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ContentPandaforSharePoint
EBOOK–THE4STEPSYOUNEEDTOIMPLEMENTCHANGEMANAGEMENTWITHSHAREPOINT
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IntroductionIt’sadifficultbusinessenvironmenttoday–companieseverywherearereinventingthemselvesinordertobecomemorenimbletotherapidchangesdigitizingoursociety.Weliveinanapp-drivenworld,wherepeopleexpectconsumingservicesandbuyingproductstobeonetaporswipeaway.
Consumersexpectanewrelationshipwithbusinesses,whichmeansthatbusinessesneedanewwaytowork–oneenablingthemtoaccessinformationquickly,collaboraterapidly,anddosoonanydeviceatanytime.
Legacyfilesharesandenterprisecontentmanagementplatformswon’tcutit,whichiswhymanycompaniesareturningtoMicrosoftOffice365andMicrosoftSharePointtoimprovethespeedandqualitywithwhichtheywork.Nearly60percentofcompaniessurveyedbytheAssociationforImageandInformationManagement(AIIM)statedtheywouldincorporateMicrosoft’scloudsolutionsinthenearfuture.FormanythatarestillonSharePoint2010,movingtoeitherSharePoint2013orSharePoint2016willrequireamassivechange.
However,SharePointisn’ttheFieldofDreams–ifyoudeployit,youremployeeswon’tautomaticallyflocktothesoftware.SharePointmaymeetyourtechnicalrequirements,butonlywhenusersadoptandembraceitwillyourdeploymenttrulybedeemedasuccess.Whenyoudon’timplementachangemanagementplantohelpyourknowledgeworkersadoptnewtechnology,productivityplummets,focusonyourcustomerswane,employeemoralerapidlydeclines,andmoremoneyisspentonhelpdesksupport.Here’sacautionarytale…
Sixyearsago,afederalcivilianagencyheadquarteredinWashington,DC,decidedtomigrateallofitsfilesfromitsexistingEMCDocumentumplatformtoMicrosoftSharePoint–sixmonthsbeforethelicensewassettoexpire.
Duetotheextremelyshorttimeline,theagencyworkedwithitsITcontractoranddepartmentmanagerstosetupaSharePointsitethatlookedasclosetoitsexistingDocumentumsolutionaspossible.Theywouldtrainemployeesaftercompletingthemigration,sotheyfigurediftheSharePointsitelookedlikeDocumentumtheiremployeeswouldn’tbecompletelylost.
OnahotsummerweekendattheendofJuly,theagencyturnedoffDocumentumandcutovertoitsnewSharePointinstance.Therewasnoturningback.
ThefollowingMondaymorning,chaosreignedthroughouttheagency.NooneknewhowtouseSharePoint.Employeescouldn’tfindtheirimportantfiles.Manysworeupanddowntheydidn’tevenknowSharePointwasbeinginstalled,eventhoughasingleemailhadbeensenttoeveryone45daysaheadofthemigration.
Twoweekslater,thesituationdeterioratedevenfurther.Workattheagencygrindedtoahalt.Only10percentofemployeescoulddoatleastpartoftheirjobsagain.
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Afterthefirstmonth,desperateemployeesweredownloadingthefilestheyneededtodotheirjobstotheirdesktopsandkeepingthemthere–defeatingthepurposeofinstallingSharePointinthefirstplace.
Sixmonthslater,theagencywasstillonlyhalfasproductiveasitwaspriortotheSharePointmigration.Headsrolled.TheITcontractorwasremoved.Severalagencymanagerswerereleased.Manysenioremployees–withtheiryearsofproprietaryknowledge–lefttheagency.
Withnewemployees,wouldtheSharePointimplementationgetbetter?Today–sixyearslater–SharePointonlyusedbylessthan15percentoftheagency.
InthiseBook,we’llgiveyouthebenefitofothercompanies’hindsight–whySharePointhasfailedandwhatyoucandotomakesureyoudon’tbecomeanotherstatistic.Then,we’llexplainthefourstepsyoumusttaketoimplementachangemanagementprogramthatwilleducate,excite,andinspireyouruserstotransformthewaytheyworksoyourorganizationcancontinuetocompleteandexcelinthishypercompetitivebusinesslandscape.
ContentsIntroduction...................................................................................................................................1
AboutContentPanda.....................................................................................................................3
WhydoSharePointimplementationsfail?.....................................................................................4
Planning&Sponsorship...........................................................................................................................4DriveAwareness.......................................................................................................................................7InstillLearning..........................................................................................................................................9ReadinessandAdoption.........................................................................................................................12
ContentPanda:YourChangeManagementLifeline....................................................................15
ContentPandaforSharePoint................................................................................................................15AContentPandaChangeManagementSuccessStory...........................................................................16CustomerSuccessatContentPanda......................................................................................................17
NextSteps....................................................................................................................................18
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AboutContentPanda
Establishedin2011,ContentPandaisheadquarteredandmaintainsitsprincipaloperationalcenterintheSanFranciscoBayArea,withofficesinMaui,HI,Seattle,WAandVancouver,BC,Canada.Weserveourcustomersworldwidewithourdirectaccountsupportandthroughstrategicallianceswithconsultants,systemsintegratorsandresellerpartners.OursoftwareismadeintheUSA.
