Change Management for LMS Implementation
A new LMS is a big technological disruption for any company, even more so for larger organisations. An LMS also plays a pivotal role in a company’s core functions as it directly impacts company productivity and employee retention. Implementing a new system or upgrading an existing one can be a challenging prospect, which when done incorrectly may result in abandonment of the new learner management system by staff. To avoid the potential pitfalls of a new key system, we recommend a change management strategy:
Nominate your Change Management Champions
Change management starts from within the organisation. Typically in larger companies there is a big divide between top management and employees. This is part of why new systems are difficult to adopt, most employees feel like they have to make drastic changes which they knew nothing about. To remedy this, identify key individuals to act as your new system champions. These employees will be directly involved in the planning of the system and will act as a buffer between staff and top management. They will also play a key role in any potential system content or governance material, for example: Filming your champions talking about key features within the system is a great way to leverage their enthusiasm in a relatable manner. Post these video clips across the new system to further aid your LMS adoption.
Onboard Early
Getting your team to adopt a new system starts with the planning of said system. The trick is to involve your champions to make them feel like they played a part in the inception of the new system. One of our preferred methods is performing a Needs Analysis prior to development. This process involves asking specific questions around the flow of information to key individuals, in this case we recommend extending your questions beyond your champions and to all levels of management to ensure you get a comprehensive idea.
Bonus Tip: Avoid asking questions that assume the individual is a systems expert.
Create a Change Management Launch Ritual
It may seem like a cliché, but rituals play a big part in our adoption of social behaviour. Hosting an event that signifies the launch new of a new system is a great way of improving its adoption. We recommend making the most of this ritual by educating your employees on key benefits and features that may improve their work ‘quality of life’. The point of the ritual is aid the adoption of the LMS, so keep it focused on that and don’t spend the whole day celebrating the launch as the ritual is still a process to aid productivity, with an all day party being counter-intuitive to that objective.
A new learning management system may seem like a massive undertaking, but the long term benefits of a successful implementation are unparalleled, assuming your system meets your company’s most pertinent needs. The trick is start with Change Management from the planning phase, to ensure your system champions engage with your staff in a manner that is genuinely enthusiastic.
Looking for a new LMS system? Get in touch with our team today!
We are a full-service Web development and Content Production Agency in Gauteng specialising in Video Production, Animation, eLearning Content Development, Learning Management Systems, and Content Production. Contact us for a quote. | Info@soundidea.co.za | www.soundidea.co.za | +27 82 491 5824 |