The more people in an organization use project management software, the more useful it is for improving project outcomes. While 22% of companies adopt project management software, internal adoption rates vary depending on how well the tool has been championed, along with end-user buy-in. To facilitate project management software adoption across your small team, you have to communicate the anticipated changes and train them on the platform.
Communication Plan
If you expect your team to use the project management tool you’ve invested in, you have to let them in on the vision. That means explaining why this tool is important for achieving business goals, and how it will help them work more efficiently, and increase productivity.
Important things to communicate to your team about your project management software include:
- Why you invested in this tool
- What company outcomes it will help achieve
- What previous processes the new tool will replace or supplement
- How this new tool will impact their day-to-day operations
- Important milestones and metrics for adoption
- How they can communicate feedback
Your small team is more likely to buy into a tool when they understand the “why” behind it and are enabled to use it.
How to Train Your Small Team on Project Management Software
Even without a big budget for training, businesses can create training opportunities for their teams. Leaving each individual to train themselves is how you end up with three different workflows for a single deliverable, which just ends up duplicating work. Instead, foster internal training that establishes best practices and gets everyone on the same page.
Here are some cost-effective ways to train your small team on project management software:
Training decks
Create training materials that walk through the platform, common workflows, and best practices for using the tool. Include helpful tips and links to documentation. Your team members can explore the platform at their own pace with guidance from the deck.
Short videos
People often prefer video content over text. Creating videos that demonstrate common use cases for the new tool will help more visual learners understand the intended flow of the process and features of the platform.
Lunch and learn
One budget-friendly way to train your small team on project management tools is to host a “lunch and learn” where champions of the software walk through the platform. This method makes it easy to address real-time questions and understand common barriers to adoption.
Office hours
The champion can also host office hours in a place or on Zoom and allot time and space to training. It’s a good way to get as many people trained as possible. Plus, there’s food.
You can also combine all these various training methods into a single program that runs for an allotted time. Set up goals for adoptions and milestones so that you can track adoption progress and whether you’re achieving the expected outcomes.
Takeaways
Training your small team on project management tools doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. With tried and true training methods and a little elbow grease, you can have your team up and running and the platform in no time. Learn how LinkSquares Prioritize can help your legal team save time today.
