Eos systems
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The document provides tips for effectively communicating a library technology plan to different audiences. It emphasizes that 80% of effort should go towards planning, preparation, implementation and adoption rather than just 20% on choosing and installing systems. Communication is key to success and different audiences like staff, users, management have different needs and perspectives. The communicator needs to understand why each audience should care and tailor the messaging accordingly. Features tell but benefits sell so the technology plan should focus on how it benefits productivity, workflow and results rather than just features. It also cautions about potential problems and stresses the importance of integration, simplicity, saving time, increasing productivity and quality when justifying new technology.
Eos systems
- 1. Effectively Communicating the Library Technology Plan Stephen Abram, MLS EOS Webinars Dec. 4, 2013
- 2. THE IMMUTABLE RULE Choosing and Installing the System is the easy part. Invest 80% of your time in planning and preparation . . . not 20% And know that 80% of your success is in the implementation and adoption (communication, training, support . . .)
- 3. What happens after all this?
- 5. START WITH THE “WHY?”
- 6. Why are you communicating? Which statement is best? – “We are training the staff and users to use the resources of the library, digitally and physically.” – “We are using technology to improve the research quality of our products, reports, and decisions.” – “We are increasing the productivity of all staff while simultaneously increasing the quality of the decisions they make and their work.” – “We’re adding a feature to the intranet to allow staff to find books, reports and resources from their desktop.”
- 7. Who is your audience? • • • • • • Library Staff Library or intranet users Clients Management Champions Partners or team members e.g. IT, IS, HR, RM, etc.
- 8. Each Audience has their own needs, concerns, and perspectives.
- 10. The five requirements for adoption • • • • • Relative Advantage Compatibility Complexity Trialability Observability
- 11. AIDA • • • • Attention Interest Desire Action • • • • • Awareness Interest Evaluation Trial Adoption
- 12. What is the (best) order? • • • • Champion(s) Management Library Staff Partners or team members e.g. IT, IS, HR, RM, etc. • Library or intranet users • Clients • (and the vendor feedback loop)
- 13. Why do they care? The responsibility for effective communication is on the communicator not the listener. People listen if you’re speaking about something they care about. (Duh!) WIIFM … WIIFT
- 14. If they don’t care, should they? If they do care, why? What are the motivations of your users to adopt your innovations and services?
- 15. If they don’t care, should they? If they do care, why? Are those motivations different from your motivations? Library staff? IT?
- 17. What tools are at your disposal? • • • • • • • • • E-mail Print newsletters Memos Training sessions (in-person, one-onone, webinars) Meetings E-Learning Hotlines and support desks Tchotchkes or Trinkets Food
- 18. Another truism . . . YOU CAN’T MANAGE CHANGE WITH A MEMO.
- 19. Communication works when it is . . . • • • • • • • • • Memorable Interesting Humorous Told as a story Visual Localized Meaningful and targeted Consistent Follow the Rule of 7 times . . .
- 20. Training Strategies for Communication • Choose themes, audiences, and messages (It’s not just skills training!) • Determine what vehicles are suited to which goals • Develop a description of how each vehicle will be used. • Plan for remediation • Plan For Implementation • Implement • Continuously Monitor and Revise
- 21. Features and Benefits (FABS) • Features Tell, But Benefits Sell • Simply put, a feature is what your product or service has or does. • By definition, a benefit is something of value or usefulness. • As Theodore Levitt, former Harvard marketing professor and editor of the Harvard Business Review, once said, “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole.”
- 22. Features: Communicating the Library Technology Plan 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Easy access to your data Thorough system documentation Live API consulting Thriving developer community Active developer discussions
- 23. Benefits: Communicating the Library Technology Plan 1. Engagement: with transparency and involvement 2. No dead ends – help is at hand 3. Flexibility to sustainably localize and customize 4. Cost options and budget predictability and management 5. Building on the shoulders of others 6. Productivity, user workflow alignment
- 24. Study your productivity • Improved productivity happens when you work smarter with the resources you have or get the same results in less time. • Being busy isn’t necessarily being productive. Isn’t everyone busy? Who isn’t? • You may feel productive, but you’re only productive if you’re producing results that move the company forward.
- 25. Technology Questions • Technology divorced from overall organizational strategic goals is just a costcenter. • Do your IT systems improve the overall operational efficiency of your organization? • Does the technology platform let employees take the best care of your customers?
- 26. One Last Tech Question • Modernization isn’t enough. • Catching up is not a future driven strategy. (e.g. getting ready for mobile, adding distance access, upgrading coding…) • Are you justifying your new technology based on frustrations with the old ways or adoption of a visionary environment? • Does the ‘new’ way simplify? Make it more complicated? Require a steep learning curve?
- 27. Ask these Questions • • • • Does it save time? Does it increase productivity? Does it reduce complexity? Your time is a highly valuable asset to your organization, so use it wisely. • Does it contribute to bottom-line results? • Does it improve quality of outputs or decisions? • Does it support innovation or invention?
- 28. Productivity Examples • Communicating with your clients • Making sales calls • Managing your employees who deliver your products and services • Producing your product or service • Serving your customers • Writing proposals
- 29. Intuitive is a Canard!
- 30. Integration and Integrated What is integrated? How does this matter to the end user? Are you integrating the whole solution or just providing another stop on the way?
- 31. Small Cautions The horrible problems that WILL happen. (Can you say ObamaCare website?)
- 32. Dealing with problems • • • • • • • • Communicate quickly Be honest and complete Commit to correct Use reasons not excuses Avoid blamestorming Set a deadline Empathize Apologize
- 33. More tips • Make sure your leadership is on-side • Hold an employee meeting or forum to present your strategic plan; face-to-face communications are always more effective. • Highlight certain sections of your plan in your company newsletter to reinforce messages to most employees. • Make sure you allow for employee feedback on your plan and encourage discussion and/or clarifying questions. • Be sure to include important portions of your plan in orientation material for new employees. i.e., operational objectives. • Use your strategic plan to help you develop your marketing tools. • Make sure the look of our plan and printed or web communications are consistent and reflect your company's image.
- 34. Tips • Don’t over-communicate but don’t undercommunicate either • Stay positive • Be realistic • Use visuals and (appropriate) humour
- 35. Thanks! Stephen Abram, MLS, FSLA Principal Lighthouse Consulting and Dysart & Jones Associates Cel: 416-669-4855 stephen.abram@gmail.com Stephen’s Lighthouse Blog http://stephenslighthouse.com