Over the years, businesses have been using public file sharing services as a part of their processes. Gradually, they realized that there are some security concerns related to these services. The switch to safer, self-hosted file sharing solutions becomes a natural consequence in this situation. However, upgrading to a new system is never easy for any organization and its employees. In fact, it becomes all the more challenging when technology is involved.
However, you cannot be tied to a legacy system just because of the apprehensions related to embracing new technologies. Rather, your aim should be to adopt any solution that has the potential for making your business better. Moving to an advanced system can be a wise decision if you are not happy with the security offered by the old one. Moreover, moving files to the Cloud may enhance team efficiency manifolds. Hence, you need to find ways for making your employees comfortable with a new file sharing solution. Here are some tips that can help.
Start from the top
As with any new initiative for a business, adoption of the new file sharing technology should start right at the top. Seeing that the leadership is going the extra mile to embrace the initiative definitely makes it a good proposition for the entire team, right to the ground level. Adoption at a company-wide scale becomes easier with this approach. Conversely, if the leaders fail to show real interest in training or following the procedures for the new file structure or permissions, you cannot expect the others to do it.
Find advocates for the initiative
Change management is a vital aspect of innovation.Just following the top to bottom approach for the adoption of the upgraded solution probably won’t be enough to convince the employees to accept the change completely. Rather, you will need to find advocates amongst the ground-level team members to convey the positive aspects of innovation. While leadership can set examples for them, peers can actually convince them about the practical benefits of the new initiative. Similarly, you should involve these front line team members while designing and outlining file sharing policies with the new solution.
Define new policies
With you upgrading or adopting a new system, you can expect confusion and disarray within the organization. The right approach lies in being prepared to deal with the situation rather than feel apprehensive about the decision. Starting from the time when you assess a white-labeled file sharing solution for your business, you need to define a standard policy for its use. The objective of this policy is to ensure that the employees are able to understand how they can use the solution in the most efficient and secure way. Moreover, concrete policies and best practices instil confidence in the employees and cut down the chances of mishaps as well.
Establish permissions as well
Besides defining policies and best practices for the use of the new file sharing solution, you also need to establish permissions for sharing files and folders with the system. For example, if employees have to share a file externally, they should have a clear idea about how they are allowed to do so. Clarity and consistency are vital as keeping things vague and inconsistent can have a negative impact on the adoption of the solution in the long run.
Train the users
Perhaps the most important aspect of making the employees comfortable with a new technology solution is training. Just creating policies and expecting people to implement them on their own without even knowing the solution is a blunder. This is a major risk with file sharing in particular because a lot of confidential information and data is at stake. Employees who are not confident about a new system may accidently lose or delete files that are vital to the organization. A relevant training program is the best solution to streamline the use of the solution. Further, you need to make sure that training is informative and interactive rather than only theoretical. You can come up with diverse training materials that are engaging and valuable, such as:
- A complete how-to guide to explain how the system works
- Screenshots and training videos
- A list of tips and tricks
- An FAQ page on the company intranet
Finally, give the employees enough time to understand and be comfortable with the new solution. A gradual move is recommended to minimize the error rates and reduce the seriousness of the errors as well. Show trust and confidence in your team and they will surely be able to embrace the technology and deliver to your expectations.
[Image via: Google Images]
