Why User Adoption Keeps Tripping Us Up, and How Your Nonprofit Can Do It Better
User adoption issues are preventing nonprofit organizations from getting the full value out of their technology investments. Here’s why, and what you can do about it.
In a recent presentation (NTC April 2023) about digital transformation, I asked participants to choose which of a list of technology implementation steps was most challenging or most often overlooked in their organization. Almost everyone chose user adoption.
They said things like:
“Training and communication when a user needs assistance is our biggest issue.”
“Make sure program directors/team leads can champion user adoption, in addition to IT staff and leadership.”
“Preparing for user adoption always seems like a daunting step.”
“Preparing users … not enough staff resources to support this.”
“I’m not an educator so training beyond running through the process and providing documentation is not my strength.”
“Change fatigue is a big issue with my staff.”
In this article, I will share some of the themes I notice when I talk to people about user adoption, and a few strategies related to each theme.
Almost every nonprofit organization struggles with technology user adoption
In my 22 years helping nonprofits choose and implement technology solutions, this has been a consistent theme. Organizations of all sizes and levels of digital maturity seem to trip over user adoption.
Why is it so hard? Because it’s not really a technology issue, it’s a change management issue. Let’s examine a few of the roadblocks that stand in the way of effective user adoption.
It’s unclear who is responsible for user adoption
There are two responsibility problems. First, because user adoption occupies a gray area between the technical and leadership realms, it can be unclear who is responsible and accountable for it. Second, it’s also not something one individual can do alone, but rather, it requires coordination between departments and locations, and participation from each end user.
To overcome this barrier, insist on designating one person to form, implement, and monitor your user adoption plan. That person should have the support of a senior leader who sets firm expectations for staff participation, if staff are your end users, or ensures appropriate communication with external users.
We believe we lack expertise or time to do technology user adoption well
User adoption might seem like a nebulous or intimidating concept, and if you’re an IT manager or a database administrator, odds are you haven't received any formal training on how to manage this. It also takes time–though lacking the time to do it right is an illusion, since neglecting user adoption can cost you more time in the long term.
Don’t let constraints completely shut down your efforts. Small conscious choices about how you are rolling out new technology can have a huge positive impact on user adoption. Be curious about users’ resistance, make it as convenient as possible for them to use the new tools, provide incentives, and shine a spotlight on the intrinsic rewards of becoming a proficient user. Conduct training in small bursts so that no one feels overwhelmed by the time required, and seek quick wins that improve efficiency.
Nonprofit staff are tired of change or resist it due to underlying fears
We have all endured a lot of change over the past few years, and even when change leads to better outcomes, the process can be stressful. Introducing a new technology tool or process might not seem like a big deal on its own, but when added to the cumulative change people are experiencing, it might feel impossible.
Change also pokes at underlying issues, not all of which will make it up to the surface. People might feel fear over loss of status or control, shame at not being able to learn technology quickly, or anxiety about the unknown.
You might not be able to overcome this reluctance completely, but you can mitigate it by slowing your pace and not trying to make too many changes all at once. You can also seek to understand and acknowledge the emotions involved, and address them where possible.
Wrapping up
If no one uses a technology solution, it’s not really solving anything, right? User adoption problems get in the way of organizational effectiveness and innovation. You can improve this by assigning responsibility for user adoption, being determined to address it in spite of constraints, and viewing it through a lens of change management.