• ContentPandaisamanagedMicrosoftPartner.• ContentPandaispartoftheMicrosoftOffice365TechnologyAdvancePreviewreceivingearly
updatesandworkingdirectlywiththeMicrosoftOffice365andSharePointproductteams.• ContentPanda’sin-contextandon-demandhelpandtrainingsolutionisUSPatentPending.
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WhydoSharePointimplementationsfail?MicrosoftSharePointhasundergoneatransformationinthelastseveralyears,fromaglorifiedfileshareintoadigitalworkspaceanduniversalinterfacesupportingdocumentco-authoringandinformationsharingaswellasintegratingwithvirtuallyallenterpriseinformationsources.
Thetechnologyisthere,butinmanycases,theadoptionisnot.AccordingtoAIIM,nearlyhalfofcompaniesreporttheirSharePointimplementationwasunsuccessful.Why?Sixty-sevenpercentsayinadequateusertrainingistoblame,while64percentsaytherehasbeenacompletelackofseniormanagementsupport.Ifyouthinkthissoundslikeaprocessandplanningproblem,itis:58percentofrespondentssaychangemanagementisthemajorissueforuserreluctancetouseSharePoint–moresothanthelackoftechnicalexpertise(51percent).
It’snotsimplyaboutlookingatyouroldcontentplatforms,migratinginformationovertoyournewSharePointplatform,andgivingusersthekeys.Whilethatcanbedifficultenoughinitself,thereisagreatdealofworkthatmusthappenbeforeyoulightupSharePointandannounceitsarrivalinyourcompany.
Inthecomingpages,we’llfocusonthefourstepstoensureyourchangemanagementprojectforMicrosoftSharePointisasuccess:
1. Planningandsponsorship2. Awareness3. Learning4. Readinessandadoption
Planning&Sponsorship“Ifyoufailtoplan,youareplanningtofail.”–BenjaminFranklin
Whilehemayhaveneverevenconceivedwhatacomputercoulddo,heknewifyoudidn’tlaytheproperfoundationbeforemajorchange,itwouldbedifficult–ifnotimpossible–tomakethatchangestick.Theremustberespectedpeopleinpowerwhogivetheirendorsementanddrivethecaseforchangehome.
Withinplanningandsponsorship,therearefourimportantpointsyoumustaddressbeforeyoucaneventhinkaboutlettingyourknowledgeworkersinonyourgrandplan:
1. Engageexecutivesponsors2. Articulatethebusinesscase3. Definebehaviorchanges4. Establishsuccesscriteria
EngageExecutiveSponsorsChangestartsatthetop,andit’snosurprisethatofthecompanieswithfailedSharePointdeployments,lackofseniormanagementsupportwasoneofthetopthreereasonsforitsdemise.
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CompaniestakingthetimeandenergytosecureexecutivesponsorswhowillactivelycommunicatethevalueandbenefitofSharePointaremorelikelytobesuccessfulwiththeirrollout.Youneedtofindanexecutivesponsor–preferablysomeonewitheitheraSVPorC-leveltitlenexttotheirname–whocandrive“top-down”messagingandactasanactivecommunicatoronthevalueandbenefitsSharePointofferthroughoutyourimplementation.
Yourexecutivesponsor’sjobinaSharePointrollout–besideshavingtheirnameatthebottomofcommunicationsintroducingthenewplatform–includesthefollowing:
• Encourageusageandemphasizethatit’ssupportedfortheorganization• Articulatevaluepropositionacrosstheexecutiveteam• Serveasarolemodel• Participateinnetworkengagementeventstohelplaunchtheeffort
Asyouthinkaboutwhothisseniorexecutiveshouldbe,wewanttocautionyoutostayawayfromtheChiefInformationOfficerorChiefTechnologyOfficer.Nothingpersonal,butyouwanttodrivehomethepointtoemployeesthatthisisabusinessinitiative,notmerelyatechnicalone.Whenyouputtogetheryourexecutivesponsorshipdreamteam,inaperfectworldyourCEOwillbeonboard,whiletheCIOorCTOactaskeyinfluencerswhocanshowjusthowthenewfeaturesandvaluepropositionsaredemonstratedfirst-hand.
Onceyouhaveyourexecutivesponsorinplace,haveaprojectteamincludingexecutivesanddepartmentleadsacrosstheorganizationsothatthisisatrulyenterprisechangemanagementinitiative.
ArticulatetheBusinessCaseWecan’tstressthisenough:SharePointmustbeseenasabusinesssolution,notjustanewtechnology.SharePointisn’tanewcardaccesskeytoyourofficebuilding–treatitwiththerespectitdeserves.
ThismeansyoumustbeabletoclearlyexplainwhyyouaremovingtoSharePoint.Thisway,youcanframetherestofyourchangemanagementinitiativeswithinthiscontext.Basically,thisstepwillbeyourguidinglightforeveryotherstagethroughoutthiseBook.
You’llwanttostartbydefininggoalsthatwillgiveyouthegreatestreturnonyourinvestment.WhatarethequickwinsyoucanshowtotherestofthebusinessthatwillinspireandexcitethemtouseSharePoint?Onceyou’vedefinedyourgoals,theyarethefoundationforasubsequentawarenesscampaign.
