Change management for AI projects –
Why, who, how
(and why you’re better off not starting without professionals and a checklist)

Artificial intelligence is the hot topic right now. Hardly a day goes by without a new tool, smart assistant, or automated process being touted. Companies are literally falling over themselves to do “something with AI.”

 

But let’s be honest:
An AI project is not an end in itself.
Without change management, it will remain just the latest buzzword – and you will miss the opportunity to create a real market advantage.

Why is change management so important for AI projects?

Because technology alone does not bring about change.
The introduction of AI means new processes, new roles, new expectations—and above all, new emotions.

 

👉 Studies such as those conducted by Changefirst show that projects with professional change management generate an ROI of up to 650%—and even 200% for smaller projects.

 

Without change management, the result is often:

 

great AI that no one uses,
an overwhelmed team that sees AI as a threat,
or a project that fizzles out before it creates real value.

 

Real-world examples:

 

• NHS Digital in the UK: Digital services were successfully rolled out because change agents were involved early on.
• Microsoft’s AI introduction: Success not through technology, but through employee involvement.

 

Conclusion: Only those who combine AI with change can turn hype into real advantage.

Who should do AI change management?

The answer is simple: not the lone IT project manager.
Successful AI implementations require:

 

• A change community – people from different departments who support the change.
• Change agents – internal champions who alleviate fears (“AI will replace me”) and highlight opportunities (“AI will free you from tedious Excel battles”).
• Management support – budget, time, and backing so that change does not become an after-hours project.

 

Best practice:

 

The Otto Group uses AI in customer service – successfully, because employees were involved from the outset.

How do you implement change for AI projects?

Change is not a mystery, but a craft. The following also (or especially) applies to AI:

 

1. Demonstrate urgency
   Make it clear why AI is relevant now – not “because it’s hip,” but because competitive advantages are at stake.
2. Form coalitions
   Get supporters from specialist departments, IT, and management on board. AI is not an IT solo endeavor.
3. Develop and communicate a vision
   In the form of a change story: “What does AI mean for me?” – The heart, gut, and head must all be on board.
4. Remove obstacles
   From missing data to skepticism within the team: Change means removing stumbling blocks.
5. Celebrate quick wins
   Show small, visible successes (“AI saves us 2 hours per week”) before the big vision takes effect.
6. Anchor change
   Create new routines so that AI doesn’t gather dust on the shelf after a few months.

 

And very importantly: Change is emotional.
Every change goes through a curve from shock to rejection to acceptance. This is exactly where it is decided whether AI is perceived as a threat or as support.

Practical example:

 

The LEGO Group demonstrates how a compelling change story enabled a complete turnaround—not through numbers, but through an emotional message.

KI + Change = Gamechanger

AI is like a new colleague: highly talented, but difficult to assess.
Without change management:

 

employees see more risks than benefits
AI is only used as a “better search” tool
managers underestimate the cultural change
the technology remains unused.

 

With change management:

 

transparency about benefits and goals emerges,
dialogue replaces office gossip,
quick wins become visible, and motivation grows.

 

This ensures that AI does not become a flash in the pan, but a real market advantage.

Checklist & support from the pros

Yes, that sounds like a lot. It is.
But don’t worry—we’ve got you covered:

 

1. Our Change Project Checklist—a pragmatic cheat sheet with all the important questions and steps. Simply request it via the contact form on our homepage.
2. More importantly, we provide hands-on help.
   Whether it’s AI implementation, multi-project change, or cultural change – we get involved, build your change community, develop your change story, and ensure that your project really takes root in everyday life.

 

Because: Checklist + professionals = your AI project is up and running.

Der Beitrag Change management for AI projects erschien zuerst auf 3kubik GmbH.

Event review:

Our impressions of the Knowledge Management Days 2024

From November 19 to 20, 2024, we attended the Knowledge Management Days in Stuttgart. With a new venue and exciting discussions, it was a great opportunity to exchange ideas with professionals from the industry – even if the event sometimes made us think.

