P is for Process, that’s good enough for me

In a world where instant messaging, email and online audio meetings reign supreme; shifting an organization’s culture to adopt visual collaboration or unified communication solutions can be extremely challenging.  Implementing a new technology is a significant organizational change that, if underestimated, can produce disappointing results.  There are several key steps an organization must take in order to effectively drive adoption throughout the organization – including properly defining processes. This is the third post in a five-part series covering the successful development of a video culture within an organization.  Read part one here.

Implementing a new technology has a dramatic effect on the way employees do their job.  Visual collaboration sessions shift from scheduling a conference call to scheduling video conference which is far more complex in nature. To join a conference call, users simply dial a phone number and connect to an audio bridge; however, with a video call, participants have to worry about firewalls, network exchanges and more.  Learning all of these new processes can be extremely challenging; especially when users are unfamiliar with the technology.

Therefore, it is important to define and structure the processes required for effective collaboration in an easy to use and repeatable manner. Prior to implementation, stakeholders should work with video professionals to develop the necessary processes and procedures end users need to utilize visual collaboration solutions.  This includes how to connect to a video conference, displaying different types of content, changing audio and zoom settings and who to contact in the event of an issue. Documentation should be disseminated to all end users and a reference guide should be located in each conference room.

When designing processes and procedures it is important to define both the required steps and the expected outcomes. Users are more apt to follow a process when they understand the desired outcomes.  For example, pre-testing the video connection of a system on a different network can help prevent connectivity delays at the start of a meeting.  If users understand the role of pre-testing a network connection they are more likely to do so before an important meeting thereby increasing the likelihood of a successful collaboration session.

Properly defined and structured processes also need to be repeatable in order to be effective. Consistently having a new step or a new challenge creates a sense of frustration among users as it highlights their lack of expertise. Users should be able to replicate the process effortlessly; regardless of their background or expertise. This provides end users with a sense of familiarity which can help them overcome the fear and frustration associated with learning something new.

This post is part of a five-part series covering the successful development of a video culture within an organization.

Part One: Because the boss said so is not enough!
Part Two: It’s more than just bits and bytes
Part Four: Power to the People
Part Five: Driving Usage & Adoption