The incredible speed of change in technology is affecting every organization, and there are many challenges for IT leaders to overcome, from updating legacy systems to determining the right technology for your business objectives. However, technology doesn’t operate independently within our organizations. People are using and managing systems at every stage.

As Steve Weston, CIO of Hays PLC, notes in his article for CIO: “It’s hugely important that IT leaders take charge in empowering employees to drive this change forward.”

That’s easier said than done, especially if you’re so focused on the practical elements (such as integration) and rollout dates that you miss some of the critical steps to win over and prepare your workforce. The best tool is only as good as the person using it, so when you’re laying out your plan, make sure you take the right steps to prepare your teams as much as you prepare your systems.

Get Buy-In From Every Level

Getting people to accept new technology isn’t easy, and it’s important to get your staff to buy in from the get-go. This might include investing in training to reduce the learning curve and doing your due diligence in order to pick the right tech in the first place.

I think the most important thing is to make sure people understand why the new technology is being introduced. How will it improve their ability to do their jobs, and what makes it the right tech at the right time? Getting buy-in is about more than just compliance — it’s about winning people over to a new approach or tool.

The “why” is more important than the “what” or “how” when it comes to convincing people to embrace something new.