Your team is resistant to adopting new digital tools. How can you effectively overcome their resistance?

Personally, I am fond of several technics which can be used for any digital transformation changes. One, link it to any current business and personal objectives to showcase the importance and nudge it. Second, review the processes and incorporate the new tool into one of them either by replacing the old medium or add to existing. Last and most favorite, add a gamification element, organize a contest to convert the tool and cheer the funny failures.

One thing I've found helpful is eduacting the staff in the business itself and generate engagement with the mission and vision of the company. It may be obviuos for top level management, but the common employee is not necessarily aware of how the company actually works as a whole and the importance of their job in the greater scheme. Feeling part of something big and that you can actually understand and relate to can be a good drive to motivate yourself and embrace the new digital tools.

Overcoming resistance to new digital tools requires a human-centered approach that resonates with your team. Start by sharing a story that reflects their everyday challenges—perhaps a scenario where they spend hours on repetitive tasks that could easily be automated. Then, pivot to how this new tool can alleviate those frustrations, allowing them to focus on more meaningful work. Emphasize the personal benefits, such as how it can reduce stress, save time, and enhance their ability to contribute creatively. By connecting the tool to their individual growth and well-being, you make the change feel less like an imposition and more like a valuable opportunity.

As marketers, we need to constantly evolve in the ever-changing digital landscape to fully explore new tools, platforms & opportunities as they emerge. This is often challenging, particularly for legacy employees who are stuck in a certain routine or struggle to think outside the box. Using creative solutions such as ongoing, interactive lunch & learns or corporate retreats gives folks a moment to pause while creating a cutting edge, empowered, & happy work culture. Exploring new tools as a group allows teams the space to challenge one another, bond & grow collectively. Don't forget to make it fun! Bring an organized plan to the table to educate & incentivize, with interactive games & prizes to make them pay closer attention as they grow.

Being myself the early adopter. I can not give a direction about something I have not done. Set the example, experience the barriers and learn to overcome them and lead by experience. It is in life as it is with tech.

One thing I have observed, from my experience as a Digital Transformation consultant, is getting the Leadership to drive adoption from the forefront. When leadership shows enthusiasm towards adopting digital technologies, speaks more about the benefits and makes it a part of the larger growth strategy, the team members gain inspiration and show lesser resistance towards adoption.

"What is in it for me?" Before great CX comes great UX. Don't forget to explain how individuals benefit from your initiatives. We of course always focus on the customer first, but in order to deliver a digital strategy to the customer, you need to excite your colleagues first. So go ask yourself: "What is in it for them?" Could be reputation, better data quality in their CRM, monetary incentives, career opportunites etc.

Entusiasmo é contagiante. A gest?o do time precisa ser responsável por mantes o time atualizado e curioso. Compartilhar os casos mais atuais, referências, debates sobre inova??o provocam o engajamento de todos.

I've discovered that allowing team members to experience the frustrations of outdated processes often accelerates their embrace of new digital tools. By temporarily removing access to certain efficiency-boosting software, the team quickly realizes how much they've come to rely on these tools. This brief "digital deprivation" approach has consistently resulted in more enthusiastic adoption and creative use of our digital solutions across various roles. Sometimes, remember how it really used to be, reframes our perspectives.

Their is always many challenges for introducing new tools and systems in team because they don’t want to change their habits and transgression always takes time but if once you tell the benefits of that tool like how much this can save time, efforts and more then, team may be adapt it but at the same time tool and system must have power in it so that any one can be able to change their habit for it. So, yes Eduction is one of the best way for transgression and introducing new tools and system in between the team.

Transparency is key to building trust internally. Let people know you are considering something new and the reasons why. Bring them through the decision making process. It's also important to create an environment where they can try out or work within the new tool that is low risk - allow people to execute a passion project or an office social responsibility project where they can flex the new tool without fear of the unknown in a higher risk situation.

My 2 cents: Start with teams that are open to change and keen on trying new things. Once several of those teams share their success stories within the firm, it is much easier to get others on board of the initiative. Too often projects are started in areas with the highest potential but where people are critical or resistant to change. It’s almost impossible to make an innovation project successful in such an environment. Thus, start with highly motivated teams in adjacent areas and after their performance has improved significantly due to the changes usually other teams follow much easier ??

Ich würde zun?chst ergründen, warum mein Team Bedenken hat oder sich gegen neue Tools wehrt. Eventuell hat das Team ja recht? Wir diskutieren darüber und ich h?re die Meinungen. Brauche ich absoluten Konsens? Nein. Ich brauche eine gewisse, anerkannte Entscheidungskompetenz und damit gewisse Autorit?t im Team, nicht über den Titel, durch Kompetenz.

Being part of any decision making process means you are important.. Important people hardly resist anything they were a part of because they are always in it to win it. So yes , involve them when making the decision. They are a key stakeholder in the process.