Asyouaremeetingwithyourprojectteam,usethesediscussionquestionsasastartingpointtoshapeyourbusinesscase:
• WhatarethemostimportantreasonsfordeployingSharePoint?• Whichgoals(shootforthreetofive)wouldmakeitevidentthattherolloutissuccessful?• Whatareourexpectedbenefitsandchallenges?Howwillwemeasuresuccess?• WhatarethechallengesweshouldaccountforaswecontinuetoplanourSharePointrollout?
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DefineBehavioralChanges
Inordertotrulychangeanything,youhavetochangethewaypeopleact.Inabusinesscontext,ifyouarecompletelyoverhaulingthetechnologyemployeesuseonadailybasistodotheirjobs,youwillhavetospecificallyoutlinetheactionsyouwantthemtostartdoing,stopdoing,andcontinuedoing.Commonfearsourcustomersreporthearingfromtheiremployeesastheyworkonachangemanagementinitiativeinclude:
• Thenewtechnologywillforcethemtochangetheirtried-and-truedailyprocesses.• Lookingstupidtotheirpeersiftheyasktoomanyquestionsorcan’tlearntousethenew
software.• Thelearningcurvewillbesosteepthatitslowsdowntheirperformance.
Thesefearscausealotofstress,whichthenturnsintoconversationsamongstthemselvesthatsapstimeanddrainsbusinessproductivity.That’swhyyoumustbevery,veryspecific:Forexample,let’ssayyouwantemployeestoworktogethermoreopenlyonteamsandprojects.Youwantthemtostartusingsharedworkspacesforprojectfilesandcommunicatinginsharedforumstobuildhistoryandrampupnewmembersquickly.Youwantthemtostopusingemailattachmentstosendfilesanddiscussingprojectsinsmallgroupsandemail.
Callouttheelephantsintheroom–notonlywillemployeesreadthesebehaviorchangesandnodtheirheadinacknowledgement,itwillmeantheyknowyouknowexactlywhatitistheyaredoingandwhyit’snotworking.
Hereareafewquestionsyoucanaskyourprojectteamtocomeupwiththerightbehaviorchangesandsubsequentactions:
• WhatareourgoalsforSharePoint?• Whatbehaviorswillemployeesneedtoadopttosupportthosegoals?• Whatwillemployeesneedtostartandstopdoingtoexudethosebehaviors?
It’svitalyoudeterminethekeybehaviorsbecauseitwillhelpyoufocusyoursubsequentawarenessandtrainingmaterialsontheactualtasksyouneedyouruserstolearnonSharePoint.
EstablishSuccessCriteria
Whenyoudevelopthesegoalsandobjectives,it’simportanttohaveaformalsetofsuccesscriteriatomeasuretheimpactofyourdeployment.Determinewhatshouldbemeasured,andhowyou’llcollectthisquantitative(numbers-driven)andqualitative(anecdotal)information.
Protip:Choosecriteriathatwillperkupseniormanagement’sears,andkeepthelistbetweenfiveand10.Morethanthat,andeyesstarttoglazeover.Youcanmeasurevirtuallyanything,butitshowstruethoughtandplanningifyoucandecidewhichmetricsmatterandwhichonesdon’t.
Whileyoursuccesscriteriawilldependonyourspecificbusinessneeds,thereareseveralyoushouldincludesuchasusersatisfaction,employeeengagement,andadoptionvelocity.
UsetheSMARTgoalmnemonictoguideyou:
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• Specific:clearandunambiguous• Measurable:concrete• Attainable:realistic• Relevant:matterstostakeholders• Timely:groundedtospecifictargetdates
BymeasuringchangesthatoccurasaresultofrollingoutSharePoint,youwillhaveawaytoquicklytrackwhat’sworking,what’snot,andwhatyouneedtofix.Youcan’tmanagewhatyoudon’tmeasure.
DriveAwareness“Youcanhavebrilliantideas,butifyoucan'tgetthemacrossthenyourideaswon'tgetyouanywhere.”–LeeIacocca
TheformerCEOofChryslerwasontosomething.Agoodawarenesscampaigninforms,engages,andinspiresyouruserstobethechangeyouwishtoimplementinyourcompany.
Don’tmistakeawarenessforsimplycreating“buzz”,though.Flashmobswon’tdrivesustainedbehaviorchanges.YouneedtocreateanawarenessplanclearlyallowingemployeestoseethevalueofSharePointandhowthey’llbenefitbyusingit.
Awarenessmusthappenbefore,during,andevenafteryourSharePointrollout–soyourcommunicationstrategyhastobeproactiveandaccountforthisreality.It’simportantyoufindtherightpeople,therightmessages,therightchannels,andtherightcadence.
Inordertostrikethisbalance,acethesefourpoints:
1. Inspirenewbehaviors2. Plancommunicationtactics3. Organizechangemanagementchampions4. Openfeedbackchannels
InspireNewBehaviors
Youalreadyestablishedwhichkeybehaviorsyouwantemployeestoexude–nowisthetimetofocusyourcommunicationsontheessentialscenariosandsubsequenttaskstheywillneedtolearn.Keepittonomorethan20tasks,soyoucandivedeepinsteadofcreatinganenvironmentwhereemployeesareholdersofmanyandmastersofnone.
