5 steps to successful end-user adoption

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Preparing your end users to adopt Citrix solutions is critical to gaining the security and control your business needs — and getting the most out of your investment. A good place to start is reflecting on why your users should love Citrix solutions as much as you do. Then tailor your plan to demonstrate that value to your users—things like giving them the flexibility to work from anywhere on any device and providing better user experiences that will make work more simple and secure.

Here are five best practices to ensure success for you, your users, and the organization

1. Get an executive champion

Executive support is key to getting buy-in. People look to your leadership for direction, which is why it’s important to not only have your executives support your new technology, but use it as well. Leverage executive support at launch by having them send rollout communications, or have them record a video to include in new-hire onboarding. An executive’s level of involvement often can be an indication of the success your new technology will have across your organization.

72%

of projects supported by extremely effective sponsors meet or exceed objectives
Source: Best Practices in Change Management report, Prosci, 2015  

2. Form a cross-functional project team

The needs across different departments in an organization can vary, and each may realize different benefits from your Citrix solutions. For example, a mobile sales team will appreciate secure access to their apps and data while they’re on the road, and product developers will appreciate the ability to collaborate on files with peers working at remote locations around the world. This is why we recommend forming a cross-functional project team who can evangelize, reinforce leadership’s message, and provide team-specific training as they interface with end users daily.

3. Build an awareness campaign that gets everybody excited

A good communications plan includes a variety of promotional tactics that both inform and generate excitement about your Citrix solutions. Also keep in mind that you have two groups to consider in your plan: your project team and your end users.

  • Your plan for your project team should include the rollout progress, milestones, and actions, and acknowledge difficulties and setbacks.
  • Your end user plan should include a cadence of emails from leadership that builds awareness and excitement about your upcoming rollout. In the Citrix adoption kits, we provide three email templates that you can edit to fit your needs.

In addition to email, it’s important to use additional tactics to keep your users interested and eager for your launch.

Some examples include:

  • Posting signage in high-traffic locations, like by the printers or in the break room.
  • Creating a video to loop on a screen by the elevators or in the cafe
  • Creating a “countdown to launch” app on your intranet’s homepage
  • Hosting a preview party to encourage excitement, showcase upcoming trainings, introduce your project team, etc.  

4. Make training role-specific—and fun

Center every session around how and why this new tool paves the way for users to succeed in their particular duties. During a recent research study, we learned that not only do end users want training on how to use new tools, but they want to understand the “why” – what benefit is this new tool going to provide to me? Make sure this is loud and clear in your trainings. Too often, trainings are created with a one-size-fits-all mentality and ultimately fail.

When working with your training team, encourage them to train to the roles or departments of your users. And because you have secured executive sponsorship for your launch, utilize their support when building out your training sessions. Consider asking for funding to host interactive sessions, such as lunch-and-learns, snacks and trivia, or an incentives program in which employees earn rewards for active use. Finally, make sure all training materials are easily accessible and repeated often.  

5. Ask for feedback

It’s important to build a feedback loop into your plan. Seeking candid feedback about their experiences shortly after deployment is a great way to identify people who may not have been properly trained. It also will show them that their concerns are valued and will keep them engaged in the adoption process.

Ensure long-term success

Rolling out your Citrix solutions is just the beginning. A successful effort requires ongoing support after your launch.

By recognizing the importance of the end user experience and applying these best practices, your business can avoid some common roadblocks associated with implementing new technologies and can instead create happy and engaged users.