How to prepare your small association’s staff for new technology

Even if new technology offers big benefits, your association’s employees might resist change if they feel unprepared for it.

Here’s how to help overcome resistance to, and improve team satisfaction with, your association’s next membership management system.

One thing that can make a huge difference in your small association’s success is the technology you use to manage your association. Choosing an all-in-one membership management solution like YourMembership association management software (AMS) can help your entire team work more efficiently and deliver a better member experience.

But even when technology can make their lives easier, some employees might resist the technology change. It’s sound counterintuitive, I know. But there are some situations that can make for a bumpy transition to new technology.

Why employees resist technology change

When you think about it, resistance to technology change isn’t all that much different from resistance to other changes. People typically don’t like change if they feel unprepared for it.

Here are some key reasons employees fail to adopt new technology:

• It comes as a surprise – Your employees are already busy getting their jobs done every day. If you throw a technology change at them when they haven’t had time to adjust their schedule for it and prepare for it mentally, they’re likely to resist it.
• They don’t understand the value – Moving to new technology can provide great benefits. But it also takes time and effort to learn new systems and adapt to new ways of doing things. If employees do not see the value to the organization and to them as individuals, then they’ll likely be less open to the change.
• They don’t have adequate help – Change can feel awkward at first. If employees do not have proper training and resources to use the technology and find answers when they feel stuck, they might throw up their hands in frustration.

Resistance to change represents a certain amount of risk to your association’s new technology initiatives. That’s where change management comes in.

RESOURCE: Looking for a new association management software system? Download the guide, The Ultimate Association Management Software (AMS) Buyer’s Guide

3 tips for effective change management for your new technology

By applying principles of change management, you can help to ensure adoption of your new technology. Here are three tips to help overcome resistance to, and improve team satisfaction with, new technology:

1. Give employees plenty of notice. Let your employees know well in advance that the technology change is coming. Be sure to communicate when they can expect the change and when they will be expected to participate in trainings and begin using the new system.

2. Explain the benefits. Once you know you’re moving to a new technology system, let employees know the benefits of the change to the organization and to them as staff members. For example:

• • Let them know if the new system will save them time by automating mundane manual tasks or consolidating information in one system to avoid duplicate data entry.
  • Tell them about any new technology features, such as an online member community or reports and dashboards, that will help them serve members better.
  • Articulate the benefits the organization expects to see from the technology change, such greater member engagement, fewer systems and spreadsheets to maintain, and the ability to manage multiple aspects of the organization from a single system.

3. Give them the resources they need to succeed. Make sure everyone on staff who will be using the system has proper training before rolling out the new technology. Also, give them resources they can reference if they need a refresher on how to do something. And, be sure to let them know who to contact if they have questions.

Making a successful technology change to YourMembership AMS

YourMembership provides an affordable, easy-to-use, all-in-one association management software to help you manage your membership in one powerful system. The YourMembership team does several things to make the change to YourMembership association management software as smooth as possible, including:

• Providing you with an implementation plan. You’ll have a clear plan for what happens when so you can clearly and regularly communicate to your staff throughout the implementation of the new system.
• Delivering training every week. The YourMembership team offers expert, hands-on user training every week to help your employees learn about various features and functionality in YourMembership AMS.
• Offering free resources. Your team can access free online training resources, a knowledge base, and the YourMembership online community so your small staff can find the answers they need when they need them.

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Find out more about how YourMembership association management software can help your small association succeed. Get a free demo and personalized consultation!

By Justin Deragon, Community Brands