Studiesfinditcantakeatleast21days–threeweeks–forsomeonetotrulybreakoradoptanewhabit.Ifyouhaveemployeesusedtoworkingaparticularwayforyears,youcan’texpecttoonlysendoneemailandconductathree-hourtraining.Developyourinitialplan,andthenthinkabouthowyoucanrevisityourcommunicationsthroughoutaprolongedperiodoftime–say,oneyear–andkeepinteresthigh.
Herearesomeleadingquestionstohelpyouframeyourthoughts:
• Whatdowewantuserstodo?
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• Howdowewantuserstobeinspired?• Whataresomesuccessstoriesandscenarioswecancommunicatesothatouremployeescan
relate?• How,when,andtowhomdowecommunicateeachmessage?
PlanCommunicationTactics
Youcan’tjustsendoneemailannouncingSharePointandexpectthatitwillpromotelastingchange.
Youcan’tjustsendoneemailannouncingSharePointandexpectthatitwillpromotelastingchange.
Seewhatwedidthere?
Youneedtocreateasetofcommunicationtacticsreinforcingyourkeymessagesoveraperiodoftime–andindifferentchannels–thatwillinspire,inform,andmotivateyourtargetaudiencestouseSharePoint.
HerearethreethingstothinkaboutasyouplanoutcommunicationtacticspromotingyourmessageofSharePoint:
1. Identifyyourtargetaudience(s):Executives,departments,individualcontributors,partners…thelistcangoondependingonthescopeofyourlaunch.
2. Thinkaboutthedifferentwaysyoucancommunicatetoyourtargetaudiences:Useinternalemailnewsletters,flyers,videos,townhalls,lunch-and-learns,booklets,postersandmore.Makesurethereisahealthymixofin-personandvirtualcommunications.
3. Thinkaboutthecadence:Howoftenwillyoubecommunicatingtoyourtargetaudiences?Dependingonthecultureofyourcompany,thiscanvarywidely.Westronglyadviseyoutogolightonemail,though.Themoreyoubombardpeoplewiththesamemessageinthesamemedium,theeasieritisforthemtoignoreyou.
OrganizeChampions
Executivesponsorshipisimportantforhelpingdriveimportanceandthecaseforchangethroughoutyourorganizationina“top-down”manner.YoumusthavethisotherwiseSharePointwillfail,plainandsimple.Wealreadywitnessedthisthroughthe64percentofAIIMsurveyrespondentsstatinglackofseniormanagementsupportwasthekeyreasonforfailure.
However,aswe’veexplainedhowyoushoulddiversifyyourcommunicationstrategy–youalsoneedtodiversifywhoyouhaveinspiringemployeestoadapttochange.ThismeansrecruitingSharePointchampions,employeeswhoprovideinformaltrainingandsupporttoothersinyourcompany,tocreatealearningcommunity.You’veheardof“earlyadopters”whoalwayshavethelatestiPhone–butSharePointchampionshelppenetratethe“neveradopters”whoabsolutelyrefusetoeveruseanewthing,asevidencedbytheirflipphonewithnoconnectiontotheInternet.
ThebeautyofhavingSharePointchampionsistheycansupportemployeesonapeer-to-peerlevel.It’smucheasiertoinstantmessageKyleinaccountingtohelpyousetupateamsitethanitwouldbetoworkthroughyourCEOKathy’sassistant.
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TheseSharePointchampionsshouldexpecttospendafewhourseachmonthperformingthisveryimportantservice.Makesureyoucreateafoundationforthemtomaximizethisprecioustimeawayfromtheirdailyjobfunctions:
• Createadistributionlisttogivechampionsawaytoshareinformationandprovidefeedbacktotheprojectteam
• Setupablogorwikiforchampionstomonitorandupdate• Empowerchampionstocreateandsharetrainingrecordingsaswellasleadingface-to-face
sessionswithgroupsofemployees• EnablechampionstoincentivizegoodSharePointbehaviorexhibitedbyemployeeswithgift
cards,T-shirts,orotherexclusiveitems
OpenFeedbackChannels
ThroughoutyourSharePointimplementation,offeremployeesaforumtoaskquestionsandgivefeedback.Thisistheonlywaytolearnwhatworks,whatisfailing,andhowyoucanspecificallyfine-tuneyourimplementationtomaximizesuccess.
Speedisoftheessence–considercreatingafeedbackandtriageteamtoaddressemployeeinquiriesquickly.Youdon’twantemployeestolosesteambecauseittakesthreedaystoansweraquestionabouthowtouploadadocumenttoOneDrive.
Themoreinquiriesyouhavecomein,theeasieritwillbeforyoutogroupcommononestogetherandprovideaFrequentlyAskedQuestionlisttohighlighttosaveemployeesthetimeofhavingtorequesthelp.PosttheFAQonyourinternalsite,andassignafeedbackteamtoupdateitregularly.
Therearealsoavailablesoftwaresolutionsthatcandeliverhelpin-context,rightatthemomentoftruthwhenemployeesaretryingtoperformanactioninSharePoint,thatcanhelpgivethemtheanswerstheyneedimmediatelysotheycancontinuedoingtheirjobsusingthisnewwaytowork.
Themethodsmaydiffer,butit’simportantyousetupanenvironmenttotakequestionsandfeedbackthatisproactive,nimble,andeasilyadaptable.
