If you study IT literature, courses, university lectures or other types of IT education you will notice that there are various software development models described and taught but they hardly ever mention the software rollout process or teach it in a solid way. Why? I believe that software rollout is hardly ever mentioned because until recently there has been hardly any literature or other types of education material published in this area.
When people need to do something new they often fear how the future will be. And because a software rollout is something new in people’s work they can also have fear. But what is fear actually? Well the good news is that FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real.
If you are managing a software rollout and wondering what should be your next steps based on the current results I suggest you ask your target audience and listen to what they have to say. Read more
One of the most fundamental rules about software rollouts and change management in general is that before people follow the activities they are asked to do they want to know ‘What Is In It For Me?’ (WIIFM). Addressing this is such a fundamental requirement for software rollouts but still it’s not always fulfilled correctly. Read more
There are many communication channels we can use for our software rollout communication but there’s one which I especially like and I may imagine that you don’t use it yet or you maybe underestimate its value, so I decided to share it with you in today’s blog post to help your work. I like it so much that I compare it to a precious gem. Read more
When I teach people how to roll out software I advise them WHAT TO DO to succeed in software rollouts. This time let’s look at 7 things that you SHOULD NOT DO as part of software rollout management. Read more
Social proof is one of the most effective ways to persuade people. When people see that other people are engaged in a certain activity and gain benefits from it, it motivates them to do that activity too. It is especially persuasive, if people who are engaged in this activity are similar to them because it gives them more confidence that it could work for them personally as well. Read more
If you are just starting out as a rollout project manager or owner you might be considering what objectives a software rollout should have to ensure that you achieve and deliver the intended business results for your company. Or if you are already experienced in this field you might want to know if your way of setting objectives is correct. So, to help you I’ll share what types of objectives I believe every rollout should have. Read more
It is hard to imagine any business that can survive without technology. But not all technology projects are successful. I believe that for these projects to succeed it is essential to bring the people and the technology together from the time of making the original decision to implement and roll out the new technology in the company. And it is essential to keep people involved until the end of the project when the technology becomes part of the business as usual activities. Read more
Communication is one of the key tools we use to lead and succeed in software rollouts. And you can’t succeed in it if you work alone. – Communicating successfully is like being part of an orchestra where everyone has to be aligned with the others or the whole performance will be ruined. Read more