How to Motivate Technology Laggards

When most people think about innovation and improvements in technology, they imagine that it comes like an unstoppable lightning strike. If anything, the reality is more like a very slow but steady-moving train.

“That’s the way we’ve always done it” is the rallying cry of businesses and managers that don’t want to make changes. Technology laggards can impede important improvements, and that’s especially true when they’re decision-makers.

If you have a lot of laggards in your organization, there’s still hope! Read on to learn how to appeal to people that don’t want to make the necessary changes to make important improvements.

Tips For Winning Over Laggards

Adopting new technology and innovative practices can be difficult for organizations that have been around for decades. It can also be equally trying for newer companies that think they automatically know the right way to handle the tech.

If you have people that are slow to adopt obvious changes, we’re here to help. If you have people that don’t want to take it to the next level, try to follow these tips to make adoption easier.

Related: 10 Traits and Qualities of an Awesome Accountant

Find the Gaps

Does your company lack the data it needs to make important decisions for business development? Are more and more employees leaving their jobs for companies that understand the importance of technology?

One of the easiest ways to advocate for the use of innovative technology is to show how it can truly help people in your organization. If you can think about the ways technology can fit into existing roles, you have your justification.

Think about the problems you face the most today and how technological innovations can help solve problems in the future.

Demystify the Process

There may be more people than you think in your organization that is willing to transition to new technologies. They’re for it in theory, but they’re worried about its execution.

There are a lot of unknowns with new technology in the workplace. Some employees may be concerned that they won’t be able to understand what’s happening.

If you want to make people excited to work with new technologies, you need to emphasize the ease they’ll be able to adapt and use it. You can even consider offering incentives to employees that learn the fastest.

Take some time to create a training guide and timeline for people in the business. Make it as comprehensive as possible, and encourage people to ask questions when they come up.

Patience

We know that people adopt certain technologies as fast as they can to help their businesses. It’s also important to remember that some people are going to be more adept at switching than others.

This is why it’s important to remember that it takes time to change.

Some people in your company may have literally been doing the same thing for decades. Others may not be open to deviating from what they know.

As soon as you’re aware of the importance of patience, the better you can understand the right way to bring in new technology.