Promote the benefits of technology in the workplace to enable change

One of the biggest reasons why people are reluctant to embrace technology in the workplace is resistance to change. It’s third in Deloitte’s list of  ‘barriers to scaling intelligent automation’, and is increasing.

Yet, technology doesn’t have to be the scary monster of modernisation. For instance, significant efficiency gains can be made in how technology integrates with business objectives. Research by Hitachi Capital Business Finance showed that 76% of UK small businesses ‘have used tech to boost their business operations and operate more effectively’. So, how do leaders successfully modernise a business and encourage employees to join them on the journey? It’s easier than you think.

Understand people’s fear of change, and take small steps

Gently introducing concepts from the top down may help employees see how things could look different. According to Forbes, creating an environment of psychological safety can help employees and managers alike to comfortably share new ideas, even the left field ones. By taking a ‘softly softly’ approach to managing change, leaders could see the bigger picture of what it looks like across departments and for different personalities.

We’re all human, and humans need to air their grievances. In taking the time to actively listen to people’s frustrations, we could better identify their fears, and in doing so dig into what genuinely prevents people from embracing technology. It could be deep-seated resentment of modernisation, or mistrust of the technology itself. We may discover people’s fear of becoming irrelevant, or a realisation that they can’t keep up with their peers. When we listen and understand where they’re coming from, we can guide them through the process.

To accomplish this, it’s a good idea to explain the benefits of how technology can help them become more productive and happier at work. Do this clearly and concisely. For many, the idea of using software they haven’t used before is frightening. Typically, this is based on unfounded fear of the unknown rather than fear of the software itself. We can overcome people’s fear of the unknown by helping them replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Integrating technology in small stages may also be helpful, as we are more likely to enjoy more frequent success, which helps dispel fear.

This is why it’s crucial to show the results of how technology can help in incremental steps. Small successes grow to become large, where even the most reticent of employees can’t fail to see the benefits.

Understand objections, and challenge them head-on

Some objections leaders encounter are understandable. One of the highlights in Gartner’s Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2022 is the ability to ‘sculpt change’. The urge to keep up as a digitally enabled business is ubiquitous, from senior leadership teams to right across the organisation. Technology progress continues apace, with computing and processing capacity hitting double figures every 18 months. This fast pace is noticed by managers who feel they may be undermined by more tech-savvy colleagues, or by marketing and salespeople who see automation as a threat to their livelihoods.

It can be jarring if technology is introduced too quickly or too frequently, perhaps because new managers want to swiftly impose their influence by introducing new apps. This could create mistrust in technology, as well as confusion over how different technologies can be smoothly integrated.

People are not blind to how much money businesses spend on technology. (In 2020 alone, UK investment in deep tech rose by 17%, which is the highest rate of growth globally.) If a business consistently spends big on integrating systems that don’t pan out, it could create disillusionment. Employees may begin to think the senior leadership team doesn’t have a clear vision, and that the money could be better spent on increasing salaries, or finding new clients. With these feelings floating through the air, it’s easy for a workforce to become burned out by the concept of ‘digital progress’.

Reasonable objections may be countered by being sensible and realistic about the benefits. The key to doing this is with clear, concise communication. The antidote to feeling oppressed by decisions about which technology should be adopted is to include people in the decision-making.

Appeal to those bogged down by mundane tasks by describing how automation can help reduce their workload (as well as supercharge talent acquisition), freeing them up to be more creative with their time. Reveal to project managers how remote workers can easily collaborate wherever they are in the world. Allay people’s fear of doing something wrong by showing them how secure software upgrades are, and how they can become safer by practising better security hygiene.

A granular approach to understanding how technology (and change) affects individuals and what they do for a business is crucial. While it may be difficult to do this person by person in a large organisation, leaders could still adopt the mindset of knowing more about each role and the tasks people regularly perform.

Throw big solutions at small problems, and keep things human-centred

The more people know about technology in the workplace at a senior leadership level, the better it can be explained and demonstrated to everybody else. Leaders would do well to stay up to speed with what’s going on in digital transformation projects in other industries. Here are two of the biggest tech trends:

Cloud computing. Filing cabinets are obsolete. We don’t necessarily need expensive, physical spaces. Employees can access documents wherever they are in the world thanks to collaboration and communication tools. We can share project materials quickly, from images to film footage, large and small documents, and even specific file types such as Photoshop or Figma. Thanks to cloud-based project management software, we can access and keep track of tasks independent of operating system, browser or location. Forbes suggests that despite worries about security risks, cloud computing can help to maximise scalability and reach global competitiveness.

Communication tools. Most of us have heard of Zoom, a video conferencing tool that took off during the pandemic. There are so many variations of the same, such as Slack, Circle and Teams. Technology has helped us become better at communicating. A chief information officer told McKinsey that he found texting a ‘human way’ to provide his company updates, rather than via official channels. We know more about what other people are working on, and know where we fit into the puzzle. We see productivity and efficiency gains much easier than before because we’re able to monitor progress, see pain points, and anticipate issues before they occur. We connect with customers better. We produce better work – after all, a Glassdoor survey found that 57% of projects fail due to a breakdown in communications.

It’s easy to get excited about what technology can bring to a business, but try to frame concepts and strategies in how they help people. Being human-centred when we talk tech is useful in combatting fear of the unknown.

Employees may find it difficult to grasp what digital transformation means, and technology such as automation in the workplace may be seen as a threat. This could lead to change programmes being unnecessarily scrutinised instead of accepted, which could lead to costly project abandonment.

Businesses could also become dependent on technology for technology’s sake. Throwing money at the latest thing isn’t as effective as getting the right tool for the job, and a workforce isn’t necessarily oblivious to when money is being spent on ineffective outcomes.

Yet, leaders can build and encourage a collaborative environment by including people in making decisions over what’s used and how it’s implemented. With a clear vision of what needs to be achieved, and with clear communication around productivity and efficiency benefits, strong, modern, digitally enabled organisations can be built with technology enabled people at the heart of everything.