CIOIN

Sunil Mehta

Sr. VP & Area Systems Director-Central Asia, JWT

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Sunil Mehta is Sr. VP & Area Systems Director-Central Asia, JWT

Using a project champion from the business to get user buy-in is a great strategy, but it also needs to be thought through.

It’s a well-known factthat the lack of user acceptance is behind many a botched IT project. That’s why, today, finding a way to win user acceptance is a pre-requisite for CIOs. Yet, it’s easier said than done. From years of doing this, I have plotted a multi-pronged strategy that’s increased my chances of success manifold.

"First, whenever I initiate a project, I select one enthusiastic user as a project owner or champion."

First, whenever I initiate a project, I select one enthusiastic user as a project owner or champion. This works like magic. The trick, however, is finding the right person. We exercise a great deal of circumspection in selecting a champion. I ask department heads to recommend people from within their departments who are enthusiastic, can influence others, and have an intimate understanding of business requirements. Finding someone who fits all these criteria isn’t easy, but it’s the best way to get buy-in for enterprisewide technology implementations. Start with this premise and half the battle is won.
It doesn’t end there. These evangelists have to drive change within their departments to ensure the continued success of a project as it progresses. And for this they need to involve their peers early and often. To help, we explain the rationale of a project and how it will ease their burden and increase efficiency. Here’s a tip: The more stakeholders in the room the merrier.

There’s a psychological dimension to winning people over. When users own and track the progress of a project it acts as a huge motivator for both. It also makes them less dependent on IT from a functional perspective. On IT’s side, I empower them by helping them understand each system end-to-end.
It helps if, like us at JWT, you work with the young guard. Imbibing new technology is second nature to them. But this has a flip side: I cannot disregard their opinions. It’s a two-way street. It means that I need to be very open-minded, receptive, and attentive to their needs.
The final step toward user acceptance is training. We invest in training both onsite and off-site. With large-scale training sessions, we select user champions to train people down the line. I also believe that you must celebrate after a good implementation and laud user efforts publicly. Implementation is not the be-all and end-all, user acceptance is.