A new home for the Knowledge Management Days

The congress took place in a modern, inviting location (the GATE22 – Hybrid Studio), which brought a breath of fresh air to the event. It was our fourth time taking part, even though one edition was canceled due to the corona break. Nevertheless, it felt like a home game, as we now feel part of the community and are always happy to see many familiar faces.

AI everywhere – but how much does it really help?

The central theme this year was “Knowledge meets AI”. The topic was addressed in almost every presentation – sometimes so much so that it seemed almost overwhelming. Although we appreciate the potential of AI, the question arose for us: do AI tools really make us better knowledge managers or should we not focus on finally making full use of human intelligence?
A little anecdote lightened the mood: the moderator made a tongue-in-cheek appeal not to mob AI – or affectionately known as “Kai”. This shows our ambivalent relationship with artificial intelligence: we humanize it instead of focusing on the exchange with actual human intelligence around us and using AI as a tool that can be meaningfully integrated into everyday working life if we train and use it correctly. Despite impressive technical possibilities: Humans and their ability to share knowledge and enrich it through interaction, experience and learning cannot be replaced.

Our contribution:
Interactive walls for “Aha!” moments

 

 

 

As sponsors, we brought along our own format:

Interactive themed posters to encourage participants to record and share their

aha moments from the sessions and share them.

We set up four central categories:
1. human/cultural
2. organizational
3. technical
4. strategic

Equipped with post-its and pens, we had prepared everything – even the moderator repeatedly praised our format. Nevertheless, it was surprising how difficult many people found it to record their thoughts.

Why sharing knowledge is so difficult

Our impression: Knowledge managers – the experts for sharing knowledge – also have reservations. The challenge often lay in the fact that many considered their own insights to be too banal or were unsure whether they were really relevant. One participant even told us that he had only just learned about terms such as “culture of sharing” or “knowledge staircase” at the conference – and thought that such “basics” were not worth sharing.
We recognize a familiar pattern here: what some people take for granted can open up a completely new perspective for others. This shows how important it is to create spaces and structures that reduce these uncertainties.

Our insights

The Knowledge Management Days not only offered us the opportunity to learn new things, but also to reflect on our own approaches. In particular, we were confirmed in our assumption that “culture follows structure”. If you want to delve deeper into this, you should take a look at Larman’s Laws. There is more on this here.
If we want people to start sharing their knowledge, we need to create structures that encourage this. Our interactive walls were a small step in this direction. We provided the necessary resources (post-its, pens), explained the purpose of the format and made the walls visible. However, just like in day-to-day business, it takes time and practice to make sharing knowledge a routine.

Summary: An

exciting look into the future

Our experience at the Knowledge Management Days 2024 shows us that, despite all the technological advances, people are at the heart of knowledge management. AI can provide support, but the foundation remains a strong, active knowledge culture. Without this, even AI has nothing to interpret.
As sponsors, we are proud to make a small contribution with our format – and take away a lot of inspiration to make our own work and that of our customers even better. We are already looking forward to next year!
The elaboration of the Aha-Moments will follow next week.

Der Beitrag Knowledgemanagement Days 2024 erschien zuerst auf 3kubik GmbH.

Copetri COCON 2024

The Copetri Cocon 2024 was a dream! From the moment we arrived at the trade fair, the energy was simply infectious. We are particularly proud and grateful that we were able to give a great Solution Spotlight presentation on our joint project SharePa together with our customer AB Enzymes, followed by a great workshop!

Our Solution Spotlight presentation: SharePa

The Solution Spotlight presentation was definitely a highlight. In this presentation, we presented our joint project SharePa together with AB Enzymes. It was great to see how interested and engaged the audience was. Not only were we able to present the benefits and successes of our project, but we were also able to share valuable insights and experiences with the participants. The enthusiasm and positive feedback showed us that we are on the right track.