To overcome resistance, start by involving your team in the decision-making process to give them ownership. Communicate the benefits of the new tools and how they will simplify their work. Provide hands-on training and ongoing support to build confidence. Address concerns empathetically and highlight success stories from early adopters. Gradually implement the tools, allowing time for adjustment, and celebrate small wins to foster a positive attitude toward change.

It’s always important to listen to everyone involved, whether it is members of your team or wider stakeholders, when discussing and implementing new tools. Change is always challenging and whilst some people love change, most people need reassurance and understanding to embrace something new. Digital tools often change but it doesn’t mean digital people still feel confident with new tools. So listening to all the concerns is essential to a successful adoption of new tools. Explain the rationale for the new tool, discuss the benefits but be open and honest about concerns and issues. Your team will respect you much more for your honesty and for listening to their point of view.

I encourage you to practice "active listening" - even more so if you have a concrete goal in mind. You will be tempted to just "listen to answer" and go on with your agenda. Instead, try to listen and ask questions to understand how you can support or whether maybe your strategy needs an adjustment to better fit your colleagues' needs to enhance customer interaction!

En affinant notre approche et en posant des questions plus ciblées, nous pouvons améliorer nos préoccupations, notre apprentissage et notre compréhension des sujets abordés. Je suis convaincu que cette approche nous permettra non seulement de tirer le meilleur parti des technologies numériques, mais aussi de renforcer notre compétence à interagir de manière plus productive avec les outils numériques.

Abordar as preocupa??es da equipe sobre a ado??o de novas ferramentas digitais é essencial para mitigar resistências. é fundamental reconhecer e validar quest?es relacionadas à seguran?a no emprego, curva de aprendizado e relevancia das ferramentas. Ao oferecer suporte personalizado e enfatizar que essas tecnologias visam aprimorar as capacidades dos colaboradores, e n?o substituí-los, promove-se um ambiente de confian?a. Além disso, é importante comunicar que a evolu??o das fun??es é uma oportunidade, e que as ferramentas digitais s?o instrumentos de apoio nesse processo.

Let’s address the elephant in the room—or rather, the chatbot in the server. Start by listening to the concerns. Yes, even the one about how the last tool almost drove them to invent a time machine to escape the onboarding process. Validate those fears, and then gently remind them: these tools aren’t here to replace their skills but to supercharge them. The key? A little personalized support and a lot of reassurance. These tools are like digital sidekicks—think of them as the Robin to their Batman. Their job isn't going anywhere, but it might just get a whole lot easier and maybe even a bit cooler. And Yes, the future isn’t about working harder; it’s about working smarter. And who doesn’t want to be a little smarter?

If the tech decision is driven from a business perspective it is wise to set clear KPIs for transition to the new platform and deprecation of previous ones. This goes beyond deep process as was/to be work and straight to adoption. If the decision is driven by the team ‘we have got to have this or we can’t do our jobs’ then KPIs should be related to usage. Essentially use it or lose it. Many businesses fall foul of signing up to the latest tech and end up with tens to hundreds of different subscriptions wasting ￡’000s a year.

With most new technologies, the end user is hesitant. To no-ones surprise: the user has a hard time seeing the immediate benefit to them, so why bother? Its been really interesting to witness, in terms of gen-AI, that this is still the case, despite the direct benefits to the user. Whats the missing piece in the adoption puzzle? Simply put: time. Everyone is busy (or feels they are busy), and change is hard and takes an effort. So once training and implementation are done, you need to help carve out time for the user. Create space for them to use and play with the new technology, nudging them to become familiar with it.

Start with regular check-ins, throw in some refresher courses. And don’t forget to celebrate the little victories! Did someone finally figure out how to use the tool without calling IT? That’s worth a round of applause, and maybe even a coffee voucher :) Recognize and reward the tech champions in your team, and soon enough, everyone will be clicking, swiping, and typing their way to digital bliss. In the end, consistency, a bit of humor, and some well-placed high-fives will turn resistance into reliance.

Maintaining momentum post-implementation is crucial for the sustained adoption of digital tools. In my experience, continuous engagement through regular feedback sessions and refresher courses keeps the team motivated. Celebrating milestones and recognizing those who show significant improvements can create a positive reinforcement loop. We often are so focused on "getting the work done" that we forget we also need to communicate our teams' achievements. I would say 90% work and 10% communication is a good approach to keep up a momentum and also further spread the word about your initiative to get more colleagues on board!

Pour ma part, pour mesurer l'application des outils et compétences acquises lors de mes formations, je fais un suivi avec les apprenants à travers des séances de coaching individuel sur la manière dont ils ont utilisés les outils, les résultats obtenus, et nous voyons ensemble comment nous pouvons continuer à avancer.