Oups! We did it Again!
Omar Turza
Business Transformation and Change Leader|Project Program Lead| Data & AI Driven Solution Architecture| Credit & Operational Risk Control Manager
Once upon a time in the vast kingdom of Corporate Land, a long-awaited, highly anticipated, ridiculously expensive system solution was finally launched. Many wizards had spent months—no, years—building this magical tool, ensuring it had everything the kingdom’s end users could ever need (or at least what the tech team thought they needed).
And then… absolutely nothing happened.
That’s right—zero adoption. Not a single soul in the kingdom so much as clicked a button or logged in out of sheer curiosity. The new system sat there, untouched, like an unopened gift from an HR-mandated Secret Santa. Months passed. The system remained as pristine as the day it was launched.
No one officially investigated why, but everyone had their own theories:
So now, with the weight of corporate embarrassment looming, the question was: how do we fix this and make sure people actually use the system before someone higher up notices?
The Grand Plan to Force (Oops, I Mean Encourage) Adoption
1. Bring in the Big Guns – Top-Level Key Sponsors
When a polite email doesn’t work (and let’s be honest, it never does), it’s time for top-level sponsors to roll up their sleeves and have a little “chat” with end-user leadership. A friendly conversation… or a high-stakes game of corporate poker where the message is clear: "Use the system or prepare for some really awkward performance review discussions."
2. Set Usage Targets – Because Metrics Solve Everything
Nothing motivates leaders like KPIs they can’t ignore. Let’s set phased objectives to increase system usage, complete with deadlines. At first, we’ll go easy—maybe just a few users testing it out. Then, boom! Before they know it, everyone’s knee-deep in the new system and wondering how they got here.
3. Outlaw the Outlaws – Ban Rogue Workflows
Ah, the good old “but we’ve always done it this way” excuse. Well, not anymore. Out-of-system workflows? Denied. Rejected. Forbidden. You want approvals? You want reports? You want your job to function normally? Use. The. System.
4. Retrain, Observe, and Spy on Them (Nicely, Of Course)
Since telling people to use the system clearly didn’t work, it’s time to watch them in action. Train them (again), sit behind them, and see what exactly is stopping them from clicking that login button. If they hesitate too long, give them an encouraging stare until they comply.
5. Interrogate the Users – Understand Their Pain
Let’s play detective. Select a sample group and grill—uh, interview—them on why they refuse to embrace the system. Are they confused? Frustrated? Or just stubborn? Either way, their feedback will help us build a better strategy (or just eliminate excuses).
6. Fix What’s Broken – Digital & Non-Digital Enhancements
If the feedback reveals legitimate issues (as opposed to the classic “I just don’t want to” response), analyze them carefully. Maybe the UI is confusing. Maybe there’s an easier way to integrate old workflows. Whatever it is, we’ll find the gap and fill it with tech… or sheer willpower.
7. Design Workarounds That Don’t Make People Quit
Since a culture of forced adoption rarely ends well (we’re looking at you, failed ERP rollouts of the past), any workaround solutions must be human-friendly. If people think the system makes their job harder, they’ll find a way to avoid it—like using Excel in secret. We can’t let that happen.
8. Feedback, Test, Repeat – Like a Never-Ending Beta Test
Every workaround, tweak, and update should be tested with real users before rolling out. The last thing we need is fixing one issue while creating three new ones. Think of it like agile system adoption—small iterations, continuous improvements, and never-ending patience.
9. Extend Support – Because Someone Will Always Say "It’s Not Working"
No system is truly functional until level 1 support is flooded with questions that could’ve been answered if people actually read the training materials. But alas, since that’s never happening, we’ll have dedicated support on standby to assist users in real time.
10. Build a Cult—Oops, I Mean a “Champion Network”
Every revolution needs leaders, so let’s create champions within the end-user community. These folks will be trained to an almost guru-like level and tasked with spreading the word. If users won’t listen to IT, they might listen to one of their own.
11. Let Champions Train the Masses – Peer Pressure Works
Once these champions have been brainwashed—uh, trained and empowered, they’ll pass their wisdom down to the rest of the users. Seeing a fellow colleague master the system should trigger just enough FOMO to make others follow suit.
12. Tie System Adoption to KPIs – Because Carrots and Sticks Work
Want a good performance rating? Want that promotion? Want to be considered not completely replaceable? Then start using the system. Period.
13. Reward Compliance – Because Everyone Loves Free Stuff
Finally, let’s give actual incentives. Badges, certificates, maybe even a coveted LinkedIn endorsement from leadership (“Congrats, Bob! You finally logged in!”). If nothing else works, there’s always free coffee or an Amazon gift card to motivate adoption.
Final Thoughts – Resistance is Futile
The moral of this corporate fairy tale? When change management approach is not aligned with project management from the beginning an initiative, users will resist change until change is forced upon them in a way they can’t ignore. Bringing in change management approach at very later stage, using emails only for adoption and usage only after new systems are after rollout will not work. In such scenario (and yes its too late) the limited options could be applying some right mix of pressure (specifically to user-leads), re-training end users, instant support to gain some confident, and bribery (I mean reward), then this may (yes may and not certain) turn this ghost town of a system into the bustling marketplace of efficiency it was always meant to be.
So, let’s go forth and make system adoption unavoidable. After all, there’s nothing corporate leadership loves more than seeing that usage dashboard finally move off zero.