Success factors for projects: Our workshop

Another highlight was our joint workshop in which we discussed the most important requirements for a successful project. It was exciting to see how the participants and later co-authors of the guide jointly collected the most important points on how to effectively plan and implement change projects. Together we talked about the importance of clear objectives, good communication and strong teamwork. The interaction with the participants was great and we learnt a lot from each other. You can download the guide here! Download  

Fun and new impressions

But the Copetri COCON 2024 was not just ‘work’. We had an incredible amount of fun! The atmosphere at the trade fair was inspiring, and the new impressions and ideas we took away with us are priceless. The visits to our legendary trade fair stand were particularly exciting. It was fantastic to welcome so many curious and interested visitors and introduce them to our ‘way of work’.

Gratitude to our colleagues and participants

A special thank you goes to our colleagues at AB Enzymes. Without their support and co-operation, our success would not have been possible. We would also like to thank all the participants of our Solution Spotlight and workshop. Your questions, feedback and enthusiasm have inspired and motivated us.

We are grateful for the great experience and the opportunity to share our knowledge and projects at Copetri Cocon 2024. It was an incredible journey and we are already looking forward to the next opportunity to be part of it again.

Stay tuned and see you next time!
If you would like more information or documentation of our Solution Spotlight or the workshop, please get in touch!

Der Beitrag Our unforgettable experience at the Copetri COCON 2024 erschien zuerst auf 3kubik GmbH.

There was the client – AB Enzymes – for whom a changestory had to be developed. Changestories are little stories that help employees to understand the abstract topics within a change process and make them visible and tangible. In our work, this includes a logo and a small basic story. At 3kubik itself, the framing story is, for example, the adventure of everyday working life that we go through with our clients. Within this story, we have developed various protagonists (Freds) who accompany this adventure.

Developing Visual Worlds

In a workshop with ABE, we developed different visual worlds that could support change in the company. One of them was based on the theme of flying in the broadest sense. In further development of this first impulse, I then landed in the area of space travel. My idea behind this was that the employees of the company in question are already professionals in their field who now only have to learn to fly – just like astronauts.

Scribble Ideas

So I started scribbling a team so that my counterpart could imagine what the project work might look like. It was important to me that this change team be as contemporary and diverse as possible. So there was a female commander, there was an old warhorse with a bionic leg and there was also a little dog, for example.

Captain Future Destroys My Work

Then came the first presentation to the client and the first reaction was – positive! They thought my design was great. Then one participant said: “They look like Captain Future! And that was the end of all the work, because nobody wants something that already exists. I learned two things from this situation.

#2 The reverse search

I especially like to do that with logos that I develop. Because here, too, I want to make sure that no one gets something that already exists. To do this, I take a step back and ask myself, have I seen this somewhere before?

Lesson Learned

So since that experience, I’ve been checking myself much more clearly as to where exactly my inspirations come from. I wouldn’t claim at all that one uses the work of others 1:1, but there is clearly aesthetic inspiration. Then you have to sit down and ask yourself whether you’re too close to it, so it’s a copy, or an inspiration that is totally legitimate because you want to communicate the same thing.
For example, it is absolutely clear that if I make a logo with a tree, then I will make a tree that I have seen – how I then implement it is of course my work.

Diversity for the Clients

To ensure diversity for the clients in my designs, for example, when I develop crews, I look at stock material, identify the current standard and see where we can make a meaningful intervention. Take superhero teams – that’s usually where the boys outnumber the boys. I then make a team in my work with predominantly female protagonists. But that doesn’t always work out. If you have a client from the construction industry, for example, it is a fact that there is one woman for every 1,000 employees on the construction sites – so it would be absolutely inauthentic and not productive to develop an all-female team for change. You have to look very closely at what the customer needs individually and not just give him something that is currently woke.

Der Beitrag About the graphic designer and the love of one’s own work erschien zuerst auf 3kubik GmbH.

