10 quick tips for introducing your team to new technology

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we all work, meet and collaborate. For many people, this has meant getting up to speed on new apps and digital tools. We’ve all had to learn fast, but picking up new technology can be more difficult for some people than others.

If your organisation is undergoing a digital transformation, you’ll need to invest in some training. Technology can save you time and money, whether it’s using video conferencing for meetings or transcription services like the WeType app for dictation and minute-taking. But it only works if everyone is on board.

Here are some good starter tips for introducing your team to new tech tools, apps and services:

1. Share the news right away. If you’re trying something new, give your team a heads-up as soon as possible. This gives them plenty of time to prepare questions and for you to overcome concerns.

2. Be open and transparent. As you investigate something new, share your findings with your staff. Have plenty of chats about the potential benefits, identify problems early and ask people for their input before rollout. This gives you opportunities to encourage early buy-in from key stakeholders.

3. Prioritise tools that are user-friendly. When choosing your new technology, make user-friendliness a top priority. If your team are technology-shy, they’ll be put off by anything too complicated. With something like the WeType VoiceMaster app, it’s just a few taps of a smartphone to record, upload and submit voice files securely. There’s nothing complicated or tech-heavy to worry about.

4. Nominate a workplace technology champion. It’s much easier to win over your team when you have one of their own colleagues championing the benefits of the new technology.

5. Plan engaging training sessions. Long, boring training sessions won’t get anybody excited about your big plans for technological innovation. Put some time into planning dynamic, interactive and practical sessions and demonstrations.

6. Communicate the benefits. When something new enters the workplace, your staff will want to know how it benefits them personally. Take time to talk through this – for example, you can explain a transcription tool like WeType can save enormous amounts of time on arduous tasks such as minute-taking and writing out notes. This frees up your team for more productive tasks.

7. Consider different learning styles. Remember that everyone goes at their own pace when taking in new information. You may need a few different training techniques up your sleeve to accommodate everyone.

8. Come up with an implementation plan. If you’re bringing in a whole new system, you’ll need a detailed plan for what’s happening when. This allows you to communicate the timeline to your team and manage their expectations.

9. Make support available. When you start using your new tool or system, your team are bound to have questions. Make sure you have plenty of helpful ‘How-to’ resources ready.

10. Invite feedback. People like to feel listened to, so adopt an open-door policy for feedback, constructive criticism and concerns. And make sure you act on the feedback you receive, even if it’s just acknowledging it.

Thinking of using WeType? It’s a no-brainer, even for tech-shy teams used to working in a traditional way. Our DictationMaster software and VoiceMaster apps are user-friendly and require no technical know-how, so your people can start using them right away – find out more here.