InstillLearning“Anorganization’sabilitytolearn,andthentranslatethatlearningintoactionrapidly,istheultimatecompetitiveadvantage.”—JackWelch,formerGeneralElectricCEO
EmployeeshaveheardaboutSharePointthankstoyourexecutivesponsors,andthey’veseentheplatforminactionthankstoyourchampions.Now,it’stimetobuildontheexcitementandanticipationbyofferingamultitudeoftrainingoptionsenablingemployeestobeproductiveusingSharePointrightaway.
Remembermostworkershatechangeofanysort.There’satremendouslevelofstressandfearinvolvedwithanytypeofchangeintheworkplace,muchlessanentirelynewtechnologyplatform.Trainingisoneofthemostimportantarrowsinyourchangemanagementquivertomitigateemployees’fearandstress.
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Createaholistictrainingplanaccommodatingthedifferentlearningstyles,geographicchallenges,resourceconstraints,androll-outstrategyyouhave.TakeintoaccountwhatfunctionsinSharePointyou’reimplementing,theimportanttasksyouwantemployeestolearn,behaviorsyouwantthemtopractice,andalsohowmuchmoneyyouhavetodoallofthis.
Therearefourstepstocraftaholistictrainingplan:
1. Knowyouraudience2. Sketchoutatrainingschedule3. Delivertraining4. Openfeedbackchannels
KnowYourAudience
Thisseemsobvious,butconsideringtrainingisthetopreasonwhySharePointimplementationsfail,let’sstartwiththebasicwho,what,where,when,how,andwhyoftraining:
• Who:Whichgroups,teams,anddepartmentsareyoutrainingforSharePoint?Focusyourtrainingonthepeoplewhowillactuallyusethisplatformdayinanddayout.
• What:Determineyouremployees’roles,tasks,andpermissionslevels.Forexample,youdon’twanttoteachanaccountanttheinsandoutsofActiveDirectoryconfigurations.
• Where:Thebeautyofdigitizationiswecanworkanywhere,anytime,onanydevice.Makesureyouknowwhichuserswillbeontablets,mobiledevices,andintheofficeusingaworkstation–andtailoryourtrainingaccordingly.TheSharePointexperienceisdifferentforalloftheseformfactors.
• When:Willusersperformtasksindifferenttimezones–forexample,aprojectteamhasresourcesinNewYorkworkingondocumentsthatcolleaguesinChinawillaccess12hourslater?Doestrainingneedtobecompletedbyaparticulardate–eitherforprojectsoruserroles?
• How:WillSharePointbeintegratedintoeveryone’sday-to-dayjobactivities?WillorganizationalpoliciesbeaffectedbySharePoint’sentranceintoyourcompany(e.g.sharingdocuments,storingfiles,collaboratingwithexternalpartners)?
• Why:Youmustexplainwhychangeishappening,whytheyneedtocare,whytheyneedtochange,andhowtheywillbenefit.Thisisarguablymoreimportantthanthe“how-to”informationforperformingtasks.
CreateaTrainingSchedule
Everycompanyisdifferent,butthereareconsistentguidingprinciplesforcreatingatrainingschedule.Accountforthetimenecessarytocreatemultiplephasesanditwilltakeseveralmonthstoimplement.Expecttogothroughthefollowingtrainingphases:planning,pilot,awareness,training,follow-upandsupport.WewillgiveyougeneraltimelinesfromourexperiencehelpingcompaniesimplementSharePoint,buttheyarenotsetinstone.
PlanningYouwilllikelyneedtogiveyourselvestwoorthreemonthstoplanpriortolaunch.Hereisyourfive-pointblueprintforcreatingasuccessfultrainingplan:
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1. Leadwithbenefits:ExplainwhattheirworkwilllooklikeinthisnewworldofSharePoint,andtheefficienciesandbenefitstheycanexpectincomparisontotheiroldwayofworking.
2. Userealworkscenarios:Usetasksorbusinessprocessesfamiliartoyouraudienceasawaytodrawthemintothefeature-specificinformation.
3. Includeyourgovernancemodel:Itseemsboringandlegalistic,butit’simportanttointegrateinformationabouttherules,processesandbestpracticesyourorganizationputintoplacearoundtheSharePointdeploymentsoproperboundariesareset.
4. Createalearningcenter:Useaninternalteamsite(onSharePoint!)tostoretrainingresourcessuchasGettingStartedguidesandTips&Tricksvideos.
5. Mobilizechampions:Calluponyournetworkofchampionstoprovidecoachingandassistanceacrosstheirteams.
PilotBudgetforatleastsixweekspriortolaunchtodevelopand/orcuratematerials,includinginstructorguides.Thisisaprimeopportunitytotesttheeffectivenessofyourtrainingandhelpmaterials.
YourguineapigsforthistrainingphaseshouldincludeITprofessionals,thesupportteam(includinghelpdeskandSharePointchampions),andearlyadopters.Youcanusetheirfeedbackduringthisphasetoidentifyanygapsintrainingsowhenyoubeginyourlarger-scalerolloutofSharePointyouhavealreadytakenthetimetoassuagetheseissues.
Thisisalsothetimetoreviewandapprovelearningcenterdesignsandhelpcontent,reviewingitforaccuracyandrelevancetoyouraudienceandtraininggoals.