Engagement

You will achieve real success if you enable interaction. Your colleagues don’t just want to be bombarded with information and well-intentioned tips. They want to ask something, vent their frustrations, or get individual help when they get stuck and despair over a problem. They need human interaction. We humans are pack animals and team players, so let’s work as a team.

Short official channels

Maybe you already use multipliers? Or key users or power users? No matter what name you give them, multipliers have a direct line to employees. They can be addressed directly and deal with individual problems. They can name helpful sources or find the right contacts. They are someone at eye level, someone who is known, someone from us. Employees are much less reluctant to ask multipliers for help than they are to tap other resources. Multipliers may also be able to conduct workshops themselves or be specifically responsible for managers, depending on their level of training. And even if multipliers do little or none of this, they are one thing: role models. They live change. Genuine role modeling reaches the most people. Properly placed questions, hints and tips on new tools, new ways of working, etc. from multipliers, for example in meetings, make the topic constantly present and open the minds of colleagues. Multipliers stay tuned and are approachable, and that is exactly what you need for your successful digital change.

One for all. All for one.

Multipliers are also the mouthpiece of the project team. They receive direct feedback from employees and can pass this on to the project team. As a result, measures are not based so much on assumptions, but more and more on facts, the longer the use of the multipliers and the change in the company continues. Be sure to take this feedback into account, because it gives employees the feeling that they are being heard. This increases engagement, reduces frustration and strengthens the connection to the company. All points that are becoming increasingly important, especially in these times.

How do you become a multiplier?

So how do employees become multipliers? In most cases, these people are needed as part of a change project. It makes sense to involve them directly in such a project and let them participate. Perhaps multipliers can also be found in the project team itself. For other interested persons, a short onboarding is usually a good idea, in which the new mindset as well as the change itself and its added value are communicated. If multipliers can then exchange information and help each other or work together, and if the project team keeps this group of multipliers up to date and answers their questions, onboarding has been successful.

Sustainability

If you can somehow manage it, keep your multipliers active. And do so beyond the duration of the project. The world is constantly changing. Digitization is taking on forms that we could hardly have imagined two years ago. What will it look like in four years? Change will always be present in the company. Multipliers are your secret tools. They know the employees, know sensitivities, know the actual processes and problems – ask them.
Multipliers always stand out who have a great interest in digital and continue to educate themselves. These people become drivers of innovation and motivation in the company and are therefore particularly valuable. These people should definitely be valued.

Multiplier branding

For example, provide multipliers with new information at an early stage, involve them in opinion forming, create batches or T-shirts, postcards or videos about the individual personalities and their experiences. Conducts Q&A calls and events and workshops specifically for multipliers. Implement multiplier training as a permanent professional development component in your HR department. It may become an advantage for your own career to be a multiplier. Have them appear at events and in webinars. Give them visibility at higher levels of the hierarchy. Listen carefully to what your multipliers have to say.
But above all, give them enough time to do justice to their role so that instead of frustration, more and more joy arises from the new and grows steadily. Only in this way can their joy be passed on authentically and gradually reach all employees so that the digital transformation is anchored comprehensively and sustainably.

Der Beitrag Are you already using multipliers or are you letting your digital change fail? erschien zuerst auf 3kubik GmbH.

New ways lead to Rome

The Corona crisis affected not only our customers, but also us. However, since we were already used to working from anywhere, we were able to adapt to the new conditions in a very agile way. Our task now was to define new ways of collaboration with the individual stakeholders of the customer (IT, administration, department management, key users) in the shortest possible time. The new challenges were: location-independent work, collaboration, working together without sitting together, and (new) communication. There was also the question of how to make training available on the tools at hand. Our solution – an early total roll-out of Microsoft Teams .

From problem to solution

The first step was to create a public team in Microsoft Teams and a communication website in SharePoint. This site was added as a tab to the previously created team. To add value for end-users, this site was enriched with an FAQ section, use cases, training materials, and an online Teams training registration form.

