In an earlier blog post, I mentioned needing three mission critical elements to a successful roll out: people, product and processes. Similar to only having two legs on a stool, you need all three for a successful implementation. This week, I talked with a customer that had, early on in the implementation process, decided to let people have the option to use our project management software or not. It was going to be their choice. The problem with this is kind of like saying, I'd like you to go on a diet, but it's your choice. As we all know, change is difficult, and for some organizational cultures, it is more challenging than others.
I was told by a child psychologist, that if you want your children to change a behavior, it takes 90 days of reinforcing that behavior. If one day, you are lax and slip from the message to your child, you have to start your 90 days all over again. The same is true of adults, I find. Just like children, it takes time to change a behavior. Like children, even grownups like a system of rewards. You can instill a system of rewards or of punishments, again depending on your culture and what you find works.
One of the most positive systems of rewards I've witnessed of late comes from one customer that decided to give all team members a share in the profits for accurate and timely time tracking. Now, the point is not about the feature of time tracking, rather it is about the system of rewards for the behavior we desire. This is having a very positive effect on the team and compliance, as you might imagine is very high, as the reward is MONEY!
One of the most stringent punishment systems I've witnessed is a customer that expects all expenses to be submitted within one month of incurring them or else the team member does not get reimbursed. Again, hitting the team member in the pocket book is a pretty harsh penalty. When I asked how successful that is, the customer replied that it only happens to a team member once!
The point is that the company's leadership must communicate what behavior is desired, clearly and frequently, as well as develop strategies for compliance or lack thereof. If the message your leadership is sending is 'I don' care one way or the other,' people will do what is easiest for them to do. This is either nothing or the old way.
Leadership is the key to a successful implementation!
Cynthia K. West, Vice President, Project Insight
.jpg)
West is Vice President at Project Insight where she oversees the sales and marketing efforts for the project management company. West is a ‘serial entrepreneur‘ with over 15 years of experience in IT. She specializes in building the sales infrastructure for new companies or divisions.