FACT CHECKED
Digital adoption questions are an important ingredient for any digital adoption communication strategy.
The right questions can help you clarify:
- Whether you’re choosing the right technology
- How capable your employees are
- Whether they are ready and willing to support adoption
- How well the adoption efforts are progressing
They can also help you identify, mitigate, and avoid barriers to change and digital adoption.
These questions should form an integral part of your communications plan.
The information they provide should help guide your efforts. It will tell you what works, what doesn’t, and which direction you should go.
First, we will explore questions you should ask yourself and other business leaders.
Next, we will look at questions that you can ask – and expect from – your team.
Top Digital Adoption Questions to Ask Yourself
The first priority is uncovering the purpose of your digital adoption program.
You will need to decide its aim, your adoption strategy, and what your vision is for the future.
A thorough examination of these issues will help you choose the right technology solution, anticipate problems, and mitigate risks.
During your research phase, ask questions such as the following:
- What problem does the technology solve?
- What alternatives are on the market?
- Why are we choosing this solution over the alternatives?
- What are the risks of changing? Or of not changing?
- What is our timeline?
- What state are we trying to achieve with this solution?
- What is our readiness level?
- If we are not ready, what needs to be done to get ready?
- What problems do we anticipate?
- What is our strategy for handling those problems?
- What is our digital maturity level?
- Will this technology help our organization become more digitally mature?
- How will this technology positively impact employees?
- Will there be any negative side effects?
- How will we mitigate those?
- How will we offer training and onboarding?
Remember that any digital adoption program involves change and change management.
There will be a certain amount of discomfort or even resistance during the change program.
Questions such as these can help you clarify your position and avoid major risk factors like those.
However, these questions just lay the foundation for your strategy.
You need more information to continue developing that plan.
Below are some questions to help you do just that.
Digital Adoption Questions to Ask Your Team
You cannot simply deploy new software and expect team members to fall in line.
A new technology has a learning curve and takes time to implement. There will be a lag in employee productivity as employees undergo training, for example.
Also, resistant employees can hinder productivity.
Before even starting the program, you should ask questions such as:
- Are you satisfied with the current platform you are using?
- What do you like about it?
- What do you dislike about it?
- How would you rate your skill level with this technology?
- What could make your workflow easier?
- What features would you like to see in a technology like this?
- Would you be willing to learn a new program or technology if it benefited you?
These questions serve a few purposes: they plant the seeds of change in workers’ minds and they help you understand their needs.
You can use this information to feed your user education program and your communication strategy.
However, don’t stop there.
During the adoption program, it is important to keep collecting feedback.
Keep probing with questions such as:
- How do you feel about the technology so far?
- How difficult or easy is it to learn?
- How helpful is the training?
- What don’t you understand?
- What else would you like in terms of training?
- What is your understanding of the technology and its purpose?
- How else can we help you benefit from this technology or change?
These questions can help you gauge progress and program effectiveness. They can also help you make adjustments as necessary.
Digital Adoption Questions Your Team Will Ask You
Before, during, and after your adoption program, you should expect a number of questions from your team.
Anticipate questions such as these from affected workers:
- Why are we adopting this new technology?
- What’s in it for me?
- Do I have any choices?
- What are the downsides?
- Why would I support this plan?
- What if I disagree with your change plan?
- What if I don’t like the technology?
- Will you offer training and support?
- How much extra work will this mean for me?
- How will this impact my job and my career?
It is important to prepare for these types of inquiries.
Answering them openly and honestly will help employees feel more confident in the adoption plan and your leadership.
Final Thoughts
These types of questions form an important part of your communication strategy.
That strategy, in turn, directly impacts the results of your program – including adoption rates, employee productivity rates, and engagement rates.
Throughout your adoption process, be sure to create a culture of open, honest communication.
Doing so will improve the quality of the feedback you get.
As a result, you will overcome or avoid many barriers to adoption.
And, most importantly, your adoption program will be more accepted and more successful.
