You found a status reporting tool that was made for your needs. You signed up and invited your team. They joined you on Team Compass. You had high hopes that soon you’ll have performance and happiness data and the decision making process is more effective because you know what your company is capable of.
But now, weeks have passed and the only one doing status reporting is you. When you ask your team, they either say they ‘re going start using it or start questioning if there really is a need for yet another software. As if there isn’t too many already, plus they don’t like being spied on. So it’s still you and then suddenly the 14 day free trial is over. You give up.
This story is inspired by our clients feedback. Getting your team to really use Team Compass is an issue. So how do you successfully get your employees to report with a new software, especially one that seemingly is not crucial to the work itself? We put our heads together and came up with few tips.
Find your tech savvy people to test out the software
Your team consists of different people with various interests. There are also the tech freaks who love experimenting with new technology without anyone pushing them. They probably are using several gadgets on their own accord anyway. They aren’t intimidated by new innovative tools and they will be happy to test them out. So, let them test out this status reporting tool. Let them play with it and show a good example for the others. After a positive vibe is created, share the results and improvements with your colleagues. Organize a status meeting where these tech savvy people can introduce the status reporting tool and share their enthusiasm. Praise these innovators and thank them for the initiative.
It’s about the company, so give them the big picture
For a manager it’s crucial to know how productive a company is and where is it heading. Share the vision with your employees. After all, they are the ones that are taking little steps each day in order to achieve something bigger. Nobody wants to deal with unimportant issues. Therefore, give them more information how each step will help to achieve the objective. Be inspirational.
People often react better to examples. So, have your team imagine buying a car without knowing if it’s a Land Rover, Ferrari, or Nissan Micra. There’s no information on how old it is and what is the technical condition. Without crucial information about the vehicle, have them decide if they go offroading or attend a race on an airfield as a participating driver. Pretty tricky, isn’t it? This is how a manager may feel like directing the team without the data about the team’s abilities and performance. A hit and miss. Make your employees feel that these apps aren’t necessarily for the boss to spy on his employees but to set attainable goals based on what the team is capable of.
Emphasize the communication, not the employee reporting part
A lot of performance-measuring-productivity-boosting applications, including Weekdone, prioritize cooperation and clarity. It’s important that marketing knows what sales and development are doing. People, who work on the same project but not necessarily in the same zip code or department would have to know how the other person is doing without constantly emailing and calling them or just assuming. It’s also equally important to have your employees engaged in what you are doing. Do not forget to fill out your status reporting form so employees realize their work is in direct relation to yours and the overall objective.
See your work progress constantly and be motivated
At some point everyone has attended a performance review meeting that happens either once or twice a year and received a completely useless review. Wouldn’t it be nicer if you give and receive feedback and communicate as you go along? Record your performance on a weekly basis so you can check whenever you like how your company is doing. Offer this option to your employees as a nice social alternative to the annual performance review meeting. They can keep an eye on their progress and this will motivate to push even harder.
Any change is hard. Even switching your ten year old car to a brand new luxury vehicle takes time to adjust. It is most uncomfortable at the moment of change. After that, everything gets easier step by step. Teams of 3 or less can use Team Compass for free. For larger teams, it costs just $29 per month, or $295 annually. – all Start using a status reporting tool now and next month it’ll seem like a piece of cake.