Workaround stars

Since Microsoft’s booking tool was not yet available to us (and actually does not work very well until today), we had to come up with a workaround for the registration process for about 550 employees in the various parishes and church administration. Since training becomes difficult above a certain number of participants, but we needed to reach as many people as possible as quickly as possible with a limited budget, we had to break the training down to 6 dates with 100 participants each. A SharePoint list was created with these 6 dates (incl. time) and the limited number of participants. Now the user could choose one of the six dates from a second list and send his registration. With the help of PowerAutomate, the number of participants was reduced by one for each registration. As soon as this number jumped to 0, the training date was hidden from the registration form.

Go Live

After a short info to all employees with a link to the page and a hint to the registration form, the registration list was filled quickly. Subsequently, the dates were set via teams and the participants from the registration list were invited.

Learning by Training

The Teams training included all the functions that the users needed in order to independently (video) chat with their colleagues, make phone calls and set up Teams appointments. The training was recorded so that it could be made available to users on the information page afterwards. Of course, the permission of the users was requested. In order to keep the internet connection stable (which was probably the biggest challenge at that time), all users except the trainer had turned off their microphones and cameras. Questions that arose during the training were asked in the meeting chat, which was read out by the project leader. After the training, the recording was edited, then uploaded to stream and linked on the information page.

Current situation

Taking a closer look at the journey in retrospect, it is clear that the customer has achieved much more than recorded in the lines above. Not only is Microsoft Teams now used as a central medium for internal communication, but a community has been established within the organization that is independently helping and serving and supporting a much larger group of people. Furthermore, community outreach teams were integrated to include volunteers in the day-to-day work. But the most significant added value was actually the tips and tricks for everyday work as well as the joint celebration of quick successes and lessons learned.

Change of perspective

Even though we like to stick to our strategies, sometimes crises force us to rethink and speed up some things a bit in order not to lose employees completely along the way. These exceptions are necessary in such situations, but should be thought through just as strategically.

Der Beitrag Digital Corona Support in a Protestant Regional Church erschien zuerst auf 3kubik GmbH.

The “Digital Work” process

In this project, the aim was not simply to roll out new tools, but to establish “home office support” to help employees adjust to the new situation, ask questions and offer suggestions.
We asked employees what currently prevents them from being able to work in their home office in the best possible way. Our team and the DUE responded to the individual requirements, translated them into new tools and supported them in their use. Within two days, we worked together to get a support process up and running, creating task-based collaboration with real-time data and robust communication from the home office.

Moving forward together

The goal is to integrate these solutions into daily activities, to combine the individual solutions into a new standard and to prepare for a crisis-proof daily routine in a volatile and digital world. Through the roll-out of the “Digital New Work” we were able to create a clear added value that will bring Swietelsky AG and especially the DUE team further forward after the crisis.
Through the successful roll-out of the support, DUE, in cooperation with us, has proven that a Digital Workplace is nothing to be afraid of, but rather something that helps all employees to master their everyday work. Together with the key users, who were involved in setting goals and developing the project from the very beginning, we redesigned communication and information structures and streamlined processes. All internal and external users in the departments were actively introduced to the project through training sessions and became co-creators of the change through communities of practice.
In this project, too, one thing became very clear: the focus of digital transformation must be on people, not tools. After all, it is the people who make it possible for an investment in change to actually result in a change for the better. Processes of internal communication and collaboration, skills and knowledge management are the precursors of digital transformation.
This is the basis for tackling further projects.

Der Beitrag Working in times of Corona – How Swietelsky AG successfully went home office. erschien zuerst auf 3kubik GmbH.

Template chaos

Every medium-sized company knows a typical template chaos. “Look at the fileshare, there used to be a template like this”, “Talk to your colleagues, they did this a few years ago”, “Just take template XY and adapt it to today’s standard!”.

Template center – The solution

To avoid exactly such issues, there are several ways to set up your own way of working with a central location of templates. In Microsoft 365, specifically SharePoint Online, you can work with content types. But what are these things and why are they not used?

