Managingchange
Implementing new technology in education can produce waves of change that ripple across multiple levels of your organization. While this change can bring potential for improvement and innovation, it can also bring upheaval, disruption and discomfort for employees.
As a leader, it falls to you to lead through these changes while embracing and leveraging the new technology to maximize the benefit to your organization. Engaging your team with empathy will go a long way toward creating the positive change you want to see. As an empathetic leader, you will listen actively, guide compassionately and strive to recognize and understand employee concerns and perspectives — even if you disagree with them.
Leading a project team to select a corporate learning management system (LMS) for a membership organization, I expected the team to share my enthusiasm for the positive change. I was only partially correct.
Here are some insights from this experience through the many phases of the project:
Not everyone loves change or finds it exciting and invigorating; many view change as threatening and uncomfortable, and this discomfort can manifest in many ways. One person may disengage, while another becomes negative and challenging. Instead of assuming that they are just plain difficult, take a moment to consider why typically engaged, collaborative employees are behaving this way.
Introducing new technology can affect the structure and even the existence of roles and established business processes. While productivity and efficiency may increase by reducing excessively manual tasks and improving communication, it can also cause anxiety due to job uncertainty, role change and the added workload tied to upskilling.
I quickly discovered resistance to acquiring an LMS; I heard questions like, “Why are we doing this?” and “Do we really need an LMS?” This surprised me, given that the potential improvement in educational delivery, learner experience and data collection was significant.
While the team was excited to begin the project, there was trepidation about how it would impact workflows, the steepness of the learning curve and whether jobs would be changed or eliminated. To manage this, I focused on my next point.
Beyond the weekly meetings where everyone shared their findings and received updates, I leveraged multiple communication channels to convey news and progress. I wanted the team to engage with the project and see their input recognized and valued. I also addressed their concerns, mainly about automation and the learner experience, by explaining how an LMS would address them.
Open communication and inclusion foster trust; by sharing transparently, project team members felt comfortable receiving the information they needed. While I did not disclose granular details about every aspect of a project, I gave a comprehensive overview of what was happening so that the reasons and methods behind the project were understood. I also offered information about the different platforms we were considering, some standard features they included and specific features we were looking for to meet the present and future needs of employees and members.
Communicating effectively also means listening effectively. Listen when someone tells you they do not understand why we chose a particular technology or that they are concerned about the effect on their role. This is your opportunity to recognize and resolve a knowledge gap or a misunderstanding.
I also listened when there were complaints about the project initiative or even how I was doing things. Then I asked questions. Be open to the information you receive and do not be afraid of criticism. While we all want to hear positive things about ourselves and our work, we can often learn more from constructive criticism.
Communication is a fine art, but there can be a point where it becomes oversharing. It is up to you to judge whether you are giving your team relevant information or burdening them with more than they need. For example, if my director tells me that my team was not producing quickly enough, and they are worried about the progress and viability of the project, then I need to communicate that to the team.
How you communicate the information is the challenge. If I lead with, “Management would like us to pick up the pace to ensure we meet our deadlines,” I am communicating what needs to be done without a value judgment.
If I lead with, “Management doesn’t think this team is working fast enough and they are unhappy with you and concerned the project will fail,” it has now become a personal critique of the team and is unlikely to achieve the desired result, which is to increase production. The team may feel targeted and judged, and now you must also manage their concerns.
I always ask myself, “What is my endgame?” In other words, what do I want to accomplish? In this case, a successful, timely conclusion to the project and the selection of a new LMS. This will be much harder to achieve if the project team is demoralized, demotivated and feels unappreciated.
You do not need to, nor are you expected to, know how to do every part of the project. That is why you have a team. Know your people and what they are capable of. Also, remember that a person’s job description may not necessarily describe their capabilities, so ask questions.
This LMS project has comprised a detailed needs assessment, an environmental scan, user journey mapping and supplier interviews. I have a whole team of people with diverse skills and experiences assigned to this project for a reason, and I am there to direct and capitalize on their knowledge. You have a team that expects to do the work; let them and trust them to do it well.
As tasks are completed and goals met, remember to give credit where credit is due and say thank you; everyone deserves acknowledgement for their contributions. Noting that one of your team had a great idea or did an excellent job does not diminish your position as a leader; it shows that you have the confidence to recognize your team members’ achievements and support your team. Let others know if someone has a particularly innovative idea or made an outstanding contribution.
Leadership comes in many forms and levels; you may lead the company or a single project like mine. Regardless of your level, remember that introducing new technology is as much about people as it is about evolving and advancing as a company. Success isn’t just measured by selecting the right platform — it’s also about how we engage with our teams, acknowledge and address their concerns and build trust with empathetic communication.
By listening with intent, communicating thoughtfully and recognizing the strengths of those around us, we can transform resistance into collaboration and hesitation into innovation. Change is inevitable, but how we lead through it makes all the difference.
Marie Primeau-Maurice is an instructional designer and graphic designer. You can email her at learner2leadership@gmail.com or connect through www.linkedin.com/in/marie-primeau-maurice-id