AwarenessGiveyourselfacoupleofweeksforthisphase.Thisiswhenyoustarttrainingthewidersupportteamandexecutives.It’simportanttheyunderstandSharePoint,theissuesusersmayexperience,andtherequisiteresolutions.
RememberthatFAQpageweaskedyoutocreateforSharePointchampions?Nowisthetimetocompilemoreofthecommonquestionsyouhearduringthisearlytrainingtooutlinecommonissuesthesupportteamwilllikelyneedtoaddress.
Itgoeswithoutsayingthat,justasyoudidduringthepilot,youincorporateanylearningsfromthisphaseintoyourtrainingmaterialsandlearningcenterbeforelaunch.
TrainingLaunchdayisfinallyhere!We’llgetintothewaysyoucantraininjustacoupleofminutes,butthisiswhenyoubeginyourphasedrolloutoftrainingtoendusersbasedontheadoptionandtrainingplanyou’veputinplace.
Follow-upandSupportThiswillhappenforatleastthefirstcoupleofmonthsafteryoulaunch.Learningislifelong,eventhoughyouneedyouremployeestostartusingSharePointassoonaspossible.Thisiswhenyoustartcollectingmetricsonusage,adoption,andsatisfaction.Thiswillhelpyouunderstandthehealthandeffectivenessofyourtraining–andsubsequentlyyourrolloutandadoptionprogram.
DeliverTraining
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Trainingcomesinallshapesandsizes.We’llgointosomeofthemostcommonlyusedtrainingmethodsbelow,butrememberyouwillneedtostriketherightbalancebetweenshowingthe“howto”andthensupportingthetraininglongafterit’scompleted.
Dependingontheamountoftime,facilities,equipment,geography,andmoneyyouhave,youcouldconsiderusingsomeofthefollowingmethods:
• Classroom-style:Thisrequiresaninstructorguide,studentguide,presentation,resourceguidewithhelpfullinkstofurtherinformation,andcontactinformationforSharePointchampions.
• Smallgroupdemonstrations:Makesureyouhaveapresentationforthegroupthat’scustomizedtoaddressactualscenariosandtasksthatareapplicabletoyouraudience.
• Onlinetraining:Includevideos,articles,FAQs,checklists,andcontactinformationforSharePointchampions.
• On-the-jobtraining:You’llneedtask-specificjobaids,checklists,andcontactinformationforSharePointchampions.
We’vefoundthemostsuccessfultrainingincorporatesallofthesedifferentmethods,withaclearmethodforemployeestorequesthelporfurtherinformationafterthetrainingiscompleted.
OpenFeedbackChannels
JustasyoudidwhenyoustartedcommunicatingawarenessaroundyourSharePointimplementation,makesureyoukeepthelinesofcommunicationopenafteryou’vecompletedyourtrainingsouserscontinuetofeelsupported.
Considerhavinganinternalonlinegroup–youcanuseYammer,Office365groups,orintegrateSharePointcommunityfeatures–thatgivesyouanoutlettosharebestpractices,establishtopicsofinterest,participateindiscussions,andbuildcommunityamongusers.
ReadinessandAdoption“Igetbywithalittlehelpfrommyfriends.”–JohnLennon
ThroughoutyourSharePointdeployment,you’vebeencollectingfeedback,keepingacloseeyeonusageandacceptance,anditeratingyourplanasnecessary.
Now,youneedtodothreethings:
1. Provideongoingsupport2. Assessusersatisfaction3. Measureusageandadoption
Thisisan“allplay”–yourentireprojectteamshouldbeworkingtirelesslytoensureeverydepartmentisreadytosupportnewusers.Helpandsupportteamsshouldbereadyandabletotroubleshootproblemsthatusersencounter.Youshouldalsodocumentyourkeylearnings,areasforimprovement,andbringthisalltogethertoiterateyourrolloutsoitgoesevensmootherforthenextwaveofadopters.
ProvideOngoingSupport
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YoursupportandhelpdeskisthefirstlineofdefenseagainstusersencounteringSharePointproblems.It’svitaltoempowerandinspiretheseteamstodotheirbestwork,asthelevelofsupportanewuserreceivescandirectlyimpactjusthowsatisfiedtheyarewithSharePoint–andhowdeeplytheyadopttheplatform.
Nomatterhowgoodyourtrainingis,youcanexpecttoreceivealotofquestionsasusersstarttoreallydigintoSharePoint.Weunderstandthatforyoursupportandhelpteam,thismaybeonlypartoftheirjob.Establishanautomatedsystemsoyoucanreducethetotalnumberofinquiriessupportteamsreceive.Forexample,ifyouhaveaveryclearFAQoronlinetrainingportalusersmustgotofirstbeforesubmittinganinquiry,itmayrelieveasignificantportionofquestionssothehelpdeskisonlyfocusedontroubleshootingdeeperissues.
Herearesomeothertipstoensureyoursupportandhelpdeskteamsarereadytosuccessfullysupportnewuserinquiries:
• EnsureallhelpdeskagentsareproperlytrainedtosupportSharePointinquiriescallspriortoyourcompany-widedeployment.
• Setupautomatedpromptsonyourphoneoronlinesupportsystem,togetuserstothemostappropriatesupportteamquickly.