Content Types

The lack of use results – as so often – from the lack of understanding of so-called Content Types. Content Types are templates of list items or documents that can be reused in different libraries and lists within a site collection. More precisely, they are site columns (properties such as title, topic, type, etc.).

The Content Types offer a crucial advantage: you configure them and the associated columns only in one place and you can basically reuse them in any list or library. If you now change a column (property) of a configured template, this change is inherited in all lists/libraries and a manual adjustment of different lists/libraries is spared. Of course, this also applies to Word, PowerPoint, Excel and other documents that are centrally linked to a Content Type. It saves time and nerves, as the constant matching of properties or documents is no longer necessary. At the same time, a central template management location is created.

Content Types & Site Collection

However, experience has shown that it is not very common to reuse the same content type (in different lists/libraries) within a Site Collection – But using it across multiple site collections can bring immense benefits!

That means a Content Type is created centrally, such as an sales order form, which has predefined formatting and content in the associated Word document. To use it in the context of the cross-site Site Collection content type construct, the so-called Content Type Hub is used: A separate Site Collection that is basically identical to any new, empty Site Collection. The main advantage over normal Site Collections is that site columns and content types can be configured within this site and inherited by all site collections. This has the charm of using a central place to manage templates, as already described, and to push changes directly to all libraries that use these Content Types/templates. Important note at this point: If the Content Types/templates are not needed, this is not a cause for concern, as a Content Type must always be added to a library/list manually. Only in this case is in use for the desired library.

This scenario for usage also needs structure & commitment, however with the right guidance and maintenance it offers a simple set screw to facilitate processes. Template chaos adé – structure olé!

Der Beitrag Managing templates using Content Types – Don’t make it so hard for yourself! erschien zuerst auf 3kubik GmbH.

But how to prove the new ways of working and user acceptance? In addition to surveys you can use some technical solutions which deliver valid key figures. In this blog post we look into an example of Office 365, especially SharePoint Online.

Usage overview of modern SharePoint sites

After creating different Site Collections for every department with special functions and ways to work it is important to find out the usage of the different sites. Fortunately, Microsoft created a default usage report in Modern SharePoint sites to get a facile overview of all users. All accesses are anonym, but we recommend to speak with your work council and with consultancies regarding GDPR. The modern usage report is accessible via Site Contents and looks as following:

But what to do in case you are using classic Site Collections or you need a deeper insight to the usage of your new working environment. There are some default reports which are offered from Microsoft. They are accessible via Site Settings and “Popularity and Search Reports”. All the reports are opened in Excel.

Unfortunately, the reports are not meaningful regarding usage and user acceptance.

Tracking user acceptance: Google Analytics for deeper insights

If you already have been working as a web designer or in the online marketing you will already know the #1 tracking tool on the market. But I guess most of you haven´t used it for internal analyzes: Google Analytics.

You don’t have to be a fan of one of the biggest technology companies, but Google Analytics offers some great possibilities to get a deeper insights of your digitization projects. You can have an overview of site accesses which are very detailed and anonym. This shouldn’t be an advertisement for Google but in case you are reporting your homepage using Analytics why don’t you use it for SharePoint sites regarding numbers of users, sessions, bounce rates etc.?

You find the technical implementation in the great tutorial How to add Google Analytics to SharePoint (second paragraph) – “Install Google Analytics on SharePoint”. Big praise to the author Joao Ferreira on his blog Hands on SharePoint. All we need is a Google Analytics account! Well, OK you also need some time and traffic on your website ???? At least after one month of using Google Analytics the fun begins. Afterwards it´s possible to get an overview of different numbers like:

• How many users started at least one session? (users)
• How many users are visiting this site for the first time? (new users)
• How many sessions were started?
• How many sessions were started in average per user?
• How many sites were visited in average per session?
• How long took a session in average?
• What is the bounce rate comparing the number of sessions?
• Which sites were accessed very often and how long was the stay at the page?
• How many users are at the site at this moment?
• Where are the users located (geographically)?

