So you did all the research, completed a trial, talked to our Sales Team and asked all the right questions. At the end of the process, you decided that ProWorkflow is the new Project Management Tool of your choice. But it’s not all done and dusted. 

Moving on, one of the biggest hurdles you are facing is to ensure other people care enough to support your choice.  

How to get buy in when introducing your team to ProWorkflow?

The reason for this is that people simply may not understand what’s in it for them. It may look important to you, but is it important to them? 

Does the team have the mind-space to embrace a new process? People may be so bogged down with other things on their to-do list that it’s in the too hard basket. 

Or people may like what they have. It may be as simple as people not liking change. 

All the above are reasons why people may fail to support your roadmap for the next step forward. Even when it’s crystal clear to you why the change needs to happen and why this is the right answer, there is no guarantee for buy in from everybody else involved. 

But there’s no need to despair. Handle it smartly and you may significantly increase your chances of buy in. Here are a few things you can do to enlist support for your idea. 

1.     Get all your ducks in a row

First and foremost, it’s important that you have it all clear in your head. Why is the change necessary? What are the consequences of change? The gains? The losses?  Get the numbers straight. Nothing talks like money that is saved or processes that become more streamlined. Make sure you get a feel of what’s close to people’s hearts. 

Communicate your information quickly and clearly. Keep going back to the thinking process until you have all your ducks in a row. 

2.     Communicate early in the process

To get buy in, it’s important that all stakeholders are involved early in the decision process. Present your idea and get feedback at an early stage. List all the ifs and buts. 

You allow yourself plenty of wiggle-room to come up with answers and solutions if you do this early on.  It’s a lot harder to go back to the drawing board when you first hear about a valid concern when you are very advanced in the deciding process (or even after you have hit the purchase button). Really listen to all the objections. Address any valid questions raised. 

Don’t get too attached to your idea. While some objections will be like ‘We don’t like change’, some feedback may not have crossed your mind and demand some re-thinking.  

3.     Involve stakeholders of all levels

Get non-management employees who are positive about the change to become evangelists about the new tool. People may be more inclined to listen to peers than to management and be more open to believe what comes out of a colleagues mouth. Make excitement contagious and let them spread the good news.

4.     Make it as painless as possible

Ensure good training early on as well as follow-up support to guide everybody through the changes.  Be aware that not everybody learns in the same way.  Some people might prefer to read a manual,  while others might sign up for a demo. Offer lots of opportunity for peer-support and feedback even after implementation of the new tool. 

5.     Be transparent

Communicate clearly and regularly about what is going on and where you are in the process. Talk about the wins as well as the hurdles. When people are left in the dark, they get concerned and start assuming. And on top of that, nothing kills enthusiasm like gossip and suspicion. 

On a final note, we want to remind you we’re experts in getting you up and running fast.  Just send us an email or pick up the phone. What counts to us is for your team to get the support it needs. We definitely want to do everything we can to make your ProWorkflow journey a smooth sailing experience. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!