• Establishanalertsystemtonotifyyourhelpdeskwhenissuesariseorforplanneddowntime,sothattheycaneffectivelyassistusers.
• DetailyourServiceLevelAgreementplantoholdsupportrepresentativesaccountableforfollowingupwithend-usersandsettingtherightexpectations.
• Provideyoursupportandhelpdeskagentswiththemostup-to-datetroubleshootinginformation,includingacustomizedFAQ.
AssessUserSatisfaction
It’sworthrepeating:Youcan’tmanagewhatyoudon’tmeasure.ConsideritarequirementtoregularlyassessjusthowsatisfiednewSharePointusersare,assatisfactionhasadirectcorrelationtoadoptionandusage.
Throughoutyourpilotandliverollout,distributeusersatisfactionsurveystogatherdataaboutyourusers’knowledgeandexperiencewithSharePoint.Thisway,youcanquicklyunderstandwhereyouaresucceedingandfailing,andevenbetter,iteraterapidlysoyoucanimprovetheexperienceforthenextwavesofusersyouonboardtoSharePoint.
Herearesomehelpfultipsforwhenandhowtosurveyendusers:
• Sendabaselinesurveyassessingusers’knowledgeofSharePointshortlybeforetheendofyourpilot.
• Releaseasurveyhalf-waythroughyourpilotandyourrolloutperiodstogatherdataaboutusers’knowledgeandexperienceofSharePoint.Usetheresultsfromthissurveytoadjustandtestyourprocessespriortoageneralrollout.
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• Useafinalsurveyimmediatelyafterthepilotperiodhascompletedtoinformago/nogodecisionanddeterminewhetheryouneedtomakeadjustmentstoyourgeneraltrainingandawarenessmaterials.
• Afterrollout,useafinalsurveytoassessusersatisfactionwiththerolloutprocess.Youcanreleasethissurvey90daysafterlaunch,andtheninquarterlyincrementstohelpmeasureuseradoptionfromasatisfactionandproductivitystandpoint.
MeasureUsageandAdoption
Satisfactionisimportant,butattheendofthedaythesuccessorfailureofyourSharePointdeploymentwillhingeontwofactors:howoftenareemployeesusingtheplatformandhowmanyofthemhaveactuallyadoptedit.
YoushouldstartcollectingthisinformationbeforeyouevenrolloutSharePoint–thisway,youcanestablishbaselinemetricsforwhichyoucanbenchmarkagainstatpre-determinedintervalsafteryoubegintherollout.
Usageandadoptionmetricstaketimetobecometrulydigestible–itwilltakesixmonthsorlonger,sinceuseradoptionwillnothappenovernight.It’sbesttomatchyourreportingtimelineswithhowyoureportothermajorimpactstoyourbusiness,whichcouldbeeithermonthlyorquarterly.
Thereareseveralwaysyoucanmeasurethesuccessofeachphaseofyourrollout,andyoushouldincorporateallofthemsoyougetarobustsetofquantitativeandqualitativedata.Youcanusefeedbackandsurveyforms,product-relatedgames,andrecommendedusagereports.SharePointandOffice365administratorscanalsoaccessinformationabouttheservicesused,suchasmailboxusage,audio/videoconversations,programsharing,remoteassistance,andamountofinformationstoredonOneDrives.
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ContentPanda:YourChangeManagementLifelineContentPandaforSharePointContentPandaistechnologythatdeliversasuperiorSharePointuserexperience.Asuperioruserexperiencestartswithgreatcontent,in-context.Accelerateuseradoption;simplifytrainingandsupport;andpromotegovernanceinsideSharePoint.
AccelerateUserAdoption
ContentPandaforSharePointprovidesusersguidanceintheirday-to-daytasksbyofferingavarietyofin-contexttrainingmaterialstomatchtheirlearningpreference.
Whetherthey’resubmittingaleaverequestorcreatinganewteamsite,userscanjustclickthepandatoaccessavarietyoftoolstohelpthemconsumeinformationeitherviavideo,step-by-stepguidesorcomputerbasedtesting.
ContentPandaforSharePointcreatesconfidentusersbygivingthemin-depth,flexiblehelpandtraining—wheneverandwherevertheyneedit.
Fosterconfident,self-empowereduserswho:
• Consumeyourcorporateinformationinsteadofsearching• Collaboratemore• LeveragemoreSharePointfeatures
SimplifyTraining&Support
ContentPandaforSharePointbringsthebestcontentintofocus.
Usersjustclickthepandawherevertheyneedhelp,togetaccessto:
• In-depthtrainingcontent,videosandbestpractices
• Microsoft-approvedhelpcontent• Curatedsupportarticles
Employeescanlearnasmuchastheywant,whenevertheyneedto—withoutaskingsomeoneforhelp.
Context-sensitive,self-servicesupportforendusersmeans:
• Fewerhelp-desktickets• Betterknowledgeretention
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• Noworkdayinterruptionsforclassroomtraining
PromoteGovernance&BusinessPractices
Supportyourbusinessprocessesbysharingrelevantinformationattheexactmomenttheyneedit.
Deliveryourcompany’sowncontenttousersinthesamecontext-sensitiveformat:
• Best-practicepolicies• Documentrequirements• Embeddedhelponforms
Reinforcegovernanceandsteerbestpracticesbymakinginformationavailablewhereitactuallyapplies:intheforms,librariesandsiteswheretheworkisdone.
