most. Turn these teammates into an elite team of advocates for WebEx Teams.
Plus, if you release WebEx Teams to the whole company at once, it will be difficult to focus your training efforts and field the multitude of questions your company is sure to have as they become familiar with the interface. By keeping the initial pool of people small, the process becomes much more manageable.
Develop a Communication and Training Plan (Using a Space)
Luckily, Cisco WebEx Teams itself can help you prepare your Teams adoption strategy. Create several distinct spaces to facilitate training and communication.
Your first space should include anyone who is going to help you implement your adoption strategy. Use this meeting space to plan training sessions, pick which batches of employees will train when, assign duties, and coordinate the rollout.
Your next space should be for the actual training. Upload any relevant documents and invite your first batch of trainees. Make sure to host meetings through the space, record them, and keep the recordings in the room as reference materials for future batches.
Highlight Wins and Value
The most valuable thing you can have in a sales conversation is evidence of success. If you can demonstrate the value of the product, it is much easier to convince someone of that value. In training sessions, the monthly newsletter, company party, and every other medium you can find, make sure that you showcase any success that employees have had using WebEx Teams. Gather quotes, hear their story, and report it to the rest of the company.
Consider Penalties and Delegate to Middle Management
No one wants to be authoritarian about this, but there may come a time when you must implement penalties if employees refuse or neglect to learn WebEx Teams. Ideally, this will not be necessary, and it should only be used as a last resort.
If you do face a problem employee, it may be best to bring in their direct superior for assistance. Office politics aside, most employees will resent being told they need to do something by someone who isn’t their manager. If the demand comes from their superior, they are far more likely to comply.
It’s All Worth It
Convincing an entire company to change their ways and learn something new is not easy, but with Cisco WebEx Teams, it is worth it. Projects will be more organized, meetings will be more convenient and clear, and the company will save money on travel costs. WebEx Teams is both robust and simple, versatile yet powerful, and with the right strategy, your colleagues will certainly agree.
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For Further Reading
Convincing your team to use WebEx Teams is one thing, but if used properly, Teams can entirely replace your email account for internal communications. That’s a much harder sell, to be sure, but WebEx Teams has the capabilities to free us from email.