Unfortunately, we found out that it’s not possible to combine different Site Collections with each other. Therefor you can manually transfer your important numbers to Excel or to SharePoint lists. Another great option is Power BI but it’s not as easy as it sounds. Using Power BI requires some additional skills.

Thanks to these key figures we have the chance to get a usage review which is also important for the future of your digitization agenda.

Looking at the number of employees in context of sessions and accesses is important.In some departments where you find some low-key figures after finishing the project (incl. user trainings and rollout) you get the chance to react on numbers of sessions, users and bouncing rates. All these key figures can be discussed with the Key Users in a department meeting. In the meeting you will find out whether technical or professional issues are the reason for low numbers.

Another big improvement potential is retrievable in the report used devices and browsers. On one hand errors occur because of using browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox. On the other hand, the report shows whether mobile devices are used. This can be forced to give the users an easier access to their new working place. This can also be one reason to increase the user acceptance.

So, in case you get faced with sentences like “Nobody takes advantages of it!” you have the chance to show some fact-based reports. Especially in case of potentially low encouragement and will be able to track, where people stop using it etc. to then improve the user´s journey

Which methods regarding Change Management can be used increasing the acceptance is findable in our blog post HOW WE KEEP A CHANGE PROCESS RUNNING – A USE CASE FOR CIP or we show you different ways in a personal interview.

Der Beitrag How to optimize user acceptance using Google Analytics erschien zuerst auf 3kubik GmbH.

To approach these challenges at an early stage, change management has an essential role in all our projects. At the very beginning of each project, we develop a change strategy together with our customer. Derived from this strategy, we create activities that accompany the rollout before, during and afterwards. Therefore, an essential part of the change is the CIP – short for continuous improvement process – to guarantee a long-term success of the change.

Our use case of a continuous improvement and change process

In the given example, we conducted the following activities:

1. Building a key user community
2. Communicating transparently with the associates
3. Offering trainings and space for feedback and discussions

Building a key user community

For every department we have at least named one key user, who was available as a contact person for us and who supported his or her colleagues during and still supports them after the rollout. Therefore, the key user acts as voice for us and for the change. Since the project has already ended, we established a monthly key user meeting, where they can exchange thoughts, positive and negative feedback and discuss improvements.

Communicating transparently with the associates

The highest good of any change is the transparent communication and the respectful interaction with the associates. To integrate them in the change process and to inform them about the project developments, is very important. Therefore, we placed our information about the change and the development in monthly employee meetings as well as in the company social network Yammer in order to give space for discussion.

Offering trainings and space for feedback and discussions

Often associates don’t feel confident to give feedback or to ask for help. Therefore, we offered short training sessions after the rollout over a time of seven months. Associates needed to register for the sessions. To arouse the interest, we published first tips and information about the training topics on Yammer and on a videowall in the workspace.

Yammer post to announce a training session about meta data in SharePoint

During the 1,5-hour training we focused on topics such as the SharePoint search and metadata as well as OneDrive and OneNote. Within the trainings the associates not only learned new tips and tricks, but also got space to practice, ask questions and give feedback. To accommodate the associates, we created a huge poster, where we asked them to pin their feedback. In this way they didn’t need to give their feedback directly, but we also collected their thoughts and wishes. After the training the participants and also the other associates received the training materials for further practicing.

For every project it is important to continuously make the users aware of the change. But don’t focus on the technical functionalities, but on the individual benefit. Especially users that don’t want to deal with change, can be encouraged to try and test the new way of working by implementing these kinds of activities. If you would only wait for them to ask for these kind of support, you would never get the same penetration of change.

But only time will tell, if the change has really been sustainably implemented in the daily work and culture. For us creating activities around the change process makes most fun, because this step evolves around the user of the change and not around the technology. Of course, it is always a challenge, but also the chance to get to know the user and their fears better.

Der Beitrag How We Keep A Change Process Running – A Use Case For CIP erschien zuerst auf 3kubik GmbH.