Embedusefulinformationincomplexforms,withinprojectsites,HRportalsandanywhereelseyouwanttoinfluenceuserbehavior.
CentrallyManagetheUserExperience
LeverageContentPanda’sone-stop-shopmanagementconsoletocustomizeyourSharePointtrainingandadoptionexperience.
WiththeContentPandamanagementconsole,administratorscan:
• Supervisecontentcreation,modificationandusage• Quicklymanagepermissionsandbranding• Createcontentpacksforaudiencetargeting• ReceiveandapplyContentPandaproductupdatesautomatically• Accessuseranalyticsreports
Makeplatform-widechangesquicklyforyourentireSharePointenvironment,includingsupportforhybridscenarioswhereon-premisesandonlineSharePointisdeployed.
AContentPandaChangeManagementSuccessStoryJustaswebeganthiseBooklookingataSharePointchangemanagementgonewrong,here’sanexampleofhowyougetaSharePointdeploymentrightwithContentPanda:
Aglobalscienceandengineeringfirm–alreadyheavyusersofSharePoint2010forcontentmanagementandcollaboration–decidedtoupgradetoSharePoint2013.Withonly2.5full-timeemployeesdedicatedtotheSharePointupgrade,itwasdifficultfortheITteamtofocusonhigher-valueactivities.HelpmanualsandvideosforthemostbasicSharePointquestionsareverytimeconsumingtoproduce.
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AfterdeployingthefirstwaveofusersonSharePoint2013,theITteamreceived364supporttickets–mostofwhichweresimilarbasicquestionsabouttheplatform’snewuserinterfaceandfeatures.
Thefirmsoughtthird-partytrainingalternativesforitsoverburdenedITteam,includingAdobeRobohelpandWalkMe.RobohelponlyenabledtheITteamtoupdatetraditionalsupportmanualsveryfewendusersreadbecausetheydidnotprovidein-contexthelpwhenandwhereusersneededitastheynavigatedSharePoint.Additionally,WalkMe’srequirementtoimplementbrowseradd-onsandplug-insforanyonecreatinghelptutorialsaddedevenmorecomplexitytheITteamcouldnothandleamidstthemassiveSharePointupgrade.
ThefirmthenimplementedContentPandaforSharePoint,whichenabledthefirm’sITteamcentrallymanagedtheentireSharePointtrainingandadoptionexperienceforendusers–includingcontentcreation,permissions,branding,andaudiencetargeting.ContentPandahelpedthefirmdeliverin-depthtrainingbyonlineSharePointeducationleaderCombinedKnowledge,Microsoft-approvedhelpcontent,andothersupportarticlesinmultiplemediaformatssuchastraditionalarticles,screenshots,andvideos.AllusersneededtodowasclickonthePandawhennavigatingSharePoint,whichdeliveredin-contexthelprightwhentheyneededit.
WithContentPanda,ITsupportticketsdroppedby77percentto85–realizinga5xreturnonitsinvestmentinjustonemonth.ContentPandaisnowinstrumentaltonewusersadoptingSharePoint,basedonthecompany’srecentagreementtoacquireanotherlargemultinationalcompany.
CustomerSuccessatContentPandaWeunderstandtherearebusinesschallengesyouneedtoconquerandmetricsyouneedtoattain,whichiswhywecreatedourCustomerSuccessProgram.
Wedistillbestpracticestodeliveractionableadviceandsupporttohelpyouachievequickandsustainableresults.
DedicatedcoachingAsaContentPandaclient,yourdedicatedCustomerSuccessManagerbecomesanextensionofyourcompany'steambylearningaboutyourSharePointbusinessgoals,initiativesandupcomingplanstohelpyoucreateaprogrammaticstrategyforleveragingcontent.
Yourfirst90dayswithContentPandaToensureourcustomersareproperlyon-boardedandsetupforsuccessfromtheget-go,wehavedevelopedanintensiveprogramforyourfirst90dayswithContentPanda.Ourtraininghasaheavyfocusongettingyoucreatingandsurfacinggreatcontentquickly,whileleavingyouwithascalablemodelforeasyfuturepublishing.
Makecontentpublishingprogrammatic
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Themostimportantpartofanytypeofinitiativeisconsistentimplementationforasteadystreamofresults.YourCustomerSuccessManagerwillhelpyoucreateaprogramintegratingContentPandaacrossyourSharePointeffortstocreateanengaginguserexperience,driveconsistentresultsandincreaseadoption.
MeasuringmetricsforsuccessOurteamtakestimetolearnaboutyourgoalsandmetricsforsuccess,ensuringyoureffortisdeliveringoutstandingROI.YourCustomerSuccessManagerwillholdregularanalyticsreviewmeetingswithyoutodeterminewhatisworkingaswellassharerecommendationsandbestpracticesdrawnfromourgrowingnetworkofcustomers.
NextStepsNowthatyouhavelearnedaboutallthefeaturesandbenefitsofadoptingContentPandaintoyourOffice365andSharePointenvironment,connectwithus.OurContentPandateamisreadyandwaitingtosayhello.Bookademoandreceiveatriallicensetoday,[email protected].
ThankyouforyourinterestinContentPandaforSharePoint.