(^78) 97 Things Every Project Manager Should Know
Chart a Course for Change
Kathy MacDougall
Erie, Colorado, U.S.
nEW SoFTWARE ChAngES ThE WAy In WhICh PEoPlE WoRK. This may
be good for the organization, but the people who work there aren’t always
ready to embrace change. And let’s face it, if people can’t be convinced, cajoled,
or commanded to use your new software, it’s been a big waste of time and
money.
When requiring people to change the ways in which they work, the carrot
method (reward) is much better than the stick (punishment). Even if they’re
forced to adopt it, if your new software does not provide significant benefits
that users can understand and master, they will find every way possible to
avoid using it. Proper care must be taken to 1) understand the impact of this
change on the people it touches, and 2) put in place change-management plans
that help these people embrace the change.
Key to understanding the impact of the change is to understand how people
currently work and exactly how the new software will change that process. This
increases the chances that users will adopt the new system, and also improves
the design of your end-product, as it ensures that it will fit user needs.
The importance of change management cannot be underestimated and should
be a project manager’s focus early on in the project. To determine the impact
of the change on users, first document all current (“as is”) processes that touch
the software project. Create process flow diagrams that detail daily tasks as
well as data inputs and outputs.